Good morning, South Jersey. Welcome back from the holiday weekend. Be mindful of the regional flood watch in effect until this evening, which includes Camden and Gloucester Counties as well as Northwestern Burlington County.
To ease into the workweek, let’s start with something fun: eight local places that let you indulge in nostalgia and play a round of mini golf.
And a record number of New Jersey students earned an associate’s degree while finishing high school.
Plus, a former employee of Connolly Dermatology filed a lawsuit against the practice over unpaid wages, and more news of the day.
— Taylor Allen ([email protected])
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⛳Tee up
Bring on some wholesome summer fun and break out the colorful golfballs on a putt-putt course.
⛳If you’re into zany obstacles — like a fiberglass Liberty Bell or an oversized sombrero — then Pleasant Valley Miniature Golf in Voorhees could be for you.
⛳How about a more classic experience with a waterfall? The Big Swing Golf Center in Sewell might be the right fit.
⛳Want to avoid the heat? There are indoor options, including Monster Mini Golf in Cherry Hill and Turnersville.
See the full guide of the region’s mini golf courses here.
Meet the recent high school grads with associate’s degrees
This year, there were 376 high school students enrolled in New Jersey’s 21-county vocational-technical schools who graduated with associate’s degrees, a new record.
Vo-tech schools have become more competitive in recent years as they attract students who want an alternative path to careers or college. If students want the latter, these schools provide an affordable option to earn credit for college-level work, saving time and money.
🎓 The Camden County Technical Schools, which have campuses in Gloucester Township and Pennsauken, have 31 graduates.
🎓 The Gloucester County Institute in Deptford has 17 graduates.
🎓 Meanwhile, Burlington County Institute of Technology has students who have earned credits, but none that have earned their full associate’s degrees yet.
The Inquirer’s Melanie Burney introduces three of the accomplished grads.
What to know today
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A man from Browns Mills was caught in a child trafficking sting and has been charged in Bucks County, Pa., with criminal attempt to engage or perform a commercial sex act with a minor and other related crimes, prosecutors said Thursday.
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More than 200 patients were evacuated from Echelon Care and Rehabilitation Care in Voorhees on Saturday morning because of an air-conditioning failure during a heat wave. They were temporarily moved to Eastern Regional High School where they continued to receive care, according to 6abc.
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Bill Wine, the Emmy-award winning film and TV critic and longtime La Salle University professor, died at 81 last week. He grew up in West Oak Lane and Cherry Hill. Wine graduated from the old Cherry Hill High School.
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A former Marine from Sewell pled guilty to sending fake military orders and United States District Court orders to various banks in order to get financial benefits under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. The scheme included forging court documents and impersonating a federal protective services inspector, announced U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer on Thursday.
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PSE&G is expected to begin the installation of a new gas main today on Haddon Avenue in Haddonfield. The crews will be expected to work through the end of August.
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Connolly Dermatology, the skin-care practice that had 30 locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania at its peak, is facing a lawsuit filed by a former employee over unpaid wages. Back in May, the New Jersey Department of Labor said it was investigating complaints about three weeks of missed payrolls.
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DiBartolo’s Cakery will open inside the new Del Buono’s Pastry shop, which is under development in Westmont. The move will bring the notable cake artist Al DiBartolo back to town, according to 42 Freeway.
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Adele Altadonna, a Camden native, shared her 100th birthday with America’s Semiquincentennial on Saturday, CBS News Philadelphia reports.
🧠Trivia time
How much did Jason and Kylie Kelce’s events this year in South Jersey fundraise for the Eagles Autism Foundation?
A) $500,000
B) $615,726
C) $1.26 million
D) $1.75 million
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re…
🛶 Taking: A canoe tour with Mick’s Canoe & Kayak in Chatsworth.
👀 Watching: For some rescheduled dates for the various South Jersey July Fourth plans that were postponed because of last week’s heat wave.
🍴Craving: The corned beef and pastrami at the Kibitz Room in Cherry Hill.
📬 Your South Jersey view
The below “South Jersey view” came from reader David Epler, who shared fond memories of the Ben Franklin Bridge on its 100th birthday:
I have been over the bridge many times over the years. I lived in downtown Camden during my first year in law school in 1975 and walked it out of boredom. My criminal law professor would run it and then have office hours with his knees wrapped in ice!
Many years later, my bride and I started a Fourth of July tradition. We would park at Rutgers, walk over the bridge, hang out on the mall, have a beer and lunch at the Independence Beer Garden, and then hop on the speed line back to Camden. Mobility issues and age put the kibosh on that.
The views and perspective were always great and you never knew who you might meet!
What does your community look like? What South Jersey memory would you like to share? Submit a photo and/or a brief description for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.
🗞️ What other South Jersey residents are reading
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Trump administration gets final legal OK to install own panels at President’s House, city appeals
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‘The game is where it needs to be’: Bryce Harper wants compromise (and no salary cap) to keep baseball thriving
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What we missed on our roundup of Philadelphia’s 76 most iconic dishes
And that should get you started for the day. I’ll catch you tomorrow. 👋🏽
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