An Atlantic City man faces five years in state prison after pleading guilty Wednesday to weapons and drug charges. Twenty-seven-year-old Ezekiel Harper admitted to illegal firearm possession and drug distribution charges stemming from a July investigation at a local Howard Johnson hotel. Police located Harper in the hotel lobby and discovered a revolver, along with wax folds containing fentanyl and carfentanil, inside his fanny pack. Under the plea agreement, Harper will serve a mandatory five-year term without parole when he is officially sentenced on December 15th.

Atlantic City has spent millions of dollars on flood protection and drainage improvements, but Sixth Ward Councilman Jesse Kurtz says the recent nor'easter exposed a troubling problem in Chelsea Heights: Floodwaters that remained in some neighborhoods even after the tides receded. During an October 20 appearance on The AC Mike Lopez Show on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND, Kurtz said the city needs to take a closer look at drainage infrastructure, particularly in areas where standing water persisted longer than expected.

One of Atlantic City's most prominent redevelopment properties has changed hands, with South Jersey businessman and longtime political figure George E. Norcross III, his family and business partners purchasing the former Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino site on the Boardwalk. SouthJerseyNewsBeatcom reports the acquisition, announced Wednesday, October 21, ends years of uncertainty over the future of the oceanfront property, which has remained largely undeveloped since the casino's main hotel tower was demolished in February 2021.

Authorities are investigating the discovery of human remains in a wooded area of Middle Township after two Cape May County residents came upon the remains Tuesday, October 20. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and Middle Township Police Chief Tracey Super announced the discovery in a joint news release Tuesday evening.According to authorities, the two residents were walking in a wooded area in the Edgewood section of Middle Township when they discovered what appeared to be human remains.The discovery was immediately reported to the Middle Township Police Department.Investigators from the department and the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office subsequently responded and began an investigation.

The fight to keep the Atlantic City Sheraton open hit a critical juncture this week, with The Press of Atlantic City reporting that time is running out for the hotel and that the state will not take up a tax break when it meets Thursday. SouthJerseyNewsBeatcom reports the development is a blow to those hoping for a last-minute reprieve for the property, which has been the subject of ongoing discussions about its financial viability. According to The Press of Atlantic City, the state's decision not to consider the tax break on Thursday means the hotel's future remains uncertain as the week wears on.

A 20-year-old Egg Harbor City man died from injuries in a crash Saturday afternoon in Galloway Township. According to BreakingAC.com, a 61-year-old Egg Harbor City woman was turning left onto Aloe Street from Bremen Avenue at about 2:50 p.m., when she was struck by a Ford Mustang driven by the 20-year-old, according to police.The names have not been released.

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small gave The Breakfast Club a lot to chew on as he appeared live on the Netflix podcast Monday morning. According to BreakingAC.com, the city leader offered up information on everything from his $50 million lawsuit against the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office to the decrease in crime and increase in resources available to seniors, youth and small businesses.For their part, DJ Envy and the crew in New York City were most interested in the mayor’s victory in court and how the family has come back from a criminal case that pitted his daughter against her parents.

An Atlantic City man faces up to 12 years in state prison after pleading guilty Monday to drug distribution and illegal weapons charges. Authorities say 32-year-old Bilal Freeman was arrested following a October 2025 surveillance operation where police seized over five ounces of cocaine, a loaded firearm, and fentanyl from his vehicle and residence. Freeman's co-defendant, Raleesha Cheatham, also pleaded guilty to child endangerment after investigators found the loaded gun and drugs accessible to four children living in the home. Two additional suspects pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges, while Freeman remains held in custody awaiting his sentencing in January 2027.

An Atlantic County jury has found a Camden man guilty of attempted murder and multiple drug and weapons charges for shooting an Atlantic City man in July 2024. Prosecutors say forty-year-old Ricardo Berrios shot the victim following a dispute, leading to his arrest hours later at a local motel where police also uncovered a narcotics production facility. At the time of the shooting, Berrios had seven pending indictable charges and a long criminal record, qualifying him as a persistent offender. He remains jailed and faces up to two consecutive life terms at his December sentencing.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew said Monday that a Middle Township police officer critically injured by a suspected impaired driver is undergoing additional surgery, while the congressman confirmed his claim that the driver is in the United States illegally and has an active federal immigration detainer.Speaking Monday on WOND, Van Drew said Patrolman Austin Kapurelos, 26, was scheduled for his third surgery Monday following the October 16 crash on Route 47. The driver, identified as Lucio Lopez-Perez, 36, of Erma, remained at the scene and was taken into custody on suspicion of impaired driving.

With winter storm season approaching and severe beach erosion threatening homes and public infrastructure, Brigantine officials are moving forward with plans for an estimated $400,000 emergency stone barrier at the northern end of the city's beachfront Promenade. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports the proposed project would reinforce an exposed timber bulkhead and a section of badly eroded dunes following September's powerful nor'easter, which stripped away significant amounts of sand along Brigantine's northern shoreline.

New Jersey has formally requested emergency federal assistance to repair beaches and dunes damaged by September's powerful nor'easter. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, Governor Mikie Sherrill's administration announced Friday, October 16, that it has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite assistance for eight federal coastal storm protection project areas across New Jersey. Five of those project areas directly involve Atlantic and Cape May counties, including the shorelines of Brigantine, Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate, Longport, Ocean City, Strathmere, Sea Isle City, Avalon and Stone Harbor.

A Middle Township Middle School teacher is among two Cape May County women facing criminal charges following an alleged encounter at an Atlantic City casino hotel in which authorities say a man was restrained while $1,250 was transferred from his cellphone without permission. BreakingAC.com reports Amanda Crafts, 35, of Wildwood, and Veda Engel, 23, of Cape May, are each charged with second-degree theft and conspiracy to commit robbery in connection with the October 9 incident.Engel also faces a prostitution charge.

A 14-year-old Mays Landing girl was seriously injured Friday evening after her electric bicycle collided with a minivan on the Black Horse Pike. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com,the crash occurred at approximately 5:50 p.m. October 16 along eastbound U.S. Route 40 near Walmart Drive, according to Hamilton Township police.Investigators said the teenager was riding her e-bike eastbound along the shoulder of the roadway when she entered the travel lane and collided with a minivan traveling in the same direction.

On Friday, at approximately 12:19 a.m., the Atlantic City Police Department was dispatched to U.S. 40 (Black Horse Pike), westbound, for a crash involving two vehicles resulting in the death of the driver of one of the vehicles. The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office’s Crash Investigations Unit and the Atlantic City Police Department are cooperatively and actively investigating this incident.

As Atlantic City's historic Steel Pier remains listed for sale at $85 million, questions are emerging about what would happen to millions of dollars in financing provided by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority if the iconic Boardwalk attraction changes ownership. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports a review of the CRDA's publicly available audited financial statements shows that the authority carried a Steel Pier loan receivable of $10,826,926 as of December 31, 2024. That figure is significant because the Catanoso family, which purchased Steel Pier in 2011, is now seeking a buyer for the property, creating the possibility of a major transaction involving an attraction that benefited from public-agency financing.

Stockton University is inviting residents, students and volunteers from across South Jersey to roll up their sleeves and help clean up Atlantic City on Saturday, October 24, before celebrating their efforts with an afternoon of food, music and family activities at O'Donnell Park. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports the fifth annual Stockton Community Day and Party in the Park will feature neighborhood cleanups throughout the city's wards, followed by a free community celebration. Volunteeres have removed more than four tons of trash from Atlantic City's streets and beaches since the program began five years ago.

For South Jersey women who have put off getting a mammogram because they don't have health insurance, Atlantic Medical Imaging has a message: Financial concerns should not stand in the way of potentially lifesaving breast cancer screening. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports throughout October, the AMI Foundation is providing free screening mammograms to uninsured women age 40 and older who have no current or previous breast issues.

Atlantic County Clerk candidate Lisa Bender is pushing back against criticism of her proposal to bring county government services directly into local communities, saying political opponents have misunderstood her plan. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, appearing on WOND, Bender, a Democrat challenging incumbent Republican County Clerk Joe Giralo, explained that her proposal for a mobile office would not involve visiting residents' homes or purchasing a specialized vehicle.Instead, she envisions bringing county employees and portable equipment to municipal buildings, libraries and other community locations, potentially offering services during evening hours when many residents are unable to visit traditional government offices.

Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson says the county has the financial resources to help preserve the threatened Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel, but he is drawing a firm line when it comes to risking taxpayer money. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, during an appearance on WOND, Levinson reiterated his willingness to consider county financing to help keep the 502-room hotel operating. However, he said any arrangement must include guarantees that the county would recover its investment.