WOND News

Plans are on hold for a Stockton University expansion in Atlantic City as the governor continues not to release funding held in reserve. The state did release $114 million of $235 million it placed in sequester over the summer, but it doesn’t include $4.6 million for the Stockton project. The governor decided to keep the funding aside, reports the Press of Atlantic City, until it was clear that revenues would meet expectations.

A not guilty plea from a Pleasantville man in connection with deadly shooting of a 15-year-old girl at a home in Atlantic City on July 25th. 18 year old Nahquil Lovest is charged with aggravated manslaughter stemming from Na’imah Bell’s death. She was found inside a home on the 100 block of South Massachusetts Avenue. The Press of Atlantic City reports Lovest was reportedly handling a gun when it went off and a bullet struck Bell in the head. Lovest has a status conference set for November 14th.

A state appellate court has upheld a New Jersey man’s conviction on an obscenity charge for watching porn videos on his iPad while sitting in his car outside a fast-food restaurant. Little Egg Harbor police responded to the restaurant in April 2014 after getting a complaint about 53-year-old David Lomanto’s activities. Authorities say he initially refused to leave his car, then repeatedly refused to show the officer his license or other identification. Lomanto said that watching porn in the privacy of his car is protected under the U.S. Constitution.

Changes in Atlantic City government continued Wednesday with the election of Aaron Randolph to council president and George Tibbitt to council vice president. Randolph, the 1st Ward Councilman, has been serving as VP of council. He received unanimous support from council members. According to the Press of Atlantic City, At-large Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy II was the lone “no” vote on Tibbitt’s nomination.

A guilty verdict in the trial of Christopher R. Small and Christopher M. Verity regarding the drug induced death of Kevin MacFarlane. On October 3, 2018, the body of Kevin MacFarlane was discovered and a homicide investigation was conducted by Detectives from the New Jersey State Police and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation revealed MacFarlane, a resident of Avalon, died as a result of a drug overdose which then lead to the arrest of Small and Verity. Small and Verity were found guilty of Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Death, a crime of the first degree and Conspiracy to commit Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance a crime of the third degree.

An Egg Harbor Township woman is under arrest in connection with a car crash earlier this year that killed a mother and her infant son. 66 year old Nancy Cavanaugh was under the influence and crossed into oncoming traffic on English Creek Avenue on February 26th. Breaking AC reports her car crashed head on into one driven by 31 year old Alisha Williams, who had her 10 month old baby Amari in the vehicle with her. Both died at the scene. A detention hearing is set for Monday.

In Margate, Jerome Avenue will be shut down to all traffic in the area of Amherst Avenue Thursday October 17th and Friday October 18th as crews finish up the road project and pave the intersection. Expect detours and delays in the area and plan accordingly. When approaching the area please pay attention to all signage and obey all directions given by officers on scene.

New election spending figures show Democrats running for Assembly seats have raised more than three times as much as Republicans ahead of this year’s contest.
New Jersey’s Election Law Enforcement Commission said today that Democratic candidates in the Nov. 5 election have raised $11 million, compared with $3.3 million for Republicans. Democrats also outspent Republicans $5.7 million to $1.4 million.
The Assembly races top the ballot this year.

Former Atlantic City Council President and Acting Mayor Marty Small Sr. was unanimously selected to become the permanent mayor of Atlantic City.
In a special meeting held in the Henry E. “Hank” Tyner Memorial Council Chambers Tuesday evening, city council members voted 8-0 for Small Sr. to be selected as the new mayor. Small Sr. was among the three people nominated to fill the spot vacated by former Mayor Frank Gilliam, who resigned following a guilty plea to wire fraud charges in federal court earlier this month.

In Cape May County, officials including Sheriff Robert Nolan have filed suit against the state and the Attorney General in federal court. That suit challenges the constitutionality of the Immigrant Trust Directive and asking the court to issue an injunction against it. According to the Press of Atlantic City, county officials say they have only reported and held for ICE undocumented people accused of serious crimes, amounting to a handful of people a year.