Across Jersey, passion and pride  Nov 5, 2008
Camilla Arthur Farmer is 82, the matriarch of an extensive family in the Camden County town of Lawnside. Her bloodlines date all the way back to when Lawnside was called Free Haven, a farm town founded for freed slaves on land bought by Abolitionists in 1840. (NJ.com -- News)

Former Camden principal pleads guilty in theft  Nov 4, 2008
CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) The former principal of a Camden elementary school has pleaded guilty to official misconduct for stealing more than $14,000 in field trip money. Sixty-seven-year-old Michael Hailey of Delran pleaded guilty Monday in state Superior Court in Camden, admitting he used his position to deceive parents and students into paying for field trips that were already being paid for by the school district. (NJ.com -- News)

Silly season  Nov 3, 2008
-- SCOTT C. TURNER, Willingboro The writer is a minister and the founder of Life Paths Mentoring in Camden. Our sign is missing In the spring of 2008, we installed a new address sign on the front lawn of the Ahavath Israel Congregation Synagogue, at 1130 Lower Ferry Road, Ewing. (NJ.com -- Times)

Fort Dix recordings: Specifics, missed connections  Oct 31, 2008
For the third straight day Thursday, the trial was dominated by recordings made by federal informant Mahmoud Omar, a native of Egypt with a sketchy past who is being paid 1,500 weekly for his cooperation (Somerset Daily American, PA)

Ft. Dix Tapes: Plotter Called for 'Suicide Attack'  Oct 31, 2008
CAMDEN, N.J. Fort Dix terror plot suspect Mohamad Shnewer was full of ideas for attacking Americans and how to get the weapons to do it. On Thursday, jurors heard about many of them as they listened to secret recordings made by Mahmoud Omar, a paid FBI informant, for a third straight day. (Fox News)

Fort Dix defendant heard discussing weapons  Oct 31, 2008
CAMDEN, New Jersey - One of the defendants in an alleged plot to attack Fort Dix was caught on tape discussing using nail bombs and machine guns for an assault that he said would punish Americans for their arrogance. Mohamad Shnewer was secretly recorded during a car trip he made to the Army training base in 2006 with government informant Mahmoud Omar. (MSNBC -- Terrorism)

River Line doubles capacity for Phils fans  Oct 31, 2008
Fans traveling to the parade can ride the River Line to the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden and connect to PATCO trains to Center City Philadelphia ... The River Line serves South Jersey communities from Trenton to Camden along the Delaware River. (NJ.com -- News)

Fort Dix Plotter Spoke Of Bombs On Tape  Oct 30, 2008
CAMDEN, New Jersey, Oct. 29, 2008 ... In a courtroom artist's sketch, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Kugler, back, and five defendants listen in a federal courtroom in Camden, N.J., on Oct. 28, 2008, to the testimony of Mahmoud Omar, the government's star informant in the case against the five. (CBS News)

Women accused of aiding inmates  Oct 30, 2008
King, 59, is serving a life term for murder out of Bergen County; Burgos, 36, is serving 30 years to life for murder and related charges out of Bergen County; Essner, 38, is serving a 50-year term for murder from Morris County and Siaca is serving 35 years to life for conspiracy from Camden County; and Reid is serving 25 to 50 years for robbery and kidnapping from Essex County. Linda Stein can be reached at lstein@njtimes. (NJ.com -- Times)

Need change?  Oct 30, 2008
-- ALEXANDER J. HATALA, Camden The writer is president and CEO of the Lourdes Health System, Catholic Health East New Jersey. McCain has lost touch Millions of Americans are fac ing very difficult times. (NJ.com -- Times)

Jurors hear start of alleged Fort Dix plot  Oct 29, 2008
CAMDEN, N.J. - The paid informant who helped build the case against five men accused of plotting to attack soldiers in New Jersey took the witness stand Tuesday, but much of what jurors heard from him came in the form of secretly taped conversations with one of the accused ... Buying guns in nearby CamdenOmar responds enthusiastically, telling Shnewer that he served four years in the Egyptian army, that he could turn a microwave into a bomb and suggesting they could buy guns in nearby Camden. (MSNBC -- Terrorism)

McCormick discusses U. connection with hospital  Oct 29, 2008
Besides reaching out to the higher-education community, McCormick said the University has also implemented a program in which promising eight graders, who are members of a low-income home in the host cities of New Brunswick, Piscataway, Camden or Newark, receive the opportunity to be mentored and advised by University staff through until their senior year of high school. We ll do everything we can to help them get into Rutgers and we promise them that if they [do], they will go for free. (The Daily Targum, NJ)

Keep Holiday Spending Down with Tax Free Shopping and Quality Lodging at New Jersey Destinations That Bring the Dream of a 'Shopcation' to Life  Oct 28, 2008
For a truly unique experience, travelers can bunk on the USS New Jersey -- the nation's most decorated battleship -- in the lively Camden Waterfront. Smart travelers this holiday season are discovering that one thing's for sure: the idea of a "shopcation" is within reach in New Jersey. (Canada Newswire)

Home robberies on the rise  Oct 28, 2008
Juniak said one of his investigators received an intelligence report that Camden has been experiencing an increase in robberies due to a drop in the cocaine market. "But there could be a lot of reasons for (the increase)," Juniak said. (NJ.com -- Times)

Grammy Award Winners Among 20 Notable Artists to Perform in Settlement Music School's "Jazz All-Stars"  Oct 28, 2008
Grammy winners Trumpeter Wallace Roney and Bassist Leonard Nelson Hubbard of The Roots and Hollywood film score composer, pianist and Camden, NJ native Eric Lewis are among the all-stars. Led by well known band leader and saxophonist Joe Sudler, the participating artists of this once-in-a-lifetime performance include. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)

Shadowy informant to take stand in Fort Dix trial  Oct 27, 2008
CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) A shadowy ex-convict who secretly recorded five men charged with planning to kill soldiers on Fort Dix is expected to testify at their trial this week. Prosecutors say paid informant Mahmoud Omar is likely to take the stand Monday or Tuesday for several days of testimony. (NJ.com -- News)

Trump book author won't reveal sources  Oct 26, 2008
CAMDEN, N.J. An author doesn't have to reveal his sources for a book in which he claimed Donald Trump's wealth was in the millions, not billions. The ruling by a New Jersey appellate panel Friday reverses a 2006 decision to compel the disclosure. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

> SBA says fewer business seeking loans  Oct 25, 2008
In Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties alone, volume dropped from a combined 373 loans totalling $83. 2 million in fiscal year 2007 to 246 loans totaling nearly $70 million in fiscal year 2008. (Philadelphia Business Journal, PA)

Foreclosures below national rate  Oct 24, 2008
The increase in third-quarter foreclosure filings in Philadelphia was below the national average while Camden, N.J., greatly exceeded that number, according to data released Thursday by foreclosure data provider ... Camden saw filings jump 264 percent during that time, well above the 71 percent national average ... Camden is ranked 39th among the nation s top 100 markets in foreclosure filings with 0. (Philadelphia Business Journal, PA)

Jersey foreclosure filings on the rise  Oct 24, 2008
Of the 100 top metropolitan areas listed by RealtyTrac yesterday, Newark ranked 38th, Camden ranked 39th and Edison ranked 47th. In September alone, New Jersey rang up 7,658 foreclosure filings in a single month, up more than 48 percent from the same time last year. (NJ.com -- Times)

Gangs blamed for spike in Burlco bank robberies  Oct 24, 2008
He is awaiting trial in U.S. District Court in Camden ... Last month, Pack pleaded guilty to bank robbery and a federal weapons charge in U.S. District Court in Camden and awaits sentencing. (NJ.com -- Times)

Fort Dix Plot Jurors Shown Violent Videos  Oct 23, 2008
CAMDEN, N.J., Oct. 22, 2008 ... This artist's drawing shows defendants Shain Duka, bottom left, Eljvir Duka, Dritan Duka, Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer and Serdar Tatar in a federal courtroom in Camden, N.J., Oct. 20, 2008. (CBS News)

A Christmas tree  Oct 22, 2008
For example, George Nor cross, a Camden County Democratic power broker who holds no elective office, was able to steer a grant for $100,000 to the Lawrenceville School to create a scholarship fund for disad vantaged students, thanks to Senate President Richard Codey, D-Essex, who was considering a run for governor at the time. Details about the Property Tax Assistance and Community Development Grant Program began emerging earlier this month, during the ongoing federal corruption trial of former... (NJ.com -- Times)

Trial starts for 5 accused of U.S. terror plot  Oct 22, 2008
(10-21) 04:00 PDT Camden, N.J. -- Five men accused of planning an attack on an Army training base in New Jersey were inspired by al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, a prosecutor said Monday during opening statements in their terrorism trial. Images. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Trial starts over US Army base "holy war" plot  Oct 21, 2008
CAMDEN, New Jersey (Reuters) - The trial of five men accused of plotting an armed attack on a New Jersey army base opened on Monday with a prosecutor saying they were inspired by al Qaeda and the idea of Islamic "holy war" against America. The five men, all Muslims born outside the United States, were charged in May 2007 with planning but not executing an attack on the Fort Dix army base, near Philadelphia. (Reuters)

Man found in burning home dies at hospital  Oct 20, 2008
Allen Fox, 56, died yesterday morning at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden. Police said they and firefighters were called to the 1100 block of the street around 8:23 p.m. for a fire inside the house. (NJ.com -- Times)

Trial Of Fort Dix Plot Suspects To Start Monday  Oct 20, 2008
CAMDEN, N.J. -- A jury will hear opening arguments Monday in the trial of five men accused of plotting to kill soldiers at a military base. The five defendants, all foreign-born Muslims in their 20s, have spent much of their lives in the southern New Jersey suburbs of. (WNBC.com, NY)

Terrorism trial will have high-tech features  Oct 20, 2008
CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) The trial of five men accused of plotting to kill soldiers on Fort Dix may be the most technologically advanced ever to take place in a U.S. District court ... "Judge Kugler is a cutting-edge kind of guy who's very intent on making the process as transparent as can be without compromising the judicial process," said Carelli, who traveled to Camden last year to meet with Kugler about the trial ... The Fort Dix trial has led to other changes in the federal courthouse in Camden. (NJ.com -- News)

Jobless rate rising in states  Oct 18, 2008
Total employment in the Camden metropolitan area, which now hovers around 544,000, could shrink to 539,000 by early next year, Maher said. Combined unemployment in Burlington, Gloucester and Camden counties could peak as high as 6 ... Commerce, one of the largest employers in the Camden metro area, doesn t expect a major consolidation from the merger and plans to keep most bank branches open, although some that are too close together could close, Maher said. (Philadelphia Business Journal, PA)

Youth services head charged in drug plot  Oct 18, 2008
While she said she could not reveal any details of that ongoing investigation, DeBlasio confirmed that Goldberg, 43, of South Clinton Avenue, Trenton, was arrested on Aug. 22 on two counts of conspiracy to smuggle heroin and marijuana into Riverfront State Prison in Camden. Investigators from both the prosecutor's office and the state DOC were involved in making the case against Goldberg, DeBlasio said. (NJ.com -- Times)

Area schools ranked in Jersey magazine  Oct 17, 2008
From Millburn in Essex County at the No. 1 spot to Camden at the bottom of the list, Monmouth University's Polling Institute analyzed the most recent New Jersey School Report Card from the Department of Education, which covers the 2006-07 school year. The study, conducted once every two years, ranks schools by environmental factors such as average class size, student-to-computer and student-to-teacher ratio, student performance like SAT scores and high Advanced Placement test scores among... (NJ.com -- Times)

Pension chief says no ban to Bryant's full pension  Oct 17, 2008
Since Bryant's indictment, attorneys for the once-powerful Camden County Democrat have challenged the allegation that he illegally sought retirement pay for jobs performed by his associates. Beaver's testimony, which took most of the day, prompted defense attorneys to renew a motion for a mistrial. (NJ.com -- News)

In Camden, buildings bloom despite wilting economy  Oct 16, 2008
In Camden, perennially among the poorest, most crime-ridden cities in the nation, a handful of landmark construction projects are jumping from the planning board to construction, despite the morbid national economy ... Nearby, work continued on a $238 million expansion of the Cooper Health System hospital in the heart of downtown Camden ... And on the Camden waterfront, state officials yesterday gave the okay to a deal that clears the way for Camden's first new hotel in years, a 140-room... (NJ.com -- Times)

Menu Foods' Pet-Food Settlement Approved in U.S., Awaits Canadian Ruling  Oct 16, 2008
The companies will create a fund allowing consumers to recover as much as 100 percent of their money damages if they can document their claims, lawyers for both sides said in papers filed with U.S. District Judge in Camden, New Jersey ... The case is In Re Pet Food Products Liability Litigation, MDL Docket 1850, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey (Camden). (Bloomberg -- Canada)

NJ tackles high school dropout rates  Oct 16, 2008
An earlier Dropout Prevention Summit hosted by the alliance identified Newark, Jersey City and Camden as New Jersey's target cities. Gov. Jon Corzine and Attorney General Anne Milgram are scheduled to attend the kickoff at Rutgers-Newark on Wednesday morning. (The Trentonian, NJ)

GOP proposes five-week tax holiday  Oct 15, 2008
"We're probably going to have to talk about cutting spending, so we have to look at it in that context: Is that the place where we could get the most bang for our buck?" Corzine said after attending a Campbell Soup groundbreaking in Camden. "Right now, we're seeing a very substantial falloff in revenues from the sales tax and other aspects of state funding, so I'm not sure this is the time we need to be doing that," the governor said. (The Trentonian, NJ)

An answered prayer in Camden  Oct 14, 2008
Cathedral Kitchen finds its prayers answered in Camden - Philadelphia Business Journal ... Cathedral Kitchen finds its prayers answered in Camden ... CAMDEN is getting ready to move into its first permanent home since it started serving meals to this city s poorer residents in 1976. (Philadelphia Business Journal, PA)

Adele Vexler's column should be study material  Oct 14, 2008
Congressional candidates in portions of Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Essex, Gloucester and Passaic counties are championing school choice as a civil right. These include Dale Glading (1st District), Roland Straten (8th District) and Vince Micco (9th District). (NJ.com -- Times)

Campbell Soup HQ expansion gets under way  Oct 14, 2008
The world's largest soupmaker has had its headquarters in Camden since the company was founded in 1869. Last week, Campbell announced that it will contribute $10 million over the next five years for job training and neighborhood revitalization in the city, which ranks as one of the nation's poorest. (The Trentonian, NJ)

Bank of America makes market-share move in Phila.  Oct 11, 2008
The eight-county region includes 130 banks in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania and Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties in New Jersey. Total deposits at local banks increased from $116. (Philadelphia Business Journal, PA)

Florence returns to winning ways with rout  Oct 11, 2008
A week ago the Flashes were upset by Woodrow Wilson of Camden, and, last night Burlington City paid the price as Florence pummeled the Blue Devils, 37-8. Florence (3-1) kept the Blue Devils winless as they continue on the school's worst football losing streak ever, as the streak has reached 10 for coach Tim Rear don's program. (NJ.com -- Times)

Eye doctor crafts legacy in family practice  Oct 10, 2008
EWING -- In 1935, 24-year-old Camden native Herbert Bell set up his optometry practice in Trenton. Fresh out of the Southern California College of Optometry, his graduation picture included only one woman among the serious young doctors attired in sterile white from their coats to their shoes. (NJ.com -- Times)

Jury selection begins in Fort Dix plot case  Oct 8, 2008
CAMDEN, N.J. - Prospective jurors discussed their attitudes toward religion and immigrants Tuesday as a complex process began to seat a jury in the case of five men accused of planning to attack Fort Dix. Lawyers asked questions of 11 potential jurors Tuesday morning, examining whether they could be fair even if they thought Islam encouraged violence or they had family in the service. (MSNBC -- Terrorism)

Poll: Hot NJ congressional race about even  Oct 7, 2008
But in the portions of the district in Camden and Burlington counties, Adler, a state senator, is ahead. The seat has been held for more than two decades by Republican Jim Saxton, who is retiring from Congress this year. (The Trentonian, NJ)

Missing woman may have fallen back into drugs or could be dead  Oct 7, 2008
" Testing is under way. Juniak said police have located and interviewed a cab driver who took Danielle from her apartment to the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 7 - an hour later. She'd told him she didn't have enough money to get back to Trenton. Juniak said she may have gone on to Atlantic City. "My detectives went with Atlantic City detectives to check the Pacific Avenue area; that met with negative results," he said. "We're at a loss at this... (The Trentonian, NJ)

Cops charge man linked to assault and robbery  Oct 6, 2008
TRENTON -- A city man was ar rested early Saturday for allegedly punching a Camden man in the ribs and stealing his cell phone and other items, police said. The 35-year-old Camden man, whose name was not released, was walking on Wall Street toward the train station around 1:20 a.m. when police say he was approached by 31-year-old city resident Brian K. Pisano. (NJ.com -- Times)

Biden stuck to the facts, ma'am  Oct 6, 2008
As a regular theater patron with a disabled family member, I think that the Camden County facility needs to be upgraded to ac commodate people with disabilities. The current layout requires a disabled person to use a narrow side entrance to a service elevator and he or she must go up a steep ramp into the theater. (NJ.com -- Times)

Springsteen rocks Obama rally in Philly  Oct 5, 2008
The legendary rocker interrupted a seven-song acoustic set at a voter-registration rally in Philadelphia on Saturday to praise Democrat Barack Obama and bemoan the crises facing the next president (Somerset Daily American, PA)

'The Boss' brings crowd out for Obama  Oct 5, 2008
Nurse Donna Waters, 46, of Camden, N.J., appreciated the Katrina reference. She wore a black baseball cap adorned with the New Orleans fleur de lis, as she does each day, to remember "what our government did to our people.". (The Delaware County Times, PA)

Brewers' voice Schroeder reflects on roots  Oct 5, 2008
This Camden place across the river is supposed to be unbelievable. People are more interested in seeing the stars of tomorrow, especially in the Mercer County area and Trenton, because these people are diehard baseball fans. (NJ.com -- Times)

Final hearing before start of Fort Dix plot case  Oct 4, 2008
U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler told attorneys that his review of a random sampling of questionnaires completed by 617 New Jersey residents was sufficient to support his earlier ruling that the jury panel will be anonymous. He also noted that many potential jurors questioned this week "showed a visual reaction" when they realized they were being considered for the Fort Dix trial. (The Trentonian, NJ)

2010 WR off to quick start  Oct 3, 2008
One of the more dynamic juniors in New Jersey is WR Terrence Casper of Cherry Hill (NJ) Camden Catholic. Helping his team to a quick 2-0 start, ScarletNation. (Rutgers Sports -- Rivals.com)

Zoos go all out for Halloween  Oct 3, 2008
There's Spooky Seas on Halloween night at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Night of the Living Zoo at Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, and Creep in the Deep at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey. Most offer more fun and less fright. (CNN -- Travel)

Bank robbery is thwarted by teller  Sep 24, 2008
Jeffry Carr, 21, of Camden was taken into custody. He was charged with robbery and held in the Burlington County Jail on $50,000 bail. (NJ.com -- Times)

Convicted drug dealer gunned down  Sep 24, 2008
He was rushed to Cooper University Hospital in Camden where he remained in critical condition last night. Anyone with information on the case is urged to call the Willingboro PD tip line (609) 877-6958; the prosecutor's major crimes unit (609) 265-5058 (nights and weekend to central communications at 265-7105), or the prosecutor's secret witness hotline (609) 267-7667. (The Trentonian, NJ)

South Jersey community foundation will take care of its own  Sep 23, 2008
Curt Hudson Stella Horton, executive director of the Camden Center for Youth Development, with students in Shantay Reed;s English class ... That s especially true when the problems seem intractable, as can be the case in Camden ... What we ve really hoped for is that through that work and other work we ve been funding in Camden, we d set the stage so that other funders would feel more comfortable coming in, said Brent Thompson, the foundation s communications director. (Philadelphia Business Journal, PA)

Ferentz Names Stanzi #1  Sep 23, 2008
Oskaloosa, IA (HS) 2 * Harold Dalton 6-1 201 Sr. Camden, NJ (Woodrow Wilson) FS 30 * Brett Greenwood 6-0 200 So. Bettendorf, IA (Pleasant Valley) 3 Diauntae Morrow 6-0 190 So. (HawkeyeNation.com)

Hanging out in the real home of The Babe  Sep 22, 2008
The Star-LedgerA statue of Babe Ruth outside of the gates at Camden Yards is a reminder of his Baltimore origins ... It's only a few blocks over from my hotel and Camden Yards, so I figured it was worth a shot to see if anyone was celebrating the closing of Yankee Stadium in a different way. (The Star-Ledger - NJ.com)

Military: Feds say Fort Dix suspects sought other targets  Sep 21, 2008
CAMDEN, N.J. One of the five men awaiting trial on charges alleging they plotted an armed attack on soldiers training at Fort Dix discussed other targets including the White House and Capitol, prosecutors claim in court filings. The allegations, contained in a motion filed Friday in U.S. District Court, stem from wiretapped conversations between defendant Mohamad Shnewer and Mahmoud Omar, an FBI informant. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Boy rescued from ocean dies  Sep 20, 2008
The Camden resident and his 16-year-old brother were swimming after lifeguards went off duty Sunday. Police rescued the brothers from the surf and attempted CPR before they were taken to the hospital. (The Trentonian, NJ)

A spotlight on Camden's upswing  Sep 17, 2008
Officials spotlight Camdens upswing - Philadelphia Business Journal ... Officials spotlight Camdens upswing ... I think five years from now you will not recognize downtown Camden. (Philadelphia Business Journal, PA)

US Catholics pray for more priests  Sep 17, 2008
Camden Diocese in New Jersey said in April it would close nearly half of its 124 churches within two years. Dozens of parishes in New York state are being shut. (Reuters)

In Bryant openings, a question of pork vs. bribes  Sep 16, 2008
Being tried with him is Michael Gallagher, the former dean of UMDNJ's School of Osteopathic Medicine in Camden. The central claim of the government's case is that UMDNJ created a job for Bryant that involved practically no work, but paid him $35,000 per year and increased his state pension. (NJ.com -- News)

DRPA bridge toll hikes go into effect Sunday  Sep 12, 2008
That includes those who use the Commodore Barry Bridge between Chester and South Jersey. That's when the Delaware River Port Authority will raise tolls on its four bridges and fares on the PATCO commuter train line. (The Delaware County Times, PA)