No More Needles: Atlantic City NJ Votes To Close Syringe Center

In spite of some major backlash, the council of Atlantic City has voted to close the Oasis Center - Atlantic City's needle exchange program.

The whole point of the program was to reduce the region's number of positive Hepatitis B and HIV positive cases as a result of drug use. Initiated in 2007, the needle exchange program was seen as a way to combat health issues that usually accompany a drug problem besides death. The decision to close the center was naturally met with strong opposition from people who work with the South Jersey Aids Alliance as well as the New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition.

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The majority of the council supported the closure. NJ.com reports that one AC councilman explained how people who don't live within the region's boundaries don't see the consequences of having the center within the city itself. The same councilman does admit, however, that's it's probably a necessity for these centers to exist, just not within Atlantic City. Most residents in attendance, however, disagree with council's decision to shut Oasis down.

Atlantic City's council doesn't necessarily have the final say, though. Governor Murphy does, in fact, have the power to overturn the council's decision. He even said himself that he's not in support of the closure since it completely goes against his goal to end New Jersey's opioid crisis. Oasis doesn't just provide drug users with clean needles. It also provides them with information and treatment options to give them at least a chance to break the addiction cycle. That's the main reason most residents oppose the decision to end the program.

Now, it seems the program's fate lies with Governor Murphy as he, ultimately, could have the final say.

Source: NJ.com

NJ's most and least COVID vaccinated towns, by county

New Jersey reported just short of 4 million people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 statewide, heading into the last week of May. So how does that break down across all 21 counties?

And, how can some communities show a vaccination rate of more than 100%, according to state data? Reasons include people who have moved, those who are traveling and not residing at home where the census counted them, students who may select their school residence for vaccination data and people in long-term care (or other facility-based housing) among other reasons, as explained in a footnote on the state COVID dashboard.

Most Expensive House For Sale in Atlantic County

Located on Bayshore in Margate, the 8,200+ square foot home is listed at $7.9 million. The home has seven bedrooms, eight baths, and 324 feet of total bay frontage. Outside, it has 2,500 square feet of deck space, a pool, and four boat slips. Property taxes for the home were $49,920 last year.

NJ arrests 31 accused child predators in "Operation 24/7"

A roundup of 31 men have been accused of sexually exploiting children online, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced on July 14 while detailing "Operation 24/7."

The suspects “possessed and or distributed videos and images of child sexual abuse, including in many cases videos of young children being raped by adults,” Grewal said.

Chat apps and gaming platforms remain favorite hunting grounds for child predators and even as the pandemic winds down, many children have continued to spend more time online.

State Police received 39% more tips in just the first 6 months of 2021 than they received in the entire year in 2019. The following are suspects charged in "Operation 24/7."