New Jersey
Camden day of service honors MLK’s legacy as NJ governor-elect joins volunteers
CAMDEN, N.J. (WPVI) — A neighborhood cleanup in Camden turned into a snow and ice removal effort Monday as volunteers gathered in the Fairview Village neighborhood to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and recognize his historical ties to the city.
The day of service brought together residents, local officials and New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill, who joined volunteers scraping ice from sidewalks and walkways despite the winter weather.
Among the volunteers was Clinton Douglas, a Georgia Pacific employee, who said Dr. King’s legacy continues to have a personal impact.
“His efforts directly affected me, and I appreciate it. Anything I can do to give back, that’s what I’ll do,” Douglas said.
Sherrill, shoveling alongside community members, noted King’s connection to Camden during his early years.
“He lived in Camden during his years as a student at Crozier Theological Seminary from 1948 to 1951,” Sherrill said.
Local elected officials also participated.
Camden County Commissioner Colleen Bianco Bezich attended the event with her family, calling the day meaningful both personally and communally.
“It means everything as a parent just to be able to share this with my child and to be here with community members, neighbors and family to say, ‘We are a community,’” Bezich said.
Her child, Luca Bezich of Haddonfield, said, “I like shoveling snow, and I like doing stuff with my mom.”
Other volunteers echoed the importance of working together on a day dedicated to service.
Crystal Wessel of Haddon Heights said the conditions did not deter participants.
“Regardless of how cold it is or what’s going on, we just need to be out here meeting each other, talking to each other and helping each other out however we can,” Wessel said.
Before joining the cleanup, Sherrill spoke about her priorities as she prepares to be sworn into office.
“Begin right away to work to drive down costs for people across the state. Here in Camden, I’ve heard a lot of concern about housing prices as well,” Sherrill said.
She was also asked about Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in New Jersey, as tensions flared in Minneapolis between ICE agents and protesters.
“I plan to continue to enforce the immigrant trust directive, which I’ve committed to ensuring people in New Jersey know that our police force protects and serves them and we’re keeping our streets safe,” Sherrill said.
Sherrill also pledged to work with the city of Camden to bring more resources to recognize Dr. King’s history in the city.
Governor-elect Sherrill is scheduled to be sworn in on Tuesday in Newark.
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A severe thunderstorm watch looms over North Jersey on the evening of June 12 after days of extreme heat.
Nation Weather Service New York declared a severe thunderstorm watch for numerous North Jersey counties including Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Morris and Sussex among other Central Jersey and New York counties. The watch is in effect until 9 p.m., according to the NWS statement.
In an hourly forecast from The Weather Channel for Paramus, there is a 74% chance of thunderstorms at 7 p.m.
High temperatures reached past 90 degrees in many parts of North Jersey on June 11 and June 12 as a heat advisory also remains in effect until 8 p.m., said NWS New York.
“Dangerous heat is expected to continue across much of our region through today, with several record highs likely to be challenged again. High temperatures are forecast to peak into the low to mid 90s across most of the area,” the National Weather Service said Friday.
A Heat Advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. across the state except for Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties.
PHILADELPHIA – Philip McPherson II, a 37-year-old from Riverside, New Jersey, was sentenced Thursday, June 11, to 78 months in prison for his role in a 2022 plane crash in Lehigh County that killed a student pilot, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Sentencing and charges for fatal Lehigh Valley crash
What we know:
United States District Judge John M. Gallagher sentenced McPherson to 78 months in prison, three years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, a $4,300 special assessment, and $19,530 in restitution. Judge Gallagher also barred McPherson from working in the aviation industry.
McPherson pleaded guilty in October to involuntary manslaughter, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, obstruction of an administrative proceeding, and 40 counts of serving as an airman without a certificate.
The backstory:
Court filings show that on September 28, 2022, McPherson took off from Queen City Airport in Allentown as the pilot-in-command with student pilot K.K. and crashed shortly after, resulting in K.K.’s death.
Prosecutors said McPherson acted with gross negligence, knowing he was not competent to fly as pilot-in-command. He had two prior crashes, nearly a third, and failed a reexamination for his pilot’s certificate in September 2021.
McPherson voluntarily surrendered his pilot’s certificate in October 2021 and let his Temporary Airman Certificate expire in November 2021, acknowledging his inability to meet FAA standards.
He admitted to flying with passengers without a valid FAA pilot’s certificate between October 12, 2021, and September 20, 2022.
Investigators from the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, FAA, and Salisbury Township Police Department worked on the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Schopf and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marie Miller.
What we don’t know:
Authorities have not released further details about the circumstances leading up to the crash.
The Source: Information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
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