Donald Wittkowski

Motorists waiting for the arrival of E-ZPass on the five bridges that connect the Cape May County seashore towns along the scenic Ocean Drive will have to be patient. In other words, they’ll have to continue with that age-old ritual of fumbling for cash or coins and stopping at the toll plaza for at least a few more weeks. The Cape May County Bridge Commission had hoped to have the electronic E-ZPass toll system ready for all of its bridges by March, but delays have pushed back the timetable...

Former state Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi picked up a key endorsement Monday night from Cape May County Republicans amid a crowded field of candidates vying for the GOP nomination in the Second Congressional District race. Cape May County Freeholder Leonard Desiderio and U.S. Senate candidate Bob Hugin also received formal endorsements from the Cape May County Republicans during their convention in Avalon...

New Jersey’s Second Congressional District encompasses a vast swath of territory in the southern part of the state – eight counties and 92 towns. Since 1995, Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo has represented the diverse district that includes the Jersey Shore towns, the Delaware Bay and some of the state’s broad farmlands. But the popular Republican’s impending retirement has opened the door for a wide field of GOP candidates vying for the party’s nomination in the June primary. Without the incumbent LoBiondo in the race, the district is seen as one of the country’s key battleground races in the congressional mid-term elections...

Two advocates for marijuana urged City Council on Thursday night to consider allowing a cannabis dispensary in Ocean City, but immediately faced strong opposition from members of the governing body. “I’ll die before I’ll vote for recreational marijuana in Ocean City,” Councilman Michael DeVlieger said. DeVlieger noted he does not oppose medical marijuana patients using the drug in the privacy of their own homes, but made it clear he is against having a pot dispensary in town...

Get ready. The Gale Force is coming back. Yes, the second nor’easter in a week is poised to strike the Jersey Shore on Wednesday with high winds, but in this case, the Gale Force is a roller-coaster, not a storm. After a two-month delay, Playland’s Castaway Cove, one of the Ocean City Boardwalk’s iconic amusement parks, is getting ready to add a new track for the 125-foot-high roller-coaster to give passengers smoother rides...

City Council members Karen Bergman, Keith Hartzell and Peter Madden will, no doubt, feel extraordinarily confident of their chances of winning re-election when they step into the voting booth. That’s because the three incumbents will face absolutely no opposition in Ocean City’s May 8 municipal election...

The Townsends Inlet Bridge connecting Sea Isle City and Avalon will be shut down until Sunday during a coastal storm that is expected to lash the Jersey Shore with whipping winds and possible major tidal flooding. The closure is scheduled to last between 5 p.m. Thursday and sometime Sunday morning, according to Karen Coughlin, executive director of the Cape May County Bridge Commission, the bridge’s operator...

Warning about possible catastrophic impacts to the environment and tourism, a coalition of South Jersey officials on Monday strongly denounced a proposal by President Donald Trump’s administration to open up coastal waters across the country for oil and gas drilling. Calling the plan “ridiculous,” they predicted that New Jersey’s tourism, commercial fishing industry and beaches would eventually be severely harmed by a large-scale oil spill if companies are given final permission by U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to drill offshore...

Former Councilman John Flood officially announced Monday he will challenge Mayor Jay Gillian in the May 8 municipal election, ensuring a clash of two experienced, high-profile politicians for Ocean City’s top office. Flood said he spent the past several months talking to residents about their concerns and ideas for the community while considering whether to run. “They want their government to be more open and accessible. They have inspired me,” Flood said in a press release...

In the aftermath of the Florida school shooting, Ocean City officials are offering assurances that the local schools are safe for students and employees. Ocean City’s three public schools are protected by a multilayered security system that not only includes physical barriers to prevent intruders from entering the buildings, but also focuses on the mental health of students, officials said. “Our school system is safe,” Mayor Jay Gillian declared...