Every Saturday, the South Jersey Times cheers those who make our area a better place in which to live and jeers those whose actions merit derision. Every Saturday, the South Jersey Times cheers those who make our area a better place in which to live and jeers those whose actions merit derision.
Every Saturday, the South Jersey Times cheers those who make our area a better place in which to live and jeers those whose actions merit derision.
CHEERS: To the latest cool science news from Rowan University, where researchers are developing joint replacements created on 3D printers. Today's joint replacements -- be they knees, hips or shoulders -- are made from metal. This new technology would do more than replace metal with plastic. Researchers say these plastic joints would include built-in antibiotics to fight off infections. Post-op infections are a huge problem in the joint replacement process, so this could mark a major step forward for something an aging population will need more of in the future. Thanks for keeping us healthy into our golden years, Rowan.
JEERS: To stealing from family. A Gloucester County grand jury indicted a Mullica Hill man last week on charges that he stole $75,000 from his grandmother, allegedly to buy drugs. Addiction makes people do crazy things, and in this case Victor F. Anderson, 28, is accused of scamming his grandmother by convincing her that she was out of money and needed to cash in certificates of deposit to pay her household bills and property taxes. We are always warned to be on the lookout for strangers trying to rip off the elderly, but sometimes we need to look closer to home. Kudos to Mantua Police and the county prosecutor's Elder Protection Unit for cracking the case.
CHEERS to knowing your rights. Much has been said about the tiff Collingwood educators got into with the borough's police department and Camden County Prosecutor's Office. While the parties appear to have come to an agreement on how to report future incidents and when authorities should get involved, another group is throwing its hat into the ring. Decarcerate the Garden State said earlier this week that if police are going to be present in school, students must be taught how to interact with them and not incriminate fellow classmates. Our stance here is in no way anti-police, but volunteering information to authorities that has nothing to do with an ongoing investigation could be a costly mistake for students and their guardians.
JEERS to wanton gunplay. Nobody has died -- yet. Burlington City has seen three shootings in as many weeks and authorities there are ramping up efforts to find whoever is slinging hot lead. The victim of Wednesday's non-fatal shooting was someone who happened to be in the wrong place -- asleep in their front room -- and the wrong time -- 4:10 a.m. Yes, that's sarcasm on our part. No, we aren't taking this lightly. Nearby Willingboro has also seen an increase in shootings, with four separate incidents being reported since June 1. When the suspected motive is rival gangs and teenagers are getting shot at playgrounds, it's time to double down.
CHEERS: To a day (or night) at the fair. On Tuesday, the 2016 Cumberland County Fair opened to the public for a five-day run. Once again, the event at the county fairgrounds outside of Millville is expected to draw thousands of visitors. There is plenty to do and see for all ages from animal exhibits, to music, food, entertainment and rides. The fair tops caps off its run with a real crowd-pleaser, the annual Demolition Derby on Saturday night. Don't miss your chance to visit the fair with the entire family.
JEERS: A betrayal of trust. You would think an employee at a local bank would have your best interests at heart. In all cases they do but authorities allege that wasn't the case when Connie M. Girtain of Pennsville allegedly stole $50,000 from two of her customers who thought their money was being safely deposited. When her superiors detected something was wrong they, much to their credit, took immediate action. Girtain, who was arrested back in March was indicted by a Salem County grand jury last week.
If you know of someone or something you would like to nominate for a cheer or a jeer, please send the information to sjletters@njadvancemedia.com