DUI Lawyers in Vineland, NJ

New Jersey State Senator Michael Testa, R-NJ-1 is always engaged with what’s happening in New Jersey’s legislative District 1.

It was no surprise to me that Testa took to the sky to survey the impact of the Vineland, New Jersey wildfire.

We caught-up with Testa a few hours ago in a wide-ranging interview. Testa shared the following:

Fire is currently ~ 1,200 acres and 75% Contained. Union Road may open soon and they’ll be able to remove the Command Post. Smoke from the fire has been reported in Ocean County and it lingered through the night, impacting residents closer to the fire to the NE, then it will impact the communities to the East early morning Easter Sunday. Firefighters were on the scene throughout the night to continue to extinguish containment lines and areas that are causing majority of the smoke. Another observation flight is scheduled for this morning. Right now the Manumuskin containment line is holding and looks good, shares Testa .. through information provided to him from the officials who are battling this wildfire.

Testa took a tour from high above in a helicopter yesterday with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service and admitted to me that “honestly, it was a bit overwhelming,” said Testa.

The men and women on the ground were thrilled that Testa showed up when he was asked. “They treated me like the President,” said Testa.

Testa showed the New Jersey Forest Fire Service their due respect, which they don’t always receive.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service and the work that they expertly perform is important and lifesaving. They also protect and save property from potential catastrophic damage.

Read More: Vineland Wildfire Burning Near Mays Landing Road

Testa has also shared this public comment:

“I was on the scene yesterday, witnessing firsthand the incredible work of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service and our local fire departments as they battled the wildfire in Vineland. All hands are on deck. Coming together as a community to keep us safe. Please see the latest official update from the Forest Fire Service here:

Here are photos taken from the skies by Senator Testa:

Here is a link (below) to Joe Kelly’s original reporting about the Vineland wildfire from yesterday morning.

Read More: Vineland Wildfire Burning Near Mays Landing Road

SOURCE: New Jersey Senator Michael Testa & the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.

While summer at the shore is always synonymous with the Garden State, New Jersey is also a great place to retire.

Look, we know much of the Jersey Shore is a seasonal and yeah, many 'snowbirds' leave the Garden State for warmer places to retire—but the truth is, there are some amazing spots right here in South Jersey to finish out your golden years.

Recently, another Southern New Jersey location, Mays Landing, was named as the best place to retire in the state by a different publication using these five criteria.

With that in mind, what criteria should we consider when discussing the best places to retire in the Northeast?

Travel + Leisure published its list of the 10 best places to retire in the Northeast for 2025, with the rankings based on Lower Taxes and Affordable Housing in the area.

The main factors that were considered were the cost of living for two adults, housing, transportation, health care, and taxes, as well as access to arts, culture, major airports, and more.

According to Travel + Leisure and their yearly rankings for the ‘10 Best Places to Retire in the Northeast,’ their pick for the #8 spot is Vineland — praised for its "culturally diverse community filled with wonderful, giving people, a friendly business environment, and a cost of living well below the state average"

One thing I can vouch for is that Vineland has a great new spot for pizza! Pizzeria 203 just opened at 907 N Main Road in Vineland with a New Haven style of pizza, which is good for people of all ages!

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Why Vineland Is a Top Retirement Choice in 2025

Nearby Parvin State Park has lakes for boating and fishing, wooded trails, and places for camping, picnicking, and wildlife viewing. In addition, parks and recreational areas offer golf courses, soccer fields, and walking paths. Rowan College provides continuing-education opportunities as well as a performing-arts center. New Jersey taxes withdrawals from pre-tax accounts, but Social Security income is not taxable.

Looking for a retirement home in Vineland?

Vineland, nestled in Cumberland County, has a high school with plenty of events to give you a sense of community pride. It also has plenty of diverse restaurants, a drive-in movie theater, and is close to plenty of shopping, Atlantic City, Philadelphia, airports, and more.

It is also the most populous town in the county, which gives people plenty of opportunities to meet others.

What do you think of selection? Would you have picked a different place to retire in South Jersey? Would you retire in Vineland? Tell us below!

Keep scrolling to see a different ranking of the best places to retire in the state—and of course, we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to join the conversation by messaging us on the app.

A South Jersey wildfire has fanned out to an additional 200 acres as of Saturday afternoon but first responders have made significant headway, state officials announced.

The blaze in the Peaslee Wildlife Management Area in Vineland began Friday and the response extended into Easter weekend.

The wildfire, dubbed “Danny’s Fire,” has now burned at least 1,200 acres — up from 1,000 acres Saturday morning.

In an update at 3:27 p.m., the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said crews have “made substantial progress” and the blaze is now 75% contained. That’s up from 50% earlier in the day.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, the Forest Fire Service said.

So far, no homes or other buildings are under threat and no evacuations have been ordered.

The wildfire first broke out Friday at about 12:25 p.m. in the Peaslee Wildlife Management Area located in Cumberland County.

Peaslee, at roughly 25,000 acres, is the second largest wildlife management area in New Jersey.

The blaze initially burned 20 acres before spreading to 500 acres Friday evening. It then grew to 800 acres by 10 p.m.

After passing 100 acres, regardless if in a remote area, wildfires are considered “major” incidents.

On Saturday at 10 a.m., the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said it swelled to 1,000 acres.

Sections of Union Road and Bennetts Mill Road — initially closed as firefighters responded to the scene — have since reopened, the state said Saturday afternoon.

Fire engines, bulldozers and ground crews were all on hand to aid in the response.

A helicopter and an air tanker, together capable of dropping about 900 gallons of water, were initially deployed as well.

The state said the next update on the wildfire is expected at around Noon on Sunday.

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Steven Rodas may be reached at srodas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Bluesky at @stevenrodas.bsky.social.

VINELAND — The former Landis MarketPlace at 631 E. Landis Ave. is to reopen this fall as the Vineland Convention Center following a major overhaul of the building.

In February, city council members agreed to seek a $2.66-million grant from the New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone to cover the cost of the work. The city last year abandoned an idea to renovate the building as a movie-making studio in partnership with the publication Weekly World News.

City officials said the center will have approximately 40,000 square feet of space that's adaptable to small meetings or large events. It's designed to handle conferences, trade shows, exhibitions, community events and even some film studio operations.

"By bringing conventions and events to our city, we are opening up new avenues for business development, creating jobs, and fostering collaboration among local businesses,” Mayor Anthony Fanucci said Monday. “The convention center will serve as a hub for innovation and opportunity, contributing to the prosperity of our community for years to come."

The core building dates back to about 1958, and operated for many years with a J.J. Newberry department store until that chain went out of business.

Vineland became involved with the property first as a tenant of its new owner. The city then purchased it to facilitate redevelopment plans for East Landis Avenue.

In 2011, the building reopened as the Landis MarketPlace with an Amish market as its prime attraction.

The Amish left in July 2015. Since then city officials have struggled to come up with a viable new use.

In 2022, Vineland officials began talking with Weekly World News about using the building for a studio for film, television and podcast projects.

Weekly World News, based in Bergen County, is the parent company of WWN Studios. This company used the building while making a movie here in 2023, and city officials at the time also considered financing an addition to the building.

The film studio conversion, however, ran into trouble when consultants determined that several interior support poles were blocking the efficient use of space and would be too costly to remove.

“Rather than pigeonhole us into one use, it was decided that using it for conventions, exhibitions, movie production and special events would be a better use,” Sandy Forosisky, the city’s economic development director, said Tuesday. “We have a few conventions already in the works and a movie studio is using it right now for a movie.”

Greg D’Alessandro, chief executive of Weekly World News, said it there still are plans to film at least two more films in Vineland.

“We are hoping to begin production on the next film in the fall,” D’Alessandro said. “Maybe down the road there will be another building that we can convert.”

Forosisky said there also will be event coordination with the nearby Landis Theatre.

For more information or to book an event, you may send an email to vinelandconventioncenter@vinelandcity.org.

Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.

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