PITMAN — Pitman police will not enforce the overnight parking ban in the borough during Thanksgiving week.

The idea is to accommodate residents and out-of-town visitors during the holiday, said Police Chief Robert Zimmerman.

The parking ban will be lifted from the night of Monday, Nov. 24 through the night of Monday, Dec. 1.

Police will resume enforcement of the overnight parking ban on the night of Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Call Traffic Safety Officer Sgt. Gregg W. Owens at 856-589-3501, ext. 18, with any questions.

WOODBURY — Because of the coming holidays, Woodbury’s city council has changed its meeting schedule.

The meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 25 has been canceled.

The meeting set for Tuesday, Dec. 9 has been canceled and rescheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

The meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 23 has been canceled and rescheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m.

These council meetings will be held in city hall at 33 Delaware St., Woodbury.

 

HARRISON TWP. — A New York State man pulled over for speeding Friday was jailed after police allegedly found five pounds of marijuana in the car’s trunk.

Ptl. Michael Flannery stopped the black 2013 Nissan Altima with Maryland plates for speeding, police said.

The driver was Elvis McPhill Jr., 30, of Rosedale, N.Y. Flannery reported smelling the odor of marijuana coming from the car and a subsequent search allegedly turned up the marijuana in one large bundle in a travel bag in the Nissan’s trunk, said police.

PAULSBORO —On Thursday, Nov. 20, there will be a planned closure of the Mantua Creek Drawbridge on Route 44/Broad Street.

The closure, by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, is to test the bridge's lift system as part of NJDOT's on-going rehabilitation of the bridge's electrical and mechanical system.

The road will be closed from 8 a,m. to 4 p.m.

The detour will be to use Interstate 295 from Exits 19 and 18, north and south traffic.

You call call police at 856-423-1101 with questions.

 

Well, it was just amazing. A spacecraft from Earth landed last week on a comet.

In an age of immediacy — we get our food, our news, our social interaction right away, snap, just like that — it’s a bit hard to fathom the scope of the Rosetta project.

It sounds like the plot of a 1950s space movie.

The Rosetta spacecraft was launched in 2004. I’m not sure why, but for 10 years it labored through space headed for a comet called 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Don’t ask me to pronounce that.

At one point, in 2011, Rosetta went into deep-space hibernation mode and didn’t wake up again until last January.

WEST DEPTFORD TWP. — A Designer Bag Bingo fundraiser will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21 at West Deptford Middle School.

Genuine Coach, Michael Kors, Vera Bradley, Calvin Klein and Dooney & Burke handbags will be the prizes at this event, which benefits needy families in the West Deptford area, West Deptford High School Senior Scholarships and Girls’ Career Institute candidates, Family Promise, Safety Town, Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries Food Pantry and Lunch Box program, Angels of God Clothing Closet, Pegasus The Arts, Samaritan Hospice, Wounded Warriors Project, Center for Family Services, Hosts for Hospitals, Domestic Violence Awareness, Canine Companions for Independence and Emmanual Center Foundation, among others.

GREENWICH TWP. — A 26-year-old Woolwich Township woman was charged in connection with a hit-and-run accident on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 2:07 a.m. at Swedesboro Road and Route 44.

Witnesses reported the driver, in a white Nissan, crashed into a traffic light, knocking if off its base into the street, then fled east on Route 44 and down Berkley Road, police said.

After surrounding police departments were alerted, East Greenwich Township officers located a matching vehicle with extensive front-end damage parked in a residential driveway, said police.

The driver was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving, failure to report, operating an unsafe vehicle, driving on a sidewalk and other motor vehicle violations, police said.

EAST GREENWICH TWP. — A Mount Royal man has been charged in connection with a Mickleton home burglary on Nov. 4.

Sometime during the day, someone broke a rear basement window and stole approximately $2,500 worth of property, including an iMac computer, a PlayStation 3 with nine games and a personal fire safe, police said.

During the investigation, Detective Sgt. Matthew Brenner learned that Zephan D. Robinson, 19, had been seen in possession of similar electronic devices, said police. Brenner notified the patrol division officers to keep an eye out for Robinson, police said.

Within hours of speaking with Brenner on Nov. 13, K-9 Ptl. Phil Owens saw Robinson in a vehicle on Kings Highway and detained him, said police.

Robinson allegedly confessed to committing the burglary  at 1 p.m. on Nov. 4, police said. Robinson also allegedly had 13 oxycodone tablets in his possession, said police.

Robinson was charged with burglary, theft, criminal mischief and possession of a controlled dangerous substance, police said. HE was released on his own recognizance, said police.

The stolen property reportedly had been sold on the street in Woodbury and have not been located, said police.

PITMAN — Pitman is preparing to officially welcome the police department’s first K-9 in a “swearing-in” ceremony at the Dec. 8 borough council meeting.

The dog, Ranger, and his handler, Ptl. E.J. Parker, will be finished with Patrol School at Philadelphia Police Department K-9 Academy by then — although the pair will continue with Narcotics/Scent training, said Police Chief Robert Zimmerman.

At the council meeting, Zimmerman will present a K-9 badge to Ranger.

“We began this process in the late summer of 2013, and we are very close to the finish line.  With an ongoing effort to raise money through donations, we have been able to fully