WEATHER ALERT

WHEN………………………… SUNDAY, FEB 22 (AFTERNOON/EVENING START) - MONDAY, FEB 23 (THROUGH AFTERNOON/EVENING)
WHERE………………………… ALL OF NEW JERSEY (21 COUNTIES) – HEAVIEST IN COASTAL, CENTRAL, AND SOUTHERN AREAS
WHAT…………………………

BLIZZARD WARNING;

The National Weather Service has Blizzard Warnings for 17 counties (Winter Storm Warnings for Salem, Hunterdon, Warren, Sussex). This could be one of the biggest in years!

PROTECTIVE ACTIONS…………………………

🔹 Stay home Sunday night/Monday if possible – avoid driving in the worst.

🔹 Stock up: Food, water, blankets, flashlights, charged phone.

🔹 Check on neighbors: Especially elderly or vulnerable folks.

🔹 Check on neighbors: Especially elderly or vulnerable folks.

🔹 Follow real sources: NWS (weather.gov), Ready.NJ.gov, or local alerts.

By: Zeeshan Bakhtiar

Snow is continuing across parts of Camden, Burlington, Gloucester, Atlantic, and Cape May counties, with roads staying slick and conditions changing pretty quickly. Some areas are seeing steady accumulation, while others are dealing with icy patches that are making travel a bit dangerous.

New Jersey is still under a statewide State of Emergency, which means crews and emergency services remain fully activated. Officials are still asking people to avoid unnecessary travel and let plows and first responders do their jobs.

Across South Jersey, schools and local offices have announced to be closed on Monday.

This is still an active situation. If you’re heading out, take it slow, give yourself extra time, and keep an eye on local updates.

⚠️ Storm conditions are ongoing. Stay safe, stay updated, and check local authorities for official alerts.

This graduation meant a lot to many. Important guests, including members of the Board of Education and the Mayor of Atlantic City, attended the event to show their support. It was a proud moment for everyone.

The valedictorian gave a powerful and emotional speech, with a great moment of starting respect for her parents and making them stand so everyone can see. Students smiled, some teared up, and many thought back on their four years of hard work and growth.

Some students are heading to college, others are going to work or taking time to figure things out. No matter the path, the Class of 2025 is ready for upcoming activities with their high school diploma.

As they flipped their tassel to the other side and tossed their caps into the air. This marked the end of their graduation!

He began by talking about Boardwalk Empire, his well-known book that hit HBO series. But he also discussed Northside, a book that focuses on the African American community in Atlantic City. Mr. Johnson explained why he wrote it, he said, “After reading 15 books, I saw no one spoke about Black history.” When asked by a student what motivated him, he said, “I was very curious.”

During the talk, Mr. Johnson spoke about how African Americans played a major role in Atlantic City Buildings, working in hotels. He said, “They did most of the work that made Atlantic City what it is today,” he told the students.

During the students Q&A, one student asked what surprised him most during his research. Mr. Johnson said “I was surprised to learn that Nucky Johnson was once nearly untaxed on half a million dollars, but people still liked him even after he served time in jail.”

One of the student also asked him for writing advice. Mr. Johnson shared some tips and he said “Research, make an outline, then write. The first sentence matters. The first ten pages must be written to be reviewed.”

Another student asked what the world might be like if slavery had never existed. Mr. Johnson responded, saying, “It would just be a society.”

This great event helped most of the students get a great historical background of Atlantic City. And students were well engaged in this conversation, and had their questions answered.

Seniors who completed all four years in the program were recognized with NJROTC cords and a challenge coin. Those who didn’t serve the full four years still received a challenge coin to thank them for their time and service.

Two cadets were also given a special surprise. Senior Chief Jesse Green handed out two personal Navy challenge coins from his own collection to them, showing them how much he appreciated their efforts and dedication.

The Executive Officer was honored with a special award from the Sons of Revolution.

During the ceremony, new cadets were chosen for different staff positions in the unit, and a new triad was picked to lead the NJROTC for the next school year. This marks a fresh start as younger cadets take on new roles and responsibilities.

While there weren’t many pictures from the event, group photos were taken of the 1st and 2nd-year cadets together, and the 3rd and 4th-year cadets each had their own group pictures.

The ACHS NJROTC looks forward to the future as the new leadership team steps in, ready to continue the program’s mission of building leadership, responsibility, and teamwork.

This event was held in the school library, the event gave students a chance to research local issues, create solutions, and present them to others. The topics covered were real life events that are in their own city, the City of Atlantic City.

One project, titled “Help Needed: Homeless in New Jersey,” was presented by Johnar Queen-Brown and Jayden Parker. They focused on the growing number of people without homes and shared ideas to improve access to shelters.

Another group, Alan Cabellero and Juan Encarnacion, created “From Streets to Stability,” which looked at ways to help homeless people find housing and better support.

Another project, “Gun Violence” was presented by Jonathan Perez Rivas, Alexander Lazo-Machuca, and Jennifer Medina-Lopez. Their work highlighted the causes of gun violence and offered solutions like better policing through out the city, and how citizens can help with that.

Lastly, Abraham Camara and Cheyenne Pugh presented “Roads of Atlantic City,” a project that pointed out issues with the city’s streets and suggested better road repair plans and a suggestion where they are planning on raising money for this project.

Each group spoke clearly and confidently, showing that they had done their research and cared about their topics.

The event was a great example of how students can use their voices to bring attention to problems and be part of the solution. With projects like these, it’s clear that the future of Atlantic City is in great hands. We hope this project can be looked at, and the city will do something about it.

The students took on the role of presenters, standing next to posters and displays about important pieces of African American history right here in Atlantic City. Each of them did an amazing job sharing what they learned and showing pride in the city’s past.

Umaiza Amirah gave a talk about Club Harlem, a famous nightclub that was once the heart of Atlantic City’s music and nightlife scene. It was a place where big names in jazz and soul came to perform and where the community came together to celebrate. Umaiza shared how this club played a big part in the culture of the Northside.

Lianni Rivera talked about Northside Soul Food and explained how it was more than just food—it was about tradition, family, and community. She shared how soul food restaurants have been important meeting places for people in the Northside for many years.

Asher Bell focused on the Northside Cottages, a housing development that gave many Black families a place to live and grow. He explained how the cottages were part of the community’s strength and how they helped build a strong foundation for future generations.

Jeremiah Womack spoke about Black Atlantic City and the role of the Atlantic City Board of Trade. He showed how local Black-owned businesses worked together to support each other and grow during times when opportunities were limited. His presentation helped everyone understand how phone system worked back then.

This whole event was possible thanks to the African American Heritage Museum, started and led by Ralph Hunter, who is both the president and founder. The museum’s goal is to keep history alive and to teach people about the stories that don’t always make it into textbooks. Having the museum’s displays at our school gave students and staff the chance to learn something new and connect with the local history in a meaningful way.

Events like this remind us how important it is to know our history—especially when it’s told by the people who live it, learn it, and care about it. And thanks to Mrs. Becker’s class, those stories were told with heart, confidence, and pride.

Four local high schools came together to make a powerful impact through the Stock the Shelves Challenge, a friendly yet meaningful competition aimed at helping the less fortunate in our community. Participating schools included Atlantic City High School, Atlantic County Institute of Technology (ACIT), Mainland Regional High School, and Ocean City High School. Each school collected non-perishable goods to donate to those in need, with the goal of collecting as many items as possible. After all the items were counted, Atlantic City High School earned bragging rights and took home the champion’s trophy for bringing in the highest number of donations.

More Than Just a Competition

On the day of the big event, all four schools gathered together to make a difference in another way - by preparing over 1,600 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the homeless. This service project gave students a chance to directly help those in need, while also bonding with peers from other schools. Our students had a great time all together, while preparing sandwiches they were able to exchange their high school experiences and discuss their future plans.

This challenge also served as a reminder to the greater community that helping others should not be limited to a single day or event. Hunger and homelessness are ongoing issues, and our communities are filled with people who could use some help. Whether it’s donating a few items to a food drive, volunteering time at a local shelter, or simply spreading awareness about the struggles others face, every small action makes a difference.

The Stock the Shelves Challenge proved that service doesn’t require a lot of money or experience - just a willingness to help. These students showed how simple acts, like collecting canned goods or making sandwiches, can have a major impact on someone’s life. Let this be a call to action - not just for students, but for everyone. Our neighbors need us. Local shelters and food banks rely on community support. If four high schools can come together and make such a difference, imagine what the whole community can do if we all play a part.

Quite turned into friendly chat and teamwork

On Saturday, Mar. 29th, Over 50 students showed up, each school had great amount of students show up. This allowed everyone to have some type of partner from their school show up and help them.

Christopher Garrabrant - OCHS NHS President

“So last year, I created this event and it was just between us and Mainland and it was very successful. We donated over 800 items and made over a thousand peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and that was just between the two schools. This year I expanded it to include Atlantic City High School, and it’s very apparent that we did very good this year. Atlantic City won, they donated over a thousand items to their local food cover. And it appears as though we made probably around two or 300 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which are going to benefit the Atlantic City Rescue Mission. And I think that this is a great event. It gets us all together because National Honor Society should be more than just what’s in your high school. It should be about the people in your area and getting together and helping your community, and I think that’s what would be accomplished here.”