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NJ Casinos, Racetracks Score Nationwide Sports Betting Record NJ Casinos, Racetracks Score Nationwide Sports Betting Record
NJ Casinos, Racetracks Score Nationwide Sports Betting Record New Jersey sports gamblers bet a nationwide record $668 million last month, officials said. That smashed the previous one-month record of $614 million bet in Nevada in November 2019, according to the state Division of Gaming Enforcement. The Garden State's previous one-month record for sports betting was $562 million set in November 2019. August was the first full month of professional baseball this year, and gamblers also had hockey and basketball playoffs to bet on. Casinos were closed earlier this year due to coronavirus, and were capped at 25% capacity. Even so, internet gambling at r…

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by Jon Craig
Sports
Indoor Dance, Gymnastics, Martial Arts Facilities Can Reopen In NJ -- Still Not Fitness Centers Indoor Dance, Gymnastics, Martial Arts Facilities Can Reopen In NJ -- Still Not Fitness Centers
Indoor Dance, Gymnastics, Martial Arts Facilities Can Reopen In NJ -- Still Not Fitness Centers Indoor youth sports facilities, dance and music studios, gymnastics gyms and martial arts studios were allowed to reopen Thursday, state officials said. Museums, aquariums, water parks, batting cages and bowling alleys, had also previously been given the OK. Click here for the guidelines on those. Gyms and indoor workout facilities will remain closed until new positive cases of coronavirus subside, Gov. Phil Murphy has said. One-on-one training is allowed with some limits.  Atlantic City casinos, arcades and arts/craft centers also are among the state's businesses that began a partial…

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by Jon Craig
Sports
COVID-19 UPDATE: NCAA Tournament Cancelled COVID-19 UPDATE: NCAA Tournament Cancelled
Covid-19 Update: NCAA Tournament Cancelled The NCAA on Thursday canceled its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to prevent the spread of COVID-19, President Mark Emmert announced Thursday. "Today, NCAA president Mark Emmert and the board of governors canceled the Division I men's and women's 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships," the NCAA announced. "This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to the spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academ…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Schools
St. Mary High In Elizabeth Closing Down After Fundraising Falls Short St. Mary High In Elizabeth Closing Down After Fundraising Falls Short
St. Mary High In Elizabeth Closing Down After Fundraising Falls Short Alumni and students of the nearly 90-year-old school tried to save it, but it's now official: St. Mary of the Assumption High School in Elizabeth is closing its doors for good.  In June, the Archdiocese of Newark announced that the school was facing a shortfall of $2 million and would be forced to shut down. Other Catholic schools in recent years have also faced closure but managed to keep their doors open thanks to vigorous fundraising efforts.  St. Mary alumni, students and friends of the school tried that approach, launching a GoFundMe campaign for the school, whose small stude…

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by Paul Milo
Sports
Former Hoops Standout At Elizabeth's St. Mary High Drowns In N.Y. Former Hoops Standout At Elizabeth's St. Mary High Drowns In N.Y.
Former Hoops Standout At Elizabeth's St. Mary High Drowns In N.Y. Calistus Anyichie, a star player on the basketball team for St. Mary of the Assumption High School in Elizabeth, drowned Sunday at a state park in Ithaca, New York, authorities there said. The 19-year-old was a rising sophomore at SUNY Binghamton, where he had made his mark on the court and in the classroom. “There is no blueprint for how to deal with such a painful loss,” Binghamton basketball head coach Tommy Dempsey said on Twitter. “We all loved Calistus so much. He was such a special young man. We are devastated.” The Ithaca Fire Department and other agencies were dispatched to Upper…

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by Paul Milo