Five things that happened in New Jersey this week

Christie gets different nod, birds fall from the sky, and medical students arrive in Camden… it all happened this week in New Jersey.

Have a story to add to our list? What happened in your community this week?Tell us in the comments below.

Christie named keynote speaker

Now that Mitt Romney has named Congressman Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate, Gov. Christie is free to fill another role. The Romney camp announced this week that Christie will deliver the keynote address at the GOP convention later this month in Tampa.

Birds deaths linked to pesticide

About 80 birds plunged from the sky Tuesday in Millville and officials determined it was an EPA-approved pesticide that did them in. Farmers use Avitrol to control birds that cause significant damage to their crops. According to Gavin Shire of the American Bird Conservancy, pesticides kill millions of birds every year, but incidents where many birds die all at once are rare.

Camden rallies to keep city police

Dozens gathered in Camden Tuesday to protest Mayor Dana Redd’s plan to replace the city’s police force with a regional one. The plan would layoff more than 250 officers, and only half of them would be eligible to join the regional force. Mayor Redd has said the move toward a 400-member Camden Metro Division will improve safety in Camden. Opponents of the plan believe it will result in poor service, higher costs, and a less effective police department. 

Halfway competent

Five privately run halfway houses in New Jersey now owe $45,000 in fines for failing to quickly report inmate escapes. State Sen. Bob Gordon says that the fines signal that the Department of Corrections is getting serious about the need for halfway house operators to comply with their contracts.

First class in Camden

On Monday, the inaugural class arrived at Cooper Medical School in Camden for orientation. Students met each other for the first time and took a class picture. Nearly three quarters of them are from New Jersey, and Dean Dr. Paul Katz says he hopes that means more graduates stay to practice in the state.