TOMS RIVER - A judge Friday released a Toms River police officer from the Ocean County Jail allowing her to go to an in-patient mental health facility after being accused of smashing a glass door to her ex-boyfriend's home and assaulting him and his new girlfriend last week In letting Rebecca Sayegh out of jail to await trial on charges of home-invasion burglary Superior Court Judge Pamela Snyder imposed strict conditions on the nine-year veteran of the Toms River police force Chief among Sayegh's conditions of release is that she not have contact with the two victims advocated for his client's release during the detention hearing citing her decorated career as a Toms River police officer argued for the defendant to be kept behind bars to await trial used a baton to smash a glass door to her ex-boyfriend's home in Berkeley Township to gain entry after 11 p.m on April 25 before assaulting him and his new girlfriend shoved and screamed profanities at the couple,'' Young told the judge The assistant prosecutor identified Sayegh's ex-boyfriend by his initials "At some point during the physical altercation with the defendant attempting to grab items in the residence and the victims attempting to move their dogs away from the shattered glass which was scattered all over the floor,'' the assistant prosecutor said Sayegh took a house plant and threw it into the living room The victims escaped from the house and called 911 when Sayegh went upstairs to gather more items she resisted and had to be forcibly handcuffed Sayegh continued to yell profanities at the couple and threaten to burn down the house Sayegh caused $2,000 in damage to the front door of the residence and $500 to A.C.'s vehicle "after she scratched the hood of his car with an unknown object,'' Young alleged Turnbach said his client had a dating relationship with A.C for five years and had resided in that very residence with him in deciding whether to keep Sayegh in jail or release her to consider her nine-year record with the Toms River Police Department and the 35 pages of commendations and awards she has received for her work during that time Turnbach said that included a commendation for running into home that was fully involved in flames to rescue people and animals Turnbach said Sayegh "removed everyone safely.'' Another of her awards was for making an arrest in a stabbing at a motel in Seaside Heights while she was working as a Class 2 officer there in 2016 Sayegh donated sick time to a fellow officer in the Toms River Police Department who was in need Young argued Sayegh is a danger to the victims and the community and is at risk to obstruct justice and to flee the jurisdiction because of the seriousness of the charges against her and the prison time she could face if convicted "The defendant was an active law enforcement officer employed by the Toms River Police Department and would be well aware of the consequences and illegality of her actions Turnbach stressed that his client has no prior criminal record whatsoever and received the lowest possible scores on a public safety assessment The judge said she took that into consideration in allowing Sayegh to leave jail to enter a treatment facility While Snyder ordered Sayegh to have absolutely no contact with the two victims she said the defendant will be allowed to go to the Berkeley home for 15 to 20 minutes to collect her belongings Sayegh must be accompanied by aBerkeley police officer Snyder also ordered Sayegh to provide the court with written documentation of her in-patient mental health treatment and authorize court access to her treatment records Sayegh must enroll in an anger management  program and undergo mental health and substance abuse evaluations and comply with all treatment recommendations Sayegh also must report weekly to court staff Snyder scheduled Sayegh's next court appearance for June 9 before Superior Court Judge Guy P Beach badge sales have officially begun for Toms River’s Ortley Beach and Shelter Cove Beach with residents encouraged to make purchases before May 24 to secure a pre-season discount of $50 The announcement was made Friday by the Toms River Township Government which noted that children age 12 and under are not required to have beach badges Seniors age 62 and older are eligible for a lifetime badge at the reduced price of $15 while active military members and veterans may receive free badges for their spouse and any children under 18 living in the same household a Community Pass household account must be created This can be done either online in advance or in person at the Recreation Department “Community Pass households must be created for Senior and Military badges,” the township noted in a public statement Badges may be purchased at multiple township locations: the Recreation Office at 1810 Warren Point Road and the Tax Collector’s office at Town Hall with the Recreation Office accepting credit cards while the other two offices will accept only cash and checks Toms River emphasized the importance of purchasing badges before the May 24 deadline to lock in the lower rate though the updated rate has not been specified by the township How to access beach information and plan ahead Further details about Toms River’s beaches Beachgoers are encouraged to review beach-specific guidelines before the summer season begins For military families and seniors aiming to complete the Community Pass process in person the Recreation Office is equipped to handle account creation during regular business hours The township also recommends creating the account online in advance to streamline the badge acquisition process Pre-season sales are part of Toms River’s annual effort to manage beach access and crowd control ahead of the busy Memorial Day weekend. Ortley Beach and Shelter Cove Beach are two of the most frequently visited beaches in Ocean County drawing thousands of seasonal visitors each year Officials have not yet released information about beach badge enforcement dates or any changes to beach operating hours Those details are expected to be updated online as the season approaches More information about badge requirements and beach operations can be found at www.tomsrivertownship.com/553/Beaches © 2008-2025 - Shore News Media & Marketing Ltd A Toms River police officer who is accused of using a baton to smash her ex’s front door and then threaten two people has been released from jail as she faces criminal charges Rebecca Sayegh was off-duty when Berkeley Township Police responded to a residential disturbance late April 25 at a home on Evernham Avenue She is accused of doing about $2,500 in damages — by smashing the door and scratching the hood of a car parked in the driveway outside Sayegh allegedly began pushing and shoving the two people inside who tried to hold her back as she smashed some items and knocked photos off the walls according to an affidavit of probable cause filed with the court As she struggled with officers trying to remove her from the home Sayegh threatened to burn the house down “next,” the affidavit said Prosecutors had requested she remain in police custody as the case proceeds Her defense attorney released a written statement that said Sayegh understands the "significance" of the case “She has been a member of the Toms River Police Department and proudly served her community for almost nine years. She is taking all of the appropriate steps to properly address the matter at hand and will remain cooperative throughout the pending legal proceedings,” attorney Terrance Turnbach said in the statement sent to NJ.com. The same report said that Sayegh was suspended with pay Sayegh began working for Toms River police as a patrol officer in 2016, Asbury Park Press reported Sayegh filed a discrimination lawsuit that accused a now retired police captain of sexual harassment The lawsuit said that the harassment included a traumatic incident after a charitable golf outing in June 2022 an order for the harassment lawsuit’s dismissal was granted by Superior Court Judge Robert Brenner He agreed with defense attorneys that all the claims were barred by the two-year statute of limitations Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom Gallery Credit: Rick Rickman Rebecca Sayegh, an officer in Toms River, was off-duty when police in a neighboring town said she used a baton to smash a glass front door.\nRead More Rebecca Sayegh was off-duty when Berkeley Township Police responded to a residential disturbance late April 25 at a home on Evernham Avenue “She has been a member of the Toms River Police Department and proudly served her community for almost nine years. She is taking all of the appropriate steps to properly address the matter at hand and will remain cooperative throughout the pending legal proceedings,” attorney Terrance Turnbach said in the statement sent to NJ.com. Sayegh began working for Toms River police as a patrol officer in 2016, Asbury Park Press reported Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom 92.7 WOBM and Gateway Toyota of Toms River Student of the Week\nRead More STAFFORD – The beauty of high school track & field is there are so many events taking place you just never know when an amazing story is going to emerge There were two of them at the Ocean County Relays senior Jordan Muraglia capped a remarkable personal comeback story – there was a time when she was unsure if she would ever walk again – to lead Point Pleasant Borough’s girls to the team title Toms River North broke a Shore Conference record that stood since 1979 and matched the New Jersey state schoolboy record in the event Then came calamity during a floor exercise routine “I landed on my neck and the compression of the injury caused a mass to form on my spinal cord It was just a mess – I didn’t know if I was going to be able to walk again She underwent spinal surgery on her 13th birthday and then doctors broke the bad news: “I could not go back to gymnastics and I thought my world was over," Muraglia said "I didn’t have any idea I was going to be a runner As a high school freshman Muraglia joined Point Boro’s powerhouse girls track program she led the Panthers to the team title by posting a meet-best distance in the long jump (18 feet) anchoring the winning 4x100 (a total time of 49.01 seconds) and running on the second-place shuttle hurdles relay that broke the program record with a 1:05 who also set a program record in the 4x200 with a 1:43.04 clocking piled up 97 points to easily capture the team title outscoring schools twice their size like runner-up Toms River North (70 points) and host Southern Regional (69 points) Their 4x100 and 4x200 times are the fastest in the Shore Conference so far this season “Our team is so big for a small school,” Muraglia said “We have such great coaches who really care and they push us assistant coach Kyle Roos gave her a memorable pep talk that opened her eyes to her potential “But Coach Roos saw something in me and said but you have to dedicate yourself to it.’ So I thought I’m going to give my all to this,’ and it worked out.” as she recovered from spinal surgery at Jersey Shore Medical Center Muraglia could see the Neptune High School track from her hospital-room window It was a foreshadowing of a comeback story she never would have imagined “Everything happens for a reason – I truly believe that,” she said and now I’m going to college for it at Bucknell more history for Toms River North boysAfter breaking the Shore Conference records in the 4x100 and 4x400 at the Penn Relays Toms River North’s boys took down two more at the Ocean County Relays The Mariners matched the New Jersey state record in the shuttle hurdles as Camryn Thomas Mordecai Ford and Mamadi Diawara clocked 56.58 seconds That equaled the statewide schoolboy record set by East Orange Campus in 2017 and shattered a Shore Conference standard that stood for 46 years – a 57.7 by Neptune way back in 1979 Neptune's mark was the Shore Conference’s longest-standing track & field record along with the boys high jump (7-foot-2 by Monmouth Regional’s Milton Goode not counting events that have been modified or retired “That it’s 40-something years old means a lot – we broke a record that happened when my dad was born,” Ford said I would love to meet with those guys (from Neptune) to let them know they ran a really good time and we’ve got these new kids in town.” Shuttle hurdles records tend to be durable because the event is not contested very often and even then Thomas already had posted a state-best time in the 400-meter hurdles (52.06) Ford and Diawara had run on the 4x200 that shaved nearly a second off the Mariners’ own Shore Conference record (set last spring) with a 1:26.45 clocking “It means a lot going into the state record book knowing we can go much faster than we ran today,” Thomas said “We were all on tired legs – once we’re on fresh legs I think we can drop something hot the Mariners easily defended their boys team title But the picture is bigger than that for this special group as they continue to make a case for being the Shore Conference's best boys track team ever The senior posted a state-best time of 52.06 in the 400 hurdles just a hair off of the Shore Conference record and ran on the shuttle hurdles crew that tied the state record (56.58) He also recorded the meet’s third-farthest long jump (21-7) Central RegionalThe seniors were the meet’s top two long jumpers in impression fashion with Amaechina leaping 23-0.5 and Riley 22-10.5 They also ran on the second-place 4x100 (44.13) and Amaechina also posted the meet’s best triple jump (44-9) The senior posted the meet’s top high jump (6-2) and ran on the state-record shuttle hurdles (56.58) and Shore Conference-record 4x200 (1:26.45) The senior anchored the state-record shuttle hurdles (56.58) and Shore Conference-record 4x200 (1:26.45) and also cleared 6-0 in the high jump The seniors registered the meet’s top two pole vault heights Toms River NorthThe senior matched her personal best in the high jump at 5-7 a whopping seven inches higher than anyone else in the field She also ran on the victorious shuttle hurdles (1:04.94) and picked up a third-place medal in the long jump after a 15-6 leap The senior posted the meet’s top mark in the long jump (18-0) and ran on the first-place 4x100 (49.01) and second-place shuttle hurdles (1:05.14) The junior anchored the winning 4x800 with a 2:16 split anchored the second-place distance medley with a 5:03 1600 and ran a 1:01.2 leg on the second-place 4x200 The senior recorded the meet’s farthest throws in the shot put (42-1) and discus (113-6) The senior posted the meet’s top triple jump (34-9) and second-best long jump (16-5) contributed to a gold-medal high jump relay (5-0) and ran on the winning shuttle hurdles (1:04.94) Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com Christ Episcopal Church members and supporters stand in protest April 30 of a proposed ordinance that would allow Toms River New Jersey] An Episcopal congregation here after facing months of backlash from some neighbors in response to its proposal for a 17-bed homeless shelter now has been targeted by the town for possible public seizure of the 11-acre church property through eminent domain The congregation, Christ Episcopal Church agreed to begin the process of buying or seizing the church and five other properties to create two new town parks said that a Toms River resident alerted a parishioner to the addition of the proposed eminent domain ordinance to the meeting’s agenda and that parishioner contacted Hoffman the evening before the meeting The town had not notified the church about the pending vote “It’s just really shocking and surprising and very disappointing,” Hoffman told Episcopal News Service “There’s a lot of anger and frustration going on.” She said she doesn’t see the proposed park plan as a “legitimate reason to seize the property.” claiming it attracts people who are homeless The church now faces two different issues with the town Its overnight shelter plan needs the approval of the Zoning Board of Adjustment the town council is scheduled to take public comment and make a final decision on the land-seizure ordinance A schematic shown at the meeting details Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick’s plan for the Christ Episcopal Church land Christ Church is by far the largest property of the six that would be affected by the eminent domain proposal Rodrick has said he wants a park on the church land with pickleball courts The other properties include three private marinas along the Toms River and an empty lot that would form a waterfront park “It is clear and obvious that the township and mayor are acting in bad faith and have ulterior motives,” attorney Michael York told Assistant Township Attorney Peter Pascarella in a letter delivered just before the April 30 council meeting they are not even trying to hide their actions This attempt to use eminent domain as an excuse to obtain property is not disguised in this instance.” who was hired by a local affordable housing advocacy group to represent the church said “even a cursory review of the relevant case law would indicate that the township is in a perilous position.” He promised legal action against the town council members and any staff  “who knowingly participated in this bad faith action.” Hoffman said the 160-year-old Christ Church is “an active vital community” with an average Sunday attendance of more than 150 the church is a hub for community outreach hosting more than 20 support groups and running a food pantry as well as a weekly clothing distribution effort It also offers resources to people experiencing homelessness and other people at risk who come to the church for assistance which rents an older church building on the property has operated on the property for almost two years Hoffman said the group rehoused more than 130 families during its first year at Christ Church The group also brings in other agencies to help the people it serves Some of the frustration that Hoffman identified in the community was obvious April 30 from the outset of the six-minute debate on the issue during which council members yelled at each other Council member Thomas Nivison, shouting at times, tried to get the proposed ordinance tabled or to at least remove the Christ Church property from consideration. The motion to table failed 4-3, the same margin by which the council passed the ordinance’s first reading moments later. (The debate begins at the 36:19 mark here.) stood to vote against the ordinance and led the room in praying the Lord’s Prayer “There’s no way on God’s green Earth that anyone should vote for this ordinance,” council member James Quinlisk said to loud applause and shouts as he cast a no vote He said passing the ordinance would set up the town for a lawsuit “one that I don’t think (the mayor) understands the scale of.” has proposed adding a facility to its campus allowing for a 17-bed homeless shelter Under The Episcopal Church’s so-called “Dennis Canon” (Canon 1.7.4) a parish holds its property in trust for the diocese and The Episcopal Church While the Toms River council does not take public comment during the first reading of any proposed ordinance the members got an earful April 30 during the meeting’s general comment time The speakers included people who said they had been or currently were homeless “I don’t know whether you believe in Christ or believe in God but when you start messing with his children you’ve got a lot of trouble,” Toms River resident Angie Feldman said a Christ Church member who said he was speaking only for himself told the council that he wonders what he can do to help alleviate the problem of homelessness “But I feel like there’s something my church can do I don’t know how many of you will be here in 10 years Mary Frances Schjonberg is a freelance writer who formerly was a senior editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and analyse our traffic We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorised as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyse the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customised advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyse the effectiveness of the ad campaigns 2025 at 3:51 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi at the opening of the JBK Soul Kitchen in Toms River in 2016 Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick has accused them of running a "soup kitchen" at the Ocean County Library NJ — Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi are at odds with Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick who accused the couple's JBJ Soul Foundation of running a soup kitchen and drawing people who are homeless to the Ocean County Library He accused the county commissioners of turning the library's downtown Toms River branch into a "day shelter and soup kitchen," and said the county had ignored his complaints and concerns JBJ Soul Foundation has operated the JBJ Soul Kitchen in Toms River for nearly 9 years Between the Toms River and Red Bank locations the foundation has served more than 200,000 meals The temporary location at the Ocean County Library — in the spot that formerly was rented to Dunkin until the coronavirus pandemic — opened in February with the same premise as the site on Hooper Avenue: provide meals at a lower price It is not a soup kitchen where anyone can walk in and get a free meal; those who are in need trade volunteer hours at the Soul Kitchen in exchange for a meal part of a larger program that connects those in need with services including job searches connections with mental health supports and more Rodrick's comments about the foundation's library pop-up facility came as part of fight with Ocean County officials who Rodrick blames for an increase in the number of homeless individuals in downtown Toms River "The JBJ Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchen are committed to ending homelessness through real solutions," Jon and Dorothea Bon Jovi said in an emailed statement we connect people to resources and services we try to remove the barriers that are keeping them from thriving Center in Toms River or to the JBJ Soul Kitchen Pop Up to see what we are doing to end homelessness and hunger in our community," the statement said The pop-up site at the library is only open four hours a day four days a week: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. The main site, on Hooper Avenue, is in the Silverton section, and it too has limited days and hoursthat meals are served "Commissioners Rob Arace and Frank Sadeghi believe they are serving on the San Francisco Board of Commissioners," Rodrick said in the Asbury Park Press report "They've completely ignored all of our complaints and concerns Mothers shouldn't have to walk through large gangs of intoxicated and mentally ill men with their children to borrow a book." "The issue of homelessness is not a matter of placing blame but calls for everyone to come to the table to help find the appropriate solution," Sadeghi Let’s all work together for a common and beneficial outcome to homelessness Since COVID we have seen homelessness begin to rise and it’s not just Ocean County and services to assist people in crisis — including those at the Ocean County Social Services building numerous nonprofit agencies — are centered in the town Rodrick has repeatedly accused Ocean County officials and local organizations of bringing homeless people into Toms River from all over the county and all over the state including during a feud last year with Just Believe Inc. which had operated a Code Blue shelter in the township's Riverwood Park building for seven years providing overnight shelter on nights where temperatures dropped below 35 degrees Ocean County is one of two in the state that does not have a year-round shelter for those without housing and provides only overnight shelter during extreme cold Rodrick also threatened to sue the board of commissioners when the county announced it was opening a Code Blue shelter on its property on Route 9 in the wake of Toms River ending its coooperation with Just Believe no lawsuit has been filed by Toms River officials operated by Collaborative Support Programs of NJ served 220 people and was open 88 nights during the Code Blue season Rodrick's criticisms initially were published by Shore News Network whose owner receives payments from Toms River Township monthly for publishing press releases the council approved an invoice for $7,332 for Shore Media and Marketing the owner and publisher of Shore News Network Rodrick's criticisms also came on the heels of support by Arace for Republican candidate for the Ward 4 Toms River council seat Rodrick aims to secure control of the council by ousting incumbent David Ciccozzi but there are two candidates battling Ciccozzi: Rodrick's choice who has the backing of Arace and Ocean County Republican Party Chairman George Gilmore "Ocean County has taken steps to address (homelessness) and continues to do so," Sadeghi said "One such step was the creation of the Homelessness Trust Fund in 2023 which has helped us fund Code Blue throughout the county not just in one town but it serves all of our towns It also provides funding for other programs that benefit our needy residents." "We continue to work with our county agencies to address the root cause of homelessness," Sadeghi said our residents are just one paycheck away from losing the roof that is over their heads someone loses a job and before you know it a hardworking family’s safety net is gone it is far better for us to work together for the good of all of our residents." "We are not here to just move people around or force them into the shadows Our Foundation has built nearly a thousand units of affordable and supportive housing," the JBJ Soul Foundation statement said "We are unsure where the mayor thinks millions of dollars are trading hands but we are completely unaware of any such programs and receive no such funding." Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Mamadi Diawara of Toms River North crosses the finish line in the 110m hurdles during the Bill Bruno Ocean County Championships at Jackson Liberty High School in Jackson Township 2024.Richard O'Donnell | For NJ Advan .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Corey Annan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comThe best week of the 2025 N.J track and field season has officially concluded Week 7 of the 2025 season has provided us with a big moment or historic performance nearly every day with one event getting back-to-back new N.J This week’s performances set the table for what should be another epic week of county and conference championship meets Camryn Thomas (center) of Toms River North competes in the 110m hurdles during the Bill Bruno Ocean County Championships at Jackson Liberty High School in Jackson Township That wasn’t the only big performance from the Mariners that day Toms River North also laid down a new Shore Conference record in the 4x200 and Mamadi Diawara stopping the clock at 1:26.45 Friday’s historic performances means that Toms River North has reset conference records in the 4x100 4x400 and Shuttle Hurdles all within the last month Cole Isaac Cramer of Southern Regional competes in the boys 55 meter dash final during the NJSIAA Indoor Track Meet of Champions at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island In our latest boys notebook we highlighted the Puma East Coast Showcase in Maryland as Cole Cramer’s best chance yet to break the state record in the 100 dash (10.22) the Southern senior made serious progress towards that goal by matching his PR of 10.35 in the trials Cramer also ran 10.35 to win the Brooks PR Invitational last year as it currently ranks second in state history Jevon Ledgister runs the anchor leg for Saint Peter's Prep 4x400 relay at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia.Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Speed clearly runs in the Ledgister family Peter’s Prep’s 4x100 relay to the Northeast title at Penn Relays last weekend Peter’s Prep’s Ledgister kicked off his individual season with a jaw-dropping 100 dash time of 10.63 at the Puma East Coast Showcase This shatters the New Jersey freshman record set by former Burlington City/Willingboro standout Malachi James who clocked in a 10.76 at the 2021 Meet of Champions Jevon is the younger brother of former Meet of Champions winner Fitzroy Ledgister who owns the fourth-fastest time in state history in the 100 dash Anthony Parker of Salem lands victory in the boys long jump during the NIKE: SJTCA Elite Track and Field Meet at Delsea High School in Franklinville Salem’s Parker resets county record in long jump Anthony Parker pulled off the biggest jump of his life at Thursday’s NIKE SJTCA Elite Meet the Salem senior reset the state lead with a leap of 23-9 Parker’s 23-9 also breaks the Salem County record that was previously owned by Penns Grove’s Kimere Brown who leaped 23-3 at the 2014 Group 1 state meet Michael Card of Howell finishes seventh during the Shore Conference Championships at Ocean County Park in Lakewood Lawrenceville’s Ayodele Joa-Griffith held the state lead in the 800 for three weeks following his victory at the South County Stallion Invitational in Virginia (1:54.73) we’ve seen the state lead in that event change twice Cherry Hill East senior Brandon Lyons pulled off a four-second PR at Thursday’s NIKE SJTCA Elite Meet to take the state lead (1:53.77) that remarkable performance only held the state lead for a single day Competing in a race exclusively against sub-1:53 half-milers finishing fifth in the fastest race of the competition Card’s time ranks fifth in Monmouth County history finish in first and second place in the boys 400-meter dash during the Nike SJTCA Elite Track and Field Meet at Delsea Regional High School in Franklin Township Osayemi chases down county record in 400 dash Clayton senior Alexander Osayemi now has the fastest 400 dash time in the state (among NJSIAA schools) After previously sharing the state lead in the 400 with East Orange’s Jordaine Johnson (47.03) Osayemi broke the tie at the Puma East Coast International Showcase with a 46.60 which is the eighth-fastest time in state history and resets the Gloucester County held by Woodbury’s Darrell Bush who ran 46.95 at the 2011 Meet of Champions Camryn Thomas (left) runs the second leg of Toms River North’s 4x400 relay team during the Penn Relays put the state on notice with arguably the best individual hurdles performance of his career which would’ve beaten former Leonia standout Jaden Marchan’s state lead of 52.11 from last year’s New Balance Nationals trailing Lakewood’s Emanuel Mayers (51.98 in 2007) and Ocean Township’s Alexander Sadikov (51.00) Mohammed resets state leads in two jumping events West Side sophomore Malik Mohammed had the most impressive week of any jumper in the state setting PRs in all three jumping events and taking the state lead in two of them Mohammed set a new state lead in the triple jump (48-7) At the SEC Championships later in the week Mohammed pulled off an incredible trio of wins – 6-7.5 in the high jump His high jump clearance takes over as a N.J Christopher Young of Notre Dame and Corey Greenfield of St Peter's Prep compete in the boys 110 meter hurdles during the NJSIAA Non-Public A and B Meet Day 2 at Stockton University in Galloway Greenfield sets new standard in 110 hurdles Peter’s Prep Corey Greenfield is quickly shaping into top form in the 110 hurdles At the Puma East Coast International Showcase Peter’s Prep senior reset the state lead with a 14.03 in the finals His time of 14.03 only trails his current PR by only 0.10 seconds Greenfield earned his spot into finals after going 14.24 at prelims Matthew Littlehales of Delsea flies to the line to capture the victory in the boys 1,600 meter during the NIKE: SJTCA Elite Track and Field Meet at Delsea High School in Franklinville Delsea’s Littlehales uses big kick to reset state lead Corey Annan can be reached at cannan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him or send him a message on Twitter/X @coreyannan360 High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) Sign up now! Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices (TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Ocean County Library Toms River Branch is pleased to feature art designed to challenge misconceptions and encourage understanding "Who We Really Are," provided by the RWJBarnabas Behavioral Health Center will be on display in the Second Floor Gallery throughout the month of May The intricately painted masks of “Who We Really Are” reflects the participating artists’ ambitions to resolve misunderstandings There will be an Artists’ Reception in the Branch on Tuesday offers a broad range of behavioral and medical health care services for the benefit of patients including short-term and geriatric services and substance abuse disorder support The exhibit is free and open to the public during normal Branch operating hours. For more information, visit or call the OCL Toms River Branch, 101 Washington Street, (732) 349-6200. See the full schedule of Library programs in the online Calendar of Events Gavin Toth (11) of Toms River East scores the second run of the game during the Ocean County Tournament final baseball game between Toms River East and Jackson Memorial at Central Regional High School in Bayville NJ on 5/3/24.Scott Faytok | NJ Advance Media .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Reed Becker | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comCarson Frazier paced third-seeded Toms River East by going 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs in a 4-3 victory over second-seeded Toms River East in the semifinals of the Ocean County Tournament in Toms River Toms River East was down 3-1 after four innings before scoring three runs in the fifth inning to go ahead and hold on for the victory Matthew Ferrara also went 3-for 4 with a run scored while Gavin Toth went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored Tommy Conroy led Point Pleasant Beach by going 3-for-4 with two doubles Toms River East (12-4) extends its winning streak to five games and will travel to face Rumson-Fair Haven on Thursday while Point Pleasant Beach will host Toms River North on Monday Reed Becker can be reached at rbecker@njadvancemedia.com The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) The views expressed here are the author's own Bring the whole family and enjoy an evening filled with:🐴 Horses Ponies & Goats🍔 A delicious Barbeque Dinner🔥 S’mores by the fire browse our table of donated goods and take home anything you need—completely free Hosted in partnership with Hope In Her Eyes, this event is all about community, fun, and connection.🎟️ Scan the QR code to register and join the fun!Or click this link. TOMS RIVER -- A Township Council majority took the first step to buy or seize Christ Episcopal Church via eminent domain at an April 30 meeting attended by about 150 parishioners and supporters who passionately argued that the church property should not be turned into a park founder of the Portraits of the Jersey Shore Facebook group "I want you to know that I used to be homeless Council members voted 4 to 3 to introduce an ordinance allowing Toms River to buy along with three private marinas along the Toms River and an empty lot A public hearing and vote to adopt the ordinance is scheduled for 4 p.m Toms River news: Prosecutor seeks to keep township cop behind bars in home-invasion case Mayor Daniel Rodrick envisions the land as part of an expansive waterfront park which will also include downtown's Huddy Park and the site of a former boatworks on Robbins Parkway township Engineer John Miele place poster-sized photos of the Toms River riverfront along with a large schematic of the planned park on the church site Affordable housing needed: Toms River ordered to build 670 affordable homes; here's what other Shore towns agreed to Vice President Craig Coleman and council members Bill Byrne and Lynn O'Toole voted in favor of the acquisition ordinance David Ciccozzi and James Quinlisk voted against it The vote happened after Nivison's attempt to table the measure failed Nivison frequently raised his voice during voting on the motion to table the ordinance for the first time this year," he said before Coleman voted not to table the measure Nivison's remarks were greeted by loud applause and cheers from the rowdy crowd They also applauded Quinlisk and Ciccozzi when they voted against introducing the ordinance Toms River Regional: School district cuts 3 administrators, seeks NJ aid that would mean school tax jump "There is no way on God’s green earth that anybody should vote for this ordinance," Quinlisk said "They have gone too far," Ciccozzi said before voting no Several people who spoke at the council meeting argued that the attempt to acquire the church is related to Christ Episcopal's attempt to get Board of Adjustment approval for construction of a 17-bed overnight homeless shelter on the its property "We cannot demonize a church when they are doing the work of the Lord," said Woodbine Lane resident Angie Feldman "I don’t know whether you believe in Christ or believe in God but when you start messing with His children "I am a member of Christ Church since 2007 my children were part of that church," said Eileen Schilling of Mulberry Street "I am on the board of Interfaith Family Services providing services to homeless people who were working poor … Participating in many evenings with our guests at Christ Church which is owned by the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey a lawyer whose Toms River firm represents Christ Episcopal Church notified Assistant Township Attorney Peter Pascarella that any attempt to seize the property through eminent domain is likely to prompt a lawsuit from the church and the diocese Toms River homeless battle: After Toms River mayor fight over Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen, advocates urge restaurant support He noted that the church has an application pending before Toms River's Board of Adjustment to build a 17-bed overnight shelter for unhoused men and women at the parish house on the church property Public comment and a likely decision on the church's application is expected at the May 22 zoning board meeting "It is clear and obvious that the township and Mayor Rodrick are acting in bad faith and have ulterior motives," York wrote This attempt to use eminent domain as an excuse to obtain property is not disguised in this instance Adding a property as a last minute Council agenda item is clear and obvious bad faith "Should the Township continue down this path we will have no choice but to seek all remedies at law and equity," York continued this will include a Section 1983 claim against all individual members of the Town Council and all members of the Township Staff who knowingly participated in this bad faith action." A section 1983 claim under federal law gives individuals the right to sue state and local government employees for civil rights violations equal protection and protection against unreasonable searches and seizures The law allows individuals to seek damages injunctive relief and attorney's fees for violations of their rights Seaside Heights and several other Ocean County towns She is also passionate about Asbury Park's musical history An ordinance allowing acquisition of the church along with three downtown marinas and a vacant property is on the April 30 Township Council agenda for a first reading Mayor Daniel Rodrick said he wants use the church property for recreation noting that downtown has nearly 20,000 people but few public recreation areas The April 30 council meeting starts at 4 p.m Manuel Hirshblond meeting room on the second floor of town hall The mayor said the church property could house a large playground The three marinas would be merged into a larger municipal marina to complement the site in Huddy Park where the mayor plans to install slips for personal watercraft a seasonal tiki bar with food and a liquor license and a pier in the downtown area as part of his strategy to encourage more public use of the downtown waterfront Toms River homeless battles: After Toms River mayor fight over Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen, advocates urge restaurant support But it is the potential acquisition of the church property that is likely to stir the most controversy In a Facebook post, church officials vowed to fight the mayor's effort "As retribution for and to impede the proposed homeless shelter on the Christ Episcopal Church property Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick is initiating legal action to force the sale of the church property to Toms River Township," the post said but it could be quite an effort for Christ Episcopal Church to prevail." including Toms River-based Just Believe Inc. reacted with shock and anger at the proposal to acquire the church "We have never encountered a situation where a township has intentionally utilized its authority to dismantle a community movement by extreme force," Just Believe wrote on its Facebook page where a township appears to be abusing its power to threaten a church for attempting to assist the homeless." The church is located on a nearly 11-acre property in the downtown area and the church has existed in downtown Toms River since 1865 The church property is assessed at $2,476,000 An outbuilding on the church property has been used for services by the smaller Ocean Christian Community in recent years It's also been used by the Affordable Housing Alliance and the Toms River Housing & Homeless Coalition to counsel homeless people and provide services since July 2023 Ocean County has brought a mobile van to the site to provide services as well Toms River ex-special cop: Mayor cut me out of job over anti-speeding signs Christ Episcopal Church and the Affordable Housing Alliance have proposed expanding the outreach center on the property The extension would be used for a 17-bed overnight shelter for unhoused men and women who would also receive counseling and be connected to services at the site The shelter plan is before the Toms River Board of Adjustment with a possible decision on the application expected on May 22 The proposal has received strong opposition from neighbors who say such a shelter should not be in a residential neighborhood Affordable housing: Toms River ordered to build 670 affordable homes According to a "point-in-time" count of the homeless conducted in January 2024 by Monarch Housing Group, 556 people were experiencing homelessness in Ocean County a 28% increase from the 434 homeless counted in 2023 A similar point in time count was conducted from Jan but the results have not yet been released Monarch reported 169 homeless people in Toms River Adults without homes would be able to stay overnight They would be able to get something to eat and receive counseling meant to assist them in obtaining jobs Food help needed: Fulfill food bank scrambles after Trump halts expected delivery of 150,000 pounds of food Rodrick said the church property already has adequate parking for a recreation area He said the township would also be open to acquiring the adjacent Toms River Country Club TOMS RIVER - The state is seeking to keep a Toms River police officer locked up without bail while she awaits trial on charges she committed a violent home-invasion burglary in Berkeley Township last week made her first court appearance from the Ocean County Jail during a virtual hearing Tuesday before Brick Municipal Judge Joseph Grisanti Grisanti read the charges against Sayegh and informed her that the state filed a motion to keep her detained without bail Grisanti said there will be a hearing on the state's motion on Friday to determine if Sayegh will be freed or kept in jail Sayegh is charged with first-degree home-invasion burglary which carries a prison term of 10 to 20 years upon a conviction She also is charged with two counts each of simple assault and criminal mischief and one count each of terroristic threats and resisting arrest According to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D Berkeley police responded to a home on Evernham Avenue in the township's Bayville section on a report of a domestic disturbance Arrest made: Toms River police officer charged with home invasion burglary, assault officers learned that Sayegh had allegedly smashed the glass door to the front of the residence entered the home and assaulted and threatened two victims The prosecutor alleged that Sayegh also damaged the hood of a vehicle belonging to one of the victims and she resisted officers' efforts to peacefully place her under arrest Sayegh was initially issued a summons and released she was re-charged on Monday and taken to jail "Officer Sayegh understands the significance of the charges filed against her,'' her attorney "She has been a member of the Toms River Police Department and proudly served her community for almost nine years,'' Turnbach said of his client "She is taking all of the appropriate steps to properly address the matter at hand and will remain cooperative throughout the pending legal proceedings.'' Sayegh has a lawsuit pending against the Toms River Police Department and some of its former leaders alleging they participated in a "Boy's Club'' culture that led to her being sexually harassed passed over for promotions and written up for supposed infractions that were ignored when committed by male officers claimed a toxic work environment allowed former police Capt Shaun O'Keefe to "shamelessly'' pursue a sexual relationship with her O'Keefe's pursuit of Sayegh culminated in an incident in June 2022 at a Toms River Police Foundation event at the Bey Lea Golf Course in Toms River who had retired from the police force the previous year is alleged to have followed Sayegh into the women's restroom and asked her to perform a sexual act on him called the allegations "frivolous and without legal basis,'' and "baseless and/or meritless.'' Brenner on April 11 dismissed the claims against O'Keefe without prejudice after O'Keefe's attorney argued that even if the allegations were true Sayegh filed her lawsuit after the two-year statute of limitations had passed Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@app.com "I just want to say while I know that this sounds difficult because we do need to fund our district, we are not providing anything thorough and efficient," Board President Ashley Lamb said, referring to the state's Constitution, which promises a "thorough and efficient system of free public schools." "The only reason we cannot give that to them is because of the state of New Jersey nobody can tell us where the money is going and explain why our kids are constantly disenfranchised." districts that have seen declining enrollments have seen cuts in state aid for several years Church could become park: Split Toms River council takes step toward seizing church that wants homeless shelter The $293.5 million budget rejected by the board included a $21.3 million increase in the property tax levy as well as $1 million in "tax incentive aid" from the state Department of Education The aid is a new state funding source reserved for school districts considered "under adequacy," which means school systems that are spending below the amount the state says a district should be spending to educate its children Toms River is $106.7 million under adequacy and the state says district taxpayers should be paying about $120 million more to support the 2025-2026 school budget Not just Toms River: New Jersey school taxes to rise dramatically in many Ocean and Monmouth school districts one we have been fighting through testimony we have been arguing through lawsuits," Schools Superintendent Mike Citta said "It is hard not to think that Toms River has been targeted over the years." Citta said the first hearing on the school district's lawsuit against the state is scheduled for May 9 when the state is seeking to dismiss the suit The board sued New Jersey last year over what the district claims are "unconstitutional actions" that have cut $137 million in state education aid in the past decade. a property owner in Toms River would have faced a 12% increase in school taxes A homeowner with a house assessed at the township's average of $448,400 would pay $4,617 in school taxes The Toms River school tax rate would rise 11 cents per $100 of assessed value to $1.47 per $100 of assessed property value South Toms River residents would have seen school taxes jump 14.5% under the budget For a home assessed at the borough's $170,600 average Pine Beach residents would have had a 12.9% school tax increase A home assessed at the borough's average of $413,200 that would have been $4,050 in annual school taxes Neighboring district: Lakewood Schools request another massive state loan even as school board objects Toms River taxpayers are responsible for more than 90% of the property taxes that support the regional district which educates 14,700 children in 18 schools Citta noted that school taxes have risen 18.5% in the past four years The district recently closed on the sale of its 1144 Hooper Ave. administration building which Ocean County purchased for $15.4 million Ocean County school taxes: Little Egg Harbor school board chooses between 50-student class sizes, large tax hike That money will balance the 2024-2025 budget keeping Toms River Regional's doors open through the end of the school year The district has cut 301 positions since the 2017-2018 school year Recent cuts: Toms River Regional cuts 3 administrators, seeks NJ aid that would mean school tax jump But an increase in the number of children learning English as well as a jump in the number of special education students means the district has hired 16 more English-as-a-Second-Language teachers and shifted 50 teachers to special education Toms River has also hired 86 more non-certified special education specialists as the district's demographics have changed. TOMS RIVER - A Lakewood man whose body was found floating in the water Friday has been identified by authorities was found after police were dispatched to the area behind Point O' Woods Drive in Toms River for a report of a body floating in the water according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D A post-mortem examination by the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office observed no signs of trauma to the body The cause of death is pending toxicology results but Lopez-Martinez' death does not appear to be suspicious at this time TOMS RIVER -- Toms River Regional is cutting three administrators' positions and has applied for state tax levy incentive aid to close a $22.3 million budget gap The Board of Education voted April 16 to eliminate an assistant superintendent's job as well as the positions of the human resources and facilities directors Schools Superintendent Mike Citta said Assistant Superintendent James Ricotta is retiring Sept Human Resources Director Megan Osborn and Facilities Director Sam Pepe will have their positions cut July 1 The job cuts are expected to save the district at least $300,000 with the responsibilities of the three positions shifted to other district employees Toms River news: One late-discovered write-in vote decides fire election, but opponent can appeal "We are doing everything we can to thin out what we can," Citta said The board also agreed April 9 to apply for Tax Levy Incentive Aid a new state funding source reserved for school districts considered "under adequacy," which means school systems that are spending below the amount the New Jersey Department of Education says a district should be spending to educate its children The program allows under-adequacy districts to raise school taxes above the state-mandated 2% cap and also provides additional education aid (up to $1 million for Toms River Regional) If the state approves Toms River Regional's application the district could raise the school tax levy by up to 15.9% — a number that Citta said the school board would never support "We have no way to balance the budget," Citta said "They (the state) are going to have to step up to the plate and figure it out." Nearly 300 New Jersey school districts are eligible for the tax levy incentive aid including many in Monmouth and Ocean counties Toms River Regional received $1.69 million more in state aid this year than last year but Doering and Citta have said that it still leaves the schools far short of the money needed to provide a "thorough and efficient" education as required by New Jersey's constitution Toms River news: Toms River man accused of traveling to Norway to have sex with 14-year-old girl The school board on April 16 also unanimously approved a resolution to sell Toms River Regional's 1144 Hooper Avenue headquarters to the county Ocean County has agreed to buy the building for $15.4 million and Citta said the district hopes to receive that funding by May It should close a $12.4 million budget gap for the current (2024-2025) school year Board President Ashley Lamb said the district's administrative offices have moved to the top floor of 1144 Hooper "We can stay there for four years," she said "We are scouting other locations," for those offices "Our plan is not to put them in a school building," Lamb said 'We love the hate, we'll keep fighting': Toms River East boys lacrosse ready for any challenge Public school districts throughout the Shore are dealing with crippling budget deficits due mainly to years of cuts in state aid The state's school funding formula shifts money from districts with declining enrollment to those with a growing number of students Citta and other Toms River Regional leaders said the formula does not take into account the changing demographics of the school system which has seen large increases in special education students and English language learners over the past decade Toms River Regional has also had a big increase in the number of economically disadvantaged children who attend its schools Support for Soul: After Toms River mayor fight over Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen, advocates urge restaurant support The school board has scheduled a public hearing on the $293.5 million budget for 2025-2026 for 5:30 p.m April 30 at the Toms River High School North Media Center The budget as introduced would raise school taxes 1.7% in Toms River which would equal $70.78 on a house assessed at $448,400 on a home assessed at $208,200; in South Toms River She's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene A Toms River police officer was charged Monday with home invasion burglary after a “domestic disturbance” at a home in Berkeley The incident occurred Friday night when Officer Rebecca Sayegh smashed the front glass door of a home on Evernhan Avenue in the Bayville section then assaulted and threatened two victims inside She was also found to have damaged the hood of a vehicle belonging to one of the victims which had been parked in the driveway of the home Officers from the Berkeley Township Police Department responded to the scene about 11:20 p.m Sayegh was taken into custody at the scene after she resisted efforts “to peacefully place her under arrest,” Billhimer said Sayegh was originally served with the charges via a summons pending an upcoming first appearance in state Superior Court in Toms River due “to the serious nature of the charges,” Billhimer’s office “recharged” Sayegh with a warrant on Monday She was taken into custody at her Toms River home by Berkeley police officers and taken to the Ocean County Jail where she remained Monday pending a detention hearing we do not have a comment in the matter and refer all inquiries to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office,” said Toms River Police Lt Sayegh had been in the news about six months ago after she filed a lawsuit against Toms River Township former Deputy Chief Patrick Dellane and Sgt claiming a “Boys Club” culture in the department led to her being sexually harassed passed over for promotions and written up for supposed offenses that were ignored when committed by male officers Court hearing: Prosecutor seeks to keep Toms River cop behind bars in home-invasion case Sayegh claimed in the lawsuit that the toxic work environment allowed O’Keefe “to shamelessly” pursue a sexual relationship with her culminating in an incident at a Toms River Police Foundation event at Bey Lea Golf Course where O’Keefe followed Sayegh into the women’s restroom and asked her to perform a sex act and the lawsuit states that the incident happened at an event for the Toms River Police Foundation Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at elarsen@gannettnj.com TOMS RIVER — The second-largest shore town in Ocean County must build hundreds of housing units despite local officials insisting that they don't have room for so many new homes Retired Judge Julio L. Mendez ruled against Toms River and said the township must build all 670 housing units required by its prospective need under its fourth round of affordable housing obligations, the Asbury Park Press first reported Prospective need refers to the housing that must be built over the next 10 years The requirement of 670 housing units for Toms River was handed down by the state Department of Community Affairs last year township officials had argued Toms River's prospective need was only 114 units based on land capacity Court documents said it was the largest difference that any township had proposed Mayor Dan Rodrick has previously said Toms River doesn't have enough space for new mass development He felt the number of required housing units could only go lower during the court battle, Rodrick said to the Asbury Park Press last month New Jersey 101.5 has reached out to Rodrick for comment on the recent decision Mendez wrote that the calculations Toms River used to reach its lower number were "very problematic." who used the supporting report of a special adjudicator ruled to uphold the DCA's original number of 670 housing units The retired judge has the authority to make the decision through the state's Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program RELATED: Fury in NJ as state forces affordable housing construction Last month, the Toms River township council voted unanimously to withdraw from the program Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz Toms River must build hundreds of housing units despite local officials insisting that they don't have room for so many new homes.\nRead More Retired Judge Julio L. Mendez ruled against Toms River and said the township must build all 670 housing units required by its prospective need under its fourth round of affordable housing obligations, the Asbury Park Press first reported The requirement of 670 housing units for Toms River was handed down by the state Department of Community Affairs last year He felt the number of required housing units could only go lower during the court battle, Rodrick said to the Asbury Park Press last month RELATED: Fury in NJ as state forces affordable housing construction Last month, the Toms River township council voted unanimously to withdraw from the program TOMS RIVER -- Just before the downtown Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen at the Ocean County Library here opened at 10 a.m a group of homeless people waited outside for a chance to get a warm meal on a chilly morning It's a scene that has become common since February when the pop-up restaurant was opened in the part of the library that was formerly the old Presbyterian Church in Toms River A Dunkin' Donuts was located in the space before the COVID-19 pandemic He called it a "soup kitchen" and said "(The county has) completely ignored all of our complaints and concerns 'Don't think it's fair': Toms River residents don't want homeless shelter in neighborhood Advocates for the JBJ Soul Kitchen have been urging people to come out and support the restaurant, including Just Believe Inc., a nonprofit that assists homeless people, and Gregory Andrus, a photographer and creator of the popular Facebook page, "Portraits of the Jersey Shore." The JBJ Soul Kitchen started in Red Bank in 2011 opened by rocker Jon Bon Jovi and his wife It has since added a Toms River restaurant on Hooper Avenue in the B.E.A.T and then earlier this year opened the restaurant at the library Customers at the library location are urged to pay a suggested donation of $12 for a meal and pay for the meals of others if they can People who cannot afford to pay are asked to volunteer instead "When we first opened, people did not understand our unique Pay It Forward model," Dorothea Bongiovi said in a recent video celebrating the restaurants' serving their 200,000th customer We are a unique Pay It Forward model where those who are unable to pay pay for their meal and donate to pay it forward Unhoused people who spoke to the Asbury Park Press said they were asked to clean up after themselves after receiving a meal a homeless man who said he frequently stays in hotels with his girlfriend said the JBJ Soul Kitchen pop-up "has been a big help." Flyers for organizations like the Affordable Housing Alliance; Dignity Suds & Duds which is a laundry service for people without homes; and the Toms River Housing & Homeless Coalition are available for those visiting the pop-up Mayor Rodrick urged parents to take their children to the county library in Brick rather than face the homeless people at the Toms River library But advocates for the homeless described a much less-menacing view of the JBJ Soul Kitchen "The atmosphere at Soul Kitchen is on the more quiet side with tired bodies and tired souls resting with coffee or a meal," Andrus wrote earlier this week on the Portraits of the Jersey Shore page "With Code Blue no longer available to them since they all closed at the end of March Soul Kitchen is more needed than ever," he continued referring to temporary shelters set up during the winter months "This is the one place that our homeless friends can feel safe US Attorney for NJ charge: Toms River man traveled to Norway to have sex with 14-year-old girl "In light of controversy surrounding the work of the Soul Kitchen and any nonprofit organization that aids the homeless in our community we are requesting that the community pay it forward by visiting the Ocean County Library in Toms River for lunch a great opportunity to raise awareness and support local nonprofit organizations on the front lines," reads a post on Just Believe's Facebook page The pop-up Soul Kitchen has a temporary lease that expires in May The county has entered into an agreement with the Ocean County Sheriff's Department to provide extra security at the library "We all need to row in the same direction because homelessness was not created by anybody It's been there since the beginning of creation," said Paul Hulse Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns and has been writing about local government and politics for many years She's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene An Ocean County man and woman drew various child pornography charges and the women was accused of touching a juvenile inappropriately and sending a photo of the incident to the man of Berkeley Township were charged in the child pornography distribution scheme The investigation into Oliveira and Goldstein began with a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent to the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force about an individual uploading child pornography and sending it across different platforms More: Tuckerton man caught uploading, sharing child pornography, prosecutor says The High Tech Crime Unit of the prosecutor's office linked a cell phone to a Toms River home where the child pornography was being uploaded and distributed and investigators identified Oliveira as the culprit A review of the cell phone showed that Goldstein was sending nude photos of juveniles to Oliveira Investigators also discovered that Oliveira instructed Goldstein to touch a juvenile in an inappropriate manner and send photos of that to him Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Toms River Police Department executed search warrants on both Oliveira’s and Goldstein's homes After child pornography was found on both their devices they were taken to the Ocean County Jail where they are awaiting detention hearings Both were charged with distribution of child pornography possession of child pornography and conspiracy to manufacture child pornography Goldstein was also charged with criminal sexual contact Attorney information for the defendants was not immediately available Ken Serrano covers crime Reach him at 732-643-4029 or kserrano@gannettnj.com This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page TOMS RIVER -- More than 150 people came to Toms River's zoning board meeting Thursday night and the majority had a clear message for the board: they don't want an overnight shelter for the homeless in their neighborhood While several speakers said they have empathy for the homeless they argued that a residentially zoned area is not the proper site for an overnight shelter "I don’t care if you are going to call me a NIMBY I don’t care if you are going to call me a racist I am a taxpayer and I just don’t think it’s fair," said Paula Leotta adjacent to the Christ Episcopal Church site where the 949-square-foot shelter addition has been proposed Leotta's voice cracked and she seemed near tears as she recounted her fears that the 17-bed shelter would act as a "magnet" to draw even more unhoused people to the site Her remarks drew loud applause from the crowd Hungry mouths to feed: Fulfill food bank scrambles after Trump halts expected delivery of 150,000 pounds of food Leotta said she is a psychiatric nurse by training and grew concerned recently when she saw people sleeping overnight on benches at the church site one of whom she believed was experiencing a psychotic episode "They sleep on the picnic benches," Leotta said "My biggest concern is that they smoke cigarettes and I am afraid they are going to set it on fire The outreach center has been used by the Affordable Housing Alliance and the Toms River Housing & Homeless Coalition to counsel homeless people and provide services since July 2023 It is also home to the small Ocean Christian Community Church Christ Episcopal Church and the Affordable Housing have proposed expanding the outreach center on the property The application requires a use variance because the property is located in a residential zone and shelters for the homeless are not permitted in any of Toms River's zones Two different groups of objectors are represented by lawyers attempting to stop the proposal; Leotta was asked to testify by attorney Edward Bezdecki owns property on Washington Street near the proposed shelter site Homeless in Toms River: Mayor blasts county, Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen for homeless gathered near library Bezdecki argued that York has not proven that a shelter for the homeless is an "inherently beneficial use" for the community one of the criteria that would allow the board to approve a change in use for the site when you look at the people that are coming to this location a professor of real estate at Monmouth University hired as a consultant by objectors to the application estimated that real estate values would drop about 15% in the area located near the shelter "We all feel that people should have roof over their heads," said Cranmoor Drive resident James Anzano "There are designated areas for everything that is a significant depreciation in value of the largest investment in my life." More: Toms River homeless emptying out of woods, and this is why their lawyer credits the mayor A contingent of unhoused people and advocates also attended Thursday's meeting to speak about the need for a shelter who said he has been homeless for two years said an overnight shelter would be "helpful" at the site "Social services and stuff have been coming there to help us," Nossop said I wouldn't have to sleep in the car all the time." who described herself "as part of the homeless." "All that we are all doing is just not enough," said Gemma Brennan a Manchester resident who is president of the Society of St which fed more than 9,000 people in the past year "We have to figure about how we are going to move forward all the challenges that will come if we do have a shelter … There comes a time where we have to decide where our humanity really is." But Toms River resident Paul Williams argued that allowing a variance at the Christ Episcopal Church site could allow other religious institutions to seek their own variances "I am adamantly opposed to this application because I see bigger than just this one issue I see bigger than this application," Williams said "I am concerned that this is going to open a floodgate that can't be closed." The next hearing on the shelter application is scheduled for 6:30 p.m Public comment will continue and a board vote may be taken A Toms River police officer has been accused of a violent home break-in while off-duty in a neighboring town resisting arrest and two counts each of assault and criminal mischief Sayegh had been suing several superior colleagues for sexual harassment until the lawsuit was dismissed by a judge two weeks ago Berkeley Township Police responded to a residential disturbance reported at a home on Evernham Avenue Sayegh had allegedly smashed the front glass door and entered the residence assaulting and threatening two victims inside She was also accused of damaging the hood of a vehicle parked in the driveway Sayegh was initially arrested at the scene after she resisted efforts to be taken into custody After prosecutors upgraded the seriousness of the charges she was arrested again on Monday and was being held at Ocean County Jailpending a detention hearing Billhimer did not publicly comment on any further details Sayegh began working for Toms River police as a patrol officer in 2016 Sayegh said the male captain followed her into a women’s bathroom showed her his genitals and told her to “suck it,” according to the suit She said that after she reported the incidents to her superiors instead of any actions taken again her now retired co-worker she was subject to “a campaign of further harassment in effect derailing her once promising career.” an order for the lawsuit’s dismissal was granted by Superior Court Judge Robert Brenner on grounds that all the claims were barred by the two-year statute of limitations under state discrimination law Before the most recent allegations, Sayegh was commended by Toms River township in 2022 for saving a homeowner and her pets as a house fire broke out in 2021 has been accused of a violent home invasion in a neighboring town Read More Before the most recent allegations, Sayegh was commended by Toms River township in 2022 for saving a homeowner and her pets as a house fire broke out in 2021   FREEHOLD – A former general manager stole more than $27,000 from her employer by cooking the books of the motorcycle dealership where she worked of Toms River was charged with third-degree Theft by Taking or Exercising Unlawful Control over Property   Police said that the charges stemmed from an investigation starting with the West Long Branch Police   Marra-Kaufmann allegedly received three additional paychecks her $3,300 check for a personal purchase of a motorcycle was returned for insufficient funds but she hid the loss under the guise of multiple bank fees she didn’t deposit $18,000; instead hiding the loss with multiple transfers in the system The incidents took place in late 2022 and 2023 BERKELEY – An off-duty Toms River police officer has been arrested after breaking into a home all in connection with a series of events that occurred in Berkeley Township on April 25 police were called to a home on Evernhan Avenue after receiving a report of a domestic disturbance an off-duty Toms River Township Police Officer had smashed the front glass door of the house and then assaulted and threatened two victims Sayegh also damaged the hood of a vehicle belonging to one of the victims   Sayegh was taken into custody at the scene after having resisted efforts to peacefully place her under arrest   She was originally served with the charges via summons pending an upcoming first appearance in Ocean County Superior Court Sayegh was re-charged by way of a warrant on April 28 She was taken into custody at her home by Berkeley Township Police Officers and transported to the Ocean County Jail where she is presently lodged pending a detention hearing   Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D Billhimer commended the Berkeley Township Police Department for their efforts in connection with this investigation   The charges referenced above are merely accusations and the press and public are reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law TOMS RIVER -- Mayor Daniel Rodrick accused county commissioners of turning the Ocean County Library's downtown Toms River branch into a "day shelter and soup kitchen," that draws homeless people to the area in front of the library and next to the township's parking deck Rodrick said that he has made repeated complaints — including dozens of calls — about the growing number of homeless men who can be seen most days standing and talking near the township's municipal parking garage or sitting on the benches across from the Ocean County Library's main entrance He said he has met with county officials in an attempt to find a solution but the county has done nothing as the number of unhoused people in the area has grown He said parents should take their children to the Brick branch of the county library instead "Commissioners Rob Arace and Frank Sadeghi believe they are serving on the San Francisco Board of Commissioners," the mayor said Mothers shouldn't have to walk through large gangs of intoxicated and mentally ill men with their children to borrow a book." Homeless in Toms River: Will Toms River allow church to open homeless shelter? Officials will soon have to decide Rodrick said township residents pay nearly $7 million in county library taxes "This all stems from the primary fight in Ward 4," Gilmore said Toms River's Regular Republican Club did not endorse Rodrick's preferred candidate for the council seat representing the downtown ward GOP Councilman David Ciccozzi is also running for re-election representing that ward and he was endorsed by Republicans for Toms River "He does everything for political motives," Gilmore said of Rodrick He said his fear is that if the county doesn't continue to help the homeless by providing warming centers during the cold weather months someone could freeze to death while sleeping in a car or tent Like its sister restaurant on Hooper Avenue in the B.E.A.T the downtown restaurant site offers meals for a suggested price of $12 JBJ Soul Kitchen: Jon Bon Jovi, Dorothea celebrate 200,000 Soul Kitchen customers in Red Bank, Toms River Diners can pay it forward for those who are unable to pay and volunteering options are available for those with no funds; meals are served from 10 a.m who serves as liaison to Ocean County's Library Commission said that she has not received any complaints about issues outside or inside the library She said unhoused people come to downtown Toms River in part to visit social service agencies or nonprofits that assist the homeless They often take a bus to access the area; the bus terminal on Highland Parkway is only a 10-minute walk from the downtown "We do have the bus depot," Bacchione said "That is how a lot of people are coming in." She said the Soul Kitchen is not a "soup kitchen," and "does not give away food for free They do have to clean up and do something." Affordable housing: Toms River going to court to fight NJ order for 670 affordable homes in the township About a dozen men without homes could be seen late Thursday morning Several said they were there to attend a job fair at the library that was sponsored by the Ocean County Career Center and the NJ ReEntry Corporation Others said they had come to eat at the Soul Kitchen pop-up He added that he has been displaced since his girlfriend lost a home in Brick to foreclosure during the COVID-19 pandemic He said he and Molly had stayed from time to time in the warming center on Route 9 "I've been on a waiting list for almost two years," for housing He said Molly had lost her job during the pandemic and had difficulty finding a job where she made enough to pay for a market-rate rental "Bad things happen to good people," he said said he has been living in Ocean County for several years after originally coming to the county from Jersey City to stay with his girlfriend He said he's been unhoused for nearly seven years; he and his girlfriend are camping outside But Dwayne was hopeful Thursday; after visiting the job fair he said he believes he has secured a job in sales He said he had stayed at the career center "for a point in time," and also eats at the Soul Kitchen "You have to clean up after yourself," he said of eating at the pop-up He said he has noticed "more and more younger people" camping outside or sleeping in their cars "I don't think anyone ever thinks they will wind up like this," Dwayne said Toms River Police Officer William Hutton at one point spoke to a group of four men gathered inside the parking deck reminding them that they could not smoke inside the structure The men moved outside the deck to have their cigarettes The county had 150 beds available for Code Blue this season Code Blue shelters provide overnight housing for those experiencing homelessness when the temperature dips to freezing and below though Rodrick claims the Route 9 center permitted people to stay there even when the temperatures were warmer "They are busing in people from all over the state to this warming facility which has been a source of constant 911 calls for service," the mayor said "We even had people from as far away as North Carolina I was told there were 58 calls for police service to the warming center and another 51 calls for EMS County cash for Toms River schools: Ocean County to purchase 1144 Hooper Ave. from Toms River Regional Schools for $15.4M Bacchione said that the commissioners have been discussing a shared services agreement with the Ocean County Sheriff's Department to place sheriff's officers on duty at both the Toms River and Lakewood branches of the library She said the county also plans to install more lighting in the library area where people often walk from Washington Street to the Toms River municipal parking garage or other nearby parking lots "It's a sad situation and we have to come up with a solution," Bacchione said of those experiencing homelessness She said that the Soul Kitchen was not put into the library to "serve the homeless," but instead to offer another food option in the downtown for county and library workers and those at the nearby Ocean County Courthouse along with kids who attend Toms River High School South She noted that the temporary lease with the Soul Kitchen expires in May and the commissioners have not decided yet whether the pop-up will continue if we have any problems with the kids coming in for their lunch hour from South," the commissioners could decide not to allow the pop-up to continue at the library location Toms River protestors: GOP Congressman Smith must protect Medicaid, Medicare from Trump Rodrick threatened to sue the county in September if plans for the Route 9 Code Blue facility moved forward saying the county was "dumping" the homeless on Toms River "I am advising residents that until the County Board of Commissioners comes to their senses and puts the residents of Toms River ahead of the interests of politically connected nonprofits residents should take their children to the Brick branch of the library," Rodrick said The mayor also claimed that Gilmore talked about a plan to build a "campus to rehabilitate the state's homeless" with developer Jack Morris in front of "nine witnesses during our GOP screening for Ward 4 council." "Toms River will not be the dumping ground for New Jersey's homeless." Gilmore said the idea for a building where unhoused people could receive counseling was a "concept plan" that was never pursued by developers One in 11 students: Thousands of New Jersey students aren't fluent in English. See what experts fear it means had the second-highest number in the county the expiration of eviction protections following the pandemic along with mental illness and substance abuse dozens of homeless people were living in the woods in Winding River Park over the past two years in makeshift camps organized by Minister Steve Brigham a charity which advocates for the homeless 2025 at 8:04 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The Ocean County Library in downtown Toms River has become a flashpoint in an argument over the homeless population in the county NJ — Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick reiterated his belief that Ocean County officials are "dumping" homeless people into the township to exaggerate the number of homeless people in the county and creating a safety issue in the process "They are dropping dozens of mentally ill and drug addicts downtown even after they said they would stop," Rodrick said Tuesday afternoon after his comments calling the JBJ Soul Kitchen's pop-up cafe a "soup kitchen" that was drawing homeless downtown drew a response from the JBJ Soul Foundation and its founders The JBJ Soul Kitchen opened a pop-up cafe in the Ocean County Library in February under an agreement with the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Rodrick said there have been repeated incidents downtown involving homeless people including one Tuesday afternoon where a homeless man attacked a News 12 New Jersey cameraman and another in recent days where someone overdosed on the steps of the Ocean County Library Rodrick blamed Ocean County Deputy Commissioner Frank Sadeghi and Commissioner Robert Arace saying they had promised him in January that the county would no longer bring homeless individuals to the downtown area "Then in February they approved the soup kitchen," Rodrick said "They are trying to create a notion of a homeless problem," he said alleging the goal is to pave the way for a project that Rodrick alleges would benefit a local developer said Rodrick has refused to engage with Ocean County officials on any meaningful long-term solution to assist those who do not have permanent housing He acknowledged a discussion with Rodrick regarding the Code Blue warming center on Route 9 that the county opened in the wake of Toms River ending its cooperation with Just Believe Inc Just Believe had operated a Code Blue center at Toms River's Riverwood Park building for seven years until there was a falling out between the township and Paul Hulse Arace said Rodrick is refusing to acknowledge the larger problem of the homeless population "This hasn't been going on for three months or a year," Arace said According to Monarch Housing Associates, which works to address homelessness across the state, the number of unhoused people rose 28 percent in Ocean County from January 2023 to January 2024 The number of homeless in Ocean County has risen 61 percent since 2020 when 344 homeless people were recorded during the Point In Time count Of the 556 people recorded in the Point In Time count on Jan. 23, 2024 27 percent — 150 — were children under the age of 18 and 19 percent — 105 — were adults 55 or older There were 72 people who were victims of domestic violence There were 5 veterans counted among the unhoused and 43 percent of those lacking permanent housing had one or more disabilities according to the Point In Time count summary Homelessness has been growing across the state in part because of escalating rent prices. According to a recent analysis by Zillow, rent prices in Ocean County have risen to more than $2,900 for a "typical" rental, which it describes as residences in the 35th to 65th percent of the market Ocean County officials had been historically unwilling to address the issue of homelessness and the county has never had a year-round facility to provide shelter one of the only New Jersey counties without one Changes in the board of commissioners led to the creation of the Ocean County Homelessness Trust Fund where a fee for each document recorded with the county goes to the fund Some of that money was used to fund the county's Code Blue shelter this winter Toms River is the county seat and hosts county offices including Social Services along with nonprofits that assist those in need and concerns about homeless people downtown have been an issue for years as well The Red Carpet Inn, demolished in 2019 had been a site used by the county to house people in need Its demolition drew opposition from those who believed the building should have been turned into a shelter while others opposed putting a shelter downtown seeing it as a deterrent to creating a vibrant downtown scene Arace said the reality is there are people in need of assistance who are homeless through no fault of their own and said county officials are looking for a long-term solution but said Rodrick has refused to participate "He thinks he can just send people away to other towns," Arace said referring to the dissolution of the homeless encampment in Winding River Park last October "I put dozens and dozens of people into housing," Rodrick said of that effort saying Ocean County paid for 40 percent of those who were moved to housing Of those who used the Code Blue facility on Route 9 over the winter with the rest from other towns in Ocean County "We need to sit down and talk about what can be done but he had no interest in participating," Arace said He said the county has created a homelessness task force but said Toms River has not sent a representative to any of the meetings "We are still looking for him to participate with us on a solution," Arace said "What is really the long-term solution here?" "We expect Toms River to be an active part of the solution they have shied away from meaningful engagement— choosing political convenience over progress are elected to represent the values and needs of their constituents." "We invite Toms River and its leadership to step up lasting solution — instead of skirting their obligations for political gain," Arace said Rodrick reiterated his belief that the county is bringing people who are not from Toms River into town Arace should stop trying to distract attention away from the fact that he’s creating a public safety concern where our children visit the library," Rodrick said "Maybe if he weren't a 30-year-old kid and had some kids of his own he would be a little more understanding of that 2025 at 1:19 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Winteringham Village on Route 166 has 182 apartments NJ — A Toms River man is accused of setting a fire at an apartment in Winteringham Village on Monday night the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday has been charged with aggravated arson in the fire which was set in the living room of an apartment The fire at the apartment complex on Route 166 was reported about 11 p.m with both Toms River police and fire companies responding to the 182-apartment complex The fire had been extinguished by the time emergency personnel responded Investigators determined the fire had been deliberately set by someone using an open flame to ignitable liquid and soon identified Funchess as the person responsible He was arrested at the scene but taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River for shortness of breath Funchess will be transferred to the Ocean County Jail," where he will be held pending a detention hearing Authorities did not provide information on a potential motive and did not say whether there was anyone else in the apartment at the time of the fire The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit Arson Squad Ocean County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit Toms River Township Police Department Detective Bureau and Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office K-9 Unit TOMS RIVER -- The tied results of the Board of Commissioners election in Toms River's Fire District 1 were changed by financial clerk Dawn Halliwell after she discovered a write-in vote for candidate Anthony Cirz Halliwell testified Monday in Ocean County Superior Court Halliwell's testimony was part of a civil trial on the disputed election results before Judge Craig L who was tied with Cirz in the initial count of ballots after the Feb has sued the fire district and objected to the second certification of the election results Halliwell's discovery of write-in votes gave incumbent Cirz 616 votes were sworn into two available seats on the five-member board of commissioners in March Hopson was tied with Cirz at 615 votes in the initial count of ballots while Cirz's running mate James Golden received 613 Halliwell and other witnesses Wednesday testified about a set of confusing circumstances that resulted in Cirz being seated on the board of commissioners despite objections of Melanie Szuba-Appleby Filling Toms River budget gap: Ocean County to purchase 1144 Hooper Ave. from Toms River Regional Schools for $15.4M Halliwell said she discovered a write-in vote for Cirz when she was cutting up the tapes that record votes on election machines on Feb after Ocean County had finished sending all absentee ballot information to the fire district She said she was cutting up the election machine tapes to make them easier to store when she found the write-in votes from a machine at the East Dover Fire Co She said she called the county Board of Elections to make sure that it wasn't possible for someone to vote for a candidate on the machine and also write someone's name in — essentially voting twice Halliwell said she creates a spreadsheet of election results each year after workers phone in the results The tapes from each voting machine are then brought to the fire district's office in downtown Toms River by Monica Bisceglie Halliwell said those tapes are then stored in a fireproof safe at the district's West Water Street headquarters Assured that it was not possible for someone to vote twice since the machine locked up after commissioner votes were cast Halliwell decided to add the additional votes for Cirz and Golden to her spreadsheet "I asked them what their policy is," Halliwell said of the election board "Their policy is they would not count them We don't have a policy," at the fire district So she added the extra votes to the bottom of her spreadsheet and left them on the chair of Monica Bisceglie Halliwell said she never told anyone else about the change in results and later discovered that Bisceglie had not updated the spreadsheet to account for the write-in votes Toms River news: Seasons supermarket opens as demand for kosher groceries is growing The fire district initially posted the results of the election on its website with Cirz and Hopson tied at 615 votes each Halliwell said she and Bisceglie saw that the extra write-in votes for Cirz and Golden had not been included when they were preparing for the March 5 reorganization meeting of the board of commissioners "This is the first time in all the years I’ve been there that a write-in was actually a candidate," Halliwell explained "Usually they are just names that don’t have any effect on the election." Wellerson questioned Halliwell about the circumstances behind the changed election result "Who made the decision that the write-in votes should be assigned to the candidates?" he asked Toms River sports: Jim Rankin honors Ken Frank after first win as Toms River South baseball coach District 1 Fire Commissioner Daniel Roman testified that he visited district headquarters to review the revised election results on March 5 after seeing an email chain about the change in results that were sent to the commissioners He said Bisceglie showed him an updated certification from Krohn that included the new results with Cirz winning the election by one vote Instead of consulting with District 1 Attorney Applebly Roman said he instead "spoke to my friend who is a lawyer," to get his opinion on the change in the election results Roman said that he then directed the office staff to post the updated results on the district's website Roman said he received a call from Cirz inquiring about the results shortly before the board of commissioners meeting and told Cirz that if he could get to the office by 4:20 p.m Roman could swear him in before reorganization meeting began But while Tutela took his seat on the board at the beginning of that meeting He said that during an executive session meeting that happened before the regular organization session Appleby advised the commissioners not to allow Cirz to take his seat as "it was discussed that it was illegal what we did some members of the public asked why Cirz wasn't sitting on the dais when he had won the election "The attorney advised it was illegal," Roman said but Cirz took his seat with the other four commissioners about halfway through the meeting Cirz became the deciding vote on a bitterly divided board The trial is expected to continue at 10 a.m validating earlier claims by Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick Initially, Ocean County Chairman George Gilmore, the primary backer behind New Jersey Gubernatorial candidate Bill Spadea dismissed Rodrick’s claim saying the proposed shelter was just a ‘concept plan’ and there was no real movement on the project reportedly backed by Gilmore and prominent developer Jack Morris has sparked intense debate in the township with critics arguing it could exacerbate local issues and strain community resources Gilmore’s relationship with Jack Morris has come under scrutiny in the past as the connected development firm has faced allegations of getting preferential treatment in towns controlled by Gilmore in the past Gilmore has no such control of local government in Toms River first raised alarms about the proposed shelter last month intended to establish a “homeless rehabilitation campus” on the busy Route 166 corridor Rodrick claimed the project was driven by financial motives, with operators potentially receiving state and federal funding per person housed “Gilmore and the commissioners have lost their minds,” Rodrick said “Toms River will not be a dumping ground for New Jersey’s homeless.”   “As the price of housing and renting a house goes up We probably have people working for Ocean County who are homeless,” said Ocean County Commissioner Frank Sadeghi at the meeting this week Mayor Rodrick has repeatedly criticized the county’s approach accusing officials of centralizing homeless services in Toms River to inflate the perception of a local crisis and secure additional funding He accused Gilmore and the commissioners of using the homeless crisis to create a profit center for the county Gilmore and out-of-area charities who ‘get paid by the head’ to shelter homeless people in Toms River He pointed to the county’s operation of another warming center, which he claims has led to increased police incidents and disturbances by transporting homeless individuals to public spaces like shopping centers and libraries during the day “Toms River takes care of its own homeless population,” Rodrick stated “We don’t need to import people from across the state.” and developer Jack Morris has fueled speculation about the project’s motives suggest the shelter could be part of a broader strategy to profit from state and federal grants Rodrick has threatened legal action to block the shelter arguing that Toms River is being unfairly burdened by county policies “We will explore every legal avenue to stop this,” he said referencing a potential lawsuit against the county and organizations involved in homeless services Rodrick has called Commissioner Robert Arace a “closet liberal” after the former Manchester mayor signed on to be an advocate for using Toms River as a ‘dumping ground’ for the homeless across New Jersey and beyond Get important news about your town as it happens Get the top stories from across our network Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from daily updates A New Jersey man and woman are behind bars after police say she snapped photos of nude children and sent them to him A review of messages between Julianna Goldstein revealed Oliveira instructed Goldstein to touch a juvenile in an inappropriate manner and send photos of it to him A review of various messages between the two revealed that Goldstein was sending nude photos of juveniles to Oliveira The case began with a cyber-tip to the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children when they were advised of a user uploading child porn to multiple platforms Investigators from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad traced the upload activity to a Toms River residence tied to Oliveira  A forensic review of his phone messages led authorities to Goldstein multiple law enforcement agencies — including Homeland Security and local police — executed search warrants on both suspects’ homes “An initial forensic examination of Oliveira’s electronic devices led to the discovery of several items of child pornography,” investigators noted Similar material was recovered from Goldstein’s devices Goldstein was also charged with manufacturing child pornography and criminal sexual contact Both were arrested without incident and are being held at the Ocean County Jail pending detention hearings TOMS RIVER — A former township councilman has been fined for pushing the police chief to hire his son despite low scores on his application Former Toms River Councilman Brian S. Kubiel was fined $400 by the New Jersey Local Finance Board, John Paff with TransparencyNJ.com first reported Kubiel, who now serves as the chief administrator on the Toms River Board of Fire Commissioners District No 1,  was fined $100 for each of the four violations The ethics investigation began in 2019 and wasn't resolved until last month. And it wasn't made public until this past week due to state confidentiality laws New Jersey 101.5 requested comment from the Department of Community Affairs about why the investigation took six years "The Local Finance Board undertakes a thorough review of all complaints submitted to it There is no typical time frame for the resolution of a complaint as it is dependent on the facts and circumstances of each matter presented to it," Lisa Ryan According to the notice of violation Kubiel violated ethics laws against getting privileges and financial gain for his immediate family Kubiel's son applied to be a Toms River police officer Kubiel voted in favor of an ordinance to change police hiring practices including an increase in the number of new hires and a provision to let new applicants improve their written scores The ethics investigation found that Kubiel's son had scored too low on the written exam to qualify as a police officer and the councilman had sent an email to the police chief asking him to look into the exam score While Brian Kubiel's son didn't end up as a Toms River police officer According to his LinkedIn profile Kevan Kubiel served as a dispatcher for nearly four years before he became a police officer for Howell Township He was a police officer from October 2019 through December 2023 before he left to serve as a detective with the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office for five months former officer Kubiel did not leave the Howell police department on good terms Kevan Kubiel said he was repeatedly mocked for being gay and that one of the incidents resulted in him being outed to his parents, the Howell Patch reported A former Towns River councilman has been fined ethics violations after pushing the police chief to hire his son despite low scores on his application.\nRead More Former Toms River Councilman Brian S. Kubiel was fined $400 by the New Jersey Local Finance Board, John Paff with TransparencyNJ.com first reported Kubiel, who now serves as the chief administrator on the Toms River Board of Fire Commissioners District No The ethics investigation began in 2019 and wasn't resolved until last month. And it wasn't made public until this past week due to state confidentiality laws According to the notice of violation According to his LinkedIn profile, Kevan Kubiel served as a dispatcher for nearly four years before he became a police officer for Howell Township. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ocean County Prosecutor's (@ocponj) Kevan Kubiel said he was repeatedly mocked for being gay and that one of the incidents resulted in him being outed to his parents, the Howell Patch reported TOMS RIVER -- Another tough school budget season looms in Toms River Regional with the district once again facing a shortfall in revenue: this time Citta said keeping a building open costs $200,000 to $250,000 if staff costs are not included a relatively small amount in the district's proposed budget of $293.5 million for 2025-2026 Citta said while the district's enrollment has declined in the past decade changing demographics have led to increased costs that the state does not acknowledge That includes extra costs for educating more children who are learning English in school as a second language as well as children with physical or learning disabilities Toms River news: Township going to court to fight NJ order for 670 affordable homes but our demographic has completely changed he said Toms River Regional is "filled with bright young minds." Statistics provided by Toms River Regional Business Administrator William J Doering tell the tale; Doering's comparisons are between the 2017-2018 school year and the 2025-2026 year Nearly 40% of the district's student population is Hispanic The increasing number of English learners is a trend seen throughout the state As of 2023, about one in every 11 New Jersey students was learning to speak English in school, or about 131,000 children and teenagers across the state, according to New Jersey Department of Education records. about one in every 16 students is learning English Many of the children learning English in school are also economically disadvantaged from war-torn areas or difficult economic circumstances that make learning harder Hiring specialists in teaching English as a Second Language is more expensive: about $25,000 more per teacher than general education staff The number of private school students in Toms River has also continued to grow: it's 3,334 up 324% from the 786 kids attending private schools eight years ago Toms River Regional last year partnered with nearby Lakewood to bus the growing number of Orthodox Jewish students who attend private schools there The majority of private school children in Toms River Regional attend schools in Lakewood but the number also includes children who go to other nonpublic schools The state requires districts to transport children to nonpublic schools or to pay parents $1,165 a year if the cost of busing them is above that amount Doering said last spring that the district's budget for aid-in-lieu payments has risen from $145,000 to $2.86 million in the past eight years The state reimburses the district for about 90% of the costs for aid-in-lieu payments and nonpublic school transportation Citta praised the teaching and support staff last week on a night when Toms River Regional honored the teachers and support staff of the year in each school "Our children aren’t a statistic," he said "Our children are on a journey in Toms River Regional schools that are supported by the best in the state of New Jersey and I would argue The Board of Education introduced a tentative budget last week that includes a tax increase in Toms River the four towns that make up the regional district The budget includes the $22.3 million shortfall and was only introduced to meet a state deadline for sending the spending plan to the county superintendent's office Toms River Regional is more than $100 million "under adequacy," which is the amount the state Department of Education says the district should be spending to educate its children New Jersey says Toms River Regional taxpayers should be paying about $120 million more to support the budget than the 2025-2026 proposed $209 million tax levy It includes a request for a loan or other aid to make up the $22.3 million deficit Citta said March 27 that Toms River Regional has not yet heard if the district will be allowed to exceed the state-mandated cap on school tax increases Lakewood has seen explosive growth: Here is what its hospital has done to keep up which have consistently lost money under the state's school funding formula have been allowed to raise their tax levies by only 2% annually to make up some of the deficit permitting districts with big budget gaps to raise taxes up to 9.9% The state Education Department imposed the 9.9% tax increase for 2024-2025 on Toms River Regional last summer, after the school board refused to support the tax rise unless New Jersey gave the district $12.4 million more in aid. More detailed information on the budget will be presented at 5:30 p.m April 2 in the media center at Toms River High School North A public hearing on the spending plan is scheduled for 5:30 p.m .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Mak Ojutiku | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comAddison Tupper went 4-for-5 with two RBI and a double to lead Toms River South to a 15-12 win over Point Pleasant Beach Point Beach (2-10) led 11-10 after the fifth inning but Toms River South (7-8) rallied for five runs in the sixth inning Minerie Sanchez and Charlotte Supino each drove in a pair of runs for TRS Olivia D’Erasmo went 4-for-4 with three RBI for Point Beach 2025 at 6:03 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The Toms River Regional School District is set to eliminate three positions in its central office for the 2025-26 school year NJ — The Toms River Regional Board of Education has approved the elimination of three administrative positions for the 2025-26 school year The board voted Wednesday night to make the cuts which eliminate the positions of director of human resources the manager of facilities and an assistant superintendent Assistant Superintendent James Ricotta is retiring from the district as of Sept The director of human resources is Megan Osborn Their positions are being eliminated as of July 1 The elimination of the three positions is being conservatively estimated to save $300,000 business administrator William Doering said Wednesday night Osborn was hired by the district in 2017; she had worked for the Brick Township Schools before that Pepe was hired by the Toms River schools in April 2021; he had worked for Central Regional previously These are things we need to do," Superintendent Michael Citta said at the citizens budget advisory meeting in early April He announced at the time that the assisistant superintendent would be eliminated along with other then-unspecified central office positions "Abolishing positions puts more weight on an already thin district," Citta said adding that the Toms River Regional schools "are well below the mark of where we should be staffed" according to New Jersey Department of Education guidelines The district has a public hearing on the budget set for 5:30 p.m Where the responsibilities of the human resources director and the facilities manager will be moved was not immediately clear The district is facing a crisis that is years in the making State aid cuts combined with the 2 percent cap on property tax levy increases have pushed the district to the lowest per-pupil spending of any district in New Jersey that has 3,500 students or more The tentative budget is $293.5 million for the 2025-26 school year That number includes $269.5 million in the general fund expenditures which is the meat of what it takes to run the distrist Also included in the overall number is capital fund expenditures The $269.5 million includes a $22.3 million revenue gap that still must be filled Citta has said that cutting $22.3 million would require the elimination of nearly 300 staff positions — even as the district struggles with increases in its special education enrollment English language learners and other educational needs Increasing health care benefit costs and insurance costs have forced cuts as well Toms River Regional has cut more than 200 positions over the last eight years It also has seen a 60 percent reduction in state funding districts must be under adequacy — spending less than what the state says they should be for a thorough-and-efficient education — and under their local fair share — the amount the state says a district's property tax payers should be spending to fund its schools Toms River Regional is $106,761,794 below adequacy and $122,049,294 under its local fair share The district has sold property to close the gap in the last two school budget years including the pending sale of its administrative offices at 1144 Hooper Ave The district is holding out hope that state officials will provide additional funding without forcing a drastic tax increase as several other districts have been permitted