The Manchester Times

12/22/2025

💔 They weren’t just displaced. They were undone.

Surf and Stream Campground was once a hidden community where families lived year-round, kids caught school buses at the entrance, and neighbors looked out for each other.

⚖️ Nearly three years after Ocean County shut it down, more than 70 former residents are now locked in a Superior Court lawsuit — and their stories are heartbreaking.

These aren’t dry legal claims.

They’re stories of living in cars, sleeping in the woods, lost loved ones, and families forced to start over during one of New Jersey’s worst housing crises.

📌 The county says it followed the law.
📌 Former residents say they were abandoned when they needed help most.

👉 Read the full investigation — link in the comments.

12/22/2025

☕️ 🚫 It’s been three months since the Starbucks in Whiting closed its doors — and honestly, it still feels strange ☕💔

Last Christmas, we even bought gift cards there for our staff. Our VP was such a regular that the baristas knew his name and his order before he said a word. That kind of place leaves a mark.

Now? There’s definitely a void.

Do you miss this Whiting Starbucks? 🥤

And while we’re at it — what other businesses (restaurants or otherwise) have closed over the years that you still miss?

👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

12/22/2025

💔 A Toms River family is grieving days before Christmas after a 20-year-old man was killed in a violent early-morning crash on the Garden State Parkway in Lacey Township. A fundraiser has been launched to help with funeral costs. 🕊️

TOMS RIVER – A Toms River family is facing unimaginable grief just days before Christmas after a young man was killed in a violent crash on the Garden State Parkway early Sunday morning. 20-year-old Brian Fort was killed when his vehicle ran off the northbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway...

12/21/2025

🔥 Just days before Christmas, a fast-moving fire tore through a home on Keats Avenue in Toms River, leaving two local families without a place to live. A GoFundMe has been started to help. 🎄💔 🚒

TOMS RIVER — A fast-moving blaze destroyed a home on Keats Avenue, leaving two families without housing just days before Christmas, authorities said. Fire crews were dispatched to the 100 block of Keats Avenue on the afternoon of December 21, where they encountered heavy flames and dense smoke...

12/21/2025

🚨 A serious early-morning crash on the northbound Parkway in Ocean County left one person dead and two others injured, slowing traffic for hours near Exit 74. Emergency crews responded just after 6 a.m., and the investigation is still ongoing. 📱

OCEAN COUNTY – A predawn crash on the northbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway claimed one life and sent two others to area hospitals early Sunday, authorities said. The collision occurred shortly before sunrise on December 21 near mile marker 73, just south of Exit 74 by County Route 614. The...

12/20/2025

🕎 The Ocean County Board of Commissioners joined residents, local officials and members of the Jewish community for the annual menorah lighting outside the Ocean County Administration Building. https://www.jerseyshoreonline.com/ocean-county/ocean-county-officials-mark-hanukkah-with-menorah-lighting/

12/20/2025

🗞️ It’s here! The latest edition of The Manchester Times is now available — in print and on every device.

From breaking local news to community events and stories that matter most to residents, this week’s edition is packed with information you don’t want to miss. 👀

👉 Want to read it right now?
The e-edition link is in the comments below ⬇️

Support local journalism. Stay informed. Stay local. 💙

12/20/2025

🚧👀 Big changes are happening at the former TGI Friday’s on Hooper Avenue in Toms River. Tommy’s Tavern and Tap is quietly transforming the space — and zoning paperwork reveals late-night hours, hundreds of seats, and a long-term lease 🍔🍕🍸

TOMS RIVER – Construction has been underway to renovate the former TGI Friday’s restaurant on Hooper Avenue into Tommy’s Tavern and Tap. The family-owned restaurant chain boasts locations in Sea Bright, Freehold, Clifton, Bridgewater, Edison, Princeton, Morris Plains, Mt. Laurel, Cherry Hi...

12/20/2025

🚗 An incident ended with a suspect in custody after police say a vehicle was stolen while the owner was clearing frost — and the owner was struck in the process. The car was later found crashed just minutes away. 🚔

OCEAN COUNTY — A Lanoka Harbor man was arrested after police say he stole an idling vehicle, struck its owner, and crashed moments later while attempting to flee. Officers from the Lacey Township Police Department were dispatched at approximately 9:45 p.m. on December 5 to the 700 block of North M...

12/20/2025

🚨 A local business owner has been sentenced to more than 7 years in federal prison for masterminding a $172 MILLION Medicare fraud scheme that targeted elderly patients and taxpayers. 💰⚖️

NEWARK — A Monmouth County business owner was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for orchestrating a massive Medicare fraud scheme that drained more than $172 million from taxpayer-funded health care programs, federal officials announced. Aaron Neil Williamsky, 65, of Marlboro, w...

12/20/2025

💨 Strong winds caused a dramatic structural collapse at a Sunoco gas station along Route 35 northbound in Ocean County, forcing an immediate closure and emergency response. 💨

LAVALLETTE – Strong winds caused a major structural collapse at a Sunoco gas station along Route 35 northbound in Lavallette, leaving the station’s canopy severely damaged and damage to some of the gas pumps. The canopy at Kelly’s Sunoco was blown over by the wind, crashing down onto the stati...

12/20/2025

🚨 Five people were injured after an armored security truck and an SUV collided on a Garden State Parkway exit ramp in Ocean County.
🛣️ https://www.jerseyshoreonline.com/brick/crash-brick-ocean-armored-truck/