The Howell Times

12/20/2025

🗞️ It’s here! The latest edition of The Howell 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. 👀

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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. 💰⚖️

Federal prosecutors say the operation involved fake medical claims, illegal kickbacks, and money laundering overseas.

👉 Read the full story for all the details — link in the comments below. 👇📲

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/

12/19/2025

🚨🌊A Beach Patrol lifeguard from the Jersey Shore has received the United States Lifesaving Association’s highest honor for a rescue that turned dangerous fast at the Barnegat Inlet South Jetty 🌊🚁🏅 https://www.jerseyshoreonline.com/southern-ocean/ocean-county-lifeguard-honored-for-jetty-rescue/

12/19/2025

🚨 A Toms River man has been indicted on aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide charges following a high-speed, alcohol-related crash in Lakewood that killed a Matawan woman earlier this year. ⚖️ https://www.jerseyshoreonline.com/ocean-county/toms-river-man-indicted-in-fatal-lakewood-crash/

12/19/2025

🚧 A Lakehurst man has been indicted on vehicular homicide charges in a work zone crash that claimed the life of a 50-year-old construction worker in Toms River. Two women were also indicted for allegedly providing false info to police during the probe. ⚖️ https://www.jerseyshoreonline.com/ocean-county/lakehurst-man-indicted-in-toms-river-work-zone-death/

12/19/2025

⚔️ More than 240 years after the last shots of the American Revolution were fired, history thundered back to life at Cedar Bridge Tavern — complete with muskets, drums, cannon fire, and hundreds of spectators lining the battlefield.

BARNEGAT – More than two centuries after the Revolutionary War reached its official end, the struggle surged back to life on December 7 during the annual Affair at Cedar Bridge reenactment at Cedar Bridge Tavern. Hundreds gathered at the remote historic site to witness a dramatic recreation of wha...

12/19/2025

💰 Someone in Ocean County just hit it BIG! A Jersey Cash 5 ticket sold right here locally turned into a nearly half-million-dollar jackpot 😳🎉 — and it happened fast. 💰

SOUTHERN OCEAN COUNTY – A New Jersey Lottery player in Ocean County is waking up a lot richer after matching all five numbers in Thursday night’s Jersey Cash 5 drawing, good for a $475,249 jackpot. The winning numbers drawn were 10, 15, 30, 39 and 41. The Bullseye number was 15 and the XTRA was ...

12/19/2025

🚨 A late-night shooting has left two people injured and a 20-year-old local man facing extremely serious charges, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

🔗 Full story — link in the comments below.