Jersey Shore Headlines

No more smoking anywhere near a Belmar beach or boardwalk and more in today's Monmouth and Ocean County news.

Former Saint Rose baseball coach Bart McInerney has settled a lawsuit with the family of a player who committed suicide. Andrew Clark's parents say their son killed himself after suffering emotional trauma. McInerney's 2010 conviction of child endangerment for sexually explicit conversations and text messages with players was overturned. He's awaiting  a retrial.

Jackson police seek your help in locating an endangered teenager. 16-year old Taylor Serad left her house on foot early yesterday evening and may have taken a kitchen knife with her. This is the second time she's been reported missing in less than a week.

173 decks of heroin have been confiscated by Jackson police. Detectives watched as township resident Jack Kennedy appeared to be engaging in drug activity on South Hope Chapel Road Tuesday. He faces several drug-related charges.

Belmar is banning smoking on its beaches and boardwalks year-round, starting Memorial Day weekend. They had previously allowed smoking in designated areas, but the mayor says that didn't work because smokers would leave cigarette butts behind in the sand and the wind would carry the smoke to others. Violators will face a $25 fine. The ban does not include electronic cigarettes. A bill that would ban smoking on all public beaches and parks in our state has cleared the assembly and awaits a vote in the state senate.

Despite a heated debate, the Point Pleasant Beach council last night approved the first reading of a bond ordinance to replace a fire engine in the wake of the fatal Mariners Cove motel fire less than two months ago. There are reservations over the cost of a a new engine.

Rumble strips that warn motorists if they're driving into oncoming traffic will be added to 40 miles of Rt. 70 and a section of Rt. 34. The short term safety improvements are being applauded by the families of two people who were killed on Rt. 70.

Monmouth and Ocean County communities are in line for just over $12 million in state grants for infrastructure repairs, pedestrian safety and quality of life. The DOT's local aid grants support bikeways, safe street initiatives and transit village zones.

Brick Township homeowners who did work on their properties pre- or post-Sandy without getting permits will be given a chance to file the proper paperwork without being penalized. But starting July 1st, penalties can be assessed up to $2,000. The amnesty doesn't apply to commercial properties.

It's a little more difficult now to set up a private school in Brick. An ordinance passed by council members this week requires schools to be built on at least two acres, meet parking requirements, be set back a minimum of 200 feet from the street, and not be located on small residential streets.

May 16th is when the fate of Rocky the Bobcat could be decided. That's when DNA test results are expected to determine whether the Ocean County pet is a pure Bobcat or a hybrid. He escaped from his owners twice, prompting authorities to place him in captivity. Special permits would be required to get him back if he is a purebred.