Jersey Shore Headlines

The Massive Fire in Downtown Toms River, Sex Offenders Facing Stiffer Penalties, and more from Townsquare Media Monmouth and Ocean County News.

A massive fire in downtown Toms River last night reportedly broke out in East Coast Gamers on Robbins Street around 11:30 pm. One firefighter suffered a minor injury. The offices of the non-profit group Hometown Heroes on Washington Street also suffered a total loss, according to Founder Michael Schwartz.

Sex offenders in our state, convicted of the aggravated sexual assault of a child younger than age 13, will face stiffer penalties. Governor Christie signed the Jessica Lunsford Act into law yesterday, according to a press release. It requires mandatory prison terms of 25 years to life.

Jackson police say they don't have the tools to fight Ocean County's out-of-control heroin problem. The township is considering adding more cops, possibly four officers, if two sergeants retire as expected this year.

A Monmouth County Superior Court judge has ruled that a measure Belmar passed designating the boardwalk area in need of redevelopment so repairs could be funded through a private-public partnership is unreasonable and invalid. A group of Belmar residents had filed a lawsuit last year arguing the designation violated the Public Trust Doctrine.

A Sea Girt woman is accused of billing Medicaid and the US Department of Veterans Affairs more than $100,000 for services her home health agency never performed. Laurie Provost was indicted on 30 insurance fraud charges.

Don't get fooled into believing you won an 'International Money Sweepstakes". An Ocean County resident thought she won $650,000 from Global Capital Investment Corporation, but it was a scam. Police are investigating.

The summer tourism season is almost here and companies are still looking to staff positions in hospitality and retail, according to a report fro the Townsquare News Network. Early projections are optimistic for this summer, so retail, hospitality and tourism companies are still doing a lot of hiring to prepare. The State Labor and Workforce Development says if you take our state's tourism and hospitality industry as a whole, it would be #70 of the Fortune 500 companies.