Bad rip currents today at the beach. That story and more in today's Monmouth and Ocean County News from Townsquare Media.

Our shore will be spared a collision with Hurricane Cristobal but not from potentially dangerous surf and rip current conditions. Cristobal is moving slowly toward Bermuda after drenching Atlantic and Caribbean islands. On our shore, the highest risk for rip currents will run through tonight.

There is no word yet about a missing Lakewood Yashiva student, 23-year old Aaron Sofer, who vanished in Israel last Friday. The search continues amid growing concern he was kidnapped by the terror group Hamas. His parents flew to Israel and a family spokesman says they have not been given any encouraging news. Leaders in the Orthodox community in Lakewood continue to pray.

The search intensifies in Ocean Township for a man who disappeared July 7th. Police say 26-year old Nicholas Johnson was reported missing from Gateway Treatment Center.

Police say a convenience store clerk in Ocean Township hugged and kissed a woman against her will. Police have charged 68-year old Malkiat Mahal with criminal sexual contact. Police say the clerk followed the woman to her car early yesterday. The woman drove away from the 7-Eleven and called police. Mahal has been released on $1,000 bail. It's not clear whether he has a lawyer.

The Avon 25-year old who allegedly supplied the heroin that killed a rehab patient in Rumson in 2013 could get up to 20 years in prison if convicted under our state's strict liability law. Michael Renna is accused of selling the drug to Christopher Pesce, who overdosed at Oxford House.

More NJ residents will be taking a trip this holiday weekend compared to last year. With gas prices dramatically lower, AAA Mid-Atlantic say they expect even more people to hit the road for a trip. So where are they all going? The Jersey Shore is one of the top destinations.

Brick Township residents living in the Evergreen Woods Condo Complex want the township council to pressure state officials to build a sound barrier along the Parkway. Residents say their complaints about increased noise and emissions from ongoing construction have fallen on deaf ears.

Combat vets returning home have a difficult time translating their skills and experience into a job offer. A recent survey shows a lot of people think that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder plays a role when employers consider hiring a veteran in our state. Just 33% of New Jerseyans feel private employers are eager to hire veterans returning from combat zones, Three-quarters of Garden State residents feel our country is not doing enough to help recent veterans get a job when they come home.

Home ownership is starting to lose its luster with a lot of people. Over half of people surveyed say buying a home isn't a good long term investment. Financial stability was a big factor in the responses. Researchers say 7 in 10 surveyed feel they're still in a housing crisis or think the worst is yet to come.

Just about everyone in your Facebook news feed and on your kids' Instagram pages seem to be taking the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS. Today, Lucy the Elephant will accept. One of the volunteers preserving Lucy in Margate died of ALS in 2012 and organizers say this is a way to honor her memory. The Margate City Fire Department promises an 'elephant sized amount of water".

More From 94.3 The Point