Featured
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•January 15, 2026
Annual Super Plunge Set for Feb. 8 in Brant Beach
St. Francis Community Center’s much-anticipated annual Super Plunge challenges area residents to take a dip in the ice-cold ocean each winter. This year’s event, the 22nd, will be held on Sunday…
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January 15, 2026
LBI School Demolition Marks End of Era
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•January 15, 2026
LIFS Screening of ‘Veselka’ Shows Some People Haven’t Forgotten About Ukraine
The Lighthouse International Film Society, the year-round sister of the Lighthouse International Film Festival, is ready to screen its first offering in 2026 with the documentary “Veselka: The…
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•January 12, 2026
Book Details Dog’s Life on the Lam in Barnegat
It was two years ago when Brant Beach residents Terry and Andrea Allen lost their dog Coco in Barnegat Township. The dark brown, 60-pound mixed breed was on the lam for 28 days until she was caught…
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•January 11, 2026
Little Egg Harbor Resident Fights Censorship, Book Bans in Documentary
Little Egg Harbor resident Martha Hickson didn’t intend to become a driving force in a nationwide movement for free speech. But as groups relentlessly pushed for the removal of books from the school…
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•January 9, 2026
Awesome Individual Efforts Top the Chart, But No. 1 Belongs to the Bowler
Every year, many get to witness the triumphs of our Southern Ocean County sports teams and athletes at varying levels. Most of the time, our list of the best stories to come out of a particular year…
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•January 8, 2026
Short-Term Rental Ordinance Fails Again in Ship Bottom
Eleven days after shooting down its own proposed short-term rental ordinance, the Ship Bottom Borough Council rejected another proposal before a standing-room-only crowd at the firehouse Dec. 30 at…
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•January 8, 2026
Stafford Township Seeks State Grant for Potential Skate Park
While nothing is concrete right now, Stafford Township officials are making moves to acquire grant funding that could pave the way for a skate park at the Bay Avenue Community Center.
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•January 8, 2026
Longtime Barnegat Lighter, Author Mary Karch Dies at 88
The American flag outside the post office in Barnegat Light is flying at half-staff this week in honor of Mary Karch, a former longtime resident of the borough who died Sunday, Jan. 4 at age 88. She…
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•January 8, 2026
2026 Has Been Cold and Flat; That Pattern Change Starts Now
Here it is, my first column of 2026, which is odd because it feels like the fifth week of January already. This year, so far, the waves have yet to hit 2 foot, and the temperature has yet to hit 33.…
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•January 8, 2026
Adjust Your Helmets: The New Year Poised to Get Bumpy and Loud
I approach 2026 with a guarded enthusiasm – and an apolitical apprehension.
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•January 8, 2026
COASTAL Project Supports Local Aquaculture Farmers
Last month, as part of the second stage of the multifacted, partner-driven Conservation Opportunities Advancing Sustainable Technologies for Aquaculture Leases’ (COASTAL) project, nine area shellfish…
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•January 8, 2026
Four Winners in Gingerbread House Contest
Surflight Theatre and the New Jersey Maritime Museum recently announced winners in the inaugural Beach Haven Gingerbread House contest.
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•January 2, 2026
Deepen Love for Region’s Heritage With 2026 Speaker Series at Lighthouse State Park
The Friends of Barnegat Lighthouse State Park have announced the 2026 speaker series, which brings a different, high-quality special guest to the visitors center each Saturday (with one exception on…
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•December 30, 2025
Rock Into 2026 With Billy Penn and the Inside Drivers
Who says you have to leave LBI for a rockin’ New Year’s Eve? According to Billy Penn and the Inside Drivers, you don’t – just swing over to Black-Eyed Susans in Harvey Cedars, where the band will…
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•December 27, 2025
Winter Hootenanny at Albert Music Hall
After a holiday break, the Albert Music Hall in Waretown opens the 2026 concert season with a special “Winter Hootenanny” on Sunday, Jan. 4. Doors open at 1, and music begins at 2.
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•December 26, 2025
Holiday Bus Tour a Hit in Barnegat Township
The Barnegat Township School District, in partnership with its “Paws for a Cause” Family and Staff Assistance Program, welcomed the community for a festive journey through town during its first-ever…
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•December 26, 2025
Local Carver’s Characters Invoke ‘A Christmas Carol’
Formerly of Oakland and now a full-time Long Beach Island resident, Skip Van Wert first picked up wood and carving tools in 1989 to see how it felt, and he never stopped. In the ensuing decades his…
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December 25, 2025
Surprise Rowboat Santa and Elf Add to Local Holiday Cheer
Saturday began as a typical weekend day before Christmas. I was up and out to get the last-minute shopping done, then home to send out the final few Christmas cards. A few minutes allowed for a quick…
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•December 24, 2025
‘Seashells and Sleigh Bells’ Lend Natural, Classic Vibes to Holiday House Tour
A match made in ho-ho-heaven, “seashells and sleigh bells” set the stage for the 58th installment of the Garden Club of Long Beach Island’s Holiday Tour of Homes on Dec. 10 and 11. The club’s 179…
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•December 22, 2025
Beach Badges Make a Splash for Gift-Giving Season
The lure of the beach remains strong even when the cold winds blow and the year-end holidays roll around. For those yearning for the return to the warmth of summer’s embrace, holiday beach badges are…
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•December 21, 2025
LBI Fall Classic Winner Donates Prize Money to High School Fishing Club
This winter, the Southern Regional High School Fishing Club ended up a big winner thanks to a donation of $550 from one of the annual Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic’s top anglers.
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•December 18, 2025
Body of Missing Man Recovered in Manahawkin Bay
Just over three weeks since a man reportedly disappeared in Manahawkin Bay and a coordinated search effort began, the Stafford Township Police Department on Dec. 18 confirmed the recovery of his body.
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•December 18, 2025
Ship Bottom May Delay Rental Ordinance Revisions
The Ship Bottom Borough Council is expected to discuss tabling proposed changes to the town’s short-term rental ordinance at a special meeting Dec. 19.
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•December 18, 2025
Lifeguard’s Courageous Rescue Earns Prestigious Medal of Valor Award
Amid a tumultuous nor’easter swell and a full moon high tide on a Sunday evening in August 2024, Hugh Shields timed his entry into the churning waters of Barnegat Inlet before swimming toward two…
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•December 18, 2025
On a Mission: Sifting Beach Sand for Any Plasticizing
Well, it’s that time of year when The SandPaper takes a little siesta – with some fiestas thrown in for the holidays. We’ll be back on the streets in the first full week of January, though major…
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•December 18, 2025
Dissecting the Layers of Christmas Vacation, the Year in Swells
Does anyone else have a hard time deciding what length holiday string lights to buy when your tree lights don’t work from last year? A string of 100 bulbs is only a few dollars more than 50 bulbs.…
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•December 18, 2025
Southern Regional Ice Hockey Squad Completes Six-Game Stint With OT Win
When the ice hockey season started, Southern Regional head coach Graham Borg knew the opening six-game stretch during the first two weeks would provide valuable insight as to the team’s chemistry and…
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•December 16, 2025
Restaurant Windows the Canvas for Holiday Spirit in Surf City
Jimmy Harrop grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons, sprawled on his stomach and doodling away. While he never received formal art training, he parlays this hobby into a festive wonderland for…
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•December 15, 2025
Recovery Specialist Elizabeth Beaty Named to Gov.-Elect’s Task Force
Sea Change Recovery Community Organization founder Elizabeth Beaty of Holgate has been named to Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill’s Interdisciplinary Advisory Task Force, which “will bring together voices…
