Also: Tax Abatement In Brick and Corporations Are Buying Up
The mayor of South Toms River — Greg Handshy — has died. Handshy was 66 when he passed away Sunday. A cause of death has not been disclosed. Mayor since 2019, Handshy served as a councilman from 2013-to-2015 and again from 2017-to-2018. He’s being remembered for his dedication to his community and his family and friends and is also a member of Plumbers’ and Pipefitters’ Local 9. Services have not yet been announced.
The Brick Township Council has given its initial approval to an agreement for a tax abatement for the developer behind the sports Superdome on the Foodtown property on Route 70. The sports dome and giant basketball center are expected to create more in property tax receipts. The deal would be finalized at the second reading of the proposal at the September 13th council meeting at the Brick Town Hall.
Monmouth county cops reporting a rash of catalytic converter robberies in Middletown. Police say the suspect vehicle in these thefts is a dark-colored BMW and so far, they seem to target Hondas. Police say car owners who park their cars outside should be aware of any suspicious noises, especially overnight. Catalytic converters contain precious metals which can be resold.
New Jersey beaches are cleaner than last year. Data from the state’s Coastal Monitoring Program showed of the 200 or so beaches in the entire state only ten beaches tested positive for contamination. In comparison, the state had almost 40 contaminated beaches last year. Officials say less rainfall and less runoff helped the water stay cleaner.
The APP has a report on the increase in corporate-owned houses in the state, claiming that corporations have been buying up available homes in droves. This sort of buying can drive up home prices for the single home buyer. At least one in four home sales in 22 New Jersey communities went to an LLC since 2017.
GALLERY: Belmar Sandcastle Competition
