By Isaac Shadpour Published October 23, 2025 It was a beautiful July Sunday. I packed my fishing rod, bait, and tackle, eager to take my kids to one of New Jersey’s best fishing spots. The plan was to spend a quiet afternoon by the water, away from the traffic and noise of everyday life. But before heading out, I checked the area’s trail reports—and that’s when I saw it: multiple warnings about ticks and the risk of Lyme disease exposure. The thought of coming home with bites—and possibly a life... Read more

By N.J. News Report The Veterans Affairs clinic on Hooper Avenue in Toms River will be christened the Leonard G. “Bud” Lomell Clinic in honor the hometown hero and Army veteran who fought in World War II from the Normandy invasion through the Battle of Bulge. “The entire Board of Commissioners is exceptionally pleased to learn that the President has signed a congressional bill naming the VA clinic after Toms River resident and Army 2LT Bud Lomell,” Frank Sadeghi, deputy director of the Ocean Cou... Read more

By Nick Mordowanec Published September 20, 2025 at 10:40 AM EDT A congressman has introduced legislation honoring American prisoners Nelson Wells, Jr., and Dawn Michelle Hunt, each of whom has been locked up in Chinese prisons for over a decade, and urging their release after their long-standing claims of being wrongfully detained. Why It Matters Dawn Michelle Hunt, originally from Chicago, has been in Guangdong Women's Prison since her 2014 arrest for drug smuggling—a charge that she, her broth... Read more

By Jeanne Wall Published September 15, 2025 at 12:08 AM NEW JERSEY — Rep. Chris Smith has led the effort to bring more attention and funding for Lyme Disease patients and treatment in Congress since 1998. With Lyme disease surging across the country and New Jersey among the states hit hardest, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) has reintroduced the bipartisan TICK Act, a measure designed to strengthen federal support for research, prevention, and treatment of tick-borne illnesses. The bill—Ticks: Identify,... Read more

By Alex Dyer Published September 12, 2025 TOMS RIVER — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic here is now officially named for late Toms River resident and Point Pleasant Beach High School graduate 2nd Lt. Leonard “Bud” Lomell, a World War II veteran who scaled the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc in Normandy, France, in the early morning of D-Day to destroy key German heavy artillery. Lomell, who died at age 91 on March 1, 2011, was once described by the late historian Stephen Ambrose as th... Read more

By Kieran Sullivan Published September 11, 2025 JERSEY SHORE — Local officials stressed the importance of a recent bill passed in the House of Representatives appropriating funding for a “state-of-the-art” dredging vessel to address shoaling at the Manasquan Inlet and Shark River Inlet, in addition to other East Coast ports and inlets. On Sept. 4, the House passed the Energy and Water Appropriations Act for the fiscal year 2026 that includes $50 million in dedicated funds for a new shallow-draft... Read more

By James Lynch Published September 9, 2025 at 2:04 PM The son of Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong businessman and democracy advocate currently imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party, is worried about his father dying in prison if something is not done soon to secure his freedom. One of the world’s most prominent anti-authoritarian dissidents, Lai has been in solitary confinement for the better part of five years on dubious charges brought by the CCP during its crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kon... Read more

By Karen Wall, Patch Staff Published Monday, September 8, 2025 at 1:11 PM ET TOMS RIVER, NJ — An effort to get the new Veterans Affairs community-based clinic in Toms River named for a war hero from Ocean County has finally paid off as a bill for the naming has been signed by President Donald Trump. Trump on Friday signed the bill to name the Community Based Outpatient Clinic for Leonard G. "Bud" Lomell, the World War II hero from Ocean County, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith announced. It followed months... Read more

By Phil Stilton Published September 6, 2025 WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald Trump has signed legislation officially naming the Veterans Affairs Clinic in Toms River after World War II hero Leonard G. “Bud” Lomell, in a move timed just days before the 104th birthday of his widow, Charlotte Ewart Lomell. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who authored the bill, called the tribute fitting recognition for one of the most decorated Army Rangers of the war. “Bud Lomell served our nation and its veterans wit... Read more

By Jersey Shore Online Published September 6, 2025 TOMS RIVER – Just ahead of his widow’s 104th birthday, President Donald Trump signed legislation naming the new Veterans Affairs clinic in Toms River after one of Ocean County’s most revered war heroes, Leonard G. “Bud” Lomell. The bill, authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), honors Lomell, a U.S. Army Ranger credited with helping secure the success of the D-Day invasion during World War II. The new VA Clinic is located on Hooper Avenue in Toms Ri... Read more