Week in News: Barrier Islands Continue Recovery

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'Christmas On The Island' - A Holiday Event Takes Off

Seaside Park- Courtney Chibarro was luckier than many after Superstorm Sandy slammed into the Jersey Shore on Oct. 29.

Her family home on Roberts Avenue and the dunes in South Seaside Park were high enough to keep flood waters at bay.

On Thanksgiving Day, when the chaos of evacuation had passed, she took a little time to reflect on how the storm had affected her friends and neighbors on the barrier island and the mainland. And she wanted to do something to thank the first responders and volunteers who are still helping out.

Read more on Berkeley Patch. 

Casino Pier, Deconstructing Now; Rebuilding Later

Seaside- The image of a Seaside Heights roller coaster sitting in the ocean blue, with waves splashing against its frame, is perhaps the iconic symbol of Hurricane Sandy.

Now Casino Pier's managers want to change the face of the storm's aftermath, creating something that, they believe, is good enough for a holiday card:

Rebuilding.

See more images on Toms River Patch.

Unrestricted Access to Barrier Island Sections to Resume Jan. 7

Unfettered access to barrier island neighborhoods of Brick and Toms River, as well as Seaside Heights, will resume Jan. 7, officials announced Friday.

Brick Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis and Toms River Mayor Thomas Kelaher both signed a formal request to Gov. Chris Christie's office certifying that public utilities and roadways would be restored by that date.

See more on Brick Patch.

Ex-Mayor Inteso Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

Toms River- Former Toms River Mayor Carmine C. Inteso Jr. pleaded guilty today to tax evasion in Trenton federal court for failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars of income from the insurance broker who was convicted for bribing school officials, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said.

Inteso pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano to one count of tax evasion, Fishman said in a statement. Matthew Reilly, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney, said five other charges against Inteso were dismissed.

Read more on Toms River Patch.

Cedar Creek Student's Drawings Prompted Investigation, Led to Arrest

Galloway- The investigation and subsequent arrest of a 16-year-old Cedar Creek High School student from Galloway Township came after a teacher observed “hand drawn pictures of weapons in the student’s notebook,” Greater Egg Harbor Regional School District Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steven Ciccariello said Wednesday morning.

“It didn’t look good to her,” Ciccariello said. “It was the perfect implementation of what our staff is trained to do. If they see any warning signs, they are to report it to school officials, and that’s what she did.”

Read more on Galloway Patch.

Soft Sand and Red Tape: Brick Officials Deal With FEMA Follies

Brick- The sandy situation presented to Brick officials was part-comical, part illustrative of notorious government "red tape."

If sand pushed onto public streets by Superstorm Sandy is moved from one place to another, it is considered debris that can be charged to a county contractor. But if the sand is simply pushed away from the street to clear a roadway, the township is responsible for paying for its removal and getting reimbursed by the federal government.

Read more on Brick Patch.