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Pennsylvania woman charged with torching Surf City home

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Pennsylvania woman charged with torching Surf City home


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TOMS RIVER – An Ocean County grand jury has charged a Pennsylvania woman with aggravated arson, accusing her of deliberately setting a fire in Surf City that injured a firefighter,  Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. 

In addition to aggravated arson, the indictment the grand jury handed up on Jan. 28 also charges the defendant, Juliette Tournier, 30, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, with eluding Ship Bottom police, Billhimer said. 

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The incidents contained in the indictment both took place on Feb. 19, 2025, according to a news release issued by Billhimer. 

About 8:40 p.m. that day, Surf City police and firefighters were dispatched to a fire at a house on North Central Avenue, the release said. 

During efforts to extinguish the blaze, a firefighter suffered injuries for which he was transported to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford Township, the news release said. 

The firefighter was treated for his injuries at the medical center and subsequently released.

An investigation of the fire by the arson squad of the prosecutor’s major crimes unit, the Ocean County Sheriff’s crime scene investigation unit, Surf City police and the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office revealed two separate areas of origin of the fire – one upstairs and one downstairs. Detectives determined the fires at both locations were incendiary, started by someone introducing an open flame to ignitable liquids, the news release said.

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As the fire was under investigation, detectives learned that Ship Bottom police tried to stop a vehicle about 8:20 p.m. the same day on westbound Route 72. The driver of that vehicle, a Honda HRV, initially pulled over in an unsafe location and was asked to drive over the bridge and pull over in a safe area, according to the news release. When the officer attempted to safely stop the vehicle up the road, the vehicle sped off, the release said. The police officer ended the pursuit of the vehicle for safety reasons.

Subsequent investigation revealed the license plate on the fleeing vehicle had been stolen from a similar Honda in Cherry Hill, according to the news release. 

Tournier was identified as the person who allegedly stole that license plate, the release said. She was charged on Feb. 20, 2025, with eluding police and receiving stolen property, and a warrant was issued for her arrest.

The continuing investigation revealed she set the fires at the Surf City residence, the prosecutor alleged. Police charged her with aggravated arson on Feb. 25, 2025, and she surrendered herself to Surf City police the following day.   

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Tournier was taken to the Ocean County Jail in Toms River, but subsequently released under bail reform to await trial. 

Senior Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Kate Burke presented the case to the grand jury.

Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@app.com



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Pennsylvania

June 18 Playbook: A Pessimistic Pennsylvania

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June 18 Playbook: A Pessimistic Pennsylvania


🤠 G’day Thursday. Headlines. Pennsylvanians Pessimistic About Trump, Economy and State of Federal Government. PA’s Rainy Day Fund and 2026-27 Budget. U.S. Steel Workers Remain Divided Over Benefit of Nippon Steel Takeover. The Curse of the Rocky Statue 🎶 Your Morning Pick Me Up. Here and Now. Letters to Cleo…



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Showers Thursday morning, warm and gusty for the afternoon

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Showers Thursday morning, warm and gusty for the afternoon


Tomorrow’s front looks weaker with just a few showers early in the morning…

EVENING: Increasing clouds, summer-like. Temps near 80.

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy and warm. Low 68.

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THURSDAY: Scattered showers between 6-10am. Clearing, windy and warm for the afternoon. High 88.

Wednesday felt a little more like summer as temperatures reach 85 degrees. The humidity still remains tolerable this evening as clouds increase from an approaching front.

The cold front arrives Thursday morning, leading to a broken line of scattered showers between 6-10am. Once the front clears, gusty winds between 20-30mph will develops with afternoon temperatures near 88 degrees. A little unusual for a post cold front!

The upcoming weekend will be dry with low humidity and lots of sunshine. It should be a great weekend to spend with Dad! We’ll keep you posted, but the next chance for rain will be another front next Monday.

– Meteorologist Eric Finkenbinder

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Pennsylvania legislation seeks more safeguards for online gamblers after a record year

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Pennsylvania legislation seeks more safeguards for online gamblers after a record year


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A bipartisan package of bills would eliminate certain online gambling deposit methods, limit promotions, and strengthen protections for self-excluded gamblers.

Pennsylvania iGaming operators pulled in a record $2.78 billion in revenue last year, but some lawmakers want more responsible gaming consumer protections. State Reps. Tarik Khan (D-Phila) and Jamie Flick (R-Lycoming/Union) have introduced bipartisan legislation to provide better safeguards for PA online gamblers. Their series of bills seeks to add more protections, such as reduced deposit periods and limits on iGaming marketing.

Restrictions on push notifications, text marketing, credit cards & more

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Dubbed Protecting Public Health in Online Gambling, Flick’s and Khan’s legislation breaks down into the following three parts:

  • Pennsylvania Online Consumer Protection Act – Would establish “reasonable limits” on the frequency of deposits into online gambling accounts. It would also limit text message solicitations and push notifications involving sportsbook and casino bonus codes, while protecting against youth-targeted gambling ads and expanding responsible gaming programs.
  • Prohibiting Funding of Online Gambling – Seeks to prohibit credits from being used to fund accounts at PA online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker sites.
  • Strengthening Self-Exclusion Protections – Would ban online gambling operators from sending promotions, advertisements, or bonuses (e.g., free spins) to gamblers who’ve self-excluded from Pennsylvania’s gambling market.

Protecting young people and problem gamblers

Khan, who’s been a certified nurse practitioner since 2011, views Pennsylvania’s growing online gambling habit as a potential health challenge.

“As a nurse practitioner, I believe we should address problem gambling the same way we address other public health challenges: with prevention, education, treatment and commonsense safeguards,” Khan stated via his website.

“Our bipartisan bill package will help protect young people, individuals and families while supporting responsible gaming.”

Flick is primarily concerned with the number of young Pennsylvanians who are being exposed to ads involving sports betting, poker, and online casino games for real money.

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“Too many young people are being exposed to online gambling through constant advertising and unprecedented access from their phones and devices,” said Flick. “These bills are about putting reasonable safeguards in place, promoting responsible gaming and helping ensure that young people and families are protected from gambling-related harm.”

New Pennsylvania online casino revenue record

The amount of revenue that Pennsylvania gambling sites are raking in continues to increase year after year. The $2.78 billion iGaming revenue figure from 2025 was up 27.22% from the previous year, when PA online casinos netted $2.18 billion.

While the Keystone State doesn’t break its iGaming revenue numbers down by game type, we can reasonably assume that the bulk of it comes from real money online slots.

Sports betting also experienced a record year, hitting $602.5 million, up 17.97% from 2025. The vast majority of this amount came via online sports gambling. 

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While this revenue increase is good for some of the best online casinos and sportsbooks in the state, it can also spell potential underlying problems. Khan and Flick are seeking to reduce some issues through their bills.

Responsible gambling

Bettors must be 21 years or older and otherwise eligible to register and place wagers at online casinos. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please seek assistance from trained professionals such as the Problem Gambling Help Network at 1-800-MY-RESET.

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