Jackson, NJ—A grant from Jackson’s Clean Communities program helped a local organization clear hundreds of trash bags of litter from the city’s roadways this weekend.
New Jersey Clean Communities is a statewide program that promotes volunteer cleanup of public lands.
This week, dozens of local groups hit the highways with trash bags and began cleaning the streets.
Each year, the township hosts these public cleanups and reimburses organizations and community groups $500 per mile of road cleaned. That funding comes from the NJ DEP’s New Jersey Clean Communities grant.
This year, approximately 30 groups, directed by Jackson DPW under Shawn Bolinksy hit the roads and cleaned up over 200 bags of trash. That doesn’t include the tires or wood pallets discarded along the roadside, which were also collected.
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Jackson Council President Jennifer Kuhn worked alongside the Jackson Thunder Travel Little League to clean up Grawtown Road.
“This is a great way for the community to pitch in and help keep our roadways clean,” Councilwoman Kuhn said. I want to thank all of the organizations that came out to pitch in today.”
The Clean Communities Program was organized under Mayor Michael Reina’s administration. It was previously managed by Patricia Wood, who grew the program over the years before her passing in 2021.
- Wrong-way driver crashes head-on into SUV then attacks police K-9 during chaotic arrest
Flashing emergency lights on a police car-stock photoNew Jersey prosecutors say suspected drunk driver fled crash scene after violent Route 37 collision
TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A New Jersey man accused of driving the wrong way before causing a head-on crash in Toms River allegedly fled into nearby woods and attacked a police K-9 during a chaotic arrest Sunday night, prosecutors said.
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Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that 30-year-old Andrew Gajewski of Manchester Township was charged following the crash near Route 37 and Batchelor Street.
Police responded around 8:30 p.m. Sunday to reports of a serious crash involving a 2022 Ford F-150 and a 2021 GMC Acadia.
Investigators said the vehicles sustained damage consistent with a head-on collision.
Authorities allege Gajewski, who was driving the Ford pickup truck, ran from the scene on foot after the crash.
The driver of the GMC Acadia was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune and remained in stable condition.
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A passenger inside the Acadia and a passenger riding in the Ford were both taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where they were treated and released.
Police later located Gajewski in a wooded area near the crash scene.
According to prosecutors, Gajewski physically resisted officers and assaulted a Toms River Police Department K-9 during the arrest.
He was taken to Community Medical Center for treatment of injuries suffered during the apprehension.
Investigators said officers observed signs of intoxication, and a court-authorized blood draw was obtained as part of the investigation.
Authorities said the investigation determined Gajewski was allegedly traveling on the wrong side of the roadway while speeding and driving recklessly before the collision.
Gajewski was charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash resulting in serious bodily injury, three counts of assault by auto, resisting arrest and injuring an animal used by a law enforcement agency.
He also received multiple motor vehicle summonses, including reckless driving, careless driving, failure to maintain lane, leaving the scene of a crash causing injury and failure to report an accident.
Prosecutors said Gajewski remains hospitalized and will be transported to the Ocean County Jail upon release pending a detention hearing.
The investigation remains ongoing and additional charges may be filed.
Key Points
- Prosecutors said a Manchester Township man caused a wrong-way head-on crash in Toms River
- Police allege the suspect fled into woods and assaulted a police K-9 during arrest
- Investigators said the driver showed signs of intoxication after the crash
- Second Killing in Under a Year Shakes Jackson Apartment Communities After Grandmother Stabbed
Jackson Township Police DepartmentJACKSON TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Less than a year after the fatal shooting of NBA player Naz Reid’s sister outside a Jackson Township apartment complex, another deadly case has rattled the community after police say an 18-year-old man stabbed his grandmother to death inside a township residence.
Jackson Township police arrested Louis Brown, 18, on Monday after officers responding to a 911 call on Justin Way found his 69-year-old grandmother, Darlene Brown, dead in an upstairs bedroom with multiple stab wounds, according to authorities.
Investigators said two knives were protruding from the victim’s body when officers entered the home. Police said the suspect himself placed the 911 call before officers arrived at the residence.
Brown was taken into custody without incident after officers found him standing in the doorway of the home, authorities said. He remains lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
Second High-Profile Killing Draws Attention in Jackson
The homicide comes months after another killing in Jackson Township drew statewide and national attention following the death of Toraya “Teriah” Reid, the older sister of Minnesota Timberwolves player Naz Reid.
Photo: volunteers pitch in to clean up jackson township roads Toraya Reid, 28, was fatally shot Sept. 6, 2025, near the exit of the Paragon apartment complex on Larsen Road, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Responding officers found Reid lying in the roadway with multiple gunshot wounds outside the apartment complex. Authorities later arrested her boyfriend, 30-year-old Shaquille Green, while he was allegedly fleeing the scene.
Green was indicted by an Ocean County grand jury in February 2026 on murder charges connected to Reid’s death and remains jailed pending trial.
The two unrelated killings, both involving fatal attacks inside or near residential communities in Jackson Township, have intensified attention on violent crime cases in the growing Ocean County municipality.
Key Points
• Jackson police arrested an 18-year-old in the stabbing death of his grandmother
• Officers found the victim with multiple stab wounds and two knives at the scene
• The killing comes months after the fatal shooting of Naz Reid’s sister in Jackson Township
Naz Reid Sister’s Killing Drew National Coverage
Photo: volunteers pitch in to clean up jackson township roads The 2025 killing of Toraya Reid gained widespread media attention because of her connection to the NBA star, who plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Authorities said Reid was discovered outside the Paragon Apartments after officers responded to reports of gunfire early that morning.
According to prosecutors, investigators quickly identified Shaquille Green as the suspect and arrested him shortly afterward. Court records show Green remains detained in Ocean County awaiting trial proceedings.
The recent homicide involving Darlene Brown has renewed local concern over deadly domestic and interpersonal violence cases occurring within residential neighborhoods in Jackson Township.
Investigation Continues in Grandmother’s Death
Authorities have not publicly discussed a possible motive in the stabbing death of Darlene Brown.
Police and prosecutors have also not released additional details about what led to the 911 call or events inside the home before officers arrived.
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office continues handling both homicide prosecutions separately. Brown’s detention hearing is expected in Ocean County Superior Court, while Green’s murder case remains pending trial.
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