Here's the stories you'll be talking about on the New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show on Thursday:

🔗 Brick mourns 15-year-old killed biking to school

☑️Brick Memorial freshman Jackson Mueller, 15, was killed while biking to school
☑️Prosecutors said the teen driver left the crash scene without calling police
☑️A vigil for Jackson will be held at Brick Memorial High School

BRICK — A 15-year-old freshman riding his bike to school was killed in a horrific crash in Brick — and prosecutors say the teenage driver of the BMW took off instead of calling for help.

Friends and a GoFundMe campaign identified Jackson Mueller, 15, as the Brick Memorial High School freshman struck by a BMW sedan on Lane Mill Road at Rhode Island Avenue on Tuesday morning.

A candlelight vigil was held at Brick Memorial High School on Wednesday night.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said the driver of the sedan, also a teen, did not stop or call the police at the time of the crash, according to Billhimer. He is being held at the Ocean County Jail on juvenile charges of knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash resulting in death.

Video circulating online appears to show the vehicle after the crash. The video, recorded from a nearby resident's window, shows two young men documenting the damage to the vehicle before walking away. The sedan sustained heavy front-end damage with a large hole in the windshield.

The driver's name will not be released by the prosecutor's office because he is a juvenile.

🔗 Sherrill declares state emergency after staggering farm losses

⚠️ New Jersey declared a statewide emergency after severe freeze damage to farms.
➡️ State officials estimate the April cold snap caused at least $300 million in crop losses.
🔴 Some growers expect total crop failures as officials seek federal disaster assistance.

TRENTON — Gov. Mikie Sherrill has declared a statewide emergency after a brutal April cold snap devastated farms across the Garden State, with some growers expected to lose their entire harvest.

Sherrill signed Executive Order No. 18 on Tuesday, declaring a state of emergency in all 21 counties following what officials described as catastrophic agricultural losses.

The damage could stretch far beyond farm fields. With New Jersey growers facing massive crop losses heading into summer, the fallout could affect local produce supplies and grocery prices for residents already struggling with high costs.

State officials estimate the freeze caused at least $300 million in crop damage statewide.

According to the governor’s office, freezing temperatures between April 19 and April 22 struck just after an unusual heat wave, hitting fruit trees and berry crops during a critical growing stage.

Some farms reported losses exceeding 30%, while others are expecting complete crop failures.

Jersey farmers say the freeze wiped out crops at the worst possible time
The hardest-hit crops include tree fruit and berries, where blossoms and newly forming fruit were severely damaged by the sudden freeze.

Sherrill said the declaration is meant to speed up relief efforts and cut red tape for struggling farmers.

“Our farming families are hurting, and I won’t stand by and let it happen,” Sherrill said.

The order also allows state agencies to coordinate emergency recovery efforts and provide temporary regulatory flexibility to affected farms.

New Jersey officials are now pushing for federal disaster aid.

🔗 Gangs go woke? The new face of organized crime in New Jersey

⚠️ Gangs in New Jersey are becoming harder to identify and track.
➡️ Gang activity now stretches into suburban and rural communities.
🔴 Younger recruits and neighborhood alliances are reshaping gang violence statewide.

Organized crime is changing with the times.

Gangsters are crossing cultural boundaries as they terrorize and exploit New Jersey communities, law enforcement officials and experts in New Jersey recently revealed.

New Jersey is no stranger to criminal organizations, whether it's illegal poker games run by mobsters, deadly gang shootings, or vehicle theft rings. But these days, the old crime families are prioritizing online gambling over gunning down their rivals like in "Goodfellas."

In November, state prosecutors said they charged a soldier of the Lucchese crime family with running a multi-million dollar sports betting ring that preyed on Gen Z student athletes. More than a dozen people were charged, including the accused mafioso's family members.

It's a trend with gang violence, too. Statewide, violence is on the decline. In 2025, there were 554 gunshot wound survivors and 107 shooting homicide victims in New Jersey, according to the state Regional Operations and Intelligence Center. Those numbers were more than doubled just five years ago.

But gang activity hasn't gone anywhere. It's evolving throughout the state and becoming harder to track, a panel of law enforcement experts said at a State Commission of Investigation hearing on Tuesday.

"There's a misconception that gangs are only an urban problem, something confined to large cities. That is simply not true. Gang activity is present in suburban and rural communities, including Morris County," said Morris County Sheriff James Gannon.

🔗 Pier Village pop-up party ends in arrests, most from North Jersey

🚨A pop-up party turned chaotic at Pier Village in Long Branch
🚨Hundreds arrived by NJ Transit train
🚨Police made six arrests, investigated two assaults and a stolen vehicle

LONG BRANCH — Most teens and young adults who descended on Pier Village on Tuesday, prompting a massive police response and emergency notifications that startled residents, arrived by train from North Jersey.

The incident was another example of what officials up and down the Jersey Shore fear could happen again this summer, following similar unpermitted mass gatherings in recent years. The "pop-up" meet-ups are promoted on social media, which can go viral before authorities get a handle on it.

Long Branch Director of Public Safety Charles Stanley said several hundred teens and young adults arrived for the unauthorized event that quickly deteriorated into fights, people jumping on cars and disorder on the boardwalk and the side streets around the beachfront retail and residential complex.

Mayor John Pallone implemented an emergency 8 p.m. curfew after consulting with police brass and the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office.

A "substantial" number of attendees arrived via NJ Transit's Long Branch stop on the North Jersey Coast Line. Delays of 30-45 minutes were put into effect to slow their arrival, according to Stanley.

🔗 Grocery prices drop at this major NJ supermarket chain

🍅 Stop & Shop has cut prices on thousands of grocery items at all 46 New Jersey stores as families continue struggling with high food costs.
🍅 Popular items now cost noticeably less under the supermarket’s new pricing push.
🍅 NJ shoppers can also score extra savings, including free monthly items and digital coupon deals available through in-store Savings Station kiosks.

To help address high food prices and grocery affordability, one supermarket chain has lowered prices on thousands of items across all its New Jersey stores.

Stop & Shop announced it has lowered prices at all 46 of its Garden State stores. That means shoppers will see lower everyday prices on thousands of items spanning nearly every department, including both national brands and Stop & Shop’s own private label products.

The initiative is also part of the company’s broader, multi-year transformation strategy announced in May 2024, which includes lower prices, store remodels, and a focus on providing a better in-store experience for customers.

Click the link above to see what prices have been lowered in stores.

Start your day with up-to-the-minute news, traffic and weather for the Garden State.

The New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show airs from 6 - 10 a.m. on New Jersey 101.5.

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You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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