Hi there, Toms River! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: Unemployed? Obtain a Free Training Grant for Top Certifications and 12 more events.
Today's riddle: What does a thesaurus eat for breakfast? 🤔 (Answer below!)
Weather forecast:
1. Toms River Budget Keeps Taxes Flat Amid Staffing Debate (jerseyshoreonline.com) — Toms River’s proposed $142.2 million 2026 budget would keep the municipal tax rate flat for a fifth straight year while trimming overall spending and paying down debt. Officials tout a record surplus and new capital projects, but some council members and residents worry staffing cuts, code enforcement gaps, and police levels may be eroding services even as recreation spending and park plans continue.
2. Manchester Man Was Impaired During Serious Head On Crash in Toms River, Prosecutor Says (shorenewsnetwork.com) — Multiple people were seriously hurt in a May 18 head‑on collision on Route 37 in Toms River, and prosecutors now say toxicology results show the Manchester Township driver was impaired by alcohol and drugs. He faces additional assault‑by‑auto charges, along with accusations he fled the scene, resisted arrest, and injured a police K‑9 before being taken into custody.
3. Fourth annual picnic benefits children of ECHO at Field of Dreams Park, a unique playground for kids with special needs (silive.com) — Families recently gathered at Toms River’s RWJBarnabas Health Field of Dreams, an accessible 3.5‑acre recreation complex designed for children and adults with special needs, for ECHO’s fourth annual spring picnic. The event showcased the park’s inclusive playgrounds, ballfields, mini‑golf, and sensory‑friendly spaces, all created after local parents raised millions to give kids like their son Gavin a place to play together.
4. Two Stockton residents plead guilty to 2025 home invasion in New Jersey (recordnet.com) — Two people have pleaded guilty to a 2025 armed home invasion in Point Pleasant Borough and were arrested later that same day in Toms River. Ocean County prosecutors say both face potential seven-year prison terms, with additional time sought for a weapons charge, when they’re sentenced in August under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act.
5. NEW: Lakewood Led Ocean County In ICE Arrests With 114 Detentions Since February 2025 (thelakewoodscoop.com) — New federal data show Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 25 people in Toms River between February 2025 and May 2026, compared with 114 in Lakewood and 24 in Jackson. The figures reflect a broader surge in immigration enforcement across New Jersey during President Trump’s second term, though the data don’t specify how many arrestees were later charged or deported.
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Ok Toms River! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Synonym buns (Thank you Ellen S. for sending it in!)Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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