— Demolition is to start next year on the Browns Mills Shopping Center a property that township officials have wanted redeveloped for decades real estate developer Felix Bruselovsky said three key tenants are lined up so far: Wawa which will open one of its super-stores with gas pumps; Grocery Outlet a California-based chain of small supermarkets; and fast food chain restaurant Taco Bell Bruselovsky said those three types of retail were what township officials wanted More: Shopping center to be demolished Bruselovsky is the owner of New Horizon Properties Pemberton Township officials chose the firm as its designated redeveloper for the property which it acquired approximately six years ago Members of the township's planning board approved the demolition as part of a site plan reviewed at their meeting Dec The plan’s proposed convenience store and restaurant are both to have drive-thru lanes which are conditional uses under that area’s zoning The center is off two Burlington County-owned roads The project also has conditional approval from the county More: This new Indian restaurant in Stratford is inching closer to an opening date. the shopping center is at 100 Pemberton-Browns Mills Road It is within a township redevelopment zone The center previously was owned by Rocco Berardi with whom township officials had a long-running and contentious relationship Berardi filed a lawsuit in state court against Pemberton Township in March 2017 alleging it improperly took actions that had damaged his business As of 2016 the lawsuit stated that approximately 14 or 17 storefronts were vacant The lawsuit in part claimed the township had facilitated Acme to relocate in 1996 to nearby Pine Grove Shopping Center The case was at last dismissed in July 2018 after a settlement was reached according to county Superior Court documents Browns Mills an unincorporated community of approximately 5.6 square miles just south of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland Support local journalism with a subscription Get important news about your town as it happens Get the top stories from across our network Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from daily updates A man was killed in a backyard ATV crash in Burlington County on Sat. Officers from the Pemberton Township Police Department responded to a home on Ridge Road in Browns Mills at 11:31 a.m after receiving reports of a serious motor vehicle accident was operating a 2020 Polaris Ranger all-terrain vehicle in the backyard of the home at the time of the crash "Cline was traveling in the backyard of the residence when it struck two separate logs," police said The incident is being investigated by the Pemberton Township Traffic Safety Unit Authorities are asking anyone with information about the crash or who may have witnessed it to call the department at (609) 894-3310 No further details were available as of Sat TOMS RIVER - A Browns Mills man pleaded guilty to manslaughter Thursday in connection to an overdose death in 2019 pleaded guilty in the death of a 29-year-old Toms River man Toms River Township Police responded to the Pelican Inn for a report of an unresponsive man they found a 29-year-old male apparently suffering from a drug overdose Officers attempted life-saving measures and EMS arrived and were able to re-establish a pulse The victim was then taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River Further investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force and Toms River Township Police Department Detective Bureau determined that Anderson had supplied heroin and cocaine to a third party on February 27 which was ultimately supplied to the victim Toxicology analysis confirmed the presence of cocaine and fentanyl in the victim’s system Laboratory analysis determined that the controlled dangerous substances supplied to the victim and distributed by Anderson was cocaine and fentanyl - matching the cocaine and fentanyl found in the victim’s system the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office said that the cocaine and fentanyl found in the victim’s system was the cause of his death Anderson was charged with strict liability drug induced death on August 20 Anderson was arrested without incident by detectives from the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and Pemberton Township Police Department He was transported to the Ocean County Jail and later released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform the State will be seeking a term of seven years New Jersey State Prison Authorities have identified a Browns Mills man as the person who died Saturday in a police shooting in Pemberton Township. Township officers encountered 57-year-old Marvin Taylor around 3:20 p.m after responding to a report of smoke coming from a home along Woodland Avenue Taylor was allegedly armed with a gun in the home's backyard according to an account from the New Jersey Attorney General's Office Arrest, then death: A Millville man died in NJ state police custody. Here's what a grand jury found Officers positioned themselves in a wooded area behind the backyard and directed Taylor to drop his weapon Taylor was shot during an exchange of gunfire with Pemberton Township Police Officer Kyle McQueen according to the state attorney general's office A gun was found near Taylor after he was shot The report didn't list any injuries to police or other civilians then was flown to Cooper University Hospital in Camden A state law requires an investigation into any death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in an official capacity "The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time," according to the attorney general's office Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal A late-night crash in Pemberton Township claimed the life of a 19-year-old woman and left multiple passengers — including juveniles — injured The single-car crash happened just before 11:30 p.m according to a press release from the Pemberton Township Police Department Investigators say a 2024 Kia Forte was headed northbound on West Lakeshore Drive when the driver — a juvenile — lost control at a high rate of speed The juvenile driver sustained a head injury but refused medical treatment was treated for minor injuries and taken by ground to Cooper Medical Center Three juveniles riding in the back were also hurt One had minor neck and leg injuries and was transported to Capital Health ER Another had a lacerated liver and was taken to Cooper Medical Center including 19-year-old Tymeria Nelson of Princess Anne were listed in critical condition and airlifted to Cooper Medical Center A GoFundMe for Nelson's grieving family had raised more than $8,000 as of press time The crash remains under investigation by the Pemberton Township Traffic Safety Unit Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the collision is urged to call police at 609-894-3310 Investigators seized more than two pounds of suspected fentanyl and one pound of alleged methamphetamine while breaking up a drug ring based in Pemberton Township Two Burlington County men are accused of playing key roles in the operation of Pemberton Township trafficked "substantial quantities of heroin of Palmyra allegedly supplied bulk methamphetamine Collingswood attack: Man accused of Raccoon Taproom stabbing acted erratically oxycodone and Valium pills from participants in the ring Searches of homes and vehicles yielded more than $25,000 The NJSP's Strategic Investigations Unit collaborated with Burlington County and municipal law enforcement agencies during the probe from September to December 2024 investigators saw Furter put a red bag in a mailbox in the Browns Mills area "They conducted a motor vehicle stop on Furter and seized cocaine and currency," it said Investigators also watched as Anderson allegedly took the red bag from the mailbox A pursuit ended when he hit a New Hanover police vehicle Anderson is charged with maintaining a drug-production facility and possessing methamphetamine cocaine and heroin with the intent to distribute Furter is accused of possessing methamphetamine and cocaine and possessing the drugs with the intent to distribute Also charged with drug offenses were Leslie Anderson Holly Anderson also is accused of maintaining a drug-production facility None of the defendants have been convicted in the case — Millions of dollars are going into a trust for a Browns Mills man living with “catastrophic injuries” here from a motorcycle accident with a Burlington County BurLINK bus seven years ago A Burlington County Superior Court judge in August approved a court-mediated his family filed a lawsuit on his behalf against the county and Stout’s Charter Bus The settlement calls for the county to pay $15.45 million with various county insurance policies covering the cost More: Pemberton senior Russel Steele enjoys feeling like a district champion More: WWII warbirds star at Cape May Airport's AirFest running Labor Day weekend The accident occurred on Junction Road near Pine Cove Road on July 11 The settlement was announced on Wednesday by Stark & Stark Rosenberg said the accident could have been prevented and blamed “gross negligence.” The bus did not yield at a stop sign and pulled into the path of the motorcycle a former state wrestling championship competitor and a county Institute of Technology graduate working at his family’s building business He initially was in a coma after the accident with a traumatic brain injury according to one filing “The strength RJ has shown in the years since — enduring surgery countless therapies and setbacks — has been nothing short of heroic,” Rosenberg said reflects the profound loss RJ and his family have suffered and will help to provide for his continued care and rehabilitation.” The county Surrogate’s Court has been asked to approve an interest-bearing trust fund to accept the settlement money The settlement approves roughly $6.39 million in attorney fees for Stark & Stark plus $65,479 for the Northeast Carpenters Health Fund and smaller repayments to Medicare and Medicaid — An investigation is underway into afatal police shooting here The state Attorney General’s Office has released few details about the incident was fatally shot in the Browns Mills area on Saturday Pemberton Township case: Grand jury clears police officer in connection with fatal motorcycle crash A state law requires an investigation into any death that involves a police officer acting in an official capacity or while a person is in custody The results of the investigation are to be presented to a grand jury to determine if any crimes were committed by the officer or officers involved A grand jury in April cleared a Pemberton Township officer in connection with the death of a 41-year-old motorcyclist died in a collision with a civilian vehicle during a police pursuit Will the fifth time be the charm for Vito Russo and Riccardo's Italian Restaurant to win the coveted title of New Jersey's best pizza The folks at the Browns Mills pizzeria sure hope so For the fifth time in the five-year-old Jersey Pizza Joints Pizza Bowl contest, Riccardo's has been named as a finalist. It will compete for the title on Feb. 1 at Redd's in Carlstadt along with the other nominees Will this be the year of a repeat winner or will Riccardo's take the trophy I have been a judge for some of the Pizza Bowls and I have tasted Riccardo's fine fare many times I decided to visit the restaurant in Browns Mills a section of Pemberton on the outskirts of McGuire Air Force Base bring their ingredients and prepare their pizzas outside of their usual kitchens I wanted to try Russo's pizza on his home ground Typically we are one bite behind the likes of Dave Portnoy but incredibly Bar Stool Sports' El Presidente has yet to visit Riccardo's which rates Russo's place top South Jersey Pizza perennially The Courier Post and Pizza Marketing Quarterly also say Riccardo's is tops It took almost two hours to reach Riccardo's Italian Restaurant from North Jersey a veritable oasis deep in the Pine Barrens for anyone craving a satisfying slice which possess a thick flesh with fewer seeds More: New Jersey Pizza Bowl V is set for Feb. 1. Will there finally be a repeat champion? "We hand crush the San Marzano tomatoes," Russo said rather like a wisp of honeysuckle that binds with all three components to make a delicious pie Russo's crust is still made by his father Salvatore specialty pies such as the Browns Mills Tomato Pies and Skinny Minnie Thinnie use double zero which helps instill flavor as does the Pizza Master oven which renders a crisp Riccardo's custom-blend cheeseNot surprisingly What is surprising is that the restaurant shreds the mounds of mozzarella needed using a pneumatic shredder Then again with the hundreds of pies they produce daily Riccardo's Italian Restaurant historyOnce a small storefront in a strip mall Riccardo's now can seat 116 and is immaculate bright walls and atmosphere and the kitchen is immaculate We especially liked that instead of celebrities adoring his walls he's got pictures of his family and he huge pictures of his customers "They are the ones who keep me in business," he said Things to know if you goRiccardo's is BYOB and offers an impressive selection of desserts The cannolis are freshly filled and his staff is really friendly which Russo calls his piazza and he's got about a dozen fig trees in the side yard He also has been known to share the basil he grows with his community We look forward to meeting up with Russo on Feb 1 when he once again competes in the Jersey Pizza Joints annual bakeoff A lottery ticket that split a more than $860,000 jackpot was purchased at a Pemberton Township restaurant Country Lakes Pub & Grill in Browns Mills The winning Jersey Cash 5 ticket was sold at Country Lakes Pub & Grill on Lakehurst Road in Browns Mills the New Jersey Lottery said in a news release on Wednesday The XTRA number was 3 and the Bullseye number was 4 The ticket will split the $861,944 jackpot with a second winner bought at a liquor store in Pompton Lakes The restaurant and liquor store will each receive a $2,000 bonus for selling the winners The free food forest covers 1.7 acres of land and offers locals over 2,500 edible and medicinal plants that are free for anyone to use Situated in Atlanta’s Browns Mill neighborhood is the nation’s largest free food forest a community-driven concept that has called on the contributions of locals to fight food insecurity and raise awareness about sustainability The free food forest is the first of its kind in Atlanta and offers residents a new type of public park According to a press release by The Conservation Fund the urban food forest is already producing fresh fruits “The food forest approaches conservation through the concept of agroforestry — using agriculture that integrates trees and shrubs with food production to create healthy and ecologically resilient landscapes,” the organization stated View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hashem Al-Ghaili (@hashem.alghaili) site plans include removing invasive species and restoring and protecting native plants The forest will also contain community garden beds 30 new community garden beds and over 100 fruit trees have been planted which has been a step in the right direction as the project combats food insecurity in Georgia more than 1,400,000 Georgians are facing hunger “I want to be able to educate and teach people how to grow their own and how to become self-sufficient,” said Lomax “We also keep the community involved by using the food forest as an educational space and a holistic health and wellness healing place.” Afternoon yoga and healing programs are hosted under the pecan tree The urban food forest is a collective contribution between The Conservation Fund the city of Atlanta’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience A partnership with Greening Youth Foundation offers residents paid workforce training to prepare them for green job opportunities and jobs at the park Educational resources for all ages are also offered on-site The food forest has already seen the help of over 1,000 volunteers RELATED CONTENT: Gwenna Hunter Is The First Black Woman To Open A Vegan Food Bank In LA (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=dfcba6aa-bf12-4c1b-8769-eb9ef5c495f8&cid=2b3b1cf8-11b9-409d-a906-ab6746c50467'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "dfcba6aa-bf12-4c1b-8769-eb9ef5c495f8" }).render("c94405e045a24b77b4b76414af0a7338"); }); Seven people were recently arrested and charged with running a heroin mill in Burlington County Seven people in Burlington were charged after a large scale narcotics ring was busted Authorities investigated a large scale narcotics operation in Pemberton late last year was trafficking substantial quantities of heroin a 61-year-old Palmyra resident serving as a key supplier of bulk methamphetamine  Law enforcement saw Furter place a red bag into a mailbox at 1495 Junction Rd They conducted a motor vehicle stop on Furter and seized cocaine and currency Detectives saw Anderson retrieve the red bag and attempted to initiate a motor vehicle stop which contained a pound of methamphetamine He continued to flee and ultimately struck a New Hanover Police K-9 vehicle before stopping in front of 422 Ridgeview Ave. Law enforcement executed multiple residential and vehicle search warrants arresting several associates and seizing significant quantities of drugs and drug paraphernalia—providing further evidence of an active drug production operation Seven people have been arrested following a massive four-month-long investigation into an alleged heroin mill in South Jersey The New Jersey State Police have charged the following people: Troopers say from September to December of last year they uncovered a large-scale narcotics operation involving Anderson who "was trafficking substantial quantities of heroin Furter serving as a key supplier of bulk methamphetamine." Authorities described a key portion of their investigation: [detectives] saw Furter place a red bag into a mailbox at 1495 Junction Road detectives saw Anderson retrieve the red bag and attempted to initiate a motor vehicle stop discovering approximately one pound of methamphetamine inside He continued to flee and ultimately struck a New Hanover Police K-9 vehicle before stopping in front of 422 Ridgeview Avenue Law enforcement executed multiple residential and vehicle search warrants which they say yielded the following items: and Furter are being held at the Burlington County Jail Holly and Leslie Anderson were charged and released pending a future court date The case is being prosecuted by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office The public is reminded that charges are accusations and all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law Gallery Credit: Rick Rickman Seven people have been arrested following a massive four-month-long investigation into an alleged heroin mill in South Jersey.\nRead More PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP — A call reporting smoke conditions at a house turned into a shooting investigation in a quiet neighborhood Saturday afternoon Firefighters were called to a home on Woodland Avenue in the Browns Mills section of Pemberton Township around 4 p.m.  Pemberton Township police told 6 ABC Action News shots were fired on the property as firefighters and police arrived according to the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability The circumstances of the shooting and the man's identity were not disclosed. Video shows four police officers carrying rifles entering a house Residents told Fox Philadelphia they were alerted about an active shooter and told to shelter in place for about 40 minutes The Attorney General's Office is required by law to investigate a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the deceased is in custody Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom Gallery Credit: Dan Zarrow Firefighters were called to a home on Woodland Avenue in the Browns Mills section of Pemberton Township around 4 p.m.,\nRead More Firefighters were called to a home on Woodland Avenue in the Browns Mills section of Pemberton Township around 4 p.m.  Pemberton Township police told 6 ABC Action News shots were fired on the property as firefighters and police arrived The circumstances of the shooting and the man's identity were not disclosed. Video shows four police officers carrying rifles entering a house Residents told Fox Philadelphia they were alerted about an active shooter and told to shelter in place for about 40 minutes Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom A child was hospitalized after being struck by a vehicle in Pemberton on the morning of Friday officers responded to Rancocas Lane and Weymouth Road for a crash involving a pedestrian The juvenile was struck when the vehicle was attempting to make a left turn on Rancocas Lane The juvenile sustained an injury to her leg and was transported to Cooper University Medical Center for further treatment Authorities have released details and identified the man killed by police on Saturday Officers responding to smoke coming from a Pemberton home on Woodland Avenue around 3:20 p.m. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said They were notified that a man later identified as Marvin Taylor Officers commanded Taylor to drop the weapon as they positioned themselves in the wood-lined area behind the home Taylor exchanged gunfire with Kyle McQueen who was flown to Cooper University Hospital in Camden A firearm was recovered near Taylor's body after he was shot No officers or other civilians were injured during the incident A 2019 law requires the attorney general’s Office to conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody  It requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved Firefighters were battling a second wildfire in Burlington County in less than a week Crews responded to the "multi-acre" fire near Mary Ann Forge Road in the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in Pemberton Township on Wednesday, Oct. 16, the state Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) said in a Facebook post Officials said the fire had consumed 35 acres but had been 60 percent contained "Breezy winds with occasional gusts near 20 mph relative humidity values near 30-35 percent and dry fuels will combine to make conditions more favorable for the spread of wildfires," the NWS said "Any fires that develop may become challenging to contain." Burlington County was among the Central and South Jersey areas under "stage two" fire restrictions "All fires in wooded areas will be prohibited unless in an elevated prepared fireplace, elevated charcoal grill, or stove using electricity or a liquid or gas fuel," NJFFS said in another Facebook post A 30-acre wildfire sparked in Medford on Friday You can click here to see the NJFFS fire danger dashboard A 34-year-old man died after being unresponsive in his cell at FCI Fort Dix in Burlington County on the early morning of Wednesday Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution in Burlington County lifesaving measures were initiated for Macos Sanchez-Santana after he was found unresponsive Sanchez-Santana was pronounced dead by EMS personnel Sanchez-Santana had been sentenced to 10 years in prison in the District of Puerto Rico for conspiracy to commit cocaine He had been at FCI Fort Dix since last August No employees or other incarcerated individuals were injured and at no time was the public in danger The FBI was notified following Sanchez-Santana's death This is the second death at FCI Fort Dix in as many months. On Tuesday Javier Francisco Villalba-Reyes died after being found unresponsive in his cell Two Pemberton gang members will likely be spending the rest of their life behind bars after being sentenced on Friday 21 for their role in murdering a Willingboro teen with autism were sentenced to 110 years in prison and 80 years in prison after being convicted of first degree murder in the fatal shooting of Yahsinn "YaYa" Robinson Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw said police responded to Willingboro High School and found Robinson had been shot several time Carter and Young were involved in a long-running dispute with residents of the Buckingham Park section of Willingboro Robinson had just returned home from his part-time job when he was killed Carter and Young were members of the Gotti Boy Movement a gang that was suspected of committing at least two homicides and obtaining more than $125,000 in fraudulent COVID-19 pandemic loans A GoFundMe page said Robinson was passionate about chess and read books to improve his skills He had also started designing clothes and loved playing the guitar "He never allowed his autism diagnosis to hinder him from exploring his dreams," wrote Kalimah Perry "He just started his first job and was so excited to have some independence Yahsinn was a great big brother to his siblings and protector to his mother."