November's Top 10 Stories on Red Bank-Shrewsbury Patch

10. Business as Unusual

On the Monmouth Street sidewalk, Charles Adjmi walked back and forth with a hand clutching a dozen or so cell phone chargers raised above his head.

With power still out at his Red Bank Wireless shop days after Hurricane Sandy tore a path through New Jersey and with no restoration date being offered by Jersey Central Power and Light, Adjmi thought, why not, let's try to make some money.

9. Identity of Red Bank Homicide Victim Revealed

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office revealed the identity of a man it says was shot and killed in Red Bank sometime late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

According to First Assistant Prosecutor Rich Incremona, the victim was identified as Shapell Kendrick, a 32-year-old Camden resident.

8. Red Bank Neighborhoods Without Power and Why

As of Wednesday afternoon, Red Bank Administrator Stanley Sickles said as much as 40 percent of the borough remained without power. Jersey Central Power and Light crews have been working to restore power, though its divided crews have left many neighborhoods untouched since Hurricane Sandy wrecked havoc on the Jersey Shore.

7. Fire Rips Through Shrewsbury Avenue Home

A fire that originated in a second floor dwelling of a Shrewsbury Avenue building Sunday afternoon caused significant damage and required response from multiple Red Bank fire crews, as well as help from Middletown, to put it out.

6. TELL US: Has Your Power Been Restored?

Power appears to be returning to residents, slowly.

JCP&L shows said in a release that it has restored power to nearly 160,000, or about 20 percent, of its customers and expects to have the majority of customers restored within the next seven days. Atlantic Electric reported similar results.

5. 

With many of his town's residents still without power nearly a week after Hurricane Sandy landed on New Jersey's shores, Red Bank Mayor Pat Menna isn't willing to let Jersey Central Power and Light off easy, even as it coordinates its largest power restoration effort ever.

On his Facebook page, Menna, who criticized the power conglomerate for its admittedly poor response following last year's Hurricane Irene, said JCP&L has not provided the borough with clear answers as to when Red Bank will be back at full power, offering only "corporate doubletalk" instead.

4. IMAGES: Sea Bright Destruction And Recovery After Hurricane Sandy

Donovan's Reef. Exclusive beach clubs. Roads. Houses.

Gone.

Patch photographer Mark Vetrini captured the images of Sea Bright, NJ Friday, just days after Hurricane Sandy collided with the coast.

3. 

Vanessa Picciotto Perrine, 31, of Red Bank, passed away Sunday, Oct. 28 at Riverview Medical Center. Vanessa was born in Staten Island, NY and raised in Holmdel. 

2. Update: Police Probe Fatal Shooting in Red Bank

Update 2:00 p.m. The unidentified victim's body was found just after 8 a.m. by a relative who went to check up on him, First Assistant Prosecutor Rich Incremona said. According to Incremona, the body was found alone in a single family dwelling. Though initially police speculated that the victim was shot sometime around midnight, Incremona said his office is waiting on an autopsy to determine time of death.

1. 

When Hurricane Irene caused major power outages throughout Monmouth County last year, local officials were quick to criticize power conglomerate Jersey Central Power and Light for its failure to communicate with area municipalities and act quickly enough to restore electricity.

What followed was a JCP&L apology tour of sorts. Company executives hit the road, appearing at council meetings and town halls to take a punishment most felt was well deserved. Humbled by a storm that arrived on shore with only a fraction of its expected intensity, JCP&L promised to do better next time.

In Shrewsbury, the lights are still out.

Route 35, the town's central artery, is black at night, its traffic lights still dimmed and its bordering businesses all waiting for power to be restored. Mayor Donald Burden was among those leaders who challenged JCP&L's response during Irene. But, with Shrewsbury still dark five days after Hurricane Sandy's arrival on the New Jersey shore, Burden can't find anything bad to say about JCP&L.