END OF WATCH: 2025-09-05
K9 Cooper succumbed to heat exhaustion after being left in an unmarked police car. The vehicle was left running, and K9 Cooper’s handler believed the air conditioner was on. Because it was an unmarked patrol vehicle, it was not equipped with a temperature monitor. K9 Cooper had served with the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Department for over three years, assigned to the drug unit.
UNION, NJ (CNBNews)(April 12, 2026)–At approximately 9 pm on Saturday, April 11, the Union Police Department responded to the Chick-Fil-A on Route 22 in Union (below) in response to a report of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they located seven victims, one of whom was subsequently pronounced deceased. The six other victims were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
This is an active and ongoing investigation.
We now know that last night’s shooting in Union Township tragically claimed one life and left six others injured,” Governor Mikie Sherrill said Sunday. “Our hearts go out to the victim’s loved ones, and we are hoping for the full recovery of those who were injured.”
While no arrests have been made at this time, the preliminary investigation reveals this does not appear to be a random act of violence and that there is no immediate ongoing threat to the general public. We encourage the community to remain vigilant and report any information to UCPO Homicide Task Force Detective Edward Mack at (908) 347-2212, Sergeant Jennifer Smith at (908) 759-8254, or Union Police Department Detective Teon Freeman at (908) 851-5033.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously by phone at 908-654-TIPS (8477) or online at www.uctip.org; submission of tips made in this fashion that result in an indictment and conviction can be eligible for a reward of up to $10,000 via the Union County Crime Stoppers.
source: Union County Prosecutor
A 1960 graduate from Gloucester Catholic HS. He was a talented football player, who married in 1965, his high school sweetheart, Donna Hoffman, a cheerleader from Gloucester City HS, class of 1961.
They proudly had three beautiful children, Nancy Lynn (Rob Perry), Ron Jr. (Lorraine) and Tommy.
He worked for PSE&G for 42 years. Ron loved to travel the world-Europe, Hawaii, Alaska, and many other beautiful states. He purchased homes in Wildwood, Pocono Mountains, and Davenport, Florida, to share with his loving family and many friends!
He loved boating, fishing, and golf, he enjoyed his pool and beautiful Koi pond in his own yard. Most importantly, he was a devoted Philadelphia Sports fan.
He was an exceptionally caring and devoted husband, father, and grandfather to Malia, Lindsay, Ronnie III, Eliana and Shea.
He was one in a million! He truly was an angel on Earth, and now, the “Big” Ron is an angel in heaven!
He will be missed by so many loved ones. May he rest in peace.
We will be celebrating his life with a Mass on Saturday, April 18th, at 10:30am at St. Mary’s of the Pines Church in Manahawkin.
A private gathering of the immediate family will follow.
To leave online condolences and fond memories of Ron for the family, please visit www.shinnfuneralhome.com
Thos L. Shinn Funeral Home, 10 Hilliard Dr., Manahawkin, was entrusted with the arrangements.
UPDATE
William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews
NATIONAL PARK, NJ–Around 10:30 AM Saturday, April 11, 2026, black and dark gray smoke plumes were visible to the west. The smoke could be seen from far away, even from the Walt Whitman Bridge. “Lookie Lou’s” from all over South Jersey were driving toward the smoke, trying to find the source. CNBNews initially headed to Water Street, Gloucester City. Finding nothing, we drove to Old Crown Point Road, West Deptford, thinking the fire was at the Sunoco Refinery tank farm that faces The Piston Diner.
Not seeing anything at that location, we drove to the nearby community of National Park. Traffic was backed up from the 295 exit ramp to the Hessian Avenue traffic light. As Sweetie and I neared the fire, the smoke turned a dark black. Despite having my van windows closed and the AC on, my eyes began to tear, and I began to choke uncontrollably. Sweetie began to whimper. At that point, traffic was getting more congested. We abandoned our search for the fire’s location and headed home.
Continue reading “Wildfire Near Sunoco Tank Farm Sends Thick Smoke Across SJ (videos)”
BYLINE: Tracey Middlekauff
Imagine suddenly feeling like the world is spinning violently around you.
For Chad Correll, a 47-year-old biomedical equipment technician, this wasn’t an isolated incident. It was the beginning of a seven-year nightmare.
He spent years visiting doctors who misdiagnosed him with everything from clogged eustachian tubes to anxiety. He suffered from debilitating dizzy spells and could hear his own heartbeat pounding inside his head, making concentration impossible.
“I sat up in bed, and everything was just spinning. I’d never had a sensation like that before,” Correll recalls.
Read more: “WHY AM I SO DIZZY?”It wasn’t until he saw Dr. Varun Patel, an otologist/neurotologist at Penn State Health Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, that he finally found an answer. He had Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence, a tiny hole in the bone that covers one of the balance canals in the inner ear.
Chronicling Five Decades in the Newsroom—From the Newark Riots to Undercover Investigations
Gloucester City, NJ — January 2026 — After more than 50 years shaping public discourse across South Jersey and Philadelphia, journalist and editor William E. Cleary Sr. announces the release of his memoir, From Pen to Paper: Lessons From a Lifetime in the Newsroom. The book offers a candid, insightful look into the triumphs, trials, and truths of a career devoted to public service journalism—and a life shaped by service long before he ever picked up a pen.
The book is available on Kindle/Amazon. Buy your copy today!
Part memoir and part guidebook, From Pen to Paper traces Cleary’s journey from on-the-scene reporting to editorial leadership, revealing the tools of the trade and the unwritten rules that define the profession. With wit and wisdom, Cleary shares stories from inside the newsroom—where deadlines loom, facts matter, and integrity is non-negotiable. But the book also ventures beyond the newsroom, into the streets of a burning city and the shadowy world of organized crime.
Before Cleary became a journalist, he was a soldier. In July 1967, as a member of the New Jersey Army National Guard’s 50th Armored Division, 1st Battalion, 114th Infantry Regiment—the legendary “Jersey Blues”—Cleary was among 3,000 troops deployed to Newark during one of the most violent urban uprisings in American history.
“The Newark riot happened 57 years ago, but the memory is still fresh,” Cleary writes. “Some of us who were there called it ‘The Battle of Newark.’”
On the morning of July 12, 1967, Cleary was working as a mailman at the Gloucester City Post Office when his supervisor pulled him aside. Governor Richard Hughes had activated the Guard. Cleary was ordered to report immediately to the Pitman Armory—no phone calls, no detours home.
“As I drove south on Route 47, my mind raced,” he recalls. “I knew nothing about riots in Newark. But I did know there were reports about National Guard Units being sent to Vietnam and Berlin, Germany—both hot spots in the ’60s, oceans away.”
For five harrowing days, Cleary and his squad—a tight-knit group of young men from Gloucester City, Brooklawn, and surrounding towns—patrolled the streets of Newark as fires raged and tensions boiled over. The experience left an indelible mark on the young guardsman, shaping his understanding of civic duty, community, and the fragility of social order.
“In those days, the Gloucester guys were always there for each other,” Cleary writes. “If you found yourself in trouble, you could count on your friends to have your back. It was an unspoken bond.”
That sense of duty would follow Cleary into journalism, where he built a reputation for asking tough questions and holding power accountable.
An Enigmatic Visitor and a Three-Month Investigation
Twenty-two years later, on a sweltering Monday afternoon in July 1989, Cleary’s integrity would be tested differently.
He was four years into ownership of the Gloucester City News when a tall, impeccably dressed man walked into his office. The stranger—whom Cleary refers to in the book as “Mr. Smith”—claimed he operated in “heavyweight circles” and had been told that anyone wanting to do business in Gloucester City needed to consult Bill Cleary first.
Smith’s associate, “Mr. Jones,” was allegedly connected to an area mob boss. Their pitch: a lucrative waterfront development deal.
Cleary immediately smelled trouble. After the meeting, he worked the phones, reaching out to contacts across law enforcement. One call went to a New Jersey State Trooper he’d known since childhood. That trooper escalated the matter to his superior, Lieutenant Michael Lyons.
What followed was a three-month covert operation. At the request of the State Police, Cleary continued meeting with Smith and Jones, gathering intelligence while investigators worked behind the scenes.
“I thought they were targeting Mayor Bevan,” Cleary recalls. “But the State Police and others eventually made it clear: I was the target. They wanted to compromise the newspaper.”
The investigation revealed an attempted shakedown—an effort to intimidate or buy influence over the one institution in town that held a mirror to power. Cleary’s cooperation with law enforcement helped expose the scheme, and neither man was ever charged, though their plans were thwarted.
The incident underscored a principle Cleary had lived by since his first days in the newsroom: “Journalism isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for those willing to chase the truth, even when it’s inconvenient.”
A Career Defined by Tenacity and Integrity
Cleary began his journalism career in 1968, covering local government, public safety, and community life for the Gloucester City News and the Camden County Record. In 1978, he was named editor of both weekly newspapers, solidifying his reputation for investigative rigor and editorial leadership.
In 1984, Cleary and his wife, Connie, purchased the Gloucester City News, guiding the paper through two decades of growth and community service. After selling the newspaper in 2004, Cleary launched Cleary’s Notebook News (CNBNews)—one of South Jersey’s earliest independent online news platforms.
Today, at 82, he continues his in-depth reporting on the South Jersey and Philadelphia region, maintaining the same commitment to truth and public service that has defined his entire career.
A Memoir for Journalists and Citizens Alike
From Pen to Paper is more than a journalist’s memoir—it’s a testament to the power of local news, the importance of ethical leadership, and the courage required to stand firm when pressures mount. Whether recounting his days on patrol in Newark, his battles with deadlines and sources, or his face-to-face meetings with alleged mobsters, Cleary writes with clarity, humor, and hard-earned wisdom.
The book is essential reading for aspiring journalists, students of history, and anyone who believes in the vital role of a free press in a functioning democracy.
Availability
From Pen to Paper: Lessons From a Lifetime in the Newsroom eBook: $9.99 | Paperback: $16.99 Available Monday, February 3, 2026, on Amazon/Kindle
About the Author
William E. Cleary Sr. is a veteran journalist with a career spanning more than five decades. He began reporting in 1968 for the Gloucester City News and the Camden County Record, covering local government, public safety, and community life with tenacity and integrity.
In 1978, Cleary was named editor of both weekly newspapers, a role that solidified his reputation for investigative rigor and editorial leadership. In 1984, he and his wife Connie purchased the Gloucester City News, guiding the paper through two decades of growth and community service.
After selling the newspaper in 2004, Cleary launched Cleary’s Notebook News in 2006 (CNBNews)—one of South Jersey’s earliest independent online news platforms. Today, at 81, he continues his in-depth reporting on the South Jersey and Philadelphia region, maintaining the same commitment to truth and public service that has defined his entire career.
One in six children now face food insecurity in[MR1]
Pennsylvania, New Jersey communities
PHILADELPHIA, April 8, 2026 — Walmart and Sam’s Club are joining forces with the Philabundance as part of the 2026 Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign, a nationwide effort to support hunger relief efforts throughout the Feeding America® network of local food banks. Running April 6 through May 3, 2026, the 13th annual campaign invites customers, members, suppliers and Philadelphia and its surrounding eight counties to take action to ensure everyone has access to nutritious food, with all local donations directly benefiting Philabundance.
“Philabundance is committed to building thriving communities to ensure everyone has access to the nutritious food they deserve,” said Loree D. Jones Brown, CEO of Philabundance. “People are working hard to provide for themselves and their families, but so many need support to put food on their tables. Fight Hunger. Spark Change. is a chance each year for our community to come together alongside our neighbors facing hunger to take action, and we’re grateful to Walmart for partnering with us to make a difference.”
Today, Philabundance distributes food to more than 300 community partners including food pantries, shelters, schools and senior centers, across southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey to support nearly 700,000 people facing hunger. Last year, the organization distributed 44 million pounds of food, equivalent to 37 million meals, and rescued 28 million pounds of food through its Retail Rescue program.
As the need rises across the state, Philabundance will continue to show up for our community but meeting the challenge will require us all. For more than 20 years, Walmart, Sam’s Club and the Walmart Foundation have partnered with the Feeding America network to support hunger relief efforts nationwide, with nearly $300 million in investments and more than 9 billion pounds of food donated by Walmart to the Feeding America network of local food banks and partner agencies.
Continue reading “Walmart Joins Philabundance”Senior Muhlenberg College student-athlete Erin DiSandro of Mount Laurel, NJ has been awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and will be attend medical school at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia after graduation.
Each year, the NCAA awards up to 126 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes who have completed their final year of athletics competition. The scholarships are distributed three times annually – in the fall, winter and spring – providing 21 total scholarships each to men and women per season. The award is a one-time, nonrenewable scholarship intended to support graduate study at an accredited institution.
Continue reading “Erin DiSandro Receives NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship”
VINELAND, NJ (Cleary’s Notebook News)(April 7, 2026) — The Vineland Police investigation into the death of Philadelphia Christian Pastor Lance Warren on New Year’s Eve concluded on Friday, April 3, 2026, resulting in the arrest of Donald Hunt Jr., 34, of Pittsgrove. Hunt had been free since the accident, pending the outcome of the accident investigation.
Image source Cleary’s Notebook News
PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The Gloucester City Public Works Department is hiring for a seasonal position of
Laborer 1 at the Gloucester City Marina. This is a part-time position. The hourly rate is
$15.92.
Applicants must be a resident of Gloucester City and possess a valid New Jersey driver’s
license.
Those interested in this position may apply via email to: Tedesco@cityofgloucester.org,
mail to PO Box 150, Gloucester City, NJ or go to 512 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City,
and fill out an application in-person.
Deadline to apply for this position: April 9, 2026.