Life long Gloucester City resident, born in 1944. Graduated from Gloucester Catholic High School Class of 1963. Attended Camden County College. Army National Guard 1964 to 1970. Activated in 1967 during the Newark Riots. Worked full-time at the Gloucester City Post Office from 1967 to 1978. Worked part-time at the Gloucester City News from 1965 to 1977. In 1978 I was named editor of the Gloucester City News and Camden County Record. Purchased the City News in 1985. In 2005 the paper was sold. In 2006 I established Cleary's Notebook. At the age of 81 I remain editor of Cleary's Notebook News writing commentary and reporting the news for South Jersey and Philadelphia regions.
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (FEBRUARY 19, 2025) (CNBNews)–On Sunday, February 16, this vehicle was allegedly involved in a robbery in Gloucester Township.
According to the Gloucester City Police, officers detained three suspects, while one fled on foot.
While the suspect was still at large in Gloucester City, an unattended vehicle on Baynes Avenue with the motor running was stolen. Police recovered the stolen vehicle in Camden City.
State Police stopped a vehicle at Royal Farms, U.S. Highway 130 and Market Street, in Gloucester City. This vehicle was allegedly involved in a robbery that occurred in Gloucester Township.
According to the Gloucester City Police, three suspects were detained, while one fled on foot.
Woodbury, NJ – Michael A. Zappley, 69, of Westville, (photo) was sentenced to 12 years in state prison Friday, September 25, 2026, by the Honorable Niki Arbittier for aggravated manslaughter in the 2016 death of Miguel Martinez III in Deptford.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in open court:
Family members reported Martinez missing on June 15, 2016. For several months detectives investigated, continually checking hospitals, phone records, social media records, and interviewing individuals, but were unable to locate Martinez.
Woodbury, NJ – Justin Barci, 43, of Sicklerville, was sentenced to three years in state prison by the Honorable Niki Arbitter consistent with a negotiated plea agreement.
SWAT OFFICERS shooting at suspect who fired at them when they broke down the front door of the property.( Image from Police body camera)
TRENTON — The Attorney General’s Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) today released radio transmissions and police body-worn camera footage relating to the June 2, 2026, death of a civilian during an encounter with law-enforcement officers in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The decedent was previously identified as Donald Gardner (also known as Donald Capriotti), 52, of Atlantic City.
DCJ is investigating the encounter. The Attorney General’s Office is releasing the video and audio pursuant to policies designed to promote fair, impartial, and transparent investigations of fatal police encounters. Representatives of Mr. Gardner’s family were given an opportunity to review the recordings prior to their public release.
There were a dozen or more SWAT officers involved in the raid. (Image from Police body camera
According to the preliminary investigation, officers assigned to the Atlantic City Police Department’s (ACPD) SWAT team, along with members of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office SWAT team, attempted to execute a search warrant at a residence on the 100 block of North Florida Avenue on June 2, 2026. Upon arrival, officers observed the front door was open, but an individual inside closed it. Officers announced their presence and purpose at the door, then used a mechanical device to breach it.
As the door opened, Mr. Gardner, who was inside the residence, fired multiple gunshots at the officers. A projectile hit one ACPD officer in the helmet; another ACPD officer sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. Officer Robert Reynolds of the ACPD, who was not struck by gunfire, responded and fired his weapon multiple times, striking Mr. Gardner. Mr. Gardner was subsequently pronounced deceased. A handgun was recovered from the residence. The two wounded officers were transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center.
The circumstances of the encounter and cause and manner of death are under investigation, which is ongoing. No further information is being released at this time.
A 2019 law, N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), 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.
Further information about how fatal police encounters are investigated in New Jersey under the Independent Prosecutor Directive can be found here.
Eric Lewis, Suspect accused of killing Police Officer Shane Seibert
PHILADELPHIA PA (October 14, 2026)–Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner told NBC10 the suspect in killing Philadelphia Police Officer Shane Seibert should not have been acquitted in a previous murder trial, but misconduct involved in that investigation “forced” the judge to find him not guilty,
Despite his criminal record, 35-year-old Eric Lewis, worked for the city of Philadelphia. He was charged with killing Officer Seibert and wounding another officer, worked for the City of Philadelphia.
The district attorney’s comments come after the NBC10 Investigators found that Lewis was prosecuted in a separate 2019 homicide case but was acquitted at trial.
Krasner said a judge acquitted Lewis after finding misconduct. (video courtesy of NBC10 Philadelphia
Out of the Top 20 NJ Cities with the Highest Taxes Gcity #17
The Elimination of Checks and Balances is Driving Gloucester City’s Tax Crisis
To the Editor of CNBNews:
For six consecutive years, Gloucester City has operated under a governance model that defies standard democratic practices and has severely damaged public transparency and fiscal responsibility. The quiet appointment of Police Chief Brian Morrell by Mayor Spencer to the dual role of Acting City Administrator creates an unsustainable consolidation of executive power. While local officials often hide behind the excuse of “cost savings” to justify combining top jobs, the data show a different reality. Under this dual stewardship, Gloucester City property taxes have climbed by an average of $1,000 plus annually, creating a financial emergency for working families.
The 20 New Jersey towns with the highest effective tax rates; Gloucester City #17
NUIQSUT VILLAGE, ALASKA (CNBNews)– Adam Tussey Sr. recently photographed a rainbow hovering over Nuiqsut Village while working nearby. Tussey is employed by Tanco Engineering as operations manager.
ILA, TEAMSTERS & AND HOLT BATTLE FOR THE GLOUCESTER TERMINAL
Gloucester City, NJ (October 11, 2026) – In 1994, the Holt family tried to dramatically lower operating costs at their newly expanded Gloucester Marine Terminal in South Jersey. At the time, Master Contract wages for ILA dockworkers were significantly higher, and the union imposed strict work rules. According to the SocialistWorker.org newspaper, Holt bypassed the ILA entirely and signed a collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local 676, a New Jersey-based union that primarily represents truck drivers and warehouse workers, not deep-sea dockworkers. Under this new setup, Holt paid Teamster workers roughly $15 per hour to unload cargo and fruit ships. This wage was roughly half of the total compensation and benefits package the ILA required at the time.
When Thomas Holt Sr. quietly signed a deal with Teamsters Local 676 to unload the Scandinavian Reefer at the Gloucester Marine Terminal, word instantly leaked across the river. To the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), this wasn’t just a lost contract; it was an act of war that threatened to break their decades-long monopoly on the Delaware River ports.
– The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), the state’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the removal of a “Gaza Must Live” sign from a Bergen County Technical School classroom upon pressure from Congressman Josh Gottheimer. CAIR is located in Newark, NJ
Based on emails reviewed by CAIR-NJ, a parent who attended Back to School Night at the school reached out to Congressman Gottheimer’s office requesting their assistance with removing the sign. The Congressman’s office then contacted Superintendent Dr. Lerner, who removed the sign without discussing it with the teacher.
DENVILLE, NJ (October 11, 2026)CNBNews)–What started as a small effort to support someone battling cancer has grown into a major Northern New Jersey community event. The Kathy Olenowski Foundation’s Pink Witches Night Out is expecting around 15,000 people this year while raising money to support families facing cancer. Joining us is Meg Olenowski, President of the Kathy Olenowski Foundation, to tell us about this year’s event and the woman at the heart of their mission.
Pink Witches Night Out is New Jersey’s most prestigious Breast Cancer Awareness event. For the past twelve years, the Denville community and its members have helped fight breast cancer by raising over $200,000. Most recently, they have donated over $80,000 to local residents diagnosed with the disease.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16TH, 2026
LOCATION: BROADWAY, DENVILLE, NJ
FREE TO ATTEND | SWAG WILL AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE IN FALL 2026
Pink Witches Night Out is New Jersey’s most prestigious Breast Cancer Awareness event. For the past 12years, the Denville community and its members have been able to help fight the battle against Breast Cancer by raising over $200,000. Most recently, we have been able to donate over $80,000 to local residents who have been diagnosed with the disease.
