Author: William Cleary Sr.

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.

CCPO Agents Receive Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA Award

Philadelphia, PA – Two agents from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office were recently honored by the Liberty Mid-Atlantic High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), announced Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay.

On December 10, 2025, Agent Cheryl Annese and Agent Jill Foy received the Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA’s Intelligence Support Award. The award recognizes intelligence analysts who go above and beyond to assist with investigations that disrupt and dismantle drug-trafficking organizations in the region.

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AMERICAN LEGION POSTS HOSTING WATCH PARTIES FOR ARMY-NAVY GAME

Nationwide, American Legion posts are hosting watch parties for the Dec. 13 ‘America’s Game’, which will be broadcast at 3 p.m. ET on CBS.

For the second straight year, The American Legion is the official veterans organization and associate sponsor of the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA. The game will be broadcast at 3 p.m. ET on Dec. 13.

And across the nation, that broadcast will be shown in American Legion posts that are hosting watching parties. Posts are inviting both their American Legion Family members and the community to watch “America’s Game” while learning more about the organization’s mission and programs.

For more than a month posts have been sharing their watch party plans on the Army-Navy Game section of our national website. It’s not too late to share you plans.

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What Local Parents Should Know About Birth Injuries and Hospital Oversight

Photo by Max Tcvetkov on Unsplash

Every expectant parent deserves confidence in their hospital’s ability to deliver safe, competent care during one of life’s most critical moments. While most births proceed without complications, understanding birth injuries and hospital oversight empowers families to make informed decisions and advocate for themselves when necessary.

Understanding Birth Injuries in a Local Context

Birth injuries include any physical harm that occurs to an infant during labor or delivery. These range from minor bruising to severe conditions like cerebral palsy or brain damages caused by oxygen deprivation.

The critical distinction lies between unavoidable complications and preventable medical errors. Some birth injuries result from natural factors – such as a baby’s size relative to the birth canal or unexpected positioning issues. However, many injuries stem from medical negligence, including failure to respond to warning signs, improper technique, or delayed interventions.

New Jersey hospitals, including those serving Gloucester County communities, operate under state oversight that tracks safety metrics and adverse events. Regional medical centers like Inspira Health and Jefferson Health maintain specialized obstetric units, but smaller community hospitals may face resource constraints that impact their ability to handle complex deliveries.

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Smart Strategies For Vehicle Equity Release

Money problems don’t ask for permission to come in — they bang the door. It’s one of the worst feelings, staring at an insufficient bank balance, wondering how you’ll cover urgent expenses that just can’t wait — be it overdue school fees, unexpected medical bills, or car repairs.

Caught in this situation, most people turn to short-term loans or credit cards, but these often come with crazy interest rates that leave you in deeper debt — more problems.

If you are in such a moment, there’s a less painful path you can take — tap into your vehicle equity. What most people don’t realize is that their car, which is often one of their most valuable assets, can do more than carry them around. It’s a useful resource that can come in handy when you need urgent financing.

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Gloucester City Taxpayers Spent Thousands on a New Street Sweeper; Why Doesn’t it Work?

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (JUNE 13, 2025) (CNBNews)— Photos taken on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, on North Stinson Avenue show piles of dirt left behind by the street sweeper as it traveled towards East Thompson Avenue. On that day, the sweeper deposited dirt in the middle of the street and along the curb, with an additional pile at the corner of East Thompson and North Stinson Avenue. A recurring question from CNBNews and local residents is: Why isn’t water being used to clean the streets and minimize the dust cloud that follows the sweeper as it operates in Riverview Heights and other areas of the city?

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CNBNews Cheers & Jeers

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

JEER-Four years of Joe Biden and the Progressive Democrats in Washington, and this is the result. The illegal immigrant is standing on top of a destroyed Los Angeles police car holding a Mexican flag on Sunday, June 8, 2025. The criminal is dressed like a character from a Mad Max movie with skulls on his pants and a skull mask. President Trump has authorized the deployment of U.S. Marines from the 29Palms military base. The City of Twentynine Palms, California, in the southern Mojave Desert, is the home of Joshua Tree National Park headquarters and north entrance and proud host of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, the world’s largest Marine Corps training base.

Gloucester Catholic baseball players douse Coach Dennis Barth after he chalked up his 600th game. His team beat St. Thomas Aquinas, winning the NJSIAA Non-Public B Baseball Championship. (photo Scott Faytok | courtesy of NJ Advance Media)

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CNBNews Opinion: A Full-Time Gloucester City Administrator is Needed Now

Three years ago, on April 27, 2022, CNBNews had the pleasure of speaking with Brian Morrell, Gloucester City’s acting administrator and Police Chief, about the city’s approach to abandoned vehicles. During our enlightening conversation, he shared important insights about enforcement, explaining that the responsibility lies with the City Housing Office rather than the police department. It’s fascinating to note that, although abandoned vehicles aren’t technically classified as a crime, the city’s ordinance implies otherwise. When we discussed if an amendment was made to the original ordinance, Morrell honestly admitted he wasn’t sure, which added an interesting layer to our dialogue.

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What does blight like this say about Gloucester City? “Some have no community pride.”

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (May 8, 2025)(CNBNews)–THE three vehicles were moved to 241 S. Broadway by the property owner, a Philadelphia resident, in 2022. At that time, he alleged that parking officials in Philadelphia were going to fine him if he didn’t remove them, and that was the reason he relocated them to Gloucester City. That same individual threatened CNBNews with a lawsuit in 2022 for taking pictures of those cars from the street. According to public records, the owner is Father & Son Enterprises LLC. The property was purchased in 2008 for $147,500, with property taxes assessed at $7,614 on a value of $151,900. Some businesses that have occupied the property over the years include Gloucester Auto, owned by Bud Goldy, and Towne House Florist, owned by Charles Sarlo. [photo credit CNBNews]

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CONSULTANT SUGGESTS MAJOR CHANGES FOR GLOUCESTER CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (FEBRUARY 2024)(CNBNews)—The Gloucester City Mayor Dayl Baile and Council hired the Smith Consulting Group of Ocean City, NJ, in 2024 to assess the members Gloucester City paid fire department. The owner, James P. Smith Jr., has 30 years of experience in firefighting and is the Ocean City Fire Chief overseeing 67 department members.

According to the report, the 14-page evaluation was conducted by interviewing all 22 department members to understand their issues, views, perspectives, and ideas for future growth.

After interviewing the members, the evaluator observed that discipline needs to be consistently administered and that officers should be trained to handle infractions. The report mentioned that nine people, or 40 percent, have left the department over the past 11 years.

Smith released 20 recommendations, each placed under a subtitle. For example, under the title DISCIPLINE Smith wrote in part;

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Cleary’s Court Case Keeps Being Canceled

GLOUCESTER CITY ,NJ (November 2023)(CNBNews)—William E. Cleary Sr., editor of CNBNews appeared in Gloucester City Municipal Court on Tuesday, November 2023 to answer two trespassing charges for walking around the Cold Springs Elementary School, located at Cold Springs Drive and Market Street, and one theft charge. Cleary took a children’s bench that he thought was trash as it was lying on the asphalt behind the school with other trash next to a trash dumpster. When he learned it wasn’t trash, he contacted the police, returned the bench to the school, and placed it in the same trash pile from which he got it.

At the November 21 hearing he was given two choices: plead guilty or take the matter to trial. He was told by his attorney Justin Moore, whose law office is in Collingswood, he should be prepared to pay heavy fines if he plead guilty. The penalty varies based on the value of the goods. The value of the bench was set at $500. The penalty for a third-degree felony is 3 to 5 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $10,000.

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