**CHEER**-Congratulations to Brooklawn Police Chief Shamus Ellis, who has announced his retirement. Ellis began his career as a Class 11 officer in 1998. He thanked the governing body, past and present, for their help. “Together, we hired additional officers, introduced new programs such as the Resiliency Officer and Employee Assistance Program, improved our community outreach efforts, and secured state-of-the-art equipment to better serve our residents.” And, thanked residents and business owners for their support.
**CHEER**—At the Gloucester City Council caucus meeting on June 16, 2025, the mayor and council convened in a closed executive session to address a troubling bond default by Think Pavers Hardscaping LLC (Think Pavers). This contractor, entrusted with the crucial Hudson Street Sewer Rehabilitation Re-Bid project valued at $565,500, has fallen woefully short of the expectations outlined in their contract, leading to a default on the performance bond. Just a week later, during the council meeting on June 23, the council took decisive action, authorizing the city solicitor to file a claim for the defaulted maintenance bond. Think Pavers has completed other contractors such as installing fresh asphalt on Johnson Blvd. Jogging Park and executed various projects throughout the city.
**JEER**—Last Wednesday, Governor Murphy made headlines by signing into law a legislation that introduces digital driving licenses in New Jersey. This innovative framework stipulates that individuals are not required to surrender their mobile devices for identity verification—even in situations involving law enforcement. While this sounds revolutionary, the law also asserts that merely displaying a digital license does not grant consent for a search or offer access to other personal phone data. Moreover, it specifies that any information encountered during identity verification cannot serve as grounds for a search warrant. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that granting such access to certain officials can spiral into problematic territory. The benefits of digital driving licenses remain elusive to many residents, who argue the provision is both unnecessary and a financial burden. The staggering $1.5 million cost to implement mobile driver’s license technology could be far better allocated towards reducing our property taxes.
Read More: What you need to know about New Jersey’s mobile licenses
**CHEER**—In a thrilling showdown on July 28, the Cherry Hill Post 172 baseball team celebrated a historic victory over Brooklawn Post 72 at the Wood-Bridge Athletic Center, clinching the New Jersey American Legion Championship with an exhilarating score of 6-5. The winning moment came with a heart-stopping walk-off RBI single from Anthony Alessandroni, etching Cherry Hill’s name in the annals of history as the team secured its first-ever state title. With their sights set on further glory, the team is eager to advance to the Mid-Atlantic Regional tournament in Ridge, Maryland. The traditional championship photo captures the elation of players and coaches, including Luis Sanchez III, Andrew Bechtel, Grant Fournier, Matt Korbich, Mason Kelleher, Aiden Ryder, Brian Martello, Brett Chiesa, Noah Harvey, Jordan Henriquez, Josh Litsky, Ricky Orlandini, Aiden Emrich, Brett Gabel, Chris Ahrens, Jack Barletta, Zach Smith, and Anthony Alessandroni, alongside coaches Bo Gray, Kyle Bordner, Ron Krowiak, and John Gray.
**CHEER**—The Gloucester City Public Works announced an opportunity for a part-time Laborer position, offering 20 hours of work per week at an hourly rate of $16. Applicants have until August 15, 2025, to submit their applications. It’s encouraging to see the city publicly advertise this position in the legal section of a local newspaper, a refreshing approach amidst the prevalent concerns of nepotism in hiring practices across the city and beyond. Interested individuals can contact Municipal Clerk Vanessa Little at vanessa@cityofgloucester.org to seize this opportunity.
**CHEER**—Recently, Michael Kazmar Gloucester High School graduate Class of 2025 achieved a significant milestone by completing his U.S. Navy ROTC boot camp at the Naval Training Center located in the picturesque Great Lakes region. With the dawning of fall, Michael looks forward to embarking on a new chapter as he joins the freshmen class at Norwich University in Vermont for the class of 2029.
**CHEER**—In a move poised to transform communication across federal agencies, the Justice Department (DOJ) has launched guidance to implement President Donald Trump’s executive order signed on July 15, 2025, which designates English as the official language of the U.S. The department has pledged to spearhead a coordinated initiative to ensure compliance with this order, promising a ripple effect to reinforce this new standard across various platforms.
Full story: https://san.com/cc/doj-rolls-out-plan…
**CHEER**—In an exciting leap into modern technology, the Camden County Police Department is now able to observe the city from a breathtaking aerial perspective, thanks to their investment in advanced drones, as reported by Tapinto.net. These state-of-the-art drones, each valued at nearly $50,000, are set to bolster the department’s technological arsenal in the ongoing battle against crime, as relayed by Lt. Gordon Harvey, the overseer of the unit. The drones will seamlessly coordinate with the 400 stationary cameras intricately positioned throughout the city and the sophisticated ShotSpotter gunshot detection system.
With remarkable capabilities, these high-tech drones can ascend to heights of 200 feet and cruise at speeds of 35 miles per hour, allowing them to effortlessly navigate around traffic congestion. They possess an exceptional response time, capable of arriving at incident scenes in just two minutes while maintaining vigilant surveillance over specific locations for up to an impressive 30 minutes before returning to their charging stations. Three drones will be stationed atop prominent city buildings, while others can be swiftly deployed from CCPD drone unit vans operated by trained pilots, providing a panoramic view that aids in the relentless fight against crime. Full story:https://san.com/cc/doj-rolls-out-plan…
**JEER**—A concerned resident of Gloucester Township expresses his exasperation over the neglected condition of the abandoned house next door. This dilapidated property has become a haven for invasive bugs, rampant weeds, and unsightly debris. He wonders why he must be the one to reach out to the Township to request action on this troubling issue and proposes that the community establish a regular maintenance schedule, ideally visiting every two weeks. The overgrown landscape has morphed into a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other unwelcome insects, leaving the neighbor in a state of discontent.