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.

AC SWAT Raid Videos Released; Suspect Died, Officers Wounded

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.

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.

The recordings are available to view here:

https://njoag.box.com/s/piswq1p7wai1d4mvx0t5rrhbt1nlpltu

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.

Philly Cop Killer Acquitted in 2019 Murder Case Due to Misconduct

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

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Blame Mayor Baile and His Council for those Yearly $1,000 + Tax Hikes

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

#	Town	County	Effective rate
1	Salem City	Salem	4.298%
2	Hi-nella Borough	Camden	3.838%
3	Woodlynne Borough	Camden	3.753%
4	Pennsville Township	Salem	3.364%
5	Penns Grove Borough	Salem	3.341%
6	Bridgeton City	Cumberland	3.282%
7	Laurel Springs Borough	Camden	3.272%
8	City of Orange Township	Essex	3.183%
9	Trenton City	Mercer	3.161%
10	Pleasantville City	Atlantic	3.125%
11	Gibbsboro Borough	Camden	3.107%
12	Oaklyn Borough	Camden	3.107%
13	High Bridge Borough	Hunterdon	3.076%
14	Merchantville Borough	Camden	3.068%
15	Chesilhurst Borough	Camden	3.026%
16	Woodbury Heights Borough	Gloucester	3.009%
17	Gloucester City	Camden	3.006%
18	Mount Ephraim Borough	Camden	3.004%
19	Woodbury City	Gloucester	2.997%
20	Magnolia Borough	Camden	2.983%

A core principle of effective municipal governance is the separation of powers. In a typical New Jersey town, the City Administrator serves as an objective, independent buffer. They scrutinize spending, manage personnel, and enforce strict accountability across all departments. The administrator must objectively weigh a multi-million-dollar public safety request against the urgent funding needs of public works, infrastructure, and parks. However, when the Police Chief is the City Administrator, this vital system of checks and balances completely vanishes. The individual tasked with commanding and expanding the law enforcement budget is the exact same person who signs off on it.

The consequences of this missing oversight are visible in the city’s $26 million annual budget. While a typical American municipality allocates between 15% and 29% of its operational funds to law enforcement, Gloucester City spends roughly 34.2% ($4.5 million) strictly on its police department. When you factor in fire services, a staggering 54.6% of the city’s entire operational budget goes toward public safety alone.

Compared to neighboring South Jersey towns of similar sizes, Gloucester City taxpayers are paying a massive premium for this unique arrangement:

Gloucester City (~11,400 residents): Spends roughly $395 per capita on policing.
Woodbury (~10,000 residents): Spends roughly $280 per capita on policing.
Audubon (~8,700 residents): Spends roughly $241 per capita on policing.

Gloucester City residents pay up to $150 more per person for law enforcement than their immediate neighbors. Because public safety consumes such a massive portion of our tax dollars, any internal salary bumps, cost-of-living adjustments, or pension obligations heavily drive the town’s overall tax rate.

As spending has surged, basic public transparency has sharply declined. When this dual arrangement began six years ago, the city abruptly stopped its weekly crime reports, claiming officers were “too busy” to write them. In an era when modern law enforcement database systems can auto-generate a crime-trends summary with a single click, this excuse is unacceptable. Furthermore, the administration has consistently withheld standard operational information, including the active headcount of our taxpayer-funded police force.

A municipality cannot efficiently manage a $26 million budget and a 170-person workforce when the executive branch is structured to grade its own homework. It is time for the Mayor and Common Council to restore institutional oversight, modernize transparency, and separate law enforcement from the City Administrator’s office. Gloucester City taxpayers cannot afford another year of self-regulated spending.

Respectfully submitted,

Robert S. Bevan

Gloucester City Resident

Former Gloucester City Mayor

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CNBNews Photo of the Day: Rainbow Over Nuiqsut Village

Cleary’s Notebook News

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.

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CNB Archives: The 1994 Gloucester Marine Terminal War

Cleary’s Notebook News

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.

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CAIR-NJ Condemns Removal of Classroom “Gaza Must Live” Sig

– 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.

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Pink Witches Night This Friday

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.

MAKE A DONATION

Source: https://kathyofoundation.com/events#/

Two Philly Policemen Shot, One Succumbs to Wounds

PHILADELPHIA, PA (October 10, 2026)(CNBNews) – Philadelphia Police Officer Shane Seiber was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call in West Philadelphia, near the 100 block of North 52nd Street at approximately 1:00 am.

Shortly after midnight, officers were called and dispatched to a complaint of a person wielding a gun from a residential porch. Upon arriving at the home, the suspect fired at the officers as they stepped onto the porch. Officer Seiber and a fellow officer were struck multiple times before the suspect fled down a nearby alley. The officers were transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where Officer Seiber succumbed to his wounds.

The suspect was apprehended after a search and neighborhood lockdown; charges are pending.

Officer Seiber, age 40, had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 10 years. Survivors include his wife and two children.

source: Officer Down Memorial page

Brooklawn PD Ask Public For Help

BROOKLAWN, NJ (October 10, 2026)(CNBNews)The Brooklawn Borough Police Department is asking the public to help identify the two individuals shown in the picture. They are wanted in connection with a theft on Wednesday, October 7, at the local KFC Restaurant on Browning Road.

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CNBNews Photo of the Day: A Red -tailed Hawk Visits Us

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ –Earlier today, a Red-tailed Hawk visited us; it landed on our backyard deck. I was able to watch it from inside my house for a few minutes before it flew away.

Some time ago, I was walking Peyton, and as we approached our home, a dove flew low above my head and into our garage. Seconds later, a Red-tailed Hawk appeared and landed on top of my parked van outside the garage.

Peyton and I stood across the street from my house for 15 minutes, watching this deadly scenario unfold. Would the dove be so foolish as to leave the sanctuary of my garage? Or would the hawk fly into the garage to flush its quarry out into the open?

As time passed, my patience wore thin. I let Peyton off her lead, and as soon as she ran up the driveway, the hawk flew away. I peeked inside the garage and found the dove perched on a rafter. When I checked on it an hour later, it was gone.

According to the All About Birds website, most Red-tailed Hawks are rich brown above and pale below, with a streaked belly and, on the underside of the wing, a dark bar between the shoulder and wrist. The tail is usually pale below and cinnamon-red above, though in young birds it is brown and banded. “Dark-morph” birds are entirely chocolate-brown with a warm red tail. “Rufous-morph” birds are reddish-brown on the chest with a dark belly.

The website states that a person is unlikely to see this bird in their backyard unless the yard is quite large. Red-tailed Hawks eat mostly mammals, so they are less likely to visit a popular feeder than a Cooper’s Hawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk. It is very rare for a Red-tailed Hawk to go after dogs or cats.

The Red-tailed Hawk has a thrilling, raspy scream that sounds exactly like a raptor should sound. At least, that is what Hollywood directors seem to think. Whenever a hawk or eagle appears onscreen, regardless of the species, the shrill cry heard on the soundtrack is almost always that of a Red-tailed Hawk.