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.
Shame on Congress for not getting this done—no Member of Congress should be paid during a shutdown.
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Van Drew issued the following statement as the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security continues, leaving Coast Guard service members without pay for 42 days.
“Our Coast Guard men and women are good people,” said Congressman Van Drew. “They have committed their lives to serving this country and protecting all of us. What is happening right now is painful, wrong, and downright shameful. It is unbelievable that in the United States of America, we have Coast Guard members going to food banks, holding fundraisers, and struggling to make ends meet. That is not who we are as a country, and it should make every single person in Washington embarrassed.
Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw announced that a 39-year-old Pennsylvania man has been convicted of fatally shooting two women after breaking into their home in the Hawthorne Park section of Willingboro Township in October 2024.
After deliberating for approximately six hours over two days, a Superior Court jury yesterday found Junior Edwards, of Lansdowne, guilty of two counts of Murder (First Degree), Home Invasion Burglary Armed with a Firearm (First Degree), Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Second Degree), Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose (Second Degree), and Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Second Degree).
A new variant of COVID has been discovered in New Jersey, according to the CDC
The SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.3.2 was first identified in South Africa on November 22, 2024. BA.3.2 has approximately 70–75 substitutions and deletions in the gene sequence of the spike protein relative to JN.1 and its descendant, LP.8.1, the antigens used in the 2025–26 COVID-19 vaccines. CDC is using a multimodal SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance approach to monitor the emergence and spread of BA.3.2 and other SARS-CoV-2 variants internationally and within the United States. The first U.S. BA.3.2 detection occurred on June 27, 2025, through CDC’s Traveler-Based Genomic Surveillance program in a participant traveling to the United States from the Netherlands. The first U.S. detection of BA.3.2 in a clinical specimen collected from a patient was reported on January 5, 2026. As of February 11, 2026, BA.3.2 had been detected in voluntarily self-collected nasal swabs from four U.S. travelers, clinical samples from five patients, three airplane wastewater samples, and 132 wastewater surveillance samples from 25 states. BA.3.2 has been reported by at least 23 countries. SARS-CoV-2 continues to cause substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. BA.3.2 mutations in the spike protein have the potential to reduce protection from a previous infection or vaccination. Continued genomic surveillance is needed to track SARS-CoV-2 evolution and determine its potential effect on public health.
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (July 2006)– I have been so preoccupied with other stories I missed the great news about Cleary’s Notebook hitting the milestone of 50,000 visitors earlier today.
The blog was started at the end of July 2006 just as a lark. My knowledge of computers is limited while my familiarity about operating a Blog was zero. But I thought what the heck I would give it a try.
I never dreamed the popularity of the site would grow as fast as it did. The success of the site is owed to all of you. Your encouraging words have kept me going.
Looking at the other stats, I noticed the site has logged 2,373 posts in that period of time and 592 people wrote in to post a comment. Plus there are over 1000 photos available for viewing.
Initially, Cleary’s Notebook was receiving on average 500 visitors a week. But soon after, the numbers started to increase and increase. Now, on a daily basis, the number of visitors averages between 500 and 600 a day. While the number of page views daily is 1100.
My goal is to have that number of daily visitors reach a 1000 a day. I plan to make some more improvements such as adding videos to view (just need to learn how to do it).
Thank you again for your support. If you see any area where I can improve give me yell.
Bill
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ClearysNotebook Reaches A Milestone; 50,000 Visitors in Just Nine Months!
I have been so preoccupied with other stories I missed the great news about ClearysNotebook hitting the milestone of 50,000 visitors earlier today.
The blog was started in August just as a lark. My knowledge of computers is limited while my familiarity about operating a Blog was zero. But I thought what the heck I would give it a try.
I never dreamed the popularity of the site would grow as fast as it did. The success of the site is owed to all of you. Your encouraging words have kept me going.
Looking at the other stats I noticed the site has logged 2, 373 posts in that period of time and 592 people wrote in to post a comment. Plus there are over 1000 photos available for viewing.
In the beginning ClearysNotebook was receiving on average 500 visitors a week. But soon after the numbers started to increase and increase. Now on a daily basis the number of visitors average between 500 and 600 a day. While the number of page views on a daily basis is 1100.
My goal is to have that number of daily visitors reach a 1000 a day. I plan to make some more improvements such as adding videos to view (just need to learn how to do it).
Thank you again for your support. If you see any area where I can improve give me yell.
Bill
Subscribe to Cleary’s NoteBook News!
Get updates on the latest posts and more from Cleary’s NoteBook News straight to your inbox.Subscribe
We use your personal data for interest-based advertising, as outlined in our Privacy Notice.
This post was imported from a legacy archive. Please excuse any formatting inconsistencies.
I have been so preoccupied with other stories I missed the great news about ClearysNotebook hitting the milestone of 50,000 visitors earlier today.
The blog was started in August just as a lark. My knowledge of computers is limited while my familiarity about operating a Blog was zero. But I thought what the heck I would give it a try.
I never dreamed the popularity of the site would grow as fast as it did. The success of the site is owed to all of you. Your encouraging words have kept me going.
Looking at the other stats I noticed the site has logged 2, 373 posts in that period of time and 592 people wrote in to post a comment. Plus there are over 1000 photos available for viewing.
In the beginning ClearysNotebook was receiving on average 500 visitors a week. But soon after the numbers started to increase and increase. Now on a daily basis the number of visitors average between 500 and 600 a day. While the number of page views on a daily basis is 1100.
My goal is to have that number of daily visitors reach a 1000 a day. I plan to make some more improvements such as adding videos to view (just need to learn how to do it).
Thank you again for your support. If you see any area where I can improve give me yell.
Bill
Subscribe to Cleary’s NoteBook News!
Get updates on the latest posts and more from Cleary’s NoteBook News straight to your inbox.Subscribe
We use your personal data for interest-based advertising, as outlined in our Privacy Notice.
This post was imported from a legacy archive. Please excuse any formatting inconsistencies.
Corporal Timothy O’Connor, 40, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in West Caln Township, near the intersection of Michael Road and Route 10 in West Caln Township, at approximately 8:24 p.m.
While responding to a complaint about an erratic driver, Corporal O’Connor located and pulled the vehicle over. When Corporal O’Connor approached the vehicle, the driver shot from inside the vehicle, fatally wounding Corporal O’Connor.
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (March 25, 2026)(CNBNews)–Doing research we found a treasurer trove of Gloucester Catholic yearbooks posted on the Gloucester City Historical Society’s website. The first known yearbook begins with 1936. The Historical Society has every yearbook except 1937, 1938 & 1943. The Gloucester City Library may have those which the Historical Society does not have.
(photo property of George F. Cleary Jr., 1959 GCHS graduate)
The very first person in the front row is my brother George F. Cleary Jr., next to him is Vernon “Buddy” Myers. The photo is of members of the typing class that graduated in 1959, which was copied from George’s personal yearbook. Our mother, Mazie, insisted that George and I learn how to type. Those lessons paid off throughout my life, as it was a necessary skill for a reporter. George became a Morse code expert in the Army. He was stationed in Frankfort, Germany, during the time the Berlin Wall was being built by the Communists in East Germany. He and the pilot of a small airplane would fly over the Wall; George’s job was to decipher the Morse code messages being transmitted between the enemy. He would type those conversations and submit the information to his superior officer.
The Historical Society released the following remarks about the use of the data: “Below are links to yearbooks that have been digitized to date. The copyright status of these books is unknown. Access is provided for personal use only. These yearbooks may contain personal messages. Should you find anything that may be too personal or hurtful, please let us know, and we will attempt to edit out or omit those pages.
Renters would have increased safeguards against certain rent hikes under legislation advanced by the New Jersey General Assembly on Monday. Bill A3507, sponsored by Assembly members Yvonne Lopez, Cody Miller and Shanique Speight, would clarify and expand a list of factors used to determine unconscionable rent increases.
On March 20, 2026, of Collingswood, NJ. She was 85 years old.
Beloved wife of 39 years to Frank Barone, Jr. Dear mother of Michael (Helen) Nicolosi and John Daniels. Loving grandmother of Tyler and Jennifer. She is also lovingly survived by her nieces, Kathleen, Lisa and Lori and nephew, Alfred.
Nancy was a graduate of St. Maria Goretti High School in Philadelphia, PA and was a longtime employee, along with her brother, Alfred, at Mother’s Cheesecake in Burlington, NJ. She was a member and former board member of Lodge #494 Alighieri-Garibaldi Order of Sons and Daughters of Italy. She also was a member of Jetsetters Seniors of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish.
William E. Cleary Sr. | Founder/Editor of Cleary’s Notebook News
Gloucester City News photo, August 29, 1974
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (March 24, 2026)--All good things come to an end, eventually — or so the saying goes. Gloucester City felt the weight of that truth this month when Jean Carr, owner of Carr’s Hardware, announced she was retiring and closing the family business on March 12. With that decision, a remarkable 58‑year chapter in the city’s history quietly came to a close.
The Carr family’s hardware legacy began in 1968, when the family patriarch, Franklin Carr Sr., opened the original store at 520 Monmouth Street in the heart of the Business District. At the time, Garwood’s Hardware stood directly across the street, and several other shops throughout town sold tools, lumber, and supplies. When the business moved to its new location, Frank Jr., owned the business. And, his brothers, Bill and Richard, worked there.
The Camden County Police Department is looking for a missing 12-year-old from Centerville.
Aiden Baker has been reported missing from his home on the 1800 block of South 10th Street. He is described as a black male, 5’5”, 150 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. He was last seen wearing black clothes and a black hat. He is known to frequent Centerville and Fairview, including Yorkship Square.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the CCPD tip line at (856) 757-7042.