VINELAND, NJ (Cleary’s Notebook News)(April 7, 2026) — The Vineland Police investigation into the death of Philadelphia Christian Pastor Lance Warren on New Year’s Eve concluded on Friday, April 3, 2026, resulting in the arrest of Donald Hunt Jr., 34, of Pittsgrove. Hunt had been free since the accident, pending the outcome of the accident investigation.
Image source Cleary’s Notebook News
APRIL CHEERS AND JEERS
Gloucester City Firefighter Settles Lawsuit for $45K
Written by William E. Cleary Sr.
JEER — To the ongoing dysfunction inside the Gloucester City Fire Department
A recently settled lawsuit revealed allegations of harassment, retaliation, and hostility toward an injured firefighter, ending in a $45,000 payout by the city. The details paint a picture of leadership problems that taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for.
The source for the $45,000 payout by Gloucester City is a March 27, 2026, report by Transparency NJ, written by open‑government advocate John Paff. The article details the settlement of a lawsuit filed by firefighter Kyle Jeffries, (photo) who alleged disability discrimination, harassment, and retaliation within the Gloucester City Fire Department. The city agreed to pay $45,000 to resolve the case — $23,804 to Jeffries for emotional distress and $21,196 for attorney fees.
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Key points from the documented settlement
The lawsuit stemmed from a June 2023 training injury and the firefighter’s subsequent treatment while on light duty. In his lawsuit, Kyle Jeffries, who began working for the department in 2014, alleged that he sustained a ruptured nerve in his spine leading to his left leg during a swift water training exercise in June 2023. He alleged that after reporting the injury and seeking medical treatment, he was placed on light-duty status but faced hostility from both supervisors and coworkers.
Allegations included hostility from supervisors, delayed workers’ comp paperwork, and retaliatory shift changes.
The settlement was finalized in August 2025, but publicly reported in March 2026.
The city did not admit wrongdoing, but paid the settlement to close the case. The mayor and council never said a word to the taxpayers who footed the bill for this case.
Continue reading “Cleary’s Notebook Presents”By William E. Cleary Sr.
REMEMBERING THE “GOOD OLD DAYS” — Howard “Butch” Shaffer rolled up from Hilton Head, South Carolina, to meet a few of his childhood buddies at the Brooklawn Diner on Thursday, April 2. For a moment, it felt like Gloucester City in the 1940s and ’50s all over again — a town where everyone knew your name, your father’s nickname, and which streetlight you were supposed to be home by.
Back then, our little community ran on corner stores, church bells, and the kind of front‑porch gossip that traveled faster than any newspaper. World War II was winding down, the Korean War was starting up on the other side of the world, and kids like us were more worried about stickball games, jukebox music, and whether we had enough change for a Coke.
Continue reading “TIPS AND SNIPPETS: Growing Up In Gcity, Cleanup of Junk Yard? Train Blocks Traffic”William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews Editor
Electric scooters and electric bikes have flooded into Gloucester City and surrounding towns, and the results are becoming harder to ignore. What began as a convenient way to get around has quickly turned into a safety problem for anyone who uses our sidewalks, jogging paths, or neighborhood streets responsibly.
The danger isn’t theoretical. On my daily walks with Sweetie, I’ve had kids on these motorized bikes come up behind us without a sound. These machines make no noise, so you can’t hear them approaching until they’re already on top of you. More than once, a rider has blown past us at high speed, leaving no time to react. In one instance, a teenager on an e‑bike came straight at the dog and me, expecting us to move aside. I was forced to step off the path or be hit. That’s not “sharing the road”—that’s intimidation.
Continue reading “E-Scooters and E-Bikes Turn Public Spaces into Hazard Zones”Sunday, March 1, 2026
Former Gloucester Mayor Gorman Fighting A Legal Battle With The City That Elected Him; Battle is Over City Police Department Records
William E. Cleary Sr. | Cleary’s Notebook News
(FIRST published December 2006)—
Reporter’s Note: Since 2004, former Gloucester City Mayor Robert Gorman has been embroiled in a court battle with the City of Gloucester and its Police Department over information he believes should be released under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). During my research, I discovered a recent decision on these proceedings dated December 14, 2006. A link to that decision appears at the bottom of this article. I must warn you—it is quite lengthy.
According to the legal document, while Mr. Gorman was still Mayor of Gloucester City, unflattering material about him was posted on NJ.com. The document states that Mr. Gorman believed some of these posts were made by Gloucester City Police Officers, possibly while on duty at police headquarters. Apparently, during his time as Mayor, Mr. Gorman asked the Police Department to investigate these allegations. The document also states that “Mr. Gorman believed that the Gloucester City Police Department was trying to harm and/or harass him and now wants to review the results and status of the various internal investigations he requested while he was still mayor of Gloucester City.”
Continue reading “FROM OUR DIGITAL MORGUE; X-Mayor Gorman’s Battle with Gloucester City PD”
WASHINGTON DC (Cleary’s Notebook News)(February 27, 2026)–Last month, Cabinet members of the Trump Administration posted an inspirational tribute to their friend on YouTube. Kirk was shot and killed on September 10, 2025. According to a Wikipedia article, Kirk was an American right-wing political activist. He was assassinated at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was scheduled to speak at an outdoor campus debate organized by Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization he co-founded and led. Kirk, age 31, was a close supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump and a highly influential figure in the MAGA movement.
Continue reading “YouTube : Remembering Charlie Kirk”Thursday, February 19, 2026
The Diocese of Camden has agreed to pay $180 million to more than 300 survivors of clerical sexual abuse, marking one of the largest such settlements in New Jersey history and representing a significant expansion of compensation for victims who have waited years for justice. The agreement, announced Tuesday in a letter from Bishop Joseph A. Williams to diocesan clergy and faithful, more than doubles the $87.5 million settlement the diocese reached in 2022. The victim support fund will be financed through contributions from the diocese, its parishes, and insurance carriers following a protracted legal dispute. The settlement represents a breakthrough after years of contentious negotiations between the diocese, claimants’ attorneys, and insurance companies that had resisted earlier payment demands. The agreement must still receive approval from the bankruptcy court, as the Camden diocese has operated under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since 2020.
Read more: Camden Diocese Reaches $180 Million Settlement with Abuse Survivors, More Than Doubling Previous Agreement
A Long-Awaited Milestone
In his letter dated February 17, Bishop Williams acknowledged the profound significance of the moment for those who suffered abuse at the hands of clergy members. The bishop offered a direct apology to victims, calling their suffering the result of “grave sin and a devastating betrayal of the trust you placed in the Church that you loved.”
Years of Legal Battles
According to a statement from Lowenstein Sandler, the law firm representing plaintiffs in the case, the new agreement supplements rather than replaces the earlier settlement, bringing total compensation to victims to more than a quarter-billion dollars.
For the more than 300 survivors involved in this case, the settlement offers financial recognition of their suffering, though many advocates note that no amount of money can truly compensate for the trauma of childhood sexual abuse and its lifelong consequences.
Context and Implications
The agreement also reflects the ongoing financial and moral reckoning facing the Catholic Church as it continues to confront the legacy of clergy sexual abuse scandals that have spanned decades.
For more information, visit: https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2026/02/diocese-of-camden-nj-reaches-180-million-abuse-settlement
FROM PEN TO PAPER
By William E. Cleary Sr.
eBook $9.99; Paperback $16.99
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE: THE ENIGMATIC VISITOR
• July 17, 1989
• August 18: Lyons Preps Bevan for Meeting
• The Investigation Begins
• Face to Face with the South Jersey Building Contractor
• Sit-Down with New Jersey State Police
• Smith Demands a 99-Year Lease
• Smith Issues Stern Warning About Tommy Holt
• July 26: Document Pickup
• August 4: “A New Beginning for Gloucester City’s
Waterfront”
• August 17: Smith’s Demands Escalate
• Unanswered Questions
• Retired FBI Agent Says, “You’re the Target, Bill!”
• The Target Is You, Bill!
Read more: CNBNEWS Editor Shares Lessons from a Lifetime in the NewsroomCHAPTER TWO: THE MAN WHO INSPIRED ME
• The Fire Whistle
• A Life Forged in Tragedy
• 1950: A New Beginning
• The Crusader
• The Urban Renewal Battle
• Passing the Torch
• The Long Goodbye
• The Legacy
CHAPTER THREE: MY SUMMER LOVE BECOMES MY WIFE
• The Front Porch Conversation
• Answering the Call: Joining the National Guard
• The Rifle Range
• Early Married Life
• The Postmaster’s Offer
Continue reading “CNBNEWS Editor Shares Lessons from a Lifetime in the Newsroom”WILLIAM E. CLEARY SR. l CLEARY’S NOTEBOOK NEW
ASKING PRICE FOR STITES AVENUE HOME: $500,000
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ {CNBNEWS} FEBRUARY 9, 2025.–A new single‑family home is rising in the Riverview Heights section of Gloucester City—on a lot that has been vacant for decades. The property at 16 Stites Avenue sits on a 5,001‑square‑foot lot, and the two‑story home with an attached garage will span 2,986 square feet when completed. The asking price is $500,000.
The Zillow listing promotes the house as a modern build with three bedrooms, two and a half baths, a finished basement, and a deck overlooking the backyard. Buyers are offered the option to customize finishes. Taxes, the listing notes, are “TBD.”
The half‑million‑dollar price tag raises a larger question: Is Gloucester City’s housing market now out of sync with the community’s economic reality?
Read more: Gloucester City’s Housing Market Shows Signs of Strain as Prices Outpace RealityAbout a year ago, Zillow identified Gloucester City as one of the communities “dangerously close to a housing price correction.” At the time, prices were rising faster than local incomes, investor activity was increasing, and distressed properties were piling up. A year later, many of those warning signs remain.
Recent data shows the city’s median home value hovering between $240,000 and $270,000, depending on the source. Prices have risen modestly, but homes are taking longer to sell—an average of 46 days on the market, compared to just 18 days the year before. Price cuts are becoming more common, and public records show hundreds of liens and dozens of pre‑foreclosures over the past year.
Compared with neighboring towns, Gloucester City remains one of the least expensive markets in the region—yet also one of the most strained. Bellmawr, Westville, and Gloucester Township all have higher home values and stronger demand. Even Brooklawn, the closest comparison, sees homes selling faster and with fewer signs of distress.
So how did Gloucester City end up with rising prices but a weakening foundation?
A major factor is investor pressure. Out‑of‑town buyers, flippers, and cash purchasers have been active in the city for years, pushing prices upward based on profit potential rather than local wages. At the same time, Gloucester City’s housing stock is old—much of it 80 to 100 years old—and expensive to maintain. New construction is rare, and when it does appear, it’s priced according to regional standards, not neighborhood norms.
High property taxes and long‑standing municipal challenges add another layer. Aging infrastructure, limited commercial growth, and persistent code issues have left the city without the stability needed to support sustained price increases.
Correcting the imbalance will require a coordinated effort. Stronger code enforcement, incentives for owner‑occupied rehabilitation, and policies that encourage residents—not investors—to buy homes could help stabilize neighborhoods. A clearer long‑term housing strategy from city leadership, along with a tax structure that reflects the realities of the market, would also move the city in the right direction.
The new home on Stites Avenue is not the cause of Gloucester City’s housing problems. It is a signpost. Prices continue to rise, but the fundamentals beneath them remain uneven. Whether the market corrects itself or continues drifting upward will depend on whether the city confronts the forces shaping its future—or allows them to continue unchecked.
This comparison shows a clear pattern: Gloucester City remains one of the least expensive towns in the region — yet also one of the most economically strained. Neighboring towns with higher prices have stronger demand, newer housing stock, and fewer signs of distress. Even Brooklawn, the closest match, sees homes selling far more quickly.From the Zillow advertisement:
What’s special
Welcome to 16 Stites Avenue, a thoughtfully designed new construction home offering modern comfort, flexible living spaces, and refined finishes throughout. This impressive residence features three spacious bedrooms, two full bathrooms and one half bath, a fully finished basement, and an attached one-car garage, delivering an ideal balance of functionality and contemporary design. Buyers have the opportunity to customize select finishes—please inquire for details.
The main level showcases a bright, open-concept layout that is perfectly suited for both everyday living and entertaining. Abundant natural light fills the living and dining areas and flows seamlessly into the well-appointed kitchen, designed to serve as the true heart of the home. Modern finishes and an efficient floor plan provide both style and practicality. The fully finished basement offers valuable additional living space, ideal for a family room, home office, fitness area, or entertainment space. Upstairs, the private bedroom level features generously sized bedroom
s, including a primary suite with ample closet space and a private en-suite bathroom. Outdoor living is enhanced by a spacious deck overlooking the backyard—perfect for morning coffee or evening relaxation. Additional highlights include quality craftsmanship throughout and a layout designed to complement today’s lifestyle needs.
Situated in one of Gloucester City’s most desirable neighborhoods, the home is conveniently located near parks, shopping, dining, and major commuter routes, including Route 130 and Route 295, with easy access to Philadelphia bridges—placing Center City Philadelphia just 15 minutes away. This is a unique opportunity to personalize and own an exceptional new construction home. Schedule your private showing today. “Taxes are not $1 and are TBD. Taxes and square footage are the responsibility of the buyer to have verified.”
So how did Gloucester City end up with rising prices but a weakening foundation?
A major factor is investor pressure. Out‑of‑town buyers, flippers, and cash purchasers have been active in the city for years, pushing prices upward based on profit potential rather than local wages. At the same time, Gloucester City’s housing stock is old—much of it 80 to 100 years old—and expensive to maintain. New construction is rare, and when it does appear, it’s priced according to regional standards, not neighborhood norms.
High property taxes and long‑standing municipal challenges add another layer. Aging infrastructure, limited commercial growth, and persistent code issues have left the city without the stability needed to support sustained price increases.
Correcting the imbalance will require a coordinated effort. Stronger code enforcement, incentives for owner‑occupied rehabilitation, and policies that encourage residents—not investors—to buy homes could help stabilize neighborhoods. A clearer long‑term housing strategy from city leadership, along with a tax structure that reflects the realities of the market, would also move the city in the right direction.
The new home on Stites Avenue is not the cause of Gloucester City’s housing problems. It is a signpost. Prices continue to rise, but the fundamentals beneath them remain uneven. Whether the market corrects itself or continues drifting upward will depend on whether the city confronts the forces shaping its future—or allows them to continue unchecked.
Source of Graff AI
By Jeffrey Gerrish
President Donald Trump is wasting no time completing the ambitious goals left unfinished after his first term.
Soon, he’ll have a rare opportunity to complete another critical piece of unfinished business: ending the exploitation of U.S. businesses by our two largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico.
In the coming months, the United States will undertake a scheduled review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA — the landmark trade deal reached during President Trump’s first term. During that review, the administration will have the chance to restore crucial intellectual property protections that Democrats insisted be dropped after the deal was first negotiated.
I was involved in the negotiation of the USMCA as President Trump’s deputy U.S. trade representative. The president’s goal was to replace the disastrous North American Free Trade Agreement with a modern pact that would protect American workers, innovators, and businesses. A central part of that was strengthening intellectual property protections.
Yet before the deal could take effect, Democrats in Congress stripped out several key protections. For example, we had secured commitments from Mexico and Canada to provide 10 years of regulatory data protection for certain new medicines. Regulatory data protection provides temporary protection for the confidential information that drug developers share with authorities to prove a medicine is safe and effective before it can be sold. House Democrats led efforts to remove this provision, claiming that stronger protections would raise drug prices.
That’s nonsense. The United States already provides 12 years of regulatory data protection, so the change wouldn’t have altered the U.S. market. Removing it has only allowed Canadian and Mexican firms to more easily copy U.S.-made drugs.
Democrats weakened other key IP protections negotiated as part of USMCA, opening the door for Canada and Mexico to undercut U.S. innovators.
Mexico’s failures are especially troubling. In the U.S. trade representative’s most recent Special 301 Report — an annual report spotlighting foreign IP violations — Mexico was placed on the Priority Watch List for “long-standing and significant” concerns, including rampant counterfeiting and piracy.
And Canada has its own shortcomings. It is on the Special 301 Watch List and continues to impose drug price controls that undervalue American-made medicines and exacerbate foreign free-riding on U.S. innovation.
By fixing prices below market value, Canada — like many wealthy nations — forces companies to absorb losses abroad, making it harder to fund new research and pushing a greater share of costs onto American patients. President Trump is actively working to resolve this imbalance as part of lowering drug prices for U.S. patients — and fixing the USMCA is an important place to start.
The needed reforms are straightforward. Create enforceable, verifiable standards mandating respect for IP. Restore the 10-year regulatory data protection standard originally negotiated as part of the USMCA in 2018. Require Canada to abandon price controls and devote a higher, fairer level of spending to new drug development. And enforce full compliance with existing requirements.
The Trump administration now has the opportunity to finish the job it started in the first term on IP protection under the USMCA. For the sake of American workers and innovators, it must not let this opportunity go to waste.
Ambassador Jeffrey Gerrish served as the deputy U.S. trade representative for Asia, Europe, the Middle East and industrial competitiveness from 2018 to 2020. This piece originally appeared in Newsweek.