Wildfire Near Sunoco Tank Farm Sends Thick Smoke Across SJ (videos)

UPDATE

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

The smoke from the fire covered the South Jersey area. Image courtesy of Channel 6 Action News

NATIONAL PARK, NJ–Around 10:30 AM Saturday, April 11, 2026, black and dark gray smoke plumes were visible to the west. The smoke could be seen from far away, even from the Walt Whitman Bridge. “Lookie Lou’s” from all over South Jersey were driving toward the smoke, trying to find the source. CNBNews initially headed to Water Street, Gloucester City. Finding nothing, we drove to Old Crown Point Road, West Deptford, thinking the fire was at the Sunoco Refinery tank farm that faces The Piston Diner.

Not seeing anything at that location, we drove to the nearby community of National Park. Traffic was backed up from the 295 exit ramp to the Hessian Avenue traffic light. As Sweetie and I neared the fire, the smoke turned a dark black. Despite having my van windows closed and the AC on, my eyes began to tear, and I began to choke uncontrollably. Sweetie began to whimper. At that point, traffic was getting more congested. We abandoned our search for the fire’s location and headed home.

Continue reading “Wildfire Near Sunoco Tank Farm Sends Thick Smoke Across SJ (videos)” →

Gloucester City Entrepreneurs Embrace Asset Protection Amid Growing Opportunities

Gloucester City’s business landscape is experiencing a remarkable surge as economic development initiatives and urban enterprise zone incentives continue to attract new entrepreneurs while inspiring established business owners to pursue innovative ventures. As the city welcomes this influx of creativity and enterprise, a new focus has emerged among the community’s business leaders: the strategic management and protection of business assets.

While growth and customer engagement remain top priorities, entrepreneurs are recognizing that the careful oversight of a company’s physical and digital resources is critical to sustaining long-term success. From laptops and tablets to critical proprietary software, the assets a business relies on are now the backbone of operations and the key to protecting both client trust and company reputation.

Continue reading →

Richard Wimmer, 95, of Gloucester City

Richard Wimmer, of Gloucester City, NJ, died on April 4, 2026. He was 95 years old. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Joan (nee Clayton), to whom he was married for 57 years. Loving father of Sharon L. Norman and husband Jim of Kissimmee, FL, and Richard A. Wimmer and wife Suzanne of Boothwyn, PA. Dick was the cherished Gramps of grandchildren Janine Young, husband Kyle; Katie Sarajian, husband Tim; Meghan Bistline, husband John; and Jimmy Norman. He also had 4 great-grandchildren: Zoey, Ashlyn, Jay, and Delainey. Dear brother of Dorothy Lynch, deceased, and Geraldine Furlong. Dick was the son of the late Howard D. and Kathryn C. Wimmer. Dick retired from the E.I. Dupont company with 34 years as an analytical technician.

Continue reading →

Cleary’s Notebook Presents

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.

—

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 →

TIPS AND SNIPPETS: Growing Up In Gcity, Cleanup of Junk Yard? Train Blocks Traffic

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 →

E-Scooters and E-Bikes Turn Public Spaces into Hazard Zones

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 →

NO Gloucester City Council Meeting This Evening

THERE IS NO COUNCIL MEETING THIS EVENING. APOLOGIES – TECHNICAL MISS.

Gloucester Catholic Yearbooks Added to Historical Society Archive

By William E. Cleary Sr.

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.

Click Here for Gloucester Catholic Year Books Online

Gloucester Catholic Years Books Flipbook

PDF versions of the Gloucester Catholic Yearbooks can be found below.

https://drive.google.com/embeddedfolderview?id=1B68uIO3FEq-klo9MLbHeRY0DpdzCBLG6#grid

The Gloucester City Historical Society is located at 34 N. King Street, Gloucester City NJ 08030

Three Gloucester City Policemen Among the 88 Basic Police Recruit Class

Legacy article from 2024

BLACKWOOD, NJ (SEPTEMBER 17, 2024)–On Thursday afternoon, September 19, 18 new recruits of the Camden County Police Department will be graduating from the 88th Basic Police Recruit Class of the Camden County College Police Academy. In a special keynote address, all recruits will hear from David Harkins, chief of the Gloucester Township Police Department. Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said, “Policing is one of the hardest professions there is, and these recruits have just completed rigorous training to begin protecting our communities. It fills me with great pride to see these young people stepping up to begin a career in public service, and I have no doubt that their futures are bright.”

Continue reading →

Brenda A Thomas, 73, of Gloucester City

Homemaking is surely the most important work in the world. It’s the art of making a house a home. The starting place of love, hope, and dreams. Where love resides, memories are created, friends always belong, and laughter never ends. To the world, Brenda A. Thomas (nee Hancock) was a wife, mother, and homemaker, all while working full-time for most of her life. But to her family, she was their world. She loved to cook, and meals were always ready for her family. Brenda was a doting wife, mother, and “Nanny” who enjoyed baseball… cheering on the “Phightin Phils”… especially JT, crocheting, casino trips, and summers in Stone Harbor.