Earl J. Cochran, Jr., 89, of Gloucester City

Earl J. Cochran, Jr., affectionately known to family and friends as “Mickey,” passed away peacefully on October 9, 2026, at the age of 89. A lifelong resident of Gloucester City, New Jersey, Mickey was born in Camden on July 1, 1937, to the late Earl J. Cochran, Sr. and Catherine (née Alber) Cochran.

Mickey proudly served his country in the United States Navy from January 1955 through August 1957. Following his military service, he spent many years working as a forklift operator, including his time with Holt Logistics in Philadelphia, PA, beginning in 1997.

Deeply rooted in his community, Mickey was a proud life member of several local organizations, including the Sportsmen A.C. in Gloucester City (since 1975), the Army-Navy Garrison in National Park (since 2003), and Brooklawn American Legion Post #72.

Mickey will be remembered for his enduring friendships, his love of family, and the many connections he made throughout a lifetime in Gloucester City.

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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

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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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Gcity Medical Emergency: 42-year-old female overdoses on weight loss injection

Heard on: Camden County Fire and EMS – Digital

01:4900:00505, all call 04.

2026-10-05 06:23 UTC

Medical Emergency Cherry St, Gloucester City, NJ 08030

Not an official report. AI-generated from public dispatch audio. Always verify with official sources.

As discussed during the dispatch call, emergency crews responded to a medical call near Cherry Street in Gloucester City for a 42-year-old woman who reportedly took too much weight loss injection and may have dehydration.

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Gloucester City Housing Department Employment

The Gloucester City Housing Department is hiring two part-time positions for code enforcement officers. The hourly rate is $20 with no benefits. The work week will consist of 20-25 hours.

Applicants must be a resident of Gloucester City and possess a valid NJ driver’s license.

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Hydrant Flushing Notice

In order to continue and maintain to deliver the best quality water, Gloucester City Department of Utilities will be doing our Semi-Annual Hydrant/Main Flushing – Starting the week Oct 13th – Oct 23rd , 2026 from 8 am – 3 pm.

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The Impact of the Holt Marine Terminals on Camden, Gcity, and Paulsboro Residents

UPDATED

William E. Cleary Sr. |CNBNews

Why has the Gloucester City Housing Office allowed this to happen?–The present head of the department, Bill Gallagher, is being paid $75,000 plus to enforce the city’s property ordinances. Decades ago, the Holt family planted a row of evergreens along the Ellis Street corridor that runs parallel with the marine terminal. Today, branches from those trees have not only engulfed the pedestrian sidewalk but have gotten so large that they have swallowed up parts of Ellis Street narrowing the width of road. Parking is at a premium in that area and those same trees are blocking cars from parking next to the curb. If the trees were placed behind the fence that would not have happened. Another improvement that would make a big difference is a sound deflection walls along Ellis Street similar to the ones you see on state and federal highways.

Constructing engineered acoustic walls directly along the terminal borders helps intercept low-frequency industrial noise. When integrated with vegetative buffers, these structures force airborne dust and diesel exhaust upward, away from ground-level residential areas.

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The Freedom Pier ‘Boom Doggle’

Gloucester City’s Freedom Pier was unveiled 15 years ago, on September 17, 2011. Approximately 100 people attended the dedication ceremony, including State Senator Donald Norcross; Assemblymen Gilbert “Whip” Wilson and Angel Fuentes; Sheriff and former Mayor Charles Billingham; Freeholder and former City Councilman Tom Gurick; Councilmen Nick Marchese, Jay Brophy, and Dan Spencer; City Historian Dave Munn; School Board President Louisa Llewellyn; and St. Mary’s Church Deacon Frank Crosson.

For over five decades Cleary’s Notebook News has written about the Gloucester City’s waterfront and the many redevelopment plans that promised transformation but ultimately fell short. The first plan presented to the City Fathers came from a North Jersey developer in 1987. He envisioned Hollywood East being built along the City’s waterfront. Mayor and council would not commit to the proposal until the develolper released his financial documents. The developer refused to provide that information until he was named the project developer.

That was followed by the King Street Corridor plan. In anticipation of that proposal the City purchased the corner bar at King and Cumberland Streets and demolished it. They also demolished the former King Theater. Those in charge announced the space were the bar and the theater were would be used for development plan. But that idea never got any further than the architect drawings.

Since then, a litany of proposistions have been announced with great fanfare, only to stall, collapse, or become entangled in lawsuits and political disputes. Those sketches ended up with all the other plans in the attic of the municipal building.

(See a list of those gradiose plans below)

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Gloucester City FD Staffs 2nd Fire Co. at No Cost to Residents

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (October 4, 2026)(CNBNews) — The Gloucester City Fire Department has announced that it will begin staffing a second fire company, a change that allows the department to place a ladder truck in service with dedicated staffing — and to do so without adding to the cost borne by the community.