John Gianvito, age 86, passed away on May 1, surrounded by his family at home. He was born on October 24, 1939 in Punxsutawney, PA, and later moved with his family to West Philadelphia, before settling in Brooklawn, NJ. He proudly served his country in the United States military, demonstrating a lifelong commitment to duty and service. Following his military service, he built a long and successful career in administration with the Haddon Township School District,
A graduate of Gloucester High School, he attended Rutgers University–Camden and was later inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame, an honor that reflected his talent, dedication, and athletic achievement.
PHILADELPHIA, PA (CNBNews)(January 20, 2023)—The morning of Wednesday, January 18, 2023, arrived with a mixture of emotions I can barely put into words. After 33 treatments spanning nearly two months, I was finally heading to the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at 3600 Civic Blvd., Philadelphia, for my last prostate cancer treatment. With me were my wife, Connie; my daughter, Connie Lynn Woods; and my granddaughter, Brianna Woods. My entire family wanted to be there—but the hospital limits the number of support people you can bring with you to just three. Still, knowing they were all thinking of me, sending texts of encouragement throughout the morning, made me feel surrounded by love.
As we drove up I-676 that morning, the Philadelphia skyline emerging through the winter haze, I found myself reflecting on how this journey had begun. It seemed like yesterday, yet it felt like a lifetime ago.
Holding Officials in Gloucester City & South Jersey Accountable Since 2006
William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews
JEER-YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW
Early Sunday morning, May 3, around 3 AM, a vehicle flipped over at the intersection of Thompson Avenue and Harley Avenue. CNBNews immediately reached out to Gloucester City Police Lt. Jason Flood for basic information about the crash. As of today, no response.
Residents deserve timely updates about serious incidents in their neighborhoods — not silence. Transparency shouldn’t require repeated requests or public shaming.
(Photo courtesy of JerseyNews.)
CHEER–New Flag for St. Mary’s Cemetery
The tattered, torn American Flag that flew over Old St. Mary’s Cemetery has been replaced with a new one. We first notified St. Mary’s Rectory about the flag approximately two years ago, and were directed to contact the curator of the New St. Mary’s Cemetery in Bellmawr, which we did. CNBNews alerted them numerous times over the past 12 months, and this time we were successful.
CHEER—Emergency Alert System Installed at Johnson Blvd. Jogging Track
An emergency alert system has been installed at the Johnson Blvd. Jogging Track. Kudos to the Gloucester City mayor and council for approving the purchase and the installation of the equipment.
JEER-Verizon Trucks Block Market Street Sidewalk Near Cold Springs SchoolCampus
On April 27, 2026, around 10 AM, two Verizon trucks were parked directly across the Market Street sidewalk, just feet from the entrance to the Cold Springs School Campus. The larger truck sat idling with no driver inside, a violation of both state and local traffic laws. The exhaust fumes were overwhelming, and pedestrians were forced to step into the street to get around the blockade. What makes us mad is the fact that the drivers of these vehicles are so inconsiderate of the school children and other pedestrians who use the sidewalk daily, coming and going to the nearby elementary school and the high school.
This isn’t a one‑time problem. Verizon operates an office at that location, and trucks routinely block the sidewalk. What remains a mystery is why local police enforce street‑sweeper violations with enthusiasm, yet ignore commercial vehicles obstructing sidewalks and running engines illegally. Public safety shouldn’t depend on who’s behind the wheel.
CHEER-Firefighters Battle Massive Brush Fire in National Park
On Saturday morning, April 11, the Gloucester County Emergency Management issued an alert about an extremely large brush fire burning in National Park near the Sunoco Refinery property. Smoke plumes were reported as far south and east as Glassboro and Washington Twp. The smoke could be seen as far as the Walt Whitman Bridge. Thank you to all of the firemen and emergency personnel involved in fighting the fire.
JEER-$40,000 Pickup Truck for the UEZ Director
JEER-$40,000 Pickup Truck for the UEZ Director
We continue to wonder why the mayor and council spent $40,000 to buy a 2025 Ford F-150 for UEZ Director Lori Ryan. Is the City so rich that it can afford to spend your tax dollars needlessly? Lori Ryan is the current UEZ Coordinator and Director of Community Development for the Gloucester City Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ). She manages the district’s incentives and business development programs, including facade and signage grants. Why would that position suddenly require the purchase of a pickup truck? Previous coordinators never had one. You have a right to know!
CHEER—Gloucester City Marks America’s 250th Anniversary
The City of Gloucester has decorated the Municipal Building, 512 Monmouth Street, for the country’s 250th Anniversary. The decorations look very nice.
JEER—Judge Apologizes to Man Accused of Attempting to Assassinate President Trump
Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui (above, far right) gave the government until the next day to update the court on where Allen would be held at the Washington, D.C., jail. “Whatever you’ve been through, I apologize for the prior week,” the judge said to Allen, according to USA Today. The latest man charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump received an apology from the judge in his court appearance Monday, May 4. Attorneys for Cole Allen claimed in filings revealed during the hearing that the suspect had been wrongfully placed on suicide watch and denied access to a Bible.
JEER—$550,000 Spent on the Abandoned PNC Bank With No Plan
In 2024, the Gloucester City mayor and council spent $550,000 to buy the abandoned PNC Bank at 500 Monmouth Street. They had no plans for the property, but they spent your money anyway. At times, the governing body has acted as if they are playing Monopoly. Were you aware, Mr. and Ms. Taxpayer, that you have funded the purchase of over 200 properties? This governing body continues to frivolously spend taxpayers’ funds without any explanation or public input. Today, the former PNC property remains empty. PNC left the City in 2023. SEE RESOLUTION: https://www.cityofgloucester.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif5381/f/uploads/132-2024.pdf
Why didn’t the mayor and council ask the city taxpayers for their opinion? After all, it was their money that was being spent to purchase the building.
A search on the internet revealed an article about another community that purchased a PNC property that was also being sold for $550,000. But they invited their residents to a meeting to discuss the purchase. They were able to buy it for less than the asking price. Read: Commission Meets on Purchase of PNC Bank Building.
JEER—Seminar Highlights Ongoing Language Barriers Recently, an organization held a seminar to show Spanish-speaking communities how to use WhatsApp to communicate better. Liberal New Jersey is a sanctuary state; as such, it comes as no surprise that people are living here who can’t speak English. To become a U.S. citizen through naturalization, applicants must demonstrate an intermediate level of English proficiency, which includes the ability to read, write, and speak basic English. Our Irish forefathers arrived in America in 1892. Although our great-grandparents couldn’t speak a word of English, they persevered and became U.S. citizens. Other nationalities, such as Italian, Germans, Poles, etc., did the same. Why is it that Spanish-speaking people and some other nationalities haven’t succeeded in learning our language?
JEER — Trash Overflowing at the Railroad Right‑of‑Way
The area along the Conrail right‑of‑way near Market Street is once again littered with mattresses, tires, and construction debris. Residents report calling Public Works for months with no response. Illegal dumping continues because enforcement is nonexistent.
JEER — Broken Streetlights on King Street Still Not Repaired
Several streetlights between Monmouth and Somerset have been out for more than six weeks. Residents have reported them repeatedly. Dark streets invite trouble — and the City should know better.
CLOSING THOUGHT
Gloucester City taxpayers deserve transparency, accountability, and basic competence from their government. CHEERS to the residents and workers who keep this community moving forward — and JEERS to those who treat public money like a private checkbook.
A New York Police Department Mounted Unit Officer handcuffs a suspected purse thief following a full gallop chase down a Manhattan Street in broad daylight. Photo courtesy of NBC New York
NEW YORK CITY (CNBNews)(April 21, 2026)— A dramatic scene played out on the Upper West Side on April 15 when an NYPD Mounted Unit officer, patrolling the neighborhood on horseback, chased down a robbery suspect in broad daylight.
According to police, the officer was riding Kelly, a retired racehorse now serving with the Mounted Unit, when a woman allegedly snatched a purse near West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue. NYPD body‑camera footage shows the officer urging Kelly into a full gallop as they pursued the fleeing suspect through the busy Manhattan corridor.
The NYPD later commented on the unusual takedown, saying, “Whether on foot or on hooves, our officers are always ready.”
With help from a witness who pointed out the direction of travel, the officer closed in, recovered the stolen purse, and took the alleged purse thief into custody.
According to the Toms River Patch, Kelly was rescued by the Standardbred Retirement Foundation from a “kill pen” in 2020, the foundation’s Executive Director, Judy Bokman, told Patch. The Eyewitness News ABC7NY video below captures the chase and arrest as it unfolded.
BENSALEM, PA (CNBNEWS)(April At 8:53 PM on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, Bensalem Police responded to the parking lot at Parx Casino regarding an unattended child inside a vehicle.
Leola Dualuqua, age 37
Upon arrival, officers located a 14-month-old child in the backseat of a locked vehicle that was not running, with the windows closed. The child appeared to be sleeping but was visibly sweating, as outside temperatures were in the mid-80s.
Officers were able to gain entry to the vehicle and safely remove the child. The child’s father was contacted, and Bensalem EMS transported the child to St. Mary Medical Center, where he was evaluated and later released to his father.
CAMDEN CITY, NJ (April 14, 2014)(CNBNews)—Camden County Prosecutor Warren W. Faulk and Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson reported two men are in custody in a double homicide from 2013.
Jorge Lopez, M/35, of Gloucester City, and Jose Cortes, M/38, of Riverton, are each charged with two counts of Murder for the deaths of Christopher Humphrey, M/34, of Franklinville, and Jose Vega, M/35, of Camden. The two victims were found fatally shot at 33rd and Farragut streets on December 22, 2013.
Lopez was arrested April 11 in Camden and Cortes was taken into custody Monday, April 14 in Riverton, NJ.
OLD BRIDGE, NJ (CNBNews)( (April 16, 2026)–-Middlesex County Prosecutor Linda Estremera, Chief Thomas J. Montagna of the Old Bridge Police Department, and Chief Daniel Plumacker of the Sayreville Police Department announced today that Kevin Coposky, 39, of Old Bridge, has been arrested as a result of an online child exploitation investigation conducted by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Old Bridge Police Department received a tip from a concerned citizen regarding Coposky attempting to meet children online for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. An investigation was conducted by Detective Ryan Hall of the Old Bridge Police Department, Detective Christopher Raub of the Sayreville Police Department and Detective Ken McGarry of the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit at the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. As a result of that investigation Coposky was charged.
Council heard a presentation from Fire Code Inspector Carl Thomas regarding a new rapid key entry box system that will be available for installation at the school, community center and local businesses for the cost of the box.
TRENTON (APRIL 14, 2026)(Cleary’s Notebook News) – Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, along with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, announced on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, that the State Board of Medical Examiners has permanently revoked the medical license of a Camden County physician following his federal conviction for conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled dangerous substances (CDS).
Edward Lundy, who operated a family medicine practice in Gloucester City, at 1017 Market Street, for over 40 years, admitted to conspiring with others to distribute more than 1,600 oxycodone pills outside the bounds of legitimate medical practice. He entered a guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in January 2026 and is scheduled for sentencing in May. His office was raided by the FBI in July 2025.
K9 Cooper succumbed to heat exhaustion after being left in an unmarked police car. The vehicle was left running, and K9 Cooper’s handler believed the air conditioner was on. Because it was an unmarked patrol vehicle, it was not equipped with a temperature monitor. K9 Cooper had served with the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Department for over three years, assigned to the drug unit.
