Articles

NEW FOR THURSDAY: Outcry Leads To Ocean City Lifting Specific Body Board Ban

OCEAN CITY -- A major flap over the proliferation of an increasingly popular, larger version of the traditional boogie board was at least temporarily resolved today when Ocean City officials lifted the ban on the “beaters” until the issue could be discussed next week. After receiving numerous complaints about the increased use of the larger body boards, those 42 inches or longer, and their perceived threat on the safety of the general public in the ocean, the Ocean City Beach...READ MORE

NEW FOR THURSDAY: Manslaughter Conviction In West OC Bar Owner’s Death

SNOW HILL -- An Ocean City man was found guilty this week of manslaughter and assault in the death of a West Ocean City bar owner last October with a Worcester County Circuit Court judge agreeing the internal injuries he sustained during a physical altercation outside the establishment caused his death. Cyle Morgan Walker, who celebrated his 26th birthday on the night of the tragic incident, was found guilty Wednesday in Circuit Court of manslaughter, second-degree assault and disorderly conduct...READ MORE

NEW FOR WEDNESDAY: Council Majority Argues Former City Manager’s Political Future Influenced Election Decision

OCEAN CITY – With the Mayor and City Council having voted to move Ocean City’s Election Day to November, the majority block of the council alleged this week it was done to assist former City Manager Dennis Dare’s potential aspirations for elected office. It all started on June 18 when the council voted 4-3, Council members Joe Hall, Doug Cymek, Mary Knight, and Lloyd Martin in favor and Brent Ashley, Jim Hall and Margaret Pillas opposed, to have City Solicitor Guy Ayres draft a...READ MORE

NEW FOR TUESDAY: Drunk Driving Spree Damages Property, Injures Passengers, Knocks Out Power

OCEAN CITY -- A Greenwood, Del. man was arrested on 67 different citations last night after an alleged drunk-driving ride through the downtown area during which he nearly struck several pedestrians on the sidewalk at different times, caused at least two accidents including one with injuries, struck several trees and signs and hit a power box and transformer knocking out power. Around 9:15 p.m. on Monday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to Robin Drive to investigate...READ MORE

Casino’s June Revenue Up 16%

BERLIN -- The June figures for Maryland’s three operating casinos were released this week, revealing a substantial jump in the gross revenues generated by Ocean Downs over June 2011, but the biggest splash was made by the new Maryland Live! Casino in Anne Arundel County, which generated more than $1 million a day during its first month. The Casino at Ocean Downs last month generated gross revenues totaling $4.4 million, up 16 percent from June 2011, which produced $3.8 million. The gross...READ MORE

High Court Denies Chamber’s Inability To Pay Award Defense

OCEAN CITY -- The Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce’s inability to pay is not a valid reason for denying an award of thousands of dollars in attorney fees and costs to a former executive director that successfully sued the organization, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals opined last week. In the latest chapter of a case that has moved up and down the appeals ladder for the last several years, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals last week issued an opinion reversing the decision...READ MORE

Downtown Plan Divides Salisbury Council

SALISBURY -- After the Salisbury City Council chose not to move forward with proposals made by administration concerning downtown revitalization, the minority of council members chastised their colleagues for making the city unfriendly to business. The council majority defended the direction Salisbury is heading and also charged the administration and the minority with throwing sand in the gears of government with constant infighting. “I have made every positive overture and accommodation...READ MORE

County Hopes To Meet With State On Watershed Plan

SNOW HILL -- As per last month’s decision to protest the requirements in the state-written Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP), the Worcester County Commissioners sent a letter of concern to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) on June 29. At their meeting this Tuesday, the commissioners briefly reviewed what issues they have with the proposed WIP as well as highlighting the steps the county has already taken toward reducing its negative impact on the Chesapeake...READ MORE

Worcester Leads Md. In Incoming Taxpayer Migration

BERLIN -- Worcester has seen the greatest incoming migration of taxpaying citizens among all jurisdictions in Maryland, and subsequently the largest percentage of growth in the assessable income tax base, over a recent two-year period, according to an independent study released last week. According to study released by Change Maryland, based on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) figures, more taxpaying citizens migrated to Worcester County over a two-year period from 2009 to 2010 resulting in the...READ MORE

Fatal Scooter Crash In Pines

OCEAN PINES -- Ocean Pines Police are investigating a single vehicle scooter accident that occurred Wednesday evening at Ocean Parkway and Breezeway Lane.   The victim has been identified as David Allan Biggs, 50, of Brooklyn Park, Md. Police are still investigating the circumstances of the accident, but initial investigation revealed that the scooter operated by Biggs left the roadway and collided with a tree in the center median of the roadway.  He was not wearing a helmet. Ocean...READ MORE

Body Pulled From Wicomico River

SALISBURY -- Salisbury Police are continuing to investigate the discovery of an elderly man’s body found floating in the Wicomico River on Monday afternoon including a possible connection to a fire at his residence hours earlier. Around 2:20 p.m. on Monday, Salisbury Police responded to the area of the West Main Street bridge near the Brew River restaurant for a reported body floating in the Wicomico River. Salisbury Fire and EMS responded and the new Salisbury fire boat was requested to...READ MORE

Police Probe Grandparent Scam After Woman Bilked Out Of $2K

OCEAN CITY -- Ocean City police are investigating a new variation on an old scam that snared an elderly resort woman last month and bilked her out of over $2,000. Last month, an 84-year-old Ocean City woman got an early morning call from an individual claiming to be her grandson, who was in trouble and in dire need of financial assistance. The caller told his “grandmother” he was in St. Lucia for a wedding and that he had been in an accident, had broken his nose and was in jail on...READ MORE

OC Voter Roll Audit Requested After Discrepancies Found

OCEAN CITY – A future discussion will be scheduled to get to the bottom of Ocean City’s constant variability in the number of registered voters. During a discussion to consolidate Ocean City’s municipal elections with national Election Day this week, Councilman Brent Ashley brought up the constant fluctuation in voters. “I noticed that the voter figures over the past several election cycles provided by the clerk’s office didn’t match the figures in our...READ MORE

Worcester County Reduces Early Tax Payment Break

SNOW HILL -- For the first time in over a decade, Worcester County is cutting back on the amount property owners save when they pay their taxes early, but officials don’t expect residents to especially notice. Emergency Bill 12-4 passed Tuesday scaled back the discount Worcester offers for early payment from the previously mentioned 1 percent to .5 percent. Finance Officer Harold Higgins explained that the former 1-percent discount, which was established in 2000, is unusually steep for the...READ MORE

Solid Reviews For OC’s New Fireworks Vendor

OCEAN CITY – The 4th of July fireworks went off with the usual oohs and aahs Wednesday, albeit with a different supplier than years past. This year Ocean City chose to go with a three-year contract with American Fireworks of Hudson, Ohio versus Zambelli, which had provided the city with the 4th of July fireworks for a number of years. American Fireworks was chosen due to a savings of a little over $22,000, charging a total of $45,000 for the two 4th of July fireworks displays on Wednesday...READ MORE

Violent Dispute Over $10 Leads To 10 Years In Jail

SNOW HILL -- An Ocean City man convicted of first-degree murder after running over a convenience store employee with his vehicle multiple times during a dispute over $10 was sentenced this week in Circuit Court to 20 years in jail, half of which was then suspended. Richard L. Edwards, 65, of Ocean City, was initially charged with attempted first-degree murder and other serious charges after an incident last June 9 during which he ran over north-end 7-Eleven employee Michael Curry multiple times...READ MORE

Small Business Group Aims To Save ‘Golden Goose’

OCEAN CITY -- With growing momentum, a coalition of small business owners in Ocean City is challenging resort leaders to relax the overly burdensome bureaucracy they believe is stifling new commercial growth in the town. In the midst of the annual Fourth of July celebration, much appears rosy on the surface in the resort playing host to hundreds of thousands this week, but for some local business owners, many of whom have run family operations for decades, there is an underlying current of...READ MORE

Salisbury’s Bateman Street Overhaul Approved

SALISBURY -- Motorists in Salisbury might need to change their daily commutes, as Bateman Street is officially being adapted from a two-way road to one-way westbound between South Division Street and Wayne Street. The Salisbury City Council also voted during the same special meeting Monday to accept a gift from Salisbury University (SU) that will go toward streetscaping on nearby Onley Road, including pedestrian crossings and lighting. The change to Bateman was endorsed during a public hearing...READ MORE

Unique Stores Enrich ‘Bethany Experience’

BETHANY BEACH -- For more than two decades, a pair of unique Bethany stores have kept their doors open seven days a week throughout the year. “We’re open year-round, every day,” said Betsy Clarke, owner of Japanesque and Pitter Patter. Staying open all year in Bethany, a popular beach town, has not been easy, given the resort’s seasonal tide of customers, which peaks in the summer but recedes in the winter. Clarke admitted that it’s been “challenging”...READ MORE

Utility Outlines Future Ocean City Upgrades

OCEAN CITY – Delmarva Power presented an update this week on ongoing and future projects planned in Ocean City. According to Delmarva Power Senior Public Affairs Manager Jim Smith, the company annually invests millions of dollars to repair, replace and add new equipment to improve reliability. “I know it is important … to give you an update on what we have going on project wise to improve reliability here in the town of Ocean City,” Smith said. “What I wanted to do...READ MORE

OC Employees Turn In Union Petition

OCEAN CITY – If enough of the Ocean City Employee Coalition’s number of submitted signatures turns out to be true registered Ocean City voters, the group will be in the clear to have a referendum on forming a union placed on this year’s ballot. The Ocean City Employee Coalition has submitted a petition requesting a referendum be placed on this ballot in this November’s election asking the question to whether general city employees have the right to collective bargaining...READ MORE

Ocean City’s Summer Song Contest Results In 55 Entries

OCEAN CITY – Judging is currently taking place on the more than 50 entries for the resort’s Song of the Summer contest. As of midnight on Monday, the entry phase for the Ocean City Song of the Summer contest closed with 55 entries received. “I just think that is an incredible response because it is not your average contest, there has to be some thought and effort put into it,” Tourism Director Donna Abbott said on Tuesday. “So we are just thrilled with the...READ MORE

DeLuca Family’s Sports Bar Started As Deli, Sub Shop

OCEAN CITY – There is no gamble when it comes to High Stakes Bar and Grill, a family-friendly sports bar with excellent specials and entertainment for all to enjoy. With 25-plus years’ experience in a small sandwich shop in the suburbs of Philadelphia, the DeLuca family opened Philly’s Finest in 2005 as a small corner deli and sub shop located on Route 54 not even a mile off of Coastal Highway in Fenwick Island, and today it has become High Stakes Bar and Grill, seating over...READ MORE

Grand Jury Indicts In Resort Hit-And-Run Case

SNOW HILL -- A Worcester County grand jury last week indicted a Virginia man who allegedly struck and killed a pedestrian on Coastal Highway on Memorial Day on negligent homicide by motor vehicle while impaired and numerous other charges last week. Around 1:20 a.m. on Monday, May 28, Ocean City Police responded to the area of 54th Street and Coastal Highway for a reported hit-and-run accident involving a pedestrian. The investigation revealed the pedestrian, later identified as Matthew Jude...READ MORE

Cops Say Discretion Key With Open Container Law Change

OCEAN CITY -- After Ocean City officials last month passed an ordinance changing the town’s open container law back to a misdemeanor, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers have made some arrests, but they are reportedly exercising some discretion depending on the circumstances. The Mayor and Council approved an ordinance making an open container violation an arrestable offense, but thus far, police have not been overzealous with arrests, according to OCPD officials. Police made...READ MORE

Resort’s Merged Election Will Feature Two Ballots

OCEAN CITY – A moment in history was made last night as the City Council decided to authorize the consolidation of its municipal election with general election day. The question to consolidate Ocean City’s individual municipal Election Day in October with National Election Day in November has been brought up throughout the town’s history, as recently as twice in the last year, and on June 18 the council voted 4-3, Council members Joe Hall, Doug Cymek, Mary Knight and Lloyd...READ MORE

School Readiness Fair Offered July 26

SALISBURY -- Hundreds of families with children up to 5 years old will learn more about early childhood education and expectations Thursday, July 26 at the 5th Annual School Readiness Fair, put on by the Wicomico County Judy Center Partnership and Wicomico County Public Schools.
The School Readiness Fair will take place from 4-7 p.m. at Prince Street Elementary School. This free event for young children and their families will showcase the many aspects of early childhood education and...READ MORE

Berlin Hears Coastal Hospice At The Ocean Update

BERLIN -- Looking to hasten construction of a new, 16,000-square-foot facility in Berlin, Coastal Hospice at the Ocean representatives met with the Berlin Mayor and Council last Wednesday to brainstorm funding ideas. “Anything we’re eligible for we’re trying to explore,” said Coastal Hospice President Alane Capen, adding that her organization was curious about the potential for benefitting from slots revenue. The Coastal Hospice at the Ocean was first proposed in 2011 and...READ MORE

Smoke-Free Beach Streets Pitched For Ocean City

OCEAN CITY – The Mayor and City Council have voiced a consensus to move forward in creating smoke-free areas on the beach by next summer. Terry Steimer of the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and chair of the Ocean City “Leave Only Your Footprints” campaign received permission this week from the Mayor and City Council to continue a program to place cigarette butt cans along the resort’s beach and Boardwalk. In the last year, the foundation has initiated a pilot...READ MORE

Full-Time Doctor Also Works As Part-Time Lifeguard

OCEAN CITY -- Thirty years after first serving in the Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP), Dr. John Cary, now 53, is back on duty. “Everybody has been really supportive,” said Cary, who added that his family was the first to get behind him when he decided he wanted to get back on the beach. Cary first sat in a stand back in the early 1980’s. Though he only spent a few summers with the OCBP, Cary recalled it was an incredible time and an important period in his life. He even started...READ MORE

Blue Lobster Moved To New Digs

WASHIGNTON -- Toby, the rare blue lobster caught off the coast of Maryland last month, went on exhibit at National Aquarium, Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. Toby’s particular blue hue is said to be a 1-in-2-million exception to the reddish-brown shade of most lobsters. This unique color is a genetic variation that is caused by the lobster producing an excessive amount of a particular protein. John Gourley and his team aboard the fishing boat, the Pot Luck,...READ MORE

High Hopes For Better Crabs Soon

OCEAN CITY – There is mixed feelings in the air on the supply of blue crabs this season -- some crab houses are saying they have no problem while others are remaining optimistic while they wait for the crustaceans to come out of hiding. In April, Gov. Martin O’Malley announced the Chesapeake Bay’s juvenile blue crab population is at the highest level on record and the overall blue population is at its highest level since 1993. A survey conducted by the DNR estimated 764 million...READ MORE

Movie Producers Could Film In OC With Funding Help

OCEAN CITY – After briefly explaining the details of production and funding issues facing it, Ocean City officials and private investors now must decide whether they want to take the risk of investing money in a movie that hopes to film in Ocean City this fall. Last Thursday, writer/director of “Ping-Pong Summer,” Michael Tully, along with entertainment attorney George Rush and a team of producers involved with the film, including Jeff Allard and Michael Gottwald, met with...READ MORE