OCEAN CITY — In “the brief” this week, the only thing similar about the reports given by the MML (Maryland Muncipal League) and the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is that both entities are commonly known by their respective acronyms.Yet, when representatives from each organization visited city hall to give reports to the Mayor… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – Perhaps he was still flush with a dose of good news received a day earlier about the town’s budget or was trying to lighten what had been a decidedly gloomy meeting, but Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan was practically giddy when he addressed the resort’s Economic Development Committee on Wednesday. After around… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – Maryland’s unfriendly business climate is as much to blame for the state’s ongoing fiscal malaise as any other leading indicator, state lawmakers told Ocean City business leaders on Wednesday.Several Lower Shore representatives in Annapolis met with members of the Ocean City Economic Development Committee (EDC) on Wednesday for their annual broad-based discussion… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – Less than three weeks after Ocean City emergency services department filed a motion to dismiss the $20 million civil suit filed against them by the family of two Pennsylvania tourists who died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a resort motel room in June 2006, the plaintiffs in the case fired back the… Read more »

SNOW HILL – Salvia is now illegal in Worcester County following a unanimous vote by the County Commissioners on an emergency bill banning the hallucinogenic substance.The commissioners passed the emergency bill Tuesday afternoon, and the new law banning sale and possession of salvia divinorum and salvia paraphernalia went into effect immediately.The Worcester County bill follows… Read more »

BERLIN – Talks on the last few chapters of Berlin’s draft Comprehensive Plan turned to a conflict between Worcester County’s growth areas around the town and the Berlin Planning Commission’s vision of those growth areas, specifically the Bay Club golf course.The Berlin Planning Commission held a draft comprehensive plan workshop Wednesday night, spending most of… Read more »

BERLIN – A professional group of tree experts will be coming to Berlin this October to spend a day in a town park.Berlin’s largest park will host the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (MAC-ISA), a society of tree professionals, in October as part of a three-day conference on arboriculture. All MAC-ISA members… Read more »

OCEAN CITY — City Manager Dennis Dare said that the looming legal battle over Rick Laws’ 64th Street property is “practically identical” to the town’s acquisition of the land that neighbors the site and is now the home of a vital part of town infrastructure.As expected, Laws got served with the condemnation papers last week,… Read more »

OCEAN CITY — The real estate might be prime, but the price is rather puny to some who would like to see revenue increases at the Inlet parking lot.This fact, coupled with revenue numbers being virtually static, according to Ocean City Superintendent of Maintenance Bruce Gibbs, could be why town officials are hinting that a… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – State lawmakers met with Ocean City business leaders this week for a legislative briefing on the upcoming General Assembly session, and while a wide variety of topics were discussed, the conversation inevitably returned to the rather dismal situation with the state’s economy.Just one week after Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley announced the latest… Read more »