Rather than bore our readers with a deep dive into a year-in-review this week, here’s a look at the top five news stories of the year in our estimation.
No. 1: Knupp tragedy: In July, 14-year-old Gavin Knupp was killed on Grey’s Corner Road in a hit-and-run case that has brought no charges to date. The community came together and rallied around the Knupp family in tremendous shows of support including a beach celebration of life.
Though the Knupp case got the most coverage, in the same week of the summer another well-known local, 33-year-old Daniel Hicken, was struck and killed crossing the Route 90 Bridge. In October, 59-year-old Terri Wattay was killed in another hit and run accident. A common denominator in these cases is no charges have been filed in either death.
No. 2: Mother Nature: It was the year of cancelation due to weather. The unlucky streak began in March with the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade being called off due to the weather. The event has not been held 2019. The bad luck continued with Springfest in May being cut short due to high winds and flooding. The Ocean City Air Show in June dealt with a wet Sunday forcing some schedule changes. The unfortunate weather impacts hit again in late September canceling the Oceans Calling Festival. Sunfest had a glorious three-day run with crowds enjoying lovely fall weather Thursday through Saturday but was canceled Sunday.
For 2022, it’s fitting this weekend’s New Year’s Eve festivities hang in limbo as of deadline with a wet, soggy forecast.
No. 3: Election: While each local election is important, the results for the seven Worcester County Commissioners seats were paramount on the local front. Between the primary in July and the general election in November, a major shift has taken place with two new faces elected – Eric Fiori and Caryn Abbott – and a new president – Chip Bertino. Time will tell how different this body governs, but it’s clear two meetings in a major shift has occurred.
No. 4: Sports complex: A prime example of the philosophical change in Snow Hill came when the new commissioners voted in their first meeting to end the land purchase contract for a sports complex. The project is dead as far as the county is concerned. Seven months earlier, the previous set of commissioners voted 4-3 to proceed with a $7 million land buy for sports fields.
No. 5: Pandemic: Recency bias leads us to forget one year ago today masks were mandatory in all public places, including in schools. The decision to lift mandatory masking policies was a huge one in the first quarter of the year. Despite inevitable surges in cases, the days of requiring masks appear to be behind us.
Honorable mentions: the Assateague beach summer closure, ongoing workforce housing issues, July 4 fireworks being canceled again, the Sunfest date change, new chief executives in Ocean City and Berlin, Stephen Decatur football, the Hilliard shooting death and criminal charges filed against former Berlin town administrator.
