What was shaping up to be a quiet election season in Ocean City heated up this week, and we are glad to see eight candidates have come forward to take a shot at the four open City Council seats. After Tuesday’s filing deadline passed, some things in Ocean City became clear. Mayor Rick Meehan will… Read more »
Credit should be given when it’s due and the County Commissioners deserve some praise this week for being pro-active with Worcester’s finances.From private industry to the public sector, from the smallest of businesses to the largest of state governments and from the richest to the poorest, the indications are everywhere – times are tough, and… Read more »
When addressing the budget shortfall predicted for this fiscal year, legislators decided this winter to raise a bunch of taxes to offset that deficit. Although it has been known for months the quick fix did not work, we found out this week exactly how much of a failure it was.The Board of Revenue Estimates predicts… Read more »
The wording of the upcoming slots referendum needs to be changed. The best thing would be to toss out the current language and start from scratch.In November, voters will be specifically asked to check whether they are for or against the constitutional amendment that will place slots at sites across the state.As it stands today,… Read more »
A firestorm has erupted in the wake of a group of higher education leaders’ call for an open debate on the effectiveness of the country’s legal drinking age of 21.Earlier this week, about 100 college and university administrators, including six from Maryland, stopped short of requesting the drinking age be lowered, but they did say… Read more »
All of the details of what happened last Sunday morning on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge are still being investigated, but one thing is for sure – it was a terrible tragedy that could have been avoided.That’s why it’s understandable some folks are using this tragedy to further their agenda and seeking to use it as… Read more »
A recent report showed fewer cigarettes are being bought in Maryland. There seems to be much debate over whether it’s economic concerns limiting people’s spending power, smokers trying to quit or simply folks finding their cigarettes in neighboring states.Sales are reportedly down 25 percent year to date since the per-pack tax was doubled to $2… Read more »
With all the tropical activity off our coast this month and the subsequent record number of rescues by the Ocean City Beach Patrol, it’s startling there have been no fatalities reported this summer.Certainly, the beach patrol and its staff deserve much of the credit for saving lives and keeping a watchful eye over the water…. Read more »
The Ocean City Mayor and Council heard some more about a potential wind farm off the Maryland coast this week. If the proposal ever comes to fruition, the alternative energy it produces could power as many as 136,000 homes in the region when at capacity.One clear message was delivered to Bluewater Wind, the company pitching… Read more »
The friction between the Worcester County Board of Education and County Commissioners over a fiscal year 2008 financial overrun has led to the school system creating a contingency fund. Several commissioners scolded school board officials, notably Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jon Andes, last month after they were informed about more than $385,000 in overruns that… Read more »