BERLIN – Restaurants and retailers in the area sold thousands of dollars in gift certificates and gift cards during the holidays, a fair amount of which might never be used, but a bill introduced in the General Assembly this week could require the sellers to send a large portion of the revenue back to the… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City Council decided that keeping the big Fourth of July bang was worth the additional bucks.After a back-and-forth discussion about whether to bid the job on the open market for putting on the 18-minute fireworks displays in Ocean City, the council voted 5-2, with Joe Hall and Margaret Pillas in… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – The City Council reluctantly took measures to ensure that the Ocean City Fire Department could take their “next step” in yet another split 4-3 vote Tuesday.Chief Chris Larmore and City Engineer Terry McGean brought back the idea of using $54,000 in bond money to design an expansion of the uptown Station 4… Read more »

BERLIN – No field trips next year is better than fewer teachers and larger class sizes, educators said this week, despite the academic value of the educational trips.Controversial cuts to the Worcester County school budget proposed last week aimed to keep teachers and staff intact, but some things had to go, and field trips will… Read more »

BERLIN – The staggering economy coupled with an unusually harsh winter could soon leave many Berlin families out in the cold, with hundred of electric service cut-off notices ready to be sent out.In December, Governor Martin O’Malley, along with Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin. announced $110 million in federal funding earmarked to help those… Read more »

BERLIN – The future of live racing at Ocean Downs seems a little more secure this week as track officials and the horsemen who use the facility jointly announced late last week they have reached an agreement in principle providing for the continuation of a live meet at the Berlin track for at least the… Read more »

BERLIN – The Maryland General Assembly moved into its second week this week with a wide variety of bills introduced in both the House and the Senate. The following is just a sample of some bills introduced this week with potentially local importance:Senate Bill 279-Death Penalty Repeal: This bill, if passed, would officially repeal the… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – There were some notable occurrences in local government this week and here’s a snapshot of some of those that may have otherwise fallen under the radar from the week’s top stories.Small Wind Turbines Voted To Become City OrdinanceAfter months of talking and tweaking, residents and business owners will be permitted to install… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – While the City Council entertained the notion of tabling or addressing a 2-percent raise in business license fees, it could be the consumer that finds the outcome the least entertaining.Three fee adjustments were presented to the Mayor and City Council on Tuesday, and as two were passed, the other seemed to be… Read more »

BERLIN – The first step to a new environmental park in Berlin is an appraisal of the property, an action approved by the Berlin Mayor and Council Monday night.About 7.85 acres of land off North Main St. and Harrison Avenue, with a house included, have been proposed as the site of a new environmental park,… Read more »