OCEAN CITY — A handful of opponents and only a few disdainful comments couldn’t sway the City Council’s earlier decision to trim the city bus fleet this winter at Monday’s required public hearing at City Hall.During the budget hearings in May, the City Council voted to scale back the winter bus deployment from three buses… Read more »

OCEAN CITY — Jim Motsko has been trying to put a wind turbine on his downtown property for the better part of two years, but it seems he will have to wait at least a little bit longer before getting the green light to go “green.”On Tuesday, the Planning and Zoning Commission elected to extend… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – After years of back-and-forth debate, the State Highway Administration (SHA) announced this week it had formally selected a preferred alternative to replace the aging Harry Kelley Memorial Bridge, choosing the option to construct a new bridge parallel to the existing span with a new system of ramps to keep traffic flowing in… Read more »

NEWARK – Over 80 percent of Worcester County’s 2010 graduating seniors will go on to further their education.A report by school board staff presented this week showed that 81 percent, or 427 students of the 526 student graduating class, will attend a four-year college, two-year college or a specialized training school. Thirty-four graduates, 6.5 percent… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – The Coast Guard and Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) were called into action last Saturday night to assist the Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP) with two rescue incidents caused by dangerous rip currents.The Coast Guard received the first call around 6:50 p.m. last Saturday asking for assistance with the rescue of three… Read more »

BERLIN – A Berlin man, arrested late last month on child pornography charges after a months-long federal and local investigation, was back behind bars last week on animal cruelty charges after allegedly leaving several dogs, including one that perished, in a 100-plus degree vehicle at a mall in Salisbury.Around 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 8, Salisbury… Read more »

BISHOPVILLE – Accusations consistent with the election season are alive and well on the campaign trail, with a question recently raised that District 6 Commissioner candidate Jimmy Bunting, a longtime member of the county planning and zoning commission, may be violating county zoning law.The allegation turned out to be incorrect or at least not a… Read more »

OCEAN PINES – An Ocean Pines man was arrested on first-degree assault and other charges this week after allegedly beating his 8-year-old son with a belt for telling a lie.Last Saturday, Ocean Pines Police were notified of an alleged child abuse patient in the emergency room at Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin. Ocean Pines Police… Read more »

BERLIN – Longtime incumbent District 4 Worcester County Commissioner Virgil Shockley will face challenger Tommy Tucker, a retired high school principal, in the District 4 Democratic primary Sept. 14.The Dispatch spoke with both candidates this week for an overview on their positions.—–Virgil Shockley: With three terms as commissioner already, Schockley, a farmer and school bus… Read more »

BERLIN – Incumbent District 5 Worcester County Commissioner Judy Boggs is being challenged by Bob Thompson, a financial professional recently named as general manager of the Ocean Pines Association (OPA), in the Republican primary on Sept. 14.The Dispatch spoke with both candidates this week for an overview on their positions.Judy Boggs: Boggs, with eight years… Read more »