BERLIN – School systems across Maryland are expected to get a fiscal shot in the arm with Governor Martin O’Malley’s announcement late last week of $720 million in federal stimulus package funding for public education in the state, but just how much trickles down to Worcester County remains uncertain.Last Friday, O’Malley announced an investment of… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City couple was arrested this week on a nine-count federal indictment including charges of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, identity theft and others alleging an eight-year pattern of utilizing credit accounts of deceased relatives to purchase vacations, luxury goods and services and furnishings for their two resort homes… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – On the condition that the old Route 50 Bridge would be removed entirely, the Ocean City Mayor and Council gave its blessing to the State Highway Administration’s (SHA) recommended plan for a new one.Though the project has no funding and it probably won’t happen for at least another decade, City Council gave… Read more »

BERLIN – The OC Stars are history if school budget cuts remain at the current level, Ocean City Elementary School (OCES) Principal Irene Kordick warned parents in a recent letter describing how the school would be affected by budget reductions. Kordick had no problem admitting the letter was an attempt to spark a lobbying effort… Read more »

BERLIN – With wastewater capacity available for new projects for the first time in several years, Berlin is exploring a new process to distribute the previously scarce commodity equally between commercial and residential interests. The capacity management plan discussed Monday night at the Berlin Mayor and Council meeting assigns equal numbers of EDUs, in this… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – In “the briefs” this week, ideas seemed to come from all directions. One idea was trying to get to the front of the line, while another was hoping to address the need to help get folks out of dodge in an emergency. The other had something to do with flying under the… Read more »

BERLIN – Slow behind-the-scenes progress is being made on the expansion of and improvements to Berlin’s wastewater treatment plant, and the process is still on track, according to the town of Berlin.The Berlin Mayor and Council recently approved a letter to the state asking for continued permission to discharge treated effluent to Hudson’s Branch in… Read more »

BERLIN – More transparency and citizen access has become the watchword for Berlin’s town government, which will soon offer audio recordings of council and other meetings after the fact, and which has recently begun uploading town council meeting packets to the Berlin website.“This is just another effort to get the people involved in town government,”… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – The 35th Annual Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Trade Expo, set for the Roland E. Powell Convention Center on March 8-9, will showcase how businesses can go green.Organizers have partnered with DLITE, Delmarva Low Impact Tourism Experiences and EcoVentures International to line up experts to educate attendees on what it means to go green.  In addition… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – The morning rush hour, such as it is in the resort area in mid-February, was snarled on Monday when a box truck overturned on the Harry Kelley Memorial Bridge, closing the span in both directions for several hours.Around 8:30 a.m. on Monday, a Carvel Ice Cream truck bound for grocery stores in… Read more »