OCEAN CITY – Almost four months to the day since the March 30 fire on the south end of the Boardwalk that destroyed the Dough Roller restaurant and severely damaged the adjacent Marty’s Playland, a Worcester County grand jury on Tuesday indicted a local man on several counts of arson and other charges for allegedly… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – An Easton woman was arrested on prostitution charges last week after arranging a meeting with an undercover OCPD detective, who discovered the services she was offering on the Internet.Last Wednesday, Ocean City police arrested Jennifer Watson Ambrose, 35, of Easton, on charges of soliciting for prostitution after detectives discovered advertisements for her… Read more »

BERLIN – Area police this week are looking for a 39-year-old local man wanted on child abuse, numerous sex offenses and assault after a joint investigation pointed to him as a suspect in a sexual assault on a 7-year-old female victim. After an investigation conducted by the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) with assistance… Read more »

BERLIN – The Cannery Village workforce housing endeavor was denied Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, supporters learned last week, a potentially serious blow to the construction schedule.Supporters learned of the denial last Friday.“The Cannery Village application was denied,” reported Berlin Administrative Director Linda Bambary to the Berlin Town Council Monday night. CDBG applications must… Read more »

BERLIN – The expansion of and improvements to the Berlin wastewater treatment plant are on schedule so far, with an approval from Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) for the requested expansion to one million gallons per day (mgd) arriving in early July and possible spray irrigation land under study.“I’m not at liberty to disclose… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – The City Council unanimously approved changes in zoning fees this week, in an effort to simplify the process for calculating preliminary and final fees for permit applications. “After the zoning fees were changed for FY09, while attempting to input them into our permitting program we discovered several instances in which formulas no… Read more »

BERLIN – Redeveloped lots in Berlin must maintain their water and sewer connections or face substantial fees to re-connect to the system, one homeowner learned this week.The legal code of Berlin does not include a process for reinstating a previously existing water connection that has been removed through redevelopment. Under the current code, the town… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – The City Council postponed its review of the Planning Commission’s recent recommendations on zoning changes this week, in hopes of garnering more public input through a second public hearing. A public hearing was held on May 13 regarding development in commercial districts, but few were present and no public comment was made…. Read more »

OCEAN CITY – The Mayor and City Council made the taxi fuel surcharge official this week, when they voted unanimously to approve the $1, per trip, fuel surcharge aimed at providing local taxi drivers with some relief.The topic was initially broached at a recent Police Commission meeting, with over 25 taxicab drivers attending. After discussing… Read more »

BERLIN – The town of Berlin electric company may charge the highest rates in the state of Maryland, but most customers are enduring the burden rather than complaining, according to town staff, and appear content to wait for the professional electric rate survey proposed in late July.Staffers met with prospective consultants on the electric rate… Read more »