OCEAN CITY – The family of two Pennsylvania tourists who perished from carbon monoxide poisoning in their Boardwalk hotel room in June 2006 last week filed a civil suit in U.S. District Court seeking $30 million from four defendants including the hotel ownership group, the Bay Shore Development Corp.The suit filed in U.S. District Court… Read more »

SNOW HILL – Ocean City has requested the third highest tax set-off in Maryland and is asking for the highest percentage of reduction in the entire state, Worcester County Treasurer Harold Higgins said this week when he presented the staff analysis of the Ocean City tax differential report to the County Commissioners.Staff findings refuted the… Read more »

SNOW HILL – The introduction of state legislation allowing Worcester County and Ocean City to reduce taxes for Trimper’s Rides at the Boardwalk prompted Jolly Roger Amusement Park to ask for the same consideration this week, but the County Commissioners will not vote on their support for a tax break for Jolly Rogers until they… Read more »

ANNAPOLIS – Several bills concerning the distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages in Worcester continued to plod their way through the Maryland General Assembly including one that would repeal the absolute monopoly of the Liquor Control Board (LCB) for Worcester County and another that has threatened to splinter or even dissolve the agency.Worcester is somewhat… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – The proposed operating budget for the fiscal year 2009 was presented this week to the Board of Education, reflecting a $2.6 million, 3.4 percent increase over last year’s operating budget.The current year budget sits at $81 million. Seventy percent of funding comes from the county, with 18.9 percent coming from the state…. Read more »

WEST OCEAN CITY – Three local juveniles were charged this week with setting the fire last Tuesday that claimed a 90-year-old vacant house not far from Keyser Point Rd. and snarled rush hour traffic in West Ocean City last Tuesday.The Worcester County Fire Marshal’s Office this week completed its investigation on the cause of the… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – The resort area lost a legend and a good friend this week when Boardwalk icon Russell B. “Bo” Ruggerio passed away last Saturday at the age of 69 at Atlantic General Hospital after a lengthy illness.Hundreds gathered yesterday at Ruggerio’s funeral services at Holy Savior Catholic Church to pay their last respects… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – The issue of sexually oriented businesses was laid to rest with little fanfare this week with the City Council voting unanimously to approve the second reading of two ordinances which outline the zoning and licensing of sexually oriented businesses in Ocean City. The discussion over sexually oriented businesses spanned nearly one year… Read more »

BERLIN – Local waterways may see living shoreline demonstration projects installed soon with $400,000 in state grant funds available to local staff.“MDE (Maryland Department of the Environment) is now pushing living shorelines as opposed to what is considered hardline shorelines,” said Worcester County Administrator Gerry Mason.Over 50 percent of the Isle of Wight shoreline, for… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – A public hearing was held before the Planning and Zoning Commission this week and although several local business owners voiced opposition to the conditional use of a water sport activity behind the 45th Street Village, the commission voted to send a favorable recommendation of the application to the Mayor and City Council…. Read more »