Articles

West OC Cabbie Robber Convicted

SNOW HILL - A local man arrested in November for holding up a resort cab driver at knife point in the parking lot of a West Ocean City bar pleaded guilty this week to armed robbery and now faces up to 20 years in jail pending the outcome of the pre-sentence investigation. Franklin Paul Adams, 48, of no fixed address, was arrested in November in a West Ocean City motel after Maryland State Troopers identified him as the suspect in the robbery of a Classic Taxi cab driver. Adams...READ MORE

Resort Moves Ahead With CO Mandate As State Bill Dies

OCEAN CITY - Although a bill looking to mandate the use of carbon monoxide detectors in certain single-family and multi-family homes across the state died last week after it moved to the Senate and received an unfavorable report by the Education Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, a similar piece of legislation for the town of Ocean City continues to move forward with it being approved on its first formal reading at the Mayor and City Council's regular meeting this week. It was...READ MORE

OCPD Probe Leads To Drug Bust

OCEAN CITY - Surveillance conducted by members of the Ocean City Police Department's Narcotics Unit led to the arrest of a suspected drug dealer Friday night as well as the confiscation of a large amount of crack and powder cocaine that has an estimated street value of $3,500. According to police records, members of the OCPD Narcotics unit began conducting their surveillance at the Crystal Beach Hotel, located on Baltimore Avenue, last Friday at approximately 8:30 p.m. The purpose of...READ MORE

OC Beach Patrol Anything But A "Just Add Water" Operation

BERLIN - If you last visited the beach sometime before Sunfest weekend last year and plan on returning for Memorial Day this year, it would be no surprise to see the same lifeguard stands on the beach, each manned by a surf rescue technician (lifeguard) wearing the familiar red uniform of the Ocean City Beach Patrol. But, you would probably be surprised to see one of those stands passing through Pennsylvania or Western Maryland in the back of a beach patrol vehicle full of rescue...READ MORE

Commissioners Get First Look At School Budget

SNOW HILL - The Board of Education has asked for a $7 million increase in the Worcester County schools budget for fiscal year 2008. The $87,306,346 requested budget is 9.6 percent higher than the approved FY 2007 budget. The increase comes mainly from salary and operational costs, said Worcester County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jon Andes. School Board President Gary Mumford, presenting the budget to the County Commissioners, said the school system must constantly rise to meet new...READ MORE

Slots Not An Issue This Year

ANNAPOLIS - With much of the focus of the General Assembly this year focused on major issues such as the smoking ban, improved health care, stronger sex offender laws and others, the effort to approve slots in Maryland barely got out of the box this year after dominating the legislature for the last four years, but local representatives said this week the 's' word is still smoldering under the surface. No less than a dozen bills were introduced in the General Assembly this year...READ MORE

Planners Back Showell Plant Conversion

SNOW HILL - The conversion of the Perdue wastewater plant in Showell for residential use got a positive recommendation from the Worcester County Planning Commission last week, with modifications which could be the basis for a new model of wastewater management. ADC Builders plans to use 1,000 EDUs of 4,000 projected units of sewer, to be created out of converting the industrial Perdue wastewater plant, for 1,000 homes. The planning commission decided to require the plant to use spray...READ MORE

OCDC Preparing For Move To Renovated House

OCEAN CITY - As completion of the newly renovated Tarry-A-While house on Dorchester Street finishes up this month, plans for the Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC) to move in to its new home are already underway. At the Mayor and City Council meeting Monday night, council members voted unanimously to approve the leasing of the building to OCDC for a total of five years with an automatic option to renew. According to OCDC officials, the group plans to use the first floor of the...READ MORE

Alleged Rape Involves Resident Facing Prison On Similar Charge

OCEAN CITY - Two Ocean City men, one of whom has a sentencing hearing scheduled on Monday in Worcester County Circuit Court for a conviction on an assault charge in the resort last summer, were arrested this week after allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl at a resort party early Tuesday morning. Ocean City Police this week arrested Senay Haile, 25, and Semeredin Bederu, 24, both of whom have Ocean City addresses, on second-degree rape and second-degree assault charges for an alleged attack...READ MORE

15-Year Sentence For Sex Abuse On Stepdaughter

SNOW HILL - A Whaleyville man arrested last August after an investigation revealed a years-long pattern of sexual abuse of his now teen-aged stepdaughter dating back to when she was nine years old was sentenced this week in Circuit Court to 25 years in jail, 10 of which was suspended, putting him behind bars for 15 years. Ernest Jefferson, 41, of Whaleyville, was arrested last August and charged with 13 different counts sex abuse of a minor, sex abuse-continuing course of conduct, child...READ MORE

City Council Finalizes Somerset Plaza Changes

OCEAN CITY - A little over a month has passed since the Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC) proposed a change in the ordinances dealing with Somerset Plaza downtown and this was the week the OCDC got to see their proposals finalized and set in stone. In an attempt to shape their downtown vision and breathe some life into the plaza this season, OCDC Executive Director Glenn Irwin and President Jay Knerr came before the council back in February with proposals to change ordinances on...READ MORE

Council Gives Blessing To Sunset Park Concert Series

OCEAN CITY - After tossing around some ideas for how to spruce up events at Sunset Park and ultimately agreeing on an idea at the Recreation and Parks Committee meeting last week, Special Events Director John Sullivan and Recreation and Parks Director Tom Shuster came before the Mayor and City Council Monday night to pitch their plans. Completed in August of last year and located on South Division Street between Philadelphia Avenue and the bay, Sunset Park is planned to play host to at...READ MORE

Non-Conformity May Be Tackled By Zones In OC

OCEAN CITY - The Ocean City Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on Tuesday to discuss two code amendments that could adversely affect parking in the entire resort. The hearing was held to consider amendments limiting the number of off-street parking spaces that may be approved with reduced design standards and another that would consider restricting the continuance of nonconforming parking when a redevelopment involves a change of land use. As for the first amendment...READ MORE

OC Eyes 14-Percent Increase For Fire Protection Funding

SNOW HILL - Ocean City asked for the least county funds of any of the municipalities when town representatives went before the County Commissioners this week with their budget requests. Ocean City made specific requests totaling $989,000. 'If you look at our requests, they pretty much parallel last year's,' Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan told the commissioners. The town would like an increase in public safety and emergency services funding, including an increase in ambulance...READ MORE

OCPD Lieutenant Nominated For Nationwide Contest

OCEAN CITY - One of Ocean City's finest recently found out he had become a nominee in a contest organized by one of the United States' most well-known television programs. It was a couple weeks ago when 14-year Ocean City Police Department Lieutenant Mark Pacini, a supervisor in the Criminal Investigation Division and 1998 Officer of the Year winner, was approached by a fellow officer and told he had been nominated for a competition sponsored by America's Most Wanted and Sprint Nextel...READ MORE

Planners Back Showell Plant Conversion

SNOW HILL - The conversion of the Perdue wastewater plant in Showell for residential use got a positive recommendation from the Worcester County Planning Commission last week, with modifications which could be the basis for a new model of wastewater management. ADC Builders plans to use 1,000 EDUs of 4,000 projected units of sewer, to be created out of converting the industrial Perdue wastewater plant, for 1,000 homes. The planning commission decided to require the plant to use spray...READ MORE

Sex Shop Moratorium Okayed In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY - After weeks of trials and tribulations, the Mayor and City Council was finally able to put something concrete into the books that would prevent any type of adult oriented retail stores from obtaining a business license for a period of six months or until the Planning and Zoning Commission is able to develop zoning laws pertaining these types of businesses. Resolution 2007-5 was unveiled Monday night at a Mayor and City Council meeting by City Solicitor Guy Ayres. The...READ MORE

Commissioners Get First Look At School Budget

SNOW HILL - The Board of Education has asked for a $7 million increase in the Worcester County schools budget for fiscal year 2008. The $87,306,346 requested budget is 9.6 percent higher than the approved FY 2007 budget. The increase comes mainly from salary and operational costs, said Worcester County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jon Andes. School Board President Gary Mumford, presenting the budget to the County Commissioners, said the school system must constantly rise to meet new...READ MORE