Articles

High Fuel, Energy Costs Stress School Budgets

SNOW HILL - High fuel and energy costs are affecting Worcester County schools, the Board of Education reported to the Worcester County Commissioners Tuesday, possibly pushing some school operations over their allocated budgets. School bus transportation, energy and utility costs have all risen in response to the high cost of fuel. The school also reported that plan maintenance and special education costs might go over budget this year. 'This is a routine letter,' Worcester County Administrator...READ MORE

Mayor Reverts Course On Commission Appointment

BERLIN - Dave Rovansek will likely get his wish for an alternate to take his place on the Berlin Planning Commission next week, but the town's elected officials' decision last month to replace him still rankles. 'The move in which my permanent replacement was done at the last meeting was caused either by a lack of knowledge of the laws and adopted rules or choosing not to follow the laws and adopted rules,' Rovansek said this week. 'At some point, the mayor and town council need to be held...READ MORE

Plantiffs In Wrongful Death Suit Affirm Trial Request

BERLIN - Just two weeks after the defendants in a multi-million wrongful death lawsuit involving the alleged spraying of a toxic pesticide over a residential area in Berlin, which allegedly caused the death of one local resident, filed a motion asking a U.S. District Court judge to throw out the case, the victim's family filed a response to the motion last week outlining several reasons the case should proceed to trial. The suit, filed in Worcester County in June 2006 on behalf of the widow and...READ MORE

Bridge Closure Start Date Finalized

OCEAN CITY - The start date for the major Route 50 bridge repair and rehabilitation project, which will close the span to all traffic for an estimated 35 days, was revealed this week, and while the project has not been moved up as hoped, state officials are confident it will be completed before one of the biggest weekends of the winter season. State Highway Administration (SHA) District Engineer Donnie Drewer said yesterday the Route 50 bridge closure will begin on or around Jan. 17 as...READ MORE

County Holds Off Berlin Sewer Vote

SNOW HILL - The Berlin sewage system expansion is once again in limbo after the County Commissioners postponed a decision on the necessary county water and sewer plan amendment. The commissioners voted Tuesday to delay a decision on the amendment, allowing Berlin to expand and upgrade its sewage system to increase nutrient removal and handle new growth, after two hours of presentations. The commissioners cited the need to address concerns expressed by the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP),...READ MORE

Figures Confirm Foreclosure Woes Extend To County

BERLIN - The final report of Gov. Martin O'Malley's Homeownership Preservation Task Force released last week revealed Maryland is right in the middle of a growing national foreclosure crisis and Worcester County has not been immune to the trend. O'Malley commissioned the task force, made up of a conglomerate of private sector housing advocates, banks, mortgage lenders and elected officials from all over the state, last summer and charged it with finding both long-term solutions to help...READ MORE

Report Finds OC Property Owners Overpay $13.8M

OCEAN CITY -Tax differential made further head way this week with a presentation on the issue to the Mayor and Council Monday night followed by a presentation to the County Commissioners Tuesday afternoon. The Mayor and Council were presented with a final report on tax differential Monday night, giving them a clearer picture of what a tax differential could mean for Ocean City and what steps need to be taken to achieve it. In October, the Mayor and Council approved a contract with Municipal and...READ MORE

Council Approves Appeals Process For Taxi Drivers

OCEAN CITY - An ordinance outlining the amendments to the appeals process for permit licensing for taxi cab drivers passed as an emergency ordinance Monday night with the unanimous support of the City Council and the concurrence of the Mayor. The ordinance calls for a change in the appeals hearings, calling for them to occur within five business days rather than within 48 hours. The ordinance states that in addition to the municipal infraction citation that is issued to taxi cab permit...READ MORE

County Talks Septic Tanks

SNOW HILL - The County Commissioners informally discussed new rules requiring nutrient removal technology on new or replacement septic tanks this week. Staff is working on a set of rules to require nutrient removal technology on septic tanks, Environmental Programs Director Bob Mitchell said, but where the rule would apply is up to the commissioners. 'They have to decide where they want the lines to go,' he said, which could be the entire county or just the critical area. Nutrient removal...READ MORE

Juvenile Charged In West OC Shooting

WEST OCEAN CITY - A Salisbury juvenile was arrested on Wednesday in connection with a shooting outside a West Ocean City restaurant in November and has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and several other charges. James LaBronk Brumskin, 17, of Salisbury, was arrested at his residence on Wednesday after Worcester County Bureau of Investigations (WCBI) detectives were able to connect him to the shooting of Eric Jamar Purnell, 19, of Berlin, at the parking lot of Salvatore's...READ MORE

Marathon Plans Scaled Back For 2008

OCEAN CITY - With uncertainty swirling around the future of the annual Ocean City Marathon, event organizers this week announced there would not be a full marathon next year for a variety of reasons, but there will be an event nonetheless which will likely include a half-marathon and a 5K race although no further details are available at this time. As the clock continues to click down on 2007, questions arose about the future of the Ocean City Marathon held each April in and around the resort...READ MORE

Neighbor's Concerns Aired Over Edgewater Project

OCEAN CITY - Discussion over the 1111 Edgewater property continued this week, however the contention centered not around the request for a building permit extension, but rather on the complaints of neighboring property owners. George Mengason, president of the Condo Owners Association for Summer Wind Condominiums, came before the Mayor and Council Monday night in what he claimed to be a last effort in resolving an ongoing conflict. According to Mengason, damages have occurred to the Summer Wind...READ MORE

OC Delays Call On Screening For High-Rise Project

OCEAN CITY - Approval of changes to the Gateway Grand Condominium project was postponed this week, with the Mayor and Council requesting further information on the desired amendments. Joseph Moore, attorney for the project, came before the Mayor and Council at Monday night's regular session to make a request on behalf of Carlyle/High Street Ocean City, LP. Moore explained that the company was seeking approval for a screening structure to cover the cooling towers on the north side of the parking...READ MORE

OC Survey Results Released

OCEAN CITY - The results of the National Citizen Survey, sent out to a random sampling of Ocean City residents, were released this week, giving town officials insight into some of the thoughts and opinions of residents. Dr. Thomas Miller of the National Research Center presented the Mayor and Council with the results of the surveys at Monday night's council meeting. Random samples of 3,000 households were sent surveys. Although some of the surveys were sent back after failing to reach...READ MORE

One Conviction, One Mistrial In OC Rape Case

SNOW HILL - A pair of Ocean City men arrested on rape charges in April after an alleged sexual assault on a 17-year-old girl in a resort apartment had their day in Worcester County Circuit Court this week with varying results including a mistrial for one defendant and a two-year jail sentence for the other. Semeredin Bederu, 25, and Senay Haile, 26, both of Ocean City, although each has other known addresses listed in court documents, appeared in Circuit Court this week on consecutive days for...READ MORE

Report Outlines Specifics Of Tax Differential

OCEAN CITY - Over the past few months, tax differential has become an issue on the forefront for the Mayor and Council, resulting in numerous discussions over the issue and a contract with a financial services group in an effort to assess the real numbers involved with tax differential. The following is a look at what a tax differential is, how it is applied throughout the State of Maryland, and the impact that a tax differential could have on Ocean City and Worcester County. The following...READ MORE

Snow Hill Gateway Rezoning Tabled

SNOW HILL - Rezoning a parcel of industrial land outside the Snow Hill town limits would go against the town's strategic plan and the Worcester County Comprehensive Plan, the County Commissioners heard this week. Sunwoo and Kyunghi Nam want to rezone a parcel of land just outside the Snow Hill town limits from industrial to general business, but townsfolk and a neighboring property owner do not want to see that land commercially developed. The land, which is currently occupied by a county liquor...READ MORE