Articles

Ocean Pines Teen Arrested In Armed Robberies Of Cab Driver

OCEAN CITY – A local man is behind bars this week on armed robbery, assault and other serious charges after a joint investigation by the Ocean City and Ocean Pines Police departments identified him as one of two suspects sought in a pair of strong-armed robberies of taxi cab drivers last week. Around 1:15 a.m. last Thursday, Ocean City police responded to the area of 5th Street and Edgewater Ave. in the resort in reference to an armed robbery that had taken place. The victim, an on-duty...READ MORE

Parrothead Club’s Mardi Gras Campaign To Start

BERLIN – The Ocean City Parrothead Club’s 11th Mardi Gras Kick Off Party, benefiting the PJ Aldridge Foundation and Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services, will kick off on Friday, Jan. 14 at Seacrets on 49th Street in Ocean City. This free event will be held from 6-10 p.m. Seacrets will offer an extended happy hour and a great party atmosphere with DJ BK and DJ Batman. The Mardi Gras Kick-Off Party introduces the 2011 Royal Court of Ocean City. This year's King nominees are...READ MORE

Former Councilman Critical Of City Proposals

OCEAN CITY – Former Council President Joe Mitrecic returned during this week’s Mayor and City Council meeting to offer his opinions on decreasing employee pay and benefits. Mitrecic approached the council during the discussion over the ordinance to base newly hired town employees pay scales on the 2005 Hendrick’s Study Chart, which would result in an 8.8-percent decrease across all pay levels for new employees. Mitrecic questioned the council on demoralizing current employees...READ MORE

Former County Teacher Joins Peace Corps In Jordan

BERLIN – An Ocean Pines resident and former Worcester County Public Schools teacher began a new chapter in her public service career this week when she was officially sworn in as a member of the Peace Corps in the Middle East nation of Jordan, where she will help those with disabilities. Joanne Evans-O’Neill, an Ocean Pines resident and former Berlin Middle School teacher, was officially sworn in as a member of the Peace Corps on Tuesday and officially began her two-year commitment...READ MORE

Todd Joins Wicomico County State’s Attorney Team

BERLIN – One day after his successor was officially sworn in, former State’s Attorney for Worcester County Joel Todd was sworn in as a deputy state’s attorney in neighboring Wicomico County and immediately began working on cases in that jurisdiction. Worcester County State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby was officially sworn in on Monday in Snow Hill while his predecessor, Todd, was preparing for a similar ceremony in Wicomico County the following day. In the days and weeks after...READ MORE

Berlin New Year’s Celebration Draws Rave Reviews

BERLIN – The first-ever Berlin New Year’s Eve Celebration drew a crowd three times larger than anticipated last weekend. “I’m very, very pleased with the turnout,” said Mayor Gee Williams, who speculated that more than 1,000 people were on hand to watch the ball drop at midnight. “It’s just a very positive, uplifting way to start the New Year.” Barb Stack, a director with the town’s Chamber of Commerce who spearheaded the celebration, also...READ MORE

Expanded Casino A Concern For Some

OCEAN CITY – Less than 24 hours after the Casino at Ocean Downs opened on Tuesday, some resort area business leaders and elected officials were already casting a wary eye toward the new slots facility. The Casino at Ocean Downs opened to big crowds on Tuesday afternoon after a ribbon-cutting ceremony and speeches by state and local elected officials, but resort business leaders on Wednesday expressed concern the new slots facility might someday exceed its limitations. For years, Ocean City...READ MORE

Council Rejects Request To Lift Hiring Freeze

OCEAN CITY – The City Council denied this week a request to lift the hiring freeze that has been looming over the town’s public safety departments the last couple years. City Manager Dennis Dare, Police Chief Bernadette DiPino and Fire Chief Chris Larmore have repeatedly expressed to the council their need in hiring officers, fire fighters and paramedics. Currently, the police department is in need of six police officers and the fire department needs six fire...READ MORE

Employee Pay, Benefit Changes Okayed In Split Votes

OCEAN CITY – It’s no secret that the Mayor and City Council have become a split government in regards to the town’s financial position and the council’s responsibilities concerning it. After the municipal elections last October, the addition of Councilman Brent Ashley formed a new majority vote amongst the council that includes Council members Joe Hall, Jim Hall and Margaret Pillas. Leaving the minority of the vote on most decisions to include Doug Cymek, Mary Knight and...READ MORE

Oglesby Called Masterful Prosecutor As He Takes Office

SNOW HILL – State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby was sworn into office Monday in front of a crowd of officials, friends and family. “It’s no secret why Beau has ascended,” said Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis, who worked with Oglesby when he was a prosecutor for Wicomico County. Lewis pointed out the great working relationship Oglesby had with law enforcement “I could quickly see that he’s what most law enforcement officers call a ‘masterful...READ MORE

Berlin Building Closed After Snow Damages Roof

BERLIN – Weather damage to a town restaurant required emergency repairs Thursday and is projected to call for additional work next week. The roof above Goobers, a landmark Berlin eatery on Pitt St., began showing signs of caving this week after the heavy snowfall Worcester County received last week. “It’s buckling into the street,” said Chuck Ward, the town’s Superintendent of Planning and Zoning. “The building is not secure right now.” While the damage...READ MORE

Dime-A-Drink Tax Hike Again Proposed

OCEAN CITY – A movement to hike the alcohol tax in Maryland, called the “dime a drink” tax by proponents, appears to be gaining momentum again as the opening of the General Assembly session nears next week. With the support of a vast coalition of advocacy groups, armed with an updated report released this week by Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, an increasing number of state lawmakers are proposing to renew legislation calling for a...READ MORE

New Delegate Previews Legislative Approach

OCEAN CITY – Resort business leaders this week got a formal introduction to their newest representative in the House of Delegates, and if they didn’t know recently elected Mike McDermott before, they certainly got an appreciation of what he is all about. The Ocean City Economic Development Committee (EDC) held its annual legislative breakfast. With Senator-elect Jim Mathias on a pre-session hiatus and Delegate Norman Conway and Chamber of Commerce lobbyist Dennis Rasmussen absent,...READ MORE

Notorious Arsonist Sentenced To 18 Months In Jail

SNOW HILL – A notorious Ocean City arsonist, who over 20 years ago went on a burning spree throughout the resort causing millions of dollars worth of damage, was sentenced this week to 10 years in jail for his latest crime in March. John Edward Cropper, 46, appeared in Circuit Court in Snow Hill on Wednesday for a sentencing hearing for convictions in August on second-degree arson, malicious destruction of property and trespassing charges after being arrested in March for attempting to set...READ MORE

Monthly Rabies Clinics Planned In Worcester County

SNOW HILL – With the increase in rabies cases in Maryland over the last few years, Health Department officials are urging pet owners to keep vaccinations up to date. “We want people to do appropriate things to lessen risk,” said Worcester County Health Department Rabies Coordinator Janet Tull. In an effort to encourage residents to get pets vaccinated, the Health Department, in conjunction with Animal Control, will be offering Rabies Clinics several times over the course of the...READ MORE

Ocean City News In Brief

OCEAN CITY – The Planning and Zoning Commission and Mayor and City Council agendas this week contained a few items of discussion. Here’s a review: Request To Purchase Right-of-Way Adjacent property owners’ request to purchase city land from the Mayor and City Council located at the south end of Mediterranean Dr. was presented in a public hearing. City Engineer Terry McGean also requested that the failing bulkhead, storm drainpipe and outfall also be included in the requirements...READ MORE

Reassessment Shows Most Property Values Decline

BERLIN – The latest batch of reassessment notices hit mailboxes in a vast swath of Worcester County this week, and most in the assessed area saw their property values decline since the last reassessment, but the slope of decrease is far less pronounced than the exaggerated spike upward seen three years ago. Over the last 12 months, assessors with the State Department of Assessment and Taxation (SDAT) have been re-evaluating residential and commercial properties in the southern portion of...READ MORE