Articles

County Shoots Down Tighter Poultry House Regs

SNOW HILL -- Another attempt in a series of efforts by Worcester County resident Larry Ward to level tighter restrictions on poultry houses failed to get off the ground during Tuesday’s county commissioners meeting. Ward, who is no stranger to the lobbying the commission, came before the body with a text amendment calling for a number of limits and setbacks on poultry houses. Specifically, Ward’s proposal calls for limiting the size of poultry houses to under 3,000 birds, and to...READ MORE

Burglar Sentenced To 8 Years

SNOW HILL -- A Millsboro man, shot by police in February after attempting to run over a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy during a botched burglary attempt in Berlin, was found guilty yesterday in Circuit Court of second-degree assault and fourth-degree burglary and was sentenced to a combined eight years in jail. Around 10 p.m. on Feb. 15, Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputy Katie Edgar responded to a 911 call reporting a possible burglary attempt at Venable’s Electric on Route...READ MORE

Assateague Horse With Food Aggression Relocated To Texas

ASSATEAGUE -- Less than a month after the National Park Service announced new regulations aimed at reducing dangerous interactions between visitors to Assateague and the wild horses, a food-aggressive stallion, known for raiding coolers and picnic tables, was sent to a horse rescue and adoption center in Texas for training. Last month, National Seashore officials announced two new regulations aimed at preventing harmful interactions between Assateague’s famous horses and the visiting...READ MORE

10-Year Sentence In Resort Drug Overdose Case

SNOW HILL -- A Westminster man, convicted in May of manslaughter for providing a female victim with a fatal dose of methadone and then slowly watching her die while on vacation in Ocean City last July, was sentenced to 10 years in jail last week. After deliberating for over 10 hours following a two-day trial in Worcester County Circuit Court in May, a jury found Michael Thomas Dill, 30, guilty of manslaughter, distribution of methadone and reckless endangerment. Back in court last Friday, Dill...READ MORE

Wicomico Council Debates Charter Commission Agenda

SALISBURY – An unexpected whirlwind of emotions were displayed during this week’s Wicomico County Council meeting as officials discussed the new Charter Commission’s agenda. In July, the council requested names be submitted by those who were interested to serve on a Charter Commission. The commission’s responsibility will be to review the County Charter, which was adopted in 2004, and recommend any amendments to the council before the next election. Once the council...READ MORE

Recent Rain Leads Wicomico To Lift Burn Ban

SALISBURY – The Wicomico County Council “kicked to the curb” a couple of unscheduled agenda items this week, the county wide burn ban and Plan Maryland. On Tuesday, the county council lifted the burn ban at the request of County Executive Rick Pollitt. The burn ban has been in effect since June 9. As the council was finishing up the list of things to do, a letter from Pollitt was delivered to the chambers requesting for the ban to be lifted following the recommendation by his...READ MORE

Off-Duty Cop Charged With Assault

OCEAN CITY -- The Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) last weekend arrested a Prince George’s County Sheriff’s deputy after the off-duty officer allegedly produced her badge and pointed a gun at the head of another woman during an altercation in the downtown area. Around 3:12 a.m. last Sunday, police responded to the area of 2nd Street and Baltimore Ave. for a reported assault involving a handgun. OCPD officers met with a female victim and numerous witnesses. The victim told police...READ MORE

Two DWIs In Three Hours For Woman

BERLIN -- A Salisbury woman was arrested on drunk-driving charges twice within the span of about three hours early yesterday morning, the second time with her 4-year-old child in the vehicle. Around 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, Maryland State Police (MSP) troopers from the Salisbury barrack responded to a report of a possible intoxicated driver in the area of westbound Route 50 at Hobbs Rd. Troopers pulled over the suspected vehicle and later determined the driver, identified as Ann Marie Abdullin,...READ MORE

Irish Worker’s Summer Reflections

OCEAN CITY -- Those of you who read my first article two weeks ago could be forgiven for thinking that compared to most students who have come to work in the U.S., I’ve had it fairly easy.   Writing the article certainly brought this to my attention and prompted me to ask students I met in Ocean City about their experiences here. Living with relatives and working in their store lifted a considerable burden from my shoulders that the majority of students here must deal with on a daily...READ MORE

Questions Arise With Changes To Ethics Law

SNOW HILL -- In a case of “who watches the watchmen,” one Worcester County Commissioner is pushing for the county’s Ethics Board to be included in the list of agencies affected by the new ethics law. “I just think they ought to be included … to me it just makes sense,” said Commissioner Virgil Shockley. Legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly last year is forcing counties to amend their current ethics laws to be at least equivalent to, if not...READ MORE

Feds Raid Boardwalk Stores, Seize Counterfeit Goods

OCEAN CITY -- Dozens of Ocean City businesses, most on the Boardwalk, under suspicion of trafficking counterfeit retail goods, were raided by federal, state and local officials on Wednesday, although it is uncertain if any arrests were made. On Wednesday afternoon, federal agents from the Homeland Security Investigations arm of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Department, began a systematic execution of search and seizure warrants at as many as 24 downtown Ocean City businesses,...READ MORE

Engineering Mistakes Irk Worcester Officials

SMNOW HILL -- A pair of engineering miscalculations over the last month drew harsh criticism from the Worcester County Commissioners Tuesday. According to Public Works Director John Tustin, however, the incidents were minor and isolated and no cause for undue concern. During Tuesday’s commission meeting, Tustin informed the council that J.W. Salm Engineering, an engineering firm the county contracted for work on an Ocean Pines/Glen Riddle Interconnect Project, made a calculation error of...READ MORE

Delmarva Power Looking To Expand North OC Facility

OCEAN CITY – Delmarva Power and Light Utility Company (DP&L) is looking to increase its level of service by expanding the north Ocean City substation. The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing Tuesday to consider amending a code to include public utilities and public services, not otherwise regulated by the Maryland Public Service Commission, including buildings, treatment plants, pumping or regulator stations, substations, and transmission lines, but not including...READ MORE

Bunting Worried 589 Corridor Plan Could Hurt Growth

SNOW HILL -- Future changes to Route 589 got a little closer Tuesday after the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) presented its Md. 589 Corridor Vision Plan to the Worcester County Commissioners. However, some commissioners questioned what kind of impact the plan might have on local growth. Last October, SHA presented the basics of the vision plan to the commission, who approved of the concept. During Tuesday’s meeting, the commission received a more in-depth look at the design....READ MORE

Boat Accident Lawsuit Tests Dram Shop Liability

OCEAN CITY -- A popular resort nightclub is seeking to dismiss a $1 million lawsuit filed in March by a boating accident victim, attempting to hold the establishment responsible in part for the actions of the inebriated skipper who later crashed his vessel into the Route 90 bridge. Around 1 a.m. on July 5, 2008, a 21-foot fiberglass ski boat carrying 10 people collided with an abutment on the Route 90 bridge in a dense fog, severely damaging the vessel and sending all of its occupants into the...READ MORE

Façade Milestone Celebrated In OC

OCEAN CITY – Spirits were high on Wednesday afternoon as Gov. Martin O’Malley visited downtown Ocean City to celebrate the 100th facade project completed. During this week’s ceremony marking the accomplishment, O’Malley said he values the many memories he has of Ocean City growing up and as his memories grow so does his appreciation for the resort’s business community. “You put in work every single day here,” he said. “The business people that are...READ MORE

Summer Flounder Survey Continues

OCEAN CITY -- State Natural Resources officials this week reported a strong showing and positive response at the halfway mark of the summer flounder survey, a new initiative aimed at getting a better handle on the number of flounder caught in and around Ocean City. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the private sector Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen’s Association (MSSA) have partnered this year on a summer flounder survey in and around the coastal bays and have...READ MORE

Area Radio Group Keeps On Growing Six Decades Later

OCEAN CITY -- From a single AM radio station six decades ago, Great Scott Broadcasting (GSB) has snowballed into one of the largest radio groups on the Eastern Shore. And, according to CEO Mitch Scott, his company is just getting started. “We’re always improving,” he said. Scott’s father borrowed $5,000 in the 1950’s to purchase a small AM radio station in Pottstown, Pa. Almost 60 years later, GSB encompasses five stations and has a coverage area stretching all the...READ MORE

Berlin Eyes Rental Licenses

BERLIN -- Landlords caught disobeying the housing code in Berlin will likely face much stricter penalties in the near future with the introduction of a town rental license. According to Planning and Zoning Director Chuck Ward, issues that Berlin has been having with a few wayward landlords do not require adjusting the town’s housing laws. “We have adequate codes,” he informed the Mayor and Council Monday. “The important aspects are currently covered.” Instead, Ward...READ MORE

County Officials Skeptical About PlanMD Impact

SNOW HILL -- The Worcester County Commissioners got a chance Tuesday to question Richard Hall, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Planning, about the soon to be implemented Plan Maryland (PlanMD). Though the entire commission felt PlanMD is being rushed, Hall maintained that the proposal will go into effect on schedule. According to Hall, up until this point the state has lacked a cohesive arrangement amongst all of its agencies and programs. “We’ve been on a football field for...READ MORE

Wicomico Restructuring Plan Shot Down

SALISBURY – An act to add two new positions to the Executive Office was up for an introduction this week and the Wicomico County Council left it to die. County Executive Rick Pollitt had proposed a plan to restructure the county executive office within the department’s budget in means to increase efficiency of services. The Wicomico County Council found it hard to believe that the acquisition of two new positions, Chief of Staff and a Constituent Services and Information position,...READ MORE

Mermaid Cove Features Creative Traditional Meals

OCEAN CITY – A bargain can be found about five miles down Route 54 from Coastal Highway at Mermaid Cove where the specials are to dive for. Mermaid Cove features a scene painted from the waves of the ocean to the constellation of stars in the sky. Owner Tina Littleton explained that the different concept from the simple under the sea theme was merely created from her love and accumulation of mermaid décor. “The moon and the stars down by the sea,” Littleton described...READ MORE

Bethany Store All About Fair Trade Products, Mentality

OCEAN CITY – Tucked away in South Bethany is a place called Made by Hand, where one can shop from the streets of the world’s marketplaces to fulfill a mission, which is simply to make the world  a better place. Husband and wife, Marco Hernandez and Kimberly Grimes, have dedicated their heart and soul to their Fair Trade retail store, Made by Hand, for the last 15 years. Grimes explained that the couple wears different hats when it comes to their career but it all intertwines...READ MORE