Articles

ONLINE ONLY: Boardwalk Store Sold Illegal K-2 To Undercover Cops

OCEAN CITY -- Just two days after an employee of the Maytalk store on the Boardwalk sold the now-illegal synthetic narcotic K-2 to undercover police detectives and taught them how to use it, OCPD officers on Thursday afternoon raided the establishment and found more than they bargained for. Earlier in the week, OCPD Mounted Patrol officers received a tip from a citizen regarding the sale of K-2 at Maytalk, a Boardwalk store at 2nd Street. Just two weeks ago, the Ocean City Mayor and Council...READ MORE

2012 Season Pitched As Summer Of Thanks

OCEAN CITY – Finding a way of saying thanks to Ocean City visitors has been in the works all summer long, from free gas to other giveaways, but this week a concept was presented that all tourism members seemed to support. Tourism Director Deb Turk started the presentation off by explaining the concept is a way of taking Ocean City’s desire to say thanks message to the next level. The town’s tourism department, Tourism Advisory Board, and advertising firm, MGH, have all worked...READ MORE

Salisbury Mayor Vetoes Moratorium

SALISBURY – On Monday, the City Council passed an ordinance ceasing enforcement against non-conforming multi-family residential units, but Mayor James Ireton vetoed the moratorium on Wednesday.  “This action will prevent Neighborhood Services and Buildings, Permits and Inspections from advancing potential illegal non-conforming uses for investigation,” the mayor said on Wednesday. “Salisbury’s older neighborhoods expected, with the results of the last few...READ MORE

Stolen iPad Signal Nabs Burglar

OCEAN CITY -- A Pittsville man was connected to several Ocean City burglaries last week throughout the month of August after resort police were able to track his whereabouts using a signal transmitted from an iPad stolen from his most recent alleged break-in. During the month of August, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) investigated several reported burglaries, which had occurred on the ocean side of the mid-town area. In the course of the investigation, resort police were able to recover...READ MORE

Timeline Of Events Leading To City Manager’s Removal

OCEAN CITY -- A whirlwind of events took place at City Hall last Thursday and Friday, culminating ultimately in City Manager Dennis Dare tendering his resignation pending an accord on conditions and terms. Here’s a timeline of events: Thursday, Sept. 8 4 p.m.: Without City Solicitor Guy Ayres or City Manager Dennis Dare in attendance, Mayor and Council meet in council chambers and vote to convene in closed session “to discuss the appointment, employment, assignment, removal or...READ MORE

County Studies Solid Waste Revenue Loss

SNOW HILL -- Hoping to avoid the need to bond future landfills, which could trap the county in a cycle of debt, the Worcester County Commissioners are considering options for cutting down on the loss of revenue generated by its Solid Waste Department Tuesday. While nothing was decided on, a tax fee for recycling, increases to tipping fees, and a pay-as-you-throw program are all still on the table, among others. “We’re trying to stay ahead of the curve financially,” said...READ MORE

Hammond Memorial Ideas Flowing

BERLIN -- With some pushing for a park and others for a garden, among other things, all town officials agree that Berlin should do something permanent to honor Ed Hammond. “We definitely have to do something,” said Councilwoman Lisa Hall. According to Hall, Hammond, who died earlier this month in a car accident, was one of the people most responsible for “revitalizing Berlin.” Over the last few decades, Hammond has been involved in the restoration and improvement of a...READ MORE

OC Wins, Loses In Busker Suit Rulings

OCEAN CITY -- A federal judge last week ruled in favor of a Boardwalk street performer on several key aspects of his civil suit filed against Ocean City in June, while siding with the town on an important public safety aspect of the case. U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander last Friday issued preliminary injunctions against certain aspects of an emergency ordinance passed by the Mayor and Council in June regarding street performers on the Boardwalk. The judge essentially reversed the provision...READ MORE

No Jail For Woman Who Shot Husband

SNOW HILL -- A Bishopville woman, arrested on attempted murder charges in May after shooting her newlywed husband in the abdomen with a small caliber pistol during a domestic argument will not face jail time after being found guilty this week on a first-degree assault charge. Alice Carmita Johnson, 72, of Bishopville, on Tuesday appeared in Worcester County Circuit Court to face attempted murder and other serious charges after allegedly shooting her husband of just six months during a domestic...READ MORE

Homicide Ruled In Teacher’s Death

SALISBURY -- The community’s worst fears were realized this week when the remains of a popular Parkside High teacher were found in a rural area of Somerset County last Sunday, the victim of a homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head. Just before 5 p.m. last Sunday, Maryland State Police troopers responded to a rural, wooded area of Loretto Rd. in Princess Anne in response to a body that had been found. The wooded area where the body was found is located behind a church and members...READ MORE

Air Show Working On 2012 Bookings

OCEAN CITY – It’s not too early to look forward to the OC Air Show of 2012 as discussion has begun on headliners and dates. Ocean City Air Show LLC President Bryan Lilley presented the Mayor and City Council with a summary and report of this past summer’s event, but questions couldn’t help but be asked about next year’s edition. “We are starting communication once again with the United States Air Force Thunderbirds for the discussion and the opportunity to...READ MORE

Teacher, Berlin Chef Honored Nationally For Program

BERLIN -- A Worcester County teacher and a well-known local chef will be honored next month by a national organization for their collective work on an innovative public-private program that helps developmentally challenged students transition from the lessons of the classroom to the rigors of the real world, but the biggest winners are surely the students themselves and the communities in which they live and work. About two years ago, the Worcester Technical High School began its Community Work...READ MORE

Worcester, Wicomico Score Fed Funding

BERLIN -- The U.S. Senate last week approved Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski’s request for $53 million in the fiscal year 2012 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill for waterway projects in the state, including $1 million for Assateague Island and $1.5 million for the Wicomico River. Mikulski secured the $53 million appropriation for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects throughout the state. The largest projects include $18.6 million for maintenance dredging for the C&D...READ MORE

Judge Hands Down Life Sentence In Worcester Murder

SNOW HILL -- A Texas man, convicted in June of first-degree murder in the November 2007 death of a Delaware woman, was sentenced last Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In June, a Worcester County jury found Justin Hadel, now 20, guilty of first-degree murder for the beating death of Christine Sheddy, a 26-year-old Delaware woman reported missing in November 2007 from a farm near Pocomoke where she had been staying with friends. Sheddy had moved to the Byrd Rd. residence...READ MORE

Planners Support State’s Route 589 Vision

SNOW HILL -- A state corridor vision plan for Route 589 and a county-drafted set of design guidelines both received unanimous approval from the Worcester County Planning Commission last Thursday. The commission got a chance to discuss the state’s Route 589 vision plan during the meeting. The vision is only in its earliest stages, but was sound enough to receive a favorable recommendation from all members of the commission. “I find it consistent with the [Worcester County]...READ MORE

Ocean City Visitor Survey Results Released

OCEAN CITY – All in all, a visitor survey released this week ranks Ocean City near the top of competing beach destinations, with only a few improvements to work on as the town moves into the future. Tourism Director Deb Turk said a visitor survey research project is something that has been planned for some time now, and this past summer visitors were asked a series of online questions. “You will find them [results] very revealing and interesting,” Turk said. “You will...READ MORE

OC Police Probe Nets 19 Alleged Dealers

OCEAN CITY -- Ocean City Police have arrested 19 suspected drug dealers operating in the resort area after a months-long investigation resulted in indictments handed down by a Worcester County grand jury. Last December, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) narcotics detectives began an extensive investigation into the illegal distribution of drugs, focusing primarily on the south end of the resort. Narcotics detectives worked in conjunction with OCPD patrol officers, who had been aggressively...READ MORE

Newark Site Approved For Explosives Testing

SNOW HILL -- The Worcester County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) granted Hardwire LLC permission to test military grade explosives at the police firing range in Newark. However, according to Hardwire CEO George Tunis, negative opinion from area residents has him reconsidering whether his company will use the range. “We’re really just trying to find the right spot,” said Tunis. Hardwire specializes in developing armor for the military. An important part of that process is testing...READ MORE

Assateague Comment Period Deadline Extended

ASSATEAGUE- - Assateague officials this week announced the deadline for public comment on the proposed General Management Plan (GMP), which will shape the future of the barrier island for the next 15-20 years, has been extended to Oct. 1. Superintendent Trish Kicklighter on Tuesday announced the deadline extension on Tuesday. The new GMP will establish a vision for the National Seashore and provide greater guidance for its management for the next decade or two. The National Park Service is...READ MORE

SU Earns Another Top Ranking

SALISBURY -- Salisbury University earned another feather in its cap this week after being named one of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges for 2012, marking the 15th year the institution has been recognized by the magazine. “We are very proud that SU has been ranked the number one regional public university in Maryland and one of the best in the north,” said Dr. Diane Allen, SU provost and senior vice president of academic affairs. “This achievement is a testament...READ MORE

60 Anglers Face Suspensions

OCEAN CITY -- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has proposed to suspend the fishing privileges of 60 recreational anglers for violating Maryland’s fisheries laws. The suspensions were proposed due to violations that include taking fish during closed seasons, taking fish during spawning seasons, taking fish in closed areas, exceeding daily catch limits and possession of female crabs. “These are acts that violate the public’s trust,” said DNR Secretary John...READ MORE

Berlin Boot Camp Aiming To Change Local Lives

BERLIN -- Pamela Green, a certified personal trainer, has used her ingenuity, in both form and location, to create a “Boot Camp” to fight the war on fat. “The term ‘Boot Camp’ is associated in the minds of many people as an outdoor military camp, with lots of sweating and strict discipline. We provide sweating and discipline, but in a fun, encouraging environment.  Campers may have the goal of losing weight or just the goal of keeping in shape,” Green...READ MORE

Headlines Salon Focused On Hair Care, Quality Service

OCEAN PINES – Headlines Salon in Ocean Pines strives to set itself apart from the rest by providing the best hair care and quality service in the area. The Dispatch sat down last Friday with Paula Myers, the manager of Headlines Salon, as she shared how the salon has become a unique asset to Ocean Pines and the surrounding community. Headlines Salon has been in business for 26 years, 15 of those years it was more of a visitor-based business in Ocean City. For the past 11 years, Headlines...READ MORE