By Brian Shane Staff Writer Worcester County officials this week stopped short of tweaking the zoning code in order to prevent an offshore wind developer from legally operating as a public utility in the West Ocean City fishing harbor. The county’s Board of Commissioners at its Feb. 18 meeting considered a bill that would make… Read more »

By Tara Fischer Staff Writer The Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors unanimously approved the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget at the community’s regularly scheduled meeting last Saturday. The final spending plan includes revenues and expenses of $12,846,393 and sets the basic non-water assessment rate, which consists of 6,775 lots, at $875 (up slightly from $850… Read more »

By Tara Fischer Staff Writer The speed cameras implemented in Berlin last summer have been successful in reducing speeding on Flower Street and Seahawk Road, officials said this week. Each apparatus has two camera heads, for a total of six among the three locations of Flower Street at Railroad Avenue, Flower Street at Peach Lane,… Read more »

Tara Fischer Staff Writer In a tie vote broken by Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall, the Town Council approved a property owner’s request to purchase and finance four equivalent dwelling units (EDUs) for an addition to a Bay Strreet housing complex. At the municipality’s Monday, Feb. 24 meeting of the Mayor and Council, the council authorized… Read more »

By Tara Fischer Staff Writer Due to its commitment to diversity, community engagement, and historic preservation, Berlin Main Street has been selected as a semifinalist for the 2025 Great American Main Street Award and will be recognized at the Main Street Now Conference in Philadelphia on April 7. Berlin was named a semifinalist for the… Read more »

By Tara Fischer Staff Writer As Coastal Drug Pharmacy in Ocean Pines celebrates its 10th anniversary, the owners reflected this week on a decade of pharmaceutical care and the business’s community-first services. Coastal Drug has served the Ocean Pines and the surrounding communities for 10 years. The store was initially located near Atlantic General Hospital… Read more »

By Josh Davis Contributing Writer When the first snowflakes fall in Ocean Pines, most residents cozy up indoors, watching the world turn white from the comfort of their homes. But for the Ocean Pines Public Works team, snowfall marks the start of long, grueling shifts battling the elements to keep roads safe and passable. “It… Read more »

By Steve Green Executive Editor A retired Berlin police officer died Monday night responding to a structure fire in West Virginia. J.D. Lawson was 54. After his retirement from the Berlin Police Department in 2023 as a lieutenant, Lawson returned to his hometown of War, W.Va. During his time with Berlin, Lawson was also an… Read more »

Brian Shane Staff Writer  Smoke-free cannabis consumption lounges, and events where cannabis vendors could offer single-serving products direct to consumers, are both being considered under legislation now pending with Maryland state lawmakers. Maryland’s nascent cannabis marketplace, already a billion-dollar industry, moves mostly combustible products that are consumed by smoking. Now, the state’s cannabis oversight agency… Read more »