Berlin, Ocean Pines News Worcester County Bayside Gazette
By Hunter Hine, Staff Writer (March 30, 2023) On March 15, a Worcester County Circuit Court jury found Connor Paul Kelly, of Ocean Pines, guilty of second-degree child abuse, three counts of second degree assault and neglect of a minor, said Worcester County States Attorney Kristin Heiser. Sentencing is scheduled for May 19. The offenses… Read more »
By Hunter Hine, Staff Writer (March 30, 2023) When the Worcester County Board of Education opened the floor to individual comments at their meeting on March 21, many took the chance to air concerns about the Health Education Framework Bill (HB119), state legislation that outlines sex education requirements for public schools. Most community speakers used… Read more »
By Jack Chavez, Staff Writer (March 30, 2023) The Town of Berlin received a wag of the finger on Friday from a state advisory board after it issued an opinion that a closed meeting earlier this year should have been open to the public. But some officials, including town attorney Dave Gaskill and Mayor Zack… Read more »
By Jack Chavez, Staff Writer Last year’s 81.5-cent levy might be in notice, but not necessarily in new budget (March 30, 2023) The Town of Berlin will advertise that the property tax rate of 81.5 cents may stay the same in FY24, but plenty could change before a final vote. On Tuesday, the Berlin mayor… Read more »
By Jack Chavez, Staff Writer (March 30, 2023) The Town of Berlin reordered its project priorities for the state’s 2024 Program Open Space (POS) Monday, as it prepares to seek grants to help pay for the recreational undertakings that it hopes to pursue. The official order of the list is the first phase of a… Read more »
By Cindy Hoffman, Staff Writer (March 30, 2023) Crabbing season is almost here. That’s great news for crab lovers, but not so great for Maryland’s state reptile, the diamondback terrapin. Diamondback terrapins are aquatic turtles that were once plentiful but today are struggling to survive, largely because of the human presence: their greatest threat is… Read more »
By Cindy Hoffman, Staff Writer (March 30, 2023) Jaimie Ridgely, a 7th and 8th grade literacy and tech ed teacher at Stephen Decatur Middle School, has been named Teacher of the Year by Worcester County Board of Education. “There are so many amazing educators across our county and cohort,” Ridgely said. “This is humbling, amazing, exciting…. Read more »
By Hunter Hine, Staff Writer (March 30, 2023) The Worcester County Public Schools Board of Education discussed the following during its March 21 meeting: Kindergarten Readiness Assessment results The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) results showed that 73 percent of Worcester County’s incoming kindergarteners were primed for the classroom, with the rest of the state trailing… Read more »
By Cindy Hoffman, Staff Writer (March 30, 2023) Colorectal cancer, or CRC, is the second deadliest cancer in the United States. This issue hits close to home for Linda Dearing and her husband, Michael, owners of Copy Central on Cathell Road in Ocean Pines. They lost their daughter, Gina to the disease in 2014 at… Read more »
Cartoon by Jim Adcock