Joe Ciccanti

Salisbury Expands Operations Into Former City Fire Department Headquarters

By Joe Ciccanti / February 22, 2023

In order to better serve the community, Salisbury City offices will move from their current locations on North Division Street in the coming months. The City Council has voted unanimously in favor of a lease agreement for 115 South Division Street—the former Salisbury Fire Department Headquarters in Downtown Salisbury. The three-story building will house the…

Fatal Fire in Ocean Pines

By Joe Ciccanti / February 22, 2023

A 62-year-old Ocean Pines man is dead after a fire occurred at a house on Seafarer Lane yesterday evening. The exact cause of the fire is unknown at this time but started in the laundry room area of the home, according to the Worcester County Fire Marshal’s Office. Fire crews from several area departments were…

Pandemic Emergency Food Benefits to End Next Week

By Joe Ciccanti / February 22, 2023

Households that qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will no longer receive emergency food benefits after February 28th. A federal law passed in December ends those benefits. SNAP households have been receiving emergency food benefits on their EBT cards at the end of each month during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Starting in…

Legislation Reintroduced to Expand Reach of U.S. International Food Assistance to Help with Global Food Crisis

By Joe Ciccanti / February 16, 2023

U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Jim Risch of Idaho have reintroduced legislation that responds to the ongoing global food crisis and aims to improve the timeliness and expand the reach of U.S. international food assistance. Coons says, 鈥淐limate change, public health threats, and Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine have escalated food security concerns, already threatening hundreds…

Dover PD Investigating Burglary at Family Dollar

By Joe Ciccanti / February 16, 2023

The Dover Police Department is investigating a burglary that occurred at Family Dollar on W Loockerman Street just before 10 pm on February 15th. Dover Police responded to the burglary alarm and discovered that someone described as a white male wearing dark clothing entered the business through a back door and once inside, removed merchandise…

65 Sussex Tech High School Students Recognized聽for Classroom Excellence

By Joe Ciccanti / February 16, 2023

Sussex Technical High School administrators and teachers have announced the Students of the Quarter.聽Teachers select students based on their classroom excellence.聽聽 Zane Baker Brighton Balas Kaleb Benson Amethyst Boyer Gavin Burke Bryannah Coral 聽Carter Cummings Jada Eley Blake Esham Joseph Faga 聽William Flak Amiyah Fontaine 聽Braylyn Fox Vanessa Garcia Perez Meile Garrett Gabriel Hearn Tegan…

Dewey Beach Actively Working to Improve Parking System

By Joe Ciccanti / February 16, 2023

Dewey Beach is attempting to simplify parking in the town. Currently, they have a variety of numbered parking “zones” with different hourly requirements and different payment methods: ParkMobile, kiosk, coin meters, hang tags– all with different costs. They are actively working on improving this system. As mentioned in Town Manager Bill Zolper’s message in this…

Sussex County Launches New Alert System for Deed Activity

By Joe Ciccanti / February 16, 2023

If you own property in Sussex County, you now have an added defense when it comes to protecting your home. The County recorder of Deeds Office has launched a free service called the Recording Activity Notification Service. The feature provides email alerts to property owners who have subscribed to the service whenever a land record…

Latest MDNR Report Reveals Increased Deer Harvest in Maryland

By Joe Ciccanti / February 16, 2023

A new report from The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reveals that deer hunters harvested 76,687 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from September 9th through February 3rd, 2023. The statewide harvest included 29,682 antlered and 42,872 antlerless white-tailed deer, and 1,908 antlered and 2,225 antlerless sika deer. The harvest was…

Delaware River & Bay Authority Adopts 2023 Capital Improvement Program

By Joe Ciccanti / February 16, 2023

In order to maintain infrastructure for the traveling public, The Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) Commissioners adopted the agency鈥檚 2023 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) along with an Authority-wide Five-Year Strategic Plan for the agency鈥檚 airports and crossing facilities. The program budgets approximately $208 Million for Infrastructure Projects in 2023. Vincent Meconi, Chief Operations Officer…

Gov. Wes Moore lauds Salisbury University’s “Remarkable” Fulbright Student Successes

By Joe Ciccanti / February 16, 2023

Maryland Governor Wes Moore during this week’s Board of Public Works meeting, lauding Salisbury University for being named the nation鈥檚 No. 1 master鈥檚-level producer of Fulbright Students for 2022-23. Last week, the U.S. Department of State鈥檚 Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs named SU the nation鈥檚 top producer of Fulbright Students in the Master鈥檚 Carnegie…

Robbery in Broad Daylight at Shore United Bank

By Joe Ciccanti / February 16, 2023

Dover Police are investigating a robbery that occurred yesterday afternoon at just before 2 p.m. at Shore United Bank on South Governors Avenue in Dover. Police say a white male entered the business and demanded money. The victim, who believed he had a weapon, complied and turned over an undisclosed amount of money. The person…

Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation Annual Business Filings Now Available

By Joe Ciccanti / February 15, 2023

For businesses registered in Maryland, The Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) today announced the availability of 2023 annual report and personal property tax return filings and extension requests. All domestic and foreign business entities must file an annual report or request an extension by April 17, 2023, to maintain their “good standing”…

38-Year-old man Convicted of sexual Abuse of Minor in 2016

By Joe Ciccanti / February 15, 2023

Following a two-day trial, 38-year-old Kenny Vansant was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor, Sexual Offense in the Second Degree, and related offenses. According to the Wicomico County State Attorney’s Office, Vansant sexually abused a family member, who was 8 years old in the summer of 2016. Sentencing was deferred pending receipt of a…

City Hall Hours to be Modified in Ocean City, Maryland Beginning in April

By Joe Ciccanti / February 15, 2023

A change in the operating hours at Ocean City Maryland’s City Hall will go into effect in April. The council voted this week to reduce the time of operation to 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. instead of 5 pm. The time change starts April 3rd. City Manager Terry McGean says that with electronic bill pay…

Lewes Woman Charged With Burglary, Attacking Disabled Person

By Joe Ciccanti / February 15, 2023

A 31-year-old Lewes woman faces burglary and assault charges after an incident that occurred yesterday on Burton Avenue in Rehoboth Beach. Police say they received a trespassing complaint around 11 am. Troopers spoke with the 63-year-old homeowner, who told them that an acquaintance of his– Brienna Wildy– had entered his shed without his permission, despite…

Teenagers Charged in Separate Incidents Involving Threats of Mass Violence at Area Schools

By Joe Ciccanti / February 15, 2023

Authorities in Wicomico County have charged two teenage girls, ages 13 and 14 in connection with threats of mass violence and disturbing school operations at Choices Academy on Calloway Street in Salisbury. The investigation revealed that the note had been taped to a classroom desk on the afternoon of February 9th. The note was found…

Homeowner Escapes House with Attached Garage on Fire

By Joe Ciccanti / February 15, 2023

The cause and origin of a fire that occurred on Valentine’s Day in Sudlersville, Queen Anne’s County, Maryland is under investigation. No deaths or injuries occurred, but damage to the two-story, single family house with an attached garage is estimated at $200,000. The homeowner was home at the time of the incident and a neighbor…

Overnight Burglary at Dover Food Lion

By Joe Ciccanti / February 15, 2023

Dover police received a call at around 2 a.m. about a man causing damage and removing property from the Food Lion on Forrest Avenue. Officers confirmed that he broke into the store by shattering a glass door and that he then stole tobacco products. Officers reviewed store surveillance. at 3:42, police found 54-year-old Terrence Jones…

Tax Refunds Held Until Next Wednesday, February 15th

By Joe Ciccanti / February 9, 2023

All personal income tax refunds are being held until next Wednesday, February 15th in order to protect Delaware taxpayer dollars against refund fraud. This year’s filing deadline for personal income tax is Monday, May 1st. Delaware鈥檚 Division of Revenue began processing 2022 individual income tax returns on January 23, 2023. Additional Information from the Delaware…

Potential Legislation to Benefit Certain People in Delaware Who Pay Realty Transfer Tax Bill

By Joe Ciccanti / February 9, 2023

Delaware has the highest real estate transfer tax in the nation at 4%. If you sell or buy a house for $250,000, the tax bill on that alone is $10,000. One bill that Delaware State Representative Bryan Shupe is sponsoring would target people in Delaware who need help–and tells WGMD’s Mike Bradley about who specifically…

Four People Arrested in Camden on Drug Dealing, and Gun Charges

By Joe Ciccanti / February 9, 2023

Delaware State Police have arrested four people who were then taken to Sussex Correctional Institution on drug dealing and gun charges. The individuals arrested include 23-year-old John Wyatte of Dover, 28-year-old Ronald Maddray, 21-year-old Briana Winder and 28-year-old Marvin Farlow. Troopers conducted a traffic stop at Redner鈥檚 Market on South Dupont Highway in Camden yesterday…

Maryland Road Closure to Detour Traffic on Delaware Roads

By Joe Ciccanti / February 9, 2023

Beginning Monday, traffic will be detoured around a pipe replacement project on Route 568 (Hatchery Road) in Bishopville. The plan is to finish the project by Monday, February 20th. As a result, drivers will see detour signs beginning 9 a.m. Monday, February 13th. If you drive in that area, you’ll need to use the following…

Barn Fire in Caroline County, MD Under Investigation

By Joe Ciccanti / February 9, 2023

A fire that occurred on Ridgely Road in Ridgely– Caroline County is currently under investigation. According to the Office of the State Fire Marshal, it took 40 firefighters about 30 minutes to control the blaze, which started around 10:00 last night. A passerby noticed the barn on fire. Officials estimate the damage to be around…

Delaware Organizations Helping Provide Opioid Abuse Prevention Programs

By Joe Ciccanti / February 9, 2023

Delaware continues to struggle with opioid overdoses. As a way to combat this problem, the Divisions from the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Services for Children, Youth & Their Families are funding innovative prevention programs in the community to prevent opioid abuse among young athletes. The Delaware Division of…