A WGMD Local News Article
Harrington to residents: Don’t mess with your water meter!
The City of Harrington is reminding residents that only city employees are allowed to open water meter pits. Homeowners and plumbers are not allowed to turn water on or off at the meter or disturb a meter pit in any way. Officials say homeowners who want to cut off water in their homes should locate…
Read MoreGroup redrafting DE anti-discrimination policy meets tonight
The developmental team put together by the Delaware Department of Education to review and rewrite statewide anti-discrimination policy is meeting tonight. The group will review the feedback from over 11,000 public comments given online in November. At the end of the meeting, there will be a half hour public comment period, State Senator Brian Pettyjohn…
Read MorePublic input needed for 2019 Chesapeake & Pocomoke Forest plan
Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources is looking for public input on how to improve local state forests. The agency is accepting comments on the 2019 Work Plan for the Chesapeake and Pocomoke State Forest through the end of February. Current projects on tap include general maintenance, locating and removing illegal trash dumps, and continuing to…
Read MoreMG Governor proposes funding for septic tank upgrades
Governor Larry Hogan proposing legislation to help homeowners upgrade their septic systems. The Septic Stewardship Act of 2018 would provide targeted relief to homeowners with septic systems, allowing people to receive financial assistance to upgrade their septic tanks to reduce the amounts of nitrates and runoff seeping into local groundwater. Also in the legislation, Hogan…
Read MoreSeals come to Delmarva beaches, people asked to keep distance
Seals are making their way to Delmarva shores; sightings of harbor seals reported in the past week on Assateague Island, at Ocean City, and in Delaware. While it may be tempting to approach the seals, officials with MERR Institute say its best to keep at least 150 feet away from any seals you see on…
Read MoreWorcester County Commissioner Bud Church seeking re-election
Worcester County Commissioner Bud Church will seek re-election this year. The Coast Dispatch reporting Church made his decision after lots of reflection; he had been mulling a run for the Maryland House of Delegates seat 38-C being vacated by Del. Mary Beth Carozza. However, Church says he realizes he can serve citizens of Worcester County…
Read MoreMillsboro Middle School students represent Delaware in national science & technology competition
Group of Millsboro Middle School students are finalists of a national science and technology competition. Eight 6th-graders from Sarah Betlejewski’s science class are representing Delaware in the “Solve for Tomorrow” contest, where teams in grades 6-12 compete to show how science, technology, engineering, art and math can be used to help their local community. The…
Read MoreReward to catch the driver who destroyed Harbeson Cemetery wall increases
Allen Harim is adding $1000 to the reward money for anyone who can help located the party responsible for damaging the Harbeson Cemetery Wall. On December 6th, the wall had just been repaired from a previous accident, when a presumed truck nearly demolished the wall. Caretakers of Harbeson Cemetery say truck drivers heading to the…
Read MoreWicomico County purchases an inspection drone
Wicomico County has a drone. County Officials were testing out their new equipment late last week at the County Court House. According to County Executive Bob Culver, the drone was purchased to help with annual inspections of the Emergency Services communications towers. Culver says the county has been outsourcing the inspections at great expense to…
Read MoreDART seeking resident input on changes to bus services
Mobility is a big issue in Sussex County, especially for people without access to personal vehicles. That’s why DART is putting out a survey and hosting community conversations to get feedback on recent service changes, and get input on future adjustments. Officials say they will present new service proposals at public hearing workshops in March.…
Read MoreLocal medical company ordered to pay $16 million for false claims
A medical company operating in Maryland and Delaware is ordered to pay $16.2 million in restitution for submitting false claims for medicare reimbursement. In September, Orthopaedic and Nuero Imaging LLC and its owner Robert Pfaff were sued for knowingly submitted false claims by administering contrast dye during MRIs without physician supervision. Now the company is…
Read MoreIRSD looking to hire after prolonged budget crunch
The Indian River School Board is hiring, after a prolonged budget crunch. IRSD Director of Business Jan Steele telling the Sussex Post over the past few years nearly every budget throughout the district was cut as much as possible, in order to build up a reserve account. Part of those cuts were leaving 8 administrative…
Read MoreDNREC: Volunteers needed for beach grass planting
DNREC is looking for volunteers for its annual Beach Grass Planting. For the past 29 years volunteers hit the dunes to plant grasses to help anchor the dunes and protect them from erosion. This year 5 locations will get new grass along Delaware’s coastline. While spots are already full for the Cape Henlopen, Fenwick Island…
Read MoreBridgeville survey results: Town is a split community
The town of Bridgeville publishing results of a town survey regarding the town’s growth plan. About half of respondents described Bridgeville as a split community, between Heritage Shores and the rest of the town, and half of respondents also say Bridgeville is incomplete, needing more places to shop and things to do. The majority of…
Read MoreSalisbury City Council approves pay raises for city officials
The Salisbury City Council voted last week to increase the salary of public officials in town. They voted to double the mayor’s salary, from $25,000 to $50,000. They also voted to increase their own pay, up to $12,000 for council members, and $15,000 for the council president. Mayor Jake Day has been vocally against pay…
Read MoreBerlin tennis courts to be renovated
New tennis courts coming to Berlin. Coast Dispatch reporting the Berlin Town Council approved a nearly $300,000 project to refurbish the courts at Stephen Decatur Park. The project is mostly funded by a grant, although there was a $17,000 budget shortfall that needs to be filled. Town Administrator Laura Allen noting that the town could…
Read MoreNOAA: Grant funds available for coastal resiliency projects
Federal Grant money is now available to nearly anyone working on coastal resiliency projects on the Delmarva Peninsula. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is awarding grants between $75,000 and $2 million to non-profits, for profits, higher education, states, counties, municipalities and towns in coastal shoreline or coastal watershed areas that need help funding projects…
Read MoreDevelopment Team meeting Wednesday to discuss Reg. 225
The Delaware Department of Education panel charged with updating the state’s anti-discrimination policy meets this week to discuss a path forward after reviewing over 11,000 public comments. According to an analysis by WGMD, about 80% of public comments were against the changes to the regulation, which would allow for students to self-determine gender– in some…
Read MoreDNREC discussing bird hunting limits, locations this week
Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish meets tomorrow in Dover. On the agenda: proposed limits for the 2018/2019 migratory bird hunting seasons, a proposal for expanding waterfowl hunting in the conservation area north of bowers beach, and an update from DNREC’s Fish and Wildlife director. Delaware’s Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan.…
Read MoreBank of America employee accused of stealing customer money
In Cape May — Police arresting a Bank of America employee after she was caught siphoning money out of customer accounts. Between June and October of last year, Middle Township Police Department got multiple reports from people claiming money was disappearing from bank accounts. After investigation, police say Kelsie Juliano of Millville, NJ, would process…
Read MoreBehavioral Health Consortium meeting across Delaware in February
The newly formed Behavioral Health Consortium is holding public meetings across Delaware over the next few weeks, as it prepares a report for Governor John Carney on mental health and addiction. Led by Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall Long, the group is tasked with oversight of behavioral health and substance abuse treatment within the state, with…
Read MoreDeer hunting season coming to a close in Delaware
DNREC is reminding hunters that hunting season coming to a close in Delaware. Duck season and muzzle loader deer season ended over the weekend. Archer and crossbow deer seasons end on Wednesday. Other hunting seasons ending this week: ring tailed pheasant, gray squirrel are closing on Friday. Also, snow geese stay in season until February…
Read MoreKeep Delaware Beautiful Legislation Passes General Assembly
Legislation sponsored by 41st District Representative Rich Collins has been passed in both chambers of the General Assembly to help clean up Delaware’s trashy roadways. House Bill 237 creates a new vehicle license plate that promotes and supports “Keep Delaware Beautiful.” This is a new non-profit that is affiliated with the national “Keep America Beautiful,”…
Read MoreWilliam McDermott named Interim Worcester County State’s Attorney
William McDermott has been named the interim State’s Attorney for Worcester County by the Worcester County Circuit Court. He is already on the job and brings seven years of legal experience in the State’s Attorney’s office as a member of the felony team. McDermott takes over for former State’s Attorney, the Honorable Beau Oglesby, who…
Read MoreOCPD Continue to Investigate Collision between PD & Pedestrian Last September
Ocean City Police continue to investigate a collision between a pedestrian and a marked police patrol vehicle that occurred on September 29 of last year at 56th Street and Coastal Highway. The preliminary investigation shows the resort officer was eastbound on 56th Street and made a left turn onto northbound Coastal Highway before striking the…
Read More