NEWS (DO NOT CHECK)
Two Philadelphia Men Arrested for Robbery in Laurel
Two Pennsylvania men have been arrested by Delaware State Police for an armed robbery early this morning in Laurel. Police were called to the Lakeside Motel just before 1am for a robbery. They contacted a 34 year old man who works for a ride-share and had given two men a ride to Laurel from the…
Read MoreEarly Morning Fire Near Odessa Damages 5 Homes
Firefighters from Odessa were called for a structure fire in the Cantwell Ridge neighborhood near Middletown just before 4am. Crews arriving at the scene on Corbit Drive found a two story home fully involved in flames. Several neighboring fire companies assisted at the scene, but the wind-driven fire damaged five houses and displaced 16 people.…
Read MoreGov Moore Announces Nearly $9 Million in 2022 Tax Credits to Help Maryland Residents Pay Off Student Loan Debt
Governor Wes Moore today announced that the Maryland Higher Education Commission has awarded nearly $9-million in 2022 tax credits to more than 9,000 Maryland residents who have incurred student loan debt. Nearly $50-million in tax credits have been awarded since the program originated in 2017. This year, more than 9,300 Maryland residents were awarded the…
Read MoreDE Congressional Delegation Announces $25-million for Delaware Bay Beaches Restoration
Delaware’s Congressional Delegation has announced $25-million from the US Army Corps of Engineers for renourishment projects along Delaware’s bay beaches. This funding will help to restore beaches in Pickering Beach, Kitts Hummock, Bowers Beach, South Bowers Beach, Slaughter Beach, Prime Hook Beach and Lewes Beach. These projects were authorized through the Water Resources Development Act…
Read MoreNew Traffic Pattern at Bus 13 & Isabella St in Salisbury
HB 2 – Marijuana Control Act Passes in the House – Awaiting Action in the DE Senate
House Bill 2 is the companion bill to HB 1 – the marijuana bill – which passed in the State House on Tuesday. HB 2 is the Marijuana Control Act, which regulates and taxes marijuana for recreational use – it would create a legal framework to regulate the cultivation, sale and possession of marijuana, and…
Read MoreDE Senate Introduces Bill to Amend State Constitution on Voting
Legislation to amend the Delaware Constitution in relation to absentee voting has been introduced in the General Assembly. Senate Bill 3 is the first leg of a constitutional amendment that would eliminate the limitations on when an individual may vote absentee and authorizes the General Assembly to enact general laws providing the circumstances, rules, and…
Read MoreDE Senate Passes Resolution Urging Congressional Delegation to Support Bill to Deschedule Marijuana
The Delaware State Senate passed Senate Resolution 11 Thursday. This resolution urges Delaware Congressional Delegation to support legislation to deschedule marijuana. This would remove marijuana from Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act, which is intended for exceptionally dangerous substances with high potential for abuse and no medical use. The resolution passed with a 15…
Read MoreUPDATED: MSP Trooper Shot During Traffic Stop Near Vienna; 1 Suspect Dead & 2 Arrested
UPDATED – 03/10/23 – The Maryland State Trooper who sustained multiple injuries after being shot on the scene of a traffic stop on Route 50 in Wicomico County on March 6, 2023 is identified as Sergeant Brooks Phillips, an 18-and-a-half-year veteran of the Maryland State Police, assigned to the Easton Barrack. He received medical treatment…
Read MoreSalisbury Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Armed Robbery
A Salisbury man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison – with 5 years of that sentence without the possibility of parole. Senior Judge of the Circuit Court for Wicomico County sentenced 25 year old Kendal Smiley last week after his jury conviction in January of armed robbery, 1st degree assault and weapons offenses.…
Read MoreMore Jobs in January, but Sussex Unemployment Increased
Testing Audio for TSOJ
Completion of White Creek Priority Dredging Project Delayed Until Fall, 2023
Due to contractor delay, the White Creek priority dredging project in Sussex County will not be completed this season. The project was initially scheduled for completion March 31 to comply with existing seasonal dredging restrictions established to protect wildlife and natural resources. Although dredging was scheduled to begin in early 2023 to avoid any conflict…
Read MoreUPDATED: Bridgeville Man Charged in Murder at Heritage Shores
UPDATED-03/9/23–1 pm–The Delaware State Police have charged 53-year-old Robert Franks for the murder of his wife Cynthia Moss-Franks, which occurred in February. Franks had been awaiting extradition to Delaware from Pennsylvania. Today, state detectives from the Department of Justice Extradition Unit transported Franks from Philadelphia to Troop 2. Franks is charged with Murder First Degree and is now…
Read MoreResidential Structure Fire in Ocean Pines Ruled Accidental
An investigation into a fire that occurred on Hickory Way in Ocean Pines yesterday shows evidence that the blaze was accidental from improperly discarded smoking materials. The Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department responded to the reported fire at 4:49 PM. Upon arrival, crews reported smoke showing from the two-story single-family home and requested assistance from…
Read MoreMaryland Retains AAA Bond Rating
Maryland State Treasurer Dereck E. Davis announced today that the three major bond rating agencies have reaffirmed the state’s AAA bond rating and noted a “stable outlook.” Treasurer Davis will preside over his second competitive sale of state General Obligation Bonds on March 15, 2023. Maryland is one of only 13 states to hold the…
Read More60-Year-Old Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of Minor and Assaults
An Associate Judge of the Circuit Court for Wicomico has sentenced 60-year-old Reginald Wallace to 35 years in prison for sexually abusing a minor and assaulting two others. Wallace pleaded guilty on November 16, 2022, to Sexual Abuse of a Minor, Sexual Offense in the Third Degree, and two counts of Assault in the Second…
Read MoreDelaware Public Service Commission Approves Decrease in Delmarva Power’s Natural Gas Costs
Heating costs often account for the biggest portion of your utility bill, but some modest help is on the way thanks to the Delaware Public Service Commission’s approval of a 23% decrease in Delmarva Power’s natural gas costs, effective April 1st. Due to a warmer-than-expected winter and lower-than-forecasted natural gas prices over the past several…
Read MoreOvernight Fire in Preston, MD Under Investigation
The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating an overnight fire in Preston in Caroline County, Maryland. Fire officials report no deaths or injuries to humans from the blaze, but seven cats and one lamb are unaccounted for at the site. The State Fire Marshal’s office estimates the damage to the wood frame outbuilding to…
Read MoreLegislation Filed in Delaware Would Require Medicaid to Cover Doulas Services
With the aim of reducing pregnancy-related complications and health disparities, particularly in Black women, lawmakers in Delaware have filed a bill that would require Medicaid to cover doula services provided to expectant parents beginning next year. House Majority Whip Melissa Minor-Brown is sponsoring House Bill 80, which would require that doula services be covered by…
Read MoreIncreased Police Patrols to be Conducted in Ocean City, MD Due to St. Patrick’s Day Festivities
If you live in or plan to visit Ocean City, Maryland this week and next, you can expect to see additional Ocean City Police Department officers on patrol, along with Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and Maryland State Police. A collective 84 hours of specialized enforcement will be conducted in the Town of Ocean City from…
Read MoreElevated Risk of Fire Spread in Delaware and Maryland Eastern Shore
The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey is issuing a warning about an elevated risk for fire spread this afternoon across much of Delaware and the eastern shore of Maryland. A combination of low relative humidity, a strong northwest wind, and relatively dry fine fuels will contribute to the increased risk. The northwest…
Read MoreEighteen Students from Wicomico Public Schools Named Finalists in 2023 Young Authors’ Contest
After receiving hundreds of submissions from talented writers, the Eastern Shore Literacy Association (ESLA) has announced the finalists in the 2023 Young Authors’ Contest, including 18 students from Wicomico County Public Schools. Placement awards will be announced at the ESLA’s Young Authors’ Award Ceremony, which will take place in Holloway Hall Auditorium at Salisbury University…
Read MoreFire at Home in Salisbury Under Investigation
The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of a fire that occurred on Hammond Street in Salisbury yesterday afternoon. So far, they know that the blaze started on the back deck of the two story wood frame single family home. No deaths or injuries resulted, but the fire caused thousands of dollars…
Read MoreMan Sentenced in Connection with Firearm and Drug Trafficking Crimes Faces 25 Years of Incarceration
Following a two-day trial, a Circuit Court Associate Judge sentenced 31-year-old Kyle Carey to 25 years in prison. Carey’s conviction includes Possession of a Firearm in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime, Illegal Possession of a Regulated Firearm, along with drug offenses. Carey will have to serve five years of his sentence without the possibility…
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