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MARCH 22, 2019
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SEASON PREVIEWS
Stephen Decatur High School spring sports teams are geared up for competition – Page 57
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Convention center bill awaits vote Money for expansion sitting in committee By Greg Ellison Staff Writer
VICTOR FERNANDES/OCEAN CITY TODAY
NETTLED The Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce featured a marine-themed float in the Ocean City St. Patrick Day's parade, last Saturday, that included marchers walking under umbrellas resembling jellyfish. See story page 25.
Clear drains, less flooding Hundred cubic yards of sediment, rubble, refuse removed from lines By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (March 22, 2019) Approximately six dump trucks worth of sediment extracted from roughly 20,000 linear feet of piping during a recent resort storm drain cleaning project could considerably reduce flooding in some areas, especially on the north end of town. Public Works Director Hal Adkins said efforts centered on three areas known to experience excessive levels of flooding: Sinepuxent Avenue north of 130th Street including cross streets to Coastal Highway; Jamaica Avenue between 123rd Street and Ocean City Public Works’ nearly completed storm drain cleaning project extracted about six tandem dump trucks worth of sediment from roughly 20,000 linear feet of piping. PHOTO COURTESY WOODY VICKERS
127th Street, including cross streets to Coastal and 125th Street to the bay; and between Philadelphia Avenue and St. Louis Avenue on 11th Street and 12th Street. “It was eye opening, the degree of material we found in some of the pipelines,” he said. The project allowed public works to inspect and evaluate selected areas of the storm See CLEARED Page 6
(March 22, 2019) The proposed expansion of the Ocean City convention center sits in limbo as state legislation authorizing the Maryland Stadium Authority to issue $24.5 million in bonds to help pay for the project remains mired at committee level. Mayor Rick Meehan said state lawmakers have failed to advance HB 178, cross-filed as SB 177, since city officials provided testimony at a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Feb. 28. The Senate version has been sitting in the Budget and Taxation Committee since
See MEEHAN Page 10
Law catches up with Fla. pelican jumper By Victor Fernandes Staff Writer (March 22, 2019) An Anne Arundel County man wanted on an animal cruelty charges in Florida was arrested in Ocean City last week. William Hunter Hardesty, 31, of Riva, faces five counts of cruelty to migratory birds and intentional feeding of pelicans after being seen on video luring and jumping onto a pelican in the Florida Keys. The incident, which re-
portedly took place March 5, gained nationwide attention after video of the William Hardesty i n c i d e n t surfaced. According to a Miami Herald article, Hardesty posted video of his actions at a Key West marina on his Facebook page, and also commented about it a thread that featured many critics and See PELICAN Page 18