OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.COM
OCTOBER 19, 2018
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
ELECTIONS COMMISSIONERS Eight candidates are running in four districts in Worcester County, and profiles of each begin on – Page 5
FREE
Whooping cough back in school Highly contagious disease handled at Showell Elem.
By Morgan Pilz Staff Writer (Oct. 19, 2018) Whooping cough, more formally known as pertussis, was diagnosed in a Showell Elementary School student last week, the Worcester County Health Department reported last Tuesday. Although pertussis is much less common in this country than it was some 80 years ago, when more than 200,000 cases were reported nationally, it has been making a slight comeback in recent years, having risen from a little over 1,000 reported cases in 1976 to more than 48,000 cases in 2012. Because pertussis is a highly contagious illness, the health department and school officials took immediate action last week after receiving laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis. See WHOOPING Page 24
RACHEL RAVINA/OCEAN CITY TODAY
RESCUE WAGON An apparatus cart circa 1876 is shown within the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum as part of the museum’s Historic House Tour last Saturday. The cart was designed to carry equipment and transport it to help those in need of rescue. See more pictures from the event on page 81.
Dorman, council at odds
By Josh Davis should operAssociate Editor ate. (Oct. 19, 2018) The Dorman abrupt resignation last on Monday week of Snow Hill Mayor morning reCharlie Dorman wasn’t as leased a simple as the “time to move statement on” scenario initially out- Charlie Dorman r e g a r d i n g lined in Dorman’s anhis resignanouncement. tion last Tuesday. Statements released by The statement follows: Dorman and the Town “In July the town manCouncil this week revealed ager and one of the councila strong disagreement be- women (he later amended tween the mayor and coun- the statement to say “the cil about how the town council” instead of “one of
the councilwomen”) disagreed with me on some of my tactics to draw new business to Snow Hill. Since then, I’ve become a figurehead only as the mayor, with no authority anymore. I then decided that I would resign [effective] Oct. 31, 2018. I have aggressively sought to sell my residence and I am fortunate to have a buyer. I will be moving in November. “I sincerely hope that the See DORMAN Page 72
OC and county concur on putting Rt. 90 1st By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (Oct. 19, 2016) In addition to highlighting an apparent disconnect with the State Highway Administration over the possible dualization of Route 90, Worcester County Commissioner Joe Mitrecic also discussed a rejected rezoning request in South Point and concerns about the Ocean City Senior Center closing, during a quarterly update at the City Council meeting on Monday.
Mitrecic said SHA officials told the county commissioners in early October that expanding Route 90 Joe Mitrecic to four lanes was not among the upcoming SHA road improvements. “This was concerning to me, and when I questioned Secretary [Pete] Rahn, he explained that there was no See COUNTY Page 71