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Drew Fasy and Dominick Dougherty have been going strong with their podcast – The OCNJ Local – for close to six months now. The two friends have brought their podcast audiences episodes featuring a wide range of topics that people are talking about in the community. They now have a new and exciting look into the lives of leaders in the community, called the “Local Legends Series.” Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian was their first "Local Legends" guest.

In a sweeping change at the Ocean City Board of Education, three new members were sworn in Thursday during the annual reorganization meeting and a new interim superintendent of schools took charge.

Thousands of visitors spent the holidays in Ocean City, from ringing in the New Year with the family-friendly “First Night” events to being a spectator or taking the traditional plunge into the ocean on New Year’s Day or running in the “First Day 5K.” In short, the town was hopping and so was business.

Minutes before he and Mrs. Claus charged into the chilly ocean along with 2,400 fellow “plungers” on New Year’s Day, Santa Claus boasted that he intended to get soaking wet -- all the way up to his flowing white beard. But, truth be told, Santa was all bluster.

Where else but Ocean City’s First Night could a little over $20 get you hours of family-friendly entertainment from ice skating, to live bands, stage performances, a basketball event, magic shows, and even an orchestra? On Sunday night the sold-out event, in its 31st year, did not disappoint for revelers who chose the resort to ring in 2024. Each year the maximum amount of buttons that can be sold is 10,000. By early afternoon, the goal was reached.

From a major victory for offshore wind farm opponents, to a backpack ban and curfew to quell teen rowdiness, to a new police chief, new interim superintendent and a grisly murder, there is no question 2023 was filled with news in Ocean City. Following is a list of the Top 10 stories for 2023, according to OCNJDaily.com.

There’s just something about a train set that seems to bring out the kid in adults and pique the interest of children. Walking into the Ocean City Historical Museum, there is a Christmas display that is hard to miss. It has evoked nostalgia and has been a major attraction at the museum, which is tucked in the Community Center. For some, it harkens back to a time when Ocean City was served by a rail service.

A popular eatery in an unusual location in Ocean City has been the source of controversy over the years. The restaurant, which has had several names, most recently Sand House Kitchen, is located in a building that dates to the 1940s. It is situated directly on the beach at 9 Beach Road within a residential neighborhood and is believed to be the only property like it on the island. Now, there are plans to raise the structure to protect it from coastal storms.

Visitors to Ocean City on Christmas Day made the most of the mild temperatures, which edged toward 50 degrees, to take a stroll along the beaches and the Boardwalk and to do some bike riding.

"O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree, How lovely are your branches … on the beach to see!" Actually, the opening lines to the classic Christmas tree song make no mention about the beach. But in Ocean City and Sea Isle City, anyone who wishes to enjoy the holiday majesty of decorated Christmas trees – and maybe to sing about them, too – need only to stroll out on the beaches to see them in their full glory.