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An Ocean City man has been charged with killing his mother at a senior citizen housing complex in the resort, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and Ocean City Police Chief Bill Campbell said in a joint news release Saturday. Jeffrey Surgent, 46, called police about 4 p.m. Friday stating that “he suffers from mental illness, and he just killed his mother,” according to the release. Officers responded to Speitel Commons located at the corner of Sixth Street and West Avenue.

Come January, the Ocean City school district will undergo a dramatic transformation that will include three new Board of Education members and a new interim superintendent. At the same time the district welcomes new leadership, the school board said farewell Thursday night to three of its members and the interim superintendent who led the district for six months.

Chapel By The Sea at 55th Street and Asbury Avenue in Ocean City is no more. The congregation of the nondenominational church relocated to Marmora earlier this year after the property was sold. On Thursday, the first day of demolition, a giant excavator began knocking down the large, white structure.

Visitors to Ocean City definitely took advantage of a newer amenity in town – the summer jitney service – which for the past two years has provided riders a convenient and inexpensive way to head up to the Boardwalk. Ridership was nearly 15,000 passengers – 14,735 daily riders to be exact – this past summer, up from 12,000 riders in its pilot year in 2022, according to figures provided by the city on Tuesday. Mayor Jay Gillian said that the jitney service will be returning for the summer of 2024.

A Christmas tree in the lobby of the Ocean City Community Center isn’t decorated with the traditional brightly colored ornaments and garland. Instead, mittens, gloves, hats and scarves adorn the tree, which is aptly named, “The Tree of Warmth.” The tree is part of a donation drive organized by the Colony Club of Ocean City in collaboration with the Ocean City Free Public Library.

The Ocean City Community Center featured plenty of festive spirit and loads of activities for families to enjoy Sunday during its annual Holiday Festival. There was a very jolly Santa, a happy Mrs. Claus, elves, an animated stilt walker, carolers dressed in Victorian-era clothing, crafts, a singer who serenaded guests who awaited photos with Santa and plenty of sugary snacks to nibble. Adult Librarian Julie Howard, who, along with Assistant Library Director Kathryn Brown, are in charge of the event each year...

Rain couldn’t keep Santa from making an early appearance in Ocean City Friday night at the city’s annual Christmas Parade. Santa waved at children as he rode in a horse-drawn carriage. Spectators lined Asbury Avenue for the festivities, which stretched from Sixth Street to 11th Street.

Sexually explicit material available to fourth grade students in a health class at the Ocean City Intermediate School has prompted a local mother to take her concerns to the Board of Education. School officials said that they are aware of the incident and that they have discussed it with the teacher and Intermediate School Principal Michael Mattina to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

There’s one sure way to get into the spirit of the holiday – decorate the exterior of your home. Just dive in, untangle those lights and display your own style and shine a bright light on your residence, while enjoying some friendly competition. Yes, registration is now open for Ocean City’s annual Holiday House Decorating Contest. The deadline to sign up is at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 13. Judging will take place Thursday, Dec. 14, and Friday, Dec. 15, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Details follow on how to register your home for the contest and to vote online for your favorite decorated house.

For anyone who loves old Ocean City homes, there’s a special surprise coming – a Holiday Historic Home Tour, which will feature some of the extraordinary residences and businesses in town. On Saturday, Dec. 9, anyone interested in the decorated house tour may head to the Scarborough Inn, which is located at 720 Ocean Avenue, to pick up a free wristband. The wristbands are required to enter private homes on the tour, which runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.