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All money raised from the brunch will be donated to the Drama Guild’s graduating seniors in the form of scholarships or to help bridge the gap between production costs and school budgets...

Some kids play basketball. Some kids take dance. And then there are those who dabble in something a bit more involved. They make robots. A group of middle school students do just that. Since their schools don’t have robotics clubs, the budding engineers created their own. Emma Savov, 14, her brother, Alex, 11, and Farley O’Brien, 13, all of Linwood, and Nate Fontana, 13, of Somers Point, worked together over the last year to create a robot that they use in competitions.

Even Ocean City, voted Happiest Seaside Town in America and Best Beach in America by Coastal Living magazine, continues to look for ways to rebrand or repackage its wide array of offerings for visitors and residents. Top beaches, family-friendly attractions, amusements, fine dining and boutique-style shopping might be enough for some vacationers. Others need to be lured away – perhaps from another Ocean City – albeit in another state. Or even lured a few more miles south while skipping other beaches along the coastline a bit closer to North Jersey. Ocean City's Tourism Development Commission members are considering those issues, which is why they laid out an e-marketing plan with their marketing strategist, Xander Becket, of Webpage FX. During a meeting Thursday, the team highlighted ways to showcase “America’s Greatest Resort.”

Ocean City Police Chief Jay Prettyman stood at the podium Wednesday night after being sworn in to officially assume his duties as the top law enforcement officer in the city. He made one thing clear. He will lead his department, and he will do it well. But the credit should go to the dedicated men and women he works with who make the department strong, he stressed.

A strong Ocean City housing market and improvements to the regional economy, with casinos on the upswing leading to the creation of more than 5,700 jobs, are indicators that 2019 will be a solid year for business, a local bank executive said Tuesday. Gregory Matuson, an executive vice president and chief financial officer at Sturdy Savings Bank, told a business forum at the Flanders Hotel that strong consumer spending will also boost the local economy and is another good sign for Ocean City’s tourism industry...

The Ocean City Historical Museum has its eye on the future as it also looks to preserve its past. Following the resignation of its longtime executive director Jeff McGranahan back in December, volunteers and members of the museum’s Board of Directors stepped up to continue offering patrons a variety of events and exhibits to showcase Ocean City’s history. “There is stuff happening all year-round and we will continue to delight the public with Ocean City’s history,” said Carol Dotts, a member of the Board of Directors and an active volunteer.

Pirates and scallywags made their way to the Ocean City Historical Museum on Saturday for well, tea and sandwiches, not buried treasure. The event was the 2019 Children’s Tea, and the theme was none other than “Pirates and Scallywags.”

Cape May County residents learned of the dangers of vaping and marijuana use during a community forum called "What's Smokin' in New Jersey?" The symposium, held in Sea Isle City, was also attended by elected officials and senior law enforcement leaders in the county.

When Marie Zielinski died in a Nov. 29 fire at her 54th Street home in Sea Isle City, members of the tight-knit community came together to mourn the loss of a woman described as kind, wholesome and elegant. More than two months later, the outpouring of love and support continues to flow for Zielinski's family, the Corsos, of Sea Isle. Joining other fundraising efforts, Stainton's Gallery of Shops in Ocean City is now collecting money for the family. The funds will be taken to 1st Bank of Sea Isle City, where Zielinski's family has an account set up.

Ocean City officials are discussing ways to help the Tourism Development Commission overcome a decrease in funding that has resulted in cutbacks to its advertising budget. The tourism budget for 2019 is $620,000, down from $649,300 the year before. And it appears to be a trend with significant reductions the two years prior. The funding decline is raising some concerns among City Council, which discussed it at the last meeting. The Council members expressed hope that the city would be able to come up with new ways to generate more money for the Tourism Commission. Because of the decrease in funding this year, the commission has cut its television advertising campaign from 10 weeks to eight...