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Redevelopment of the landmark Stainton’s Department Store is getting a lot closer with Zoning Board approval Wednesday night of a parking variance that will allow the conversion of the second floor into professional office space.

When legendary Ocean City businessman Howard S. Stainton built his department store as the anchor of Asbury Avenue, it was 1941. Throughout the years, the downtown building has gone through some dramatic transformations. With a renovation of the first floor offering an array of retail stores called Stainton's Gallery of Shops, and the addition of 22 condominiums on the third and fourth floors, there was one last piece of the puzzle: the second floor. Now, project developers Lester Argus and Brett Foxman are converting the second floor into professional office space.

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.