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Ocean City is partnering with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to improve accessibility at the prime summer attraction in the resort -- the beaches -- for residents and tourists alike. The funding will help the city expand the already ambitious beach accessibility program by adding more mobility mats.

Santa Claus was there. Spiderman was there. And yes, a few “polar bears," too. Revelers in Ocean City filled the Eighth Street beach on a mild New Year’s Day to take the “First Plunge” in the ocean in a wacky and wildly popular tradition to herald in the New Year. Hundreds of plungers lined up, shed some clothing, jackets and the like to charge into the 41-degree water in bathing suits, shorts and in costumes.

Neither fog nor rain could keep family-friendly reveling on New Year’s Eve from happening in Ocean City, as thousands of visitors attended “First Night 2023” to ring in the new year. From ice skating to inflatables to live bands, magic shows, a ventriloquist and even a show by the Ocean City Theatre Company, there was something to keep everyone smiling in 23 different venues throughout the resort.

Ocean City is the place to be to ring in the new year with “First Night 2023.” The annual tradition in its 30th year, offers an array of family-friendly entertainment and activities in an alcohol-free environment for a bargain price. Live bands, a ventriloquist, ice-skating, amusement rides and more, not to mention tons of food offered at many locations, give First Night button holders an abundance of fun and excitement for $20 a person. “First Night is what Ocean City is all about, family fun in a safe place that everybody loves,” Mayor Jay Gillian said Thursday. “I’m proud that this tradition has grown for 30 years now and will continue for generations to come.”

When temperatures plummeted over Christmas, pipes froze. They froze at businesses. They froze at houses. And in Ocean City, they also froze at the High School. One of those pipes broke Christmas night, sending water pouring into several areas of the school and causing damage, officials confirmed Wednesday.

Going once, going twice, but not sold as of yet, with a third postponement by the bankruptcy court of a hearing to determine who may purchase the landmark Crown Bank building in Ocean City. The hearing was originally set for Dec. 13, then postponed until Dec. 20 and then the court adjourned the hearing for a third time on Tuesday. The hearing will now be held sometime next month, a lawyer said.

From major snowstorms that dumped a foot of snow and more in Ocean City, to the loss of a beloved teacher and coach to cancer, to a multimillion-dollar beach replenishment project and a School Board election that swept out the incumbents, 2022 had its share of big news. As we prepare to ring in the new year, we take a look back at the Top 10 stories that generated interest and kept Ocean City in the spotlight for the past year.

Volunteers at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Ocean City did their part on Christmas Day to make it possible for others to have a delicious holiday meal. The longtime tradition at the church at 501 E. Eighth Street for a “Community Christmas Dinner,” fills a need that continues to grow over recent years.

Grab a cup of hot cocoa and settle in to watch “Christmas Chorale 2022," where a dozen local church and school choirs in grades three through 12 sing favorite holiday tunes. All performances from the 40th anniversary year are available on YouTube to enjoy throughout the holiday season. They can also be viewed on Facebook or by scanning the QR code. “The shows are great for bingeing and seeing all the great local talent. Some of the parents of kids in these choirs performed on the Chorale years ago," said show producer Martin Fiedler, owner of Just Right TV Productions. After a two-year hiatus, five shows were produced for the milestone anniversary, which began on TV 40, the local NBC affiliate, until the station went off the air in 2014. “A dozen choirs from all over South Jersey traveled to The Tabernacle for a day of video recording,” Fiedler said of the event...

The Colony Club of Ocean City honored the service of area veterans by placing wreaths on graves at the Gerald M. Thornton Veterans Cemetery of Cape May County on Dec. 17. Each December, the Wreaths Across America organization asks local groups to remember and honor veterans by conducting wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at more than 3,500 additional locations in all 50 states. “The Colony Club was pleased to again have the opportunity to join a grateful nation in saying thank you to our veterans,” said Cathy Solarski, chairwoman of her club’s Wreaths Across America Committee. She continued, “Our members partnered with the American Legion Post 524 Auxiliary, The Exchange Club of Ocean City and the Godfrey Funeral Homes to donate and place 219 wreaths, which were combined with additional wreaths from the national Wreaths Across America group.” The Colony Club of Ocean City, part of the General Federation and New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs, is a volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to developing  and supporting programs and projects that improve the community...