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A fire that broke out early Saturday morning at Playland Castaway Cove’s arcade on the Ocean City Boardwalk caused extensive damage to the building and left thick black clouds of smoke in its wake. But Playland's signature outdoor amusements that tower over the Boardwalk such as the Gale Force roller-coaster and Double Shot thrill ride appeared untouched by the flames that shot in the air.

When it comes to maintaining a home, dredging doesn’t typically come to mind on the to-do list. But when owning waterfront property complete with a private boat slip, Sean Scarborough, owner of Scarborough Marine Group, said dredging to remove muck and silt could make all the difference in the world. Scarborough plans to begin dredging private boat slips along Ocean City’s bayfront around Feb. 16. He noted that they will begin at Tennessee Avenue.

Ocean City school district officials said Wednesday night that they are ready to open the Primary School for five days a week of in-person instruction starting Feb. 1. During a virtual Board of Education meeting, Schools Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Taylor and the board said both they and the school are prepared.

On Monday, Feb. 1 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. the Ocean City Free Public Library is offering a performance on “Harriet Tubman, Tales From The Cape.” In a performance that has been called “mesmerizing,” Michelle Washington Wilson lends us a special glimpse into the life and times of Harriet Tubman. Tubman was an abolitionist, Underground Railroad conductor, and women’s suffrage supporter who traveled through New Jersey, and was active in the Abolitionist Movement, throughout Atlantic and Cape May Counties and throughout the DelMarVa Peninsula...

Considering the Ocean City Fishing Club is more than a century old, the fact that it is missing just 22 yearbooks isn’t astonishing. But to the 230 members, the yearbooks that date back to 1915 and go through 2019, tell the history of the oldest continuously operating fishing club in the United States. They need to locate the missing yearbooks to preserve the history for future generations.

Generosity of a community, people lending support, donating food to those who are struggling because they are out of work or can’t make ends meet, is what Ocean City is about, explained Gloria Votta, chairwoman of Community Services for the Ocean City Board of Realtors. “The people in the community are amazingly generous,” Votta said in an interview Saturday. “There is one man who wishes to remain anonymous who gives us $800 for coats for kids each year. People are just really giving.” The Ocean City Board of Realtors (OCBOR) kicked off its 2021 Community Service Projects Saturday, with the “Food Is Love, Share Some Love,” winter food drive for those in need.

Ocean City police officers who assisted with security for the Inauguration Day of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala D. Harris called the experience incredible, memorable and the highest honor they could hope for. A dozen officers from the department were selected by Police Chief Jay Prettyman to go down to Washington, D.C., for the historic event Wednesday. One of the officers went in his capacity as a member of the National Guard. They arrived Monday, were trained, deputized and sent on their assignment, which was near the White House, where they were to protect the motorcade holding President Biden and Vice President Harris.

The Humane Society of Ocean City is joining shelters from the Tri-State area for a night of zany animal and people fun with Stand Pup Comedy Night on Zoom. The event on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. features comedians such as Fred Stroller of Seinfeld and a host of adoptable cats and dogs. Tickets for the show are $20 and $10 of every ticket sale will go to the shelter of one’s choice, including HSOC. Details follow on how to buy tickets.

Members of the Ocean City Police Department went down to Washington, D.C., in perhaps the greatest call of duty – to assist in security for the Inauguration Day of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala D. Harris. "We’re proud to participate in securing the capital,” Police Chief Jay Prettyman said Wednesday. “It’s something we've had the pleasure to do, side by side with patrols from across the country, for the past four elections. It’s a memorable experience for our team and an important service to the nation.”

Ocean City church and community leaders didn’t allow the COVID-19 crisis to prevent them from observing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day to celebrate his message of peace and love. “Today, we celebrate the legacy, the work, the life of a man whose life was fueled by his faith in his creator, a man, who profoundly changed the consciousness and character of America,” Ocean City Tabernacle Director of Youth Ministry Jonathan Gonzales said on stage at the Tabernacle. “Did you know legacy is not what we do for ourselves; legacy is what we do for the next generation?” Although Ocean City's King Day celebration was not stopped by the pandemic, the ceremony was conducted virtually at the Tabernacle to protect the participants from COVID-19. Gonzalez called upon those who watched the virtual ceremony to make a positive difference in the lives of others.