MediaWize

The Cape May County Zoo on Monday announced the arrival of an 8-year-old female snow leopard named Maliha. Dr. Alex Ernst, the zoo’s associate veterinarian, said Maliha came from the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island. She will be paired up with the male snow leopard Bataar to continue the Cape May County Zoo’s successful breeding program.

Mayor Jay Gillian plans to ask City Council to adopt a new ordinance prohibiting the cultivation, manufacturing, testing and sale of marijuana in Ocean City. Existing city ordinances that ban marijuana were invalidated by the state's recent legalization of cannabis. Gillian explained in his weekly mayor's address Friday that the state's marijuana legislation gives municipalities 180 days to reinstate their previous restrictions on pot. His entire message follows.

OCNJ AARP Chapter 1062 is partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association, Delaware Valley Chapter, to host a webinar at noon on Friday, March 12. The topic is “Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia.” Information follows on how to register for the webinar.

One of the Deauville Inn’s last winter projects is well underway and will soon provide a safer environment for boaters and wildlife alike, the historic Strathmere restaurant announced in a press release. Over the past year, the Deauville Inn’s team has been working closely with federal, state and local agencies and officials to ensure the dock project adheres to all laws, regulations and codes, according to the release.

Ocean City, one of the few districts in the state to continue to keep schools open with hybrid scheduling since the start of the school year, hopes to transition to in-person instruction for all grades before the end of the year, according to a press release Tuesday. In-person instruction began with grades kindergarten through fifth in February and continues with sixth grade in mid-March. District leaders say that there is one large hurdle to overcome before the remainder of students can transition, and that’s the 6 feet of social distancing restrictions.

The Ocean City High school boys basketball program cruised to a 63-38 win over rival Mainland on Monday night. The win brings the Red Raiders to 7-1 on the shortened season while Mainland drops to 1-5. This was the second meeting between the two teams this season, with Ocean City also taking the first one, 69-55. Senior Gannon Brady led all scorers with 26 points on the evening. 

Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and Ocean City Police Chief Jay Prettyman on Monday announced the arrest of a former high school music teacher on sexual assault charges. Ricardo Valle, 34, who currently lives in Seabrook, Texas, was charged with two counts of sexual assault, one count of official misconduct, one count of endangering the welfare of a child, and one count of criminal sexual contact. The charges were a result of a joint investigation conducted by the Ocean City Police Department and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit, after it was reported that Valle allegedly sexually assaulted a student in 2016 while he was a teacher at the Ocean City High School.

The Cape May County Zoo has a new addition — “Lydia,” an 18-month-old female Grant’s Zebra, according to a press release. She came to the zoo from the Como Park Zoo in St. Paul, Minn., and is joining the herd as a mate for “Ziggy,” the lone stallion at the zoo. She will be the fourth female to join the herd, with “Gretta,” “Gracie” and “Zuri.”

Mayor Jay Gillian said Ocean City helped about 40 residents to get their COVID-19 vaccinations this week. The city's Community Services department has set up a new program to guide senior citizens through the online registration and scheduling process for vaccinations. "I’m happy to report that our Community Services team has had some good success in securing COVID-19 vaccination appointments for Ocean City seniors," the mayor said in his weekly message Friday. His entire message follows.

The 2021 Baseball Season is ready to begin! All players ages 5-12 can register at www.OceanCityBaseball.com.