MediaWize

The National Weather Service issued a Coastal Flood Watch in effect for Ocean City from Thursday morning through Thursday afternoon. The NWS does not typically issue this type of notification so many days in advance, but the Flood Watch predicts water levels in the high range of moderate flooding and approaching major flooding. The latest forecast calls for a major storm to bring heavy rain and sustained northeast winds of 30 to 40 mph, gusting to 58 mph, in addition to a higher-than-normal astronomical tide. These factors would contribute to flooding conditions.

Join the Ocean City Free Public Library host Tom Celandine for a merry discussion of two of the ultimate Christmas movies: "A Christmas Carol" (1951 Alastair Sim version) and "It's a Wonderful Life." On Dec. 21 beginning at 7 p.m., both films will be discussed. For a special bonus, the impact of Bing Crosby as Hollywood's version of a Christmas Santa will also add to the discussion. Details follow on how to register for the discussion.

Ocean City football Head Coach Kevin Smith looks back at the unprecedented 2020 season with a first-hand account of "how high school football intersected with a global pandemic in the strangest and most fascinating way."

Mayor Jay Gillian is urging Ocean City residents to continue taking precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19, even as a vaccine is on the way. "But we still have a long way to go before a vaccine is widely available to everybody. Better days are in sight, but until then we all must continue to wear masks, avoid indoor gatherings, wash hands and do whatever we can to limit the spread of the virus – for the sake of the entire community," he said Friday in his weekly message to the public. His entire message follows.

The New Jersey Department of Health expects to begin administering the coronavirus vaccine to frontline medical workers and long-term care residents within days, with the goal of having 70 percent of the state’s population vaccinated over the next six months, according to a county press release Thursday. “Our Department of Health and Office of Emergency Management have been working closely with state officials and Cape May County is ready to begin the vaccination program,” said Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton.

As Cape May County gets closer to the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines becoming available, there are questions about who will receive the first shots. In Phase 1, when limited doses are available, the front of the line as determined by the state is healthcare workers who many have contact with infected patients or infectious materials, according to a county press release. Other essential workers and people at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness would also be in the initial phase, the release explained.

Steve Booth, sales leader of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach Realtors office on 34th Street in Ocean City, welcomes Lexi Lyon as a sales associate. Lyon, who resides in Dorothy, can be contacted at 609-415-5158 or by emailing lexi.lyon@foxroach.com. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach Realtors is part of HomeServices of America, the nation’s largest provider of total home services and largest residential brokerage company in the U.S. in sales volume, according to the 2020 REAL Trends 500 report.

Sturdy Savings Bank announced it has matched, dollar for dollar, every donation raised during The Arc of Cape May County’s Giving Tuesday Fundraising Event that was held on Dec. 1. Funds that were raised will be used to provide access to telemedicine programming, PPE supplies and cleaning needs to battle COVID-19, and tablets to access The Arc’s virtual programming through technology to the people they serve in Cape May County with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to a press release.

The Ocean City Education Foundation (OCEF) purchased and donated more than 300 PPE lanyards for students and teachers this week at the Ocean City Primary School. The lanyards, which are red with white lettering to match Ocean City's school colors, help keep protective masks secure for the students and teachers.

The Cape May County Office of Emergency Management has declared a “Code Blue” severe weather advisory that extends from Sunday 6 p.m. to Wednesday 6 a.m. for all municipalities. A Code Blue advisory is issued when the temperature falls to the freezing mark or lower, posing a danger to the county’s homeless population. People needing shelter during the frigid weather should call the Cape May County Division of Social Services at (609) 886-6200, ext. 2434, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 2-1-1 after 4:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays.