MediaWize

Atlantic City Electric will improve reliability in Ocean City by installing special equipment to reduce the number of customers affected by power outages. Reclosers will be installed for areas serving every 500 customers or fewer, so when an outage occurs outside of a substation area, fewer homes and businesses will be impacted. Instead of having a couple of thousand customers without power because of a pole accident, for instance, 500 or fewer customers will be affected until repairs are made...

Members of the Ocean City High School girls’ basketball team showed their winning spirit during two events that gave a boost to organizations involved with the care and development of children. At their game on Wednesday night, the players hosted the Best Buddies Club during a halftime show featuring cheerleaders and a color guard. Then on Thursday, the basketball team had a fun time while visiting with children at the Ocean City Tabernacle’s Son Club, a church-run after-school program.

In front of a packed house Friday afternoon, the Ocean City High School boys and girls swim teams battled Mainland to a split decision. The girls’ team defeated Mainland 91-79, while the boys fell 107-63 at the Ocean City Community Center.

In his weekly message to the public, Mayor Jay Gillian welcomes Jay Prettyman as Ocean City's newly appointed police chief. Prettyman takes over on Feb. 1, the day after Police Chief Chad Callahan officially retires. The mayor thanks Callahan for his leadership since he became police chief in 2008.

Ocean City’s St. Damien Parish is hosting its second annual Chili Cook-Off to benefit the Holy Childhood Association on Sunday, Feb. 10. It will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. St. Frances Cabrini Culliney Hall, Second Street and Atlantic Avenue. The public is invited for dinner and chili tasting. Bring the entire family and cast your vote for the best chili. Enter your own chili to be judged for the “Best Chili Crown.”

Sturdy Savings Bank recently presented the Cape May County Habitat for Humanity with the bank employees’ 2018 annual donation. More than $9,000 was raised for the organization through the generosity of Sturdy’s staff. Every year, Sturdy employees select a local non-profit organization for donations. Habitat for Humanity was chosen for 2018.

The Ocean City High School girls’ basketball team used even scoring and closeout defense Wednesday to defeat the Cedar Creek Pirates, 61-25. Emma Finnegan, of Ocean City, led all scorers with 13 points. With the win, Ocean City improved to 10-3, while Cedar Creek fell to 3-11.

The City of Ocean City will host a free rabies clinic on Saturday, Jan. 26, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ocean City Fire Department at 550 Asbury Ave. The rabies vaccine is required by state law and city ordinance. Specifically, it requires that any person owning, keeping or harboring a dog of licensing age (7 months or older) to get a license and official metal tag for each dog owned.

Last night Queen Victoria entered the Devil’s Triangle, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. This morning the sea was calm while an eerie red glow brightened the horizon. If I wasn’t sober, I would’ve sworn the sky was on fire. Was Satan messing with us? Maybe. Not another ship was in sight. But suddenly a burst of sunshine danced my way, and I knew everything was fine. Ha! Old Lucifer, he must’ve been dozing. Thank goodness! Later, room service came knocking. I swung open our cabin door and in marched breakfast: scrambled eggs with salmon and kippers; cranberry juice; two fruit salads; some croissants; a pecan twist; and two steaming pots of coffee. And oh yes, a pitcher of cream ...

Braving frigid weather, Ocean City organizers and volunteers participated in the New Jersey Clean Communities Program on Monday as part of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. The cleanup is in its 12th year. Residents of Ocean City and surrounding communities volunteered to pick up trash and litter at Ocean City parks, schools and other locations on a day that registered sub-zero temperatures with the wind chill factored in.