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From biking to paddleboarding, people took advantage of Ocean City. The only problem was that bikers were sharing flooded streets with paddleboarders, as rains pelted the island and much of South Jersey when Tropical Storm Fay drew nearer to the coast. By 10 a.m. on Friday, three inches of rain had fallen, according to the National Weather Service. The rains continued into the afternoon. By mid-afternoon floodwaters had receded on most streets, although some of the harder-hit areas were still impassable.

The 2020 Tour de Donut is in the books, and the results are in: Brown’s Restaurant, 110 Boardwalk, has the best donuts in Ocean City. For the uninitiated, the Tour de Donut is Ocean City’s quirky new tradition. An informal bicycle trip round the island, which took place on July 4 for the fourth straight year, the Tour makes stops at every donut shop in town. Participants purchase a deep-friend treat at each stop, sample it and rate it. The event visited 12 Ocean City donut shops. 

Running pass patterns at football practice has again given way to a holding pattern for New Jersey high school teams. Just when it looked like the first football that local fans could watch would be at the high school level, the COVID-19 crisis proved to be the ultimate arbiter on when the season would open up. “I know everyone is nervous and/or frustrated,” Ocean City Head Coach Kevin Smith related to parents and friends of the program in an email. “I am too.” Smith’s frustration and that of the other coaches, as well as players, parents and fans, is understandable.

Longtime Ocean City business partners Tyrone Rolls and Jill Adamson’s newest venture looks like a winner – on several different levels. The duo’s Key to the Community discount card is promising as a value for customers, as a supporter of other local businesses, as a booster of the community, and as a fundraiser for numerous charities. “Ocean City and the community have given us so much,” Adamson said. “We feel an obligation to give back.”

Manco & Manco Pizza and the Surf Mall, two landmarks on the Ocean City Boardwalk, have implemented comprehensive safety plans as part of their reopening strategy. Read how they are protecting their customers in OCNJ Daily's "Safely Open for Business" feature.

Partly sunny, weather in the 70s and a cooling breeze made for a perfect beach day and an even better Father’s Day in Ocean City. Throughout town, dads could be seen with their family members celebrating. Proud papas were in full effect strolling on the Boardwalk, dining in Asbury Avenue restaurants for takeout or outdoor meals, kayaking on the bay and of course lounging on the beach.

As America continues to wait for the resumption of major league and college sports, New Jersey’s high school football programs appear to be ahead of the curve. On Friday afternoon, Ocean City High School’s head coach Kevin Smith received confirmation from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) that the Red Raiders and other public and non-public school football programs may begin summer workouts on Monday, July 13. Of course, the practices will be different than in years past, with strict social distancing measures mandated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a lifelong Philadelphia Phillies fan turned aspiring major league pitching prospect, Jake McKenna always dreamed of wearing the Phils’ red pinstripes. On Sunday morning, the dream came true. McKenna, a 6-foot-7-inch, 220-pound lefty and 2020 graduate of Ocean City High School, signed a $20,000 maximum MLB contract for undrafted free agents and will be assigned to the Phils’ rookie league affiliate in Clearwater, Florida.

The lifeguard knew something was wrong. A woman was on her hands and knees, digging through the beach sand. Oh, and she was sobbing. The woman told the lifeguard she had lost both her wedding ring and her engagement ring, antique jewelry given to her by her grandmother. Who you gonna call? Larry Friedel, beachcomber, that’s who. “Some of the Beach Patrol people know me,” said Friedel, 68, who has plied his tools of the metal detecting hobby for almost six decades now. “I started out when I was 10. When I was a kid I always found enough items of value to pay for a nice lunch or a night on the Boardwalk,” he recalled.

If the proverbial value placed on a visual image is correct, then Martin Fiedler has created an encyclopedic history of the United States Coast Guard’s ancestor, the U.S. Life Saving Service, in a new video series. When it comes to telling stories on video, few are as accomplished or experienced as Fiedler. Thus, his broadcast-quality series documenting the Life Saving Service, its brave first responders of the day, known as Surfmen, and Ocean City’s historic Life Saving Station 30 bears the imprint of a man who cares deeply about his subject.