OC Today-Dispatch JANUARY 2, 2026
STUBBORNLY LOCAL, EQUALLY INDEPENDENT
Sign up now for our new, Monday-Friday newsletter. — Page 59
PRICELESS
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE DETWILER PHOTOGRAPHY
DAWN OF A NEW YEAR Clean and full of promise is how each new year begins, and the photo above by Mike Detwiler seems to signify that fresh start. What happens next, of course, is up to nature and humanity.
Rt. 50 bridge detour delayed Higher tides The SHA has moved the start date of its two-week closure of the Route 50 bridge to Jan. 20. Traffic must take the long way in and out of town. — PAGE 3
County school probe info scarce Investigators from Office of the State Prosecutor and Maryland State Police execute search warrants at a home and schools’ main office. — PAGE 4
need higher intersection
OC trying to get state to raise road at base of bridge to fight frequent flooding. — PAGE 10
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OC Today-Dispatch
JANUARY 2, 2026
JANUARY 2, 2026
OC Today-Dispatch
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PHOTOS COURTESY MARYLAND STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
The Route 50 bridge is pictured during the summer lane closures required to address structure deterioration.
Route 50 bridge repairs will close span starting Jan. 20 By Brian Shane Staff Writer (Jan. 2, 2026) Upcoming repair work on Ocean City’s Route 50 bridge means the main artery into the resort will be inaccessible for two consecutive weeks, forcing motorists to take a detour around Route 90 through Ocean Pines. Starting Jan. 20, the State Highway Administration will temporarily close the Harry W. Kelley Memorial Bridge to make repairs to the interlocking mechanism that opens and closes its dual bascule spans. The project will officially launch Monday with single-lane daytime closures and is scheduled to wrap up March 20. And it’s not just for cars. Sidewalk repairs mean pedestrians and bicyclists won’t be permitted to cross until the 15-day closure period ends Feb. 3, in part because it’ll be an active construction site, according to SHA spokesman Charlie Gischlar. Other repairs include patching broken concrete on the underside of the bridge. All marine and boat traffic in the Sinepuxent Bay channel beneath the bridge also will be suspended for the duration of the 75-day project. Access to the resort in the meantime will be limited to two locations: from the west along the Ocean City Expressway, or Route 90, or from the north side at the Delaware state line where Route 54 and Route 1 converge. SHA says motorists may follow signs to a detour that includes U.S. Route 113 (Worcester Highway), Maryland Route 90 (Ocean City Expressway) and Maryland Route 528 (Coastal Highway) while the bridge is closed. Shutting down access to downtown Ocean City will impact public safety, school bus routes, and even municipal trash pickup. Ocean City’s emergency services agencies have been coordinating with the State Highway Administration. Traffic patterns will be monitored daily and traffic flow can be modified in response to a serious incident, according to emergency services director Joe Theobald. The resort’s fire department is also working on a plan to maintain uninterrupted service and may move around fire apparatus and paramedic personnel as
needed, according to OCFD spokesman Ryan Whittington – an onerous task they already handle during the ebbs and flows of seasonal summer traffic, he added. For law enforcement, the Ocean City Police Department will continue to handle calls downtown per usual, while State Police troopers and Worcester County sheriff’s deputies will cover the West Ocean City side, according to OCPD spokeswoman Ashley Miller. Trash trucks servicing Ocean City, which are based at a public works yard off Keyser Point Road in West Ocean City, will also have to detour around Route 90 for the project duration. School buses drivers servicing Worcester County Public School families on the island also will come up with workarounds. SHA maintains and inspects the 83year-old bridge on a regular basis. For this project, crews will repair motors and locks underneath the bridge decks that operate the draw span. The bridge tender’s booth will still remain open 24 hours a day during repairs because crews may need to run test openings. It’s not the first time that the 84year-old drawbridge has been shut down for an extended period. In early 2008, SHA closed the bridge for about 35 days in January and February for extensive rehab work that replaced the bridge deck and the drawbridge gears. The bridge span opens more than 1,600 times a year, making it one of the state’s busiest moveable bridges, according to SHA.
CLOSED TUESDAY, JAN. 6 FOR EMPLOYEE PARTY
BREAKFAST Monday-Friday 9-11am Saturday-Sunday 8am-Noon ($10 Breakfast Mon.-Thurs.)
HLIVE ENTERTAINMENTH JASON LEE FRIDAY 1/2 • 5PM ENDLESS EMBER WEDNESDAY 1/7 • 5PM
HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS Monday-Friday Drinks Noon-6pm Food 3-6pm
WE HAVE THE NFL TICKET with In-House Sunday Specials 1-7pm Online Ordering Available ccfbayside.com Check Our Facebook Page Daily
MINGO MONDAY, TRIVIA TUESDAY & BAR BINGO THURSDAY 6PM
OFF SEASON SPECIALS ~ 3PM-CLOSE FRIDAY: BURLEY OAK BEER BATTERED ROCKFISH w/ Hand-Cut Fries $20 STEAMER BOWL Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, Crab Legs, Sausage & Corn $42 SUNDAY: TWO CHESAPEAKE BAY CRABCAKE DINNERS w/ Hand-Cut Fries, Slaw 5 oz. $35 MONDAY: PHILLY CHEESESTEAK w/ Hand-Cut Fries $12
An area of exposed rebar is pictured under the Route 50 bridge structure.
TUESDAY: CRABCAKE COMBOS Smoked Brisket or Chicken w/ a 5 oz. Chesapeake Bay Crabcake and Two Sides $25 WEDNESDAY: CHEF’S CHOICE TWO CHESAPEAKE BAY CRABCAKE DINNERS w/ Hand-Cut Fries, Slaw 5 oz. $35 THURSDAY: FULL RACK OF RIBS w/ Hand-Cut Fries & Coleslaw $22 BUILD YOUR OWN BURGER w/Hand-Cut Fries $12
LUNCH SPECIALS $12.50 ~ MONDAY-FRIDAY 11AM-3PM 37314 LIGHTHOUSE ROAD • RT. 54, SELBYVILLE, DE • 302-988-5000/302-993-6959