The End For Pocomoke City's Winter Quarters Golf Course?

     The picture and caption below is posted on Pocomoke City's website:

See: Discuss the closing of Winter Quarters Golf Course from the the minutes of the January 8 Pocomoke City Council meeting (2nd page of the online minutes at link below).

http://www.cityofpocomoke.com/_minutes_files/minutes/January%208%202018.pdf

Mayor Morrison Update

See article:

https://www.oceancitytoday.net/p/pocomoke-mayor-still-hospitalized/1713285

Have You Heard?

The former Riverside Grill location will soon have a new tenant.. Mallards On The River. A lease agreement with Pocomoke City has been signed and the new owner anticipates opening the restaurant within the next month or so. 

Jet Service Comes To Salisbury

(The Salisbury Independent)

Salisbury Regional Airport finally enters jet age

Aug 30th, 2017 · by Susan Canfora ·

Pilots, mechanics and flight attendants are being hired as the Salisbury-Ocean City-Wicomico Regional Airport continues the transition from props to jets.

Last week, 27, E-147 Embraer jets arrived and the 28th aircraft was expected this week, said Jackie Jennings, who handles public relations for the airport.

The Piedmont Airlines jets, each which seats 50 passengers, came to Salisbury from a sister airline and have had interiors upgraded and heavy maintenance performed.

“They look completely different from props. They are longer. Of course they don’t have propellers.  They look really nice,” Jenkins said, adding the planes have stirred considerable public attention.

“People really like them. A lot of people have been coming out in the evenings. We have one jet that takes off at 6:20 and every evening, people are there watching. It’s so cute when the little kids come to watch. It’s adorable,” she said.

By comparison, turbo props have propellers and jets have faster engines. Props are Canadian planes, while the jets came from South America. Several years ago, there were Allegiant Air jets at the airport, flying to Orlando, but service stopped.

Every weekday, four flights are scheduled from Salisbury to Philadelphia and two to Charlotte, N.C.

Two jets and two props fly to Philadelphia, a 19-minute, one-way trip. On Saturdays, there are three flights, two in jets and one by prop. On Sundays, there are four flights, two by jet and two by prop, Jennings said.

Daily flights begin at 6:40 a.m. and the last jet returns at 9:48 p.m.

Travelers to Charlotte are in the air about an hour. There will be the same number of flights from Salisbury to Philadelphia and Charlotte, but the jets have more seating capacity.

Overnight, maintenance is completed on aircraft at the Salisbury airport. More employees weren’t hired, but having maintenance based locally makes jobs there more secure, Jennings said.

Last August, Bob Bryant, who was general manager of the airport at the time, told the Salisbury Independent the arrival of jets could mean a 600-foot extension for one of the two runways, but Jenkins said there are no immediate plans for extension.

The primary runway is 6,400 feet long. At a Wicomico County Council meeting last August, County Administrator Wayne Strausburg told Council members that runway will likely have to be extended to 7,000 feet.

Replacing props with jets “is great for Piedmont,” Jennings said.

“We are one of the few regional airlines that is actually growing. So many people are seeing cuts in aircraft, cuts in service and we just continue to grow, so we’re very excited,” she said last year.

“We know passengers prefer the jet and we’re happy to provide that service for American and for our passengers. We love our (prop) Dashes. Our Dashes are great. But passengers prefer jets,” Jennings said.

When it was announced jets would come to Salisbury, County Executive Bob Culver called Piedmont’s announcement “very positive news for Wicomico County and our airport.”

“The executive, airport management and the airport commission chairman, along with David Ryan from Salisbury-Wicomico Economic Development, have been meeting regularly to ensure that we do everything in our power to promote the airline’s strategic plans,” Culver said.

Piedmont Airlines CEO Lyle Hogg said it was “a vote of confidence from American and a goal we worked very hard to achieve.”

“American had previously committed 20 jets to Piedmont and we are pleased that our parent company will now continue to increase the number. The expanding fleet of jets puts Piedmont on an exciting path to the future, and that will lead to even more opportunities,” Hogg stated in a news release.

Piedmont employs more than 7,000 aviation professionals across the country and operates a fleet of 37 Bombardier DHC-8 turbo-prop aircraft on nearly 300 flights per day to 53 cities. It recently opened a Philadelphia base to accommodate the fleet of Embraer 145 regional jets. The ground handling team can be found in 80 airports across the United States, according to a news release.

Reach Susan Canfora at scanfora@newszap.com.

K9 Jet Dies

Civic Center Fire Was 40 Years Ago

        (Photo from Salisbury Independent)

The original Wicomico Youth And Civic Center in Salisbury was destroyed by fire on June 25, 1977.

See article..
http://salisburyindependent.net/history/40-years-ago-civic-center-fire-changed-community/

High Bid For Pocomoke Liquor Location

From OC Today

Bids for county liquor store in Pocomoke exceed $1M

(April 7, 2017) Removing itself from the liquor business became less costly for Worcester County government Tuesday, when the bids for the Worcester County Shore Spirit liquor store in Pocomoke City came in shockingly high.

Five bidders submitted proposals to take over the lower county operation, which had been valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, with top bidder Kalpesh Patel of Berlin offering at $1.175 million.

Read more:

http://www.oceancitytoday.net/p/bids-for-county-liquor-store-in-pocomoke-exceed-1m/1640496

Services for FireFighter/Paramedic Jacob Howser

From pocomokefire.com

Services have been set for For Firefighter/Paramedic Jacob Howser.
  
Wednesday March 29, 2017 Visitation at Holloway Funeral Home 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
  
Thursday March 30, 2017 Visitation at Pocomoke Fire House 1-2 pm Service to follow at 2:00pm.
  
Reception to Follow at Pocomoke Community Center
Fire Departments and Honor Guards wishing to participate contact Stockton Asst Chief Tim Jerscheid at 443-497-6439.

Crash Fatality

Although an official identification could not immediately be made, the Pocomoke Volunteer Fire Company says one of its members, 23-year-old Jacob Howser, was the victim in a fatal single vehicle crash Saturday morning near Snow Hill.

More here:

http://www.pocomokefire.com/gallery/detail?id=26229

Honors For Pocomoke Elementary!

From The Dispatch, Ocean City.

National Recognition For Pocomoke Elementary School

Mar 09,2017 by Charlene Sharpe

POCOMOKE – Pocomoke Elementary School earned recognition as a National Title I Distinguished School this week.

“We are incredibly excited to have Pocomoke Elementary School recognized for the outstanding work the administration and staff are doing to ensure the children in Pocomoke are achieving at high levels,” Superintendent Lou Taylor said. “The efforts of the PES family are commendable, and this is certainly a day to celebrate not only in Pocomoke, but across our county.”

The National Title I Distinguished Schools Program was created in 1996 to highlight the efforts of Title I schools making significant improvements for their students. Schools are honored in one of three categories — exceptional student performance for two consecutive years, closing the achievement gap or excellence in serving a special population of students. Pocomoke Elementary earned its recognition for exceptional student performance.

Principal Michael Browne says this is the second time in five years the school has received the recognition, something state officials told him had never happened before.

Browne credits the FAME (Formative Assessment for Maryland Educators) initiative, which has been in place at PES for three years, with the increase in student achievement that led to the Title I honor. Beverly Watson, FAME specialist, says teachers have worked ongoing formative assessments into the curriculum so that rather than simply testing student comprehension at the end of a unit, they monitor it throughout the process.

“I think it’s played a tremendous role in supporting students,” she said. “You see a great deal of growth across the board.”

Browne said along with FAME, his school’s efforts to do more with technology and increase parent involvement had also had a positive impact on student achievement. Melissa Freistat, assistant principal at PES, said the school had implemented activities to get parents involved in their children’s education.

“Parent engagement is important,” she said. “That plays a big role in student achievement … I think it’s important the public know it’s a partnership. We’re all pieces of a puzzle fit together for the betterment of the child.”

Browne agreed and said the National Title I Distinguished School recognition was an honor for the entire PES community. He says it’s a great feeling to watch PES students — 72 percent of whom come from households of poverty — walk into school each day eager to learn in spite of any hardship they might face.

“They strive to learn,” Browne said. “This is an honor for the students as well as the staff

Verdict In Green Trial

A Worcester County jury, Tuesday, found former Pocomoke Police Lt. Lynell Green guilty of conspiracy in connection with a 2014 crash investigation but not guilty on a misconduct charge. Former chief of police Kelvin Sewell was found guilty of misconduct recently in connection with the same case in which it was alleged that a hit and run charge against an acquaintance was not pursued. Green will serve a year of unsupervised probation after which the charge could be removed from his record.

Misconduct Verdict

Former Pocomoke City police chief Kelvin Sewell was convicted of misconduct Thursday in connection with a 2014 accident investigation case. He was acquitted on a charge of conspiracy and sentenced to probation.

More here:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-pocomoke-police-chief-20161201-story.html

In Local News...

A tragic situation unfolded in Pocomoke City Monday. Local media is covering. We suggest WBOC.com as a dependable and up-to-date source for coverage. -PPE

The Old Fire House Building

News story on the old Pocomoke Fire House

                           (WBOC photo)

WBOC has a news story concerning the old Pocomoke Volunteer Fire Company headquarters.
http://www.wboc.com/story/32929164/pocomoke-city-leaders-struggle-with-what-to-do-with-old-fire-station

FORMER CHIEF SEWELL INDICTED

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Check local news media, such as wboc.com, for latest updates.
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(Reported in The Baltimore Sun, Wednesday, July 20, 2016)

Former Pocomoke police chief, current Baltimore state's attorney contractor, indicted

A former Eastern Shore police chief who alleged racism after he was fired without explanation has been indicted on misconduct in office charges by the state prosecutors' office.

Kelvin Sewell, 53, a retired Baltimore Police homicide detective who now works for the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office, was indicted by a Worcester County grand jury Tuesday, court records show. The allegations stem from a November 2014 incident, the records show.

The Pocomoke City Council fired Sewell in 2015 and gave no justification for the move, saying it was a personnel matter. The dismissal divided the town of 4,000: Sewell, who was Pocomoke City's first black police chief, alleged it was retribution for him standing up for two black officers who complained about racism.

Sewell and the officers are currently suing city and county officials in federal court, alleging racial discrimination.

Sewell could not immediately be reached for comment, and details of the indictment also were not immediately available.

Pocomoke City Mayor Bruce Morrison did not respond to a request for comment about whether the investigation by the Office of the State Prosecutor was related to Sewell's firing.

Sewell's arraignment is set for next month.

The lawsuit against the city brought by Sewell and the officers remains pending, and alleges broad racial harassment in the town. The state attorney general's office, which is representing the city and county in the suit, has called the lawsuit an "absurd, meritless" complaint and an "attempt to extract some sort of undeserved windfall payout."

Sewell said he stood up for employees who had reported a racially hostile work environment, including officers watching "racially charged" videos in their presence and regularly using racial epithets.

Sewell filed his own complaint with the EEOC alleging that he was paid less than his white predecessor. The racial strife in the small town caused the case to be featured in the New York Times, and the officers filed suit with the help of the ACLU of Maryland.

Sewell is seeking reinstatement and back pay, along with damages.

In March, Sewell was hired by the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office as a contract employee investigating felony, homicide and violent crime cases, as well as helping to locate and interview witnesses.

Sewell spent more than 20 years with the Baltimore Police Department, retiring as a sergeant in 2010. His departure followed racially-charged allegations that a supervisor had ordered him to view a Ku Klux Klan web site after insisting the hate group was active in Sewell's home county.

Small Fire At Scher's

(Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company photo) 

A short in a steam iron on the second floor was attributed as the cause of Saturday's small fire at Scher's Bridal Shop in Pocomoke. 

Fire Investigation Update

(From WBOC.com)

Juvenile Charges Pending After Pocomoke Warehouse Fire

Posted: Apr 13, 2016 11:01 AM EDTUpdated: Apr 13, 2016 5:16 PM EDT

POCOMOKE, Md. - State fire marshals have ruled that three children started a fire at a vacant warehouse in Pocomoke Sunday night.

According to the Office of the State Fire Marshal, investigators determined the fire began on the a second floor of the 18,000 square foot building. Fire marshals did not specify how the three kids, ranging in age from nine to 11, started the fire, only that the cause was "incendiary."

The individuals have been identified and referred to the Department of Juvenile Services on several fire related charges, state fire marshals said.

No injuries were reported as a result of the fire.

New Job For Former Chief Sewell

The Baltimore Sun reports that former Pocomoke City Police Chief Kelvin Sewell has been hired as a contract employee of the Baltimore State's Attorney's office as an investigator.

The Sun's article, including their version of Chief Sewell's departure from the Pocomoke City police department, is here if you care to read their take on the story..

 http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-sewell-states-attorney-hired-20160322-story.html

Honors For Pocomoke High Principal!

                         (Daily Times photo)


Pocomoke High School Principal Annette Wallace receives Principal Of The Year honors!

Read article..

http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2016/03/21/head-class-pocomokes-wallace-wins-principal-award/81981848/

Under 21 Liquor Compliance In Somerset County..

ALCOHOL COMPLIANCE CHECKS CONDUCTED IN SOMERSET COUNTY

November 26, 2015

(Somerset County, MD) On Wednesday, November 25, 2015, Troopers from the Maryland State Police and Officers from the Princess Anne Police Department conducted a collaborative effort and performed numerous alcohol compliance checks at retail establishments in Somerset County.

Law enforcement officers throughout Somerset County ensured that various retail establishments which hold a Somerset County Liquor License are denying sales of alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 21 years old.

A total of 19 retail establishments were checked.  The following retail establishments complied with the provisions of the law and denied the sale of alcoholic beverage to minors:

• Arby’s General Store, Wenona, Maryland
• Brew Thru, Crisfield, Maryland
• Big Willey’s, Crisfield, Maryland
• Caesar’s Pizza Palace, Princess Anne, Maryland
• Eden Quick Stop, Eden, Maryland
• Junior’s Stop and Shop, Princess Anne, Maryland
• Kash and Karry, Princess Anne, Maryland
• Lucky’s Last Chance, Chance, Maryland
• Oscar’s Bar and Grill, Princess Anne, Maryland
• Peaky’s Restaurant, Princess Anne, Maryland
• Goose Creek, Princess Anne, Maryland
• Somer’s Cove Market, Crisfield, Maryland
• Spike’s Pub and Subs, Crisfield, Maryland
• Dash Inn, Westover, Maryland
• Goose Creek, Westover, Maryland

The following retail establishments were not in compliance with the provisions of the law and sold alcoholic beverages to a minor:

• Somerset County Liquor Dispensary, Princess Anne, Maryland
• Crisfield Oceanic, Crisfield, Maryland
• Shore Stop, Crisfield, Maryland
• King’s Creek Market, Princess Anne, Maryland

In an effort to keep our teenagers safe during this upcoming holiday season, Troopers and Officers will continue with unannounced compliance checks to ensure that alcoholic beverages stay out of the hands of minors.  Historically, the holiday season sees an increase in alcohol related collisions; many of these collisions involve serious bodily injury.  This collaborative effort between law enforcement partners will continue throughout the holiday season.

Support for this program is provided by the Somerset County Local Management Board, Inc.