Proposed Crisfield med facility raises some concerns-

 (WBOC)

CRISFIELD, MD - Community members gathered in the Crisfield High School auditorium on Wednesday evening for a special meeting of the Mayor and City Council with TidalHealth representatives regarding a proposed new medical facility. 

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Neighbors share thoughts and concerns over TidalHealth urgent care proposal | Latest News | wboc.com

New Worcester Board of Ed member-

 

Worcester County Public Schools

December 17, 2025 - The Worcester County Commissioners appointed Jackie Cutlip to the Board of Education (BOE) to fill the remainder of a four-year term through November 2026. This vacancy was created by the resignation of Katie Addis.

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Commissioners Appoint Jackie Cutlip to Fill Board of Education Vacancy | WORCESTER COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Worcester schools exec under investigation-

There are more questions than answers this week surrounding an investigation of a high-ranking Worcester County public school official.

Last Saturday morning, local, state and federal investigators converged on the West Ocean City home of Denise Shorts, who resides in the Oyster Harbor community. Shorts is a member of the Worcester County Public Schools executive leadership team, serving as chief academic officer grades pre-kindergarten to eighth grade.

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Member of school system administration under investigation | Premium Content | octodaydispatch.com

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OC Council increases fine maximums

The Ocean City Council last week agreed to increase the maxi…

Vehicle fire in Pocomoke-

 (WMDT)

POCOMOKE CITY, Md. – The Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company responded to a vehicle fire Tuesday evening.

It happened just before 5:30 p.m. in the 1100 block of Market Street.

Crews were able to quickly extinguish the fire, preventing it from spreading to a nearby vehicle and building.

Market Street was temporarily closed to allow crews to work safely.

Wallops Rocket Lab launch-

(NASA)

                                                                 

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket is scheduled to launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility during a window extending from Dec. 18-23, 12-4 a.m. EST each night. This launch supports the United States Space Force.  

The rocket launch may be visible from the Chesapeake Bay region. A launch livestream will be provided by Rocket Lab on their YouTube channel.

Chincoteague featured in national publication-

 (Shore Daily News)

Chincoteague has been featured in Business View Magazine as part of the publication’s ongoing series highlighting economic growth and best practices in cities and towns across North America.

The feature is based on an in-depth interview between Chincoteague Mayor Denise Bowden and Business View Magazine Editor-in-Chief Karen Surca, focusing on how the island community balances tourism-driven prosperity with long-term sustainability and preservation of its local character.

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Chincoteague Island featured in Business View Magazine - Shore Daily News

We asked... (Delmarva drilling revelations)

 

What has drilling on the lower Delmarva Peninsula revealed about its geological history?

Drilling on the lower Delmarva Peninsula has revealed that a massive asteroid or comet impact 35 million years ago dramatically altered the region's geological makeup. Long before the Chesapeake Bay existed, this event shattered and displaced the ancient rock layers, creating a deep crater that still influences the land and water today.

The big impact and its after-effects

• A buried, deep crater: A huge impact crater, roughly 53 miles wide and a mile deep, is buried under the southern part of the Chesapeake Bay and the lower Delmarva Peninsula. It was discovered through a combination of drilling and seismic surveys, which allowed geologists to map its shape and features.
• Aquifers were destroyed: The impact obliterated ancient aquifers (underground layers of water-bearing rock), creating a massive "breccia lens"—a jumbled mix of rock, sediment, and fractured material. The aquifers today are freshwater on top, but the deeper ones are still mixed with ancient, salty seawater trapped in the crater.
• An inland saltwater pocket: This deep brine has remained trapped within the crater's structure, and its unusually high salinity was a long-standing mystery to scientists before the crater's discovery.
• The origin of the Chesapeake Bay: The impact created a long-lasting depression in the landscape. As sea levels rose and fell over millions of years, rivers in the region converged and were eventually funneled into this low-lying area, ultimately forming the present-day Chesapeake Bay. 

Layers of sediment tell a story

• Layers from old river deltas and seas: The region has been covered and uncovered by the ocean multiple times over millions of years. The deep drill cores show layers of sediment deposited by rivers, including a large river delta system that existed in the Late Miocene epoch, and marine deposits from ancient seas.
• "Exotic" plant fossils: Microscopic fossils of plant material found in the sediments are not native to the area, showing that the region's environment has changed significantly over time.
• A record of changing climates: Younger layers of sediment show fluctuations between periods of warm and cold temperatures. For example, some layers show a warm-temperate environment, while younger ones indicate a cooler climate. 

The peninsula continues to change

• Groundwater vulnerability: The fractured ground and persistent saltwater deep in the crater mean that the area's fresh groundwater is more susceptible to contamination.
• The peninsula is sinking: The entire Delmarva Peninsula is slowly sinking, a long-term effect of the impact crater's influence. This process shapes the landscape and impacts the region's hydrology, even today.

No Onancock Christmas Parade-

 

The president of the Onancock Business and Civic Association says Onancock's canceled Christmas Parade Sunday night cannot be rescheduled.

Time Machine: 100 years ago this wek in Pocomoke's newspaper; 1917 view of bygone Christmas Times.

 

December 1917

Baltimore Sun

tkforPPE@yahoo.com

A page from 1916's Maryland's Colonial Eastern Shore-

 

(Continues with another page next Saturday here on The Pocomoke Public Eye.)

Time Machine Preview-

This Sunday here at The Pocomoke Public Eye:

PLUS - 1917

A Baltimore Sun editorial looks back to Christmas in earlier years.

Body of missing waterman recovered-

 

(WBOC)

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The body of a missing Princess Anne waterman has been recovered about ten days after his vessel was found unmanned in the waters off Somerset County.

(View news story)

Body of missing Princess Anne waterman recovered | Latest News | wboc.com

Welcoming our Pocomoke PD's newest Patrolman-

 

Pocomoke City Police Dept

Congratulations Patrolman Damien Paul. Welcome to the family! We are proud to have you as a member of the Pocomoke City Police Department!!!!!

Worcester deputy graduates Academy-

 

Worcester County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Matt Crisafulli is pleased to announce that our newest deputy, Josie Burkhead, has graduated from the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy, Class 95!

After more than 980 hours of intensive training over the past six months, Deputy Burkhead is officially prepared to serve and protect the residents of Worcester County.

During her time at the academy, she earned several distinguished honors:

🏅 Pistol Expert Award

🎖 Squad Leader Recognition

Please join us in celebrating Deputy Burkhead on this outstanding accomplishment. We’re proud to welcome her to the team and confident she will serve with professionalism, dedication, and integrity. 

Improved report cart for Worcester bays-

 

The Maryland’s coastal bays just brought home one of their best-ever health report cards, according to the nonprofit Maryland Coastal Bays Program, which says six local bodies of water in Worcester County showed marked improvements in water quality and biological indicators.

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Coastal bays health continues to improve | Premium Content | octodaydispatch.com