DELMARVA - With 2024 just around the corner, WBOC invites you to look back on Delmarva’s year and the news we covered across the Peninsula. This week we’ll revisit some of our most notable and most-read and watched stories of the year online by three-month intervals, beginning with the first quarter of 2023. Follow these links for the top stories of the second, third, and fourth quarters of 2023.
January 2023
2023 unfortunately began with a slew of deadly crashes across Delmarva that dominated the headlines. On January 4th, a crash outside of Denton, MD in Caroline County took the life of four people, including a 6-year-old. Nearly two-weeks later, a deadly crash in Frankford, DE saw a 28-year-old and his 3-year-old child both killed.
Just over two weeks into the year, a third January crash in Laurel, DE sent shockwaves across the Peninsula. On January 17th, Delaware State Police confirmed with WBOC that beloved Sussex County wrestler Jamin Pugh, also known in the ring as Jay Briscoe, was killed in a head-on crash when another driver crossed the centerline of Laurel Road. The other driver also died in the crash, and Pugh’s daughters, who were in the car with him, were seriously injured.
A tribute for Jamin Pugh from Ring of Honor.
Pugh’s tragic death was met with an outpouring of support for his family, with social media trends #PrayForThePughs and #DemBoys shared widely in Laurel and beyond. Hundreds gathered for his funeral in late January, a clear reflection of Pugh’s undeniable impact on his community. Pugh was 38.
February 2023
Many of February’s most widely read stories on WBOC’s website and app were crime-related. A mid-month homicide in Bridgeville, DE in the Heritage Shores community especially garnered attention, with police searching for a suspect for days. That suspect, later identified as Robert Franks, was accused of murdering his wife Cynthia Moss-Franks. Franks was finally located in Philadelphia and extradited back to Delaware.
Robert Franks
Two development stories also gained significant attention from viewers and readers in February. The first was in Salisbury with a City Council vote to allow the sale of a parking lot for a new hotel downtown. While some lauded the approval as a step towards providing more rooms and meeting spaces for the City, others expressed frustration that the lot had hosted a flea market for years.
In Ocean City, a second project that overcame a tragic hurdle would be moving forward. Despite the deaths of two brothers at development company Kinsley Properties during a skiing trip, the Margaritaville resort in Ocean City would be proceeding, according to the company.
A rendering of the Margaritaville Resort, provided by Becker Morgan Group.
By far the most read story in February previewed the changes that came to recreational crabbing in the Chesapeake Bay for the 2023 crabbing season. Daily bushel limits were reduced to one bushel for the period of April 1-June 30, down from two bushels based on the previous year’s crab survey in Maryland and Virginia. Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources said the limits were needed to keep blue crab populations stable.
March 2023
The talk of the Peninsula in March was a proposed point of sale system and boardwalk closures in Ocean City for the Oceans Calling Festival. Business owners on the boardwalk raised concerns about access to their shops during the festival, as well as being required to use the point of sale system that would grant a portion of proceeds to the promoter. At the time, City Manager Terry McGean assured local businesses they would smooth out any worries before the festival kicked off in September.
Other widely read and watched stories in March included a dramatic scene in Laurel, with police recovering a pickup truck from under a Broad Creek bridge. The body of the driver of the truck, Jose Roara-Alanis of Seaford, was previously recovered from the Creek weeks prior. What led to Roara-Alanis to drive off the road into the Creek was not clear.
Another tragic crash also drew attention in March, this time involving a Maryland State Trooper. On March 6th, according to police, 73-year-old Daniel Clark stopped on Rt. 13 near Salisbury for a temporary road closure. A 15-year veteran of the Maryland State Police, Cpl. Kevin Moore, struck Clark’s stopped vehicle, causing it to strike a third car. Clark was taken to Baltimore’s Shock Trauma Center for treatment, but died from his wounds.
Next: Second Quarter Review
