DELMARVA - Join WBOC as we take a look back at the most-read news stories of the year on WBOC.com and our News App while we count down to 2026. We’ll revisit 2025’s headlines in three-month intervals, continuing with April, May, and June to see what stories caught our viewers’ and readers’ attention the most.
To read 2025’s first quarter recap, click here.
April 2025
April saw its top headline of the month early on as a local poultry titan found itself singled out in an international trade feud. On April 4, the People’s Republic of China announced it was halting imports from Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. Chinese officials claimed a banned drug, furazolidone, had been detected in shipments from the Delmarva-based company and were ceasing shipments. The announcement came the same day China revealed sweeping retaliatory tariffs on all U.S. imports in an escalating trade battle that has continued throughout the year.
Another major company generated local buzz in April with WBOC confirming that tech giant Amazon planned to open a new distribution center in Salisbury. The proposed 87,000 square-foot center is under construction on Edward Taylor Road just south of Route 50. With an estimated 120 new jobs planned at the distribution center, Wicomico County and Salisbury officials expressed their excitement at the potential benefits to the local economy.
Support and well-wishes poured out for Chincoteague Mayor Denise Bowden in April after Bowden was seriously injured during a pony roundup. The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company said the mayor had been “severely injured letting the southern herd out of the corral” on April 11. Bowden was taken to shock trauma in Baltimore and underwent surgery due to the injury. She quickly returned to her public duties, not letting the injury prevent her from taking part in the historic 100th Chincoteague Pony Penning just months later.
On April 8, Virginia State Police were called to Route 13 near Market Street in Onley for a serious crash. An ambulance carrying a patient collided with a Perdue tractor-trailer just before 5 p.m., according to police, resulting in the driver of the ambulance and his wife being taken to TidalHealth in Maryland. The patient and another passenger were flown to Norfolk General Hospital. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured.
Courtesy of Virginia State Police
Several Delaware arrests also topped headlines in April. At the beginning of the month, the Delaware Attorney General announced the indictment of former Sussex Central High School Principal Judith Brittingham. Brittingham was accused of falsifying overtime and mileage compensation payments to a paraprofessional at Indian River School District with whom she allegedly had a romantic relationship. Prosecutors said the reportedly falsified payment forms were submitted without the employee’s knowledge.
Two former Millville volunteer firefighters were also charged mid-month in a hate crime investigation in which police said they had chased an fire company employee with a rope tied in a noose while one of them made racist comments. Jay Droney and Jordan Hastings were each charged with felony hate crime, conspiracy, and harassment.
The launch of a new dog licensing program drew the attention of pet lovers in April, with Delaware’s Office of Animal Welfare announcing a partnership with DocuPet. The program, launched April 9, was designed to help owners more easily register their dogs and keep them out of shelters.
May 2025
After a relatively quiet April, the weather stormed back into the forefront in May of 2025. A string of severe thunderstorms roared across the peninsula on May 16, triggering storm warnings classified as “Considerable” or “Destructive.” Hail, lightning, and torrential downpours were reported across Delmarva, and a tornado warning was issued for parts of Dorchester, Caroline, Wicomico, and Sussex Counties. The National Weather Service would later confirm a tornado touched down in Dorchester County and continued into Sussex County.
Though powerful, the storms were not enough to shake confidence in that weekend’s inaugural Boardwalk Rock festival in Ocean City, though headliners Motley Crue and Alice in Chains ultimately had to withdraw from the event not due to the weather. Officials would later announce Boardwalk Rock would not be returning in 2026, though they remained optimistic that it would be back in Ocean City in 2027.
The boardwalk stayed a popular subject in May. Earlier in the month, a piece of construction equipment broke through the storefront boardwalk at the One Rehoboth Avenue project. The back tire of a Genie boom lift cracked through the boards, temporarily halting construction while workers scrambled to lift the equipment out of the newly-created hole. City Manager Taylour Tedder confirmed the boards were private property and were set to be replaced anyway, with Rehoboth Beach incurring no financial costs in the incident.
Courtesy of Jesse Berdinka
A crash on Ocean City’s Route 90 Bridge later snarled traffic to and from the resort town on Memorial Day. A three-vehicle crash occurred on May 26, briefly closing all lanes as paramedics treated patients at the scene and first responders cleared the roadway. The bridge was quickly back open for the holiday traffic.
Tragedy struck in Kent County, Del., in May with a reported accidental shooting claiming the life of a 21-year-old. Delaware State Police say they were called to a field near Walnut Shade Road and Autumn Moon Road in Magnolia on May 20 after the victim had been fatally shot while target shooting with three other people. Police would later identify the victim as Kendrick Mason.
In Accomack County, a bizarre and shocking wildlife story drew both the attention and outrage of readers towards the end of May. On May 27, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources announced the conclusion of an investigation into the illegal killing of numerous birds of prey including bald eagles and hawks. William Custis Smith, of Hallwood, admitted to using pole traps to ensnare raptors and also poisoning fish heads to kill the birds, according to court documents obtained by WBOC. DWR said Smith further admitted to killing “in excess” of 20 bald eagles and hawks because the raptors were preying on the ducks Smith was trying to attract to his impoundment for hunting. Smith was sentenced to a day in jail, two years probation, 50 hours of community service, and a fine of $9,800.
The story that made the most noise in May was that of a motorcycle club looking to move into an old train station in Princess Anne. The club, Rated X, rented the property on Beechwood Street from the Princess Anne Town Commissioners with plans to renovate the vacant building and turn it into a clubhouse. Club members, mostly over 50, told WBOC they planned on hosting small events and auto shows, with all proceeds going towards local charities. Some neighbors, however, voiced their concerns over the motorcycles’ loud engines. Rated X members assured residents their motorcycles would not be as loud as the horns of local trains that regularly pass through the area.
Some community members are concerned over noise because a local motorcycle club is renting the old train station in Princess Anne for its new clubhouse.
June 2025
An unfortunate number of serious car crashes all within days of each other were among the most-read headlines in June. The first, on June 6, involved a paramedic SUV at the intersection of Route 16 and Mulberry Street. Investigators say the Sussex County EMS Suburban was responding to an emergency and had activated their lights and sirens before a car entered its path at the intersection. The 74-year-old driver of the car did not survive. The Sussex County Paramedic driving the Suburban was brought to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
The next day, on June 7, the Milford Police Department responded to the Dollar Tree in the Cypress Hall Shopping Center on reports of a car crashing into the storefront. A 97-year-old woman inside the store was struck and flown to a nearby hospital in stable but critical condition. A 76-year-old also inside the store suffered minor injuries when debris fell on her. The 44-year-old driver was also taken to a hospital for treatment.
Photo: Angelica Garcia
Then, on June 9, Maryland State Police and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office responded to a serious crash with entrapment on Rt 50 near Old Bridge Road. One person was extracted from their car, and Maryland State Police were requested to fly at least one patient to a trauma center.
Photo: WBOC
Towards the end of the month, Delaware State Police launched an investigation after finding a man dead in a parked car in Rehoboth Beach on June 24. Police said they were called to Olive Avenue on reports of a car emitting a foul smell. Inside, investigators found the partially-covered body of a man. DSP said they initially suspected foul play and asked anyone with information to contact them. Days later, police announced they were looking for 53-year-old Vanessa Johnson of Virginia in connection to the death investigation. Johnson had known ties to New York City and Washington, D.C., according to police, and there was a concern for her safety and well-being. Johnson was later located, and police said the man was already dead when a family member drove his body to Rehoboth Beach. No criminal charges were filed and police said the case had been closed.
New car-related fees in both Delaware and Maryland drew significant attention in June. In Delaware, the Department of Transportation proposed toll increases at four key locations, including the Route 1 plaza in Dover. The increase in fees could generate up to $70 million annually for road and infrastructure projects, DelDOT said. Route 1 toll plazas would see a fee of $1.50 on weekdays and $4 on weekends for Delaware E-ZPass users, while out-of-state holders would be charged $3 on weekdays and $6 on weekends. The new toll rates would later take effect in August.
In Maryland, fee increases for vehicle registration renewal became the number one topic on WBOC.com in June. The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration updated their registration rates to take effect in July based on vehicle classes and weight. Among the proposed fees were a $10 hike in passenger car registration fees for vehicles under 3,500 lbs., and a $30 increase for cars over 3,700 lbs. MDOT said the new fees would go towards funding MDOT operations, maintenance, construction of roads and bridges, and public transportation.
After the upcoming changes dominated June headlines ahead of the official change, WBOC set out on July 1 to speak with MVA customers in Wicomico County to hear their thoughts on the new increase. While not thrilled, some drivers said the new fees were worth it if going towards the state’s infrastructure. Others, however, pointed to the change as just another financial burden at a time of rising costs and inflation.
