UPDATE: According to WGMD, the Coast Guard has called off their search. The Examiner adds that rescue teams searched 895 nautical miles over 20 hours, but could not locate Delgado. A Washington, D.C. man is still missing after he was caught in a riptide in Ocean City, Maryland on Saturday. 250 people were caught in and rescued from riptides this weekend at the popular beach destination, where all swimmers were called out of the water around 5 p.m. on Saturday due to the unsafe conditions. Malcus Delgado was one of four men who decided to go into the water after O.C. lifeguards had signed off for the day -- three were rescued, but Delgado could not be located. The stronger-than-normal current was due to Hurricane Danielle, which is making its way north over the Atlantic Ocean and has now reached Category 4 status, with winds of up to 132 miles per hour. more ›

>> Ocean City: Making it harder to score hookers on your beach weekend since 2007. [WTOP] >> Metro is going to start distributing free bottles of hand sanitizer in stations beginning next week, in an effort to prevent the spread of flu germs. Except only 2,000 riders at each station will get them, on a first come, first served basis. We'd like to suggest they distribute them based on filthiness. You should have to... more ›

>> Tomorrow D.C. United players will be sporting special maroon jerseys in honor of Virginia Tech. After the game, all 18 shirts will be signed by a player and auctioned, with the proceeds going to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund which provides assistance to victims and their families along with grief counseling and other "comfort expenses". >> Tax hikes may force Trimper Rides, one of the oldest businesses in Ocean City, to close shop.... more ›

As April showers wane and spring becomes summer, much of Washington looks toward the shore for respite from city life. Just a few hours (and one long bridge) separate us from Ocean City, Md., home of crabs, boardwalk fries and recently-transplanted Fractured Prune donuts. Local Ocean City businessmen, unwilling to rest on these laurels, have begun stocking the ideal summertime accessory: the flask/flip flop hybrid. WUSA told us about it last night, but the shoe... more ›

>> You might want to pick up your porn before heading to the beach this summer. Ocean City has passed a moratorium on sex shops of all kinds. We can only see this as a boon to Washington's own hard-working purveyors of such merchandise. Not that anyone at DCist has any idea where such stores might be. [WTOP] >> One D.C. blogger has already had it up to here with clueless tourists on the Metro.... more ›

This isn't so much a new feature as just a fantastic headline we had to share with you, courtesy WTOP. Clearly the story concerns a seriously mentally ill person, so we're especially glad no one was injured in the incident, which took place in Ocean City, Md. yesterday. Because that means we can giggle about the following:

Bergeno ran a red light at Second Street, almost hitting two cars. The chase ended when Bergeno plowed into three cars at a red light at 36th Street. As police surrounded his disabled car, Bergeno brandished a blender at officers on Coastal Highway near 37th Street.

Happy Fourth of July, Washington! We hope you've got a good spot staked out for watching the fireworks. And we hope you've been having a good time not working — your morning roundup writers certainly have. That's because there's practically nothing to round up. With the local media mostly off for the holiday, the news is slooow. But that's not such a bad thing; we should all be manning grills, not computers. Here's to a Fourth that's pleasantly-paced, safe, and doesn't involve riding Metro to the mall. Legislators Claim Smoking Ban Success: Montgomery County legislators Isiah Leggett and Phil Andrews say that the county's smoking ban has been good news for its restaurants, according to WTOP. They cite a 19 percent increase in sales over the last two years as proof. Ban opponents say that this is a faulty measure, however. They maintain that since 77 percent of the county's restaurants were already smoke-free, the overall sales increase is largely meaningless. Zoo's Panda Party Planned: As you may have heard, the zoo is throwing Butterstick a birthday party on Sunday. Looks like the press release just went out: WJLA reports that "there will be entertainment, educational programs, children's activities and best of all, free cupcakes for the first one-thousand visitors." Educational programs? Nuts to that. You should come to our party for the Stick instead — we promise you won't have to learn anything. And we'll see what we can do about the cupcakes. Second Gorilla Dies At Zoo: It's not a good week to be a D.C. gorilla. On Saturday a gorilla named Kuja died during the implantation of a "cardiac device" — now another, older animal named Mopie has collapsed and died. The exact cause of death isn't yet known, although Mopie was known to have heart problems, but he seemed to be in good health as recently as Monday. Briefly Noted: Fourth of July weekend off to a violent start... Ocean City riptide proves to be deadly... Area should be back to full power by tomorrow morning... Evacuation plan to be used to help clear the city after tomorrow's fireworks... This Day In DCist: One year ago today the news was just as slow as it is today. And by and large we took the day off, too — but DCist cofounder Mike Grass did take the time to write some Fourth of July impressions. Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user commonroman. This entry written by DCist staff member Tom Lee. more ›

DCist welcomes the first official day of summer with a special Opinionist piece by reader Rachel Demma. What are your thoughts on the sweatiest season in the city? Got any summer survival tips? Share what you love and hate about the season. more ›

This weekend's weather hinted at what is yet to come in the Washington region in the months ahead -- heat and humidity. And given that this Wednesday marks the official start of summer, the change in weather has come right on time. Look for high temperatures and afternoon thunderstorms through Sunday. more ›

Prunes, and their fiber-rich reputation, are usually synonymous with Aunt Esther’s Secret Weapon for Regulation. But in Ocean City—yes, the less cool O.C.—they became affiliated with a legendary fried dough chain, The Fractured Prune. Beachgoers and locals are all about their made-fresh-to-order donuts, which can be dipped in one of sixteen glazes, eight toppings and three sugars. Their mascot, a shades-clad injured prune man (think geriatric cousin of the California Raisins ilk), has announced to Dupont Circle’s P Street that his establishment is “Coming Soon.” more ›

So, when a Washington Post art critic tells an artist that their work is the only salvageable thing in an art show of six-hundred pieces, that's a good thing, right? Maybe not when it's spat with the vitriolic follow-up that, "glass is such a gorgeous medium it's hard to screw it up." more ›

The owners of Rehoboth Beach, Del. restaurant Nage are following Horace Greeley's advice by opening a western outpost of their high-end bistro next Tuesday in the Courtyard by Marriott at 1600 Rhode Island Avenue NW. According to the News Journal, longtime friends and co-owners Kevin Reading and Josh Grapski are behind the endeavor -- with Reading taking the reins as executive chef of the two-restaurant outfit and Grapski managing this new D.C. branch. Before opening... more ›

Yes, this was actually adjudicated. more ›

If you were listening to WJFK on the drive home yesterday, you probably noticed that the normally witty banter of Don Geronimo and Mike O'Meara was on tape, though they were set to be live on the air. Sadly, this is because Freda Wright-Sorce, wife of Geronimo (real name Mike Sorce) died in a head-on collision in Ocean City, MD, Sunday. more ›

A long time ago, before the Beltway and the Interstate highway system, a web of U.S. highway routes crisscrossed the nation, connecting cities, towns and villages. These U.S. highways still exist, but now only form the backbone of the nation's secondary federal highway system. Route 1, which passes through D.C. via Rhode Island Avenue and the 14th Street Bridge, links Maine and Florida. Route 50, coming straight down Consitution Avenue, links Ocean City, Md., with... more ›

What a way to start your beach vacation at Ocean City, or your resort town of choice. Thousands of beach bum wannabes fleeing D.C. were greeted by thousands of dead fish on the Maryland and Delaware shore after a burst of cold water killed off countless Atlantic croakers. Scientists think the fish, also known as the King Billy and the hardhead, went into shock after temepratures dropped 20 some degrees off shore. A couple hundred thousand to a million fish could have been killed, the experts say. more ›