As the snow continues to fall across Delaware, state officials are emphasizing safety measures for all residents. The Delaware State Police have issued a series of guidelines aimed at keeping motorists safe during the winter weather:
Stay Home if Possible: If you can avoid travel, do so. Conditions can be unpredictable and hazardous.
Drive Cautiously: For those who must travel, slow down, keep a safe distance from other vehicles, and ensure your vehicle is free of snow and ice to prevent accidents.
Emergency Preparedness: Carry an emergency kit in your car with items like blankets, a flashlight, food, and water. Check road conditions via official channels before setting out.
Respect Snow Plows: Do not attempt to pass or crowd snow removal vehicles. The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) crews are diligently working to clear the roads, and they need space to operate safely.
DelDOT has expressed gratitude towards their crews for their relentless efforts during the storm, urging the public to assist by not crowding the plows.
The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) also reminds everyone to check on neighbors, particularly the elderly or those who might need assistance during this time.
With these safety tips in mind, Delawareans are encouraged to take extra precautions as the winter weather persists. Your safety, and the safety of those around you, is paramount.
Millsboro Police are looking for a man they say is the suspect of a robbery.
Brandon Staats is accused of robbing the Starbucks in the 28000 block of Dupont Blvd in Millsboro on Thursday (4/20). According to police, Staats stole an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the scene and rammed a bystander’s vehicle when they attempted to intervene. Police also accuse Staats of dragging an employee across the parking lot several feet, resulting in minor injuries to that person.
Staats is wanted for 2nd-degree Robbery, leaving the scene of a property collision, driving while suspended or revoked and reckless driving.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact Millsboro Police at 302-934-8174 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-3333.
Clayton Sample; Curtis Collick (Left to Right) – Delaware State Police Dept.
A dispute between two neighbors led to the arrest of both after they opened fire on each other outside their homes in Millsboro.
According to Delaware State Police, the incident occurred around 6:42 p.m., Saturday when troopers responded to reports of a shooting in the 28000 block of Mount Joy Road.
The investigation determined 36-year-old Curtis Collick, and 47-year-old Clayton Sample, both of Millsboro, who are neighbors, were involved in a verbal dispute outside their homes on Mount Joy Road.
The argument escalated and both men fired multiple gunshots at each other, according to police. Curtis was struck one time in the lower torso area and fled in a vehicle prior to the arrival of police.
Troopers responding to the scene spotted Curtis’ vehicle and a traffic stop was conducted.
EMS responded and transported him to an area hospital where he was treated for a non-life-threatening injury and released. Clayton was uninjured and taken into custody without incident at the scene and transported to Delaware State Police Troop 4.
Curtis was charged with Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony), Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited (Felony), and Reckless Endangering First Degree (Felony). He was arraigned and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on $152,000.00 cash bond.
Clayton was charged with Assault First Degree (Felony), Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited (Felony), and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony). He was arraigned and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on $130,000.00 cash bond.
A Millsboro teen has been arrested and charged with 1st Degree Murder Blades, Delaware.
According to the Delaware State Police Department, around 10:49 p.m., June 19 troopers were dispatched to a shots fired complaint in the area of E. 4th Street in Blades.
During the investigation, troopers discovered a 20-year-old male lying on the side of the road with an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Detectives identified the suspect an obtained a warrant for his arrest. On Thursday, December 30 troopers responded to the Ferris School, a secure facility where the suspect was currently being held.
At the facility, the juvenile male was charged with Murder 1st Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Robbery 1st Degree, and Possession of a Firearm by Person Prohibited. He was arraigned in the Family Court and remained in the custody of The Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services on $130,000 cash bond.
Ronald Donaway, 74, Millsboro, DE – Delaware State Police Dept.
New, disturbing details were revealed through court documents in the case of 74-year-old Ronald Donaway, a Millsboro man charged with brutally murdering his ex-wife.
According to court documents, Donaway told police “kill me now, because I will not surrender my weapons.”
Police made contact with Donaway as he tried leaving Abbys Way in Bridgeville where he allegedly fired multiple rounds into the home of his 70-year-old ex-wife, Hilda Donaway, who, according to the arrest warrant, was found on the kitchen floor with apparent gunshot wounds to her head and upper body.
The incident occurred around 6:18 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 22 when police were called to the 11000 block of Abbys Way for reports of a shooting. The investigation revealed Ronald Donaway showed up at the home, which was occupied at the time by his ex-wife Hilda and her 23-year-old grandson. The grandson was able to flee the scene through a bedroom window and was uninjured.
While outside, Donaway began shooting with a rifle into the windows of the living room, kitchen, and bedrooms.
Several neighbors called police when they heard the gunfire ring out and, according to the arrest warrant, witnessed Ronald Donaway firing rounds from the rifle into the home.
Ronald Donaway tried to flee the scene in his vehicle, according to police, but was stopped at the entrance of the community. According to the arrest warrant, when police approached him they noticed visible signs of blood on his hands.
“I killed her, what are you going to do,” Donaway told police as they approached the vehicle, court documents revealed. He then got out of the car and told troopers “kill me now, because I will not surrender my weapons.”
Donaway was taken into custody. While on the way to the police station, court documents reveal that Donaway made several statements to police, all of which were caught on mobile video, including “go ahead and kill me, shoot. I was planning on dying here with her tonight.”
Police would later interview the grandson who, according to the arrest warrant, said that his grandfather threatened to kill both him and his grandmother on numerous occasions. He then told police that his grandfather would show up at the home multiple times for no apparent reason, and that he owned several firearms, including an AR-15 rifle.
The gunshots and evidence collected at the scene are consistent with an AR-15 rifle, according to court documents, that is the weapon believed to have been used in the murder. The firearm was found in the front passenger seat inside the vehicle that Ronald Donaway was driving.
Ronald Donaway has been charged with Murder First Degree (Felony), Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony), Home Invasion (Felony), and Reckless Endangering First Degree (Felony). He was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court #3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution in default of a $900,000.00 cash bond.
A Millsboro man has died following a serious crash where a car ran off the road and struck a tree near Georgetown.
According to Delaware State Police, the crash occurred around 1:36 p.m., Thursday as a 2002 Honda Civic was traveling westbound on Vaughn Road, approaching a sharp right curve. For unknown reasons, police say the driver, a 42-year-old Georgetown woman, failed to negotiate the curve and exited the south edge of the road before swerving right in an attempt to re-enter the roadway.
As the Civic re-entered Vaughn Road, the driver overcorrected to the left, and the car began skidding and ran off the north edge of the road. The vehicle then continued to slide through the grass, and the front of the car struck a tree.
The driver was not properly restrained at the time of the crash and was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries.
A 31-year-old Millsboro man, who was seated in the front seat and was not properly restrained at the time of the crash, was transported to an area hospital where he died from his injuries.
A 53-year-old Georgetown man was seated in the back seat and also was not properly restrained at the time of the crash. He was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries.
The crash remains under investigation by the Delaware State Police Troop 7 Collision Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses are asked to contact Cpl/3 Kenneth Argo by calling 302-703-3264 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.
Vaughn Road was shut down for over four hours while the crash was investigated and later cleared.
$90,000 was raised to erect a brand-new playground at Long Neck Elementary School.
Teachers, staff, and especially the students were elated Monday morning as the ribbon was cut on a brand-new playground set at Long Neck Elementary School.
Funding for the new playground was made possible through efforts by the school’s PTO and various community donations.
Millsboro Mayor Michelle Truitt – Millsboro Police Dept.
Mayor of Millsboro, Michelle Truitt has resigned under what appears to be suspicious circumstances.
The Mayor’s resignation came as a surprise this week, but the Town of Millsboro is not saying why she chose to resign, only that it was her choice.
Town Manager Sheldon Hudson was quoted in Coastal Point, saying “we chose to be discreet” and that “this is a delicate situation.” Hudson continued, emphasizing that there was no meetings held, open or closed, to discuss her resignation and, interestingly enough, he told the paper that the Town would not be pursuing legal action against Truitt.
TV Delmarva News reached out to Hudson directly, asking why the town had to be discreet and what the reasoning was for the Mayor’s resignation?
“Because the resignation was voluntary, the Town wanted to allow Michelle Truitt to be the one to explain her reasoning, as any information the Town could provide would be speculative or secondhand,” Hudson wrote. “As you know, Millsboro has always been very transparent; there’s just simply nothing more the Town can responsibly say other than Michelle worked hard while she served as Council President and the Town wishes her well.”
Multiple attempts to reach Truitt were unsuccessful and she has yet to respond to a request for comment.
Truitt was appointed mayor back in 2019, succeeding former mayor John Thoroughgood, who currently serves on the Millsboro Town Council.
As of this time there is still no official word as to why she resigned.
Councilman Tim Hodges is set to take over as Mayor at the Town’s next meeting scheduled for Monday, Dec. 6, 2021.
A Sussex County school bus driver is in hot water after video surfaced showing her screaming and cursing at students from Millsboro Middle School.
The exclusive video, which we had to edit due to the level of expletives, shows the bus driver screaming and dropping numerous f-bombs at students from Millsboro Middle School.
“Goodbye! I’m getting off the f***ing bus!,” the driver can be heard yelling at students. “I can’t f****ing handle all you dumb asses acting like f***ing fools.” The driver, who has not been identified by district officials, continued to scream in frustration and argue with students. “You don’t f***ing listen!,” she screamed. “You don’t do anything that I ask you to do or tell you to do. Do you understand me?!!! I’m not sitting on this f***ing bus!”
Emily Saxton, an eighth grader at Millsboro Middle, was aboard the bus and recorded the incident. She says she was shocked as she witnessed her bus driver pull the bus over and begin to have a mental breakdown.
“Everyone was being loud and like it’s an everyday problem,” Emily explained. “She probably just got fed up with like everything and just like went off.”
Emily’s mother, Kelly Saxton, said she understands that being a bus driver is not an easy job, but there’s no excuse for that kind of behavior.
“I think I watched it in complete shock and horror,” Kelly said. “You have to understand that yes, the kids misbehave on that bus, they’re loud, there’s a couple particular kids that just are extremely over the top that I know I couldn’t even deal with, but I honestly think she should be let go from her job. I don’t think it suits her.”
TV Delmarva’s Rob Petree reached out to the Indian River School District who issued the following statement:
“The school district is aware of a bus incident that occurred on Friday, October 22nd involving a contracted bus driver transporting students’ home from Millsboro Middle School. Parents were notified of the incident by the school principal. This incident is currently under investigation with district officials and the bus contractor.”
TV Delmarva News has also reached out to the bussing contractor, Johnson Transportation, who have yet to respond to a request for comment.
You can view the full video report on our Facebook page, @TVDelmarva
