April is Earth Month, and Governor John Carney joined volunteers, representatives of DNREC and the Department of Agriculture to kick off the Tree for Every Delawarean Initiative, or TEDI, in Felton on Monday.
The initiative was announced in 2021 to plant one million trees, one for every Delaware resident, across the state.
Governor Carney says the initiative will not only benefit generations to come, but trees are a valuable tool to help reduce our carbon footprint and accomplish a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26% by 2025. Trees also provide a buffer zone for low-lying coastal areas and waterways.
Delawareans who plant a tree can contribute to the data on the state’s TEDI online tracker, which is at de.gov/tedi. The site not only tracks the number of trees planted in the state, but helps with volunteering events and opportunities.
A massive manhunt is underway after a suspect opens fire in an underground subway station this morning in Brooklyn.
Footage of the attack was posted to Instagram, some of it too gruesome to show. As of this report, the NYPD and Fire Department says 13 people have been injured in the attack at the 36th Street Station in Sunset Park.
Several witnesses on Instagram and other social media sites reported that a suspect wearing what appeared to be an MTA uniform and gas mask threw smoke bombs on the train and opened fire.
All trains were halted as law enforcement sweep them for possible explosives and search for the suspect.
UPDATE: In a press conference, law enforcement officials say 16 people were injured. 10 people were treated for gunshot wounds, 5 of those are in critical but stable condition.
This is a very fluid and developing story. Stay tuned to TV Delmarva and NewsNet for additional updates as they come.
Screenshot of the aftermath of a Brooklyn subway attack, posted on Instagram by user @angry_yeti.
What seemed like a never-ending spike in gas prices to start spring seems to be trending downwards now.
According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, today’s average across Delaware is at $3.95 a gallon, down 12-cents from a week ago. Some of the area is seeing prices well below that in Sussex County.
Triple-A says the reason for the decrease is due to the price of oil remaining below $100 per barrel and the International Energy Agency’s decision to release 120 million barrels from its emergency stockpiles. This also includes 60 million barrels from the United States. It’s the second coordinated release of reserves in just over a month due to the Ukrainian-Russian conflict.
Top Stories: Delawareans continue to speak out on DelDOT toll scandal. $300 rebate bill passes House, now heads to the Senate in Delaware.
Weather: Sunny skies will lead to mostly cloudy skies tonight. More rain showers are possible tomorrow morning before temperatures soar into the 70’s this week.
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.
Top Stories: DelDOT remains silent as more and more Delawareans come forward over toll issues. Lt. Governor’s Challenge in search of nominees.
Weather: Sunshine this afternoon may give way to a few more isolated showers and maybe even a stray storm. Some of which may methandienone dose contain some small hail.
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) remains silent, refusing to acknowledge the issue with their toll system as hundreds of Delawareans come forward who received false violations.
TV Delmarva News has been inundated with interview requests from dozens of residents across the state who received toll violations after traveling through the Biddle’s Corner Toll Plaza in New Castle County when they had a working E-ZPass with active funds in their account.
Following the publishing of our report on Thursday, our social media pages were flooded with hundreds of comments from Delawareans who received false toll violations, including Megan Brown, of Newark, who has been dealing with this issue for at least the past year. She’s now speaking out, demanding DelDOT do something to resolve the issue once and for all.
“It’s been going on at least a year now,” Brown said. “I was randomly getting these violations in the mail and I know that I had my E-ZPass, I know it was funded, I know it was in my car, and the one thing that stuck out to me is that I would go one-way down to the beach and then come back, and they would only send me a violation for one direction.”
Most recently, Brown said she received eight more of the false violations, totaling close to a thousand dollars. She was told by DelDOT that she must appeal all of them while having issues online dealing with the process.
“It was time consuming to fill out the form and then waste the stamp to put it in the mail, everything, but most recently I just got eight of them at one time in the mail from last summer too, so number one, I don’t even remember the times going, and when you add them up they’re asking for almost eight hundred to a thousand dollars.”
While initially the issue appeared to span over the course of at least the past six months, we are now receiving additional reports of false violations dating back over the course of the past two years for some residents.
TV Delmarva News Director & Reporter Rob Petree raised these concerns directly to DelDOT’s Community Relations Director, Charles McLeod, who refused to acknowledge the issue and repeatedly requested that everyone who raises theses concerns contact customer service. Our interview request was then denied.
“We encourage them to contact customer service,” McLeod stated in an email response. “We will be glad to investigate the issue with the individuals but won’t be providing any interviews at this time.”
Everyone we have interviewed and spoke to who has been impacted by this issue has already reached out to DelDOT customer service to no avail, some of whom have already had their false toll violations sent to collections, including Adam Pritchett, of Camden, who said DelDOT did nothing to resolve the issue, all the while knowing that it wasn’t his fault but rather an error on their end, and still nothing was done.
“It’s been a long stream of this,” Pritchett said. “They told me it was my transponder, so I invested in four new transponders for my vehicles, and then I’d go through there and it would say ‘good to go’ every time, and then I would get notices in the mail that I had ran through the violation and it would show a picture of my tag. And I’m like ‘why are they sending me notices’ I’m an E-ZPass account holder, it should be real simple. It’s happen multiple times and I’ve even been taken to collections because I can’t even resolve the issue when I call customer service.”
Kent County resident Matt Burge works in New Castle County and has to take the toll through Biddle’s Corner Toll Plaza daily. He says, like so many others, he’s received multiple violations when he had a working E-ZPass with active funds in his vehicle.
“That shouldn’t be an issue because my transponder is linked to a tag, and we get the money withdrawn into the E-ZPass monthly, it constantly refills,” Burge stated. “My thing is, the notice I just got was from 2/21/22 and I just got it two, three weeks ago. Why did it take a week and a half to get to me, and then it was supposed to be in by April 4th.”
Burge was very frustrated and said something needs to be done, calling out officials at DelDOT, saying they need to acknowledge the issue publicly and take steps to resolve it.
“Just do your job,” Burge stressed. “It’s not that hard, get the facts straight. From what I’ve been told they have people that cross-reference the tags with transponders, so if that’s the case then somebody’s not doing their job because I never should have got a fine.”
Some residents, including Sherry Steller, of Smyrna, have received dozens of false violations and are now speaking out, demanding DelDOT take action to resolve the issue.
“As of today, I have 17 more coming today,” Sherry said. “Once I add the 17 in today, I’ll be at 78 toll violations. I went down to E-ZPass in Dover, spent an hour in there and showed her all my transponders, she checked the batteries and everything is great, and then she tells me to write an appeal for every single violation that I got. My time is valuable to me, I don’t have time to sit around and do appeals when the fault is not my fault.”
Chris Phipps, of Smyrna, said he went above and beyond to get the issue resolved with DelDOT after he received a toll violation when he knew for a fact he had funds in his E-ZPass and that it wasn’t his fault. He has not heard back after he appealed the decision and is speaking out to call for a resolution to this issue that has affected countless Delawareans.
“I’m very frustrated, very angry, and I would hope if anything just a little transparency, a simple letter in the mail to say they received it, an email, or anything,” Phipps said. “Their online portal, in my opinion, is a joke. I don’t know how it takes two weeks to get a letter back. I don’t understand how it’s like this, it’s very old, but I’m just trying to get by as much as I can I guess.”
The extent of the issue, exactly how many people have been affected and what’s causing this to happen, all of which DelDOT has refused to acknowledge, is not yet known at this time. What is clear however is that the issue is affecting residents from all corners of the state, including Jeff and Barbara Baskin, of Lewes, who also received a toll violation from the Biddle’s toll plaza when they shouldn’t have.
“We discovered it when we got the letter in the mail saying we went through a toll booth and that we did not have a transponder, which is not true, we had one,” Jeff Baskin explained. “It’s more like it didn’t read it or something in my mind, but then I’m looking at it again, and on there, just eyeing the tolls because I’ve been running up to Pennsylvania regularly now, my Mom is ill and it’s a lot, and I looked down and for some reason it has us as a different class of vehicle at the same toll booth. Again, I’m going up to Pennsylvania and back, so I go through four toll booths, and the other three show me as a Class 2 and all of a sudden this one’s Class 4 and it’s like ‘what’s going on?’”
Kelsey Gallagher, of Smyrna, said she recently got a large stack of false toll violations, all with random dates, showing her tag. For each one of them, she says she had a working, funded, E-ZPass transponder in her vehicle and should not have received the violations.
“I tried to go online and enter them to put my transponder in, and it won’t even let me do that, it says ‘call the main office’,” Kelsey said. “I’m really frustrated with this. It’s just maddening, I’m a full-time working Mom, I’m just busy all the time, and I shouldn’t have to take so much time out of my day to try and call them and wait on hold forever, and then just try and get ahold of somebody, when I’ve had it in my window this whole time, why is it not being used the way it’s supposed to be used?”
Countless people from across the state have flooded our social media with reports of the same thing happening to them, receiving a toll violation when they didn’t violate the toll, and then having to run around in circles with DelDOT to resolve the issue that wasn’t their fault to begin with:
“About a month ago I got 13 toll violations,” one user wrote. “This week 5 more smh dated as far back as October 2021 to January 2022.”
“They sent me the violation letter and I checked my E-Z Pass account to find that I had already paid the toll with my E-Z Pass,” another user wrote on our Facebook page. “They were trying to charge me $51.00 for a $1.00 toll that had been paid. Glad I checked and called them today!”
“It’s another scam the state has to gain revenue if you don’t pay it any attention,” one user speculated.
“We have a stack of them from as far back as August 2021,” another user wrote. “We get them in groups of 3-8 every few days. All appeals have been denied, although we have active EZ Pass.”
“My husband and I had some violations as high as $4,000,” another user wrote online. “We have transponders in both of our vehicles.”
Sure do have a whole stack,” yet another user wrote. “I have an active E-ZPass account and a transponder in each vehicle. Was told perhaps it was my tinted windshield so I traded the car in…still happening with my new vehicle with no tint on windshield.”
For a $1 toll on Route 1, the cost of violating it is upwards of $50 in fines. Many people who’ve been billed have been unable to resolve the issue with DelDOT, who at this time is refusing to acknowledge the it and continues to direct everyone to contact customer service. An interview request with DelDOT Secretary Nicole Majeski was denied.
TV Delmarva News is continuing to investigate this developing story. We will continue to bring you stories of Delawareans impacted by this issue until DelDOT addresses it and resolves the problem.
The Dover Police Department arrested 22-year-old Kwamai Johnson on Thursday evening on firearms and drug offenses.
Johnson was contacted along with a female passenger during a traffic stop at approximately 8:00 p.m. in the area of North Governors Avenue and West Division Street. Police say he was seen placing a handgun underneath the driver’s seat by officers and then fled on foot but was taken into custody in the area of Fulton Street and North Governors Avenue.
During a search of the vehicle, officers located 50.7 grams of marijuana, 3.5 doses of oxycodone, a digital scale, and the loaded 9mm handgun under the driver’s seat.
Johnson was committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on $23,900 cash bond on the following charges: Possession of Firearm by Person Prohibited (4x), Possession With Intent to Deliver Marijuana, Drug Paraphernalia, Resisting Arrest, Possession of Oxycodone (2x), Possession of Marijuana, and Violation of Probation.
Sometimes, animal control officers can have a dirty job. That was the case up in Newark on Tuesday.
Animal Control were called to reports of a cat hit by a vehicle. The cat ended up crawling into a drainage pipe and was injured, but that did not deter Officer Donna Vickers to crawl into the pipe and get the orange tabby cat.
Check out the Facebook post below from Newark Police.
“ACO Vickers’ efforts with this incident demonstrate the dedication that she has to her craft and her love of animals. Well done ACO Vickers!”
The cat was put in a carriage and transported to a nearby animal hospital where it is recovering.
BREAKING NEWS: DelDOT is under fire for false toll violations in the state of Delaware. Jimmie Allen is to release a new album about Delaware. Senator Carper weighs in on the Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Weather: Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible this evening as a cold front arrives. Storms may contain some strong damaging winds and an isolated tornado.
Delaware State Police arrested a juvenile male for firearm and related charges after a shooting that occurred in Magnolia on Monday evening.
On April 4th, 2022 at approximately 8:26 p.m., troopers responded to Juanita Drive in Magnolia, DE regarding a report of shots fired. The ensuing investigation revealed that the suspect had fired multiple gunshots from a vehicle at a residence. The residence was occupied by three victims (ages 38, 32, and 14) at the time, all of whom were not injured. The residence was struck several times and suspect fled the area to an unknown destination.
Through investigative means, a 15-year-old male was developed as the suspect. On April 6th, 2022, the juvenile male was located in Dover and taken into custody without incident. He was subsequently charged with the following crimes:
Reckless Endangering First Degree (Felony) – 3 counts
Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited (Felony)
Criminal Mischief
The 15-year-old male was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court # 7 and committed to Stevenson House on $21,001 cash bond.
A 62-year-old man is facing his fifth DUI offense after crashing his vehicle into a Smyrna Police vehicle, injuring the officer and detainee.
Smyrna Police say the incident happened on Wednesday (April 6) just before 11:00 a.m. on US 13 near Cory Lane, where Paul Reed allegedly driving his red pickup truck recklessly.
An officer attempted to stop Reed, but allegedly fled after side-swiping another vehicle. A short distance later, Reed struck another Smyrna officer’s cruiser while he was conducting a traffic stop in the northbound lane and coming to a stop.
Nearby fire crews and paramedics rescued the officer, who was entrapped in the vehicle. The detainee was able to get out of the vehicle. Both the officer and detainee were transported to a nearby hospital and treated for minor injuries.
Reed was also transported to the hospital. Following his release, he was charged with his fifth DUI offense and also faces several other charges:
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is under fire after countless people were sent false toll violations when they didn’t run the toll. DelDOT is refusing to acknowledge the issue as more people continue to speak out, demanding something be done to fix the issue.
TV Delmarva News has been inundated with interview requests from dozens of residents across the state who received toll violations after traveling through the Biddle’s Corner Toll Plaza in New Castle County when they had a working E-ZPass with active funds in their account.
The issue appears to span over the course of at least the past six months as reports of the false violations, for some residents, date all the way back to October, 2021. Some residents, including Sherry Steller, of Smyrna, have received dozens of false violations and are now speaking out, demanding DelDOT take action to resolve the issue.
“As of today, I have 17 more coming today,” Sherry said. “Once I add the 17 in today, I’ll be at 78 toll violations. I went down to E-ZPass in Dover, spent an hour in there and showed her all my transponders, she checked the batteries and everything is great, and then she tells me to write an appeal for every single violation that I got. My time is valuable to me, I don’t have time to sit around and do appeals when the fault is not my fault.”
TV Delmarva News Director & Reporter Rob Petree raised these concerns directly to DelDOT’s Community Relations Director, Charles McLeod, who refused to acknowledge the issue and repeatedly requested that everyone who raises theses concerns contact customer service. Our interview request was then denied.
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“We encourage them to contact customer service,” McLeod stated in an email response. “We will be glad to investigate the issue with the individuals but won’t be providing any interviews at this time.”
Everyone we have interviewed and spoke to who has been impacted by this issue has already reached out to DelDOT customer service to no avail, some of whom have already had their false toll violations sent to collections, including Adam Pritchett, of Camden, who said DelDOT did nothing to resolve the issue, all the while knowing that it wasn’t his fault but rather an error on their end, and still nothing was done.
“It’s been a long stream of this,” Pritchett said. “They told me it was my transponder, so I invested in four new transponders for my vehicles, and then I’d go through there and it would say ‘good to go’ every time, and then I would get notices in the mail that I had ran through the violation and it would show a picture of my tag. And I’m like ‘why are they sending me notices’ I’m an E-ZPass account holder, it should be real simple. It’s happen multiple times and I’ve even been taken to collections because I can’t even resolve the issue when I call customer service.”
Chris Phipps, of Smyrna, said he went above and beyond to get the issue resolved with DelDOT after he received a toll violation when he knew for a fact he had funds in his E-ZPass and that it wasn’t his fault. He has not heard back after he appealed the decision and is speaking out to call for a resolution to this issue that has affected countless Delawareans.
“I’m very frustrated, very angry, and I would hope if anything just a little transparency, a simple letter in the mail to say they received it, an email, or anything,” Phipps said. “Their online portal, in my opinion, is a joke. I don’t know how it takes two weeks to get a letter back. I don’t understand how it’s like this, it’s very old, but I’m just trying to get by as much as I can I guess.”
The extent of the issue, exactly how many people have been affected and what’s causing this to happen, all of which DelDOT has refused to acknowledge, is not yet known at this time. What is clear however is that the issue is affecting residents from all corners of the state, including Jeff and Barbara Baskin, of Lewes, who also received a toll violation from the Biddle’s toll plaza when they shouldn’t have.
“We discovered it when we got the letter in the mail saying we went through a toll booth and that we did not have a transponder, which is not true, we had one,” Jeff Baskin explained. “It’s more like it didn’t read it or something in my mind, but then I’m looking at it again, and on there, just eyeing the tolls because I’ve been running up to Pennsylvania regularly now, my Mom is ill and it’s a lot, and I looked down and for some reason it has us as a different class of vehicle at the same toll booth. Again, I’m going up to Pennsylvania and back, so I go through four toll booths, and the other three show me as a Class 2 and all of a sudden this one’s Class 4 and it’s like ‘what’s going on?’”
Kelsey Gallagher, of Smyrna, said she recently got a large stack of false toll violations, all with random dates, showing her tag. For each one of them, she says she had a working, funded, E-ZPass transponder in her vehicle and should not have received the violations.
“I tried to go online and enter them to put my transponder in, and it won’t even let me do that, it says ‘call the main office’,” Kelsey said. “I’m really frustrated with this. It’s just maddening, I’m a full-time working Mom, I’m just busy all the time, and I shouldn’t have to take so much time out of my day to try and call them and wait on hold forever, and then just try and get ahold of somebody, when I’ve had it in my window this whole time, why is it not being used the way it’s supposed to be used?”
Countless people from across the state have flooded our social media with reports of the same thing happening to them, receiving a toll violation when they didn’t violate the toll, and then having to run around in circles with DelDOT to resolve the issue that wasn’t their fault to begin with:
“About a month ago I got 13 toll violations,” one user wrote. “This week 5 more smh dated as far back as October 2021 to January 2022.”
“They sent me the violation letter and I checked my E-Z Pass account to find that I had already paid the toll with my E-Z Pass,” another user wrote on our Facebook page. “They were trying to charge me $51.00 for a $1.00 toll that had been paid. Glad I checked and called them today!”
“It’s another scam the state has to gain revenue if you don’t pay it any attention,” one user speculated.
“We have a stack of them from as far back as August 2021,” another user wrote. “We get them in groups of 3-8 every few days. All appeals have been denied, although we have active EZ Pass.”
“My husband and I had some violations as high as $4,000,” another user wrote online. “We have transponders in both of our vehicles.”
Sure do have a whole stack,” yet another user wrote. “I have an active E-ZPass account and a transponder in each vehicle. Was told perhaps it was my tinted windshield so I traded the car in…still happening with my new vehicle with no tint on windshield.”
For a $1 toll on Route 1, the cost of violating it is upwards of $50 in fines. Many people who’ve been billed have been unable to resolve the issue with DelDOT, who at this time is refusing to acknowledge the it and continues to direct everyone to contact customer service. An interview request with DelDOT Secretary Nicole Majeski was denied.
TV Delmarva News is continuing to investigate this developing story. We will continue to bring you stories of Delawareans impacted by this issue until DelDOT addresses it and resolves the problem.
EXCLUSIVE: Delawareans speak out after they were sent false toll violations.
Top Stories: Cracker Jack launches new brand “Cracker Jill.” Dover Man wanted in Laurel for felony theft & forgery.
Weather: Misty/Foggy conditions will continue into the overnight hours. More rain is on the way for Thursday with the chance of some thunderstorms as well.
Anthony J. Oscar, 34, of Dover, DE – Laurel Police Dept.
A Dover man is wanted on felony theft and forgery charges in Laurel.
According to the Laurel Police Department, officers are currently conducting a felony investigation that occurred on April 4, 2022 at the Bank of Delmarva located at 200 E Market Street.
At this time, police say the primary suspect in the investigation has been identified as 34-year-old Anthony J. Oscar, of Dover, Delaware.
Oscar is currently wanted out of the Laurel Police Department for Theft Over $1500, Forgery 2nd Degree, and Conspiracy 2nd Degree. Additionally, he is wanted for similar charges by the Seaford Police Department and by the Kent County Court of Common Pleas for a Failure to Appear capias.
Oscar was last seen occupying a newer model Honda sedan with an unknown driver.
Anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact PFC Lieber of the Laurel Police Department at [email protected] or by phone at 302-875-2244 reference case 70-22-1021 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at0 1-800-847-3333.
After more than 125 years as one of sport’s most iconic snacks, Cracker Jack® is adding a new face to its roster, with the introduction of Cracker Jill™ to celebrate the women who break down barriers in sports.
Tapping into the brand’s rich history with America’s favorite pastime, Cracker JillTM comes to life through five different representations on a series of special-edition bags, which will be available at the start of this year’s baseball season in professional ballparks across the country and through a donation of $5 or more to the Women’s Sports Foundation.
“We are constantly inspired by the many women who are making history by breaking the mold, and we want to celebrate their achievements while supporting the progress,” said Tina Mahal, vice president, marketing at Frito-Lay North America. “Cracker Jack has been part of sports for over a century, as records were made and rules changed. We’ve been so inspired by how girls and women are changing the face of the game, so in this spirit we introduce Cracker Jill to show girls that they’re represented even in our most iconic snacks.”
To extend its impact, Cracker Jack® is donating $200,000 to the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF), a national non-profit that conducts research and advocacy and supports community programming, to help girls and women across the country reach their potential in sport and life.
To further support the Foundation’s work in gender equity, Cracker Jack® is encouraging fans to donate to WSF via this link. As a thank you, Cracker Jack® will send a Cracker Jill™ bag to fans who donate $5 or more, while supplies last.
“Our Foundation is an ally, advocate and catalyst to help unlock the possibilities in every girl and woman through the power of sport,” said Danette Leighton, WSF CEO. “Representation matters – it encourages and inspires the next generation. It’s wonderful to see Cracker Jill come to life, emphasizing the power that representation can have by celebrating women who’ve broken barriers.”
One of the most well-known ways Cracker Jack® is woven into sports culture is through the seventh inning stretch, where the lyrics of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” include “buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack.” Tapping into this cultural cornerstone, the Cracker Jack® brand partnered with award-winning artist Normani to reimagine this iconic song, updating the lyrics to include Cracker JillTM and celebrate the tenacity and grit of women and girls in sports.
“As a young girl, I remember being inspired by athletes and artists who looked like me,” said Normani. “They made me believe that I could also achieve greatness as I watched them break barriers for women. I’m proud to be part of a campaign entrenched in inclusivity and empowerment because it’s vital for young girls to see themselves represented and join in on the celebration of the achievements made by the women before them.”
The barrier-breaking spirit of Cracker Jill™ was brought to life by artist and model Monica Ahanonu, an expert in color theory and a trailblazer for Black artists. Her colorful portrait illustrations resonated with the campaign goal of highlighting and celebrating women in sports through strong, determined and vibrant Jills. These unique depictions of Jill also celebrate the remarkable diversity throughout the country, as the five Jills were inspired by the most represented ethnicities in the U.S., per data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Truly embodying the campaign’s mission, the team behind this initiative is led by women and underrepresented creatives. In addition to Ahanonu, the Cracker JillTM campaign is fueled by powerful female and non-binary voices, including the “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” creative director, Ro Haber, the entire film crew, and the Cracker Jack® team.
This collection of Cracker JillTM packaging was created to coincide with the opening of the 2022 baseball season, but the intention is for Jill to continue to join Sailor Jack as a member of the team roster and part of the brand ethos.
To learn more about Cracker Jill and to donate to the Women’s Sports Foundation, fans can visit CrackerJill.com.
Delaware State Police arrested 20-year-old Amir Harris of Millsboro, DE on drug and weapons charges following a traffic stop on Tuesday morning.
On April 5th, 2022 at approximately 12:15 a.m., a trooper on patrol in the Millsboro area observed a gray Pontiac sedan traveling southbound on Dupont Boulevard south of Delaware Avenue. The trooper observed the Pontiac fail to remain within its lane of travel and also commit a turn signal violation. A traffic stop was then initiated on Parker Circle, Millsboro. Upon contacting the operator and sole occupant, identified as Amir Harris, the trooper detected the strong odor of marijuana emitting from inside of the vehicle. Harris was asked to exit the vehicle, and as Harris complied, he fled the scene on foot. Troopers gave chase and took Harris into custody a short distance away. Upon detaining Harris, troopers discovered he was in possession of approximately .035 grams of suspected heroin and a loaded U.S. Revolver Company handgun with five .32 caliber rounds. Harris has a prior felony conviction and is a person prohibited from possessing firearms and/or ammunition.
Harris was transported to Troop 4 and charged with the following crimes:
Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited (Felony)
Possession of a Firearm While in Possession of a Controlled Substance (Felony)
Possession of Ammunition by a Person Prohibited (Felony)
Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon (Felony)
Resisting Arrest
Possession of a Controlled Substance
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Criminal Mischief
Failure to Remain Within a Single Lane
Failure to Properly Signal
Harris was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court # 3 and was committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $36,750 secured bond.
Top Stories: Two bills were introduced to legalize marijuana in Delaware. Dover Police arrested a man with eight warrants on his record. And a tinted windows violation leads to drug and weapons charges arrest.
Weather: Rain, rain, and more rain is on the way tonight. Some of which will be quite heavy at times. And a major warm-up is expected going into next week.
A Laurel man is facing several drugs and weapons charges after he was pulled over for a tinted windows violation.
Seaford Police say 44-year-old Carlo Munoz-Barreto was stopped in the area of South Market Street on Sunday evening. The officer spotted a handgun in a door pocket when the door opened, prompting the officer to make an arrest. A further search of the suspect’s vehicle uncovered 58 grams of cocaine, 10 bags of heroin, 519 grams of marijuana, 49 prescription pills, drug paraphernalia, a rifle, ammunition, and over $2,800 in drug proceeds.
Munoz-Barreto faces several charges, including:
• Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony (Felony) • Possession of a Deadly Weapon by a person prohibited who also possessed Controlled Substances (Felony) – 3 counts • Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon (Felony) • Manufacture/Deliver/ PWID Controlled Substance (Felony) – 2 counts • Possession of a Controlled Substance (Felony) – 2 counts • Possess Consume any Prescription drug, not a controlled substance (Misdemeanor) – 8 counts • Possess Consume a Controlled or Counterfeit Substance except for Human Growth Hormone without a prescription (Misdemeanor) • Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Not related to personal use quantity Marijuana or Person Under 18 (Misdemeanor) -3 • Operating a vehicle with improper Window Tinting
He was also wanted on a Delaware State Police warrant for a theft charge as well.
Munoz-Barreto was arraigned and lodged to SCI on $139,850 cash bond.
Top Stories: Early morning fire destroys home in Milford. Millsboro man charged with his 10th DUI. Millsboro man arrested on drug, weapon charges in Georgetown. Navy service member identified in the Chincoteague plane crash last week.
Weather: Increasing clouds will be on the way tonight before the rain will be developing for Tuesday. Some of which could be heavy at times.
An early morning fire has destroyed a home in Milford.
According to the Carlisle Fire Company, around 4:18 a.m., Monday crews responded to a fully involved house fire on the 700 block of Cicada Lane in Milford.
When crews arrived, fire personnel said it was clear that the structure was fully involved and efforts were launched to bring the blaze under control.
Firefighters and several apparatuses from Frederica (Station 49), Houston (Station 52), and South Bowers (Station 57) worked with Carlisle crews to bring the fire under control.
After more than three hours of hard work, the scene was declared under control.
There is no word on what caused the blaze which remains under investigation.
Delaware State Police arrested 25-year-old Andrew Long of Millsboro, DE on drug and weapon charges following a traffic stop Saturday night.
Andrew Long
On April 2, 2022, at approximately 7:06 p.m., a trooper on patrol in the area of Park Avenue, Georgetown observed a Blue Ford Explorer operated by Andrew Long who had active warrants for his arrest and did not possess a valid license. A traffic stop was initiated, and upon Long pulling his vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway, he immediately exited and began to flee on foot while carrying a handgun. The trooper chased the suspect and gave verbal commands. Long eventually gave up, dropped the gun, and was subsequently taken into custody without further incident. The loaded 9mm handgun was recovered and a search of the vehicle led to the discovery of approximately 1.3 grams of marijuana. A computer inquiry revealed Long is a person prohibited from possessing a weapon.
Long was transported to Troop 4 where he was charged with the following crimes:
Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
Possession of a Firearm or Ammunition by Person Prohibited (Felony)- 3 counts
Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon (Felony)
Resisting Arrest
Possession of Marijuana
Driving While Suspended
Failure to Have Insurance
Failure to Wear Seatbelt
Long was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court # 3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $101,502 cash bond.
Delaware State Police arrested 47-year-old Robert Berry of Wilmington, DE following a burglary investigation in Wilmington on Thursday morning.
Robert Berry
On March 31st, 2022 at approximately 10:02 a.m., troopers and officers from the Wilmington Police Department and New Castle County Police Department responded to the Family Dollar located at 4331 Governor Printz Boulevard, Wilmington, DE for a reported burglary in progress. Upon their arrival responding officers observed a male suspect climbing onto the roof of the business. Troopers and officers established a perimeter around the Merchants Square shopping center. The male suspect was then taken into custody as he exited a vacant building just south of the Family Dollar. Further investigation revealed the suspect, identified as Robert Berry, had attempted to steal copper from air conditioning units on the roof of the Family Dollar. A computer inquiry also revealed Berry was wanted and had active warrants for prior thefts.
Berry was subsequently transported to Troop 2 where he was charged with the following offenses:
Burglary 3rd Degree (Felony)
Possession of Burglary Tools (Felony)
Theft Greater Than $1,500 (Felony)
Criminal Mischief Greater Than $5,000 (Felony)
Resisting Arrest
Berry was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court # 2 and committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $25,000 cash and $17,001 secured bonds.
Top Stories: Lincoln pastor was indicted for unlawful sexual contact. Magnolia man arrested on drug, weapons charges in Dover. Fox tests positive for rabies in Frankford.
Weather: Rain showers will begin to die out once we get to sundown with clearing skies. More rain is in the forecast for this weekend and even more rain chances going into next week.
From Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic Public Affairs
NORFOLK, Va. – On Wednesday, March 30, Lt. Hyrum Hanlon, assigned to Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 120 lost his life when an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye conducting routine flight operations crashed in the vicinity of Wallops Island and Chincoteague, Va.
Lt. Hyrum Hanlon
Hanlon, who commissioned in the Navy from Arizona State University in May 2017, reported to VAW-120 Jan. 31, 2021.
“It takes a courageous and patriotic person to devote their life to the selflessness of serving in the armed forces,” said Cmdr. Martin Fentress Jr., Commanding Officer of VAW-120 “Hyrum embodied those characteristics and will be truly missed by his family and the Hawkeye community. We sincerely appreciate the public respecting the family’s privacy during this difficult time as they mourn his loss.”
The U.S. Navy continues to coordinate with state and local officials on the salvage planning efforts of the E-2D aircraft. The health and safety of the local community is a top priority during recovery efforts; overflight aircraft confirmed no pollution or discharge of fuel in the area. Salvage operations are expected to proceed in accordance with standard procedures which consider all environmental impacts.
The cause of the mishap remains under investigation.
Dover Police are asking for the public’s help to identify a robbery suspect.
Dover Police tells TV Delmarva News that the suspect is wanted in connection to the armed robbery at The Little Grocer store at 902 East Division Street. The robbery occurred just after 8:00 p.m. on February 23, where the suspect entered the store with a handgun and demanded cash. The suspect fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to contact Dover Police at 302-736-7130 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-3333.
The Delaware Department of Justice is seeking the public’s assistance in the prosecution of a Sussex County pastor indicted for Unlawful Sexual Contact and is requesting that any additional victims contact law enforcement.
Major Foster, a Lincoln man who at the time was employed as pastor of Ellendale’s Philadelphia Pentecostal Holiness Church, faces pending charges after inappropriately touching multiple women.
“I am grateful to the women who have come forward to the Delaware State Police and our prosecutors,” said Attorney General Jennings. “We have reason to believe that Foster’s alleged years long pattern of abuse includes as yet unreported, additional instances. We ask that any additional victims or witnesses with information come forward. We will be there to support you.”
Foster was indicted in November by a Sussex County grand jury on three counts of Unlawful Sexual Contact 3rd Degree, following an investigation into multiple reports that, from 2013 to 2020, he attempted to use scripture to coerce female parishioners into sexual relationships, made inappropriate comments, and instigated prolonged hugs during which he made inappropriate sexual contact with his victims.
Foster was also charged with Offensive Touching for pushing a victim’s husband when confronted.
The State was aware of three victims at the time of Foster’s original indictment; prosecutors now have reason to believe that additional victims may be unidentified. The State implores anyone whom Foster has harmed or who has additional information about the case to contact Delaware State Police. Anyone with additional information should contact Det. L. Coleman, Delaware State Police – Troop 4, at (302) 752-3813.
The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is advising Sussex County residents, who live or spend time near the areas of Burbage and Jones roads, and Burbage Road and Route 374 in Frankford, of a positive case of rabies in a fox.
The fox did not have any known contact with humans, however, there were reports of the fox attacking stray cats. If the attacked cats develop rabies, they will become a public health threat, especially to anyone who feeds them. The fox was tested for rabies and the results came back positive on Thursday, March 31, 2022.
Since Jan. 1, 2022, the Division of Public Health has performed rabies tests on 53 animals, three of which were confirmed to be rabid, which includes one raccoon and two foxes, including this positive animal. DPH only announces those rabies cases for which it is possible the animal had unknown contacts with additional humans or pets.
In 2021, DPH performed rabies tests on 193 animals, 19 of which were confirmed to be rabid, which includes one dog, one deer, one fox, one cow, two skunks, three cats, four raccoons, and six bats. These numbers differ from previous reports after a 2021 rabies data review.
Anyone who thinks they might have been bitten, scratched by, or encountered a fox or feral cat in this area should immediately contact their health care provider or call the DPH Rabies Program at 302-744-4995. An epidemiologist is available 24/7.
Anyone in the area who thinks a fox may have bitten their pet should call their private veterinarian to have their pet examined and treated, and the exposure reported to the Delaware Department of Agriculture.
Top Stories: Delaware bill introduced to protect parental rights in schools. Dover Police arrest West Virginian women on murder charges. And a Navy aircraft crashed near Wallops Island killing a crew member.
Weather: Strong to severe storms are in the forecast tonight with a Severe Thunderstorm Watch and a Tornado Watch until this evening.
SOUTH BOWERS, Del. – Delaware will advance major planned projects, make road systems more resilient to climate change and apply for funding to serve traditionally disadvantaged areas using significant new federal funds for transportation over the next several years.
The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) — championed by U.S. Senator Tom Carper, U.S. Senator Chris Coons, and U.S. Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester and signed by President Joe Biden in November 2021 — is a once-in-a-generation commitment to improving roads, bridges, transit, water and wastewater systems, broadband, energy and other infrastructure areas.
Transportation is the largest area of new investment in the BIL. In a visit to South Bowers Beach Wednesday, Governor Carney and Delaware Department of Transportation Secretary Nicole Majeski highlighted some of the first decisions on construction and improvements to Delaware’s road network using the funding, which will stretch for the next five years.
A portion of South Bowers Road will be raised up to 5 inches to protect it from both tidal and storm. The previously planned project is an example of the types of projects DelDOT will be able to do with $48.5 million over five years from the BIL for at-risk coastal infrastructure. DelDOT’s new Division of Resiliency and Sustainability will develop a prioritization process for other projects over the next several years.
“Delawareans will travel easier on major routes and have increased confidence in the roads they need to use every day and in emergencies with the projects DelDOT can now accomplish with this funding,” said Governor Carney. “In addition, we will apply for extra federal funding for improvements in New Castle and Laurel that would make a significant difference in the lives of residents in those areas.”
Among the projects the Department will be advancing with other BIL funds:
The planned widening of Route 1 between the Christiana Mall and Route 40
Improvements to Kenton Road in west Dover between Route 8 and Chestnut Grove Road
Long-planned construction of an overpass taking Route 9 traffic over U.S. 113 in Georgetown
The next phase of the Georgetown to Lewes Trail from Fisher Road to Airport Road
The Infrastructure Law is providing an additional $160 million over five years to Delaware main highway spending programs.
In addition, Delaware will submit applications in April for two concepts under the federal Local and Regional Project Assistance Grants (RAISE). This is a nationwide competitive program and the U.S. Department of Transportation will announce successful grant recipients by August 12, 2022. Both target traditionally underserved areas, which is a focus of the BIL.
Applying for $6.5 million in a federal grant to begin designing an ambitious plan in the Route 9 area near New Castle, reducing the through lanes on Route 9 with saved lane space used to improve pedestrian and bicycle and bus facilities and provide extra green space. The project would also include rebuilt intersections including roundabouts, a center-lane multi-use pathway over the I-295 Expressway and a pedestrian/bicycle path system to knit together the now largely disconnected neighborhoods along the corridor. If design funds are granted, DelDOT would apply to RAISE for construction funding in future years, with total cost estimated at $30 million.
Applying for $5.8 million to add bicycle lanes and a sidewalk safely along Discountland Road in Laurel, connecting two affordable housing communities (Holly Brook Farms and Carvel Gardens) to a shopping center that contains a grocery store, bank, pharmacies, physical therapy and other amenities.
“We continue to work to address the infrastructure needs we have across the state, and this landmark bill will bring more funding to Delaware that will have a positive impact on every mode of transportation,” said Secretary of DelDOT Nicole Majeski.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure law represents the single largest investment in our nation’s roads and bridges since the construction of the Interstate Highway System nearly 70 years ago — a historic win for Delawareans and all Americans,” said Senator Carper, who as Chair of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, drafted and negotiated the legislation. “When drafting this legislation, we prioritized investments in safety, especially for pedestrians and bicyclists, sustainability, and resilience, all while addressing the backlog of repairs in our nation’s transportation system. It’s great to see this historic funding making its way into communities across Delaware, rebuilding the roads that connect us in a way makes them more resilient in the face of climate change and that allows Delaware to grow our economy at the same time.”
“Passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was a commitment to revitalize our roads and bridges and put transportation projects in Delaware at the forefront of our agenda,” said Senator Coons. “These upcoming projects will put millions of dollars in critical federal funds towards increasing the resiliency of coastal communities, prioritizing climate action, and reaffirming our commitment to upgrading Delaware’s infrastructure.”
“Delawareans rely on our state’s surface transportation infrastructure to live, work, and travel every day,” said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester. “With funds secured through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – the largest long-term investment in our nation’s infrastructure in nearly a century that I voted to pass last year – the First State can continue to invest in critical projects to repair and revitalize its roads, highways, and bridges that will improve quality of life and create good-paying jobs at the same time.”
In addition to road and resiliency projects, federal infrastructure funding coming to Delaware in the next several years includes programs for bridges, public transit, electric vehicle charging, carbon reduction, safety improvements and more.
Republican lawmakers have introduced a new bill – “The Delaware Education Right to Know Act” – which would protect parental rights in schools and bring more transparency to the state’s education system.
The legislation, House Bill 326 introduced earlier this month, gives parents, guardians, and other educational stakeholders more information and opportunities to evaluate public and charter school education in Delaware and to express concerns to school officials.
The bill comes on the heels of several issues that were raised to our news department from parents in school districts across both Kent and Sussex Counties. The bill’s primary sponsor, State Rep. Charles Postles says the bill is about providing parents with a greater insight into their child’s education.
“This bill has been a while in the making, mostly from parents that have expressed some concerns about what’s going on in schools,” Rep. Postles said. “Discussions actually started before COVID, but when we went into the virtual, remote learning, parents got an insight into the classroom and what is happening more than they had before. And it kind of opened their eyes as to what some of the situations were and peeked their interest and said we need to know more.”
The result of the conversations with concerned parents is the result of this bill, according to Rep. Postles who emphasized that, while the bill protects parental rights and would provide parents with a greater insight into their child’s education, it does not interfere with teachers.
“Teachers are the trained professionals and I have a great deal of respect for the teachers,” Rep. Postles stressed. “We’re not trying to interfere with their professional teaching of the students.”
The legislation creates a mechanism for parents to be more engaged in schools by mandating that school officials create time for parents to have the opportunity to sit down with their child’s teachers and learn more about the curriculum and what’s being taught to their children. It also allows for parents to challenge school districts who refuse to hand over information pertaining to their child’s education, requiring school officials provide specific information to justify why the request was denied.
TV Delmarva News also got a chance to speak with one of the bill’s co-sponsors, State Rep. Lyndon Yearick who said parents have a right to know what their child is taught and this legislation would provide them with that mechanism to become more involved in their child’s education.
“Parents, guardians, grandparents, whoever is responsible for that son, daughter, or grandchild, they need to build that relationship with their immediate teacher, they need to be involved with what goes on in school, and they need to be involved with the administration,” Rep. Yearick said. “Being engaged with what goes on at the school board, being engaged at school board elections. The legislation just wants to reaffirm, stress, and mandate that parents definitely, first and foremost, need to know what’s going on.”
The bill has been assigned to the House Education Committee and is expected to be considered next week.
A traffic stop in Dover leads to a drugs and weapons arrest on Tuesday evening.
Delaware State Police say a trooper stopped 20-year-old Tyler Shabazz of Magnolia after he made a lane change without signaling in the area of South Dupont Highway and Webbs Lane.
The trooper noticed a smell of marijuana inside the vehicle and conducted a probable search without incident.
The search uncovered 440 grams of marijuana, a loaded 9mm handgun, four magazines and ammunition, digital scale and over $250 in drug proceeds.
Shabazz was lodged in SCI on $27,001 secure bond. He faces several charges, including:
Possession With Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance (Felony) Possession of a Controlled Substance in a Tier 1 Quantity (Felony) Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon (Felony) Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony) Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Failure to Signal
18-year-old Tyre Thomas, of Laurel, DE – Delaware State Police Dept.
Delaware State Police have arrested two teens, including a 15-year-old, on drug and weapons charges in Laurel.
According to the Delaware State Police Department, the incident occurred around 1:07 p.m., as a trooper on patrol in Laurel observed a white Cadillac speeding on Laurel Road in the area of Shiloh Church Road.
A traffic stop was initiated and upon contact with the operator, 18-year-old Tyre Thomas, and the front seat passenger, a 15-year-old juvenile male, the trooper immediately detected an odor of marijuana coming from inside of the vehicle.
Troopers asked the juvenile passenger to exit the vehicle and a probable cause search of him was conducted. During this search, troopers discovered that the juvenile was in possession of approximately 40 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, and a loaded 9-millimeter Ruger handgun.
Police later learned that the handgun was reported stolen by Milford Police Department in September, 2020. During a subsequent probable cause search of the vehicle, troopers also located approximately 25 grams of marijuana and a digital scale inside a backpack.
Both the juvenile and Thomas were transported to Troop 5 and charged.
The 15-year-old has been charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited (Felony), Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon (Felony), Receiving a Stolen Firearm (Felony), Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony (Felony), Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
The juvenile was arraigned and committed to Stevenson House on $25,502 secured bond.
Thomas was arraigned on possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and speeding charges and released on his own recognizance.
The Dover Police Department and United States Marshals Service First State Fugitive Task Force arrested two women wanted for Murder in West Virginia on Wednesday evening.
22-year-old Isis Wallace and 42-year-old Nichole Brooks, both of Bluefield, West Virginia, were wanted in connection to a shooting death of a 13-year-old female victim in Bluefield on March 23rd, 2022.
Officers from the Dover Police Department and USMS conducted surveillance at the hotel before executing a search warrant and taking both suspects into custody.
Both suspects surrendered without incident.
Brooks and Wallace will be held at Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution pending their extradition to West Virginia.
The US Navy reports that a plane went down in the Chincoteague Bay just outside of the NASA Wallops Island Flight around 7:30PM on Wednesday. A Navy E2-D Hawkeye was conducting normal routine flight operations when, for unknown reasons, the aircraft went down into the waters of the Chincoteague Bay.
Upon arrival of the Coast Guard, the Ocean City Dive Team, Accomack County VA’s, and Wicomico County first responders found two individuals who escaped to the top of the aircraft.
TV Delmarva News has learned that a third person was still inside the aircraft at the time of the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. The two other crew members sustained non-life threatening injuries.
Navy E2-D Hawkeye Aircraft
An investigation remains ongoing at this time to determine what caused the crash of the E2-D Hawkeye. The names of the crew members and pilot are being withheld at this time.
Top Stories: Sussex County woman speaks out after her dog was stolen in Rehoboth. La Baguette in Dover had flower plants stolen. And a great white shark was pinged off the Delaware coast.
Weather: A warm front will be moving through today setting the stage for some thunderstorm action on Thursday. Some of which could be on the severe side.
A Sussex County woman is speaking out, pleading with the public to help find her dog Bella, who was stolen right out of her vehicle at a shopping center in Rehoboth.
Rita Anderson, of Bethany Beach, says on the evening of February 20 her Shih Tzu, Bella was stolen out of her car while inside a store in the Pelican Shopping Center in Rehoboth Beach. Now, a little over a month has gone by with no trace of Bella and Rita is pleading with the public to find the man responsible in an effort to bring Bella home.
“I went in the store very quickly because I only needed to get one item, I wasn’t in ten minutes, and when I came out she wasn’t in my SUV,” Rita said. “I was hysterical and she wasn’t in there, I’m screaming and yelling, it’s about 5’o’clock on a Sunday. The door wasn’t open, so I’m trying to figure out how she got out.”
Unable to wrap her head around how Bella could have gotten out of the car, a woman who was parked just behind Rita told her the shocking truth about what happened, that a man had opened her car and stole her dog.
“The lady that was parked behind me was very upset herself and said she looked out of her rearview mirror and she saw a man take Bella out of the passenger side of the car, and she thought it was her dog,” Rita explained. “She said the only reason she looked was because her son said ‘look mommy that’s the kind of dog I want’ so she was concentrating more on the dog than she was the man.’”
With Bella gone, Rita is beside herself and says it’s like stealing someone’s child.
“It’s left me horrible, she was my baby,” Rita said. “She would’ve been two on March 6th. I’ve had her since she was eight weeks old. I just can’t imagine anybody taking somebody’s dog. It’s like taking someone’s, almost like taking someone’s child. How could someone be so inhumane to do such a thing.”
Rita said she blames herself for not locking the door, but at the time she didn’t think of anything of it because she was just in and out of the store so quickly. She says the man had to be watching her, plotting to steal Bella.
“He had to be watching me, had too,” Rita said. “Bella is the sweetest dog, she will go to anybody, and that’s probably her downfall.”
If you have any information at all on the whereabouts of Bella, think you have found Bella, or know who stole her, we urge you to email our station at [email protected] so we can put you in touch with the owner and help bring Bella home.
A report has been filed with Delaware State Police who are aware of the incident.
A 10-foot great white shark named “Andromache” has pinged off the Delmarva coast.
OCEARCH tagged the sub-adult shark off the Cape Cod, MA coast in 2020. She was spotted as far south in Florida, but pinged about 60-70 miles off Assateague Island on Tuesday night and appears to be heading north again.
Andromache is not the first white shark to swim by our area, but is a good sign that Spring and warmer water is on the way.
OCEARCH is a non-profit research group that has tagged over 400 sharks to research migration patterns and learn more about sharks and benefits to the environment. The group is also tracking swordfish and sea turtles, which you can track on its website. The group is planning an expedition off the Carolina coast in 2022, with a goal to tag at least five more sharks.
Dover Police are on the look-out for a potted plant thief.
According to police, the subject has been stealing plants from the La Baguette Bakery & Catering in the 300 block of South Governors Ave in Dover. The suspect, a white female wearing glasses and a black hoodie and jeans, was captured on the business surveillance camera.
“Do you know this person? Check out this thief stealing our plants! Please call Dover PD if you have any information,” La Baguette says in a Facebook post shared by Dover Police on Tuesday.
Anyone with information should contact Dover Police or Delaware Crime Stoppers.
Top Stories: Chuck Welch withdraws from AG race amid health concerns. FDA authorizes a second COVID booster for those aged 50 or older. President Biden pressed on Putin, Ukraine comments.
Weather: Another cooler night in-store with a warm front expected to push through tomorrow with some isolated rain chances. Thunderstorms are possible on Thursday with much warmer temperatures.
A Laurel woman was arrested and the search is on for a Seaford man after police say the two broke into a motel room and assaulted a man over the weekend.
According to the Delaware State Police Department, the incident shortly before 9 p.m., Sunday when troopers responded to the Lakeside Motel on Sussex Highway for reports of an altercation.
Police arrived and determined Faedra Parker and her accomplice, 33-year-old Junior Dorvilier, of Seaford, forced their way into a motel room, occupied by a 25-year-old victim/acquaintance and physically assaulted him.
The victim sustained injuries to his head during the incident but refused medical treatment at the scene.
The two suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction in a vehicle belonging to Parker, according to police. Troopers, with the assistance of local police agencies, tried to locate the suspects but were unsuccessful. Troopers then obtained active warrants for the arrests of both of them.
On Monday, Parker turned herself into the Laurel Police Department and was charged with the following crimes: Burglary 1st Degree (Felony), Strangulation (Felony), Conspiracy 2nd Degree (Felony), and Assault Third Degree. She was arraigned and released on her own recognizance.
Dorvilier has not been located at this time and is currently wanted for Burglary 1st Degree (Felony), Conspiracy 2nd Degree (Felony), and Offensive Touching. He also has multiple active warrants for a vehicle pursuit that occurred in October, 2021. He is described as a black male with dreadlock-style hair, approximately 6’2” tall, and weighing approximately 175 pounds. He could possibly be in the Seaford or Laurel areas. Anyone with any information on his whereabouts is urged to contact police.
Republican candidate Chuck Welch has officially withdrawn from the Attorney General race amid health concerns.
In an interview Tuesday morning with TV Delmarva’s Rob Petree, Welch confirmed speculation and rumors that he was dropping out of the race due to health concerns related to his diabetes.
“We thought we could keep it under control,” Welch said referring to approval he got from his doctor prior to entering the race. “During the race, the lifestyle you’re leading, you’re up and down the state, your schedule’s off, you got odd hours, and things like that, my sugar kept climbing, and finally last week my doctor said ‘look, it’s time to face it, we’ve tried different medications, it’s not working, and it’s getting to the point where your numbers are high enough and it’s been long enough that it’s really going to start affecting your health.”
Welch said he sat down with his family and made the tough decision to withdraw from the race.
“After we talked it over, we just thought that staying healthy is more important than winning a campaign,” Welch said. “The most disappointing thing for me is the individuals I talked to who are disappointed about the fact that I’m no longer in the race. It’s a case that, it’s just a personal decision we had to make, and I’m sorry for their disappointment, but everybody has been very understanding and I appreciate that.”
When asked if he would throw his support behind his opponent, Julianne Murray, who following this news is now running unopposed for the Republican nomination, Welch was reluctant to give his endorsement.
“I can tell you that she [Murray] and I agree a lot on a lot of the issues, I just thought I was better prepared to go forward and run the office,” Welch said. “I’m not ready to endorse anybody at this time, I’m going to take some time off and think about the big picture. I’ll probably help with some local campaigns, and maybe later on I will but I’m not endorsing anybody at the current moment.”
Welch was born and raised in Delaware. He is a graduate of William Penn High School, the University of Delaware, and the Villanova University School of Law. He has been a member of the Bar of the Delaware Supreme Court for over 35 years. He started his legal career as a Deputy Attorney General, followed by a period of time in private practice where he engaged in a diverse general practice, including work as a criminal defense counsel and as an attorney for the Delaware House of Representatives.
As of this time, Julianne Murray is running unopposed against incumbent Democratic Attorney General Kathy Jennings.
The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a second COVID-19 booster shot of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine for people ages 50 and up, and have received the previous booster at least four months prior.
The move comes while a variant of the omicron strain continues to spread in Europe and is found in the United States. However, states are reporting far lower numbers of infected individuals when compared to the winter spike in December and January.
During that winter wave that was blamed on the omicron variant, the CDC reports that the two-dose vaccine was roughly 80% effective against hospitalization. The booster pushed that number to 94%.
Previously, the FDA recommended a fourth vaccine for people 12 and up with underlying health issues and a weakened immune system. The new recommendations extend the booster to millions more.
According to the CDC, who is expected to act on the latest recommendation, over two thirds of Americans are fully vaccinated. Half of those have neglected to get the first booster shot.
The Delaware Division of Public Health reports today that 94% of the population 18 and over are fully vaccinated. Only 67% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated.
The Council on Development Finance (CDF) on Monday approved eight Site Readiness Fund project applications totaling $6.2 million. The projects are located throughout the state with three each in New Castle County and Kent County and two in Sussex County.
Established through Senate Bill 127, the Site Readiness Fund promotes economic growth and stability by investing in the development or improvement of commercial and industrial sites to attract job-creating businesses.
“The Site Readiness Fund was created to help fund development or redevelopment of commercial and industrial sites across Delaware to spur economic growth and new business investment. With the funding approved today, these properties can be quickly converted to meet the needs of employers who will create quality jobs for Delawareans,” said Governor John Carney.
“By investing in these projects, we can ensure that Delaware remains competitive in attracting and retaining vital businesses that create opportunities for employment,” said Jordan Schulties, Director of the Division of Small Business. “In today’s competitive economy, it is more important than ever that we have tools like the Site Readiness Fund to help expand and sustain economic growth in our state.”
“The Site Readiness Fund allows us to be proactive in developing a ready supply of sites available to companies who choose to locate or expand in Delaware,” said Kurt Foreman, President and CEO of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership. “We are excited to see the projects receiving funding today develop over the coming months and look forward to the new jobs they will bring to Delaware.”
The Site Readiness Fund provides grants, loans or other economic assistance to qualified businesses or local governments that invest in constructing, renovating or improving commercial, industrial sites that are readily available to new businesses, established businesses that are considering moving to the state, or existing businesses within the state that need additional sites to remain or expand in Delaware.
The FY 2022 Bond Bill included $10 million to support the Site Readiness Fund. This is the first round of funding for the program.
The project applications approved for funding by the CDF on Monday include:
$1 million to the Chestnut Run Innovation and Science Park partners to modernize campus infrastructure of the Chestnut Run Innovation and Science Park, which was designed to combine research, advanced manufacturing operations and business incubation while cultivating relationships with local universities. Funding will be used to improve site lighting and utilities, paving and concrete, and for selective building demolition. $1 million to the City of Harrington for proposed redevelopment of an industrial park on three properties on U.S. Route 13 totaling 131 acres. Funding will be used for engineering and planning of the project and roadway and utility work. $1 million to Drawbridge Claymont to support the development of an industrial site on 58 acres at 6300 Philadelphia Pike in Claymont. Funding will be used for demolition and engineering services. $1 million to E & D Holdings to support continued development of the Wyoming Business Center at 140 and 146 Southern Boulevard in Wyoming. Funding will be used to prepare the site, install infrastructure and utilities, and construct two new warehouse buildings. $1 million to Martin Property Development to support development of 112,000 square feet of flexible industrial warehouse space on 10.9 acres of commercial property in the Frankford Business Park. Funding will be used for civil engineering, earthwork, sitework, and utilities. $1 million to Sussex County to create new shovel-ready sites at the Delaware Coastal Business Park near Georgetown. Funding will be used for road improvements, utilities, and supporting infrastructure. $100,000 to the City of Milford to support planning for the development of an industrial/business park on a recently purchased 182-acre lot on Milford Harrington Highway. Funding will be used to develop a master plan, conduct a traffic impact study, and complete engineering design. $100,000 to Shanlan Corporation to support planning for the development of the St. Georges Logistics Center at 1870 Dupont Parkway in Middletown, which is conceptually designed to include three buildings totaling more than 2.5 million square feet of warehouse facilities. Funding will be used for engineering fees and transition surveying. Three additional Site Readiness Fund project applications requesting a total of $3 million will be considered at the next CDF meeting on April 25. If those projects are approved, the first round of Site Readiness funding will support 11 projects at a total of $9.2 million.
On March 24 Carlisle units responded to a reported MVC with entrapment on route 1 northbound. One patient was extricated and transported to the hospital by Helicopter. Carlisle received assistance from Station 49, Frederica Fire Company, Sussex County Paramedics, and Trooper 2 from the Delaware State Police. The patient was extracted in a short matter of time and the road was reopened approximately 45 minutes later.
Top Stories: 18-year-old killed, several injured in serious crash near Milton. $300 rebate proposed for taxpayers in Delaware to combat fuel costs. Wilmington man charged in shooting death of a Dover man.
Weather: Snow squalls will begin to dissipate as we get closer to the evening hours. A very cold night is ahead with breezy conditions. Another chilly day is in store tomorrow but a nice warm-up and thunderstorm chances are in the forecast for the second half of the week.
Wild turkey hunting in Delaware begins Saturday, April 2 with a one-day turkey hunt for youth ages 10 through 15 and for non-ambulatory hunters, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today – with the regular turkey hunting season opening Saturday, April 9 and running through Saturday, May 7.
Hunting hours are a half-hour before sunrise until 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with no Sunday hunting allowed. Only bearded turkeys may be harvested, and the bag limit is one bearded turkey per hunter each year, regardless of where and when harvested.
Youth participating in the one-day April 2 hunt must be 10 to 15 years of age and must be accompanied by an adult 21 years of age or older who has completed a Delaware-approved turkey hunter safety class and who possesses a Delaware hunting license or License Exempt Number (LEN).
Accompanying adults may not hunt during the youth-day hunt. Regular-season turkey hunters under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult of 21 years of age or older who has completed a Delaware-approved turkey hunter safety class and who possesses a Delaware hunting license or LEN.
Non-ambulatory hunters who participate in the one-day hunt on April 2 must need a wheelchair for mobility.
Hunting regulations require that all harvested birds must be checked at an authorized turkey check station by 2:30 p.m. on the day the bird was harvested. A list of turkey check stations is available at dnrec.delaware.gov and in the 2021/2022 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide. Check station hours may vary, so hunters are advised to call the station to confirm hours of operation.
Hunters who want their bird scored and entered into National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) records are reminded to have their turkey’s weight recorded on a certified scale. For more information, see the NWTF website.
Hunting on state wildlife areas and in state forests during the spring regular turkey hunting season requires carrying a public land permit that was issued via preseason lottery, with the permit specifying the public lands and season segment/dates that can be hunted.
Hunters participating in the special turkey hunt for youth and non-ambulatory hunters on April 2 may hunt without a public land permit on those state wildlife areas and state forests open to turkey hunting during the regular turkey hunting season as indicated on pages 43 and 45 of the Hunting & Trapping Guide.
Additional information on hunting seasons and state wildlife areas is available in the Hunting & Trapping Guide or by calling the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912. Information on hunting licenses and the Conservation Access Pass is available at de.gov/huntinglicense or by calling the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife Recreational Licensing office at 302-739-9918.
$1,120,000.00 Cash Bond for Suspect Arrested In Dover Murder
Delaware State Police Homicide Unit arrested Marcus Bailey, 18, of Wilmington, for the homicide that took place Thursday afternoon in the Capitol Park community in Dover.
On March 24, 2022, at approximately 3:50 p.m., troopers responded to Senator Avenue for a reported shooting. The investigation determined a 33-year-old Dover man, was seated in the driver seat of a vehicle parked on Senator Avenue when Marcus Bailey entered the backseat of the car. Marcus engaged in a conversation with the victim before demanding the victim’s property. At some point during the encounter, the victim was shot in the upper torso. Marcus then fled the vehicle in an unknown direction of travel. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Through investigative measures, the Delaware State Police identified Marcus Bailey as the suspect involved in this shooting incident. On March 26, 2022, Marcus was taken into custody without incident during a traffic stop in the Long Neck Wawa parking lot. He was transported to Delaware State Police Troop 7 where he was charged with the following crimes:
Murder First Degree (Felony)
Robbery First Degree (Felony)
Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited (Felony)
Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon (Felony)
He was arraigned in the Justice of the Peace Court #3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $1,120,000.00 cash bond.
Top Stories: $300 rebate, gas tax holiday proposed by lawmakers to ease the pain at the pump in Delaware. Delaware State Police conducting a homicide investigation in Dover.
Weather: The sunshine has returned but much colder air is moving into the region this weekend. More showers in the forecast for Saturday with some small hail? Could very well be!
Dover Police and Delaware Probation and Parole arrested three people on drug charges after a traffic stop turned up heroin and PCP.
According to the Dover Police Department, officers stopped a vehicle driven by 38-year-old Mandy Jackson, of Camden, in the 500 Block of North DuPont Highway.
Police say 43-year-old Willie Wilson, of Felton, and 25-year-old Alyssa Harris, of Kenton, were passengers in the vehicle at the time of the stop.
Officers located 1,114 bags of heroin and .7 grams of PCP inside the vehicle and took all three suspects into custody.
Jackson was committed to Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution on a $82,200 secured bond on the following offenses: Possession of Heroin, Possession with Intent to Deliver Heroin, Conspiracy 2nd Degree, and Drug Paraphernalia.
Wilson was committed to SCI on a $62,400 cash bond on the following offenses: Possession of Heroin, Possession with Intent to Deliver Heroin, Possession of PCP, Conspiracy 2nd Degree, and Drug Paraphernalia.
Harris was released on an O.R. bond on the following offenses: Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of PCP, and Local Fugitive.
Yesterday, (Mar 24) patrol officers from the New Castle County Division of Police were dispatched to the 200 block of Wayne Way in the community of Villages at Fairview Farms. When the officers arrived, they met with the parents of 17-year-old Savita Conner. The officers learned that Savita left the residence earlier and has not returned. They also learned that she has medical conditions that cause a concern for her welfare.
Savita Conner
Savita is reported to be 5’0, 150lbs with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a red & black in color Red Lion Christian Academy cheerleading jacket.
Police are asking anyone with information on the whereabouts of Savita Conner to please contact the New Castle County Division of Police by dialing (302) 573-2800 or visit our website at http://www.NCCPD.com, or (IM) on the New Castle County Police Facebook page.
To combat rising fuel costs, a bipartisan bill has been submitted that would give every taxpaying Delawarean a direct $300 payment from its nearly $1 billion revenue surplus.
The bill is backed by both Republicans and Democrats and has support from Governor John Carney. The bill is expected to swiftly pass and signed by the Governor in April.
“Like most of the country, Delaware has weathered a difficult storm during the pandemic. Our economic recovery has been strong in many ways, but it has also slammed residents with new challenges of increasing costs in almost every facet of their life,” House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst announced on her Facebook page on Thursday. “That’s why I’m proud to announce that legislators and the governor have reached an agreement that will provide $300 in direct payments to every Delawareans who filed a 2020 tax return.”
Last week, Republican lawmakers proposed a $100 payment from the revenue surplus. The calls for a payment was made after an attempt to suspend Delaware’s gas tax, similar to Maryland’s 30-day gas tax holiday. However, the holiday would be illegal because the tax is tied to bonds with the state’s Transportation Trust Fund.
Gas prices have seen a meteoric rise since the Ukraine-Russian conflict and increase demand. According to AAA Mid-Atlantic on Thursday, the average price for a tank of gas in Delaware was $4.00 a gallon, compared to $2.76 a gallon just a year ago. Diesel is just under $5 a gallon at $4.93 a gallon.
“Everyone is feeling the pinch when it comes to filling up their vehicles,” Georgetown State Senator Brian Pettyjohn tells TV Delmarva, the primary sponsor of the gas tax holiday bill.
This is a working story. We will update as we get more information.
Delaware State Police Troop 6 is issuing a Gold Alert for Nina Leona Caulk, 40, of New Castle County. Nina was last seen on March 19, 2022, at approximately 1:00 p.m., in the area of Ogletown Stanton Rd., Newark, with her newborn daughter. Attempts to locate Nina have been unsuccessful and there is a concern for Nina and her newborn daughter’s safety.
Nina is described as a light skin black female, black hair, brown eyes, 123 lbs., and approximately 5’06” tall.
The only descriptive information available regarding the infant is she is a black female that is approximately 1 week old. (No photograph is available).
Nina and the infant are possibly traveling in an unknown vehicle in Virginia.
Delaware State Police arrested Derrick Stevens, 33, and Alexis Wierzbicki, 21, both of Wilmington, DE, on drugs and weapon charges following a week-long drug investigation.
Delaware State Police New Castle County Governor’s Task Force (GTF) members conducted a drug investigation at the Red Roof Inn located at 415 Stanton Christiana Road, Newark, after receiving information of illegal drug sales taken place at a motel room. On March 23, 2022, at approximately 9:35p.m., Governor’s Task Force (GTF) members located two subjects identified as Alexis Wierzbicki and Derrick Stevens leaving their motel room and took them into custody without incident. Subsequently, troopers executed a search warrant on the motel room and discovered a loaded .38 Special Smith & Wesson Revolver, approximately .4 grams of crack cocaine, approximately .46 grams of heroin, and over $500 in suspected drug proceeds.
Alexis Wierzbicki
Stevens and Wierzbicki were transported to Troop 2 where they were charged with the following crimes:
Derrick Stevens
Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
Possession of a Firearm by Person Prohibited Previously Convicted of a Violent Felony (Felony)- 2 counts
Possession of a Firearm by Person Prohibited Previously Convicted of a Violent Involving Physical Injury (Felony)
Possession of a Weapon by Person Prohibited and a Controlled Substance (Felony)
Possession With Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance (Felony)- 2 Counts
Conspiracy 2nd Degree (Felony)
Stevens was arraigned in the Justice of the Peace Court #11 and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $43,500 cash bond.
Alexis Wierzbicki
Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
Possession of a Weapon by Person Prohibited and a Controlled Substance (Felony)
Possession With Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance (Felony)- 2 Counts
Conspiracy 2nd Degree (Felony)
Wierzbicki was arraigned in the Justice of the Peace Court #11 and released on $36,000 unsecured bond.
The New Castle County Department of Public Works repaired a force main break, which caused wastewater to overflow and spill into the Nonesuch Creek and Christina River.
The overflow occurred when the force main ruptured near 419 Old Airport Road in New Castle. The wastewater spill was reported to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control on Wednesday, March 23.
The New Castle County Department of Public Works worked through the night to stop the spill and repair the 36-inch force main line. The crew was able to bypass flow and close a valve to stop the leak. The repair of the line was completed around noon on Thursday, March 24.
DNREC Division of Water and New Castle County wastewater management staff are assessing bodies of water in the area impacted by the spill. Given the proximity to both the Christina River and the Nonesuch Creek, staff sampled upstream and downstream of both waterways.
The break was caused by a failed weld on a 24-inch air release stack.
To report environmental crimes and concerns in the state, the public may contact the DNREC Environmental Crimes Unit at 800-662-8802. For questions about this incident, contact the New Castle County Department of Public Works at 302-395-5700.
A Dover tax preparer has been indicted for allegedly filing false and fraudulent returns.
According to the indictment by the U.S. Attorneys for the District of Delaware, 54-year-old Harvey Walker is accused of preparing 23 fraudulent returns for eight clients over a four-year period. In those returns, Walker is accused of claiming deductions for charitable contributions and unreimbursed employee expenses to show a business loss.
“When tax preparers abuse their knowledge and the trust that the system places in them by causing their clients to file false returns, it hurts everyone,” U.S. Attorney David Weiss says in a statement. “My office will not hesitate to prosecute those who counsel fraud and prepare false returns.”
Walker faces up to three years in prison and up to $100,000 in fines for each count if convicted.
TV Delmarva Channel 14 News has been awarded first place for best television newscast and special programming by the Delaware Press Association as part of the 2022 Professional Communications Contest.
Award recipients were officially announced Wednesday where TV Delmarva was awarded the honor of first place for “Best Television Newscast” and first place for “Special Programming” for television in the State of Delaware.
The honor was awarded for TV Delmarva’s newscast that aired on December 6, 2021, less than a month after our station launched our hyper-local newscast that has viewers tuning in daily in anticipation of hard-hitting, investigative news stories and real-time, accurate weather forecasting by our team that prides themselves on serving the people of Delaware.
Colin Walls, owner and general manger of TV Delmarva, has been at the forefront of all programming and was elated to learn of the accomplishment. He praised the news and weather team:
“When we set out to do a daily newscast we decided to focus on stories that were not being told. We jumped in head first, and have not looked back,” Walls said. “The honor of this award goes to the TV Delmarva Crew, and to the people who have asked us to tell their stories, when they felt their voices were not being heard.”
TV Delmarva News Director and Investigate Journalist Rob Petree, who was not only awarded the honor of best newscast for his work anchoring but was also awarded first place for Special Programming for an investigative piece on the Indian River School District, was thrilled to learn of the news and vowed to continue to fight for the people and provide a voice for issues concerning Delaware:
“I do what I do everyday in an effort to make a positive difference here in Delaware,” Petree said. “I learned early on in my career that when you take a position of influence in the media, you’re in a real position to effect change and help a lot of people. This recognition solidifies the commitment I have to always stand up for the people and be their champion. I am honored to work alongside such true, passionate professionals at a station that actually cares.”
TV Delmarva’s Chief Meteorologist Hunter Outten was overjoyed to learn that he was recognized for his daily dedication to providing the most accurate, dynamic weather forecast on Delmarva. He reflected on his journey to get here and thanked everyone who helped made this incredible achievement possible:
“I am so proud of what we have been able to accomplish in a short amount of time. We have been able to make a difference in the community in a very short amount of time as underdogs. We are making our statement known that we are here to serve our community and to let your voice be heard. The Delmarva Region has always been an important part of my life and progress into meteorology,” Outten said. “To know that I am helping to make it a safe and informative community when disastrous weather strikes these last 12 years. A big thank you to every single one of you who continue to push me to my greatest potential and being able to serve this community with dependability.”
Jonathan Mistrot, TV Delmarva’s lead news reporter and fill-in anchor, who also won in several student categories as well, said he was humbled by the achievement and vowed to continue to work hard to make a difference in the community through passionate, in-depth news coverage that makes a real difference here on Delmarva:
“When I came onboard TV Delmarva, I didn’t expect to have such an impact as we did right out of the gate. It’s a testament to the kinds of stories we provide our viewers with a focus on local issues,” Mistrot said. “It’s been a rough couple years for all of us and the news cycle is the busiest its ever been, but we had a job to do and we get it done each newscast. I’m absolutely humbled to receive this award and look forward to continuing the great work we do at TV Delmarva!”
On behalf of everyone who made this possible, TV Delmarva News would like to thank all of our station’s staff, the Delaware Press Association, and most importantly the great people of Delaware, for making this honor and achievement a reality.
The Lewes Transit Center is a nominee for “America’s Best Bus Stop”, and is now looking for your vote.
In the spirit of this year’s NCAA tournament, StreetBlog is holding a single-elimination tournament to crown the best bus station in the nation.
“The Lewes transit center, which does, indeed, run peak service during the summer months to get families to the seaside without clogging up area roads, pretty much fits that description — and if your idea of a great bus stop is one that expands shared transportation to more people without skimping on the amenities, this might be your pick,” StreetBlog says about the center.
Voting will open up soon for the first-round, which will send one bus stop to the finals. The Lewes Transit Center faces fierce competition with Cambridge, Massachusetts and Mississauga, Ontario. You can vote and view results here.
Construction on the transit center first began in 2016 and was operational in 2017. It was part of Dart First State’s initiative to provide better public transportation and transit center hubs across the state.
BREAKING NEWS | Delaware bill introduced to suspend gas tax. Meanwhile, Sen. Coons praises Biden’s Supreme Court pick, and Surf Bagel is coming to Milford!
Weather: Rain will continue to overspread the region tonight and pick up in intensity. Rain will be heavy times throughout the night into the morning hours Thursday. Don’t be surprised to hear a couple of rumbles of thunder as well.
Top Stories: Kim Petters officially files to run for State Senate. Attorney General candidate Chuck Welch crime plan for Delaware.
Weather: Clouds will be on the increase tonight with rain chances for Wednesday into Thursday. Not to mention a big cool-down expected towards the weekend.
Republican Attorney General Candidate Chuck Welch has released a detailed plan to combat violent crime in Delaware.
The multi-faceted plan, released Monday, would bring law enforcement, prosecutors, and community leaders together to seriously begin making crime illegal again in Delaware.
In the attached initiative, Welch, a former Kent County Judge and State Representative, promises within 30 days of being elected that he will form an Attorney General’s Urban Violence Task Force, with the goal to reduce both long term and short term urban violence. The task force will consist of three components: 1.) Investigation, 2.) Prosecution, and 3.) Community Based Research.
The Task Force will be led by Welch’s Chief Deputy Attorney General and will be supported by the State Prosecutor and the State Solicitor. It will be funded through the reallocation of current Department of Justice monies, federal grants, and the implementation of previously funded studies dealing with urban violence.
“My goal is to assemble the best legal and law enforcement professionals available, together with community leaders, to address the ever increasing rates of violent crime in Delaware,” Welch said. “We need to turn these rates around. Only then can the people of Delaware feel safe.”
Welch’s initiative references a 2015 report released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) entitled “Elevated Rates of Urban Firearm Violence and Opportunities for Prevention-Wilmington, Delaware.”
The study found that Wilmington, Delaware had one of the highest homicide rates of any major city in the United States, some years as high as fourth overall.
As of December 12, 2021, 148 people had been shot for the year in Wilmington alone, and shooting homicides were at an all time high. In the initiative, Welch vows that reducing violent crime in our urban areas and throughout Delaware will be “Job Number One” in his administration.
“We can and certainly must do a better job of addressing the violence plaguing Wilmington, Newark, Dover, Seaford and all other parts of the First State,” Welch stated in the report. “I intend to do my part and intend for the Department of Justice to do its part in the effort to reduce the rate of violent crime in our state. We must do a better job protecting Delawareans than we are doing under our current Attorney General.”
Chuck Welch is running against opponent Julianne Murray for the Republican nomination of Attorney General for the State of Delaware.
Delaware veteran and parents rights advocate Kim Petters has officially filed to run for State Senate.
Petters has been a champion for parental rights in the First State, standing up to the government establishment on a host of issues. TV Delmarva got a chance to sit down with Petters on Tuesday morning right after she filed to run for the Republican nomination to represent the 16th Senate District.
“I’m excited,” Petters said enthusiastically while sitting outside the elections office in Dover after she filed to run. “It’s time for a change! It’s time for fresh, new, innovative ideas, and I have solutions to bring to the table.”
Petters, an Iraqi war veteran, spoke about her time serving the country and what led to her decision to run for a seat in the Delaware General Assembly.
“I’m a retired military veteran, I served our country and fought during Iraqi Freedom,” Petters explained. “I am a mother to four beautiful children across the Caesar Rodney School District. I have been a voice for veterans, I have spoken out against unconstitutional gun laws. I am also the President of our state’s largest, most active women’s second amendment supporting group, and that barely scratches the surface, and I’m ready, it’s time for fresh, new blood.”
Petters is both the founder and President of the State’s largest and most active women’s 2nd amendment group, the Women’s Defense Coalition.
“People should support me because I’m not just another career politician, I am one of you,” Petters emphasized. “I am among this community, living this life, and my children actually do attend these schools. I understand what it’s like to be a middle-class Delawarean and I am here to help you.”
Petters is running against incumbent Senator Colin Bonini, this marks the first time anyone has ever primaried him in a Senate race.
Top Stories: Delaware State Police investigates officer-involved shooting in Dewey Beach. Fox tests positive for rabies in Rehoboth Beach. Sussex County couple lost daughter’s ashes returned.
Weather: Mostly clear skies will continue into the overnight hours tonight. More clouds will move in for your Tuesday with warmer temperatures. And rain chances are on the increase for Wednesday and Thursday.
Taylor Hurley, 23, of Seaford, DE – Delaware State Police Dept.
A Seaford woman was arrested on drug charges following a police chase that resulted in the discovery of heroin and cocaine.
According to the Delaware State Police Department, the incident occurred shortly before 9 p.m., Sunday night as troopers on patrol witnessed a Ford F-150 traveling over the posted speed limit eastbound on Hardscrabble Road, in the area of Shiloh Church Road.
Troopers initiated a traffic stop, but the vehicle failed to stop and a pursuit ensued. The Ford fled eastbound on Hardscrabble Road where it ran off the road in the area of Governor Stockley Road and began driving through a field.
While in the field, police say the Ford struck a ditch and became disabled. The driver then exited the vehicle and tried to flee on foot.
Troopers gave chase and took the suspect, later identified as 23-year-old Taylor Hurley, into custody without further incident. Police later discovered she was in possession of approximately 7.71 grams of cocaine and a gram of heroin.
The two troopers involved in the apprehension suffered minor injuries and were evaluated at an area hospital.
Hurley was transported to Delaware State Police Troop 4 where she was charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance Tier 1 Quantity (Felony), Disregarding a Police Officer Signal (Felony), Resisting Arrest, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia- 2 counts, and several traffic violations. She was arraigned and committed to the Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution on a $8,625 secured bond.
Delaware public health officials are cautioning the public after a fox tested positive for rabies in Rehoboth Beach.
The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is advising Sussex County residents, who live or spend time near the area of Bayard Avenue and Philadelphia Street in Rehoboth Beach, of a positive case of rabies in a fox.
One individual, a non-Delaware resident, was potentially exposed to the fox in the residential neighborhood. The fox was tested for rabies, which returned positive results on Friday, March 18, 2022.
The individual has been contacted to begin post-exposure prophylaxis treatment (PEP).
Since Jan. 1, 2022, DPH has performed rabies tests on 46 animals, two of which were confirmed to be rabid, which includes one raccoon and one fox, including this positive animal.
DPH only announces those rabies cases for which it is possible the animal had unknown contacts with additional humans or pets. In 2021, DPH performed rabies tests on 188 animals, 19 of which were confirmed to be rabid, which includes one dog, one deer, one fox, one cow, two skunks, three cats, four raccoons and six bats.
Anyone who thinks they might have been bitten, scratched, or encountered a fox in this area should immediately contact their health care provider or call the DPH Rabies Program at 302-744-4995. An epidemiologist is available 24/7.
Anyone in the area who thinks a fox may have bitten their pet should call their private veterinarian to have their pet examined and treated, and the exposure reported to the Delaware Department of Agriculture.
Delaware State Police are investigating an officer involved shooting that resulted in a fatality in Dewey Beach.
A press conference was held around 1 p.m., Saturday where Delaware State Police confirmed that around 1:15 a.m. early that morning Dewey Beach Police were called to the Starboard Restaurant and Bar in Dewey Beach for reports of someone leaving the establishment with a firearm.
Police arrived and the man, later identified as Rodney K. Robinson II, 21, of Milford, fled on foot about three blocks and evaded troopers, according to police. He later returned to the restaurant and entered a restricted section of the establishment that was for employees only.
At that time, officers arrived and located the suspect on the patio where he was chased onto Coastal Highway and then into an alley off Saulsbury Street. A single round was shot by a one-and-half year veteran of the police department. The suspect suffered a single gunshot wound to the upper torso.
Police located a handgun at the scene. Live saving efforts were made and EMS were called; however, the suspect, a 21-year-old Milford man, was pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital.
Anyone with any information, or anyone who may have witnessed the incident, is urged to contact police.
Delaware State Police are investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash that occurred Thursday night at the intersection of Delmar Road and North Spring Hill Road.
According to Delaware State Police, the crash occurred around 6 p.m., Thursday as a 2004 Ford F250 pickup truck, operated by 22-year-old Luke Figgs, of Delmar, Delaware was traveling southbound on Susan Beach Road.
The Ford stopped at the intersection of Delmar Road for a posted stop sign, intending on continuing south onto North Spring Hill Road. At the same time, a 1999 Honda Accord, operated by a 30-year-old Mardela Springs, Maryland woman was traveling eastbound on Delmar Road approaching the same intersection.
The Ford entered the intersection and pulled directly into the path of the Honda where the front of the Ford struck the front driver side of the car. As a result, the Honda rotated counterclockwise off the southeast corner of roadway and into the grass where its passenger side struck a utility pole.
The Ford failed to stop at the scene and began traveling eastbound on Delmar Road. An officer from the Delmar Police Department found the hit-and-run vehicle on East Pine Street in Delmar, Maryland where a traffic stop was initiated and police made contact with the driver, Figgs who was taken into custody without incident.
The driver of the Honda, who was properly restrained at the time of the crash, was transported by ambulance to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury where she died as a result of her injuries. Her identification is pending notification of next of kin.
There were two passengers, ages 4 and 29, who were inside of the Honda at the time of the crash. They were transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center and treated for minor injuries.
Figgs was not injured and was committed to the Wicomico County Detention Center on DUI and other traffic related charges in Maryland. There is an active warrant for his arrest on Vehicular Homicide (Felony), and two counts of Vehicular Assault 2nd (Felony), and numerous traffic related charges.
The road was closed for approximately six hours while the investigation was completed and the crash was cleared.
The crash remains under investigation. Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has information pertinent to the investigation is urged to contact Corporal/3 Argo at 302-703-3264 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.
From our studio in Georgetown Delaware, this is the TV Delmarva Channel 14 News at 4.
Top Stories: Sussex County couple pleads with public to help find daughter’s ashes. Georgetown woman but, injured by a cat in an animal hoarding case.
Weather: warm conditions this afternoon will lead to increasing clouds tonight. Could be looking at a couple of t-storms on the strong side for your Saturday.
A Georgetown woman is speaking out after she was attacked by a feral cat that she says is the result of an animal hoarding issue in her neighborhood.
Eva Middleton says for years her neighborhood in Georgetown has been dealing with a serious animal hoarding, feral cat issue at a house across the street, and that as a result she was recently bitten and injured by one of the cats.
“Tuesday afternoon, I was raking leaves in my yard, I was in and out of the shed looking for rakes and things, ya know, just trying to do some spring cleaning outside, and I heard my two little dogs were barking, and usually if a kid rides by or someone walks by and they bark that’s the end of it, but they wouldn’t stop barking, so I went around front to see what was going on,” Eva said. “They had a cat, a cat was crouched on the ground, it wasn’t my cat, and they were just both barking at it, and they’re small dogs, smaller than the cat, and I seen the cat around, it’s in my yard all the time.”
When Eva saw the cat, she said she tried to pick it up and move it when it bit her, seriously injuring her hand.
“It sunk it’s bottom and upper teeth into my hand, I don’t know if you can see it, but it was pretty brutal,” Eva said. “And then I thought, I’m older, I made a rock garden and I drop a rock on my foot, and then I got bit, everyday it’s something.”
After she was bit, Eva says she called animal control who showed up the next day and seized countless cats, some of which were dead.
“They had four or five animal trucks show up and the police, and they took all of the animals out, and I saw them carrying bags of dead cats,” Eva explained. “It took all day to this, and then she [the owner] did show up, I heard she got arrested for animal cruelty, and I don’t know true that is, but I did later text my son and my daughter who live in other states, and my daughter said ‘yea, mom she told me she keeps the cats in freezers, the ones that died,’ now I don’t know if they check the freezers, but the more people I talk to the worse it sounds.”
Eva said the animal hoarding at the home has long been a problem and her concern grew after a family moved in next door with several children, who she said could have been seriously injured by the stray cats if something wasn’t done.
“This has been going on for years!” Eva explained. “We just had a wonderful family move in next door on the other side of me, and they have six little kids that are out playing on the lawn all the time, and these cats are walking in my yard and there’s as well. I’m really concerned for the safety of the kids in this neighborhood.”
TV Delmarva News reached out to the Delaware Office of Animal Welfare who was aware of the incident and issued the following statement:
“Officers from the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) Office of Animal Welfare (OAW) seized 3 dogs and 12 cats on Thursday from deplorable living conditions in a home in Georgetown. One deceased cat was also removed. OAW executed a search warrant and seized the animals, which have been transferred to Brandywine Valley SPCA for further evaluation and care. An investigation is ongoing, and charges are pending.”
A case of bird flu has been confirmed at a farm in Kent County.
Federal laboratory testing has confirmed a highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI) case in a commercial broiler farm in Kent County.
Following an investigation by the Delaware Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed poultry from this farm tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI).
This avian influenza detection follows previously announced cases on farms in New Castle County, Delaware, and Cecil and Queen Anne’s Counties, Maryland. Following these cases, federal and state partners have greatly expanded their surveillance sampling and testing regimen to better protect the poultry industry on the Delmarva Peninsula.
State officials have quarantined all affected premises, and the birds have been depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from affected flocks will not enter the food system.
There is currently minimal risk to public health as there have been no human cases of HPAI in the United States. Avian influenza does not affect poultry meat or egg products, which remain safe to eat.
Avian influenza is a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus that spreads quickly among birds through nasal and eye secretions and manure. The virus can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers. This virus affects poultry, like chickens, ducks, turkeys, and wild bird species such as ducks, geese, shorebirds, and raptors.
Delaware Governor John Carney and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan made a friendly March Madness wager ahead of tonight’s matchup between the No. 4 seed University of Maryland Terrapins and the No. 13 seed University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens in the first round of the 2022 Women’s NCAA Tournament.
Both governors wagered crab cakes from their respective states.
“Delaware is known for being the First State, and for our incredible beaches and delicious food—like the famous crab cakes at Woody’s in Dewey Beach,” said Governor Carney. “We’re really proud of our Fightin’ Blue Hens, and look forward to their success in the tournament. Thank you to Governor Hogan for this fun challenge, and for preparing some crab cakes to send over to Delaware. Let’s go, Blue Hens!”
“Crab cakes and basketball—that’s what Maryland does,” said Governor Hogan. “Our women’s basketball program is one of the best in the nation, and I’m confident that tomorrow’s game will be a slam dunk for our Terps. I want to thank Governor Carney for agreeing to this friendly wager, and I look forward to trying some inferior Delaware crab cakes after the big win.”
The Blue Hens, led by Coach Natasha Adair, are 24-7 this season.
The Terps, led by Coach Brenda Frese, are 21-8. Tip off is tonight at 5 p.m. at Xfinity Center in College Park.
Durron E. Jones II, of Sussex County, DE – Delaware State Police Dept.
Delaware State Police are searching for a Sussex County man wanted on multiple warrants for violating his probation.
30-year-old Durron E. Jones II is currently wanted for multiple warrants, capias’, and violation of probation. He is described as a black male, approximately 6’2″, weighing approximately 180 lbs.
Durron may be in the Dagsboro, Seaford, Bridgeville, or Delmar areas.
Attempts to locate Durron have been unsuccessful and troopers are asking anyone who has information regarding his whereabouts to contact the Troop 4 Governor’s Task Force by calling 302.752.3822 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.
From our studio in Georgetown Delaware, this is the TV Delmarva Channel 14 News at 4.
Top Stories: Dagsboro woman claims she was sold a sick puppy that left her family gravely ill. Body found in Seaford near a burning vehicle.
Weather: Dreary conditions continue into the evening hours tonight. We get a dry spell for Friday before a cold front will bring thunderstorms to the area on Saturday.
A Dagsboro woman is speaking out, claiming she purchased a puppy from a private breeder in Sussex County only to discover that it was severely ill with a bacterial infection that infected her father and son who had to be hospitalized.
Alexis Boylen says she purchased her Caucasian Shepard, Drax back in January for $2,000 from a Facebook puppy page that operated out of Delmar only to realize once she got it home that it was gravely ill with a serious bacterial infection called Campylobacter that can affect humans, and did, seriously sickening her father and son.
“Immediately, within ten minutes of bringing him home, he had stomach issues and diarrhea on the floor, immediately,” Boylen explained. “I didn’t know if that was normal or not, so I thought ‘maybe he’s just getting used to puppy food, he just weened off his mom, and so about three days later I sent her [breeder] a message letting her know he’s had these problems since we got him.”
Concerned for the welfare of her new pet, Boylen took Drax to her veterinarian who diagnosed him with a serious bacterial infection called Campylobacter that can affect humans, and did, seriously sickening her father and son.
“My dad got really sick, he had a fever, stomach problems, and he was shaking with a fever and he said ‘I have to go to the hospital’ and I think it was after two days of being sick he went to the hospital and was hospitalized,” Boylen said. “They told him he has Campylobacter, which is a bacterial infection that people or pets can get and it can cause fever, diarrhea, cramps, nausea, and vomiting.”
It wasn’t long before Boylen says her son got sick.
“My son got sick about two days later and he had the same symptoms,” Boylen emphasized. “I took him to his doctor, got him tested, and he also had Campylobacter, both doctors told us this is something you can catch from a puppy and that I needed to get my puppy tested.”
Boylen reached back out to the breeder to apprise them of the situation, and they offered to pay for Drax to see their vet, which Boylen denied and instead took Drax to her veterinarian who diagnosed Drax with Campylobacter.
“I took them to my vet, ya know, I wanted him to see my vet,” Boylen said. “He came back positive for Campylobacter, Giardia, which is like a parasite that lives in the intestine, and I was also told that it was very contagious to other pets and I have two other dogs, and she told me that he had the worst case of hookworm she’s ever seen.”
Following the ordeal, Boylen says she reached out to the breeder who sold her the puppy who denied that the puppy was sick from their litter and eventually blocked her.
“I messaged the woman, let her know exactly what happened, and I said you told me you’d pay for him to see a vet, I had to take him to see a vet, here are the bills, and she told me ‘well, he didn’t get it from here,’” Boylen stressed. “Well, he’s been sick since I got him, and my pets have never been sick.”
We were able to track down the breeder who sold Boylen the puppy who refused to do an interview and vehemently denied that the puppy was sick when they sold it. By their own admission, the breeders do not have a license to breed and sell in the state of Delaware.
Boylen says Drax is now doing well and is healthy, and moving forward she’s considering legal action.
We’ll have more on this story and the full interview with Alexis on The Reporter’s Weekly this coming Saturday at 9 a.m. here on TV Delmarva.
The Delaware Supreme Court is mourning the loss of retired Justice Randy J. Holland, the youngest member ever appointed to the Supreme Court in the history of the state.
The Delaware Judiciary was saddened to learn of the passing of retired Supreme Court Justice Randy J. Holland on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. The Delaware Courts have sent their condolences to Justice Holland’s family and friends and all those who worked with Justice Holland over his many years on the Court.
“The Delaware Judiciary mourns the loss of one of our greatest public servants,” said Chief Justice Collins J. Seitz, Jr. who served with Justice Holland from 2015 to 2017. “Randy Holland served on the Delaware Supreme Court for over 30 years. He wrote cogent and authoritative opinions in all areas of the law that have withstood the test of time. He championed the highest ethical standards for Delaware lawyers and judges. As president of the American Inns of Court, he worked to further its nationwide mission to improve the skills, professionalism and ethics of the bench and bar. Most recently, he chaired a court committee to work on bail reform in domestic violence cases. What Justice Randy Holland will be most remembered for is his kindness, humility, and graciousness, and his personal notes written with a blue felt tip pen. The Supreme Court will recognize this giant of a man in a future event. His family will be in our prayers.”
Justice Holland was appointed and reappointed to the Delaware Supreme Court by three different Governors and served with four different Chief Justices during his tenure on the bench.
At his appointment to the Supreme Court in 1986 by Governor Mike Castle, Justice Holland became the youngest person ever to serve on the state’s highest court and went on to also become the Court’s longest serving Justice at his retirement in March 2017. Throughout his 30 years on the bench, Justice Holland wrote more than 700 reported opinions and several thousand case dispositive orders.
“Delaware just lost one of its true servants,” said former Chief Justice Leo E. Strine, Jr., who served with Justice Holland from 2014 to 2017. “No one loved our state or its bar more than Justice Holland. Through his dedication to the judicial craft, his fostering of bench-bar relations through the Inns of Court movement, his preservation of our state’s history, and his concern for the most vulnerable of litigants – particularly the children served by our Family Court – Randy made our state a better place and burnished its reputation as a legal center of excellence. We will miss his friendship and are profoundly sorry for his family’s irreplaceable loss.”
During his years on the Court, Justice Holland was known as not only an expert on state constitutional law but also as an avid historian of Delaware and the Delaware Supreme Court. He authored or co-authored ten books, including two books on the Delaware Constitution, two histories of the Delaware Supreme Court, and a History of the Delaware Bar in the Twentieth Century in addition to many law review articles.
“Justice Holland was a great and historic jurist of the Court,” said former Chief Justice E. Norman Veasey, who served with Justice Holland from 1992 to 2004. “Indeed, he was a quintessential and intellectual jurist, with an extraordinary grounding in the law and a marvelous sense of fairness and equity. He was the longest-serving justice in the history of the Court, having been sworn in to the Court as the youngest justice in the history of the Court in 1986. He was appointed to three 12-year terms on the Court from his investiture and served thirty years until he retired from the Court in March 2017. Not only was he historically long-serving as a jurist but also he was an extraordinarily gifted and scholarly writer, having authored or co- authored ten books and treatises as well as innumerable articles. Above all, he was a warm and noble human being – a truly good man in all respects. He was devoted to his wife of 50 years, Dr. Ilona Holland, their son, Ethan, daughter-in-law, Jen, and their granddaughters, Rori and Chloe. He will be missed in ways we have not begun to fathom by all who knew him, worked with him, and admired him.”
Justice Holland graduated from Swarthmore College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he received the Loughlin Award for legal ethics. He later earned a Master of Laws in Judicial Process from the University of Virginia Law School and was awarded honorary Doctor of Law degrees by the Delaware Law School and Swarthmore College.
Justice Holland taught corporate governance, appellate practice and state constitutional law and frequently focused on business ethics. He travelled internationally to advance corporate governance and ethics including working with the justice system in Taiwan. On several occasions he hosted visiting delegations from Taiwan to Delaware.
After leaving the Delaware Supreme Court, he became Senior of Counsel in the Wilmington office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. In 2018 the Randy J. Holland Family Law Endowment was created in his honor for the Combined Campaign for Justice to fund a full-time fellowship position to serve the family law needs for low-income families.
From our studio in Georgetown Delaware, this is the TV Delmarva Channel 14 News at 4.
Top Stories: One dead, several injured in downtown Dover fire. Delaware State Police seek witnesses to carjacking crime spree. Ukrainian President addresses US Congress.
Weather: A mild afternoon will turn into increasing clouds and rain showers after midnight. Get ready for a pretty soggy Thursday ahead.
At least one person has died and several more have been injured in an early morning fire that tore through a building in downtown Dover.
The Dover Police and Fire Department, along with the City of Dover Fire Marshal’s Office, are investigating the blaze that broke out around 2:30 a.m., Wednesday at a large, mixed-use building on the corner of Loockerman Street and South New Street.
Crews work to bring a blaze under control in downtown Dover – Dover Police Dept.
Multiple agencies responded to assist and the fire was finally brought under control around 8 a.m. following hours of efforts to extinguish the blaze.
At this time, officials say one male victim was found deceased inside the building and seven others have been transported to a nearby hospital, with the majority being evaluated and treated for minor injuries and/or smoke inhalation.
The cause and origin of the fire have not yet been determined and remain under investigation at this time.
Loockerman Street from Queen Street to Governors Avenue is expected to remain closed for several hours, with several surrounding streets also affected by closures and detours.
House Republicans are proposing a rebate totaling approximately $100 million that would benefit every man, woman, and child residing in The First State.
Every legal resident of the state, regardless of age or income, would receive $100 under the plan. For example, a household containing a family of four would receive a total distribution of $400.
“This proposal is consistent with what our members have been proposing since early last year,” said State House Minority Leader Danny Short (R-Seaford). “Our state experienced huge revenue surpluses last year, without enacting any significant tax reduction measures. We have again been gifted with large surpluses in the current fiscal year. There is simply no excuse for not moving forward with targeted tax cuts and rebates, returning some of this excess cash to our citizens.”
State House Minority Whip Tim Dukes (R-Laurel) agreed, saying the rebate proposal initially began while House Republicans were exploring the possibility of suspending the state fuel tax for a limited time. “With the dramatic rise in the price of gas hurting so many working families, we thought suspending the state fuel tax might provide a small amount of relief. Unfortunately, this was a tougher nut to crack than most people might realize.”
Delaware imposes a tax of 23-cents-per-gallon on gasoline and 22-cents-per-gallon on diesel. The money generated from the levy – amounting to about $11.5 million a month – is earmarked for the Transportation Trust Fund, where it pays for road projects, including payments on bonds sold to finance this work.
Under Title 30, § 5110(c) of the Delaware Code, the state fuel tax cannot be decreased while there are outstanding bonds being supported (repaid) with the revenue.
“I would have liked to have suspended the fuel tax from now through the July 4th Weekend, but Delaware law will not allow it,” Rep. Short said. “While it can be argued we could suspend or change the law, I do not think undermining sound fiscal policy is prudent.”
Both Reps. Short & Dukes said a fuel tax suspension could also have the unintended consequence of causing lines at gas stations in northern New Castle County as Pennsylvania motorists crossed the border to fill-up.
“With all due respect to our friends in the Keystone State, we’d like our state’s surplus to help Delaware families,” Rep. Dukes said.
Rep. Short said providing a $100 rebate to every legal Delaware resident would provide a more significant benefit to help modest income Delawareans deal with inflationary pressures.
“It is not just fuel that is going up,” he said. “We’re seeing across-the-board increases in the prices of dozens of essential items. It’s more important than ever to give Delawareans their money back.”
Rep. Dukes noted the total amount returned to Delaware citizens should be about $100 million. The 2020 Census recorded 989,948 people living in the state. Current state population estimates slightly exceed one million.
“This is a responsible one-time distribution of surplus money that will not have any ongoing obligation for the state and will not impact future revenue streams,” Rep. Dukes said. “It also amounts to less than one-eighth of the current surplus, providing state lawmakers with plenty of remaining flexibility to consider other proposals.”
The rebate bill, which is expected to be circulated for sponsorship later this week, will direct the Delaware Division of Revenue to devise a plan to carry out an equitable and rapid distribution of the designated rebate within 30 business days of the measure being enacted.
Top Stories: New Castle woman charged with carjacking, kidnapping, and manslaughter. A mother speaks out after her child was allegedly sexually assaulted in the school bathroom. Delaware bill introduced to protect a child’s right to operate a lemonade stand. Weather: Much warmer and drier conditions this week just in time for the spring equinox next week.
Brittallia Semaan, of New Castle, DE – Delaware State Police Dept.
A New Castle woman is behind bars on multiple felony charges, including vehicular homicide, after police say she carjacked a vehicle and struck and killed a man.
According to Delaware State Police, the incident occurred around 9:30 a.m., Sunday, March 13 as troopers were dispatched to the area of 4049 New Castle Avenue for a reported carjacking. The initial investigation determined a female suspect, later identified as Brittallia Semaan, entered the front passenger side of a parked white Chevrolet Trax.
A 67-year-old male and 66-year-old female attempted to remove Brittallia from their SUV but were unsuccessful as she moved into the driver’s seat. As Brittallia attempted to flee the area, the female victim was struck by the SUV and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. At the time of the initial carjacking, two juveniles were seated in the backseat of the SUV but were successfully able to exit before Brittallia fled with the Trax southbound on RT. 9.
Moments later, Brittallia struck a 48-year-old New Castle man just south of Boothhurst Blvd. The victim was transported by EMS to an area hospital where he, unfortunately, died from his injuries. Identification is pending notification to next of kin. This fatal pedestrian collision remains under investigation by the Delaware State Police Troop 2 Collision Reconstruction Unit. Additional information regarding the crash will be released once it becomes available.
After the fatal pedestrian crash, Brittallia flees southbound into Old New Castle and enters the parking lot of the SPCA located in the area of South Street and 6th Street. At the same time, a 19-year-old female pedestrian was walking in the parking lot. For unknown reasons, Brittallia swerved into the pedestrian’s path, striking her. Fortunately, the victim sustained minor injuries.
Brittallia then exited the parking lot and traveled southbound on South Street before turning right onto Washington Street and began traveling northbound. At the same time, a Maserati was traveling southbound on Washington Street, approaching Brittallia’s vehicle.
For unknown reasons, Brittallia crossed over the double yellow line and crashed head-on with the Maserati on Rt 141 just before the intersection of SR 273. The driver, a 34-year-old Wilmington man, and passenger, a 26-year-old Wilmington woman, sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the crash.
After the crash occurred, a good Samaritan stopped at the crash scene to help. At that time, Brittallia entered the backseat of the 62-year-old New Castle man’s Ford Explorer. He confronted her and told her to exit his car. As she complied, she quickly entered the driver’s seat and attempted to flee the scene. The 62-year-old male tried to stop Brittallia but was unsuccessful and was dragged a short distance but was uninjured. As Brittallia fled the scene, a 77-year-old New Castle woman was still seated in the front passenger seat.
With the female passenger still in the Explorer, Brittallia continued traveling onto southbound River Road, where she collided with the rear of a Honda Odyssey in the area of Hamburg Rd. The 52-year-old female driver and the 77-year-old female passenger in Brittallia’s vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
An off-duty Wilmington Police Department Officer observed the second carjacking and followed Brittallia when he observed the final collision. With the assistance of a former New Castle County Police Officer, who had also stopped to render aid at the scene, Brittallia Semaan was apprehended until Troopers arrived. Brittallia was taken into custody and transported to Delaware State Police Troop 2, where this investigation remains ongoing. Once charges and mugshot become available, a press release will be issued.
The Delaware State Police would like to recognize and thank all of the good Samaritans who stopped and acted selfless today to help render aid to those in need.
Anyone who may have witnessed these incidents is asked to contact Delaware State Police Troop 2 by calling 302-834-2620. Information may also be provided by sending a private message through Facebook Messenger to Delaware State Police or calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.
Model trends today have a uptick in the snow department with that surge of cold air moving in much quicker. This will allow a change over of heavy rain to snow just before noon Saturday across the northern portions of Delmarva and northern Maryland. The heaviest accumulations will occur the closer you get to the Appalachian mountains near Frederick and Westminster Maryland. A band of 1-3 inches is possible through Cecil and New Castle counties here on Delmarva. While other locations here on the shore will see some minor accumulations under 1 inch on grassy surfaces.
A Felton man was arrested after crashing his car into a ditch on Wednesday afternoon, and the crash is now going viral.
The incident was captured on a security camera near a Wawa on East Street and Route 13 on Wednesday just before 2:00 p.m.. In the video, the man makes a right turn into a ditch and splashes to a stop.
Camden Police tells TV Delmarva News that the driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI. He received minor cuts to his face in the single vehicle crash and denied medical assistance.
The video has gone viral since it was posted Thursday afternoon with a warning from CPD to not drink and drive.
“We were not expecting that kind of reaction,” Camden Police Chief Marc Whitney tells TV Delmarva News. “Goes to show that [drinking and driving] can happen at anytime.”
So far, the video has over 80,000 views and shared over 1,000 times on Facebook.
Delaware State Police are conducting an in-custody death investigation after a man wanted for 2nd Degree Rape died while in transport to the police station.
According to the Delaware State Police Department, the incident occurred around 10 a.m., Wednesday as detectives responded to the Bait and Tackle Shop at the Indian River Inlet located at 25012 Coastal Highway, in an attempt to reach 72-year-old Stanley Bradley, of Milton, Delaware.
Police received information that Bradley may have been at the business hanging out. He was wanted on an outstanding warrant for Rape 2nd Degree (Felony), according to police.
As detectives pulled into the parking lot, Bradley was spotted leaving the business. Contact was made with him, at which time police say he was very cooperative and was taken into custody without incident.
Bradley was placed in the front seat of the detectives’ divisionally issued Ford Taurus, with one of the detectives sitting in the backseat and the other driving. As the vehicle was traveling to Delaware State Police Troop 3 on Coastal Highway, in the area of Johnson Road, Bradley reportedly requested the detectives pull over because he thought he was suffering from a medical event.
Detectives immediately pulled over and both exited the vehicle to check on Bradley, who was now unconscious, police said. One detective immediately called 911 to request medical assistance as the other began performing CPR. Life-saving measures were performed until EMS arrived, who continued CPR before transporting Bradley to Bayhealth Sussex Campus.
Bradley was stabilized and transported to Bayhealth Hospital in Dover where he died at approximately 6 p.m.
The investigation revealed Bradley had a long medical history and had been hospitalized multiple times during the last year for cardiac issues. Bradley was turned over to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science for an autopsy to be performed.
On March 10, the Medical Examiner ruled Bradley died from natural causes pending a toxicology examination. There was nothing suspicious and no signs of trauma found during the investigation.
This case remains pending active by the Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit pending the toxicology results. Due to the sensitive nature of the charges that Bradley was wanted for, police say no further information will be released regarding the case.
42-year-old Ronnell T. Vickers, of Harrington, DE – Harrington Police Dept.
A Harrington man was arrested on felony drug charges after police say he was found in possession of more than six pounds of marijuana and other drugs during a traffic stop.
According to the Harrington Police Department, on Thursday, March 10, officers arrested 42-year-old Ronnell T. Vickers on several drug and weapons charges.
Officers on patrol came into contact with Vickers after discovering the vehicle he was operating had an invalid registration. After contact was made with Vickers, officers noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.
A probable cause search was initiated and police found several packages of marijuana total weight approximately 2,858.2 grams (6.3 pounds), 12.4 grams of ecstasy, a loaded 9mm handgun, two digital scales, and various forms of drug paraphernalia.
Evidence from traffic stop – Harrington Police Dept.
Vickers was taken into custody without incident and transported to Harrington Police Department where he was charged with the following: Manufacture/Deliver/PWID Controlled Substance Tier 2 quantity (C Felony), Manufacture/Deliver/PWID Controlled Substance (D Felony), Possession of a Controlled Substance Tier 2 quantity (F Felony), Possession of a Controlled Substance Tier 1 quantity (G Felony), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (violation), Possession of a Firearm during the commission of a felony (B Felony), Carrying a concealed deadly weapon/Firearm (D Felony), and two registration violations.
Vickers was presented via video phone at Justice of the Peace Court 2 and was committed to Sussex Correctional Institute in lieu of $31,000 cash bond.
Delaware State Police are warning the public amid reports of scammers posing as State Police.
The Delaware State Police Department has been investigating multiple incidents in which victims have been receiving phone calls from individuals posing as troopers and advising they are wanted and owe bail money. These individuals are utilizing spoofed, Delaware State Police issued phone numbers.
As a reminder, the Delaware State Police will never request payment for fines, traffic tickets or bail. All these transactions are conducted by the respective court systems and never over the phone. Electronic payments are also never requested via phone for court matters.
“Spoofing” is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Spoofing is often used as part of an attempt to trick someone into giving away valuable personal information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally.
The following tips can help you avoid becoming victim to a spoofing scam:
Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. If you do so by accident, hang up.
If a caller (live or recorded) suggests hitting a button to stop receiving calls from them, hang up. This can be a trick to engage you in conversation.
Never give out any personally identifiable information – for example, account numbers, Social Security Number, passwords or PINs, or your mother’s maiden name.
If a caller claims to be with a legitimate company, call back using the phone number on a statement you have from them, or on their verified, secure website. This is particularly important if the caller asks you to verify personal information or make a payment.
If you are immediately pressured for information – be cautious. You are not obligated to answer any question asked of you.
Set your own password for your voicemail. Some voicemail services are set up to automatically allow access to your mailbox if you call in from your own phone. If a scammer spoofs your number, they can access your messages unless there is a password or PIN requirement in place.
Use a call blocking tool (talk to your phone company) or reputable app on your mobile device. There are different options for different platforms. Do some research and choose the one that makes the most sense for you.
DNREC is reminding saltwater fishery-related businesses about funding that’s available to them, related to revenue declines during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligible businesses can apply for a piece of nearly $3 million of federal funding through the Consolidated Appropriations Act by going to the state’s website at DNREC.Delaware.gov by March 17.
According to DNREC, fishery-related businesses were hit hard during the pandemic, which saw over a 35% decline in revenue from March through December of 2020.
Eligible business can also call DNREC Fisheries section at 302-739-9914 for more information on how to apply for funding.
It’s being called the largest drug bust in the state’s history. 55 individuals indicted on multiple drug and weapons charges involving law enforcement agencies in Maryland and Delaware dubbed “Operation Dawg House”.
During a press conference yesterday, Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced the charges levied against the suspects.
“In the midst of an addiction epidemic that claims more than 400 lives a year – and in which Delaware has consistently been one of the country’s three hardest-hit states – this operation saved lives,” Jennings says. “We need to help our neighbors in need get on the path to recovery, and need to hold accountable everyone who has helped fuel the addiction crisis – from the industry that sowed the seeds of the epidemic to the drug traffickers who profit off of it today. I am profoundly grateful to DSP and the team that led this investigation, and to each of our neighbors who are working to help us rebuild from the devastation of this crisis.”
The two-year investigation on the operation began in November 2020. Through the investigation, George Johnson was developed as the leader of the criminal enterprise, along with several other individuals accused of major contributors to the heroin epidemic in the state.
Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis, who was part of the multi-state investigation, says this was the largest bust he’s seen in his 38-year career.
“Large scale drug traffickers have no boundaries. Consequently, based on the collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies representing numerous jurisdictions along the east coast, we have charged these individuals with orchestrating a drug distribution network that would be the envy of any fortune 500 company. The organization had enough fentanyl and heroin to kill thousands of Marylanders.”
In total, over 330,000 bags of heroin with a street value of over $1.6 million were seized – along with 771 grams of marijuana, 5.8 of cocaine, and 10 ecstasy doses. Three stolen firearms with their serial numbers scratched off were also seized, along with $65,000 in suspected drug proceeds.
Delaware State Police Captain John Wood says the investigation began when a series of overdose deaths started. At the start 2021 alone, there were 6 deaths related to Johnson’s product.
“The successful closure of large-scale narcotics investigations would not be possible without the collaborative efforts of all involved agencies,” Worcester County Sheriff Matthew Crisafulli says in a statement. “This case closure has undoubtedly saved thousands of lives in Maryland and Delaware. I applaud all of the law enforcement agencies involved in this complex investigation. I am proud to be associated with the men and women who worked tirelessly, to unravel this enormous narcotics investigation.”
44 of the individuals, including Johnson, have been arrested – with two suspects awaiting extradition from Maryland. Warrants have been issued for 9 other. In total, 232 felony charges have been issued along with 38 misdemeanors.
UPDATE: We reached out to Delaware State Police to ask for more information on the case and where the busts occurred. They tell us that “the investigation came to a close in late November with a tactical traffic stop conducted by DSP SORT, and 5 simultaneous residential search warrants in Delaware and Maryland. The seized items came mostly from these events; however, some of the listed items were seized during the course of the investigation.”
“There were a series of smaller seizures made during the course of the investigation at various points from 09/22/21-12/03/21. Those smaller seizures were the other photographs contained in the press packet. Then there was the large seizure of 2,500 logs (2,275 grams / 2.275 kilos) of Heroin that was seized at the conclusion of the investigation on December 03, 2021. That seizure occurred in the Felton area in Kent County as the product was being transported to the Laurel area.”
25-year-old Brian Pogats; 39-year-old Frederick Spiezio (Left to Right) – Harrington Police Dept.
A Harrington duo were arrested on theft charges after police say they illegally transferred money out of other people’s bank accounts to multiple online finance applications.
According to the Harrington Police Department, on Friday, March 4, officers arrested 39-year-old Frederick A. Spiezio and 25-year-old Brian M. Pogats, both of Harrington, on numerous theft and attempted theft charges.
At the end of February, police say officers were contacted by the victims who reported several unauthorized transactions from their bank account after they discovered their funds were being illicitly and electronically transferred to multiple online finance applications.
During the course of the investigation, officers were able to link the online accounts to both Mr. Spiezio and Mr. Pogats. Both were taken into custody without incident.
Spiezio was charged with 3 counts Theft Under $1500 where victim is 62 years of age or older (G Felony), 3 counts Attempted Theft Under $1500 victim is 62 years of age or older (G Felony), Conspiracy 2nd Degree (G Felony), 2 counts Theft Under $1500, (A misdemeanor), and 3 Counts Attempted Theft Under $1500 (A misdemeanor).
Pogats was charged with 3 counts Attempted Theft Under $1500 victim is 62 years of age or older (G Felony), 2 counts Theft Under $1500 where victim is 62 years of age or older (G Felony), Conspiracy 2nd Degree (G Felony), 3 Counts Attempted Theft Under $1500 (A misdemeanor), and Theft Under $1500, (A misdemeanor).
Both were released on their Own Recognizance Bond pending future court appearances.
Delaware State Police are investigating an overnight shooting in Magnolia that left one person dead.
The incident occurred just after midnight in the 200 block of Jeffrey Drive in the London Village community on Thursday. When police arrived, they found a 30-year old Magnolia man with a gunshot wound to his torso. He was transported to an area hospital where he later died.
Parts of nearby Jeffrey Road was closed for several hours as homicide detectives were investigating the incident.
There is no suspect information at this time, but anyone with information is asked to contact Delaware State Police at 302-365-8441 or Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-3333.
Gas prices continue to trend in the wrong direction, and its starting to hurt the pocket book of Delawareans.
According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, the first state is seeing one the largest increases compared to other states, with the state average at $3.77 a gallon today, a 19-cent jump from a week ago. The national average is 11-cents from a week ago to $3.72 a gallon, as total domestic gasoline stocks decreased by 500,000 barrels to 246 million last week.
In addition to demand and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a reduction in total supply is also playing a role in those higher prices. According to the Energy information Association, Russia exports about 5 million barrels of crude oil per day, representing about 12 percent of global trade.
AAA says sanctions and a potential ban on imports from Russia will likely cause prices to rise, with the possibility of $4.00 a gallon on the horizon.
Four people face several drug and weapons charges after police say they were spotted dealing drugs at a gas station parking lot in Magnolia.
Delaware State Police arrested 18-year-old Madalynn Webber of Camden, 23-year-old Phillip Cubbage Jr. of Dover, 21-year-old Justin Webber of Magnolia and 20-year-old Ronald Webber (also from Magnolia) after they were allegedly observed dealing drugs at the Liberty gas station on West Birdie Lane. When officers stopped the vehicle, occupied by Ronald and Justin Webber, a strong odor of marijuana was detected and both suspects were detained.
A 6-year-old child was also in the vehicle.
A search uncovered a loaded 9mm handgun, over 114 grams of marijuana, 2 electronic scales, over 66 ml of THC oils, and several rounds of ammunition.
An investigation led back to the suspect’s residence in the 500 block of Hollering Hill Road in Camden, were the other two suspects were. A search uncovered a trove of drugs, weapons and over $10,000 in drug proceeds.
Each suspect faces a long list of drug and weapons charges, along with child endangerment charges and were released on their own recognizance. Cubbage was lodged in Sussex Correctional Institute on a $57,500 cash bond.
40 dosage units of methadone (Tier 1) Sawed off Shotgun Pavona 9mm handgun loaded with 7 rounds Glock 43X loaded with an extended magazine and 3 (9mm rounds) 683 dosage units of Acid (Tier 3) Approximately 97.48g of Psilocybin Mushrooms (Tier 3) Approximately 3,287.48g of Marijuana (Tier 2) Drug paraphernalia Over $10,500 in suspected drug proceeds The four suspects were transported to Troop 3 and charged with the following crimes:
Justin Webber
Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Felony) Conspiracy Second Degree (Felony) Endangering the Welfare of a Child- 2 counts Justin Webber was arraigned in the Justice of the Peace Court #2 and released on his own recognizance.
Ronald Webber
Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony (Felony) Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon (Felony) Possession of a Deadly Weapon by Person Prohibited (Felony) Possession of a Destructive Weapon – Sawed off Shotgun (Felony) Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Felony) Conspiracy Second Degree (Felony) Endangering the Welfare of a Child- 2 counts Ronald Webber was arraigned in the Justice of the Peace Court #2 and released on his own recognizance.
Madalynn Webber
Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance Tier 3 Quantity (Felony)- 2 counts Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance Tier 2 Quantity (Felony) Possession of a Deadly Weapon by Person Prohibited (Felony) Possession of a Controlled Substance Tier 1 Quantity (Felony) Conspiracy Second Degree (Felony) Possession of a Drug Paraphernalia Madalynn Webber was arraigned in the Justice of the Peace Court #2 and released on her own recognizance.
Phillip Cubbage Jr.
Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance Tier 3 Quantity (Felony)- 2 counts Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance Tier 2 Quantity (Felony) Possession of a Deadly Weapon by Person Prohibited (Felony)- 2 counts Possession of a Controlled Substance Tier 1 Quantity (Felony) Conspiracy Second Degree (Felony) Possession of a Drug Paraphernalia Phillip Cubbage Jr. was arraigned in the Justice of the Peace Court #2 and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on $57,500 secured bond.
Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Tuesday that the Division of Civil Rights & Public Trust (DCRPT) has reached a pre-indictment plea agreement with a former Dover police officer who experienced an opioid overdose in his patrol vehicle and later tested positive for fentanyl and marijuana.
“This should remind us that the addiction epidemic affects everyone,” said Attorney General Jennings. “The defendant’s conduct was obviously illegal, totally incompatible with the standards we should hold law enforcement to, and could easily have turned deadly for him or someone else – he is frankly fortunate that his fellow officers found him in time to save his life. At the same time, justice in these situations requires both accountability and compassion. The defendant’s struggle with substance abuse is a familiar story for thousands of Delawareans, and just like anyone else he has our empathy in his journey to recovery. This sentence allows him to get the help he needs while permanently separating him from a position of public trust because he can no longer be trusted.”
“When viewed through a human lens, the Dover Police Department has empathy for anyone battling the challenges associated with drug abuse and connections to treatment services were offered to our employee,” said Dover Police Chief Thomas Johnson Jr. “However; when viewed through a professional lens, this kind of behavior can never be tolerated. Not for a minute. A trust was violated. In addition to the risks to his own life, he took chances with the safety of his co-workers and members of the public that were not his to take. Through appropriate investigation, this unprofessional conduct was determined to be criminal in nature.
“Once the facts were established, it became clear that Mr. Vieira could no longer be a Police Officer. The responsibilities of the job are just too serious and the public deserves the best resources that we can provide. We have already begun to examine the factors that lead up to the overdose emergency and will evaluate them against our existing code of conduct policies and early detection mechanisms. Appropriate changes to policy and/or practice will be made at the earliest possible time.”
On November 26, 2021, officers from the Dover Police Department located Pfc. Steven Vieira, 30, near Schutte Park after dispatch repeatedly and unsuccessfully tried to reach him. Responding officers found Vieira unconscious in his patrol vehicle and showing signs of overdose.
After administering first aid and two doses of Narcan, officers escorted Vieira to Bayhealth Hospital. Upon initial belief that Vieira had experienced an accidental fentanyl exposure during his duties, Dover PD conducted a search of his vehicle and uncovered an eyeglass case containing what was determined to be oxycodone hydrochloride, a prescription opioid, and various drug paraphernalia. A subsequent blood test revealed fentanyl and cannabinoid in Vieira’s system.
Vieira pleaded guilty to Driving Under the Influence of Drugs and Official Misconduct, both Class A Misdemeanors, and was sentenced to a 12-month prison sentence suspended to 12 months Level II probation, with his probation dischargeable following drug counseling.
As part of his plea, Vieira has resigned from the Dover Police Department and surrendered all Council on Police Training (COPT) certifications, rendering him permanently ineligible for employment as a police officer. Dover PD placed Vieira on administrative leave pending its own internal investigation, notified the Department of Justice, and cooperated fully with DCRPT’s investigation. Deputy Attorneys General Mark Denney represented the State in this matter, following a DCRPT investigation led by DOJ Investigator Tim Argoe.
Delaware Technical Community College has lifted its vaccine requirement, issuing a statement Tuesday afternoon that the institution will be removing “all masking, testing, and vaccine requirements for our employees and students, effective March 2.”
The announcement comes after months outcry from concerned students, parents, and staff at the college. On Feb. 7, our Rob Petree questioned the college’s President, Dr. Mark Brainard about the policy and possibility of unvaccinated students being turned which he defended.
“As we have done from the beginning of the pandemic, we continue to make operational decisions based on COVID data and in compliance with Governor Carney’s directives and CDC guidelines,” the college stated in a press release. “In light of the Governor’s announcement yesterday, the recent updated CDC guidelines, and a significant decline in regional COVID rates, Delaware Tech will also remove all masking, testing, and vaccine requirements for our employees and students effective March 2. The most recent directives regarding self-screening, isolation, and quarantine remain in effect until further notice.”
College officials emphasized that even though they’re no longer requiring vaccinations for the general student population, a vaccination may be required by assigned clinical placement settings for nursing and allied health students into the future.
The decision by Dr. Brainard comes on the heels of a protest held right outside his office last week where several parents, students, and concerned citizens gathered to plead with the college to reverse its course and revise the policy. We heard stories for weeks from students and parents who were terrified that the policy would result in them losing their education.
“As we have said through the course of these past two years, every decision we have made has been in the best interest of our students, employees, and the entire College community,” the college stated. “Although no longer required, vaccines, masks, and distancing remain effective health strategies to combat the spread of the virus in the months ahead. We will continue to monitor health data and state and federal guidelines to manage the pandemic moving forward, always keeping the health and safety of our College community as our top priority.”
The change in course on the policy comes just a day after Governor Carney announced the State of Emergency would end.
Delaware State Police are issuing the following advisory in response to a recent phone scam involving a “spoofed phone number” in Sussex County.
Earlier this week, Delaware State Police were made aware of two incidents in which individuals received a phone call from what appeared to be from Delaware State Police Troop 5. In one incident, the victim was told they had to pay a fine on a sex offender charge and another was going to be arrested for jury duty fines.
As a reminder, Delaware State Police will never request payment for fines, traffic tickets or bail. All these transactions are conducted by the respective court systems and never over the phone. Electronic payments are also never requested via phone for court matters.
Caller ID spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Spoofing is often used as part of an attempt to trick someone into giving away valuable personal information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally.
The following tips can help you avoid becoming victim to a spoofing scam:
Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. If you do so by accident, hang up.
If a caller (live or recorded) suggests hitting a button to stop receiving calls from them, hang up. This can be a trick to engage you in conversation.
Never give out any personally identifiable information – for example, account numbers, Social Security Number, passwords or PINs, or your mother’s maiden name.
If a caller claims to be with a legitimate company, call back using the phone number on a statement you have from them, or on their verified, secure website. This is particularly important if the caller asks you to verify personal information or make a payment.
If you are immediately pressured for information – be cautious. You are not obligated to answer any question asked of you.
Set your own password for your voicemail. Some voicemail services are set up to automatically allow access to your mailbox if you call in from your own phone. If a scammer spoofs your number, they can access your messages unless there is a password or PIN requirement in place.
Use a call blocking tool (talk to your phone company) or reputable app on your mobile device. There are different options for different platforms. Do some research and choose the one that makes the most sense for you.
Governor John Carney on Monday announced that he will sign an order terminating the COVID-19 State of Emergency and the masking requirement in public and private K-12 schools and child care facilities effective at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1.
The announcement is consistent with new masking guidance issued on Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Masking will not be required by the State of Delaware in K-12 schools, on school buses, or in child care facilities after 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1.
The Delaware Department of Education (DOE) and the Division of Public Health (DPH) have issued updated guidance to district and school leaders to aid response efforts following the expiration of the mask requirement.
Governor Carney also announced that vaccine or testing requirements for educators and state employees will expire at 11:59 p.m. today, Monday, February 28.
The mask requirement in most State facilities will also be lifted starting on Wednesday, March 2. Additional guidance for state employees will be issued on Monday by the Department of Human Resources (DHR).
“There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about where we’re headed,” said Governor Carney. “Over the last month, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have fallen dramatically, and we are clearly moving into a new phase of this pandemic. Today’s announcement is consistent with new guidance from the CDC. And it’s consistent with the latest thinking from Delaware’s experts at the Division of Public Health. Delawareans who want to continue wearing a mask – including children in our schools – should be supported and encouraged to do so, even as we move into this new phase. We’ll also continue to encourage all eligible Delawareans to get up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations.”
On Tuesday, the State of Emergency will be lifted. At the same time, a more narrow Public Health Emergency Order will be issued to replace a Public Health Emergency Order issued on July 12, 2021. This updated Public Health Emergency Order will allow hospitals and long-term care facilities continued flexibility to respond to cases of COVID-19.
A Bridgeville man was killed and several people were injured following a serious crash in Harrington.
According to Delaware State Police, the crash occurred around 6:53 p.m., Sunday as a 31-year-old Marydel, Maryland man was driving a Honda Civic northbound on South DuPont Hwy in the left lane approaching the intersection of Hopkins Cemetery Road.
The Civic entered the left turn lane and median crossover and then, without stopping, began crossing southbound onto South DuPont Hwy to Hopkins Cemetery Road. At the same time, a 31-year-old Salisbury, Maryland woman was driving a GMC Terrain southbound on South DuPont Hwy in the right lane approaching the intersection of Hopkins Cemetery Road.
As the Honda crossed into the path of the GMC, the front bumper of the GMC struck the Honda’s passenger side door in the right lane of South DuPont Hwy. After the collision, the GMC pushed the Honda into a stop sign and then into the parking lot of a nearby furniture store.
The 31-year-old Marydel man was flown to an area hospital where he was admitted in serious condition. Seated in the front passenger seat of the Honda was a 30-year-old Bridgeville man who sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
EMS transported the 31-year-old Salisbury woman to an area hospital where she was admitted for non-life-threatening injuries. Also in the GMC was a 59-year-old female, a 31-year-old female, a 6-year-old female, a 5-year-old female, and a 3-year-old male. All passengers were transported to an area hospital where they were treated for minor injuries and released.
The road was closed for approximately four hours for the crash investigation and cleanup.
In a 36-page response filed in court on Tuesday, four attorneys for Governor John Carney from the state’s Department of Justice say there is no legal ground for Hockessin attorney and Mom, Janice Lorrah, to sue over his mask mandate for school children.
The attorneys are asking the court to deny Lorrah’s preliminary injunction.
“Lorrah’s Motion must be denied because the balance of equities weighs strongly against the harm an injunction would cause to the public interest” attorneys argue in the court document, obtained by TV Delmarva.
In the response, attorneys defend Carney’s implementation of the mandate to expire March 31 on the basis that COVID-19 is dangerous, but acknowledge that he has no legal ground to extend past March 2 because of the Emergency Powers Act limit of power expiring on that day.
“The Fourth Revision advised that the Governor intended the mask mandate to be effective until March 31, 2022. However, the Governor acknowledges that the Fourth Revision has no legal effect after March 2, 2022 unless he takes further action. Thus, there is no controversy between the parties on Lorrah’s Date Claim.”
However, attorneys argue that the Governor could simply extend the state of emergency and the date in question would never ripen.
“Emergency powers are not an unlimited form of fiat that allows the executive branch to legislate without regard to procedural and constitutional protections,” Lorrah says in a response filed today in court. “This is not a political point of view; it is a question of fundamental liberties and government overreach.”
Lorrah continues to say that “[Governor Carney] picked the March 31, 2022 school masking end date (beyond the duration of the current State of Emergency and beyond the 180-day limit of the APA emergency rule making authority) hoping that it would go unnoticed and now that his actions have been brought to light, all of the Defendant’s arguments based on post hoc rationalization.”
Governor Carney also contends that Lorrah has no evidence that her or her child has suffered damages because of his mask mandate. In addition, attorneys cite CDC evidence that masks cause no harm to children.
“There is far from a scientific consensus on this difficult and novel issue,” attorneys argue. “Indeed, the CDC continues to recommend “universal indoor mask use for students, staff members, and others in kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) school setting” regardless of vaccination status. The CDC also continues to monitor and analyze research studies, including research indicating that “masks are unlikely to produce serious impairments of children’s social interactions.” The CDC has found that “[t]he limited available data indicate no clear evidence that masking impairs emotional or language development in children.”
Governor Carney’s attorneys also argue that because of the public health risk of COVID-19, the general public far outweigh any individual issues as grounds for dismissal of the suit. They argue that invoking an injunction would “subject Delaware’s school system to undue hardship and risk.” Lorrah contends that due to establishing reasonable probability, the injunction should stand.
A court date is set for Monday, February 28 at 9:00 a.m. at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington.
The Indian River School board is set to vote on an end to mask mandate on Monday, February 28th at its public meeting.
The meeting will be held at Sussex Central High School at 7:00 p.m. with public comments prior to the vote.
The district would be the second in Sussex or Kent County to decide on whether or not to leave masking at the discretion of parents. The Milford School Board voted on Wednesday to go mask choice by a 6-1 vote. The rule will go into effect once Governor John Carney’s mask mandate is set to expire at the end of March, or sooner.
Cape Henlopen is set to vote on its own local regulation in March.
Parents, Teachers, and Concerned Citizens turned out to have their voices heard on student masking in the Milford School District. The Board voted 6-1 to end student masking, effective April 1st or sooner if Governor Carney lifts the mandate …..more details tomorrow.
Updated revisions to the vaccine mandate at Delaware Tech, sent to students on Tuesday afternoon.
On the eve of a planned protest at the Dover campus set for Wednesday morning, Delaware Tech President Dr. Mark Brainard has announced changes to its strict and controversial vaccine mandate that would go into effect on May 1 for summer and fall semester students.
In the email and mandate obtained by TV Delmarva, Dr. Brainard announced changes to the policy that would exempt remote learning and unvaccinated students from the mandate only if they do not come on campus and sign an agreement not to come on campus during the summer and fall semester. Any students who would come on campus needs to abide by the mandate, which still states a student must be fully vaccinated (including booster) with no testing option available.
Enrolling students who are unvaccinated would be required to sign an agreement not to come on campus during the summer and fall semesters. Students who violate the agreement face disciplinary action, which could include dismissal.
“Unvaccinated students who are exempt from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement based on their online status must provide written certification of their agreement to the terms and limitations of this policy as a condition to enroll in summer or fall 2022 programs/classes,” the mandate states.
Dr. Brainard also adds that college services that are not virtual would simply not be available to these students.
“The College offers many student services and resources virtually. However, not all student services and resources are available in a virtual format. As a result, there may be some student services and resources that are not available to students who are exempt from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement based on their online status.”
The move comes after Dr. Brainard announced in January that the school would require COVID-19 vaccination for the summer and fall semesters. The initial announcement required fully remote students and all visitors to be included in the mandate.
Delaware State Police Homicide Unit arrested Marcus Bailey, 18, of Wilmington, for the homicide that took place Thursday afternoon in the Capitol Park community in Dover.
