July Fourth – a day filled with BBQs, backyard cornhole, and beach trips – is just around the corner. With travel agencies expecting around 12% of the state’s population to pack up and head out on vacation, here’s what to know about Independence Day in the First State: Travel AAA Mid-Atlantic expects 116,000 Delawareans to travel at least 50 miles …
Bill to make state ed loans into scholarships heads to Senate
A bill that would transform certain loans to scholarships to encourage students to pursue careers in education and other needed career fields was released by the Senate Education Committee Wednesday. It was the committee’s last hearing in this legislative session, which began in January 2021 and spanned two years. The bill already has passed the House and is now eligible …
DSU to use $1 million grant for urban revitalization center
Delaware State University will use $1 million in federal funds to build an urban revitalization center. The money will come through a federal grant, announced Tuesday on campus by U.S. Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester. The Center for Urban Revitalization and Entrepreneurship will be located at 225 W. Division Street in downtown Dover, one block from the university’s Dover Campus. DSU …
Colonial’s dropout prevention program shows impressive results
Kelvin Addy needed a push to make it into William Penn’s 2014 graduating class. Now he’s working for one of the organizations that helped him get his diploma, helping today’s students succeed and closing a circle that began with Colonial School District’s novel dropout prevention program. Since the program’s implementation in 2012, graduation rates have spiked and dropouts have plummeted. …
DelTech to add Veterans Resource Center in Wilmington
Delaware Technical Community College announced Tuesday that it plans to build a Veterans Resource Center at its Wilmington campus to serve as a hub for students with military ties. The center will be funded with an $18,000 grant form Navient, a financial services company in Wilmington known for student loans. “We are very grateful to all of our donors …
Senate sends gun, abortion bills to Carney
Delaware’s Democrat-majority Senate on Tuesday sent several controversial bills to Gov. John Carney for his signature. Most of the topics seemed ripped from headlines. The gun bill would bar anyone under 21 from buying or owning a gun, as well as controlling a firearm or ammunition. The abortion bill will increase the number of health professionals who can perform an …
Appoquinimink Library opens with focus on green energy
After decades of dealing with a teensy library stuffed inside a multi-use building, Middletown on Friday celebrated the opening of Appoquinimink Library, a new 28,000 square foot library and digital center. A small crowd gathered to watch officials cut the ribbon at 651 North Broad St. County Executive Matt Meyer called it a tremendous day for residents in south New …
Bill to block 5-mile radius charter preference rule draws heat
A bill that would bar charter schools from giving preference in student admissions to those living within a 5-mile radius of the school faced a lot of scrutiny in the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday. House Bill 238 was passed by the House on May 5, although it faced concerns in the House hearings as well. Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha, D-Wilmington, said …
More legislation in the works to address teacher shortage
A bill that would help address the state’s lingering concern over a teacher shortage was unanimously released by the Senate Education Committee Wednesday. House Bill 430, now headed to the Senate floor, would encourage schools to begin a Grow Your Own Educator Program, which supporters believe will improve recruitment, retention and diversity of teachers in the First State’s public schools. …
Bill OKing medical marijuana patients owning guns heads to Senate floor
A bill that would allow medical marijuana patients to obtain a firearm will head to the Senate floor. The bill, which passed the House on June 14, continued to draw strong public support before it was passed 6-0 by the Senate Health and Social Services Committee Wednesday. Under House Bill 276, a patient registered in Delaware’s medical marijuana program would …