As part of the design process for the new Newark library, community members paste sticks on renderings of various library features. (Ken Mammarella photo).

NCCo gets volumes of ideas for new Newark library

Ken MammarellaGovernment, Culture, Headlines

A rooftop terrace, improved bicycle access and sheet music were some of the wide-ranging ideas community members have presented to New Castle County in meetings on the new Newark Library. The county is collecting more ideas and other input with a 22-question online survey. It has decided to build the library on the same 2.94-acre site, on the east side …

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Study concludes Wilmington isn’t paying employees enough

Ken MammarellaGovernment, Headlines

Wilmington has released a citywide classification and salary compensation study that recommends increasing pay across the board. The $85,000 project resulted in four reports, for executives and managers, nonunion staff, AFSCME Local 320 and AFSCME Local 1102. Mayor Mike Purzycki is asking City Council to amend the fiscal 2024 general operating budget to include new salary ranges from the study …

The Newark Free LIbrary is being replaced with a new building on the same site.

Ideas for new Newark library sought in 2 town halls, survey

Ken MammarellaCulture, Headlines

Two town halls and an online survey have been announced to collect ideas for the new Newark library. Members of the public are invited to share their thoughts directly with the architectural firm, Quinn Evans, at meetings hosted by the Friends of the Newark Free Library. The first meeting will be 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14 at the Newark Senior …

Delaware drivers are the least likely to have experienced road rage. (Jacek Dylag photo from Unsplash)

Survey on road rage calls Del. drivers the most polite

Ken MammarellaCulture, Headlines

Delaware ranks No. 1 among the states for the most polite drivers, a new survey has found. Forbes Advisor surveyed 10,000 licensed drivers who own at least one car on nine metrics. At least 200 were interviewed in each state. Arizona got the dishonor of having the worst road rage, with Rhode Island second. The map that accompanies the survey …

Delaware is tightening rules on helmets and eye protection for motorcyclists. (Andrey Shatalin photo from Unsplash)

Del. toughens rules on motorcycle helmets, eye protection

Ken MammarellaGovernment, Headlines

Delaware is requiring everyone who obtains a new motorcycle endorsement or anyone riding with them to wear a helmet and eye protection for two years after they receive their endorsement. The law goes into effect on Friday, Sept. 1. Currently, every adult operating or riding as a passenger on a motorcycle is required to have a helmet in their possession …

The year's biggest data breach involves software called MOVEit. M&T Bank is one of the companies affected. (Towfiqu photo from Unsplash)

M&T among 1,000 places hit so far in huge data breach

Ken MammarellaBusiness, Headlines

The biggest security breach of the year has affected 60 million people so far, including customers of Delaware’s biggest bank, M&T Bank. The hack dates back to the end of May, TechCrunch said, with experts saying that the hackers knew about the vulnerability in the MOVEit software as far back as 2021. Cl0p, a ransomware group linked to Russia, claimed …

New Castle County is moving forward with a plan to require fire sprinklers in new home. (Pixabay photo from Pexels)

NCCo working to require fire sprinklers in new homes

Ken MammarellaGovernment, Headlines

New Castle County is moving forward with a plan to require fire sprinklers in new townhouses and one- and two-family dwellings. Its planing document cites lots of support, including the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office, the New Castle County Fire Chiefs Association, the New Castle County Firefighter’s Association, the New Castle County Fire and Ambulance Advisory Board, the Fire Sprinkler …

Purses stolen from restaurants in the North Wilmington area has disturbed people hearing about them on next-door.com. (Mathias Reding photo from Pexels)

Disturbing crimes: Ransacked and stolen purses

Ken MammarellaBusiness, Headlines

Two recent social media posts about purses being stolen or ransacked offer timely warnings to avoid becoming victims of crime. Both posts on nextdoor.com were secondhand, but they resonated with dozens of people who made comments. “WARNING,” Sarah Brase-Davis began her post, noting that her aunt had her credit and debit cards stolen after shopping at the Costco in Christiana. …

Wilmington has increased its water/sewer rates by 5.7%. (Pixabay photo from Unsplash)

Wilmington water bills going up. And up. And up. And up.

Ken MammarellaBusiness, Headlines

Wilmington in July increased its water/sewer rates for its customers in the city and the suburbs. And it’s planning to increase them in 2024. And 2025. And 2026. “Water/sewer rates increased on July 1 by 5.7% for all categories of our customers (city and non-city),” said John Rago, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Mike Purzycki. “The projected increases for …

Becker Morgan Group design for the Selbyville Library.

New library buildings in the works across Delaware

Ken MammarellaCulture, Headlines

New public libraries are being built across Delaware, as part of a state government goal to have 1 square foot of library space for each resident. That space and that expansion is a shorthand way to understand libraries’ increasingly broad roles. They have a long history of lending books and answering reference questions, but today’s libraries are adding to their …