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BUSINESS
Cover & Rossiter, one of Wilmington’s oldest full-service accounting firms will merge with and be rebranded by the Bonadio Group, which will help Upstate New York’s largest professional services firm access to the Mid-Atlantic Region. The deal is expected to close Dec. 1 and all staff members will join Bonadio, according to the 85-year-old Cover & Rossiter.
Bally’s Dover secured six First Place wins from Strictly Slots Magazine in the following categories:
- Best Overall Gaming Resort
- Best Dollar Slots
- Best $5+ Slots
- Best High-end Slot Area
- Best Comps
- Best Players Club Lounge
CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Bayard House, a ministry of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington, has received $15,000 from Highmark’s Bright Blue Futures Awards Program. This grant award will assist Bayard House in advancing health equity initiatives for vulnerable young mothers and families in Delaware.
DART’s 27th annual “Stuff The Bus” Thanksgiving Food Drive collected 15,013 pounds of food. The week-long food drive took place from November 4-9 at the Giant Food in Rehoboth; Dover Target; Rodney Square in Wilmington; and the ShopRite stores at First State Plaza, Brandywine Commons, and Four Seasons Shopping Centers.
Southern Delaware Therapeutic Riding (SDTR) will move forward with a multi-year capital improvement project after receiving funding from Crystal Trust and the State of Delaware Community Reinvestment Fund, enabling SDTR to expand its equine-assisted programming and services for children and adults with disabilities. Last year, SDTR received funds to purchase a lot in Milton Meadows adjacent to the nonprofit’s therapeutic riding center. New construction of a residential dwelling will free up space on the center’s property and allow for additional programming to support children and adults with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Citizens Bank donated $10,000 to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington in support of its Basic Needs Program. This funding will enable Catholic Charities to continue its mission to assist low-income individuals and families in reducing poverty, preventing homelessness, and encouraging self-sufficiency through financial assistance, case management, and referrals to community resources.
The Cannabist Company recently completed a donation drive across 12 markets including its three locations in Delaware (Columbia Care Rehoboth Beach, Smyrna, and Wilmington) to support the Weed for Warriors Project, which supports holistic rehabilitation for veterans through community based projects. The campaign offeredcustomers the opportunity to round up their purchases or donate in $1, $5, or $10 increments with all proceeds going directly to Weed for Warriors.
The Delaware Natural Resources Police have boxes in place throughout the state ready to accept donated toys. Donations will be distributed as gifts to children in communities statewide through the local branch of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program, with donation boxes at Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control locations throughout the state.
Do More 24 Delaware, the state’s premier charitable giving initiative, has opened registration for its annual event taking place March 6-7, 2025. Organized jointly by United Way of Delaware (UWDE) and Spur Impact, Do More 24 Delaware is a 24-hour fundraising marathon that leverages collective marketing to raise unrestricted funds for the state’s nonprofits. Upon signing up, nonprofits will gain access to fundraising support including, campaign how-to guides, marketing and PR toolkits, educational webinars, peer-to-peer fundraising tools, promotional media opportunities, and a donation page on domore24delaware.org. Nonprofits are also eligible to apply for free one-on-one support from a dedicated social media ambassador to help them promote their fundraising campaign.
EDUCATION
For the sixth year in a row, University of Delaware’s Horn Entrepreneurship has solidified UD’s ranking among the top entrepreneurship universities in the nation. In the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine’s Top 50 list for 2025, UD moved up to 27 from last year’s ranking of 31 and is third overall in the Mid-Atlantic region. Horn Entrepreneurship offers an entrepreneurship major; several minors, including integrated design and social innovation and entrepreneurship; and cross-disciplinary certificates throughout seven colleges in the University. Last year, more than 1,700 students from 100 different majors participated in Horn’s programs.
Delaware Technical Community College has dedicated its recently renovated Stanton Campus Student Success Center today in honor of First Lady Jill Biden. The center first opened to students in fall 2023, offering most critical student services—financial aid, business office, registration, veterans services—in one easy-to-access location.
Delaware State University has dedicated a “POW/MIA Chair of Honor” as a permanent monument on the first-floor northwest corner of its Claibourne D, Smith Administration Building. The POW/MIA Chair of Honor at DSU is one of 68 established in the state of Delaware in honor of American prisoners of war and those determined to be missing in action in World War I and II, as well as the military conflicts in Korea, Vietnam and Iraq.
GOVERNMENT
Moody’s Investors Service has assigned an Aaa rating—its highest rating — to the Delaware Transportation Authority, and S&P Global Ratings assigned its second-highest rating of AA+ long-term rating to the department’s $150.5 million series 2024 transportation system senior revenue bond sale that will be issued on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. These rating services’ reports are important metrics for investors and having these top ratings ultimately means Delaware pays less interest on money borrowed to fund projects throughout the state. Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski praised the DelDOT finance team led by Lanie Clymer for the ratings. The series 2024 bond proceeds will be used to fund various capital projects for DelDOT’s capital program in fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
A recent University of Delaware study found that there are high levels of human waste in Delaware watersheds that are responsible for the waterway’s impairment. The study also notes that this is probably due to infrastructure problems.
Delaware’s five Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) celebrated the centralization of the housing assistance application process, meaning that instead of applying to each authority through separate websites, applicants only have to log into one website to apply for placement on any or all housing choice voucher waitlists. This statewide initiative – a single, streamlined system – will allow applicants to submit and manage their waiting list applications for all PHAs using a common application. All applications will be processed through a centralized platform, accessible at https://Delaware.AffordableHousing.com.
Delaware organizations Action for Delaware’s Children, Lead Free Delaware, and Black Mothers in Power jointly called on Governor Carney to invest $14.5 million in his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year to reduce lead poisoning in Delaware’s young children. Last year, over 600 young children – one in every seventeen children tested – had blood levels deemed unacceptable by the Centers for Disease Control, placing those children at substantial risk for brain damage and nerve damage.
New Castle County Executive-Elect Marcus Henry has launched his transition website, marking the official start of the transition process as he prepares to assume office on January 7, 2025.
HEALTH
The YMCA of Delaware is partnering with ChristianaCare to enhance the health and well-being of teens and adults throughout Delaware through a collaborative initiative focused on two key areas: behavioral health support for teens and nutrition and weight management seminars. As part of this partnership, ChristianaCare will launch quarterly behavioral health seminars for teens at the Walnut Street YMCA through the T.H.R.I.V.E. program. Teens can attend any of the seminars for free. These seminars will focus on important topics such as depression and anxiety, providing much-needed resources and support for youth aged 13-17. The first seminar, scheduled for November, will address the growing concerns surrounding teen mental health, specifically depression and anxiety.
The Blood Bank of Delmarva is issuing an urgent call for blood donors with local donations declining by nearly 20%. The drop in donations puts the blood supply at risk at a vulnerable time as the holiday season is fast approaching. While the blood bank faces a severe shortage of all blood types, there’s an added call for Type O as that is crucial for emergencies and trauma care.
Delaware’s cancer mortality rate continues to decline, according to the latest data from the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH). Delaware and the U.S. saw their mortality rates go down by an average of 1.8% and 1.5%, respectively, between 2007 and 2021. In the 2024 report, which looked at the 2017-2021 time period, Delaware ranked 16th among the states for highest all-site (i.e., all cancer types) cancer mortality, with lower rankings indicating cancer mortality rates. State cancer mortality has improved considerably since the 1990s, when it ranked second in the nation. DPH presented its data report, Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Delaware, 2017-2021, to the Delaware Cancer Consortium (DCC).
The American Cancer Society National Lung Cancer Roundtable (ACS NLCRT), American College of Radiology® (ACR®), Radiology Health Equity Coalition (RHEC), and GO2 for Lung Cancer (GO2) partnered for the second annual National Lung Cancer Screening Day (“National LCS Day”) on Nov. 9,
RETAIL AND RESTAURANTS
Homesense will open Nov. 21 in Rehoboth Beach. The store, part of the TJX Brands chain, will be located between T.J. Maxx and PetSmart in the shopping center at 19563 Coastal Highway, and will fill the former space of andThat!, which closed last year. There are 68 Homesense stores across the country.
SPORTS
Newark City Council approved Grassbusters Landscaping Co. to build Old Paper Mill Road Park, a project that’s been in development for more than a decade. Neighbors have traffic concerns and worry about noise from pickleball courts that will be built at the park once it’s completed. The park will have six outdoor pickleball courts, a multi-purpose field that can support youth soccer, two sand volleyball courts, mowed grass trail, plaza area with seating, shelter, and 100 parking spaces. The project will cost just under $1.6 million, but $1.4 million of that will be covered by American Rescue Plan Act funding.
TRANSPORTATION
DART Statewide Bus Service Change becomes effective Sunday, November 17, 2024. DTC received feedback from riders and the public through three public hearing workshops held in August, as well as website submissions. As a result of a thorough review of all comments, modifications were made to the original proposal. The route-specific details can be viewed at Approved November 2024 Service – Dart First State. The new route schedules are available online at DartFirstState.com; printed pocket schedules are also available.
LONG-TERM TRAFFIC ALERTS
Paving on Rehoboth Avenue will begin on Monday, November 18, 2024, and continue through mid-December. Operations will be shut down from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and resume after the Christmas parade scheduled on December 2 to avoid interruption during this holiday weekend. Parking and lane closures will occur along Rehoboth Avenue during daytime hours, but at no point will parking be restricted on both sides of a block. For example, if the storefront parking on a block is closed, the median parking for that block will remain open to be as least impactive to customer parking as possible.
As part of the ongoing renovation and expansion of the Custom House in Wilmington, one lane of North King Street, directly in front of the Custom House, will be closed to traffic on Monday, November 18, 2024, as the fence line around the construction area expands. The lane will remain closed throughout the construction, which is estimated to last until 2026.
PEOPLE
Former Delaware Attorney General and Superior Court Judge M. Jane Brady has joined Halloran Farkas + Kittila LLP as a litigation and corporate governance partner in its Delaware office. Brady was Delaware’s first woman Attorney General and has litigated more than 100 jury trials and more than 40 appeals before the Delaware Supreme Court.
Governor-elect Matt Meyer announced three senior appointments who will lead key roles in his incoming administration:
- Vanessa Phillips has been named chief of staff
- Wilson Davis will serve as chief legal counsel
- Evelyn Brady will lead as transition director.
The Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau has announced three new members of its board of directors:
- Jeremy Costa, managing director of the Hotel du Pont
- Jamar Rahming, executive director of the Wilmington Public Library
- Christopher Strand, director and CEO of Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library
Loreto P. “Larry” Rufo has joined Rawle & Henderson as the new managing partner in its Wilmington office. Rufo represents small and large businesses, local and international corporations, as well as medical health care providers, accountants, attorneys and individuals.
Michal Klek, MD, has joined Beebe Healthcare. Dr. Klec specializes in hip and knee care, offering total, partial, and revision joint replacement procedures.
Sara Larch of Rehoboth Beach has joined the board of directors of Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Larch is vice chair of the Beebe Healthcare Board of Directors in Lewes, DE. She has more than 30 years of experience in large healthcare organizations, and nine years at Deloitte Consulting as managing director and national leader of the Physician Enterprise practice. Larch was the chief operating officer of University of Maryland’s 900-physician organization and Vice President of Inova Health System.
Amy K. Bielicki, CFRE has been hired as the vice president of advancement for the Mary Campbell Center.
Charlotte Jump and Sara Cessna will serve as general managers for Surf Bagel’s fifth location, in Fenwick Island. Lenny Landero will support them as assistant manager.
Lauren Tyree, a Saint Mark’s High School junior, has won the Youth Philanthropy Award presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals DE, Brandywine Chapter. She was nominated for the Youth Philanthropy Award by Claudine Wiant, a retired New Castle County police sergeant/detective and current executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Delaware. Lauren was recently profiled by Delaware Live.
Roddy Flynn has been appointed chief of staff for Congresswoman-elect Sarah McBride. Flynn currently serves as the executive director of the Delaware Broadband Office, a state agency charged with making sure everyone in Delaware has access to high-speed internet. Previously, he served in the Biden/Harris administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce. He worked in the U.S. House of Representatives as executive director of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus and Equality PAC. He started his career as a litigator at Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., Delaware’s largest law firm.
Former long-time Wilmington City Councilman Kevin Kelley Sr. will co-chair Wilmington Mayor-elect John Carney’s transition committee along with Doneene Damon, an attorney who initially co-chaired the Delaware Prosperity Partnership. Damon also co-chaired Carney’s transition when he was first elected Governor.
Author Karl Wegener, a Milton resident and former intelligence analyst, received honors for “Operation Nightfall: The Web of Spies” at the BookFest Fall 2024 Awards. His Cold War thriller won a second-place award in the Literary Fiction, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense category and a third-place award in the Thriller/Espionage category.
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