Maiss Hussein took home the Poetry Out Loud crown in 2023 and 2024.

Get to know Delaware’s 2x poetry queen, Maiss Hussein

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

The back-to-back scholastic poetry champion won her most recent crown with a poem she says was way out of her comfort zone, but served as the perfect finale. A proud Palestinian, a powerful performer and a hopeful dentist with blooming curiosity, Hodgson Vo-Tech senior Maiss Hussein’s victory this year in the state Poetry Out Loud competition was just as sweet …

UNCW softball player Tayler Vitola has been selected as the 2023 24 Coastal Athletic Association Female Scholar Athlete of the Year photo courtesy of UNCW athletics

Vitola voted CAA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Glenn FrazerSports

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Middletown, DE native and UNCW senior softball player Tayler Vitola has been selected as the 2023-24 Coastal Athletic Association Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year presented by Primis as voted on by the conference’s Academic Affairs Committee. Vitola has flourished academically, athletically and in the community during her four years at UNCW. She has accumulated a 3.835 …

Delaware's 2024 school board elections are Tuesday, May 14.

19 to compete for 8 seats in May 14 school board elections

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

In a light year for school board races, 19 candidates are vying for eight open seats across eight of the state’s 19 school districts. This year’s election is Tuesday, May 14, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Last year, 43 candidates ran for 23 vacancies across 16 school districts. In 2022,  42 candidates competed for 19 open …

Pettinaro Management is donating 30 acres on the west side of Hercules Road in Mill Creek to New Castle County for a park. Ken Mammarella photo.

Exclusive: 30-acre park off Hercules Road in the works

Ken MammarellaCulture, Headlines

New Castle County is on its way to being given 30 acres for a park in the Mill Creek area. The land is part of a country club known as Hercules when it opened in 1937 (that’s why the road it’s on is called Hercules Road) and then Delaware National before being sold, with housing planned. “The project was approved …

Kate Li, left, and Arya Gupta are this year's representatives for Delaware in the National Youth Science Camp.

Li, Gupta to represent Delaware in national science camp

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Two First State high schoolers are on their way to the Mountaineer State to represent Delaware at the 61st National Youth Science Camp. Kate Li, a senior at Newark Charter School, and Arya Gupta, a junior at Red Clay Consolidated School District’s Charter School of Wilmington, will attend the camp from June 29 to July 20 in Monongahela National Forest …

Delaware's four finalists for the 2024 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (From top left, clockwise: Karen Eller, Brittney Campbell, Carlos Pesquera, Kerry Haley).

4 Delaware teachers finalists for national math, science award

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

In a time where science and math teachers are hard to come by, four of them from the First State have been named finalists for a national award. The four STEM teachers have been picked by the Delaware Department of Education to represent the state for the 2024 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. That’s the highest recognition …

While most think the financial responsibility training is a good requirement, some believe it doesn't go far enough.

Many happy with mandatory school board finance training bill

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

School board members, who are in large part responsible for the spending decisions of millions of dollars from school districts, could soon be required to undergo financial training. House Bill 312, sponsored by Rep. Kim Williams, D-Marshallton and chair of the House Education Committee, which requires school board members to undergo training in financial responsibility.  Legislators in the Senate Education …

chaddsford

ChaddsFord Winery is seeking a buyer for 42-year-old business

Rich SchwartzmanCulture, Headlines

It’s been 12 years since Eric and Lee Miller retired from the ChaddsFord Winery. Now, the Petrillo family of New York, the remaining founders and owners, are looking to sell. The asking price for the 5-acre property on Route 1 in Pennsylvania is $4.5 million. The property is just over the state line from New Castle County. If — when …

Principal Bradley Layfield has been fired by the Indian River School District.

All 7 board members agree: Fire Bradley Layfield

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The Indian River School District Board of Education on Thursday voted to uphold the termination of a school principal enmeshed in a scandal involving a video image of a student’s breast. In its private executive meeting Thursday night, the district board voted to uphold its firing of Bradley Layfield, former principal at Sussex Central High School. In response, Layfield’s lawyer, …

Natural, eco-friendly methods of burial have become more popular in recent years. (Photo by CBS News)

Delaware 8th state to legalize natural organic reduction

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

A law that would put Delaware in a class with seven other states offering a unique burial method passed the Senate Thursday. House Bill 162, sponsored by Rep. Sean Lynn, D-Dover, opens the doors for cemeteries to begin offering increasingly-popular natural organic reduction after death. Natural organic reduction is the gentle, respectful process that accelerates the decomposition of human remains …