Delaware Museum of Nature and Science opening

Newly opened Museum of Nature, Science to get $500,000 from county

Jarek RutzCulture, Headlines

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the reimagined Museum of Nature and Science, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer told the crowd that his administration is going to propose a $500,000 grant for the institution. “Everything we do in county government right now – similarly to what’s going on in the city of Wilmington – is about diversity, equity and inclusion,” …

a sign in front of a house

Public infighting returns to Wilmington City Council

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Photo/City of Wilmington Wilmington City Council members must hand over all email, phone and text records from Jan. 2021 to March 2022 in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by one of their own.  Councilwoman Shané Darby, D-District 2, submitted the FOIA request because she says a group of seven city council members have been holding private …

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Darby ordinance would make Wilm employers pay for shift changes

Charles MegginsonBusiness, Headlines

Photo/Getty Images Business leaders are lining up in opposition to a proposed ordinance in Wilmington that would require service industry employers to provide two-weeks notice of work schedules and compensate employees when changes occur.  The measure, sponsored by Council Member Shané Darby, D-District 2, aims to provide more schedule stability for hourly workers at retail, hospitality and foodservice establishments with …

a man wearing a suit and tie

Wilm. mayor’s budget: tax increases, pay raises, job cuts

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki Included in Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki’s proposed $176.9 million city budget are a 7.5% property tax increase, a 5% increase in water and sewer fees, and the elimination of 14 positions in city government.  Purzycki presented the fiscal year 2023 budget proposal before City Council Thursday along with an $82.1 million water, sewer and stormwater budget. …

a screen shot of a man in a suit and tie

Purzycki, FOP: Congo’s police shaming ‘baseless, abhorrent’

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines, Police & Fire

LEFT TO RIGHT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT TRIPPI CONGO, MAYOR MIKE PURZYCKI, POLICE CHIEF ROBERT TRACY The mayor of Wilmington and the union that represents the city’s police officers are pushing back against the City Council president’s claims that the department is failing to promote diversity and morale within its ranks.  After leading the City Council to a Jan. 20 vote of …

Police

Wilmington council president goes public with WPD ‘whitest Black guy’ trophy

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Around Christmas of 2019, a Black male detective in the Wilmington Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division was given a trophy by his white male supervisor with an engraved message that reads, “Whitest Black Guy in the Office Award.” The trophy has been openly displayed on the detective’s desk since it was presented to him, according to City Council President Trippi …

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Wilmington residents sign petition in support of police chief

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines, Police & Fire

Chief Robert Tracy/Wilmington Police Department A petition expressing support for the Wilmington Police Department has gathered more than 600 signatures after the Wilmington City Council on Thursday passed a “vote of no confidence” in Chief Robert Tracy. The vote happened after a nearly three-hour-long Public Safety Committee meeting Tuesday during which Tracy and others defended the department’s practices amidst claims …

a dirty old room

Wilmington offers plumbing, electrical help for residents with flood damage

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

Wilmington residents still coping with flood damage have a variety of ways to get help.   The city of Wilmington is offering plumbing and electrical help to residents dealing with the aftermath of the Sept. 2 flooding. Specifically, the city will provide funding to homeowners for certain essential services, including: Plumbing/mechanical work for the restoration of gas service Electrical inspections …