View Calendar
Submit new Event
Meet The Team
Advertise with Us!
Subscribe
Subscribe
Image
  • Government
  • Culture
  • Business
  • Education
  • Health
  • Police & Fire
  • Sports
  • Weekly Review
ImageImage
Delaware Live Powered by 302 Sports

Week 2 Top 10 plays of winter sports

Nick Halliday January 27, 2021 Sports

RELATED STORIES:

1,000 surf fishing permits for 2021 go on sale Wednesday
5 Delaware Tech baseball players earn All-Region honors
Delaware’s Mike Annone on taking long way around to achieve dream
66th annual DFRC Blue Gold All-Star Football Game
Nick Halliday
Nick Halliday

Share this Post

302sportsarounddelawarefromhighliveofplayssportsstateTenthetoptwoWeekwinter

Visit Grain Kitchen


Visit Grain Kitchen

You may have missed

  • Mail-in ballots, paid leave, police reform top 2022 legislative agenda
    a small clock tower in front of a house

    State legislators will be back in session in a little more than a month. Photo by Aimintang/Getty Images Signature In five weeks, Delaware’s 151st General Assembly will kick off its 2022 legislative session with many Democratic legislators looking to advance progressive causes that have previously struggled to gain traction.  Democrats control both chambers of the General Assembly by wide margins.  There are 26 Democrats in the House of Representatives, compared to just 15 Republicans. In the Senate, Democrats hold 14 seats while Republicans hold 7 seats.  Some of the issues likely to come up during the next session, which begins Jan. 6, include cementing the permanent use of mail-in voting, recreational cannabis legalization, paid family and medical leave, police review boards and changes to the law enforcement officers’ bill of rights.  Lawmakers are also expected to learn more about their role in removing or suspending indicted-Auditor of Accounts Kathy McGuiness. One proposal that has earned support in the wake of the McGuiness arrest is a push to create a statewide inspector general’s office.  Two major gun control bills that didn’t reach the finish line in 2021 are likely to be wrapped up during the upcoming session. Only one new gun bill has been filed as of now and it’s sponsored by a Republican. Technically, the General Assembly is only in recess at the moment. Each session lasts two years, with the current one spanning from 2020 to 2022.  Bills filed in 2021 may still be brought to a vote when the legislature reconvenes, but bills that are filed and do not receive a vote in 2022 will have to be refiled in the next General Assembly. Meanwhile, legislative leaders announced Wednesday that committee hearings will be held in a hybrid format, with legislators attending in-person and members of the public having the opportunity to watch and provide comments online. But in a press release announcing the move, House and Senate leaders stopped short of inviting members of the public to attend committee hearings in-person. That, they said, “will depend on the public health guidance as of early January.” Mail-in voting In June, Republicans in the General Assembly effectively stopped the passage of a bill that would have made no-excuse absentee voting in Delaware permanent. House Bill 75, sponsored by Rep. David Bentz, D-Christiana, would have allowed Delaware voters to request mail-in ballots during all future elections without providing an explanation.  But the bill, which seeks to amend the Delaware Constitution, failed to receive the required two-thirds majority needed in the House of Representatives.  Constitutional amendments are also required to be passed separately during two consecutive legislative sessions. Twelve Republicans voted in favor of the bill in 2019 during the 150th General Assembly. But in 2021, not one Republican voted in favor of the proposal.  Because she switched her vote from ‘yes’ to ‘no’ at the last moment, Rep. Valerie Longhurst, D-Delaware City, could attempt to revive House Bill 75 during the upcoming session. Democrats would need to earn just two Republican votes in order to pass the bill with a two-thirds majority.  If House Bill 75 does not pass in 2022, it will have to be reintroduced during the next General Assembly and subsequently pass during two legislative sessions. That would delay the implementation date for no-excuse absentee voting by at least three years. Recreational cannabis legalization House Bill 150, a bill that would legalize, regulate and tax recreational cannabis in Delaware, made it through two House committees in 2021.  The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark, was expected to be put to a vote in June, but in a signal that Osienski had not yet secured the necessary votes, the bill was tabled. Passage of House Bill 150 requires a three-fifths majority in both chambers of the General Assembly, which Democrats have.  If Democrats elect to unite around the cause, they could end cannabis prohibition in Delaware without a single Republican vote — or, at least, place it in Gov. John Carney’s hands. Carney has made his position clear: he does not support marijuana legalization.  In June, according to The News Journal, Carney refused to say whether he would veto House Bill 150, citing his attempts as lieutenant governor to “get Delawareans to stop smoking.” Some speculate that opposition to cannabis legalization in the General Assembly comes, at least in part, from a desire to avoid forcing Carney into the awkward position of vetoing a bill with such broad public support.  A 2018 attempt at cannabis legalization earned the support of Republican Rep. Jeff Spiegelman of Clayton.  Rep. Ruth Briggs-King, R-Georgetown, has also filed two amendments to House Bill 150, signaling that she may support the bill with some changes.  Paid family and medical leave A bill to give Delaware workers up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave has earned the support of some lawmakers, business owners, medical professionals and nonprofit advocates. But some business leaders fear a state-run paid leave program would be overly burdensome on already-struggling small businesses. Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington, would create a statewide paid family and medical leave insurance program that workers could access for qualifying events, including addressing a serious illness, welcoming a new child or helping adjust to a recent military deployment. Workers benefitting from the program could receive up to 80% of their average weekly wages, insofar as that amount does not exceed $900 per week. The program would be funded by a 0.8% contribution from an employee’s weekly pay, to be split evenly between the employee and employer. For a worker making $1,000 per week, for example, the employer and employee would each contribute $4. In its current form, Senate Bill 1 exempts small businesses with 20 employees or less from the employer contribution, though the employee would still have to pay their share. McBride has engaged in a series of roundtable discussions on the subject, inviting business leaders, medical professionals and nonprofit representatives to share their thoughts on the subject.  Because […]

    ...
    Read More
  • National tour to celebrate Delaware’s shift in math education
    a close up of electronics

    Three Delaware schools are getting a visit from a national tour highlighting changes in teaching math.   Caesar Rodney, Brandywine, and Appoquinimink school districts will welcome a national tour this month that celebrates the high level of mathematics learning in Delaware. The Knowledge Matters Campaign chose Delaware as the first stop, and it’s the first time the First State has been the subject of a math-focused tour. It previously has been included in English language arts and literacy. The tour will highlight shifts in classrooms that include new materials and allow more student-led classes, presentations and discussions. Barbara Davidson, the executive director for the Knowledge Matters Campaign, said Delaware has implemented high-quality improvements to their curricula and instruction in an effort to restore wonder and excitement in the classroom. The campaign’s mantra is “find the good and praise it.”  Michelle Hawley, supervisor of mathematics at Brandywine School District, said that the most prominent improvement to Delaware math has come at the middle school level, where they have been teaching “Kendall Hunt’s Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math,” published in 2019. The math book received a perfect score on EdReports, an organization that grades materials that schools use in their curriculum.  In addition, Hawley said the unique quality of Delaware’s mathematics education comes from  enlightening and elevating students in the classroom. “The curriculum requires students to be an active participant in their learning,” Hawley said. “Students have really taken ownership of the classroom, and teachers have become facilitators that connect the dots.” This curriculum was provided by Illustrative Mathematics.  This Delaware ownership comes in the form of students making connections to each other, connections between different mathematical areas, and being more outspoken in the classroom. “Students are realizing that math makes sense,” said Hawley. “They are seeing how fractions and ratios function similarly, for example, and their ability to be at the forefront of a lesson’s discussion allows them to foster these math connections much quicker.”  Hawley said that Delaware is unique in that it does not just provide new materials, but it also assists heavily in making sure the instructors know how to effectively work with such materials.  Mathematics teachers are required to go through hundreds of hours of training to understand the curriculum, review instructional strategies, and figure out how students will comprehend their lessons.  Part of this professional development requires teachers to present their curriculum in a way that is culturally responsive and inclusive to special needs students and students who speak languages other than English.   Hawley said that the state’s math curricula “helps the students gain efficacy.”  “Teachers have bought into the belief that students are capable of leading class discussions,” she said, “and the teacher’s job is to clean up any loose ends and help make those final, long lasting mental connections.” Students and faculty often fill out surveys to see where their mathematics department can improve to help them succeed, and students are expected and encouraged to voice their opinions and ideas in the classroom.  It’s difficult to assess by statistics how much impact the new focus has had on test scores. Because there were no statewide tests administered in 2020 and because the 2021 testing had much lower participation rates, the state Department of Education has warned people that comparing scores from the last three years can’t be done in an apples-to-apples method. Hawley hopes the Knowledge Matters Campaign will help every student in Delaware  feel that there is a place in mathematics for them, both in their schooling and in their career path.  Jamila Riser, executive director at Delaware Mathematics Coalition, said that the schools in the state are very collaborative, which allows them to gauge and provide the highest quality materials for students. Riser said the system helps develop teachers and allows them to maximize the impact that their materials have on their students. Riser cites the Department of Education’s commitment to move forward with exceptional instructional materials and improved professional learning as a state, rather than focusing on a few districts, as to why Delaware was selected for the pilot tour.  “You can’t just adopt new materials and pretend that everybody’s vision is aligned with these high quality instructional materials,” she said. “Our coalition talked about what brand new teachers who are new to teaching a curriculum need.”  As needs become more clear, the state can provide materials to help solidify the vision of educational committees.  One of the Delaware Math Coalition’s main responsibilities is to map out the long-term vision for mathematics curricula, and provide intensive professional learning for teachers and coaches.  The real effect of the new materials will only translate to student success if the teacher’s use them in a meaningful way in the walls of the classroom, Riser said.  The Knowledge Matters Campaign is a project of StandardsWork, a nonprofit advocacy organization that focuses on identifying high-impact levers that produce academic improvements. Riser believes the Knowledge Matters Campaign will spread word of recent success the teachers and students of Delaware have experienced.  “Sometimes we are so in the thick of doing the work that we don’t pause and tell our success story,” Riser said.   

    ...
    Read More
  • Here’s how tech is being used to reduce the pain of Restore the Corridor
    Bluetooth system and traffic cameras around Wilmington used to monitor travel times. (Delaware Department of Transportation image)

    Small devices and a lot of technology are being used to ease travel when I-95 is redone through Wilmington. You can help, too.

    ...
    Read More
  • DSU’s Allen to Georgia law enforcement: ‘We will never be bullied’

    Delaware State University president Tony Allen has promised an investigation into an April 20 incident during which a bus carrying the school’s women’s lacrosse team was pulled over and searched while returning from a tournament in Florida.  DSU is a historically Black university in Dover. Approximately 70% of the student population is Black. According to The Hornet, DSU’s student newspaper, the contracted bus carrying the team was pulled over in Georgia after traveling in the fast lane of the highway, which buses are not allowed to do, officers said.  Officers then boarded the bus and told the student-athletes they would conduct a search of their luggage for narcotics.  “Why I’m coming on the bus right now is to tell you we’re gonna check y’all’s luggage,” an officer is recorded saying. “If there is anything in y’all’s luggage, we’re probably going to find it, OK? I’m not looking for a little bit of marijuana but I’m pretty sure you guys’s chaperones is going to be disappointed in you if we find any.” “You guys are on a lacrosse team, correct,” the officer asks the women. “If there is something in there that is questionable, please tell me now, um, because if we find it, we’re not going to be able to help you. You are in the state of Georgia. Marijuana is still illegal in the state of Georgia. Anything that you can put marijuana in, maybe a device that you smoke it, maybe something that you could weigh it – a set of scales or anything. If there’s nothing then I’m thankful. That’s going to make my job a lot easier to get this done.” Officers then asked the bus driver to open the luggage compartments. A K-9 unit was called in to perform a sniff search, according to The Hornet.  No narcotics were found. “To be clear, nothing illegal was discovered in this search, and all of our coaches and student-athletes comported themselves with dignity throughout a trying and humiliating process,” Allen said in a Facebook post Monday. “Our student-athletes, coaches, and the subcontracted bus driver are all safe.” Allen said he has reached out to Gov. John Carney, Attorney General Kathy Jennings, the state’s federal Congressional delegation and members of the Delaware Legislative Black Caucus. In a statement Monday, Carney said the video is “upsetting, concerning, and disappointing.’’ “Moments like these should be relegated to part of our country’s complicated history, but they continue to occur with sad regularity in communities across our country,” he said. “It’s especially hard when it impacts our own community.” Carney assured Allen his office “will do everything we can to assist the University with learning more about the incident and any appropriate next steps.” “I’m proud of our students for handling the experience with remarkable composure, though I’m sorry they were made to go through it at all,” Carney said. Along with the university’s legal counsel, Allen also reached out to Georgia law enforcement, he said.  He said he is now exploring all options available for recourse, “legal and otherwise.” “We do not intend to let this or any other incident like it pass idly by. We are prepared to go wherever the evidence leads us. We have video. We have allies. Perhaps more significantly, we have the courage of our convictions.” Allen said in the wake of bomb threats made against HSCUs in Jan. and Feb. 2022, it is clear that “personal nobility, individual virtue, and communal excellence do not exempt us from oppressive treatment.”  “However, as I said in January, we will never be bullied into believing anything other than what we are— Americans, learners, teachers, builders—useful and honorable people ready to soar,” he said. “I am proud of our student-athletes, their coaches, the athletic department leadership, and the reporters and staff of the University newspaper. Our mission is a critical one and is as much a part of the American story as any.” “Again, I say, “’We shall not be moved.’” Delaware LIVE News has not yet determined the agency involved in the stop and will update this story as it evolves.  Click here to read the entire statement from DSU president Tony Allen.

    ...
    Read More
  • DSU sets spring football schedule against UD, Howard and South Carolina State
    DSU players cheered in a Thursday meeting when their coach told them they may be able to play.

    Head Coach Rod Milstead said his Hornets were excited to play, no matter weather or COVID restrictions.

    ...
    Read More
  • Government |
  • Culture |
  • Business |
  • Education |
  • Health |
  • Police & Fire |
  • Sports |
  • Weekly Review |
Image

Follow Town Square Live

Copyright © 2021 Townsquare Live
Founded in 2011

Copyright © 2021 Town Square Live
 
  • Government |
  • Culture |
  • Business |
  • Education |
  • Health |
  • Police & Fire |
  • Sports |
  • Weekly Review |
Image

    • Government
    • Culture
    • Business
    • Education
    • Health
    • Police & Fire
    • Sports
    • Weekly Review
    • FEEDBACK