After a couple weeks of non-conference contests, the Henlopen Conference Northern Division teams start squaring off with each other tonight.

Here are our predictions for all this weekends Henlopen Conference and local college football games, which includes three North matchups.

Andy Walter, Delaware State News: 19-10
Tim Mastro, Delaware State News: 19-10
Ben Heck, Delaware State News: 21-8
Glenn Frazer, Radio 105.9-FM: 22-7
Zach Parnes, WBOC-TV: 18-11
Tonight’s games
High school
Games start at 7 p.m. unless noted.
Seaford (0-1) at St. Andrews (1-1), 4 p.m.
The Blue Jays have averaged 46.7 points in winning three in a row over St. Andrews.
AW: Seaford, 14-12; TM: Seaford, 20-12; BH: St A, 14-10; GF: St. A, 17-13; ZP: St. A, 34-18.
Sussex Central (2-0) at Smyrna (0-2)
The last two Henlopen Northern Division champions square off in their division opener.
AW: Central, 28-22; TM: Central, 21-16; BH: Central, 31-20; GF: Central, 28-22; ZP: Central, 30-20.
Polytech (1-1) at Caesar Rodney (0-2)
The Riders hope the start of their North slate is a chance for a fresh start to the season.
AW: CR, 35-6; TM: CR, 35-20; BH: CR, 17-10; GF: CR, 27-14; ZP: Poly, 20-17.
Cape Henlopen (0-2) at Milford (2-0)
The Buccaneers look to keep rolling as they make their return to the Henlopen North.
AW: Milford, 27-7; TM: Milford, 21-7; BH: Milford, 30-13; GF: Milford, 26-17; ZP: Milford, 42-13.
Northeast, Md. (1-1) at Dover (0-2)
Dover lost two games to top-notch foes but now hopes it can starting winning at home.
AW: Dover, 34-20; TM: Dover, 33-20; BH: Dover, 24-14; GF: Dover, 27-13; ZP: Dover, 21-20.
A.I. DuPont (1-1) at Indian River (0-2)
Being at home for IR sounds pretty good vs. an AI team making a two-hour road trip.
AW: IR, 8-6; TM: AI, 21-20; BH: AI, 40-7; GF: AI, 30-20; ZP: AI, 17-0.
Queen Anne’s, Md. (1-1) at Delmar (1-1), 7:30 p.m.
The Wildcats are looking to bounce back from last week’s tough loss to Parkside.
AW: Delmar, 18-13; TM: Delmar, 21-14; BH: Delmar, 27-17; GF: Delmar, 27-26; ZP: Delmar, 29-17.
Caravel (1-1) at Laurel (0-2), 7:30 p.m.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Bulldogs against a Cavarel squad that just beat CR.
AW: Caravel, 33-6; TM: Caravel, 38-6; BH: Caravel, 35-17; GF: Caravel, 32-18; ZP: Caravel, 27-14.
Saturday
Lake Forest (2-0) at Newark (0-2), 10:30 a.m.
Lake faces a Newark squad that is just a shadow of the one that once ruled Division I.
AW: Lake, 41-7; TM: Lake, 42-6; BH: Lake, 33-23; GF: Lake, 34-12; ZP: Lake, 21-20.
Sussex Tech (1-1) at William Penn (1-1), 1 p.m.
Interesting matchup between two teams both coming off their first wins of the season.
AW: Tech, 24-14; TM: Tech, 28-16; BH: Tech, 21-20; GF: Tech, 22-14; ZP: Tech, 24-9.
Woodbridge (2-0) at Wilmington Friends (2-0), 2 p.m.
Division II bragging rights are on the line in a rematch of last year’s state title game.
AW: Wood, 22-15; TM: Wood, 21-17; BH: Wood, 28-21; GF: Wood, 21-17; ZP: Wood, 28-7.
College
Wesley (2-0) at Endicott (2-0), noon
The Wolverines face a long busride to Mass. to take on a respected Endicott program.
AW: Wesley, 38-14; TM: Wesley, 33-13; BH: Wesley, 34-28; GF: Wesley, 29-16; ZP: Wesley, 35-18.
Pennsylvania (0-0) at Delaware (2-1), 1 p.m.
Blue Hens can’t get caught looking ahead to Pitt or behind to loss to North Dakota State.
AW: UD, 27-10; TM: UD, 35-17; BH: UD, 28-17; GF: UD, 31-17; ZP: UD, 24-13.
Howard (0-3) at Delaware State (1-1), 2 p.m.
The Hornets would love to celebrate homecoming with a MEAC win over the rival Bison.
AW: DSU, 31-14; TM: Howard, 28-21; BH: DSU, 31-14; GF: DSU, 30-28; ZP: DSU, 34-7.

DOVER – Maj. Gen. Michael Berry, Cabinet Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs, will keynote the sixth annual Friends of Delaware Veterans Dinner on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Rollins Center in the Dover Downs Hotel and Casino.

The annual black-tie optional fundraising dinner, hosted by the Friends of Delaware Veterans, is the primary event that benefits the Delaware Veterans Trust Fund. The affair will last from 6 until 9 p.m. and includes entertainment, a plated dinner and silent and live auctions. Tickets are $100 each or $1,000 for an 8-person sponsor table.

Under the auspices of the Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Trust Fund assists veterans residing in Delaware with emergency financial aid. Its one-time hand up grants have prevented cutoff of utilities, repossessions, made emergency repairs to homes and sometimes put food on the table.

The Friends’ board is comprised of 11 military veterans who work pro bono in collaboration with the Commission.

“We are honored to have Delaware’s top military leader as our guest,” said Dave Skocik, Friends president. “General Berry’s more than three decades of military service includes Afghanistan, where he was attached to the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He understands the challenges faced by those in uniform.”

Gen. Berry assumed his duties as Delaware’s Adjutant General on March 1, 2019. He is responsible for the mission readiness of all Delaware National Guard units, including more than 1,500 soldiers and 1,100 airmen for both federal and state missions.

His military career began in September 1988 when he enlisted in the Delaware Army National Guard under the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Simultaneous Membership Program. He received his commission through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at the University of Delaware in May 1989.

Gen. Berry earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from University of Delaware in 1989 and is a 1990 Delaware State Police graduate obtaining his Law Enforcement Certification. He is also a 2008 graduate of the United State Army War College, receiving his Masters in Strategic Studies.

He has served in numerous command positions, including 262nd Heavy Equipment Maintenance Company, 160th Engineer Company, Delaware Army National Guard Officer Candidate School, 193rd Regiment Regional Training Institute, 72ndTroop Command, Land Component Commander, as well as Director of Joint Staff and Special Assistant to the Adjutant General, Joint Force Headquarters, Delaware.

Visit www.DelawareVeteransTrustFund.com or call 302-257-3117 or email sherri.taylor@delaware.gov for information and reservations for the dinner.

Paul Palmisano of Felton took this photo at the edge of the woods on his property on Aug. 22.

To contribute your scenic photos of our area, email newsroom@newszap.com. Photos must be at least 200 dpi and include your name, where and when your photo was taken, where you live and your phone number. To see more Scenic Delaware photos, visit the Scenic Delaware section at DelawareStateNews.net.

FRANKFORD – A 62-year-old Seaford man on a bicycle on DuPont Boulevard Friday night died from injuries sustained when he was ejected from the bike, which was struck by a vehicle.

The crash occurred at about 8:55 p.m. Sept. 20, Delaware State Police spokeswoman Master Col. Melissa Jaffe said.

The bicyclist, identified by state police as Tony L. Townsend, was transported to Beebe Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead, Cpl. Jaffe said.

State police investigation determined Mr. Townsend was northbound on US 113 in the left lane just south of Hickory Street. The bicycle was struck from behind by a 2011 Ford Escape operated by a 24-year-old Seaford man, Cpl. Jaffe said. The Escape was northbound on US 113.

Cpl. Jaffe said investigation revealed the bicycle was not equipped with lights and the bicyclist was wearing dark clothing.

The driver of the Escape was properly restrained and was not injured.

Northbound DuPont Boulevard was closed for approximately 2 1/2 hours while the crash was investigated and cleared.

The crash remains under investigation by the Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit.

Christie Cole of Harrington took this picture on Aug. 29 of a lonely cornstalk in a field of soy beans on Gallo Road outside Harrington.

To contribute your scenic photos of our area, email newsroom@newszap.com. Photos must be at least 200 dpi and include your name, where and when your photo was taken, where you live and your phone number. To see more Scenic Delaware photos, visit the Scenic Delaware section at DelawareStateNews.net.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Sunday that he spoke to Ukraine’s new president about his summer election and the fact that “we don’t want our people, like Vice President Biden and his son” contributing to corruption already happening in the Eastern European nation.

Trump appeared to stop just short of acknowledging that he discussed potential Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden and Biden’s son, Hunter, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, during a July 25 telephone conversation that is now the basis of a whistleblower complaint against the president.

“The conversation I had was largely congratulatory, was largely corruption, all of the corruption taking place,” Trump said before departing on a trip to Texas and Ohio. “Was largely the fact that we don’t want our people, like Vice President Biden and his son, creating to the corruption already in the Ukraine.”

“Ukraine’s got a lot of problems,” he added. “The new president is saying that he’s going to be able to rid the country of corruption and I said that would be a great thing. We had a great conversation. We had a conversation on many things.”

A person familiar with the matter has told The Associated Press that Trump urged Zelenskiy to investigate Hunter Biden, who worked for a Ukrainian gas company. The person wasn’t authorized to discuss the issue publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump insisted anew Sunday that he said “absolutely nothing wrong” to Zelenskiy, describing the conversation as “absolutely a 10” and “perfect.” He did not answer directly when asked if he would release a transcript of the conversation to the public.

The president also seemed to suggest that his assurances that he behaved appropriately during the call should be enough to satisfy critics.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request to clarify the president’s comments referencing the Bidens.

After arriving in Texas , Trump told reporters he will look into releasing details or a transcript of the call, but stressed that foreign leaders don’t want things like that to be made public and that they should feel free to speak frankly with a U.S. president without concerns about later disclosure. Trump said that if Ukraine released its own transcript, it would be same as his version of the call.

Trump and Zelenskiy plan to meet on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly later this week.

The president has described the whistleblower as a “partisan” but has acknowledged not knowing the identity of the intelligence official who lodged a formal complaint against him with the inspector general for the intelligence community.

The complaint was based on a series of events, including the July 25 call between Trump and Zelenskiy, according to two people familiar with the matter. They were not authorized to discuss the issue by name and were granted anonymity.

According to one of the people, who was briefed on the call, Trump urged Zelenskiy to probe the activities of Hunter Biden. Trump did not raise the issue of U.S. aid to Ukraine, indicating there was not an explicit quid pro quo, according to the person.

Biden said in Iowa on Saturday that “Trump deserves to be investigated” for “trying to intimidate a foreign leader, if that’s what happened.” Biden said Trump was motivated by politics “because he knows I’ll beat him like a drum.”

There has been no evidence yet of wrongdoing by Biden or Hunter Biden regarding Ukraine.

Michael Atkinson, the U.S. government’s intelligence inspector general, has described the whistleblower’s Aug. 12 complaint as “serious” and “urgent,” but he has not been allowed to turn over the complaint to Congress, a move that he created a fresh clash between the government’s executive and legislative branches.

It also has raised questions about whether Joseph Maguire, the acting director of national intelligence and Atkinson’s superior, is working with the Justice Department to protect the president.

Maguire has refused to discuss details of the whistleblower complaint, but he has been subpoenaed by Schiff’s committee and is expected to testify publicly on Thursday. Maguire and Atkinson also are expected to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee this week.

Democrats say the administration is legally required to give Congress access to the complaint. The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., has said he will go to court in an effort to get it if necessary.

Schiff argued Sunday that Trump is pushing Democrats closer to seeking his removal from office if the newest allegations are proven.
“After having sought foreign assistance and welcomed foreign assistance in the last presidential campaign as a candidate, he is now doing the same thing again, but now using the power of the presidency, then he may force us to go down this road,” Schiff said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Schiff said he’s spoken with a number of colleagues, who agree the actions Trump allegedly committed seem “different in kind.”
“And we may very well have crossed the Rubicon here,” he said.

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s president called Sunday on Western powers to leave the security of the Persian Gulf to regional nations led by Tehran, criticizing a new U.S.-led coalition patrolling the region’s waterways as nationwide parades showcased the Islamic Republic’s military arsenal.

Hassan Rouhani separately promised to unveil a regional peace plan at this week’s upcoming high-level meetings at the United Nations, which comes amid heightened Mideast tensions following a series of attacks, including a missile-and-drone assault on Saudi Arabia’s oil industry.

The U.S. alleges Iran carried out the Sept. 14 attack on the world’s largest oil processor in the kingdom and an oil field, which caused oil prices to spike by the biggest percentage since the 1991 Gulf War. While Yemen’s Iranian-allied Houthi rebels claimed the assault, Saudi Arabia says it was “unquestionably sponsored by Iran.”

For its part, Iran denies being responsible and has warned any retaliatory attack targeting it will result in an “all-out war.” That’s as it has begun enriching uranium beyond the terms of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from over a year earlier.

Rouhani spoke from a riser at the parade in Tehran, with uniformed officers from the country’s military and its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard beside him. The cleric later watched as marching soldiers carrying submachine guns and portable missile launchers drove past as part of “Holy Defense Week,” which marks the start of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980.

Rouhani said Iran was willing to “extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood” to Persian Gulf nations and was “even ready to forgive their past mistakes.”

“Those who want to link the region’s incidents to the Islamic Republic of Iran are lying like their past lies that have been revealed,” the president said. “If they are truthful and really seek security in the region, they must not send weapons, fighter jets, bombs and dangerous arms to the region.”

Rouhani added that the U.S. and Western nations should “distance” themselves from the region.

“Your presence has always been a calamity for this region and the farther you go from our region and our nations, the more security would come for our region,” he said.

He said Iran’s plan would focus on providing security in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman “with help from regional countries.” Iran has boosted its naval cooperation with China, India, Oman, Pakistan, and Russia in recent years.

The U.S. maintains defense agreements across the Persian Gulf with allied Arab nations and has tens of thousands of troops stationed in the region. Since 1980, it has viewed the region as crucial to its national security, given its energy exports. A fifth of all oil traded passes through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf. The U.S. plans to send additional troops to the region over the tensions.

The parades and maneuvers Sunday appeared aimed at projecting Iranian strength with naval vessels, submarines and armed speedboats swarmed across the Persian Gulf and troops showed off land-to-sea missiles capable of targeting the U.S. Navy. Commandos fast-roped down onto the deck of a ship, resembling Iran’s July seizure of a British-flagged oil tanker.

Iranian ship seizures, as well as oil tanker explosions that the U.S. blames on Iran, saw America create a new coalition to protect Mideast waters. So far, Australia, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to join it.

Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani called the U.S-led coalition a “a new means for plundering the region,” according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

“We regard the emergence of such coalitions as the start of a new game to make the region insecure,” Larijani said, according to Tasnim.

Iran separately displayed its Khordad-3 surface-to-air missile that downed a U.S. military surveillance drone in the Strait of Hormuz in June.

Sunday also marked the one-year anniversary of an attack on a military parade in Ahvaz that killed 25 people. Both separatists and the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the assault, while Iran blamed Saudi Arabia and the UAE for allegedly supporting the attackers. Both nations denied the claim, though a propaganda video published by a semi-official news agency in Iran close to the Guard later circulated threatening them with missile attacks.

FRANKFORD — Delaware State Police on Sunday identified the bicyclist who died in a crash Friday night in Frankford as 62-year-old Tony L. Townsend of Seaford.

Police said Mr. Townsend was riding a bicycle on DuPont Boulevard when he was ejected from the bike, which was struck by a vehicle.

The crash occurred at about 8:55 p.m., Delaware State Police spokeswoman Master Col. Melissa Jaffe said. Police said the cyclist was northbound on US 113 just south of Hickory Street when he was struck from behind by a 2011 Ford Escape driven by a 24-year-old Seaford man.

Cpl. Jaffe said investigation revealed the bicycle was not equipped with lights and the bicyclist was wearing dark clothing.
The bicyclist was transported to Beebe Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead, Cpl. Jaffe said.

The driver of the Escape was properly restrained and was not injured.

Wesley College scored a goal in each half before blanking Goucher, 2-0, in men’s soccer on Sunday evening.

Luis Cruz netted a goal in the 19th minute while Justin John-Langba scored in the 81st minute for the Wolverines (5-4-1).

Goalie Jason Sommer made three saves in earning the shutout. Wesley finished with advantages of 14-7 in shots and 7-3 in corner kicks.

WOMEN, Delaware 2, Seton Hall 1: Dani Kabat fired home the game-winning goal with just over 35 seconds left in double overtime to give the Blue Hens (5-4) the win.

It was the first goal of the season for the senior and third game-winning goal of her career. Sophomore Sara D’Appolonia scored Delaware’s other goal.

Offensively, Delaware dominated possession and fired off a near school-record 34 shots. It’s the third highest total in school history and most since 1993.

With 13 goals on the year, Delaware has now scored more goals this year than it did in all of 2018.

College football

NJAC honors pair of Wolverines: Wesley College defensive end Shymere Vessels (Woodbridge) and kicker Nick Bruhn both earned New Jersey Athletic Conference weekly football awards on Sunday.

Vessels becomes the second different Wolverine to earn NJAC Defensive Player of the Week honors after helping Wesley remain unbeaten with a 20-17 come-from-behind road win at Endicott. He finished with a team-high 12 tackles, including seven solo stops.

He also registered 4.0 tackles for a loss in a defensive effort which saw Endicott held to just 68 yards of offense in the second half.

Bruhn earned NJAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He connected on a 23-yard field goal with just 4:20 remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 17-17 before booting the game-winning 27-yard field goal with just two seconds remaining in
regulation.

Wesley, which has an open date this weekend, moved up one spot to No. 14 in Sunday’s D3football.com poll.

MILFORD — It may surprise some Kent County residents to know that the biosolids created from the wastewater flushed down their drains and toilets actually has a brand name: Kentorganite.

Currently, much of the wastewater in the county is funneled to the Kent County Regional Resource Recovery Facility in Milford. From there it runs through screening, aeration basins, clarifiers, a sand filter and disinfection via ultraviolet light. The process eventually separates liquids from solids, returning clean water to the nearby Murderkill River. As for the solids, they’re treated with lime to kill pathogens and distributed to local farmers as Kentorganite.

Farmers have used this product for over 20 years as an additive to their fertilizer programs on their fields.

Following a $24 million nutrient removal and capacity expansion at the plant several years ago, it’s come time to upgrade the aging equipment and process by which Kentorganite is produced, says Kent County Public Works director Diana Golt.

The 2016 upgrade enabled the plant to process up to 20 million gallons of wastewater per day. Though it has yet to consistently reach that marker in actual flow, the biosolid treatment program must be enhanced to keep up with expected growth in the county, says Ms. Golt.

Kent County Levy Court voted unanimously last Tuesday night to allow the public works department to continue a study into what the best future biosolid treatment method would be.

The public works department is weighing several options they say will prepare the plant for the future while providing some efficiencies. The project will cost an estimated $20 million. No timeline has been established because it remains in the research phase.

Financing for the project will likely be obtained through a mix of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) funding along with capital improvement fees collected from new users of the county’s wastewater system.

Rummel, Klepper & Kahl — a construction management/inspection firm — started work in April examining available technologies to see which changes would best fit the county’s needs. Their preliminary work has indicated that the existing drying equipment is aging and its capacity is undersized for the biosolids processing needs.

They’ve suggested adding new screening equipment and replacing “dewatering” and drying equipment. They’ve focused both on selecting the appropriate equipment to reduce annual operation costs while maintaining an end product that’s usable by farmers.

One of the biggest proposed changes is not using lime, but instead using heat and the drying process to kill pathogens, says Ms. Golt.

That would alter the product in two important ways: less volume and a higher nutrient content.

In a survey of about 30 farmers (the majority of current Kentorganite users), most were interested in a dryer product (without lime) that contained a higher nutrient value and said they’d be willing to pay for the new product. They preferred bigger pellet-like dried samples because they could spread it themselves, as opposed to using the single county-owned spreader.

Ms. Golt also noted that upgrades to the current process could help save significant costs in terms of more energy efficient equipment and eliminating the need for lime. Currently the county spends about $180,000 per year on lime, she added.

Typically, fall brings lower gasoline demand which usually pushes prices at the pumps down.

However, in the wake of attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia last weekend, gasoline prices at the pump in Delaware and across the nation are on the rise.

The average cost of a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline in Delaware on Friday was $2.493 per gallon. Nationally, the average was $2.669 per gallon, an increase of 10 cents since Sept. 16.

•Yesterday it was $2.55 in Harrington & $2.49 in Milford. — Sue Ryan

•It could be worse you could live in ny 2.75 for regular in ny — Brian Michael

•Wages are higher though — Tyler Mock

•Delaware gouging gas prices even though we don’t depend on the saudis for oil anymore — Willy Beal

•Oil is sold on the world market. Blame capitalism and the stock market for the increase in oil prices, not Delaware. — Dale Lambert

•No new refineries — AB Dorsey

•Don’t be dumb and blame capitalism and the stock market. It went up because Iran bombed Saudi oil fields.

•That’s as dumb as blaming guns for a shooting. You must be a leftist. — Ryan Fenimore

•It’s a scam as usual. The US is now the largest petroleum producer in the world thanks to fracking and the Permian basin. — Jim Sawchak

•Due to the bombing of the Saudi Oil facility. Has effect on global markets based on speculation of supply and demand — Richard Miller

•The Saudi’s have already stated that they will be back to full production with 30 days of the attack, 50% of which has already come back online. Does anyone keep up with the real news anymore? — Shawn Knox

•What’s the point in complaining about gas prices anyways? Want to do something about maybe consider mass transit or a bicycle. It sucks, but we still buy regardless.— James Daniel Bennett III

•Already on the way down — Douglas Paul

•Yup, gonna keep going up thanks to Trump threatening Iran — Melissa Epperly

•The answer few want to talk about is getting away from our reliance on fossil fuels, and moving very quickly towards 100% reliance on renewable, clean energy.

— Eric Morrison for State Representative

•Has gas ever been above $3.00 a gallon since Trump took office?? Yet Osama pillaged the American people and allowed the Arabs to rape us with high oil prices. To hell with democrats… TRUMP TRAIN!!! — Eric Fibelkorn

This is your public forum. We welcome your opinions, which can be emailed to newsroom@newszap.com or posted online under the stories at www.DelawareStateNews.net.

Consumers don’t seem to mind paying sales taxes on things like food and clothing. Marijuana may be a different story.

As marijuana taxes are imposed in more states, many recreational marijuana users might cross interstate borders to avoid them or even hoard stocks of weed in anticipation of them. If state governments don’t adjust to such behavior, it will reduce revenue and most likely increase overall marijuana consumption.

Not many states have studied the implications of pot taxes on consumer behavior. Sowedid.

I’m a Ph.D. student of public policy, and my colleagues and I studied data from marijuana users in Oregon.

We wanted to see what the economic consequences of marijuana taxes are on this billion-dollar industry. Also, we wanted to help local governments to understand them – at a time when states are increasingly relying on these new sources of revenue to pay for education, health and law enforcement.

Changing consumer behavior

Although marijuana is considered a Schedule I controlled substance by the U.S. government, meaning the drug has a high potential for abuse and is illegal to possess, 10 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the possession or sale of recreational marijuana.

As of 2019, 33 states have permitted medical marijuana or decriminalized marijuana possession, and most Americans support legalization.

Each state with a legalized market has imposed a tax on marijuana transactions. Starting on Jan. 4, 2016, Oregon officials levied a 25% tax on recreational marijuana, which generated US$60.2 million in tax revenue that year alone.

Research suggests that taxes —– particularly taxes on substances or activities considered harmful, such as gambling, alcoholic beverages or sugary soft drinks — alter consumer behavior.

If consumers foresee tax changes, they may purchase and store large quantities before implementation of a tax. This may lower overall revenue raised by the product temporarily until consumers use their stores.

Cross-border purchasing is likely to be a more permanent issue regarding marijuana taxation, especially in states like Oregon, where large population centers are located near borders of other states that have also legalized marijuana sales – making it easy to avoid taxes with a quick road trip.

Many people shifted to untaxed medical marijuana immediately after marijuana legalization passed in Oregon as you can see by the rise of medical marijuana applications post-taxation. Medical marijuana patients may also buy untaxed marijuana for friends and family, further cutting into the revenue raised.

What comes next

So what can public officials do?

One solution is to coordinate tax rates across states to avoid cross-border purchasing.

Our study also suggests that health officials need to work around medical marijuana users who circumvent taxes faced by recreational users. Connecting dispensaries electronically and making the purchasing cards computer-readable to keep track of marijuana sales could help cut down on this practice.

Muhammad Salar Khan is a Ph.D. student at George Mason University.

DOVER — If you’ve driven past the Indian River Inlet Bridge or through one of the three main Del. 1 toll plazas recently, you’ve
probably noticed something different. Specifically, you’ve probably noticed the bridge and the plazas are lit up purple.

No, it’s not aliens, a fancy new color scheme or an attempt at Christmas lights out of season: The purple lights are to recognize National Recovery Month. This September marks the 30th anniversary of National Recovery Month, which is sponsored by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

“As a state agency, there is nothing more important we do than to connect someone in crisis to the care that they need,” Kara Odom
Walker, secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services, said in a statement. “If you or someone you care for is struggling with addiction in Delaware, reach out for help.

“Any moment is the right moment to begin your journey to recovery. We can help. Call one of our Crisis Intervention Hotlines 24/7. In northern Delaware, call 800-652-2929. In Southern Delaware the number is 800-345-6785.”

What about some other times Delaware landmarks have been lit up?

To name a few, Legislative Hall is often illuminated at night in different colors, such as teal for ovarian cancer, from a spotlight, while Woodburn, the governor’s mansion, has been lit up in the past as well.

Georgetown often illuminates its buildings on The Circle for special holidays and awareness campaigns, and Seaford puts colored lights on its fountain at Gateway Park.

Outside government, Dover Downs has been known to adopt a different color of sorts at times, lighting up blue in April for autism awareness and pink in October for breast cancer, to name two. Its neighbor Dover International Speedway participates as well, lighting up the Monster Monument at Victory Plaza. Last year alone saw Miles the Monster don shades of teal, blue and purple (for pancreatic cancer).

Lighting up buildings is nothing new or unique to Delaware, of course. The practice has involved some of the most famous structures in the world, such as the Empire State Building and the White House, and causes ranging from cancer awareness to LGBT rights.

Stephanie Seeman of Dover captured this sunset image from the boat launch at Little Creek on Aug. 9.

To contribute your scenic photos of our area, email newsroom@newszap.com. Photos must be at least 200 dpi and include your name, where and when your photo was taken, where you live and your phone number. To see more Scenic Delaware photos, visit the Scenic Delaware section at DelawareStateNews.net.

The Ladybug Music Festival was rockin’ and rollin’ in downtown Milford Saturday for the second year in a row.

Around 40 woman-fronted performance groups showed off their talent from stages along Walnut Street and other nearby businesses.

The Ladybug Music Festival began in Wilmington and branched out to Milford as its second location last year after years of success upstate.

The Harrington Public Library invites teenagers in the area to attend a meeting just for them Thursday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m.

Teens in attendance will weigh in on what types of materials and programs they want to see in their local library. Refreshments will be served.

This could be a good opportunity for volunteer service for those interested. The Harrington Public Library is located at 110 E. Center Street in Harrington, Delaware, 19952.

WASHINGTON — In 2014, then-Vice President Joe Biden was at the forefront of American diplomatic efforts to support Ukraine’s fragile democratic government as it sought to fend off Russian aggression and root out corruption. So it raised eyebrows when Biden’s son Hunter was hired by a Ukrainian gas company.

The Obama White House said at the time that there was no conflict because the younger Biden was a private citizen. And there’s been no evidence of wrongdoing by either Biden.

Yet the matter is back in the spotlight following revelations that President Donald Trump prodded Ukraine’s president to help him investigate any corruption related to Joe Biden, now one of the top Democrats seeking to defeat Trump in 2020. Trump’s private lawyer Rudy Giuliani has also publicly urged Ukrainian officials to investigate the Bidens.

Hunter Biden was named a paid board member of Burisma Holdings in April 2014. The company’s founder was a political ally of Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine’s Russia-friendly president, who was driven out in February 2014 by mass protests.

Yanukovych’s ouster prompted the Obama administration to move quickly to deepen ties with Ukraine’s new government. Joe Biden played a leading role, traveling to Ukraine and speaking frequently with its new Western-friendly president.

The younger Biden’s business role raised concerns among anticorruption advocates that Burisma was seeking to gain influence with the Obama administration. At the time, the company ran a natural gas extraction operation in Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia after Yanukovych was pushed from power.

Hunter Biden has denied using his influence with his father to aid Burisma. He remained on the board through early 2019, often appearing at energy-related conferences abroad representing Burisma’s interests.

On Saturday, the former vice president said he never speaks to his son about his overseas business dealings.

The matter, however, has continued to be questioned by Trump and his allies. They’ve pointed in particular to Biden’s move in March 2016 to pressure the Ukrainian government to fire its top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, who had previously led an investigation into Burisma’s owner.

Biden was representing the official position of the U.S. government, a position that was also supported by other Western governments and many in Ukraine, who accused Shokin of being soft on corruption.

Corruption has continued to fester in Ukraine. In May, the country’s new president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, came into office with no political experience but with bold promises to put an end to the corrupt practices.

Around this time, Giuliani began reaching out to Zelenskiy and his aides to press for a government investigation into Burisma and Hunter Biden’s role with the company.

In a Fox News interview on May 19, Trump claimed the former Ukrainian prosecutor “was after” Joe Biden’s son and that was why the former vice president demanded he be fired. There is no evidence of this.

Ukraine’s current prosecutor, Yuriy Lutsenko, was quoted by Bloomberg News in May as saying he had no evidence of wrongdoing by Biden or his son. Bloomberg also reported that the investigation into Burisma was dormant at the time Biden pressed for Shokhin’s ouster.

The Delaware State News will feature a high school Athlete of the Week each week during the 2019-2020 school year.

The Athlete of the Week will be nominated and chosen by our readers. The nominating period will start at 2 p.m. on Friday and end at noon on Monday. A voting period will follow from 5 p.m. Monday through 5 p.m. Wednesday.

This process will be performed exclusively online. When nominating an athlete, please include name, school and sport as well as a photo and brief description of why he or she deserves that week’s honor.

All nominations must be high school varsity athletes and come from high schools within Kent or Sussex counties.

The winner will appear in print and online each Friday.

The Week 3 Athlete of the Week nominations are in. To vote, go to this link online and cast your vote for one of the four nominees listed below.

Superia Clark — Field hockey — sophomore — Dover

The Dover High sophomore scored three goals (hat trick) in a win over Ursuline Academy and added another goal in a 5-1 win over Milford High.

Manny Kennedy — Football — senior — Caesar Rodney

The Caesar Rodney fullback rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries to help lead the Riders to a 32-6 win over Polytech Friday night.

Agi Pacheco — Soccer — junior — Greenwood Mennonite School

Pacheco became the sixth player in school history to have 25 or more career assists. He has 14 goals and seven assists through five games on the season.

Vonnie Peace — Football — senior — Dover

Peace scored four first-half touchdowns for the Senators in a 57-0 win over North East (Md.). He scored on runs of nine, 23, 43 and 73 yards in the team’s first win.

DOVER — Two men were in stable condition after a Sunday night shooting in Dover Park, spokesman Master Cpl. Mark Hoffman said.

Officers were called to the scene at 1200 White Oak Road for a shots fired report at approximately 6:47 p.m. Police located a 19-year-old man with a wound to his leg. EMS transported the man to Bayhealth-Kent General Hospital in Dover.

A 20-year-old man who was injured in the arm and hip arrived at the hospital in a private vehicle, police said.
Investigation determined that the shots were possibly fired from a moving vehicle that fled the park following the discharge, police said.

Authorities asked anyone with information to contact Dover PD at 736-7130. Callers may remain anonymous.

Tips may also be submitted to law enforcement through Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-3333 or online at delawarecrimestoppers.com; a cash reward of up to $1,000 is possible for information leading to an arrest.

LONG NECK — Investigation continues into last month’s fire that left three children dead at a home in Pot-Nets Bayside, authorities said Monday.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal and Delaware State Police are examining the Aug. 7 blaze, which is standard policy when a death is involved, Three children under the age 5 were found dead and another child was safely removed from the home by a parent.

“The case will be thoroughly investigated and a cause and origin will be released only after all facts of the case are revealed,” Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael G. Chionchio said.

“We will release the origin and cause of the fire once developed. All cases are important and worked in the same manner.”

First responders were initially called to the scene on Scarp Street at 2:32 p.m. Upon arrival a fire that had engulfed the rear part of the home was quickly extinguished, authorities said. Three children were found dead at the back of the home.

The surviving child, also under age 5, received a medical evaluation at Beebe Medical Center and was treated and released.
Reach staff writer Craig Anderson at 741-8296 or canderson@newszap.com.