By Carlos Holmes

Every year in February, the natural approach to Black History Month is to highlight the African American stories and accomplishments of national importance — giants of the past and present who are renowned from the East to the West Coast.

While such figures as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Langston Hughes, Thurgood Marshall and the like are certainly worthy of regular attention and celebration, Delaware has its own list of African Americans who have their own stories and achievements that should never be forgotten.

Here are some of the Delaware Black History African Americans of note:

• Anthony Swart, the first African documented in this area circa 1639 when it was known as New Sweden. While there were probably African contemporaries, Anthony was the only one of that time mentioned in any colonist journals that have survived. As a slave, he was part of the labor force to develop Fort Christina. He was later freed and then was employed by New Sweden Gov. Johan Printz for 10 years. What became of Anthony after that is unknown.

• Samuel Burris (1813-1863), a free black from Willow Grove, who helped escaping slaves as a conductor on the Delaware route of the Underground Railroad in the 1830s and 1840s. Caught assisting in the escape of a slave in 1847, he was arrested, convicted and sentenced to be sold into slavery. However, an abolitionist posing as a slave owner purchased him and released him in Philadelphia.

• Edwina Kruse (1848-1930), the earliest black education leader in Delaware. Ms. Kruse served as the principal of Howard High School in Wilmington for 44 years. From 1891 to the early 1920s, Howard H.S. was the only high school that blacks could attend in the state. She established a teacher education program there, founded a Girls Industrial School, and was one of the co-founders of the NAACP chapter in Wilmington.

• Alice Dunbar Nelson (1875-1935), a renowned author of poetry and short stories, who was married to the famed poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar. However, after that marriage ended violently, she moved to Wilmington in 1902 and became the head of Howard High’s English Department. Considered a part of the Harlem Renaissance, she continued writing, and also served as a co-editor of the Wilmington Advocate, a progressive black newspaper, the AME Review, and published a literary anthology, The Dunbar Speaker and Entertainer. She taught summer sessions at the State College for Colored Students (now Delaware State University), and was an activist in the suffrage and anti-lynching movements.

• Louis L. Redding (1901-1998), the first African-American to practice law in Delaware. His legal victory in the 1950 Parker vs. University of Delaware was the first case in the country in which a court forced an institution of higher education to enroll blacks. He subsequently won two desegregation cases in New Castle County, the appeals of which were included in the landmark 1953 U.S. Supreme Court case, Brown vs. Board of Education, and landed Redding on the winning legal team headed by Thurgood Marshall. He later returned to the nation’s high court in 1961 to successful argue against segregation in public accommodation in Burton vs. Wilmington Parking Authority.

• Jane Mitchell (1921-2004), the first African-American to work as a registered nurse in a Delaware hospital. After breaking that color line in 1948 at the Gov. Bacon Health Clinic in Delaware City, Ms. Mitchell worked at the Delaware Psychiatric Hospital, where she became the first black director of nursing in the state. She also became the first African-American to serve as a member of the Delaware State Board of Nursing.

• Littleton Mitchell (1918-2009), a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen during World War II and the husband of the aforementioned Jane Mitchell. He was best known as the 30-year president of the state NAACP (1961-1991) and he established a reputation as ferocious fighter for civil rights in the First State, which included the areas of housing, public accommodations, education and voting rights.

• In the elected arena, the following were Delaware African-American firsts: George C. Wright, mayor (1981-1995, Smyrna); William Winchester, state legislator, House of Representatives (1950-1952); Herman M. Holloway Sr., first state senator (1963-1994); Lisa Blunt Rochester, member of Congress (2016-present).

• As the First State’s only Historically Black institution of Higher Education, Delaware State University is a significant part of the African-American story in this state. As such, Dr. William C. Jason, president of the then-State College for Colored Students from 1895-1923, and Dr. Jerome Holland, president of then-Delaware State College, both should be considered Black History figures. The leadership of both men contributed greatly to the continuance of the institution during some of its most difficult years.

Much more could be told of the stories of the Delaware African Americans highlighted above, and many more could be added to the list of blacks to be celebrated and from whom to learn. Such is the challenge to identify them and to educate ourselves and others about their lives during the current Black History Month and the annual ones to come.

Carlos Holmes is the director of News Services for Delaware State University and that institution’s foremost expert on its 129-year history. He is also a former writer and editor for the Delaware State News.

Sussex Tech High out-scored Dover by 13 points over the last three quarters to knock off the Senators, 68-57, in Henlopen North boys’ basketball on Tuesday night.

The loss snapped a 26-game North winning streak for Dover (12-1 North, 16-2 overall). It was also just the second loss to an in-state team in the last two seasons for Dover, which is 40-3 in that stretch.

Dover led 24-22 after the first quarter but was limited to 33 points the rest of the game. The 57-point total was the second-lowest of the season for the Senators.

The Ravens, who lost to Dover by 38 points on Jan. 21, improved to 9-4 in the North, 11-7 overall.

Woodbridge 68, Seaford 51: The Blue Raiders opened up a 35-22 halftime advantage before posting the South victory.

Kaheim Kimbrough-Roach (20), Ricky Kane (17) and Deronn Kane (11) all scored in double figures for Woodbridge.

The Blue Jays were led by Tyrese Fortune with 14 and Brent Ricketts with 13.

Laurel 91, Indian River 60: The Bulldogs won their 14th game in a row to improve to 16-2.

Lake Forest ECHS@DSU 59: The Spartans shook off a six-point halftime deficit to pick up the South victory.

Delmar 70, Sussex Academy 41: The Wildcats earned a South win over the Seahawks.

Archmere 61, First State Military 33: The Auks built a 46-21 lead after three quarters before posting the Diamond State Conference win.

Jasiah Brooks netted 17 points for the Bulldogs.

Girls’ basketball

Polytech 44, Sussex Central 39: The Panthers out-scored the Golden Knights, 10-2, in the fourth quarter to rally for the North win.

Jazmin Kellam tallied a game-high 18 points for Polytech with Yaa Yaa Afriyie adding 14. The Panthers (11-7) have won six of their last seven games.

Central’s Ja’Marah Hopkins had 11 points while Tameeyah Bowden scored 10.

Sussex Tech 49, Dover 47: The Ravens used a 14-9 third-quarter run to take the lead before edging the Senators.

Ciara Wilson netted 19 points with Daniya Dashiell adding 12.

Tamyah Jones scored a game-high 23 points for the Senators while Z’Naiya Robinson had 12.

Caesar Rodney 64, Smyrna 7: Teri Bell netted 14 points and nine rebounds as the Riders (13-5) won their sixth game in a row.

Lillian Ayers added 12 points and four assists for CR, which led 31-4 at halftime.

Cape Henlopen 67, Milford 22: The Vikings netted 18 unanswered first-quarter points before remaining unbeaten in the North.

Laurel 43, Indian River 23: The Bulldogs downed the Indians in a South matchup.

Sussex Academy 28, Delmar 24: The Seahawks topped the Wildcats in a South matchup.

College football

Hens hire veteran OL coach: Delaware football coach Danny Rocco has hired former long-time Virginia Tech assistant Bryan Stinespring as the Blue Hens’ assistant head coach and offensive line coach.

The majority of Stinespring’s career has been at spent at Virginia Tech, where he spent 26 seasons, including 12 of which he served as the Hokies’ offensive coordinator. Seven of those 12 seasons, the Hokies ranked in the top-25 in the country in either rushing or scoring offense.

“I’ve known Bryan since my time at the University of Virginia,” said Rocco. “Bryan is a highly-respected and experienced coach and recruiter. We’re excited to welcome him to our staff.”.

“I’m extremely excited to be a part of a highly respected university, an outstanding football program and a tremendous staff,” Stinespring said in a press release. “I have great respect for all those involved in building this program and look forward to working along side such an accomplished group of people.”

Most recently, the 56-year-old Stinespring worked as an assistant at both Old Dominion and Maryland. He also has two years of experience in the CAA, spending the 2016 and 2017 seasons at JMU as the offensive line coach, tight ends coach and running game coordinator.

With the addition of Stinespring, Bill Polin will now shift back to coaching Delaware’s tight ends, while Greg Meyer moves to handling the Hens’ running game.

Delaware had a staff opening after veteran coach Bill Cubit stepped down after one season as an assistant at his alma mater.

College softball

Lake Forest grad honored: Delaware sophomore first baseman Brooke Glanden (Lake Forest) was named CAA Softball Player of the Week while freshman righthander Emily Winburn earned CAA Rookie of the Week honors on Tuesday.

Glanden batted .500 while leading the Blue Hens with seven hits and ranking second with six RBI during Delaware’s 4-1 weekend at the FGCU Kickoff Classic. Winburn went 1-0 with two saves and a 1.83 ERA while making four appearances in the circle at the tournament.

College basketball

WOMEN, Wesley 67, Valley Forge 43: Angelique Gathers collected 21 points and 12 rebounds as the Wolverines (6-15) snapped a nine-game losing streak.

Shervohnia Tolson added 12 points and 11 rebounds with Jourdyn Beverly contributing 14 points and seven rebounds. Wesley led 61-27 after three quarters.

CAMDEN — Like a lot of people, Dwayne Lavender found it difficult to imagine Darrell Gravatt ever retiring as a soccer coach.

But when Gravatt did step down last month after 22 seasons as Caesar Rodney High’s girls’ coach, Lavender knew he wanted a shot at the job.

Caesar Rodney agreed, recently hiring the 38-year-old assistant as the Riders’ new head coach.

After 12 girls’ seasons with Gravatt — plus eight with CR’s boys’ program — Lavender said he’s looking forward to the challenge.

“Caesar Rodney soccer has been Darrell Gravatt for a very, very long time,” said Lavender. “So I think there was that bit of uncertainty.

“But it’s nice because I’ve been with Coach for 12 years. I have a great relationship with the current girls in the program. We had already talked about how the pieces were going to fit. Even though it was a bit of a surprise at first that he was stepping down, I knew that it was coming soon.

“I’m always prepared. It’s been pretty seamless actually.”

The first day of practice for spring sports is on March 2. The Riders are slated to open the season on March 24 at Lake Forest.

A former player at Glasgow High and Wesley College, Lavender is a physical education/health teacher at CR’s Fifer Middle School. He’s lived in Delaware all his life and played for his share of longtime coaches like Bob Bussiere, Steve Clark and Paul Booton.

Lavender started his coaching career as an assistant at Dover High under Booton. He’s also coached in high-level travel programs.

“I knew that my time would come,” said Lavender. “I didn’t mind paying my dues and learning from Paul Booton and from Darrell Gravatt — two great high school coaches — on how to run a program.”

Replacing Gravatt, Lavender knows he has some big shoes to fill. The Riders reached the DIAA Division I girls’ state finals seven times under Gravatt and won the Henlopen Conference title all but once.

CR went 14-4, won the conference and reached the state semifinals last spring.

“It’s an excellent program steeped in tradition coached by a great high school coach — one that I got to study under,” said Lavender. “We’re trying to keep the bar where it is and continue the excellence of the program.”

CAMDEN — Olumuyiwa “Moo” Salako had the ball in his hands, five seconds left on the clock and his Smyrna High team down by a point.

He took a quick look around and realized all of his teammates were covered.

So Salako only had one option.

“I was just looking for the best shot,” he said. “I turned around and knew the only way I could get it was to get to the rim.”

Salako’s putback off his own miss beat the buzzer to give Smyrna a 58-57 victory at Caesar Rodney High in a thrilling Henlopen Conference Northern Division boys’ basketball contest on Tuesday night. It moved the Eagles to 14-4 overall (11-2 Henlopen North).

Smyrna was inbounding the ball under its own basket with 5.4 seconds remaining after the Riders had taken the lead.

Coach Andrew Mears called for a play where the Eagles had multiple options to inbound the ball to. With everyone else guarded tightly, Salako was open to received the ball near the free throw line.

Salako dribble three-quarters of the length of the court where his contested layup attempt bounced off the front rim. But it ricocheted right back to him where his follow-up was able to fall through before the buzzer sounded.

“CR did such a good job defending it, we went to our last option,” Mears said. “That was Moo just kind of making a read and making a play.”

The Smyrna junior was still in position after his miss to be able to leap in the air again and drop the ball through the net before his feet touched the floor. He was soon mobbed in celebration by his teammates and Smyrna students who rushed the floor near midcourt.

“My mentality is no one should get the rebound over me,” Salako said. “Every ball is mine. I just want to get my team as many possessions as possible.”

“It speaks volumes to what that kid is,” Mears said. “He’s all effort, doesn’t quit. He’s always doing the right thing. Moo gets his winning around the glass. That’s what he does all year, it just so happens this time it was for the game-winner.”

Salako said it was the second time in his life he’s hit a buzzer-beater to win a game. The only other time happened so long ago in youth basketball he couldn’t remember how old he was.

“This one is definitely a bigger deal,” he laughed. “It feels great. I knew going into the game it was going to be a game that came down to the last buzzer. It was up to us to push through.”

This was the second meeting between the two teams and the second to come down to the closing seconds.

Smyrna defeated the Riders 59-57 on Jan. 21 on a Brandon Smith layup with less than five seconds to go.

For a brief moment, it looked like Caesar Rodney was about to pay back the Eagles. Jaelin Joyner’s layup off a Braxton Robinson assist pushed CR ahead 57-56 before Salako’s heroics.

There were six lead changes between the two teams in the final 2:40. Salako had also given Smyrna the lead with 37 seconds left, before Joyner’s basket, with another putback.

“We’re not a very big team but we make up for that with some guards that love to rebound,” Mears said. “We always talk about finishing the possession. Rebounding is just in our DNA, we might not have the measurements, but the guys know they’re expected to rebound.”

Salako finished with nine points, one away from being the fourth Eagle in double figures. Smith was the top scorer on the night for Smyrna with 14 points.

Elijah Credle added 11 points while Nahshon Sylvester had 10. Izaiah Credle chipped in eight points.

Kamal Marvel paced the Riders (9-4 North, 12-6 overall) with 14 points. Syed Myles scored 12, Robinson 11 and Elijah Booker 10.

“As hungry as we were to win, I can imagine CR was just as hungry,” Mears said. “We knew it was going to be a four-quarter game and it would come down to a few possessions. Luckily, that last possession went our way.”

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Bernie Sanders held a narrow lead over Pete Buttigieg in the New Hampshire Democratic primary Tuesday night as the two men from different generations and wings of their party battled for front-runner status in the chaotic nomination fight to take on President Donald Trump.

After essentially tying in Iowa last week, the strong showings from Buttigieg and Sanders cemented their status at the top of the 2020 Democratic field. And an unexpectedly strong performance from Amy Klobuchar gave her a stronger path out of New Hampshire as the contest moves on to the gantlet of state-by-state primary contests that lie ahead.

The strength of Sanders and Buttigieg was matched in reverse by the struggle of former Vice President Joe Biden, who spent most of the last year as the Democrats’ national front-runner but fled New Hampshire hours before polls closed anticipating a bad finish. With final returns ahead, he was competing for fourth place with Elizabeth Warren, a disappointing turn for the senator from neighboring Massachusetts.

Neither Biden nor Warren was on track to receive any delegates.

With votes still coming in, the race was too early to call. But the front-runners were cheerleading and being cheered by their supporters.

“So many of you chose to meet a new era of challenge with a new generation of leadership,” Buttigieg said.

Sanders boasted of “a movement from coast to coast … to defeat the most dangerous president.”

The New Hampshire vote made clear that the early days of the Democratic contest will be a battle largely between two men who are four decades apart in age and are ideological opposites. Sanders is a leading progressive voice, calling for a substantial government intervention in health care and other sectors of the economy. Buttigieg has pressed for more incremental changes, giving Americans the option of retaining their private health insurance and making a point of appealing to Republicans and independents who may be dissatisfied with Trump.

Yet Sanders and Buttigieg enter the next phase of the campaign in different political positions.

While Warren made clear she will remain in the race, Sanders, well-financed and with an ardent army of supporters, is quickly becoming the leader of the progressive wing of the party.

Meanwhile, Buttigieg still has moderate rivals to contend with, including Klobuchar, whose standout debate performance led to a late surge in New Hampshire. Biden promises strength in upcoming South Carolina, while former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg was not on Tuesday’s ballot but looms next month.

Biden, after dismal performances in Iowa and New Hampshire, is staking his candidacy on a strong win Jan. 29th in South Carolina, which is the first state with a substantial black population to weigh in on the Democratic race.

After a chaotic beginning to primary voting last week in Iowa, Democrats hoped New Hampshire would provide clarity in their urgent quest to pick someone to take on Trump in November. At least two candidates dropped out in the wake of weak finishes Tuesday night: just-the-facts moderate Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and political newcomer Andrew Yang, who attracted a small but loyal following over the past year and was one of just three candidates of color left in the race.

While struggling candidates sought to minimize the latest results, history suggests that the first-in-the-nation primary will have enormous influence shaping the 2020 race. In the modern era, no Democrat has ever become the party’s general election nominee without finishing first or second in New Hampshire.

The action was on the Democratic side, but Trump easily won New Hampshire’s Republican primary. He was facing token opposition from former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld.

Warren, among the front-runners for months, offered an optimistic outlook as she faced cheering supporters, “Our campaign is built for the long haul, and we are just getting started.”

Despite an embarrassing defeat that raised questions about her path forward, Warren vowed to move trudge on.

“Our campaign is built for the long haul, and we are just getting started,” she declared.

Having already predicted he would “take a hit” in New Hampshire after a distant fourth-place finish in Iowa, Biden essentially ceded the state. He was traveling to South Carolina Tuesday as he bet his candidacy on a strong showing there later this month boosted by support from black voters.

More than a year after Democrats began announcing their presidential candidacies, the party is struggling to coalesce behind a message or a messenger in its desperate quest to defeat Trump. That raised the stakes of the New Hampshire primary as voters weighed whether candidates were too liberal, too moderate or too inexperienced — vulnerabilities that could play to Trump’s advantage in the fall.

He was not on the ballot, but Bloomberg, a New York billionaire, loomed over the New Hampshire contest as moderates failed to embrace a single alternative to Sanders.

Bloomberg was skipping all four states that vote this month in favor of dozens of delegate-rich contests in March. He’s already devoted hundreds of millions of dollars to the effort.

Sanders and Buttigieg were on track to win the same number of delegates with most of the vote tallied, and Klobuchar a few behind. Warren, Biden and the rest of the field were shut out, failing to reach the 15% threshold needed for delegates.

AP has allocated six delegates each to Sanders and Buttigieg and four to Klobuchar with eight still to be called.

After Iowa and New Hampshire, Buttigieg held a one delegate lead over Sanders with one Iowa delegate yet to be allocated and Buttigieg leading ever so slightly in that contested count. Klobuchar now joins a close knot in a second tier with Warren and Biden, about ten delegates behind the two leaders.

Democrats were closely monitoring how many people showed up for Tuesday’s contest. New Hampshire’s secretary of state predicated record-high turnout, but if that failed to materialize, Democrats would confront the prospect of waning enthusiasm following a relatively weak showing in Iowa last week and Trump’s rising poll numbers.

The political spotlight quickly shifts to Nevada, where Democrats will hold caucuses on Feb. 22. But several candidates, including Warren and Sanders, plan to visit states in the coming days that vote on Super Tuesday, signaling they are in the race for the long haul.

DOVER — NAACP delegates, elected officials, community activists, and civil rights advocates from across the state are expected to gather in Dover to commemorate the Delaware NAACP annual state convention on Feb. 29 at Delaware State University from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Workshops and discussions geared toward economic empowerment, criminal justice reform, education, and environmental justice and climate change will be held.

Benjamin Crump, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney, is this year’s keynote speaker. Mr. Crump has established himself as one of the nation’s foremost lawyers and advocates for social justice, representing families in several high-profile civil rights cases. Highlights at this year’s convention include recognizing the achievements of those who have significantly promoted positive and sustainable change in marginalized communities throughout Delaware. Among those being awarded are members of the Delaware Black Caucus for their leadership in the area of Criminal Justice Reform and Dr. Claudia Waters for her commitment to acquiring educational equity for residents within the Indian River School District in Sussex County, Delaware.

For additional information/questions, contact the Delaware State Conference of NAACP Branches at destconferenceofbranchesnaacp@yahoo.com.

CONCORD, N.H. — It took a year of campaigning, countless stump speeches and an especially strong night on the debate stage for little-known Democratic presidential hopeful Amy Klobuchar to break into the top tier of the 2020 campaign in New Hampshire.

Now she has less than two weeks to make it count.

The Minnesota senator on Tuesday immediately worked to turn her better-than-expected night into enough momentum to be competitive in next-up Nevada and beyond. For Klobuchar, that means consolidating establishment and moderate voters, picking up traction with black and Latino Democrats and introducing herself to most everyone else.

“Hello, America!” she yelled over a cheering crowd at a campaign party in Concord as she was on track to finish in third place. “I’m Amy Klobuchar, and I will beat Donald Trump.”

A third-place finish in New Hampshire counted as a victory for a candidate who spent much of the campaign boasting about being in the “top five” of the crowded field. Klobuchar used the moment to put her no-nonsense appeal in the spotlight. She spoke of growing up the granddaughter of an iron ore miner, becoming the first female senator from Minnesota and defying expectations in the 2020 race. She pledged to take her green campaign bus to Nevada and around the country and to win the nomination.

The senator appeared to benefit Tuesday from former Vice President Joe Biden’s sliding support, picking up moderate and conservative voters looking for an alternative to liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders, the New Hampshire winner, and rejecting political newcomer and second-place finisher Pete Buttigieg.

But Klobuchar’s quest is still an uphill climb. The senator has focused almost all her time and campaign resources in Iowa and New Hampshire, building only spare operations in the states that follow on the primary calendar. She has polled poorly among minority voters, a big obstacle in more diverse states like Nevada and South Carolina. Although she will likely see a bump in support, a surge of donations and new media attention, Klobuchar’s challenge is to set up the infrastructure to capitalize on her moment.

She’s starting from behind. Klobuchar’s Nevada team wasn’t hired until last fall and numbered fewer than a dozen until the campaign redeployed staff from Iowa last week, giving her about 30 people on the ground. Sanders, who essentially tied Buttigieg in Iowa, has been organizing in Nevada since April 2019 and has more than 250 staffers in the state. Biden has more than 80, Buttigieg has about 100 and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has more than 50.

Klobuchar is now hoping the appeal that worked for her in New Hampshire will have a similar impact in Nevada on Feb. 22. The three-term senator campaigned as someone who has won even in conservative areas and who could draw support from Democrats, independents and disaffected Republicans to beat Trump. She also points to her record of getting things done in Washington and argues that proposals like “Medicare for All,” backed by Sanders and Warren, are nonstarters in the Senate.

But it was Klobuchar’s debate performance that appeared to have the biggest impact on her showing Tuesday. More than half of Klobuchar’s supporters made up their minds in the last few days, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 3,000 Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago.

Klobuchar went on the attack against Buttigieg and delivered a passionate closing promise to fight for the voters who don’t feel seen or heard by politicians in Washington.

Those selling points helped convince voters like Linda Muchemore, a retiree from Greenland, New Hampshire, who settled on Klobuchar last week after leaning toward Warren.

Klobuchar’s record in the Senate “spoke to me of somebody who could maybe heal the animosity we have,” Muchemore said. “I found out that I’m not as liberal as I thought I was. Those moderate plans that Amy has speak more to me than Elizabeth’s more radical, Bernie plans.”

Klobuchar’s late surge over Warren was a surprise twist in the race. Warren, from neighboring Massachusetts, has been leading in the polling, but both women have struggled to convince voters that a woman can win. On Tuesday night, Warren congratulated Klobuchar — “my friend and colleague” — and noted how wrong pundits are “when they count us out.”

Klobuchar responded to “my friend Elizabeth” soon after.

“People told me just like they told her that they didn’t think a woman could be elected,” she said. “In my case it was elected to the U.S. Senate. No woman had ever done it before. But I came back, I defied expectations, and I won.”

For much of the race, Klobuchar has lagged toward the back of the pack in fundraising and had just under $5 million in reserve at the end of 2019 –- far less than all other leading contenders. Her goal coming out of Friday’s debate was to raise $1 million, a lifeline that would allow her to forge on in contests ahead. She quickly reached that amount and, to her own surprise, she doubled it within 24 hours. By Tuesday, her campaign said that sum had climbed to $4 million –- and was still going up.

That post-debate haul is in line with the $4 million Buttigieg raised in the days after landing at the top, along with Sanders, in the Iowa caucuses last week. The money will help pay for ads in Nevada and South Carolina, which holds its primary the week after Nevada, and to beef up the campaign in the March 3 “Super Tuesday” contests, when the largest number of delegates are up for grabs of any date on Democrats’ calendar.

Unlike the other leading contenders in the race, Klobuchar is the only candidate who is not getting extra help from a super PAC or outside group, which can raise and spend unlimited sums so long as they do not coordinate advertising spending decisions with the candidate they support.

In contrast, a super PAC called Unite the County has spent over $6 million on advertising amplifying Biden’s message. The group VoteVets has spent a minimum of $1.6 million on ads backing Buttigieg, according to the Federal Election Commission. Sanders, too, has drawn support from a network of “dark money” nonprofit groups, which don’t have to reveal their donors and won’t have to disclose full spending figures until after the election. And Warren is backed by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which is not operating a super PAC to support her but serves as a surrogate voice and routinely attacks Buttigieg and Biden.

Much of Klobuchar’s support, meanwhile, comes from donors in her home state of Minnesota, who account for the lion share of her presidential fundraising, according to campaign finance disclosures, which only provide information about donors who give over $200. She also supplemented her presidential run with a $3.5 million transfer from her Senate campaign account, records show.

Klobuchar is scheduled to be in Nevada starting Thursday, when she will participate in a town hall sponsored by the League of United Latin American Citizens.

Griffin DuBreuil of Dover took this photo at Rehoboth Beach on Jan. 26.

FREDERICA —Six sessions for Diabetes Self Management will be offered by Frederica Senior Center located on Market Street in Frederica on six consecutive Mondays, beginning March 2 and ending on April 6.

The educators who will present the training program will provide coping and problem solving mechanisms that you can use to make living with diabetes, or assisting loved ones with diabetes, much more manageable. The classes will meet from 9:30 to noon.

Topics covered will include understanding diabetes and the problems it causes, planning healthy and balanced meals, problem solving, communication and relaxation techniques, dealing with low and high blood sugars, and utilizing exercise, proper nutrition and medication to control diabetes.

The classes are completely free for those living with diabetes and those who want to learn more about it, but you must register to join the classes by calling the instructor, Maria Seliga at 302-387-1626; leave a message with your phone number if no answer.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Joe Biden brought his wounded presidential campaign to South Carolina on Tuesday, staking his hopes for a comeback on the loyalty of black voters in the state after a dismal finish in the New Hampshire primary magnified his disappointing finish in Iowa.

“I know this is going to be the fight of my life,” Biden told about 200 enthusiastic supporters gathered near the South Carolina Capitol to hear the 77-year-old former vice president deliver an emotional appeal. Biden eagerly looked ahead as the nomination fight moves beyond the overwhelmingly white opening states to Nevada, South Carolina and a Super Tuesday slate where African Americans and Latinos will hold considerable sway.

“We just heard from the first two of 50 states. Two of them,” Biden said. “That’s the opening bell, not the closing bell.”

The candidate argued that no Democratic nominee has succeeded without significant support from African Americans, the core of his base in a fractured primary field. The electorate in South Carolina’s Feb. 29 primary, the first in the South, is expected to be more than 60% black and could approach 70%, according to state party leaders.

Still, there is little Democratic precedent for the kind of comeback Biden is trying to pull off. Since 1992, no Democrat has claimed the nomination in the modern primary system without winning either Iowa or New Hampshire.

Biden’s campaign had said for months they didn’t have to win either state, but that strategy didn’t necessarily consider finishing so far off the pace. In recent days, Biden’s donor base has since grown nervous, raising questions about his financial viability if he doesn’t rebound quickly.

Biden boarded a private jet in Manchester on Tuesday evening — even before New Hampshire primary polls closed — ending an eight-day whirlwind that saw the former vice president go from a national front-runner for the nomination to a battered underdog.

He finished fourth in the Iowa caucuses, and with votes still being tabulated in New Hampshire, Biden was vying for fourth alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Each was at risk of finishing without winning any delegates out of the nation’s first primary.

In his remarks Tuesday night, Biden praised Iowa’s and New Hampshire’s opening roles, but argued that 99.9% of African Americans and 99.8% of Latinos haven’t yet had the opportunity to cast Democratic primary ballots.

“Do not let anyone take this election away from you,” he said in a speech that touted his deep political ties to South Carolina and to the black community.

Biden mentioned his relationship with South Carolina’s lone Democratic congressman, Jim Clyburn, the highest ranking black lawmaker on Capitol Hill. He noted his service as President Barack Obama’s top lieutenant. He recalled meeting South African leader Nelson Mandela. And he promised black Americans a seat at the table in the Oval Office.

“Too often your loyalty, your commitment, your support for this party has been taken for granted,” he said. “I give you my word as a Biden that I never, ever, ever will.”

Biden was introduced by his campaign co-chairman, Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana congressman and former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. Richmond recalled for the crowd the first question he asked himself when deciding who to support: “Who do I trust?”

South Carolina has been a springboard for the nominee before. Four years ago, Hillary Clinton and Sanders battled to a draw in Iowa and Sanders beat her in New Hampshire, prompting a round of hand-wringing from some party leaders and national media. Clinton went on to crush Sanders in South Carolina and the diverse states that immediately followed, building a delegate lead he could never overcome. Eight years earlier, it was Obama, the nation’s first black president, who used the black vote to put distance between his campaign and Clinton.

This isn’t a two-person race, though, and Biden is looking merely to return to contender status. But 2020 already has proven unusual, with no candidate having demonstrated the ability to build a broad coalition across the party’s racial, ethnic and ideological factions. Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg achieved a split decision in Iowa and Sanders barely edged out Buttigieg in New Hampshire.

Sanders, a Vermont senator and democratic socialist, has paltry support among the party’s establishment core, and for months he has trailed Biden in support among non-white Democrats. Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has struggled to corral meaningful support from black or Latino voters.

The same is true for Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who finished just behind Biden in Iowa but finished third in New Hampshire.

Biden does have competition for the black vote in South Carolina. Billionaire businessman Tom Steyer has spent large sums on advertising, while Biden’s financial struggles have left him largely absent from the state’s airwaves. The former vice president will depend on voters like Tina Herbert, a Columbia attorney who was eager to see him Tuesday night.

“I thought it was important that I showed my face and showed my support for him tonight,” she said. “I’ve been with him since Day One.”

Herbert said she wasn’t concerned about Biden’s finishes in any other early states.

“We are not really receptive to outsiders, so we don’t listen to their opinions, even when we should, good or bad,” she said.

LEWES — Delaware State Parks will hold their annual winter Instameet at Cape Henlopen State Park on Feb. 29 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Delaware State Parks marketing team partners with park staff to lead these meetups as a way to connect with their digital audience and allow local Instagrammers and photographers to meet and learn about the park and experience what the park has to offer. They will meet at the Point Comfort Station parking lot at 4:30 p.m.

The hike is about two miles total in sand and it is suggested that you bring your own camera, sturdy hiking shoes suitable for sand, and a flashlight.

This event is free, and no registration is necessary.

WASHINGTON — Attorney General William Barr has agreed to testify before the House Judiciary Committee next month, appearing for the first time before the panel as questions swirl about whether he intervened in the case of a longtime ally of President Donald Trump.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., released a letter Wednesday to Barr “to confirm your agreement to testify” on March 31. In the letter, Nadler and committee Democrats write that they have concerns that Barr has misused the criminal justice system for political purposes.

“In your tenure as attorney general, you have engaged in a pattern of conduct in legal matters relating to the president that raises significant concerns for this committee,” Nadler and the Democrats wrote.

The Justice Department confirmed Barr would testify. His appearance will be the first before the House Judiciary panel since he became attorney general a year ago, and since he declined an invitation to testify about special counsel Robert Mueller’s report after it was released.

The Democrats said they plan to ask Barr about the department’s decision this week to overrule four federal prosecutors and lower the amount of prison time it would seek for Trump’s confidant Roger Stone. The four prosecutors immediately quit the case, in which Stone was convicted of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election.

They said they will also ask Barr about his department’s announcement that it is taking information that Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani is gathering in Ukraine about the president’s Democratic rival Joe Biden and his son. The House voted in December to impeach Trump because of his pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democrats; the GOP-led Senate acquitted him this month.

“In the past week alone, you have taken steps that raise grave questions about your leadership,” the Democrats wrote.

After the department indicated it would overrule the prosecutors, Trump tweeted congratulations to Barr “for taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not have been brought,” suggesting the prosecutors had gone rogue.

The department insisted the decision to undo the sentencing recommendation was made Monday night, before Trump began tweeting about it, and that prosecutors had not spoken to the White House about it.

The Senate has shown less interest in grilling Barr on the Stone episode, defending the department’s decision to reduce the sentence and saying they didn’t expect to call him specifically to discuss it.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Wednesday that he had spoken to the Justice Department and was told that their sentencing guidelines call for three and a half or four and a half years, instead of the seven to nine years the prosecutors had recommended.

“I don’t think any of us should tweet about an ongoing case, but having said that, I appreciate the Department of Justice making sure that their recommendations to the court are to seek justice for the law as it’s written,” Graham said.

GEORGETOWN – Students in the construction and industrial trades at Sussex Technical High School this fall can sign up for a new course in welding and fabrication, the latest step in the school’s renewed focus on career and technical education.

The integrated welding course will be a required elective for students in the HVAC-R, electrical, landscape management and environment, carpentry and construction management, automotive technologies, and collision repair technical areas, offering a new skill and professional certification, according to Sussex Tech Superintendent Stephen Guthrie.

“We have heard over and over from Sussex County employers that they need workers proficient in welding,” Mr. Guthrie said. “Giving students career-focused skills and helping employers is our core mission and offering this welding course is another way to prepare students for their future.”

Sussex Tech’s board of education cast approval to launching the new course at its Feb. 10 meeting

. Starting with a single course will help gauge student interest in a full, three-year career-technical program in welding and fabrication, said Sussex Tech Principal Dr. John Demby.

“This course has significant support from industry, which needs trained, experienced people with skills,” Dr. Demby said. “It enhances our offerings in related technical areas and improves our students’ experience by adding another professional certification to their toolbox.”

The number of jobs in the welding field in Delaware will grow by 6.6 percent through 2026, state data shows.

Dona Troyer, Sussex Tech’s career and technical education coordinator, said she has been hearing from businesses in need of welders since she began working with students on work-based learning assignments in the community.

“There is a clear need for graduates with these skills. Our students already graduate with professional, industry-standard certifications, and this will be another to add to their resume,” Ms. Troyer said.

Sussex Tech students in the related technical areas beginning with the Class of 2023 can take the course in their sophomore, junior or senior years, and can complete the first level of the American Welding Society’s certificate program. The course will share existing equipment and facilities with the welding apprenticeship program run in the evenings by Sussex Tech’s Adult Education Division, keeping costs low.

Milford High won 12 of the 14 matches, including five pins, to earn a 55-7 victory over Sussex Tech in the first round of the Division I state dual meet wrestling tournament on Wednesday night.

The second-seeded Buccaneers will face No. 3 Salesianum on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the semifinals, hosted by Smyrna High. The finals are scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m.

Rafael Mejia (170 pounds), Matthew Hague (195), Corey Messick (113), Jack Thode (120) and Tim O’Hara (138) recorded the pins for the Buccaneers. Trenton Grant added a major-decision for Milford at 126.

Sussex Tech, the seventh-seed, was led by Isaac Soto-Perez who had a major-decision at 106.

Smyrna 63, William Penn 12: The top-seeded Eagles were paced by nine pins to win their Division I first round matchup.

Joey Natarcola (145), Bryce Mullen (152), Gavin Sembly (170), J.T. Davis (195), Hugo Harp (220), Andrew DeBenedictis-Bayne (285), Gabe Giampietro (106), Jamar Wells (126) and Amir Pierce (132) provided the pins for the Eagles.

Smyrna will face fourth-seeded Sussex Central in the semifinals.

Sussex Central 33, Cape Henlopen 31: The fourth-seeded Golden Knights won three matches in a row from 113 pounds to 126 pounds to hang on against the fifth-seeded Vikings.

Dylan King had a decision at 113, Evan Broomall followed with a pin at 120 and Mason Akrom (126) earned a decision during the decisive stretch. Jevon Saffold (145), Tarryl Sturgis (160) and Hiram Lasher (220) also had pins for the Golden Knights.

Samuel Jones provided a decision via sudden-victory at 182 pounds for Sussex Central.

Woodbridge 56, Archmere 12: The second-seeded Blue Raiders won their second ever state tournament match in school history to advance to the Division II semifinals.

Woodbridge will face No. 3 Laurel on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Smyrna. The finals are scheduled for 6 p.m.

The Blue Raiders were led by pins from Taeshaun Ford-Jackson (195), Michael Hutchinson (220), Derrick Atwood (285) and Johnathon Webb (126).

Laurel 42, Lake Forest 33: Shyheim Upshur’s pin at 132 pounds clinched the contest for No. 3 Laurel in the first round.

James Johnson (145), Chase Phippin (152), Jett Furbush (160), Jacob Davis (182) and Nathan Austin (113) also earned pins for the Bulldogs.

Delaware Military Academy 42, Indian River 17: The fifth-seeded Indians fell on the road to No. 4 Delaware Military Academy in the Division II opening round.

T.J. Burke (220), Cristian Lopez (113), Chris Saylor (120) and Ta’Jon Knight (126) won their matchups via decisions to lead the Indians.

Delaware Military will meet top-seed Caravel, who defeat McKean 80-0 on Wednesday, in Saturday’s semifinals.

Boys’ basketball

CR-Dover gates open at 3: No tickets will be sold in advance for Friday’s Dover-Caesar Rodney High boys’ basketball game, which is slated for 6:15 p.m. in CR’s gym.

Tickets, which are $5, will go on sale at 3 p.m. when the gates open. Fans are urged to arrive early to get a seat.

The game can also be seen, for a fee, at www.nfhsnetwork.com.

College tennis

Askaroa wins weekly award: The University of Delaware’s Eliza Askarova as the CAA Women’s Singles Player of the Week.

Askarova has led Delaware to a 4-0 record this spring including wins last week over La Salle (7-0) and Quinnipiac (6-1).

In Friday’s match against the Explorers, the freshman cruised to the top-flight 6-1, 6-1 victory against Ali Snyder. Askarova then defeated Quinnipiac’s Kamilla Nella, 6-2, 6-3, in No. 1 singles on Sunday.

Askarova is 4-0 in No. 1 singles this spring with an overall record of 11-3. She has helped guide UD to its best start since 2012-13 when the Hens also went 4-0 to open the year.

WILMINGTON — A week ago, the Caesar Rodney High wrestling team went up to Salesianum School, won the toss-up matches and escaped Wilmington with a dual meet victory.

But the Riders came up one point short in their quest to repeat that feat on Wednesday.

Sixth-seeded Caesar Rodney fell at No. 3 seed Salesianum 34-33 on the road in the first round of the Division I state dual meet wrestling tournament. CR ends its season at 6-7 overall while Salesianum advanced to face No. 2 Milford in the semifinals on Saturday.

“The last time we wrestled them we wrestled our best match of the year,” said Caesar Rodney coach Dan Rigby. “They’re extremely-well coached. Both teams came in with a mission, they accomplished it and we didn’t.”

The semifinals and finals are scheduled for Saturday at Smyrna High. The Division II semifinals are at 2 p.m., the Division I semifinals at 4 p.m. and both finals at 6 p.m.

Caesar Rodney had defeated Salesianum 36-33 on Feb. 3 in the regular season.

This time though the Sals clinched the bout before the final match of the night. Owen Klinger won the 126-pound match for Salesianum with a pin to make it 34-24 Sals before a CR decision at 132 sealed things for Salesianum.

The Riders’ effort was highlighted by some clutch performances all throughout the lineup.

Caleb Adamowicz earned a hard-fought 3-0 decision at 152 in the second match of the night. Shamar Nelson helped the Riders maximize their points with a pin in the 195-pound match.

Cam Cataldi recorded a decision in the 106-pound contest, defeating an opponent who he lost to last week. Dawson Mitchell rallied from a 6-0 deficit in his bout for a 13-8 decision at 132 while Pat Wisniewski (138) had a pin in the final match.

“Caleb and Dawson wrestled their butts off and Cam avenged a loss from last week,” Rigby said of his wrestlers. “Even Pat, we already lost a tough defeat and goes out and gets a pin. I’m proud of those guys. Now it’s time to refocus and get ready for individual stuff.”

As in any close match there were plenty of what-ifs for Caesar Rodney.

Salesianum had a pin by Danny Stradley for six points in the 220-pound match which came with only 30 seconds left. That contest also had a bizarre moment in the second period with CR’s Ryan Rigby in control on top but the buzzer sounded 20 seconds into the period. It caused a restart in the middle and Stradley quickly escaped this time.

Stradley was in line for just a decision and three team points before he made the decisive maneuver for six points.

Connor Girard had another huge result for Salesianum when he entered the third period of his 120-pound match trailing 3-2. But Girard earned a reversal for two points and held on to prevent the escape point for a 4-3 victory.

Even Mitchell’s match at 132 had some tense moments at the end. He not only pulled off the comeback for the decision but nearly put his opponent into pinning position for a few seconds just before time ran out in the third period.

For such a young team, Rigby hopes the Riders learned some lessons from the tournament defeat.

“All season long we’ve talked about trying to be consistent,” Rigby said. “Some matches we were very consistent and some we weren’t. We just weren’t able to get it done. Hopefully we can find some consistency in the offseason and get better. We got a lot of young kids, we just got to find some consistency and some grit.”

The four lawyers who prosecuted Roger Stone quit the case Tuesday after the Justice Department overruled them and said it would take the extraordinary step of lowering the amount of prison time it would seek for President Donald Trump’s longtime ally and confidant.

The resignations raised immediate questions over whether Trump, who earlier in the day had blasted the original sentencing recommendation as “very horrible and unfair,” had at least indirectly exerted his will on a Justice Department that he often views as an arm of the White House.

• No president’s friend is above the law. Lock Stone up. Many have done much less than Stone to the U.S. and are in prison for a greater time. Waiting to see. — R Tamer Peel

• Gee I wonder why? Maybe the rich as punished at a different rate than we are. — Natalie Andrews

• Lock him up. — Elizabeth Kenney

•For what exactly? Because you disagree with his politics? That’s fascism. — Mark Schmalhofer

• Acquittal, week one: Targeting witnesses and upheaval in the Justice Department. Life under an acquitted Trump has gone about as expected. — Kenny Purnell

• Roger Stone did do something wrong. Gen. Mike Flynn got caught up in a technicality even though the FBI investigators believed he was being truthful. It’s not that these men are innocent or guilty, it’s the vindictive way the DOJ pursued these gentlemen and a few others associated with Donald Trump, many to the point they have ruined their lives. They literally applied old Soviet-style investigation techniques to make sure they got the outcome they wanted.

Now with the growing mountain of evidence that the then-DOJ investigators were in the tank with the Obama administration illegally spying and wiretapping both Donald Trump and members of his election campaign and the fact that this evidence is finally starting to see the light of day they (the media and DOJ) can no longer ignore nor cover this up for the Democrats. The real question is why hasn’t the DOJ pursued anyone from the Democratic party and within their own ranks when they have enough smoke and evidence to start indicting individuals? That’s the real issue here.

If you say you want equality in the law and how it’s applied to people then you must support this. If you don’t support this, then stop crying about individuals who get mistreated by the police. — Shawn Knox

• The law and order party ain’t nothin’ but corrupt. — Rick Reed

• GOP shows it’s not a law and order party as they’ve played up for years but criminal enterprise to gain more money no matter how much damage to this country’s ideals and ethics. — Douglas Mastin

By Ronald Fraser

State-run parole and probation programs are designed to keep persons convicted of crimes—including a very large number of non-violent crimes—out of prison. But in Delaware, according to a recent Council of State Governments study, Confined and Costly: How Supervision Violations are Filling Prisons, “On any given day 635 people (or 15% of the 2017 Delaware prison population) are behind bars as a result of a probation or parole supervision violation, at an annual cost to the state of $39 million.”

Parole and probation are court-ordered, non-prison sentences that give offenders a chance to rebuild their lives in a community setting. Not a get-out-of-jail-free-card, each offender agrees to follow a strictly supervised list of conditions that commonly includes mandatory drug testing, keeping regular parole of-ficer visits, paying fines and restitution, holding a job and drug rehab and anger management classes.

More restrictive conditions may include searches, prior approval to open a checking account, travel restrictions, electronic monitoring, curfews and off-limit establishments.

Each year about one-quarter of all persons under community supervision successfully complete the terms of their parole and probation and are released.

What about the others, many of whom struggle with a mental illness or addiction, low education attainment, poor employment skills and their inability to pay for drug testing or administrative and electronic monitoring fees. (Yes, many parolees are required to pay these fees themselves.)

For them, repeated violations of even relatively minor rules can lead to a disciplinary hearing, addi-tional restrictions or a ride on the probation & parole-to-prison merry-go-round. In fact, the Council of State Government’s report found that 12% of all persons admitted to Delaware prisons in 2017 were placed behind bars for parole or probation supervision violations, including conviction for new offences.

But sooner or later these back-to-prison inmates will return on parole once again with a new set of supervised restrictions to deal with.

The size of Delaware’s merry-go-round is staggering. For the years 2014-2017, according to the fed-eral Bureau of Justice Statistics, prison admissions totaled 12,488. During this four-year period it is likely that thousands of men and women were returned to prison not for breaking any law but for violating their parole and probation rules.

If Delaware’s parole and probation programs had worked as intended during 2014-2017, thousands of offenders would not have been locked behind bars but would have remained under community supervision—where they could work on putting their lives back together. That would have dramatically lowered the state’s prison population and saved Delaware taxpayers about $61,000 a year for each inmate remaining out of prison. How might this happen?

A 2018 report from the PEW Charitable Trusts titled “Probation and Parole Systems Marked by High Stakes, Missed Opportunities, found that one in 55 adults nationally — and one of every 47 Delaware adults — are on probation or parole. The report also found that many states are already working to strengthen the effectiveness of their probation and parole programs.

“Policymakers across the nation,” the authors write, “are adopting reforms, such as shorter supervision terms and earned compliance credits, and to prioritize supervision and treatment resources for higher-risk individuals while removing lower-risk people from supervision caseloads.”

In practice this requires that states “Fundamentally change the purpose of supervision from punishing failure to promoting success. The goal should be to help people repair the harm they have caused and become self-sufficient, law-abiding citizens, rather than simply enforcing rules set by courts and parole boards, catching violators and imposing penalties, including incarceration.”

As these reforms are put into practice prison populations will go down, state taxes will go down and, best of all, thousands of Delawareans will stand a better chance of putting prison life behind them for good.

Ronald Fraser, Ph.D., writes on public policy issues for the DKT Liberty Project, a Washington-based civil liberties organization. Write him at: fraserr@erols.com.

DAGSBORO – Indian River High School Alumni Association continues to show its IR PRIDE mantra with scholarship offers to current college students and high school seniors.

Both applications are due by Monday, March 9.

The 2020 IR Pride Scholarship will award $1,000 to graduating IRHS seniors. This prize celebrates school spirit, not just academics, athletics or financial need. Applicants will respond to the question “How have you contributed to make IR a better place?”

Some college students also need financial help, especially after freshman year.

So, alumni of any age can enter the IR Pride Scholarship for Current Alumni. Winners receive $500 for any college level, from an associate degree to post-doctorate. Applicants must be IRHS Alumni Association members. Alumni can register online for free.

Applications are online at www.IRHSAlumni.com. The IRHSAA encourages IRHS students or graduates to apply and save them some time in summer jobs or in student loans.

The nonprofit IRHSAA formed in 2012 to connect alumni, while supporting and promoting IRHS.

With community support, they’ve given over $50,000 in scholarships to dozens of students.

Scholarships are funded through the community’s generosity at the annual Beef & Brew fundraiser. This year’s event will be held Saturday, April 4, at Frankford Fire Hall, featuring the Glass Onion party band. Tickets cost $35.

Indian River High School Alumni Association meets monthly and always welcomes new members. Visit the website – www.IRHSAlumni.com – for more information.

MILLSBORO — The town of Millsboro has put its draft charter change in the hands of its legislative liaisons, seeking Delaware General Assembly approval to change the town charter change to allow golf carts on town-maintained roadways — with requirements.

Town council at its Feb. 3 meeting reviewed the draft language prepared by town solicitor Mary Schrider-Fox. The final draft will be sent to State Rep. Rich Collins and State Sen. Gerald Hocker for their consideration, Millsboro Town Manager Sheldon Hudson said.

Council’s vote was not unanimous; councilman Tim Hodges opposed, citing safety concerns.

Somewhat broad in nature, the charter change would authorize enabling legislation through which town council would be empowered to pass a future ordinance.

“It basically would give council the authority to pass an ordinance later that would provide more specifics in terms of safety features and whatnot,” said Mr. Hudson said.

Although the issue was spurred by cart use in Plantation Lakes, the charter change request is not exclusive to that residential golfing community development.

“It would be for residential subdivisions with town-maintained streets,” said Mr. Hudson. “That makes it so that it’s not specific to Plantation Lakes.”

Current state law prohibits the use of golf carts on public roads or streets.

Once armed with the charter change, the town could enact a local ordinance – or ordinances – governing aspects that could encompass speed limitations, registration with the town and required safety features.

Previous discussion among council, town staff and Millsboro Police chief Brian Calloway focused on possible safety features incluDING headlamps/headlights, brakes and possible requirement of insurance (possibly through homeowner’s insurance).

Also discussed at past meetings was a requirement that cart operators be required to have a valid driver’s license for roadway travel.

DOVER – A 20-year-old Dover man was arrested after a traffic stop brought the discovery of drugs and a firearm Tuesday, Delaware State Police spokeswoman Master Cpl. Melissa Jaffe said.

Authorities said Amir M. McMorris was first seen driving a blue Honda Accord traveling below the posted speed limit and impeding traffic on U.S. 13 in the area of Fork Branch Road at approximately 12:05 a.m. A traffic stop followed and a trooper detected an odor of marijuana, police said.

A subsequent search led to the discovery of approximately 10.67 grams of marijuana and approximately 30 milligrams of amphetamine on Mr. McMorris, police said. A .45 caliber handgun loaded with a magazine and drug paraphernalia was located. Police said Mr. McMorris was a person prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Police charged Mr. McMorris with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, possession of a deadly weapon by person prohibited, possession of a controlled or counterfeit substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to have insurance identification, driving at slow speed, and failure to have license in possession.

Following arraignment before Justice of the Peace Court, Mr. McMorris was committed to Sussex Correctional Institution in Georgetown on $9,603 secured bond.