SEAFORD — Two unoccupied vehicles were struck by gunfire Tuesday night around 11:49, Delaware State Police spokeswoman Master Cpl. Melissa Jaffe said.

Troopers were called to the scene in the 24000 block of Middleford Circle, authorities said. A silver Chevrolet Impala parked on the cul-de-sac with numerous bullet holes, police said. Police contacted the owner, who was staying at a residence nearby. She told police of being awakened by the sound of gunshots, and when she looked outside she did not see anyone.

A bullet hole was found to have also struck a Buick that was parked next to the Impala. The car owner also reported hearing gunshots but did not see anything. No injuries were reported.

Police asked anyone with information to call Troop 4 Detective L. Coleman at 856-5850. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or online at delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.

DOVER — When looking at previous outbreaks, social media intensifies matters — and such is the case of the novel 2019 coronavirus, said Donna Patterson, a professor at Delaware State University, who studies global health and epidemics.

The novelty and the quick transmission rates are among the components that have contributed to the widespread coverage and public concern, she noted.

“Even though we have other coronaviruses, this one is new. It’s fairly unknown,” Dr. Patterson said. “I think a lot of what we’re seeing in terms of the comparison [to previous epidemics] is coverage of social media. Social media makes things much more kind of apparent to people: it’s more intense, you can track it more readily.”

There remain no cases of the COVID-19 — the virus was named this week — in Delaware, although the Delaware Division of Public Health released information that two patients are being monitored.

Two University of Delaware students are being screened by health officials for possible cases of COVID-19, a spokeswoman for the university said Tuesday.

The risk to the general public is low, DPH said in a release last week.

With its appearance in the U.S. — though in only a few cases — the virus is heightened in the public consciousness.

Facts and figures

Information released by the World Health Organization states there have been 1,017 deaths as of Tuesday, with one outside of China.

There were more than 42,708 confirmed cases of the virus on Tuesday. Most of the cases and most of the deaths are in Hubei province, Wuhan, according to WHO. There are 393 cases in 24 countries outside of China as of Tuesday’s report.

The mortality rate for this strain of coronavirus, Dr. Patterson added, is relatively low. When compared to the number of people who have contracted the virus, the mortality rate is about 2% to 3%, she said.

“If you look at the rates compared to, for instance, the flu, there are many more people that die every year, just in the United States, let alone in other parts of the world,” Dr. Patterson said.

Since the start of the flu season, there have been nearly 3,000 diagnosed cases of the flu, and seven flu-related deaths within Delaware, according to DPH.

Ebola comparison

Dr. Patterson’s research has looked at the Ebola outbreak. She noted differences between the reaction of COVID-19 to that of Ebola, which saw a lot of media attention in 2014.

“I would say the media coverage was very, very low early on,” she said. “I think most people were thinking, ‘Oh, this isn’t a big deal.’ … I think they thought Africa was far away so that it wouldn’t ever come here.”

People started paying attention when the outbreak spread to different countries within Africa and in the West, she said, and more so when the American doctors were infected.

“I think that’s when, particularly in the American consciousness, people started to pay much more attention,” she said. “It went on until 2016, but the media coverage did ebb a lot, particularly by the time spring 2015.”

During the outbreak in 2014, she said there were social media campaigns intended to educate the public on prevention and how it could be contracted to dispel poor information.

“I think it’s definitely changing it and making it more real to people, for certain,” she said.

There can be a darker side of that, though, where coverage makes the issue seem much worse.

“Not just in terms of looking at disease and epidemics, but I think you’re bombarded in a certain way that you weren’t you know even 10 years ago in the early stages of social media,” she said.

There also comes trying to weed out the facts from everything else.

“How do you verify the authenticity of this news because it’s moving so quickly?” she said.

There is an outbreak of Ebola in the Congo that has been ongoing for about a year and a half, but it hasn’t gotten the same attention as in 2014, or as COVID-19 now, she added.

For the current Ebola outbreak in the Congo, she attributed the lack of coverage to the fact it is in a different part of the continent and “virtually contained to one country.”

“In this case, media coverage tends to be more regional but also is quite different for instance than when we had cases of Ebola that spread from West Africa to the United States or Europe in 2014-2016,” she said.

Looking at COVID-19, when the Trump administration discussed potentially banning entrance to the U.S and when some Americans were evacuated from Wuhan, she said, “I think that’s what people really started paying attention.”

Dr. Patterson said that those travel bans — which typically don’t extend to illnesses like the flu — probably stem from how new the disease is.

“I think a lot of it is the novelty of it, being new and not really fully knowing how it started,” she said. “I think, too, both that and just given the numbers.”

Symptoms

Symptoms of COVID-19 are most similar to lower respiratory infections, a DPH release said, with patients experiencing fever, cough and shortness of breath. Those infected with the virus recover with rest, drinking plenty of fluids and taking over-the-counter medications to help relieve symptoms.

“The coronavirus appears to be quite contagious, but at the same time, we are still learning,” Dr. Patterson added. “Medical professionals and scientists are still gathering research because it is a new strand.”

When coverage on illnesses begins to ebb, she said that it’s due to a combination of factors.

“Once an epidemic peaks or is reasonably contained — often media interest wanes,” she said. “This is particularly true in the case of western media coverage of past Ebola and Zika epidemics because the risks for transmission seemed less likely in the public imaginary.”

DPH noted in a release last week that travelers returning from Hubei Province in China, as well as symptomatic persons returning from mainland China, will be quarantined for 14 days near a United States airport of entry, per federal orders.

Individuals who traveled from China prior to Feb. 3, are asked to self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days after their return, DPH said.

At Bayhealth, the hospital implemented a flu visitation policy at the start of 2020 due to the increase in flu cases throughout the community, said Bayhealth Senior Manager Infection Prevention Kelly Gardner, RN, CIC.

“This proactive approach is taken to ensure the safety of our patients, visitors and staff members,” she said in an email, adding that they have protocols in place for “emerging infectious diseases.”

COVID-19 is “no different than how we would treat other travel-related illness,” she said.

“With all travel-related illnesses, it’s imperative to have travel screening measures in place upon arrival for all patients, which we implemented throughout our healthcare system several years ago with the Ebola crisis,” she continued.

“We receive at least weekly updates from Delaware Public Health with information regarding any areas of concern. We also conduct drills on our emerging infectious disease protocols to ensure our staff members are prepared to respond appropriately.”

DOVER — Should the state auditor be able to force the University of Delaware to open its books to her? Depends who you ask.

As the issue of whether Auditor Kathy McGuiness can conduct a performance audit on the state’s flagship educational institution continues to linger, the legislature’s budget-writing committee said this week it intends to send a letter requesting the university allow itself to be examined financially by the state.

While Ms. McGuiness is in the middle of an audit on the use of state purchasing cards by Delaware State University, UD has declined to participate. In the eyes of the institution, that’s entirely within its right. But to some state officials, the university is ignoring state law and biting the hand that feeds it.

“Everyone has to be held to the same … standards,” Ms. McGuiness said Wednesday.

The subject was batted around last week during the university’s budget hearing, with Joint Finance Committee members questioning why it is immune to the provisions DSU and Delaware Technical Community College are subject to.

While Ms. McGuiness said she believes UD refused a mandatory request, a university spokeswoman characterized it differently.

State law says the auditor has the authority to examine the financial records for “every department, bureau, division, officer, board or commission of the State,” but it also confers special privileges upon the university. The institution’s charter says the state “may” audit the university — but only state funds — and requires UD to publish an audit annually.

For years, the university has been audited every year by the outside firm KPMG with few issues, according to UD officials.

“There is no parameter that the state auditor solely and exclusively audits UD’s state dollars,” John Long, the university’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, told JFC last week.

According to Mr. Long, the institution and the state must agree on who will conduct the audit.

UD’s website calls it a “state-assisted yet privately governed” school, which has its roots in the institution’s charter. Delaware State, in contrast, has a slightly different status, according to officials.

In a 2017 letter to the state Senate’s top member, UD’s president and chairman of its board of trustees described the institution as a “state partner” rather than a state agency.

DSU has embraced the agency label in some regards.

The University of Delaware was founded in colonial days, while the Dover institution began in the 1800s as a historically black school. UD not only receives several times more in state funding, it also has a much larger endowment than DSU.

Asked if she felt the University of Delaware had made a strong argument against her plan to hold a performance audit of purchasing cards, Ms. McGuiness asked simply if an audit request by the Internal Revenue Service can be ignored.

Ms. McGuiness, who was elected in 2018, is hopeful the letter being drafted by JFC will “encourage” the University of Delaware to open its books for a performance audit. It likely will not be on purchasing cards, however, as that opportunity has now passed, Ms. McGuiness said.

Although work continues on the DSU audit, the results of the purchasing card examination for DelTech were released Wednesday, with no apparent discrepancies.

Ms. McGuiness said she originally intended to unveil the two audits together but had to push back the date for Delaware State because that audit is not complete.

The findings for DSU are not expected until at least March.

It is truly concerning when one considers the continued downward spiral of civility in our country. Especially involving the politicians, major news stations, talk radio and newspaper opinion pages.

We should all remember President Lincoln stated in the 1800s that our nation could not be conquered from without only from within.

Our country has experienced major differences in the past but I don’t believe they approach the levels we see today.

When we watched House Speaker Pelosi during the State of the Union address or President Trump after his impeachment acquittal, it is very evident the top leaders of the two major parties are not going to lead any effort to return to civil discourse.

When we watch the Democratic candidates hold sway with talks concerning each other or President Trump, we know this election year will more than likely be worse than those in the past.

Obviously, the profit-driven news stations and talk radio will remain as at present sowing discord.

As always, it certainly appears if any change is to come, it must come from those that care first about our country before any political party. We need more people to adopt a step back attitude before responding to an op-ed, talk radio, or other social media postings.

Obviously, something that has been building for past 50 years won’t change overnight but our area may improve and that is worth a first step. I will be one to try to restore civility.

Robert J. Frost
Lewes

DOVER – With Delaware’s 2019/20 deer hunting seasons having ended earlier this month, hunters are reminded to remove their portable deer stands from state wildlife areas by Saturday.

Any stands found on wildlife areas after that date will become the property of the Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife.

Hunters may temporarily set up portable stands starting Aug. 1 each year and remove them at the end of the season – doing so with the knowledge that placement of a deer stand on a public wildlife area does not provide exclusive rights to hunting from their stand.

Under state wildlife area rules, no parts of portable deer stands can be nailed or bolted to a tree. Hunters are also prohibited from cutting any vegetation or branches to hang a stand or to clear shooting paths on a wildlife area.

For more information, contact the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday lashed out against former White House chief of staff John Kelly for being disloyal after the ex-adviser came to the defense of a former national security aide who offered key testimony in the impeachment inquiry.

The president’s comments targeting Kelly came after Kelly defended Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who was among administration officials who raised concerns about Trump’s July phone call with Ukraine’s president. That call spurred the president’s impeachment trial, which ended in acquittal last week.

“Like so many X’s, he misses the action & just can’t keep his mouth shut,. which he actually has a military and legal obligation to do,” Trump tweeted about Kelly. “His incredible wife, Karen, who I have a lot of respect for, once pulled me aside & said strongly that ‘John respects you greatly. When we are no longer here, he will only speak well of you.’ Wrong!”

Kelly, speaking at a public forum on Wednesday in Morristown, New Jersey, said that Vindman did exactly as he was trained in raising concerns to his superiors after hearing “questionable” comments from Trump, according to a report by The Atlantic magazine. Vindman was ousted last week from his position as a Ukraine specialist detailed to the White House National Security Council.

“He did exactly what we teach them to do from cradle to grave,” said Kelly, a retired Marine general who served as Trump’s chief of staff from the summer of 2017 until early last year. “He went and told his boss what he just heard.”

Vindman was a key witness in Democrats’ impeachment inquiry of Trump.

The Army officer was ousted from his job on the White House National Security Council last Friday, just two days after the Senate acquitted Trump on abuse of power and obstruction of justice charges. He is to be reassigned by the Pentagon. His twin brother, Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman, who worked as an ethics lawyer at the NSC, also was ousted from his job and was re-assigned to the Army General Counsel’s Office.

Kelly came to Vindman’s defense after Trump suggested this week that the Pentagon should review Vindman’s conduct in the Ukraine episode and potentially consider disciplinary action against him.

Trump has insisted that his call to Zelenskiy was “perfect.” During the conversation, Trump asked Zelenskiy to do him “a favor” and look into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son’s business dealings in Ukraine.

Vindman testified that he raised his concerns inside the White House after concluding that Trump was inappropriately conditioning nearly $400 million in military aid to the country on getting Zelenskiy’s help digging up dirt on the Republican president’s political rival.

Kelly said at the forum that Vindman’s decision to raise his concerns was valid.

“Through the Obama administration up until that phone call, the policy of the U.S. was militarily to support Ukraine in their defensive fight against … the Russians,” Kelly said. “And so, when the president said that continued support would be based on X, that essentially changed. And that’s what that guy (Vindman) was most interested in.”

Trump initially tapped Kelly after the 2016 election to serve as his secretary of Homeland Security, before Trump asked him to become his chief of staff. Kelly suggested at the forum he had some hesitation about joining the administration but ultimately decided to at the urging of his wife.

“I frankly think he needs you and people like you,” Kelly recalled his wife telling him.

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Thursday that she was “disappointed” by Kelly’s comments. She compared him to former national security adviser John Bolton, another top aide who was critical of Trump’s efforts to pressure Zelesnkiy.

“I thought it was a little disingenuous,” Grisham said in an interview on Fox New Channel’s “Fox & Friends” “It’s interesting that he’s starting to poke his head out a little bit more, just like John Bolton, as we’re getting close to an election.”

Bolton, according to excerpts of a manuscript leaked to the media during the Senate impeachment trial, says Trump told him he was conditioning the release of military aid to Ukraine on whether its government would help investigate the Bidens.

WASHINGTON – Attorney General William Barr took a public swipe at President Donald Trump on Thursday, saying that the president’s tweets about Justice Department prosecutors and cases “make it impossible for me to do my job.”

Barr made the comment during an interview with ABC News just days after his Justice Department overruled its own prosecutors — who had recommended in a court filing that Trump’s longtime ally and confidant Roger Stone be sentenced to 7 to 9 years in prison — and took the extraordinary step of lowering the amount of prison time it would seek. The department didn’t offer an amended number.

Barr himself has been under fire for the Justice Department action, and Thursday’s comment served as a defense of his own integrity.

The department insisted the decision to undo the sentencing recommendation was made Monday night — before Trump blasted the recommendation on Twitter as “very horrible and unfair”— and prosecutors had not spoken to the White House about it. The about-face prompted the four attorneys who prosecuted Stone to quit the case. One left the Justice Department altogether.

“I’m happy to say that, in fact, the president has never asked me to do anything in a criminal case,” Barr said in the interview. “However, to have public statements and tweets made about the department, about our people in the department, our men and women here, about cases pending in the department, and about judges before whom we have cases, make it impossible for me to do my job and to assure the courts and the prosecutors in the department that we’re doing our work with integrity.”

Stone was convicted in November of tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election. He’s scheduled to be sentenced next week.

Barr said he was “of course” prepared to deal with any ramifications from the president for his comments.

“As I said during my confirmation, I came in to serve as attorney general. I am responsible for everything that happens in the department, but the thing I have most responsibility for are the issues that are brought to me for decision,” Barr said in the interview.

It is extremely rare for Justice Department leaders to reverse the decision of prosecutors on a sentencing recommendation, particularly after that recommendation has been submitted to the court. The actual sentencing is up to the judge.

“What they did to Roger Stone was a disgrace,” Trump said Thursday during an interview with Geraldo Rivera on Newsradio WTAM1100.

“I don’t think they quit the case. I think they felt they got caught,” the president said of the Stone prosecutors. “I don’t think they quit for moral reasons. I think they got caught in the act by me.”

“Now what am I going to do, sit back and let a man go to jail maybe for nine years when murderers aren’t going to jail. You have some of the most serious horrible rapists and everything else. They don’t go to jail for nine years,” Trump said.

Democrats decried the Justice Department’s reversal and called for immediate investigations. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the Justice Department’s inspector general to step in and open an investigation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that Barr had “stooped to such levels” and that “the American people deserve better.”

“What a sad disappointment to our country,” she said.

Barr has been a steady ally of the president’s since he returned to the top post at the Justice Department last year. He cleared the president of obstruction of justice even when special counsel Robert Mueller had pointedly declined to do so, and has declared that the FBI’s Russia investigation, which resulted in charges against Stone, had been based on a “bogus narrative.”

ELON, N.C. — The final score makes it look like it wasn’t a nail-biter.

But Delaware’s latest victory was every bit as dramatic as the others have been lately.

The Blue Hens rallied to score the final nine points of the contest to pull out an 81-75 victory over Elon in CAA men’s basketball on Thursday evening.

Delaware (9-4 CAA, 19-7 overall) didn’t take the lead until Nate Darling buried a three-pointer with just 20 seconds left and the Hens came up with a pair of steals in the closing 16 seconds to seal their seventh-straight victory. Delaware was 0-5 all-time at Elon before Thursday.

The victory also moves the Hens into second place in the Colonial Athletic Association standings. Delaware trails only first-place Hofstra (10-3 CAA) and is a half game in front of third-place Hofstra and William & Mary, which are both 9-5.

“There’s such great belief and spirit about these guys right now,” said coach Martin Ingelsby. “We’ve got to keep it bottled up and keep riding the wave.

“You have a group that really believes in each other. They’ve been in these situations. They’ve stayed poised through some runs (by the opposition) that maybe some groups would have not stayed together.”

After leading by as many as 11 points in the first half and nine in the second, Delaware trailed the Phoenix (5-9 CAA, 9-18) by a 75-72 margin with just over a minute left. The Hens were still down 75-74 when Darling sank his clutch three-pointer with 20 seconds on the clock.

Darling, who hit a shot with five seconds left to beat James Madison on Saturday finished with 24 points. The three-pointer was the only one Delaware made in the second half after sinking eight in the first half.

“I just turned around and said, I’m going to get this rebound if he misses,” junior center Dylan Painter said about Darling’s shot. “It went in and I’m like, ‘Wow.’ That kid is special.”

Elon still had a chance to answer Darling’s three-pointer. But freshman Johnny McCoy came up with a steal, was fouled and hit one of two free throws to give the Hens a 78-75 lead.

On the next possession it was Kevin Anderson who made the steal, was fouled and made one of two free throws.

Finally, Ryan Allen sank a pair of free throws with three seconds left to cap off the win.

Delaware hit its final four field-goal attempts of the contest. Elon was scoreless over the final 1:20 of the game.

Allen, Anderson and Painter all finished with 13 points for Delaware.

“It’s not just one guy,” said Ingelsby. “It’s different guys that have really stepped up for us at key times. … It shows you that it’s bigger than one person, it’s bigger than two guys.

“These guys are selfless on the offensive end. They want to do whatever it takes to help this team win. It’s been fun to watch. It’s been fun to see that growth and guys cheering for each other.”

Delaware faces another big CAA game on Saturday at William & Mary at 4 p.m. The Tribe were the last team to beat the Hens, downing them 77-68 on Jan. 16 in Newark.

Free throws

Darling was 5-for-8 from three-point range, giving him 84 for the season. He’s just two shy of the school’s single-season record of 86 held by Allen and John Gordon. … Ingelsby is now 63-62 in his four seasons as Delaware. He hasn’t been over .500 since the Hens were 7-6 in his first season. … Elon still leads the all-time series, 8-6.

Abigail Hearn netted 27 points and five steals as Cape Henlopen High downed Sussex Central, 62-27, in Henlopen Conference Northern Division girls’ basketball on Thursday night.

The Vikings (17-3 overall) finish a perfect 14-0 in the North and close the regular season on a 14-game winning streak.

Dania Cannon collected 12 points, 12 steals and nine assists for Cape. Mehkia Applewhite added 10 and eight rebounds.

The Vikings, who scored 19 of the game’s first 21 points, will face the South champion in the Henlopen Conference championship game on a date and at a place TBA.

Ja’Marah Hopkins had 12 points for Central.

Seaford 40, Sussex Academy 29: The Blue Jays out-scored the Seahawks, 24-16, in the second half to close out the South victory.

Laurel 54, Delmar 14: The Bulldogs started the game on a 20-2 run before posting the South victory.

Na’Kayla Smith tallied 16 points for Laurel while Carlie Venables added 10.

A.I. DuPont 72, Smyrna 60: Jayde Rivera netted 25 points, with five three-pointers, for the Eagles in the non-conference loss.

Mikyia Smith added 14 points with Deleon Foster scoring 10 for Smyrna.

Boys’ basketball

Lake Forest 56, Woodbridge 54: The Spartans out-scored the Blue Raiders, 56-54, in the fourth quarter to rally for the South victory.

Woodbridge’s loss leaves Laurel alone in first place in the Southern Division. The Bulldogs can win the division with a win at Lake Forest on Thursday in their regular-season finale.

Jaysem Vazquez had 17 points, Nakiem Scott had 15 and Tyrone Tolson had 13 for the Spartans, who led by 10 after the first quarter only to trail by one at halftime. Tolson and Scott each hit three three-pointers.

The Raiders got 18 points from Deronn Kane and 13 points apiece from Ricky Kane and Kaheim Kimbrough-Roach.

Sussex Tech 72, Milford 63: Skylar Johnson scored 21 points to pace the Ravens (12-7) to the North victory.

Ja’Shaun Johnson (17) and Kevin Custis (15) also scored in double figures for Sussex Tech, which led 36-29 at halftime.

The Buccaneers’ Jarvis Jarvis also scored 21 points with Lamonte Isabell and Jaedon Wright both adding 11.

Cape Henlopen 72, Sussex Central 36: The Vikings stormed out to a 37-10 halftime advantage before snapping a four-game losing streak.

Sh’Kai Chandler (16), Ja’Vaughn Burton (13), Collin Mallet (12) and Kristoffer Rushin (11) all finished in double figures for Cape.

Isaac Pettit tallied 16 points for the Golden Knights with Dontae Spencer adding 13.

Laurel 57, Delmar 54: The Bulldogs (17-2) edged the Wildcats for their 15th win in a row.

ECHS@DSU 90, Indian River 72: The Hornets improved to 6-13 with the South win.

Seaford 66, Sussex Academy 39: The Blue Jays jumped out to a 40-24 halftime lead before picking up the South win.

Brent Ricketts (19), Amir Mollock (11) and Tyrese Fortune (11) all scored in double figures for Seaford, which sank nine three-pointers.

The Seahawks’ Anthony Oscar tallied a game-high 20 points with Riley Custodio scoring 113.

DOVER — Support for early childhood education, mental health and school safety were among the chief topics during Thursday’s Joint Finance Committee hearing on public education.

The recommended budget for public education has a 5.35% increase from last fiscal year, bringing the proposed total for education to $1.65 billion.

For nearly four hours, the committee reviewed the proposed budget and heard more than 30 individuals discuss different facets of education programming.

As a portion of the overall funding, $25 million was earmarked for added support for needy students and mental health counselors through Opportunity Grant Funding.

As part of the Opportunity Fund, which would enter its second year, funding targets students who come from low-income homes or are English language learners. Secretary of Education Susan Bunting said the funding also provides technical assistance and staff resources at schools that have student populations in need.

“The shift from competitive opportunity grants to Opportunity Funding that targets resources for students from low-income families and English language learners is one of the most important changes in helping us to better support our schools,” Secretary Bunting told the JFC in her remarks Thursday.

Part of the funding also ties into mental health.

“Student safety and their mental health and wellness is a key issue for us,” said Caesar Rodney Superintendent Kevin Fitzgerald in his remarks to the committee. “We look at the mental health issues in our students as something that is paramount. We understand that students that struggle at home, that struggle with issues that cannot be dealt with anywhere other than in a school through the support of a psychologist, a guidance counselor, a social worker, it is essential for them to be able to continue their education and to proceed into bigger and better things.”

Mental health was discussed when University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis went before the JFC last week, where he noted that students are not ready to attend UD straight out of high school.

Dr. Fitzgerald said while districts were “hurt” by the comments, it won’t “stop us from doing what we do best and to prepare our students to do great things,” he said.

“What he did mention, though, was something that we are all very concerned about: He brought the issue of mental health, and that is a concern for each and every one of us,” he said. “I know it’s a concern of legislators, as it is our secretary, because that’s a point of emphasis for us. It’s something that we continue to work on each and every day.”

In the governor’s budget, a proposed increase of $5 million is earmarked for early childhood education. Of that, $2 million seeks additional spots for children, and $3 million to improve professional learning programs for early childhood providers and to develop an online system that will provide families with information and access to programs and services.

Dr. Bunting noted that the state received a federal Preschool Development Grant, which the department is using to complete a statewide birth through age 5 needs assessment to “determine the state’s current early learning needs and priorities,” she said.

“From this the state will be developing a strategic plan to enhance Delaware’s early learning system,” she continued. “For many families, navigating the early education world is challenging because it involves multiple public agencies, as well as nonprofit and private organizations, particularly for those families whose children qualify for early intervention services.”

She added the department is also looking to revise Delaware Stars, which is the rating system for early childcare programs.

Rep. Quinton Johnson, D-Middletown, said the conversation about pre-K comes because some children are not prepared for kindergarten.

“That is why we need to continue to focus on 0 to 5, as well as the school-age program,” he said. “Every child should have the starting ground entering into their academic career. And there shouldn’t be barriers because we didn’t pick our parents, we didn’t pick the lifestyle that we were born into, we didn’t pick any of the circumstances that are affecting us, otherwise we wouldn’t have. And so it is our role as the government, in my opinion, to make sure that those barriers are brought down and the access is available.”

He added that while he is pleased to see the $5 million for early childhood education, he noted there was no funding request for the revision to the Stars program.

“I want to see it succeed because I do feel with all my heart that unfortunately, the $75 million that the governor put in place would not have been necessary if we had been a step ahead with the younger children in our state,” he said.

Safety within schools was also a topic of concern.

Sen. Dave Lawson, R-Marydel, said that the state should do a better job protecting students.

“I can guarantee you I can go to any school, any building in this state and walk in undetected,” he said. “It’s not hard to do at all. And that scares me tremendously. If I, the little old farm boy can do it, can you imagine with somebody who is hell-bent on hurting our children can do? We are not protecting our children worth a hoot. The money’s there, but the emphasis is not.”

In discussing the request for funding school safety, representatives noted that there was need for flexibility.

“In some instances, it would be being able to fund either school resource officers or constables, to be able to provide training for our teachers, provide training for our administrators, and for our students,” Dr. Fitzgerald said.

The governor’s proposed budget also includes $29.3 million for a 2% pay increase and steps for educators, $4.6 million for school technology infrastructure, $500,000 for the Governor’s Performance Academy and Delaware Performance Appraisal System Pilot II increases, $36.5 million for school enrollment growth and funds set aside for school districts’ construction and renovation:

Brandywine: $1.6 million

Wilmington Education Initiatives: $50 million

Appoquinimink: $59.5 million

Capital: $20.7 million

Cape Henlopen: $35.7 million

Indian River: $16.2 million.

DOVER — While Thomas A. Johnson Jr.’s swearing-in ceremony as the city of Dover’s new police chief didn’t last very long on Thursday night — around 15 minutes — he said his list of goals in protecting the city’s citizens is a rather lengthy one.

Dover Mayor Robin R. Christiansen swore in Mr. Johnson as the city’s 15th police chief in the Chief James L. Hutchison Public Assembly Room at the Dover Police Department and the city’s new chief was saluted with a standing ovation by a crowded room of onlookers.

“Some folks are kind of curious what they can expect,” Chief Johnson said. “The short answer that I can give you is you can expect my very best. I will be 100 percent focused on taking what I already know is an incredible organization and trying to figure out a way to make it even better.

“The bar has been set high. I will lead. I will make decisions. But everybody that comes into contact with me will know a couple of things: that there will always be honor around everything that I do and everything that we do, there will always be just actions and just decisions, there will be fairness and there will be a positive, forward-looking culture to be a part of if you choose to walk through those doors of the Dover Police Department and jump on board.”

Chief Johnson, a cross-trained firefighter and paramedic, had spent his career in law enforcement as an officer with the Upper Darby (Pennsylvania) Police Department since 1996.

During his time in Upper Darby, he served in the Patrol Unit, Detective Division, Administration Division and the Division of Training and Professional Standards.

New Chief Johnson’s last job before coming to Dover was reporting to Upper Darby’s Superintendent of Police, overseeing the Training and Professional Standards program. He was commanding officer of the Accident Investigations, Training Division and Internal Affairs units and SWAT Chief Hostage and Crisis Negotiator and has many leadership qualifications. He served as an adjunct professor at three colleges as well.

Mayor Christiansen said Mr. Johnson’s wide spectrum of knowledge in law enforcement made him the right person for the job, which had been held by Acting Chief Tim Stump since May 17, 2019, after Marvin Mailey retired as Dover’s police chief.

“It was a difficult task to find the right person to lead this department to new heights of excellence,” said Mayor Christiansen. “Many candidates offered many glowing qualifications. At the end of the day, Thomas Johnson was chosen to lead the department to greater heights of esprit de corps, professionalism, excellence and community trust.

“He is a cop’s cop. Working together, he and his colleagues will continue to exceed their common goal of to ‘protect and serve.’”

Chief Johnson was joined by family members, former colleagues in law enforcement, many members of Dover’s Police Department and members of Dover City Council and city staff.

“This is an incredible moment in my life,” he said. “The list of folks that I need to say ‘Thank you’ to is impossible for me to accomplish in just one moment at one podium. Someone who has been in my position said, ‘Take a moment to try and make eye contact with everybody because there’s only one of these and you’ve got to try to absorb it.’

“I wish you could see what I see right now, because I see quality, I see service, I see dedication, I see commitment, I see family, I see all the things that anybody with any common sense would want to be around.”

He started out by thanking his family members, with his mother, Ruth, coming first and then his wife, Janice, and children Tom III and Carly.

Both the mayor and the new police chief agreed that this is the beginning of a new era.

“Today as we move into the 95th year of excellence for the Dover Police Department, we begin a new chapter in the history of the city of Dover,” Mayor Christiansen said. “In 1925, the long line of gray, and blue, of men and women began the task of protecting our community and its citizens.

“Today, we are the best equipped and best trained police department in the State of Delaware with the most dedicated personnel both uniformed and civilian. Our clearance rate for major crimes is the envy for many departments in Delaware and across the nation. We are the gold standard.”

It is that sparkling reputation that caught the eye of Chief Johnson, who will be tasked with finding solutions to recent surges in the numbers of shootings in the capital city and nuisance crimes that have been taking place downtown.

“To the members of the Dover Police Department, the legacy that you have established already is unprecedented,” he said. “The mayor speaks from facts and well-known information. I was never able to find a reason why I should hesitate to say ‘yes’ if for some strange reason I was offered the opportunity to guide you into the next chapter of this police department.”

SUSSEX COUNTY — Three men were arrested following a recent burglary spree in which commercial businesses were primarily targeted in the Delmar, Laurel and Seaford areas.

Delaware State Police spokesman Master Cpl. Michael Austin said incidents were investigated from Jan. 1 through Feb. 6. Locations included Rt. 30 Auto & Truck and Clayton Homes in Laurel, Driveline Auto Sales and Sussex Scrap & Metal in Delmar, and Kroegers Salvage in Seaford.

Additionally troopers determined that a residential burglary was also related.

Police said that in each incident suspects made forcible entries and made off with auto parts, metal, motor vehicles, heavy machinery and other miscellaneous property. During the lone residential burglary two firearms were among the property that was stolen, according to authorities.

Police said Dustin J. Mussog, 25, of Selbyville, Robert L. Barger Jr., 30, of Delmar and Dylan M. Lecates, 21, of Delmar, were identified as persons of interest.

On Feb. 8, police obtained a search warrant for a residence in the 11000 block of Chalfant Dr. in Laurel where the three men lived, Cpl. Austin said. Police said the search yielded a large amount of stolen property that was confirmed to be associated with the burglaries.

Mr. Mussog and Mr. Barger were taken in to custody without incident at the residence. Police said Mr. Lecates surrendered to detectives on Wednesday.

Burglary, attempted burglary, theft, attempted theft, motor vehicle theft, possession of burglar tools, conspiracy and criminal mischief charges were filed, some with multiple counts.

The men were arraigned and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution in Georgetown on secured bail – Mr. Mussog on $38,500, Mr. Barger on $40,500 and Mr. Lecates on $80,000.

Police asked anyone with information to contact Detective L. Coleman of the Troop 4 Criminal Investigative Unit by calling 752-3813. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or online at delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.

DOVER — Four juveniles were charged with illegal gang participation following an armed robbery try early Wednesday night, Dover Police spokesman Master Cpl. Mark Hoffman said.

Charmize Seymore-West 16, allegedly displayed a loaded .22 caliber handgun after approaching a Nissan Altima with three 17-year-old males, police said. A 19-year-old male inside attempted to stop the juveniles after one opened the rear door, according to authorities. Two other persons at the vehicle were also approached, police said.

Police said the Nissan Altima fled from the parking lot of 111 S. West St. at approximately 5:05 p.m.

The incident was reported via a 911 call and officers arrived at the downtown area scene within two minutes, police said. The juveniles were seen running from the area and apprehended, authorities said.

The Seymore-West youth (possessing a handgun at the time, authorities said) was arrested along with Zyair Garner, Jason Cruz and Xavier Cruz, police said.

The youths — all Dover residents — were all charged with first-degree attempted robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, illegal gang participation, and second-degree conspiracy.

The Seymore-West, Cruz and Cruz youths were all charged with possession of a firearm/ammunition by person prohibited (two counts). Garner was charged with possession of a firearm by person prohibited. Seymore-West and Garner were charged with aggravated menacing.

The teens were committed to a juvenile detention facility — Cruz and Cruz on $151,000 cash bond each, Seymore-West and Garner on $147,000 and $141,000 secured bond, respectively. Their parents and/or guardians were notified, police said

MUNICH — A senior U.S. official said Friday the United States and the Taliban have reached a truce agreement that will take effect “very soon” and could lead to withdrawals of American troops from Afghanistan.

The official said the agreement for a seven-day “reduction in violence” to be followed by the start of all-Afghan peace talks within 10 days is “very specific” and covers the entire country including Afghan forces.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss details ahead of an official announcement.

The developments come as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper met Friday in Munich with Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani. They spoke on the sidelines of an international security forum in Munich.

A truce had been widely anticipated, and President Donald Trump has agreed in principle to the deal, which could lead to the start of significant U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan, according to U.S. officials.

The final details were hammered out in recent days by U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar. Khalilzad was in Munich and attended Pompeo and Esper’s meeting as did Gen. Scott Miller, the commander of the U.S.-led international force in Afghanistan.

People familiar with the plan’s outlines say it calls for the successful conclusion of the weeklong truce to be followed within 10 days by the start of all-Afghan negotiations to set the road map for the country’s political future.

U.S. officials have brushed aside claims that a Taliban ultimatum forced their hand. And they noted that, despite Trump’s campaign pledge to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan and elsewhere, the Republican president has nixed previous deals that appeared close in response to attacks on U.S. forces.

BEIJING — More than 1,700 Chinese medical workers have been infected by the new virus that has killed nearly 1,400 people and spread to other parts of Asia and as far as the U.S. and Europe, a senior Chinese official announced Friday.

Six of the workers have died, Zeng Yixin, vice director of the National Health Commission, said at a news conference.

The health commission is “highly concerned about this issue” and has issued guidelines for the prevention and control of infection within medical institutions, he said.

Medical workers account for about 3.8% of confirmed cases as of three days ago, Zeng said.

The commission also reported another sizable rise in the number of infections as a result of a new way of counting adopted by Hubei province, the hardest-hit area.

Confirmed cases in mainland China rose to 63,851 by the end of Thursday, up 5,090 from the previous day. The death toll rose 121 to 1,380.

Hubei province is now including cases based on a physician’s diagnosis before they have been confirmed by lab tests. Of the 5,090 new cases, 3,095 fell into that category.

The acceleration in the number of cases does not necessarily represent a sudden surge in new infections of the virus that causes COVID-19 as much as the revised methodology.

The health commission has said that the change was aimed at identifying suspected cases so they can be treated more quickly, though experts also saw it as a reflection of the crush of people seeking treatment and the struggle to keep up with a backlog of untested samples in Hubei and its capital, Wuhan, where the disease first surfaced in December.

In Taiwan, about 100 family members of people stuck in Hubei province protested outside Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council headquarters in the capital, Taipei.

About 1,000 Taiwanese hoping to fly home on charter flights have sparked a dispute between their government and China.

One flight brought 247 people back on Feb. 4. Three were not on a passenger list that Taiwan gave to Chinese authorities and one tested positive for the virus, Taiwan’s Central News Agency has reported.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council wants China to step up quarantine work and reach agreements with Taiwan on the names of people on priority lists for flights.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office accused Taiwan on Wednesday of “using all kinds of excuses to obstruct and delay” flights. China sees self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory rather than an independent state.

“We don’t want to politicize it, we want charter flights,” said protester Chung Chin-ming, chairman of the Chinese Cross-Strait Marriage Coordination Association in Taipei.

Elsewhere, Japan confirmed seven more cases, a day after it reported its first death from the virus. Japan now has 258 confirmed cases, including 218 from a cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, that has been quarantined in Yokohama.

Health officials allowed 11 elderly passengers to leave the ship on Friday after they tested negative for the virus. They are the first group of dozens of older passengers expected to get off the vessel before their 14-day quarantine period ends on Feb. 19 to reduce risks of their health deteriorating.

Japanese Health Minister Katsunobu Kato on Thursday said passengers age 80 or older with chronic health issues or in cabins without windows that can open will be able to leave the ship if they pass the virus test.

More than 580 cases have been confirmed outside mainland China and three deaths, one each in the Philippines and Hong Kong and now a Japanese woman in her 80s. Health officials are investigating how she got infected.

In an unprecedented attempt to contain the disease, the Chinese government has placed the hardest-hit cities — home to more than 60 million — under lockdown. People are restricted from entering or leaving the cities, and in many places can only leave their homes or residential complexes for shopping and other daily needs.

For Michele Xiques Arnold, receiving a Delaware Division of the Arts fellowship for choreography and dance meant a lot of things — but top of mind was being better prepared to help the students at her dance academy.
Mrs. Arnold, director of First State Dance Academy, was selected as one of 19 Delaware artists by the division for their work. Portfolios from nearly 140 local creatives — from choreographers, to composers, to writers, to visual artists — were judged by out-of-state arts professionals.

“It’s nice to have recognition in the accolades from the state, which will hopefully tell people when they’re searching to find dance academy, pick First State,” she said.

Earning the Established Professional Award, Mrs. Arnold said she plans to use the $6,000 prize on a ballet show inspired by “Harry Potter.”

The show, presented by the academy’s DanceCompany-X, is set to debut at 6 p.m. on April 25 at Cape Henlopen High School near Lewes.

“There’s a lot of ‘Harry Potter’ fans, so I’m hoping this ballet will draw people who may have never been to the ballet to our show and have a new appreciation of it,” she said.

Mrs. Arnold was the recipient of the same award in 2014, as an emerging professional.

“This means a lot to me, recognizing me as an established professional,” she said.

Since that first award, she said that she has continued to improve.

“When I find music and stories, it challenges me, it pushes me,” she said. “If I’m not comfortable with something, I’ll research the style of dances. With each opportunity I get to choreograph, I grow.”

The show will take shape over the next few months. The work began with Mrs. Arnold settling on a story she enjoyed and taking notes to figure out how to adapt it to make sense on stage as a ballet. Next comes auditions, casting, finding music to match the mood to communicate to the audience, costumes, sets and backdrops.

This isn’t the first time Mrs. Arnold has adapted a popular series of beloved books. In 2011, she adapted “Twilight” for the stage. The show nearly sold out, and had a line wrapped around the building, she said.

Ballet, she noted, gets a bad rap for being perceived as long and boring, but she wants people to be excited about coming to a live show.

“Local dance companies can put on good shows, too,” she said. “People are always surprised — ‘Wow, I didn’t expect that.’ That’s kind of cool. I’m proud of my kids and crew.”

Mrs. Arnold’s dance career began in South Carolina, before her family was later stationed in Dover. There, she found Marion Tracy Dance Studio, where she continued her dance training until she attended Point Park University on a dance scholarship.

After going to New York to pursue a professional dance career, Mrs. Arnold focused on ballet and earned two professional dance contracts, where she worked for Empire State Ballet in New York and the Atlanta Ballet in Georgia.

“I decided I wanted to do more with dance, but on the other side of it,” she said. “So I came home to Delaware.”

In Delaware, she worked as an assistant to the director and as a teacher at Delaware Ballet until Maria Fry Bagley asked if she would take over her dance studio in Milford.

“You never stop,” she said of her work at First State. “Even though I leave the studio, I’m working on future schedules and programs, always trying to do more research and better the academy.”

The academy, she said, is a safe and nurturing environment for dancers.

“Student can come in to dance for fun or for social reasons, or they can come in with professional hopes and dreams,” she said. “We want to create that has an equal balance of being able to offer instruction to each individual child’s goals.”

Although she has been teaching for nearly 30 years, Mrs. Arnold is looking forward to learning more in the future, she said. She noted an interest in doing in depth workshops and training for ballet to hone her own skills.

“The better I can be, the more I can do for my students,” she said.

“I’m grateful I have the dancers and the opportunity to be able to do this, because that’s what I do. That’s my job, that’s my life and I love it. I don’t just do this on the side for fun; I do it because I’m serious about it,” she continued. “The academy has tons of success stories. That’s the best part of having my academy, we’re able to provide that.”

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors have declined to charge former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, closing an investigation into whether he lied to federal officials about his involvement in a news media disclosure, McCabe’s legal team said Friday.

The decision resolves a criminal investigation that spanned more than a year and began with a referral from the Justice Department’s inspector general, which said McCabe repeatedly lied about having authorized a subordinate to share information with a newspaper reporter for a 2016 article about an FBI investigation into the Clinton Foundation.

McCabe’s lawyers said in a statement they were told in a phone call and letter that the case is closed and “no charges will be brought against him based on the facts.”

McCabe, a frequent target of attacks from President Donald Trump, has denied that he intentionally misled anyone. He has said his 2018 firing — for what the Justice Department called “lack of candor” — was politically motivated. He sued the Justice Department in August, saying officials had used the inspector general’s conclusions as a pretext to rid the FBI of leaders Trump perceived as biased against him.

In a letter on Friday, prosecutors told McCabe’s lawyers that they decided “not to pursue criminal charges against your client” after careful consideration.

“Based on the totality of the circumstances and all of the information known to the government at this time, we consider the matter closed,” said the letter, signed by the chief of the U.S. attorney’s office’s public corruption unit.

The decision was revealed at the week of startling tensions between Trump and the Justice Department over the treatment of one of the Republican president’s longtime allies and confidants, Roger Stone. It is likely to further agitate Trump, who has repeatedly and loudly complained that the Justice Department has pursued his former aides and advisers but not prosecuted his perceived political foes. Attorney General William Barr pushed back at Trump in a television interview on Thursday, saying the president’s tweets about ongoing criminal cases are making his job impossible.”

The decision to spare McCabe criminal charges eliminates the prospect of a sensational trial that would have refocused public attention on the chaotic months of 2016, when the FBI was entangled in presidential politics through investigations touching both main contenders — Democrat Hillary Clinton and Trump, her Republican opponent.

The investigation by the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington arose from an October 2016 story in The Wall Street Journal that described internal debates roiling the FBI and the Justice Department weeks before the presidential election about how aggressively the Clinton Foundation should be investigated. The article recounted a particularly tense phone call between McCabe and a senior Justice Department official about the investigation.

The inspector general’s report said McCabe repeatedly told internal investigators that he had not authorized anyone at the FBI to speak with the reporter and that he did not know who he did. The report said McCabe ultimately corrected that account and confirmed that he had encouraged the conversation with the reporter to counter a narrative that he thought was false.

McCabe has denied any wrongdoing and has said he was distracted by the tumult surrounding the FBI and the White House — one of the interviews took place the same day that former FBI Director James Comey was fired — during the times he was questioned.

“During these inquiries, I answered questions truthfully and as accurately as I could amidst the chaos that surrounded me,” McCabe has said in a statement. “And when I thought my answers were misunderstood, I contacted investigators to correct them.”

McCabe has been a target of Trump’s attacks since even before he was elected, after news emerged in the fall of 2016 that McCabe’s wife had accepted campaign contributions from a political action committee associated with former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe during an unsuccessful run for the state Senate there.

FRANKFORD — Technically, Laurence Corrigan is a one-person police force.

He doesn’t view it that way. He considers the Frankford town council, staff and community at large as unofficial deputies.

“I’ve got great folks behind — and in front of me,” said the Frankford police chief during his monthly update/presentation at the Feb. 3 town council meeting.

Chief Corrigan was sworn in Friday, Nov. 22, filling Frankford’s more than two-year police chief void created when Mark Hudson resigned in July 2017.

Chief Corrigan is big on outreach, for both children, adults and families.

In the Frankford community, it includes interactive reading sessions with children as part of a partnership with the Frankford Public Library. The chief says he will wear a Dr. Seuss hat when he reads to kids.

Thus far, two party events for kids have been held at the town hall/police headquarters, one over holiday break and the most recent Saturday, Feb. 1.

“The last one we actually had four generations of one family here. We’re trying to do it at least once a month,” said Chief Corrigan, who worked previously with the Fenwick Island and Selbyville police departments.

For adults, the game plan in the works is to hold periodic Coffee with a Cop hours with adults for open discussion at the Frankford Diner. “That’s what I did in Selbyville and it went over very well. It’s very productive,” he said.

He has been approached by residents about forming something along the lines of a citizens’ police patrol.

“We’re at the infancy of that,” said Chief Corrigan. “We’ve got to vet that. That is going to take some research on my part, because it’s got to be done correctly. Right now, with a brand new agency, we’ve got to get everything right. I’d like to have that to up within six months. I think it’s going to be a winner.”

At the council meeting, he reported that he has been in contact with CHEER Inc., which serves senior citizens in Sussex County about programs.

He also has been approached by Brandywine Counseling, to possibly collaborate on a weekly stop in Frankford to assist in the battle against opiate addiction. Based in Milford, Brandywine Counseling has an RV that comes to towns in southern Delaware. It includes a nurse practitioner and counselors who are authorized to hand out anti-opiates, in this case Suboxone, Chief Corrigan said. Several other police departments, among them Selbyville and Laurel, utilize this counseling service, he said.

“They are asking to be here three hours a week, counseling those addicted to opiate issues. They’re not handing out drugs,” said Chief Corrigan. “My theory is, if it doesn’t work out for us, we’ll stop it, if it comes here.”

He also made note that the town and police are now armed with a camera system at the Frankford Community Park, offering various angles of surveillance.

Chief Corrigan’s other initiatives include:

•programs for internet crime training for parents to protect their children and elderly-related programs to protect them fraudulent activities;

•traffic education;

•possible mental health professional intervention to address any needs of that nature, particularly with children in the community;

•after-school programs for the children.

“Our goals and objectives we have outlined are being met,” said Chief Corrigan. “I think we are doing very well. We’ve got a long way to go. I am certainly not a complacent guy. I thoroughly enjoy being busy. I think when you are an approachable police agency people approach you. When people approach you, they have complaints. I’ve been doing this for 37 years.”

Chief Corrigan, in his state of town’s police force address, complimented Cheryl Lynch, the town clerk, on her behind-the-scenes effort to prepare for events and activities.

Additionally, Chief Corrigan said he was deeply touched in that he recently had the honor of swearing in officers at Frankford Volunteer Fire Company Station 76.

“I am not a volunteer fireman. I have always admired what they are doing,” he said. “At 2 in morning, if I am out, I am probably getting paid. These folks are getting out of warm beds to fight fires and protect us. That was a big deal for me. It’s critical in that we are all working together.”

Chief Corrigan notes that a good portion of his time must be devoted to administrative and paperwork. He hopes that may change this year.

“By the close of this year I am hoping to have a second officer here to help. I predicted it was going to be a pretty long year but some of my colleagues in the other towns said it’s probably going to be a long first two years,” said Chief Corrigan. “But we’re not wavering. We’re not going anywhere. We’re going to really make this work.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Avenatti, the combative lawyer who gained fame by representing a porn star in lawsuits involving President Donald Trump, was convicted Friday of trying to extort sportswear giant Nike.

The verdict was returned Friday by a federal jury in Manhattan following a three-week trial in which prosecutors said Avenatti threatened to use his media access to hurt Nike’s reputation and stock price unless the company paid him up to $25 million.

The convictions for attempted extortion and honest services fraud carry a combined potential penalty of 42 years in prison.

Avenatti glared at the jurors as the verdict was being announced but said nothing.

Afterward, he shook hands with his lawyers and told them “great job,” before he was led back to the cell where he has been held since a judge found he had violated his bail conditions.

His lawyer, Scott Srebnick, declined to comment but said he would appeal the conviction. A judge set sentencing for June.

Avenatti, 48, became a cable news fixture in 2018 and 2019 as journalists courted him for information about porn star Stormy Daniels and her claims of a Trump tryst before he became president, and a payoff to remain silent about it. At his peak of notoriety, Avenatti used Twitter and TV appearances to relentlessly criticize Trump and even considered running for president himself.

But Avenatti’s fall was swift. He was arrested as he was about to meet Nike lawyers last March to press his demands for millions of dollars to conduct an internal probe of the Beaverton, Oregon-based apparel maker.

Avenatti maintained he was taking the aggressive position at the urging of his client, Gary Franklin, who ran a youth basketball league in Los Angeles and was angry that Nike ended a decadelong sponsorship that provided $72,000 annually and free gear. He sought $1.5 million for Franklin, as well.

Franklin testified that two Nike executives forced him to pay money to the mother of an elite high school basketball player and to pass along payments to the handlers of other players while doctoring paperwork to hide the purpose of the funds.

Avenatti did not testify, but his lawyers said he was following the wishes of Franklin and an entertainment executive who advised him to be aggressive to force Nike to fire corrupt executives and fix its culture.

Besides the extortion trial, Avenatti also faces an April trial in New York on charges that he defrauded Daniels of book proceeds and a May trial in Los Angeles on charges that he defrauded clients and others of millions of dollars.

He remains held without bail. Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles succeeded last month in getting him locked up after saying he violated his $300,000 bail by moving money around illegally after his arrest.