DOVER — Department of Safety and Homeland Security Secretary Robert Coupe plans to step down next month to join the Department of Justice, the state announced Friday. He is set to be replaced by the superintendent of Delaware State Police.

Gov. John Carney said Mr. Coupe will soon depart the agency he has led for the past three years. The governor intends to nominate Col. Nathaniel McQueen Jr. of the state police as the next secretary.

“There are few people across our state who are more well-respected, and more committed to serving the people of Delaware, than Secretary Coupe,” Gov. Carney said in a statement. “When I was elected Governor in 2016, he was the clear choice to lead the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. He spent almost three decades at the Delaware State Police, rising through the ranks to become Superintendent, and later took on the unique and difficult challenge of leading the Department of Correction.”

This will mark the fourth departure by a cabinet secretary under the current governor.

Mr. Coupe spent almost four years leading the Department of Correction under then Gov. Jack Markell after retiring from state police. When Gov. Carney took office, Mr. Coupe stayed in the administration, albeit in a different post.

Col. McQueen was named superintendent in 2012, succeeding Mr. Coupe. A 32-year member of state police, he is the first black Delawarean to lead the law enforcement entity.

“I am truly humbled and honored to be nominated by Governor Carney as the next Secretary of Safety and Homeland Security,” Col. McQueen said in a statement. “I am grateful for his trust and confidence in me to lead and serve as a member of his Cabinet. I thank Secretary Coupe for his leadership and guidance. He has been a true inspiration to us all.”

The Department of Safety and Homeland Security, which employs about 1,200 people, is responsible for the safety and security of all Delawareans. In addition to state police, it contains Delaware Capitol Police, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency, the Office of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner and the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement, among other units.

Col. McQueen’s nomination is expected to be vote on by the Senate in March.

Mr. Coupe will serve as chief of staff for Attorney General Kathy Jennings, following Greg Patterson, who recently joined the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

“I am thrilled that Rob will be joining our team,” Ms. Jennings said in a statement. “His reputation precedes him, not only as a leader in State government, but as a public safety official who for decades has earned the admiration of everyone he has worked with.

“I have worked alongside Rob for years and I’m looking forward to working with him on the issues at the heart of our mission: making Delaware’s justice system more fair and equal for everyone, upholding public safety, and protecting Delawareans’ rights from injustices in our state and nationally.”

SEAFORD – A Lincoln, Delaware man who police say fired a shotgun round into the door of a Seaford business was arrested early Friday morning.

According to Seaford Police Department spokesman Master Cpl. Eric Chambers, Greg R. Harding, 50, was apprehended in the Milford area with the assistance of the Greenwood Police Department and Delaware State Police shortly after the incident that occurred around 12:46 a.m. Feb. 14.

The business is located in the 700 block of Norman Eskridge Highway.

Through investigation, police learned the defendant had arrived at the business but was refused service because of his level of intoxication.

After leaving the business, Harding pulled his vehicle up to the front doors, produced a shotgun and fired one round into the front door of the business, Cpl. Chambers said. 

Three employees were standing just inside of the business on the other side of the doorway, Cpl. Chambers said. There was no report of any injuries.

Harding fled prior to police arrival but was apprehended a short time later. In a search of the defendant’s vehicle, police located a 12-gauge shotgun and a 9mm handgun.

Police charged Harding with:

• Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony;
• Two counts Aggravated Menacing;
• Three counts Reckless Endangering 1st Degree;
• Criminal Mischief;
• Possession of a Firearm While Under the Influence;
• Discharging Firearm Within City Limits; and
• Disorderly Conduct         

Harding was committed to the Department of Corrections in lieu of $62,200 cash bail.

Martin Ingelsby always thought Kevin Anderson was going to be a pretty good college basketball player.

But the question four years ago was whether the Delaware recruit would be a good college point guard.

Anderson wasn’t very experienced at the position when Ingelsby signed him out of high school.

“He was a guy who came onto the radar late on the AAU circuit,” said Ingelsby, UD’s fourth-year coach. “I loved his size, his feel, his ability and (wanted to) really mold him into an all-around, complete guard.

“That’s what’s he’s done. His ability to think the game and feel things has been fun to see.”

Anderson’s ability to give Delaware a little bit of everything is one of the reasons the Hens are having their best season since 2014.

With a seven-game winning streak, the Hens (9-4 CAA, 19-7 overall) moved into second place in the Colonial Athletic Association after their 81-75 win at Elon on Thursday night.

Going into today’s 4 p.m. CAA showdown at William & Mary (9-5 CAA, 17-10 overall), Anderson is one of four Hens averaging at least 12 points per game. He leads the team with 93 assists, is third at an average of 3.8 rebounds and is frequently given the toughest defensive assignments.

The 6-foot-5 redshirt junior has had as many as 32 points, 10 rebounds or nine assists in different game this season.

“He’s great,” junior guard Nate Darling said about Anderson. “I always tell him, he’s a motor — ‘If you’ve got it going, we’ve got it going.’”

In a 73-71 win at Hofstra on Jan. 23, Anderson went coast-to-coast to lay in the winning basket just before the final buzzer. The play was voted the best of the day on ESPN’s Sports Center.

Then, in an 80-78 win over James Madison last Saturday, Anderson came with a steal then eventually led to him scoring the go-ahead basket in the closing minutes.

“I’ve probably said this plenty of times before, but at the beginning of this year I told myself that I’m going to be the best defender in this league,” he said. “And I’m still trying to pride myself on being the best defender.”

“He just continues to grow as a basketball player,” said Ingelsby. “He’s just really a dynamic, all-around basketball player. He’s shooting the basketball as well as he’s ever shot in his career. We ask him to do a lot so I couldn’t be happier with his growth and development.

“He’s starting to think like a coach out there — which I love. I think before, he just played. Now it’s more observing what’s going on — sensing things and feeling it. He’s got a louder voice in our huddles, he’s thinking for me at times. His effectiveness has been fabulous.”

UD class highly touted

Judging a college football recruiting class is hardly an exact science.

So, with that in mind, Delaware’s latest group of high school signees has been rated No. 3 nationally among Division I FCS schools by HERO Sports. That’s the highest that HERO has rated a Blue Hen class.

Delaware was ninth a year ago.

Three incoming recruits, defensive lineman Fintan Brose (No. 15), linebacker R.J. McNamara (No. 65) and running back Marcus Yarns (No. 83) are ranked among the Top-100 incoming recruits by HERO Sports.

“This is an extremely talented group that not only has had success on the football field, but off the field as well,” said coach Danny Rocco. “It’s a group that is filled with student-athletes that will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact on our program and I’m excited for their future with us here at Delaware.”

Wesley still in first

The Wesley College men’s basketball team returns to action today with a slightly tighter hold on first place in the Atlantic East Conference standings.

The Wolverines (14-8 overall) are 8-1 in the AEC while Gwyned-Mercy fell to 7-2 in conference after losing to Marymount.

Wesley has three AEC regular-season games remaining, starting with today’s 3 p.m. contest at Marywood (1-8, 6-16). The Wolverines wrap up their schedule with a Feb. 22nd date at Gwynedd-Mercy, which could decide the regular-season title.

The top two teams in the league earn first-round byes in the six-team conference tournament.

Notes

• Devaughn Mallory (Polytech High) is leading the Jefferson men’s basketball team in scoring with 18.5 points per game. The former Delaware State transfer scored 30 points in a victory over Wilmington on Wednesday.

• Altia Anderson, a Woodbridge High product, scored a season-high 15 points in Marquette’s women’s basketball win over St. John’s this week. Anderson shot 7-of-7 from the field in the victory.

• Wilmington University’s baseball squad has three former Henlopen Conference players om its roster, including outfielder Quintin Ivy (Caesar Rodney), first baseman/pitcher J.J. Killen (Indian River) and pitcher/shortstop Matt Warrington (Sussex Tech). The Wildcats open the season next Friday in Myrtle Beach. S.C.

• In softball, Wilmington coach Mike Shehorn’s roster includes outfielder Rosa’Lynn Burton (Caesar Rodney), third baseman/outfielder Sara Miller (Smyrna) and first baseman Jordyn Virden (Cape Henlopen).

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.

• They need to be audited.— Clint Brothers

• Sounds like they are hiding something and are now afraid of being caught. — Travis Rust

• I believe that anyone who receives state funds should be able to be audited by our state auditor, — UD, Wesley and any small nonprofit too. — Steve Grossman

•Agreed. More accountability is a good thing when it comes to overseeing the recipients of tax monies. — Mike Rowe

• They need to be audited and if receive state funds, then why do they not pay property taxes to City of Newark? – Linda White Lane

• Every school system needs to be audited! — Judy Malin Mangini

• Kind of thought that was already happening. — Phillip Reynolds

• If everything is above board why would they mind an audit? Sounds to me like there may be some funny business going on which is all the more reason to audit them. Look at what is happening at Wesley. If someone had audited them maybe they wouldn’t be stealing money out of the taxpayer’s pocket. — Ronnie Ponde

• Maybe Wesley is not the only problem? — Daniel A. Miller

• Any entity that receives taxpayers money should be open to state audit — period! I guess they’re afraid we will find out why higher education is soooooo expensive. — — Robert Hawthorne

• In 1950, Delaware’s Chancery Court Vice Chancellor Seitz ruled in Parker vs University of Delaware that “I conclude that the University of Delaware is an agency of the State of Delaware under the common law and under the constitutional test required by the 14th Amendment. The actions of its Trustees must be judged in that light.

He also found “Other statutes require the President of the University to make an annual report on all aspects of the University to the Trustees who shall transmit the same to the Governor to be by him presented to the Legislature. The accounts of the Treasurer of the University are to be audited by the Auditor of Accounts in the same manner as the accounts of “other State officers.”

Findings from this case are relevant to the discussion about transparency and finances at the University of Delaware. I have not found any information that changes these findings but can’t rule that out as a possibility. — Bill Bowden

• How does any entity that receives money from the state not be subject to an audit? Something smells here.— Bob Hice

I literally would not wish cancer on my worst enemy. However in the words of Trump, this is the reason why Rush Limbaugh has received the Medal of Freedom.

This medal has previously been given to people who have done good for society, i.e., Mother Theresa , Rosa Parks, etc. To give this metal to Rush Limbaugh cheapens its meaning. Like Joseph Goebbels, this man gets on the radio and spews a steady stream of hate.

I know this is an election year and the propaganda will get worse, but as Americans, let’s hold certain values on high, where they belong; like the truth.

Paul Donnelly
Dover

While Mr. Grant and AAA are well-intentioned, I respectfully suggest that their position on marijuana legalization is the wrong one (“Commentary: AAA concerned about marijuana’s effect on driving”).

First, they are mistaken to say “wait for more data to better understand the societal implications of full legalization.” “Good Grief Charlie Brown”; all the data available is in, and new data is unlikely to shed light on this problem! Pot is the most studied and analyzed drug on the planet! And most importantly, in all the states where it has been legalized, the many benefits (less crime, increased tax revenue, — often used for drug treatment programs, less addiction, far less costs on prosecutions and jail or prison costs, etc, ) far outweigh any problems caused by legalization.

I certainly agree that nobody should be operating any vehicle or heavy equipment or machinery of any kind “while under the influence” of marijuana. It does impair judgment and bodily reaction time.

Sure, the numbers reflect that in many accident cases, the driver had THC in their system. But that is a long way from proving that one was driving under the influence of marijuana, because THC remains in one’s system for as long as 30 days! As anyone who has smoked pot can tell you, the harmful effects last, at the most, 24 hours. After that, one is back to normal and “good to go!”

Perhaps if those at AAA were more conscious of the problems caused by criminalization – mentioned above and including lives ruined by prosecutions solely for possession of pot! – they would change their stance. In any event, the arguments they make are no good reason not to legalize pot!

Ken Abraham
Dover

WILMINGTON — David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Peter Coker, 50, of Dover was sentenced Friday in federal court in Delaware to 21 months in prison for willfully failing to pay over $1.1 million in payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.

According to court documents and statements made in open court, Coker was the sole owner of Sitework Safety Supplies Inc., a flagging company in Delaware. Between tax years 2012-2014 and 2016, Coker willfully failed to remit federal income, Medicare, and Social Security taxes he withheld from Sitework employees’ paychecks, as well as Sitework’s taxes due and owing, to the IRS.

In addition to the term of incarceration imposed by United States District Judge Richard A. Andrews, Coker was also ordered to pay $1.145 million in restitution.

“The law requires all individuals and business owners to pay taxes that are owed to the IRS,” Mr. Weiss said. “Government programs and services on which we all rely are funded by that tax revenue. Here, the defendant collected taxes from his employees, but did not pay over those funds to the IRS. As a result, Social Security, Medicare, and other government programs had no record of those employees having properly paid. This prison sentence demonstrates that those who willfully violate the tax laws and cheat their own employees, all for personal gain, will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

“Peter Coker cheated his employees and the government when he failed to pay over to the IRS the taxes withheld from his employees’ wages,” said Guy Ficco, IRS criminal investigation special agent in charge. “As a result of his actions, his employees are at risk of losing future Social Security and Medicare benefits. IRS-CI will work tirelessly to ensure that perpetrators of similar crimes are held accountable.”

“Peter Coker knowingly avoided paying federal employment taxes. In doing so, he intentionally diverted tax revenue intended, in part, to fund costs of administering important job service programs, including the federal-state unemployment insurance program. Today’s sentencing affirms the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals whose actions adversely affect the American workforce,” said Derek Pickle, special agent-in-charge, Washington, D.C. Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Department of Labor, in coordination with Delaware Department of Labor. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander P. Ibrahim and Graham L. Robinson.

Delmarva Christian out-scored Lake Forest High by 12 in the fourth quarter to pull away to a 68-55 victory over the Spartans in boys’ basketball on Friday night.

The victory was the ninth in a row for the Royals, who finish the regular season with a record of 18-2.

Andrew Workman (20 points), Gabe Herling (18) and Christopher Vonhof (15) all paced Delmarva Christian, which out-scored Lake Forest, 29-17, over the final eight minutes. Workman and Herling each sank four of the Royals’ 12 three-pointers in the contest.

Jaysem Vaquez netted a game-high 27 points for the Spartans.

Smyrna 76, Polytech 47: The Eagles shook off an early three-point deficit, going on an 18-4 third-quarter run, in the North win.

Brandon Smith (16), Robert Wiley (10) and Elisha Gregory (10) led Smyrna (15-4) to its fourth win in a row.

Kamron Wilkerson and Kade Seip had nine points apiece for the Panthers.

Delmar 52, Sussex Academy 18: The Wildcats out-scored the Seahawks, 32-12, in the second half of their South victory.

Girls’ basketball

Polytech 61, Smyrna 16: Senior Yaa Yaa Afriyie matched her career high by scoring 33 points for the Panthers (12-7) in their North victory.

Delmarva Christian 62, Seaford 29: The Royals (19-1) built a 26-12 halftime lead before winning their 11th game in a row to close the regular season.

Delmarva Christian was paced by Sierra Troyer (14), Kandice Schlabach (11) and Savannah Stewart (10).

Christiana 44, St. Thomas More 8: Briana Altidor hit a pair of three-pointers for the Ravens in the loss.

College baseball

Elon 16, Delaware State 4: The Phoenix combined for 13 runs in the fourth and fifth innings in the season opener for both teams.

Four Elon pitchers held the Hornets to four hits in the game, singles by Mark Herron, Krew Bouldin, Jared Gillis (Smyrna) and Arthur Burrell.

Hens postponed after Hutchins’ HR: Delaware will resume its season opener this afternoon, trailing Florida Atlantic 5-1 in the bottom fourth inning after being rained out on Friday night.

Junior Jordan Hutchins (Dover) was the bright spot for the Blue Hens with a solo shot to left field to lead off the fourth inning before the delay and postponement.

College softball

Delaware takes two: Delaware softball team opened play at the Incarnate Word Cardinal Invitational on Friday by defeating Grambling, 9-4, and Cleveland State, 7-2.

The Blue Hens improved to 6-1 on the year, tied for the second best start in program history. UD opened with 12 consecutive wins during its inaugural year in 1976, and also was 6-1 in 1981 and 2013.

Brooke Glanden (Lake Forest) delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth, before she scored on a sacrifice fly in the opener.

Hornets swept in openers: Northern Illinois scored five runs in the top of the first inning and held on for an 8-5 win over Delaware State in the Hornets’ season opener at the Coastal Carolina Battle at the Beach.

DSU also fell to Jacksonville State 10-0 in a tournament contest later in the day.

In the opener, the Hornets were only outhit 12-11 in the game, but the Hornets were plagued by four errors. Hannah Crumblish, Caitlin Meyer, Alaena Seldon and Kaleigh Berry had two hit each for DSU.

By John Gardner

The way Medicare currently pays for the prescription drugs beneficiaries need is being challenged by a bill that, in the sole interest of cutting government’s costs, would make it more difficult for patients to access medications and diminish investments in new drug research.

This pet bill of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, H.R. 3 would force Medicare, as well as private plans, to abandon the present drug pricing system. Instead, prices would be fixed and based on the costs charged in a select group of foreign health care systems that are government controlled.

The prices set by those nations have no basis in either the cost of development and production, or what consumers actually pay for them.

Implementing this change would have two significant negative impacts on patients.

First, below market pricing would discourage the availability of many physician-prescribed drugs and therapies, just as it does in foreign nations with state-run systems.

In Australia, one of the countries Speaker Pelosi proposes we emulate, only 36 percent of new drugs are available to doctors and patients. In the U.S., we can utilize 90 percent of them. Other targeted nations are not much better. For instance, Japan has access to only 51 percent of available new drugs and in the UK, arguably the highest performing reference country system, they only have access to 59 percent.

Secondly, reference pricing would dissuade investment in biopharmaceutical research and development, slowing the flow of new drugs in the pipeline for patients hoping for a cure. This was confirmed by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which estimated that just one part of H.R. 3 would reduce revenues that could be spent on new drug development by as much as $1 trillion over 10 years, causing the loss of up to 15 new drugs that might otherwise have been available.

Biopharmaceutical companies already operate in a high-cost business. Johns Hopkins reports developing a new drug now costs $2 to $3 billion. Implementing changes that undercut incentives to invest in R&D initiatives will make it even more difficult for private sector companies to justify the expense of drug innovation and clinical trials, harming the patients who need them most.

But H.R. 3 is not the only threat to Medicare beneficiaries. The Senate Finance Committee is also considering Medicare cost-cutting strategies that would produce more benefits for the government and insurers than they would for patients.

The Senate’s Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019 fails to include changes that directly reduce out-of-pocket costs for patients, while shrinking potential drug innovation investments by more than $100 billion.

AIDS Delaware worked with more than 2,300 Delaware residents last year, including hundreds of older adults and their caregivers. We know firsthand that Medicare health care coverage is an essential support for these seniors, as it is for the many other Delawareans with serious medical conditions. Any program changes endorsed by Congress should put patients first and ensure access to any and all drugs their doctors prescribe.

Neither H.R. 3 nor the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019 meet this standard and both should be discarded.

John Gardner, of Wilmington, is executive director of AIDS Delaware.

By Chris Grundner, Thère du Pont and Todd Veale

We’d like to paint a picture, a small glimpse really, of what our world might look like without nonprofits.

Nobody to help you find shelter after a hurricane or fire destroys your house. No one to talk to or to guide you when you or a loved one is diagnosed with cancer or another life-threatening disease. No safe haven for kids escaping the streets after school.

There certainly are many more examples, but, in part, this would be a world without nonprofits. It is unpleasant to think about, but it serves as a grim reminder how much we need nonprofit organizations.

If you haven’t had to rely on these services, though, you may think nonprofits do great work, but they have nothing to do with you. This could not be further from the truth. Nonprofits are around more than when the unthinkable happens. In fact, you’ve probably benefited from many of them in your lifetime.

The Scout troop program you participated in as a kid — a nonprofit organization.

The animal shelter you adopted from — a nonprofit organization.

The museum you visited last weekend — a nonprofit organization.

The leadership development program you or your friends participated in — a nonprofit organization.

Nonprofits shape our daily lives without us even realizing it. It is time to give back. You don’t have to be rich or a large foundation or corporation to make a difference. Nonprofits need everyday people like you and me to give $5… $15… $50… or $250. Philanthropists come in all shapes and sizes.

Nonprofits will tell you every dollar counts. Your individual donation may not feel like much, but more people making smaller donations is actually the wave of the future of philanthropy in Delaware, and the future starts now.

Starting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 5 until 6 p.m. on Friday, March 6, everyone has the opportunity to be a philanthropist. For those 24 hours, more than 200 nonprofits will be raising money through Do More 24 Delaware, and they need you to get online and donate.

Your personal budget may be small, but don’t let it keep you from becoming an individual philanthropist. Skip that expensive cup of coffee for a few days. Visit www.DoMore24Delaware.org on March 5–6 and start a culture of philanthropy in your life!

Chris Grundner is president and CEO of the Welfare Foundation, Thère du Pont is president of the Longwood Foundation, and Todd Veale is executive director of The Laffey-McHugh Foundation.

DOVER — Lillian Ayers stood in the Dover High hallway just outside of the Caesar Rodney locker room.

All of a sudden, the sound of excited cries echoed out of the locker room.

“You hear them? They’re screaming,” Ayers said. “Yeah, we’re excited.”

And for good reason too. The Rider girls’ basketball team celebrated a season sweep of their local rivals Friday night.

Jada McCullough scored a game-high 20 points, Ayers followed with 12 and Caesar Rodney was able to hang on for a 50-45 victory in a Henlopen Conference Northern Division contest. It was the seventh win in a row for the Riders (14-5).

Caesar Rodney lost both games to the Senators a year ago but returned the favor this season thanks to Friday night and a 58-55 victory on Jan. 7 in another matchup which came down to the final seconds.

“I cried, honestly I’m so happy,” Ayers said. “It’s been a long time since we beat Dover twice like this.”

Teri Bell scored the go-ahead basket for Caesar Rodney off a rebound to make it a 42-40 game with less than three minutes left. The Riders then stole the ball, which led directly to an Ayers layup on the other end.

Heaven Robinson scored a layup and a free throw to pull Dover within 44-43 in the final minute but Ayers answered with a long two-point jumper just inside the three-point line.

Alexia Jordan made a pair of clutch free throws for the Riders in the final 30 seconds before McCullough blocked a potential game-tying three-pointer by the Senators. Ayers sealed it for CR with two more free throws.

“Our percentage from the free throw line has not been the greatest down the stretch in a couple games,” said CR coach Tameka Williams. “But they worked at it all week and shot a lot of free throws in practice. I’m so proud of them.

“I think our kids were just determined not to lose. They have talked about this all week, they’ve been focused in practice, they just really wanted it.”

Not much separated the two teams all night.

The five-point lead at the end of the game by Caesar Rodney was the largest either team held in the contest.

Dover led early in the fourth quarter and a three-pointer by Ally Manifold. McCullough responded with a three-pointer of her own to put CR on top 40-38 with 4:11 left but another bucket by Manifold tied things 40-40 before Bell’s go-head putback.

“We battled hard like we always do,” McCullough said. “No matter what, we always pull through at the end. We don’t get down on ourselves. If they score, we hurry up and get it back. We’re always looking for the next play.”

Robinson led Dover (12-7) with 15 points. Manifold added 11 points, including three three-pointers.

Since a 1-3 start, Caesar Rodney has gone 13-2 in its last 15 games. The Riders end their regular season against Delaware Military Academy on Wednesday at home (5:30 p.m.).

“We had a rough start but we gained momentum,” Ayers said. “This one is big for us because you know it’s the rivalry. It’s huge. Last year we didn’t have a winning record so to have a winning record and beat Dover twice, it’s crazy.”

DOVER — Dover High has nothing against the rest of the Henlopen Northern Division.

But the Senators’ boys’ basketball team wasn’t interested in sharing this year’s North title with anyone.

So Dover went out and claimed its second-straight North crown by pulling away to a 92-76 victory over Caesar Rodney before a sellout crowd on the Riders’ home court Friday night.

The Senators (13-1 North, 17-2 overall) left themselves with the possibility of sharing the division championship with second-place Smyrna after having its 26-game North winning streak snapped by Sussex Tech on Tuesday night.

While Dover would still have represented the North in the Henlopen Conference championship game because it beat Smyrna twice, the Senators didn’t like the sound of ‘co-champions.’

“Coach (Stephen Wilson) told us yesterday at practice, he was like ‘I don’t want to share it,’” said senior guard Elijah Allen, who netted a game-high 31 points. “‘What’s the point in sharing it? Why not just win it for ourselves?’”

“Knowing as much hard work as we put in, we didn’t want to share it,” said Wilson. “We knew we put ourselves in a bad situation after Tuesday night. We knew we were playing in the conference championship game but didn’t want to ‘back door’ in there. We were going to try to do it the right way like we’ve been trying to do it for the last four years.”

Not surprisingly, though, CR (9-5 North, 12-7 overall) wasn’t going to concede anything to Dover on Friday night.

In a matchup played with the intensity of a state tournament contest, the Riders grabbed an early 11-7 lead when Kamal Marvel buried a three-pointer. After withstanding a 10-0 Senator run, CR took its biggest lead of the night — 25-19 — on a three-point play from Marvel with 6:55 remaining in the second quarter.

Dover, though, has made a habit of turning up its defense and scoring points in bunches. This time, the Senators ended the second quarter on a 16-4 run to take the lead for good.

A three-pointer from Eden Davis (13 points) with 24 seconds left in the half left Dover with a 39-31 advantage.

“Basketball is a game of runs,” said Allen. “Coach gave us a game plan, he said ‘Pick up the defense.’

“We practice five quarters, we don’t practice four. We give it 110 percent not just 100.”

“That team has a great ability to make runs,” CR coach Frank Victory said about Dover. “And if you don’t limit the runs, they kind of give you that knockout punch.

“I was proud of the way we played tonight, we were battle-tested. But I think they kind of wore us down in the end.”

The Riders hung in the game through the third quarter, whittling the Senators’ lead down to just one point a couple different times. Dover led 59-54 going into the fourth quarter.

Finally, though, the Senators got their advantage up to 66-56 with 6:34 remaining and CR never cut the lead under nine points the rest of the way. The 16-point final margin matched the Senators’ biggest lead of the game.

Besides Allen, who also had eight rebounds and five assists, senior center Jy’Heim Spencer had a big game with 20 points, 17 rebounds and five assists.

Syed Myles tallied a team-high 23 points for CR with Marvel adding 19. The Riders sank seven three-pointers but only three after the first quarter.

It was a tough week for the Riders. On Tuesday they lost a heart-breaking one-point game to Smyrna on a shot at the buzzer.

Victory, though, thinks that playing in these tough games are good experiences to have going into the DIAA state tournament. CR closes the regular season next Thursday with a non-conference game at Concord.

“That can be disheartening, especially at this point in the season, when you’ve got a couple losses coupled together,” said Victory. “But we’ve got to be able to find a way to regroup. And I think we will, because I know the character of those boys in the locker room.”

Dover also finishes it regular season next Thursday when it hosts Delcastle. The Senators will then try to capture their second-straight Henlopen title before heading to the state tournament.

Reaching their first goal, winning the North, felt pretty good, however. Allen said he and his teammates didn’t let the Sussex Tech loss get them down.

“It woke us up,” he said. “It shouldn’t have taken that for us to wake up but we had two good days of practice which led to the ‘W’ today.”

DOVER — When deciding what day to have their wedding, William Crabtree “couldn’t think of a more romantic day,” he said, sitting with his future bride in the chapel tucked into the Kent County Administration complex.

Mr. Crabtree and Stella Cooper knew each other three decades before, and reconnected once more a couple years ago.

“It was love at first sight as soon as we saw each other,” he said.

“It felt like it was meant to be,” she added.

Before the ceremony, Ms. Cooper — soon to be Mrs. Crabtree — noted that the butterflies were kicking in.

“I just can’t believe we’re up to that point now we’re getting married,” she said.

The couple was among seven others who said their vows on Valentine’s Day in a ceremony performed by Brenda Wootten, clerk of the peace.

“Weddings are as special as can be,” Ms. Wootten said. “It’s the day of love.”

The holiday has been a particularly popular day for couples to say, “I Do” — the most Ms. Wootten recalls is 14 in a day during a past year.

“The main thing is we want them to go out of here remembering what a beautiful service they got and how professional we were to them,” she said.

This year’s holiday falls just short to the amount of couples expecting to wed on Feb. 20. (Ms. Wootten said that she and her deputy clerk, Trish Brown, are each performing a wedding at 2:20 that day.)

But Ms. Wootten took Valentine’s Day to heart in particular and waited to file her paperwork for re-election to the seat, too.

Ms. Wootten, who succeeded her mother, Loretta Wootten, in the role, said that clerk of the peace embodies the values her mother instilled in her.

“My mother raised me to always be a caring person. She has a deep interest in serving others and she instilled that value in me and so I love to make others happy,” she said. “This job is a dream of mine.”

In her role, she leads couples through a ceremony, in a decorated chapel room in the Administrative Building. On Valentine’s Day, the office has the added touch of giving couples a box of chocolate.

In the chapel room, Joshua Brown noted the sign on the wall that states, “I have found the one whom my soul loves.”

“That’s very significant to me,” he said. “Truly, we don’t know who we love until our souls direct us to them.”

He and Tymirra Smack were drawn together because of their inner motivations, he added. Mr. Brown is an aspiring pastor, and the new Mrs. Brown is interested in the health field.

“I think that’s really what brings our souls together,” he said. “It’s a common duality of wanting to help people or just a helper anyway.”

Getting married on Valentine’s Day was especially meaningful for Terrell Wilkerson and Tylicha Thomas.

They agreed that it was their dream day to get married.

“When we expressed that to each other, we had to do it,” Mr. Wilkerson said. “It symbolizes us; it symbolizes the love that we have. We have so much love for each other. It’s only right for this to be the day we get married.”

The couple met through working together in retail, Mrs. Thomas-Wilkerson said.

“I was in his line all the time,” she said. “He was being shy.”

“She made me nervous,” Mr. Wilkerson said. “Every transaction, I would mess up because she’d be looking at me with those eyes.”
In all, Ms. Wootten said the day truly embodied love.

People often say, she added, she has the happiest job in the world.

“It’s special,” she said.

The top two seeds in both Division I and Division II will meet for the DIAA state dual meet wrestling titles tonight.

No. 1 seed Smyrna High will face No. 2 seed Milford High for the Division I crown. Top seed Caravel Academy squares off with No. 2 seed Woodbridge High in the Division II finals.

The final round will begin at 6 p.m. at Smyrna.

Smyrna used a late rally to edge Sussex Central in the semifinals. The fourth-seeded Golden Knights led 30-24 before the Eagles won the final two matches, including two pins.

Amir Pierce had a decision at 132 pounds before Isaiah Jenkins (138) and Joey Natarcola (145) ended the bout with back-to-back pins. J.T. Davis (195), Hugo Harp (220) and Gabe Giampietro (106) also added pins for Smyrna.

Milford defeated third seed Salesianum 36-34 in the semifinals. The Buccaneers clinched after a Trenton Grant pin at 132 pounds for a 36-22 lead. They then forfeited the final two matches.

The Buccaneers won six matches – all via pin. Gage Copes (170), Rafael Mejia (180), Bevensky Augustine (220), Anthony Diaz (285) and Jack Thode (120) each recorded a pin.

Woodbridge defeated Laurel, the third seed, 48-18 in its semifinal matchup. Taeshaun Ford-Jackson (195), Phoenix Dean (220), Michael Hutchinson (285), Duane Cook Jr. (106), Gavin Manning (138) and Brandon Williams (138) led the Blue Raiders with pins.

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.

• Kelly is a never Trumper. What did anyone expect him to say? — Mark Schmalhofer

• I have yet to see anything that says Vindman went to his “superiors”. IF, a very big IF, he had done that, were there really an issue, he would still have a job in The White House. He didn’t he volunteered to be a liberal, anti-Trump patsy. “you want to play, you have to pay”. — Dennis Mehrenberg

• If he went to his White House “superiors” he would have silenced, like the other White House staffers. To the Trumpers, anyone who doesn’t follow the Fearless Leader’s line is a NonTrumper. — Patrick R. Weaver

• Guess you never watched the cross examination. Everything he had to say was only based on his own opinion. — Jeff Grzeszczak

•His boss in the White House was John Bolton. He went to John Bolton and was told “Talk to the lawyers”. That’s just what he did.— John Gemma

• If he would have went to Trump himself he would get fired because Don and the truth have a really, really big problem with each other. — Gary Greer

• Amazing how everyone is dishonest, lies, abuses their power except for the one who stole from his own charity. — William Mazzariello

• This is a story about someone who told a story he heard about from someone else… ughhhh. — Sharon Lee Ponsell

Think about all the television commercials you saw after they passed the Affordable Care Act that showed people getting really low premiums for health care insurance.

The question is how many of them said how much your out of pocket and copays would be? How many said that you had to pay your out of pocket before the insurance would pay anything? I haven’t been able to recall any — only how low your premiums would be.

If you all think it is affordable, then you haven’t talked to anyone who had to use their insurance. And also those premiums have gone up after that first year.

Here’s another question for you to think about: what percentage of your income goes for health insurance, out of pocket and copays? Then what percentage goes for taxes: federal, state, city, county, social security, Medicare? Then we have left to pay for housing, food, clothing, car and home insurance, electric, water, heat, vehicle and the list goes on. Hopefully you have some left to go out once and awhile.

If they wanted to give us a tax break, then start at $50,000. The only tax would be social security and Medicare, then $50,000 to $100,000 would be 10% plus social security and Medicare.

As it increases from $100,000 to $150,000 go up to 12% plus social security and Medicare and up from there it would be 15% to $200,000 and after that it would be 18% for every thing over $200,000.

The percentage is only for the amount of each increase. But everyone would have to file and there would be no exceptions, no credits. That’s why the first $50,000 would be non-taxable except for social security and Medicare, which would only be 6% and 1% for everyone.

Marvin Fortney
Hartly

I am happy to write on behalf of Tracy Torres, current councilwoman and vice mayor of the town of Camden. Tracy is a candidate for mayor in the Feb. 29 town elections. I believe Tracy would make a very fine mayor and I encourage all voters to give her your most serious consideration.

I have known Tracy for several years, having worked with her on many issues important to Camden residents while I served in the State Senate.

On all of those issues, Tracy could routinely be counted on to do the right thing for the residents of the town, even if it meant ruffling some feathers. She was strong in her advocacy of the people. She always did her homework. She studied the issues and she understood the issues. And then, she took action on the issues. She is a positive thinker and a doer. She gets things done.

Tracy Torres has consistently demonstrated a fundamental commitment to the well being of Camden and to its residents. She has a passion for doing the right thing for her constituents. She is a great candidate for mayor.

Brian Bushweller
Former State Senator, 17th District
Dover

By Dr. Mark T. Brainard

At Delaware Technical Community College, we lead students to a career path by providing them with skills they need to succeed in the workplace. Our data show that over 95 percent of our graduates are employed and approximately 55 percent of our most recent graduates are working and pursuing a bachelor’s degree. That data is much different for students graduating from high school.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about one-third of high school graduates are not going immediately to college. We know the best way to help these students prepare for the workforce is to engage them at the middle and high school levels, which is why we were founding partners in the Delaware Pathways initiative.

The program started in 2014 with 27 students pursuing advanced manufacturing certifications and has since grown to include more than 16,000 students statewide. These students are able to explore a career path before they graduate high school, earning certificates or college credits (or both) to help them move more quickly into the workforce following graduation.

Robert Schwartz is professor emeritus at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and co-founder of the Pathways to Prosperity Network. He co-authored a 2011 Harvard report that called on educators, employers, and governments to create support systems so that by the time young adults reach their early 20s, they will be equipped with the education and experience they need to be successful.

He has called Delaware “the poster child for Pathways nationally” and compared us to Switzerland, which has been working on pathways programs for hundreds of years and is considered to be a world leader in that effort.

Pathways is a critical program for our local students, and we join our Delaware business community in urging the state legislature to include $1 million for this initiative in the budget for Fiscal Year 2021. Without such a permanent investment from the state, Pathways will not be sustainable into the future and continue to demonstrate the success it has since 2014.

For the past three years, this key initiative has been supported by grant funding provided by JP Morgan Chase, the Delaware Business Roundtable and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

While the Pathways initiative has received millions of dollars in private investments, that private-sector funding was only meant as a short-term measure to get the program started.

With much of that funding coming to an end next year, Pathways needs to rely more heavily on state funding. And with nearly every public high school in Delaware involved in Pathways, this is an investment that will not only benefit our students, but our entire state.

Delaware is leading the nation in this unique and creative way to serve our youth and ensure they are ready for the workforce. State funding and support of Delaware Pathways is critical to the program’s future, as well as the future of our students, our employers, and our state’s economy.

Dr. Mark T. Brainard is president of Delaware Technical Community College.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Delaware had a lot going for it in the first half on Saturday.

The Blue Hens owned a seven-point lead on William & Mary and Nate Darling had already scored 25 points by intermission.
But good things don’t last forever.

The Tribe stormed back in the second half to upend Delaware, 81-77, and snap the Hens’ seven-game winning streak in CAA men’s basketball before a crowd of 5,090 at Kaplan Arena.

William & Mary (10-5 CAA, 18-10 overall) was also the last team to beat Delaware (9-5 CAA, 19-8 overall), downing the Hens, 77-68, on Jan. 16 in Newark.

“The second half was a half of runs, and they made some big-time shots,” said UD coach Martin Ingelsby. “They’re a good team, and started the second half with a big run that hurt us. I thought we did a great job guarding the three-point line, but didn’t get the stops we needed to on the defensive end.

“We’ve had an unbelievable run, and have nothing to be ashamed about losing to a good team on the road,” Ingelsby said about the Hens’ winning streak. “We are much better than the first time we played them, and I feel really good about where we are. We’re excited to get back home and hopefully the community can come out and support us next week.”

Delaware led 61-60 when Ryan Allen drilled a jumper with 5:51 remaining. However, William & Mary scored the next 10 points, going up 70-61 following a three-point play by Nathan Knight with 3:35 on the clock.

Delaware got back within three at 70-67, and again closed the gap to three twice in the final 20 seconds, but the Tribe hit five of six free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

Darling finished with 36 points, as he buried five three-pointers and hit all 11 of his free throw attempts. Darling broke the UD single-season record for three-pointers, and now has 89 threes on the season with at least three weeks remaining.

The old record was 86, held by both Allen and former standout John Gordon.

Kevin Anderson and Collin Goss each finished with 10 points for the Hens, while Justyn Mutts and Allen both contributed eight.

The 6-10, 254-pound Knight posted his Division I-leading 21st double-double of the season with 33 points and 12 rebounds for the Tribe. William & Mary shot 58.2 percent from the field, including 17 of 28 in the second half.

William & Mary led 32-30 with 5:19 left in the first half before the Hens scored the next 11 points, including the final nine by Darling, to go in front 41-32 at the 2:54 mark. The Tribe answered with a pair of baskets before Dylan Painter scored inside, as Delaware took a 43-36 advantage at halftime.

But William & Mary opened the second half with a 15-2 run, taking a 51-45 lead and forcing a Delaware timeout with 14:15 remaining. Delaware was down seven a minute later but responded with a 13-point spurt of their own to go up 59-53 on a Goss layup at the 9:18 mark.

DOVER — In conjunction with Dover’s Citywide Black History Celebration, the Biggs Museum of American Art is presenting a series of art installations by Delaware State University fine arts professor Billy Colbert.

His exhibition entitled “Lessons: An Exhibition By Billy Colbert” incorporates rare historic video and photographs of African-American life in the United States in the early 20th century alongside artifacts of the separate and unequal educational system on loan from the African-American community of Kent County.

The exhibit brings together sculpture, home movies, oral histories, atmospheric sound, and archival photographs from the artist’s own collection to examine the complex relationship between race and education in the U.S. The landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka of 1954 unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.

“Keeping culture alive is important to me,” Mr. Colbert said.

“For me to do something for what I may feel is an unrepresented community, my community, I felt that I needed to do it. This project is in the wheelhouse of what I handle, which is the preservation and storytelling of black culture.”

A reception for the exhibit will take place Wednesday at the Biggs Museum in Dover from 5 to 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Mr. Colbert’s exhibit will run until March 29.

Mr. Colbert said he’s been collecting vintage film depicting the lives of African Americans for years.

“I was lucky enough to realize these films were going to go away,” Mr. Colbert said.

“About 15 to 20 years ago I started collecting old footage. I got it digitized and then used it in the artwork. It tells the story of people’s lives. You get a glimpse to see what life was like during that time.”

Mr. Colbert said he was able to collect the footage in various ways.

“The part of the redevelopment of urban areas I would find people that were moving out of houses and a lot of times, these tapes would be in their basements,” Mr. Colbert said.

“Then from there, I started buying them from random places and then I started to seek them out. Sometimes it would be as simple as the flea market.”

This year’s theme for the Biggs Museum celebration is “African American Education Under Segregation.” Mr. Colbert is collecting oral histories from the local community centering on their experiences with education under segregation in Delaware.

He hopes to compile these interviews into a documentary of local history, which will be broadcast from the museum.

“Since we have access to people who lived through segregation I thought it would be great to put something like this together and kind of weave together that information to make a documentary,” Mr. Colbert said.

People are encouraged to share their stories of what life was like attending schools during segregation, as Ryan Grover, curator of the Biggs museum is more than excited about the upcoming event.

See the interview schedule on the museum’s website at biggsmuseum.org or call 302-674-2111 Ext. 108 to make an appointment to share your story.

“It’s going to be a great time,” Mr. Grover said. “I am excited for the oral histories that we may be able to record, to share with the Delaware State Archives and, of course, to give to Billy to create an original fine art video of the experiences from our back door.”

“We have lined up about six individuals so far who are interested in giving interviews,” he added.

Mr. Grover said the importance of the event will be beneficial for generations to come.

“American communities do not appear to discuss integration very openly and exhibitions and celebrations like this offer safe spaces to explore what was lost and gained by African-American communities through integration.”

Mr. Colbert shared the same sentiment.

“When you watch these films, they debunk the whole mythology that Hollywood tries to play about African Americans because you see the same thing happening in these films that you would see anywhere else,” Mr. Colbert said.

“It might not be the wealth, but you still see happiness and you still see joy. It’s a good slice of the real black culture of what life was like during those times.”

“You get a chance to see the pride amongst African Americans in these different locations. There was a way of life. Some of these films show people building homes to doing regular life. They’re not celebrities. They’re everyday people, doing everyday things.”

The museum, at 406 Federal St., is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Arshon Howard is a freelance writer living in Dover.