DOVER — A wanted 25-year-old New Jersey man was charged with drug offenses after officers responded to a domestic-related incident early Thursday, Dover Police said.

Upon arrival in the area of Mifflin Road and Woodmill Drive, authorities said, officers contacted Dayquin Minor, of Mount Holly, at approximately 12:35 a.m. Spokesman Master Cpl. Mark Hoffman said he was found to have an active capias from New Castle Court of Common Pleas and taken into custody.

Police said a search of Mr. Minor allegedly located 93 grams of marijuana and $1,864 in cash. He was found to have a warrant out of New Jersey for a failure to appear on other criminal charges, police said.

Mr. Minor was charged with possession with intent to deliver marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He was committed to Sussex Correctional on a $2,040 secured bond for the Delaware capias and out of state fugitive charge, and received an own recognizance bond on the drug-related charges.

DOVER — An 18-year-old Dover man was charged with first-degree robbery regarding an incident at U.S. Gas on Feb. 22, authorities said Thursday.

After being developed as a person of interest, Robert Stecher was taken into custody without incident. Other persons are sought in the case, police said.

Mr. Stecher was also charged with second-degree conspiracy. He was committed to Sussex Correctional Institution in Georgetown.

Police asked anyone with related information to call 736-7130. Callers may remain anonymous. Tips may also be submitted to law enforcement through Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-3333 or online at delawarecrimestoppers.com; a cash reward of up to $1,000 is possible for information leading to an arrest.

MILFORD — A wanted 26-year-old Lincoln man was apprehended after a short foot pursuit and charged with drug offenses Tuesday, authorities said.

Corey Mitchell was initially seen walking in the area of Church Street and Causey Avenue at approximately 1:20 p.m., Milford Police Det. Timothy Maloney said. He was known to have several outstanding arrest warrants and capiases on file, police said. The U.S. Marshals First State Fugitive Task Force and Milford Police made the apprehension, according to Det. Maloney.

As Mr. Mitchell tried to evade officers, police said he allegedly threw packaged heroin into the Mispillion River, which was recovered by officers on scene.

Police charged Mr. Mitchell with manufactures/deliver/possession with intent to deliver controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence, evidence suppression of evidence and resisting arrest.

Following presentment before Justice of the Peace Court 2 in Rehoboth Beach, Mr. Mitchell was committed to the Delaware Department of Correction in lieu of $19,900 secured bail.

WILMINGTON — A 40-year-old Rehoboth Beach man was sentenced to 111 months in prison for drug and firearm offenses, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware said.

Michael Henry was convicted of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, officials said. Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard P. Stark issued the sentence.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Henry was on probation following a 2017 State of Delaware sexual assault conviction. He had been twice convicted of federal gun-possession charges, he was prohibited from possessing any firearm., authorities said.

On Feb. 12, 2019, Henry’s state probation officers learned that Henry was violating his probation by carrying a gun and selling drugs, the U.S. Attorney said. A residential and vehicle search discovered more than 333 grams of cocaine, 14 grams of marijuana, digital scales used to weigh drugs, and several “trap” soda cans — cans with a hidden compartment used to conceal contraband, officials said. A loaded 9 mm handgun was also found, according to the U.S. Attorney.

Delaware junior guard Nate Darling was named first-team All-CAA while fellow junior Kevin Anderson was selected to the third team as the league announced its all-conference honorees on Friday.

In his first season playing for the Blue Hens since transferring from UAB, Darling ranks third in the CAA and is 17th in the country in scoring at 21.1 points per game. The 6-foot-5 guard ranks sixth in UD history with 634 points, including 16 20-point games and four 30-point efforts.

Darling has led UD in scoring 21 times, and his 99 three-pointers made are a school single-season record. He alaso connected on 38 consecutive free throws, the second longest streak in program history.

Darling is the fifth Blue Hen to earn first team All-CAA accolades along with Harding Nana (2004-05, 2005-06), Marc Egerson (2008-09), Devon Saddler (2012-13, 2013-14) and Davon Usher (2013-14).

Anderson leads Delaware with 117 assists and 41 steals while ranking fourth with 11.6 points per game. He has reached double figures in 20 games, scored a career-high 32 points vs. UTSA, and hit the game-winning layup during UD’s dramatic 73-71 victory at Hofstra.

Fifth-seeded Delaware (11-7 CAA, 21-10 overall) will take on fourth-seeded Charleston in the CAA tournament quarterfinals on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, D.C.

Hornets eye MEAC tourney

Eric Skeeters knows as well as anyone, anything can happen in March.

Delaware State’s second-year coach was an assistant on that famous UMBC squad which shocked Virginia and became the first No. 16 seed to beat a one seed in the NCAA Tournament.

So with the Hornets men headed into the MEAC Tournament as the eighth seed, Skeeters wants the team to think the tournament is wide open. After all, the Hornets have already beaten the MEAC’s top seed North Carolina Central earlier this season.

Skeeters has shared stories from his run at UMBC and from various other stops on his coaching career with the Hornets, to show how upsets can happen.

“I show these guys clips all the time like, ‘That could be you.’” Skeeters said. “But you have to bring it every time, every possession when you’re on the floor. That’s why I love the motto for this university — ‘It all matters.’”

The Hornets will begin their conference tournament at 6 p.m. on Tuesday in Norfolk, Va. against UMES. Delaware State is 1-1 against the Hawks this year with both teams winning on the road against one another.

The winner plays North Carolina Central on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Delaware State’s women’s basketball team earned the sixth seed and get its conference tournament underway on Thursday at 2 p.m. against No. 3 seed Morgan State.

Notes

• Ian Robertson, a former Cape Henlopen standout, made the Old Dominion Athletic Conference All-Tournament team as Randolph-Macon won the conference title in men’s basketball last week. Robertson and Randolph-Macon played against Wesley College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Friday night.

• Rosa’Lynn Burton, a Caesar Rodney grad, leads the Wilmington University softball team in batting average with a mark of .400 entering Friday. Sara Miller (Smyrna) is batting .308 for the Wildcats.

• Caesar Rodney product Jake Pangle has scored four goals in three games for the Bridgewater University lacrosse team.

• St. Thomas More grad Aniah Patterson averaged 5.2 points per game for the Chowan University women’s basketball team this season.

• Two Henlopen Conference products have earned weekly honors for the Chatham University men’s lacrosse team. Shane Gaglione (Milford) won the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week while Jake Brown (Cape Henlopen) won the PAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second week of the season. For the season, Gaglione has 46 saves in four games and Brown has scored nine goals with two assists.

• Delaware will begin 15 sessions of spring football practice on Tuesday. The Hens will practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2:45 p.m. and at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays. The spring game is slated for April 18 at 3:30 p.m.

Brian Cameron netted 34 points to become Wesley College’s all-time leading scorer but it wasn’t enough as the Wolverines fell to Randolph-Macon, 81-69, in the opening round of the NCAA Division III men’s basketball tournament on Friday night.

The Wolverines (18-10), who were making the program’s first NCAA tourney appearance since 2014, fell behind 37-27 against the fourth-ranked Yellow Jackets (27-2). Wesley never got Randolph-Macon’s advantage under nine points in the second half.

Cameron finishes his career with 2,399 points. That breaks the school record of 2,394 points set by Sussex Tech High grad Rashawn Johnson in 2005-09.

In Friday’s game, Cameron tallied 28 points in the second half alone as he went 7-for-13 from the field — including 3-for-5 from three-point range — as well as going 11-of-11 from the foul line in the final 20 minutes. He also had a team-high nine rebounds.

Fellow senior Derick Charles scored 17 points and was the only other Wolverine in double figures.

Buzz Anthony netted 21 points to pace the Hornets, who led by as many as 19 points in the second half.

College football

DSU to open vs. Albany: Six homes games, including visits by defending MEAC champion North Carolina A&T and three other conference foes, highlight the 2020 Delaware State football schedule released on Friday.

The Hornets’ home schedule also includes contests against first-time opponent and 2019 FCS playoff participant Albany and Division II St. Augustine’s (N.C.) of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, a former Delaware State rival.

DelState’s 2020 schedule: SEPTEMBER: 5-Albany; 12-At South Carolina State; 19-St. Augustine’s; 26-North Carolina A&T; OCTOBER: 10-Morgan State; 17-At Howard; 24-North Carolina Central; 31-Florida A&M; NOVEMBER: 7-At Bethune-Cookman; 14-At Norfolk State; 21-At Delaware.

College softball

Delaware 7, St. Peter’s 2: A big third inning rally put the Blue Hens in front for good and Delaware went on to defeat Saint Peter’s on the first day of the Pirate Invitational.

Maddi Marsh improved to 5-1 on the year after allowing one run on three hits in five innings of relief, after Sarah Piening was charged with one run in the opening two frames.

DSU drops two: Delaware State began play at the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic atr Texas Tech with losses to Marist and host Texas Tech.

The Hornets lost their opener 8-1 to Marist, while falling to second Texas Tech in the second contest. Hannah Crumblish was 3-for-3 at the plate for the Hornets in the first game.

Girls’ basketball

Archmere 52, Woodbridge 43: The ninth-seeded Auks battled back to knock off the No. 8 Blue Raiders in Friday’s secnd round of the DIAA state tournament.

Archmere (16-6) will face top-seeded Conrad in Monday’s quarterfinals. Woodbridge, which won the program’s first Henlopen Conference title this season, finishes at 17-5.

Padua 67, Polytech 45: Michelle Kozicki poured in 42 points as the sixth-seeded Pandas ousted the No. 11 Panthers.

Padua (14-6) moves on to face third-seeded Sanford in Monday’s quarterfinals with Polytech finishing the season at 14-8.

Conrad 70, Dover 26: The top-seeded Red Wolves out-scored the No. 17 Senators, 25-4, in the first quarter to take control from the start.

Conrad (17-4) faces No. 9 Archmere in the state quarterfinals on Monday while Dover finishes up at 13-9.

Caravel 59. Delmarva Christian 28: The 20th-seeded Buccaneers upended the No. 4 Royals on Friday.

Caravel (11-11) moves on to a quarterfinal date with No. 5 St, Elizabeth with Delmarva Christian finishing the year at 21-2.

St. Elizabeth 92, Lake Forest 15: The fifth-seeded Vikings were too much for the No. 12 Spartans on Friday.

St. Elizabeth (15-5) will take on Caravel on Monday while Lake Forest ends the season at 16-6.

LEWES — Cape Henlopen High’s primary goal was already achieved.

And as the second ticked away, the Vikings looked to accomplish their second goal for Friday night. They were able to leave the gym with both boxes checked.

Abbey Hearn scored her 1,000th career point in the final 30 seconds to highlight Cape Henlopen’s 61-40 victory over Wilmington Charter in the second round of the DIAA girls’ basketball state tournament.

“It got down to the wire there,” Hearn said with a laugh. “I wish it didn’t take that long. It’s really great to do it at home and everyone, my family can see it.”

Cape Henlopen (18-4), the tournament’s second seed, will host No. 10 Tatnall (16-6) in the quarterfinals on Monday at 7 p.m.
The Vikings had a first-round bye but were coming off a rare defeat this season. They fell to Woodbridge High in the Henlopen Conference championship game last Friday.

That loss simmered for a week.

“It was a rough week,” said Cape Henlopen coach Pat Woods. “I thought we need to respect our opponents and play every possession like it’s our last because from now on it is. Sometimes you treat the last possession of the game like everybody is locked in. Well why is that possession different than all these others? You can score the same amount of points or give up the same amount of points on any possession. So we need to take that mentality and play 100 percent on every possession and every closeout.”

The Vikings opened the game with five unanswered points and led wire-to-wire.

Morgan Mahoney drained back-to-back three-pointers in the final two minutes of the first half to spark Cape Henlopen to a 28-15 halftime advantage. Wilmington Charter only cut the deficit to single digits once in the second half.

“If we lose we go home now,” Hearn said. “We can’t underestimate anybody no matter what.”

Hearn led a strong Viking shooting performance with a game-high 19 points. Dania Cannon added 16 points while Carlin Quinn recorded the first double-double of her career with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

“When we get wide open looks, we’ll knock them down,” Woods said. “When we take contested shots, it’s difficult, just like anybody else. The reason we were shooting the ball so well is because we made the extra pass.”

Cape Henlopen reached the quarterfinals a year ago but fell to St. Elizabeth.

A win Monday would send the Vikings to their first semifinal since the 2011 tournament when they reached the finals. The semifinals and finals are scheduled for Wednesday and Friday, both at the Bob Carpenter Center on the campus of the University of Delaware.

“We want to go as far as we can,” Hearn said. “Hopefully we can win again on Monday, get to the Bob and see what happens there.”

In this day and age, with so much false information flying around everywhere, sometimes called “news,” we should not take for granted our free press!

We should appreciate all reporters who bring us the truth, whether about politics, state or local or world events, criminal justice issues, science, whatever the topic.

Freedom of the press is perhaps our most precious right, and we must protect it with vigilance.

“Thank you” to all of you reporters bringing us the truth. To those spouting lies, shame on you!

Ken Abraham
Dover

By Ken Grant

Springing into Daylight Saving Time means many drowsy motorists may lose a spring in their step as they face a darker morning drive or sun glare from a rising sun.

Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. this Sunday, March 8, when we set our clocks one hour ahead. Legislation is in the works to end the clock-switching practice throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

The problem is that a change in time can mean drivers are more tired than they realize, and transferring daylight from the morning to the evening means drivers and pedestrians will have to adjust to a darker morning commute to work or school. It’s important that both drivers and pedestrians are aware of the potential dangers and act with caution. 

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently released the most in-depth drowsy driving research ever conducted in the U.S., using footage of everyday drivers, which found drowsy driving is a factor in about 10 percent of all crashes – that is eight times higher than previous federal estimates. 

 In Delaware in 2017, State Police reports show that 6,646 crashes and 12 fatalities were attributed to driver inattention, distraction, or fatigue.

Drivers who miss just one or two hours of the recommended seven hours of sleep in a 24-hour period nearly double their risk for a crash. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 35 percent of U.S. drivers sleep less than the recommended minimum of seven hours daily. In a recent related AAA Foundation survey, nearly all drivers (96 percent) say they view drowsy driving as a serious threat to their safety and a completely unacceptable behavior. However, 29 percent admitted to driving when they were so tired they had a hard time keeping their eyes open. 

The other issue increasing risk with the time change is darkness.

The Monday morning commute, and the morning commute for several weeks to come, will be much darker than what drivers are used to, a serious concern because 75 percent of pedestrian fatalities happen when it’s dark, according to the latest findings from the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA).

Because most pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas, GHSA also examined changes in the number of pedestrian fatalities for the ten most populous U.S. cities. The total number of pedestrian fatalities for the ten largest U.S. cities increased by about 28 percent, from 551 fatalities in 2015 to 704 in 2016. The largest increase on a percentage basis occurred in Philadelphia (an increase of 65 percent). 

Delaware is one of 10 states that has passed bills or resolutions to stop the practice of changing clocks twice a year. Another 31 states have introduced legislation to follow suit, and there are two bills in the U.S. Congress to address the issue.

• Delaware – passed SB73 in 2019, which calls for the state to end the clock changes as soon as PA, NJ, and MD passes similar legislation
• Maryland – HB 1610 and SB517
• New Jersey – S420
• Pennsylvania – HB 1462, HB 825, SB 774, SR 179

Until the legislation in our neighboring states is passed and we can stop switching clocks back and forth every six months, both drivers and pedestrians need to exercise added caution in the days and weeks following the clock-switches.

Slow down, pay attention, eliminate distractions. Drivers should make sure their headlights are clean – inside and out – and watch for pedestrians at all times.

Ken Grant is the Public and Government Affairs Manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic in Delaware.

CAMDEN — If Caesar Rodney High’s two girls’ basketball seniors wanted to pack it in, last year was their chance.

But Haley Hansen and Lillian Ayers hung in through the Riders’ tough 6-14 campaign a year ago.

Their reward was helping CR get back on track and return to the DIAA state tournament this winter.

Unfortunately, the No. 7 Riders’ bounce-back season ended with a 63-35 loss to 10th-seeded Tatnall in the tourney’s second round on Friday night.

The Hornets (16-6), who have won six of their last seven games, earn a state quarterfinal date at No. 2 Cape Henlopen on Monday night.

Tatnall used its height advantage to build a 30-18 halftime advantage before finishing off CR (15-6) in the second half. Still, the Riders posted nine more victories than they did a year ago.

“I think we definitely came a long way from where we were,” said Hansen, who netted a team-high 13 points. “I think we made a lot of growth.

“Me and Lil, we wanted to end it the right way. There were some games that were rough. There were trials and tribulations. But, back and forth, we both had to keep each other grounded and remember this is it for us.”

“I told both my seniors, ‘You had every reason, coming from a team with only six wins, to cash it in and go play something else — checkers, chess or whatever,’” joked second-year head coach Tameka Williams. “But they both gave me their guts from start to finish. I couldn’t ask for better kids.”

CR did get off to a good start on Friday when Hansen sank a jumper off the opening tap. The Riders led 4-0 early and trailed only 15-13 at the end of the first quarter.

But the contest got away from CR from there. The Riders netted a total of just 11 points in the second and third quarters as Tatnall took a 48-24 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Hornets’ size advantage seemed to eventually take its toll on CR.

“They executed really well and their size gave us a little bit of trouble,” said Williams. “Second shots really hurt us. By us giving up second shots, it put them on the free-throw line and slowed the game down. We knew to keep things interesting, we had to get out on the break and if you don’t get that initial rebound and get it going, it makes it a little hard.”

“They definitely had a lot of size,” said Hansen.

Tatnall went 17-of-23 from the foul line compared to just 4-of-14 free-throw shooting for CR. Sophie Kirby (15 points), Breionna Dixon (14) and Emma Kirby (14) all scored in double figures for the Hornets.

With just two seniors on the roster, Williams hopes the Riders can build off this season next year.

“We have some young kids who have been playing hard and practicing hard,” she said. “We’ll go back to the drawing board and be working hard all summer like we normally do.”

Of course, for Hansen and Ayers, this is where their high school basketball careers end. Ayers added eight points in her finale.
Hansen said at least they got to finish up on the court, playing in the state tournament.

“It really hasn’t kicked in yet,” she said. “I know Lil is heartbroken about it. But, at the end of the game, we just looked at each other. We were getting ready to sit on the bench but we we told Coach we were going to play our last few seconds. We’re ending it the right way.”

GEORGETOWN — Sussex County government’s search for its next planning and zoning director has reached the selection phase.

An agenda item for the Tuesday, March 10 county council meeting is: “Planning & Zoning Director Selection.”

The county’s search began following the departure of Janelle Cornwell, who left in January for employment with the city of Lewes. She was county planning and zoning director for about three years, having succeeded longtime county planning and zoning director Lawrence Lank, who retired Jan. 6, 2017. Mr. Lank had held that planning and zoning position since the mid-1980s.

In the interim, Jamie Whitehouse has been serving as acting director of planning and zoning during the county’s search.

Sussex County’s Planning and Zoning Office is responsible for administering the land use process within unincorporated areas of the county. The office is the public point of entry for subdivision, zoning change, conditional use, special use exception and accessory use requests.

The P&Z office staff supports the county’s planning and zoning commission and board of adjustment, as well as county council, on land use applications submitted to County government. The office manages all land use applications, and schedules public hearings on subdivision, zoning or other land use requests.

The Sussex County Planning and Zoning Office provides zoning information for building permits, including property line setbacks and structure locations. Additionally, the office coordinates inspections of properties – including investigating public complaints – to ensure zoning compliance with the county code.

DOVER — The city of Dover is getting a head start on spring clean-up initiatives, with City Manager Donna Mitchell saying staff is ready to tackle work and maintenance issues head-on in the downtown area.

Beginning Monday, a month ahead of the city’s Spring Clean Up event, Dover will be starting a large- widespread initiative to help “clean-up” residential and business properties in the city.

Mrs. Mitchell said that working together, Code Enforcement, Fire Marshal’s Office, Public Works Division, Dover Police Department and other city staff will begin to assess the areas and work on maintenance in the city’s right of ways, looking at items such as lighting, trees, streets, curbs, signage, fire hydrants, clean outs and catch basins.

She said this will aid in identifying properties that are not meeting code and will help the city enforce the initiative as needed.

“We are looking at this as an opportunity for much of our attention to be focused together,” Mrs. Mitchell said. “Our goal is to clean up the areas, and to make sure that residents and businesses are taking just as much pride in their properties as their neighbors are.”

Clean-up efforts will start in the downtown area, sprucing up Loockerman and North Streets, Division Street and the streets running parallel to those areas.

“We hope to have the downtown area completed before the warmer weather stays and when we see an uptick in pedestrian traffic,” Mrs. Mitchell added.

Dover’s traditional annual Spring Clean Up event will take place April 13-24 when residents can set out unlimited bulk trash, leaves from their yard, branches and more for clean-up.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Like clockwork, daylight saving time strikes again this weekend.

Watch for it at 2 a.m. local time Sunday in most of the United States. Don’t forget to set your clocks an hour ahead, usually before bed Saturday night, to avoid being late for Sunday morning activities.

With the annual change, sunlight will extend longer into the evening, but the shine will take longer to emerge in the morning.

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.

Standard time returns Nov. 1.

A poll last year by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 7 in 10 Americans preferred not to switch back and forth to mark daylight saving time. But there was no agreement on which time clocks ought to follow.

DOVER — At a ceremony held Monday, Delaware State Police Superintendent Col. Nathaniel McQueen Jr., announced the winners of the annual Trooper of the Year and Civilian of the Year awards, along with exceptional performance and lifesaving award honors.

Gov. John C. Carney Jr., Chief Deputy Attorney General Alexander Mackler, and Acting Secretary of Safety and Homeland Security Kimberly Chandler offered congratulatory remarks at the ceremony.

Trooper of the Year

Of 11 troopers nominated, the Executive Staff selected a member a Troop 3 Criminal Investigations Unit member. DSP did not release the trooper’s full name due to the sensitive nature of his position, a spokesman said

The trooper’s investigative knowledge and work ethic has contributed to the successful prosecution of multiple criminal cases, DSP said.

The trooper was also presented with the Randall Armistead Trooper of the Year Award on behalf of the DSP Troopers Association. DTSA Lt. Thomas Brackin presented the award.

Presenting the award was president of the DSTA, Lt. Thomas Brackin.

Civilian of the Year

Victim Services Specialist Corrie Schmitt was selected among eight nominations.

Mrs. Schmitt has been with the Victim Service’s Unit since 2007 and is known to consistently go above and beyond, DSP said. In 2019 she was asked to take on a larger area of jurisdiction which included much more responsibility, two additional troops and six additional municipal departments, DSP said.

Additionally, troopers were also presented with the following awards:

Exceptional Performance:

Cpl. Randel Abrenica, Cpl. Corey Bastianelli, Cpl. Michael Brent, S./Cpl. Todd Buchert, Trooper Jermaine cannon, S./Cpl. James Dempsey, Cpl. Jenny Gleim, Trooper Hasan Halis, S./Cpl. Bridget Harris, Cpl. Michael Harrison, TFC George Justice, TFC Kathleen Koff, M./Cpl. Craig Lewis, Cpl. Rosendo Luna-Lopez, Cpl. Logan Pavlik, Cpl. Sean Rodrigues, Mrs. Corrie Schmitt, Trooper William Schuele, M./Cpl. Ed Sebastianelli, Trooper Zachery Sherwood, Patrolman Brandon Smith (Laurel PD).

Lifesaving Award:

Cpl. Jason Aviola, TFC Casey Breidigan, Officer Chelsea Chillas (DNREC), Officer Joshua Churchill (P&P), Cpl. Everett Eschbach, M./Cpl. Justin Galloway, Cpl. Christopher Garcia, Trooper Patrick Gaskin, Trooper Trevor Greenwalt, TFC Eric Gumbs, TFC Jennifer Hastings, Cpl. Donald Hickman, Trooper Dean Johnson, PFC Ashley Little (Laurel PD), S./Cpl. Matthew Long, Cpl. Rosendo Luna-Lopez, Cpl. Robert Mitchell, Trooper Cody Moyer, Cpl. Sean Murray, Cpl/1 Christopher Nicholson, Officer Thomas Passwaters (DNREC), Trooper Kyle Perry, Officer Jamier Powell (Camden PD), Agent Frank Robinson (DOJ), Cpl. John Scaramazza, Trooper William Schuele, TFC Matthew Skidmore, TFC Jordan Smith, Cpl. Robert Spanier, Cpl. Zachary Spudis, Trooper Anthony Stimac, Cpl. William Wallace.

DOVER — Branch delegates elected Richard “Mouse” Smith as the organization’s president at the annual Delaware NAACP State Convention held Feb. 29 at Delaware State University.

Mr. Smith’s tenure runs from 2020-2022. He’s currently president of the NAACP’s Bear branch.

Other elected leaders and their branch memberships included:

• First vice president, Dr. Freeman Williams, Newark.

• Second vice president, Fleur McKendell, Central Delaware.

• Secretary, Barbara Malone, Lower Sussex.

• Treasurer, Jane Hovington, Lower Sussex.

All officers serve two-year terms.

The convention focused on economic empowerment, criminal justice reform, education, and environmental justice and climate change, the NAACP said. Members and delegates, elected officials and community and civil rights activists attended.

Delaware Gov. John Carney attended, along with Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons and Delaware Black Caucus members.

Transition planning will begin immediately, including appointment of an assistant secretary, assistant treasurer, and committee chairs. Incoming president Mr. Smith has pledged to uphold the mission of the NAACP and expand the organization’s presence throughout Delaware, the organization said.

By Rep. David Bentz and Rep. Bryan Shupe

Delaware is rapidly losing primary care doctors and approaching a crisis in access to care, which requires immediate attention from all health policy stakeholders.

Delaware, already ranked in the bottom half of the country in many public health statistics, has seen a significant reduction in the supply of primary care in the state, with the number of physicians decreasing from 80.3 per 100,000 residents in 2008 to just 71.4 in 2015.

Many physicians are retiring, leaving for states where healthcare is more affordable to practice or moving into concierge services during this period of uncertainty in the health care industry. This decrease continues at a time when the demand for primary care is on the rise, which will only exacerbate existing public health problems and continue to drive health care costs in the state.

As a state, we must be attractive to medical students as they complete their residencies and transition into building practices that serve our communities. This is why we introduced HB 257, which helps us work alongside our private and public partners to address the shortage and enhance recruitment and retention of primary care practitioners in Delaware.

This important legislation would create the Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program. Funding for this program would be shared by both public and private sectors, with grants to repay education loans contingent on an annual appropriation from the General Assembly. The money would be matched in an equal amount by Delaware’s health insurers.

Hospitals that apply for grants on behalf of their qualifying clinicians would be required to also match the grant on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Under the bill, we would seed the program with $1 million from the fiscal 2021 budget.

Many of Delaware’s top competitors for primary care providers offer similar loan repayment programs (such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia), putting us at a disadvantage in our efforts to recruit qualified primary care practitioners to our state. Programs like these are being adopted because increasing access to primary care is not only beneficial to the families that these practitioners serve, but also to the overall system.

We know increased primary care usage drives down long-term healthcare costs across the board. Primary care physicians are our first line of defense in our healthcare system. Having close relationships with their patients, they can meet health challenges before they become overwhelming, chronic and expensive.

Programs like the Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program that leverage state and private sector resources without raising taxes can be a critical part of our work to solve large challenges in the healthcare industry. A focus on fiscal responsibility and working alongside other public and private partners will help us provide quality, more responsive healthcare in our communities across Delaware.

David Bentz is a Democratic State Representative serving the 18th District, which includes the Bear, Newark, and New Castle areas. Bryan Shupe is a Republican State Representative serving the 36th District, which includes Milford.

Clarification for readers

In last Sunday’s Delaware State News, we stated that subscription rates would be increasing.

The intent was to show we planned to increase home delivery rates, but the rates printed were the existing rates instead of the adjusted rates.

We apologize for the confusion we caused our readers.

We are now taking into consideration what so many of our customers have been requesting – monthly billing, which makes it easier for readers to budget their expenses.

Because of the confusion, we will be delaying the subscription increases for one month.

More news on this will follow in the coming weeks.

Again, we genuinely apologize for the error and confusion.

Thanks for your feedback.

***

DOVER — Delaware Democrats will have just two candidates on the presidential primary ballot next month.

Your options will be Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden.

Anthony Albence, the state’s elections commissioner, said Friday that his staff was on a deadline to remove the names of the qualified candidates who wished to withdraw.

In February, it appeared there would be at least five names on the ballot in Delaware and there could have been seven or more. But that changed after the past week’s developments.

During a very newsy week in national politics, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, hedge fund manager and philanthropist Tom Steyer, Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar and billionaire Michael Bloomberg all dropped out the race.

Meanwhile, former Vice President Biden surged ahead of Sen. Sanders in the race for delegates after big Super Tuesday victories.

On Monday, Buttigieg filed papers to withdraw from the Delaware race. Steyer officially withdrew Wednesday.

The state Department of Elections was in the process of certifying Bloomberg and Klobuchar petitions to appear on the Delaware ballot. “Even though they weren’t officially certified yet, we still got a withdrawal form from them,” he said. “They weren’t even on our website yet.”

He said Delaware’s elections staff was in contact with the Warren campaign Friday and anticipated a withdrawal form by the end of the day.

“Even if somebody says they’re not going to continue their campaign, and that’s for a national or local race, we don’t remove them until we actually have a withdrawal for official confirmation,” Mr. Albence said.

Delaware’s presidential primary date is April 28.

The last day to register to vote in the Delaware primary is April 4.

***

You may be surprised to learn that there will be a Republican presidential primary on April 28, too.

Roque “Rocky” de la Fuente, a wealthy San Diego, California, businessman and perennial candidate is running against President Donald Trump.

Mr. de la Fuente, who has been a vocal critic of President Trump’s immigration policies, started out the year saying he would run for the Democratic Party nomination. In 2016, he was the nominee of the Reform Party and American Delta Party in a run for president.

To appear on the Delaware presidential primary ballot, a candidate has to file a petition bearing at least 500 valid signatures of registered voters of the same political party as the candidate.

***

About 5,200 new registered voters were added in Delaware during the first two months of the year.

The Department of Elections keeps monthly statistics, documenting new voter registrations and changes in party registrations.

The Democratic Party total grew by about 3,400.

The Republican number is up about 1,200.

Of the state’s more than 718,000 registered voters, 47.5 percent are Democrats, 27.7 percent are Republicans and 22.7 percent have no party affiliation.

The rest belong are divided among a long list of alternative parties. The smallest is the Reform Party, which has 46 registered voters.

***

The presidential primary will feature the first statewide use of the new Delaware election machines.

The Express Vote XL Universal Voting System machines were first used last spring for school board elections and have been employed for school referendums and municipal elections. The machines include voter-verifiable paper records that are scanned for tabulation.

“We’ve used them in some heavy duty elections, like the Indian River referendum, and they worked very well,” he said.

In a capital referendum to build a new Sussex Central High School, more than 12,000 Indian River School District residents voted. (It was approved.)

“You’d expect to see use like that in a real heavy general election in the high-density locations,” he said.

Two other recent referendums paled in comparison. About 1,733 voted in Seaford and 457 in Smyrna recently.

NEWARK — Delaware has proven it is capable of stringing victories together.

The Blue Hens own winning streaks of nine straight and seven straight games this winter.

But winning three games in three days at the Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament is another matter.

And the challenge awaiting the Hens today may be as difficult as any potential tests Delaware could face in the tourney.

The fifth-seeded Hens (11-7 CAA, 21-10) take on No. 4 Charleston (11-7 CAA, 17-13 overall) today at 2:30 p.m. at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, D.C.

While Delaware has beaten or been competitive with everybody in the league, the trouble for the Hens is that they’ve lost nine in a row to the Cougars. They’re the only CAA team that Delaware hasn’t beaten in Martin Ingelsby’s four seasons as UD’s head coach.

But the Hens have believed in themselves ever since they opened the season on a nine-game winning streak. That hasn’t changed.

“I think this group is confident,” said Ingelsby. “We’re going down there loose and we’re going to play with a lot of freedom like we normally do.

“We know we’ve got a heck of a challenge against a really good team on Sunday in the College of Charleston. … We’re going to continue to do what we do. I think our guys are excited and very confident heading down to D.C.”

If Delaware is looking for hope it can look to its last meeting with Charleston just 10 days ago. The Hens led by 10 points with seven minutes left before the Cougars got red hot, hitting six straight three-pointers and pulling away to an 80-71 victory.

Of course nothing else matters if Delaware can’t win today. Looking at the big picture, however, Delaware probably has as little pressure on it as any of the top five teams in the CAA field.

Top-seeded Hofstra lost in the CAA finals last year when it was also the top seed. Second-seeded William & Mary is one of just four schools that has been eligible for every NCAA Division I tournament and never made it.

Third-seeded Towson hasn’t made the NCAAs since 1991 while Charleston, which just won the CAA crown in 2018, has its last chance with senior standout Grant Riller leading the way. Of course, sometimes pressure brings out the best in players.

With only two seniors on the roster — none of whom start — Delaware is set to be more of a contender for the title next year. The Hens have been to the NCAAs five times since 1992, the last time coming in 2014.

“We’re not going to over-analyze things,” said Ingelsby. “We’re not going to get them tight. We’re going to go down there really upbeat and confident. We’re going to give our guys a lot of freedom to play like they like to play.”

That approach worked for Delaware in last year’s conference tournament. Also seeded fifth, the Hens roared back from a 14-point deficit to upend No. 4 William & Mary in the quarterfinals before coming back from 15 down against top-seeded Hofstra the next night in the semifinals.

Delaware took the Pride to overtime before falling, 78-74. The second halves of those two games were some of the Hens’ best efforts of the season.

“I think this group has learned how to play together,” said Ingelsby. “They’ve dealt with some adversity, some ups and downs. They’ve been able to persevere.

“For us, I do think it’s about continuing to get better on the defensive end. When we’ve consistently guarded, been disciplined and stayed true to our habits on the defensive end, we’ve been able to grind out some games.

“We do have weapons on the offensive end. We have great balance. … This group is unselfish. They enjoy playing together. Hopefully we can get three in three days down in D.C.”

GEORGETOWN – CHEER Inc. capitalized an extra Leap Year day in February with a Black History Month grand finale Feb. 29 that saluted the impact and contributions of black history culture on local communities, America and the world.

The Feb. 29 Black History Culture Day program featured presentations on the famed Tuskegee Airmen and the Buffalo Soldiers, as well as numerous displays, including marquee recognition of the historic Richard Allen School, which served Georgetown for decades during America’s era of segregation.

More than 100 people attended the event at the CHEER Community Center.

“I think this is wonderful,” said CHEER Human Resources Director Sandy Baynard. “We were nervous. We weren’t sure how it was going to go. But as we all know in Sussex County, everybody comes together to support one another and show that we can all come together, no matter color.”

“Next year I hope we’re overcrowded,” said Walt Koopman, CHEER board vice president and a Korean War veteran.

Buffalo Soldiers

Attendees heard about the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers, who fought gallantly in several wars after initially called upon to help the Army expand into the Wild West frontier commencing with post-Civil War.

“Our organization is committed to keeping the legacy, the memory and the history of the Buffalo Soldiers alive,” said Jerome “Skip” Hutson of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club of Delaware.

“We do that with presentations like this. We go into schools, community centers. We have charitable functions. We work with the Home of Brave and CHEER. We just feel that we want to give back to our community at the same time that we share our history, especially with our young people.”

Mr. Hutson said, “Americans of African descent fought with distinction in every war that this country has been involved in, starting with the Revolutionary War. In the Civil War, over 37,000 Africans gave their life fighting for the freedom of this country.”

Because of the bravery demonstrated by these soldiers, following the Civil War in 1866 the U.S. Congress authorized the formation of units that became known later as the Buffalo Soldiers.

“These soldiers, most of them were former slaves and few free men, they readily joined up with the army because it offered a lifestyle that they had not been accustomed to. Even though it was very hard times for them, they were glad to sign up and become Union soldiers,” said Mr. Hutson.

“The army wanted these soldiers because at that time they were looking at expanding the country from the East Coast across the Mississippi to the West Coast. In order to do that, they had to have soldiers in the territories, because the Native Americans that inhabited those territories, the army wanted to move them out of the way — unfortunately. But also, there were a lot of outlaws throughout those territories.”

At any given time throughout the West, “two out of every five soldiers that were in the west were Buffalo Soldiers.”

While the main purpose was to relocate Native Americans, the Buffalo Soldiers helped guard construction of railroads and telegraphs and did mapping of water holes.

“The Buffalo Soldiers became acquainted with Native Americans, because while the army just wanted to annihilate the Native Americans, the Buffalo Soldiers found themselves protecting them as they moved them to the reservations,” Mr. Hutson said.

“It is a tragic irony, but it does lead to the respect that many African Americans have for Native Americans today and vice versa.”

According to legend, Mr. Hutson said the Buffalo Soldiers name was given by Native Americans because the soldiers’ fighting spirit reminded Native Americans of their sacred animal, and the hair of the soldiers also reminded them of the buffalo.”

Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of mostly African-American military fighter and bomber pilots who fought in World War II, as well as their maintenance and support staff, instructors and other related personnel.

“This was an organization that was not supposed to survive, because it was said by the War College of 1939 that they couldn’t do this. Or we couldn’t do this. We did not have the aptitude. We did not have the demeanor. We did not have the fortitude, the courage to go one-on-one with another man in the airplane,” said Dr. Donald Blakey, president of Delaware’s John Porter Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc.

“These 900 souls – and I say souls gingerly because most of them are gone never to walk this earth anymore – these gentlemen proved the brass wrong.”

Dr. Blakey emphasized the Tuskegee Airmen went beyond planes.

“That means there was a lot of people involved with the Tuskegee Airmen other than the 900-plus pilots,” he said. “It’s like a pyramid, the pilots at top. The widest part of the triangle is bottom, and at the bottom were the people who served them, their dentists, medical officers, supply officers — all the people that gave them all the things that they needed to do the job while they were flying, and in most instances go unnoticed.”

The courage and bravery exhibited by the Tuskegee Airmen have a direct educational landing in Delaware through the late Dr. Daniel Coons “who was the creator of the aviation program at Delaware State University, which is flying high with 100 percent employment for every student that goes through the program,” Dr. Blakey said.

Joann Coons, wife of the late Dr. Coons, said her husband was director of libraries at DSU and “always had a passion for aviation. He talked them into starting the program. He was inspired by the Tuskegee Airmen.”

Dr. Blakey said Delaware’s Tuskegee Airmen chapter is supporting the Delaware State aviation program “not with lip service but with finances. We have programs in place to make sure that young men and women from all hues, from all states and outside the country get a quality aviation education with reasonable cost. The dollar does not discriminate.”

Dr. Blakey said he, too, was impacted by the Tuskegee Airmen.

“I thank Tuskegee Airmen for all they have done,” he said. “They did help me get into aviation, as probably the only African-American commercial pilot in the state of Delaware starting in 1965. I flew for about 10 years until my wife said, ‘Come home.’”

Additionally, there are plans to perpetuate the legacy. Dr. Blakey said what is being proposed to Delaware State University is to create a Tuskegee Airmen terrace between the library and the science center “to be dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen and also those students who were a part of the civilian aviation program of the 1940s. We’ve been able to find through records 30 students – 29 men, one woman – who completed the aviation program at DSU in 1941 and 1942.”

There are Tuskegee Airmen chapters in every state.

“We have a responsibility in Delaware. That is to keep the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen … alive,” said Dr. Blakey.

Preserving history and legacies such as the Tuskegee Airmen, Buffalo Soldiers and the Richard Allen School are vitally important, Mr. Koopman said.

“We’ve got to get the youth to understand what it’s all about. Because if they are not taught at home, if they are not taught in the school system, they get miscommunicated,” said Mr. Koopman. “And there are a lot of good people out there.”

NEWARK — Guttural, adjective: the word that stood between Anna Nguyen and a $25,000 scholarship to Saint Mark’s High School and a ticket to the National Spelling Bee.

With the correct spelling — and not a hint of hesitation — Anna became Delaware’s top speller of 2020.

“Am I dreaming or something?” she said after the bee.

Anna, an eighth-grade student at Smyrna Middle School, earned the spot after handily passing words like “capillary,” “antithesis” and “ethanol.”

“Antithesis, I was really confused. Like, ‘Do I know this word?’’ she said. “Then I ended up spelling it right.”

That was in round three, which knocked out six of her peers, after nearly 40 spellers had been eliminated since the start of the competition.

“It helps to have a good base knowledge of a lot of the words,” Anna said.

Anna was among the fourth- to eighth-grade students from 74 schools that qualified for the statewide bee. This is the 12th year Saint Mark’s has hosted the bee, and the first with scholarships from the school.

The bee pulls from 500 words, which are selected annually by national organizers from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary, according to a release about the bee.

Second place for the bee went to Sage Sawhney, a seventh-grade student at Postlethwait Middle School. Third was awarded to Anaum Allimulla, an eighth-grade student at Newark Charter Junior High School. Both were also awarded scholarships to Saint Mark’s.

Sage earned $20,000, and Anaum earned $15,000. The scholarships will be spread out over the four years, said Anne Marie Eanes, chair of the school’s English department and spelling bee coordinator.

The three weren’t new to the bee. Sage actually placed last year, in third, but for Anna and Anaum, the trophies were new.

“I took it more seriously this time because I have made it pretty close to here before, but then fell short by four or five places,” Anaum said.

She said she was nervous when she first arrived to Saint Mark’s Saturday morning.

“When I was coming here, I saw the amount of people and it was just really overwhelming. I was like, ‘I’m never going to win anything amongst all these people,’” she said. “A lot of the judges were saying, ‘Just take a deep breath, and then do it as calmly as possible,’ — and that really does help.”

Anna was knocked out pretty early two years ago when she competed at the state level, she said. She was determined to place this time.

“Every day since I won the school spelling bee, I practiced,” she said. “I even have held a mock spelling bee at home.”

The hard work paid off; Anna will compete in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., in May.

“I might end up on your TV screen,” she said.

She and her family have to deliberate where she’ll attend high school next year, she said. But she knows she’ll be practicing for the national competition.

“I know that age and experience have made me wiser,” she said. “It feels exhilarating to actually get to go to the National Spelling Bee.”