DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Blotter: March 18-24

Between March 18-24, DNREC's Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers made 1,037 contacts with hunters, anglers, boaters, and the general public.
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DPH Launches Statewide Campaign to Prevent Opioid Abuse from Starting After Dental Procedures

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is engaging dental providers in the launch of a statewide campaign directed at increasing awareness about the addictive nature of opioid medications used after dental procedures.
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2017 Murder in Bear Sends Man to Prison for Life

Arsonist sentenced for torching historic home; other defendants enter guilty pleas in shootings A 2017 murder resulted in life in prison for a 26-year-old New Castle man. Deputy Attorneys General Danielle Brennan and William Leonard prosecuted the case against Elder Saavedra. In March 2017, Saavedra killed 23-year-old Lester Mateo of Penns Grove, NJ outside of […]
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DPH Announces Two Naloxone Training, Distribution Events in New Castle County

NEW CASTLE (March 28, 2019) – As part of its Community Naloxone Distribution initiative, the Division of Public Health (DPH) will hold two additional community naloxone distribution events in New Castle County next week. This initiative is part of a multi-pronged approach to address the opioid crisis and reduce the number of individuals dying from […]
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DNREC First State Heritage Park’s First Saturday offers a look at significant symbols representing Delaware

Ever wonder why the Blue Hen is the Delaware state bird? On Saturday, April 6, DNREC's First State Heritage Park will answer that question.
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DNREC, Croda, Inc. reach settlement agreement on company’s air and water violations from Nov. 25, 2018 EO incident

DOVER – The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and Croda, Inc. have entered into a settlement agreement that resolves environmental violations arising from the Nov. 25, 2018 ethylene oxide release (EO) at Croda's Atlas Point facility. Croda, Inc.'s facility located at 315 Cherry Lane, New Castle, Del., manufactures surfactants that promote mixing of oil- and water-based ingredients in consumer products such as pharmaceuticals and shaving cream. At 4:23 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 25, the EO release by Croda was responsible for a seven-hour shutdown of the Delaware Memorial Bridge while emergency responders – including DNREC's Emergency Prevention and Response Section and Environmental Crimes Unit – worked throughout the area to ensure that there was no threat to public health and safety.
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DNREC to hold public workshops April 16 on gasoline vapors and proposed Underground Storage Tank regulations

The Division of Air Quality and the Tank Management Section within the Division of Waste & Hazardous Substances will hold two public workshop next month.
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DNREC seeks Delaware students who make a difference in the environment for 2019 Young Environmentalist Awards

DNREC is encouraging teachers, classmates, parents, club or group leaders, and others to nominate students for Young Environmentalist of the Year.
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DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police accredited under national Boat Operations and Training Program

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police were recently recognized as the 26th organization in the nation to be accredited under the NASBLA BOAT Program.
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DNREC’s First State Heritage Park’s lantern tours to light up Fridays this spring

DNREC's First State Heritage Park will offer lantern tours of The Green and three historic Dover cemeteries at 8 p.m. Fridays from April 5 - June 7.
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Fire Camp at Blackbird State Forest on March 30

The Delaware Forest Service will host its "23rd Annual Fire Camp" event at Blackbird State Forest (502 Blackbird Forest Road, Smyrna DE 19977) on Saturday, March 30 from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The intensive one-day seminar is the capstone of the agency's wildfire training program to certify its emergency firefighters to meet National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards. State forest visitors should be advised that trail closures and other restrictions will be in effect for the event.
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Volunteers needed for DNREC-sponsored 28th annual Christina River Cleanup April 6

DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin encourages volunteers to sign up for the Christina River Watershed Cleanup along the river and several tributaries.
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Blackbird Forest tree planting on April 13 & 14

Volunteers are needed to plant 2,000 hardwood seedlings at Blackbird State Forest on Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Two seniors from Middletown High School, Bryan Alberding and Nick Kupsick, are leading the project in cooperation with the Delaware Forest Service and the DNREC Nonpoint Source Program (NPS), which is funding the trees. The project will take place on Blackbird State Forest's Naudain Tract, 2076 Harvey Straughn Road, Townsend, Delaware 19734. The rain date is April 27 and 28, 2019.
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Blackbird State Forest tree planting on April 13-14

Volunteers are needed to plant 2,000 hardwood seedlings at Blackbird State Forest on Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Two seniors from Middletown High School, Bryan Alberding and Nick Kupsick, are leading the project in cooperation with the Delaware Forest Service and the DNREC Nonpoint Source Program (NPS), which is funding the trees. The project will take place on Blackbird State Forest's Naudain Tract, 2076 Harvey Straughn Road, Townsend, Delaware 19734. The rain date is April 27 and 28, 2019.
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Partners Open Bridge Clinic for Those Impacted by Mental Health, Addiction Issues

NEW CASTLE (March 26, 2019) – As a new support for individuals and families impacted by the effects of mental health and substance use disorders, the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) and its partners have opened the Bridge Clinic near New Castle to provide screening and referrals to treatment, as well as […]
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DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife sets judging of Delaware Waterfowl, Trout Stamp contests for April 4

DNREC's Division of Fish & Wildlife invites you to gather for the judging of Delaware's annual Waterfowl Stamp and Trout Stamp contests.
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DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Phillips Landing parking lot and fishing area to remain closed additional day

The Division of Fish & Wildlife announced that the temporary closure of the Phillips Landing Boat Ramp parking lot and fishing area would be extended.
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DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Blotter: March 11-17

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between March 11-17 made 1,200 contacts with hunters, anglers, boaters, and the general public.
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Man Pleads Guilty 11 Years After Fatal Car Crash

Woman sentenced after guilty plea to numerous burglaries around Sussex County Eduardo Rodriguez, 32, entered a guilty plea related to a 2008 fatal car collision. In May 2008, Rodriguez, who was residing in Wilmington at the time, ran a red light on Maryland Avenue near Banning Park, and killed two elderly passengers in another vehicle. […]
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Local Online Career Resource Available for Take Your Child to Work Day

Wilmington, DE. March 21, 2019–Attention educators, parents and employers! The Delaware Department of Labor's affiliate website, the Delaware Career Resource Network (DCRN), provides information for educators, students and families to learn about careers through activities, handouts, resources, book suggestions, and web links they have placed on the site. It's a great resource for Take Your […]
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DNREC Recycling Program offers compost bins for sale online at discount price for pickup at three locations statewide

DNREC's Recycling Program within the Division of Waste & Hazardous Substances is offering compost bins that can be pre-ordered online at a discount price of $50, half the retail price of the bins. The bins must be picked up by the purchaser at any of three locations: Dover, Lewes, and Delaware City. Orders for discounted compost bins must be placed online at www.enviroworld.us/delaware, with major credit cards and PayPal accepted.
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Controlled burn sets stage for U.S. 301 pollinator site

A controlled burn on a 43-acre former farm field along U.S. Route 301 will provide fertile ground for "Delaware's first pollinator mitigation site" - where state officials hope native wildflowers will flourish to restore lost habitat for pollinators such as bees and birds. The Delaware Forest Service  conducted the successful firing operation on March 20 in cooperation DelDOT and DNREC's Division of Fish and Wildlife, which supplied valuable personnel, logistical support, and equipment. Thanks to favorable weather conditions and DelDOT lane adjustments on U.S. 301 North, the four-hour burn caused minimal disruptions to traffic and virtually no smoke effects on the adjacent Spring Mill housing development.
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Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs to sponsor 14 special events during April 2019

Highlights include programs on the artist who created "His Master's Voice," the bombardment of Lewes and a festival at Fort Christina.
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Governor Carney Releases Statement on Senate Passage of Tobacco Age Legislation

DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney on Tuesday released the following statement on the vote in the Delaware Senate to pass Senate Bill 25, which would raise the sales age for tobacco products from 18 to 21: "Preventing smoking is the best thing we can do to improve the health of our state, and reduce […]
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“The Rising Sun: The U.S. Constitution”: The Old State House’s Coffee-Hour Lecture Series to take place in April 2019

Fun and thought-provoking Constitutional programs to take place on April 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2019.
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During Peak Tax Season, Consumer Protection Unit Urges Delawareans to be on Guard Against IRS Scams

With IRS W-2 forms already issued by many employers, the 2019 tax season is underway, and the Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Unit is cautioning Delaware consumers and employers to be on guard for fake IRS phone call scams and IRS Form W-2 email phishing scams that are targeting Delaware employers, including retail businesses, school […]
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DNREC’s Polly Drummond Hill Road demonstration yard waste site to open April 6 and close June 30

DOVER – DNREC's Polly Drummond Hill demonstration yard waste drop-off site in northern New Castle County, which has been in intermittent operation since 2007, will open on April 6, 2019 and then will be permanently closed on June 30, 2019. After that, yard waste material will no longer be accepted at the Polly Drummond Hill site. The site will be restored to its natural state and will be included in the White Clay Creek State Park master planning process.
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Delaware receives funds to increase locally grown specialty crops

The Delaware Department of Agriculture announced today that they are seeking applications for this year's Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, with nearly $359,000 allocated to assist in increasing the competitiveness of Delaware-grown specialty crops. Applications will be accepted through April 22, 2019.
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Governor Carney, Family Services Cabinet Council Host Community Discussion

On Tuesday, March 12, 2019, Governor Carney and the Family Services Cabinet Council hosted a Community Discussion at the Route 9 Library & Innovation Center in New Castle. The Council discussed progress on implementing Executive Order #24, the Christina School District Memorandum of Understanding, and how we can use data to coordinate across agencies and […]
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DigiGirlz Debuts in Sussex County on May 15, 2019

DigiGirlz Program Contacts: Claudette Martin-Wus, DTI (302) 739-9636, claudette.martin-wus@delaware.gov   HANDS ON TECH DAY FOR 8TH AND 9TH GRADE GIRLS DOVER, Del. —Registration opens Monday March 18 for Delaware DigiGirlz 2019, being held for the first time in Sussex County on May 15! Girls in the 8th and 9th grades (or ages 13-15) are invited […]
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DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife to begin spraying mosquito larvae in wooded wetlands

DNREC's Mosquito Control Section within the Division of Fish & Wildlife is scheduled to begin its annual spring woodland pool spraying on Tuesday, March 19.
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STK Gang Member Enters Guilty Plea

Prosecutors also secure prison sentence for fatal car crash and guilty plea for sexual assault A member of the Shoot To Kill (STK) gang, who along with a fellow gang member were responsible for committing multiple armed robberies and three separate shootings, has pled guilty in Superior Court. Zaahir Smith, 21, of Newark pled guilty […]
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DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Blotter: March 4-10

DNREC's Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between March 4-10 made 1,082 contacts with hunters, anglers, boaters, and the general public.
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DPH to Distribute Overdose Reversing Medication Naloxone March 20, 2019 in Dover

The Division of Public Health will distribute free naloxone kits to members of the general public from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at Delaware Technical Community College, Terry Campus, 100 Campus Drive, Dover, DE 19904. The distribution event will be held in the Corporate Training Center, Rooms 408 and 412. Individuals are encouraged to stop by at any time during the event. Training takes approximately 15 minutes. 
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DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife encourages boaters to ‘Spring Aboard’ for boating season by taking a safety course

DNREC's Fish & Wildlife Police join the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) in encouraging boaters to "Spring Aboard".
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Don’t Push Your Luck This St. Patrick’s – Day Designate a Sober Driver

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Cynthia Cavett, Delaware Office of Highway Safety, (302) 744-2743 Kellie Boulware, MDOT MVA, 410-762-5188 Brandy Brubaker, Virginia DMV, 804-367-6834   Joint Effort Targets Impaired Drivers Along US 13 and US 113 in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia   Dover, DE (March 15, 2019) – The Delaware Office of Highway Safety, Maryland Department […]
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Jennings, Office of Defense Services, and Legislative Leaders Announce Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform Package

DOVER – Lawmakers, prosecutors, defense attorneys and criminal justice reform advocates stood together Thursday to propose Delaware's most comprehensive criminal justice reform effort in decades. The ambitious package of 19 bills aim to rebalance Delaware's justice system by reducing the state's high rate of recidivism, removing barriers to opportunity for inmates returning to society, and […]
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Delaware FFA members take home state awards

Students from across the state took home honors from the 89th Delaware State FFA Convention in Dover on Tuesday.
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SkillsUSA students take home state awards

Students from across the state took home honors from the SkillsUSA awards in Wilmington Wednesday.
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Dover Department of Labor Office Closed Today

  Dover, DE. March 14, 2019– The Delaware Department of Labor location at the Blue Hen Corporate Center on Bay Road in Dover is closed today due to a maintenance issue. We apologize for any inconvenience. We will update you when the office will be reopened and if a replacement location is determined.
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Seek Treatment, Access to Naloxone: Three Suspected Heroin Overdose Deaths in Sussex Co. Involving Same Packet Stamp

NEW CASTLE (March 13, 2019) – Health and public safety officials are urging people in active use of heroin or other opioids and their families to seek immediate treatment and acquire the overdose-reversing medication naloxone on hand in the wake of three suspected heroin overdose deaths in five days in Sussex County involving the same […]
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DPH Launches Smartphone App Featuring Lifesaving Instructions to Reverse an Opioid Overdose

The Division of Public Health launched a new smartphone app that provides lifesaving step-by-step instructions on how to use naloxone during an opioid overdose.
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Delaware Will Issue April Food Benefits on April 13 to Reduce Hardships, Help Individuals and Families Budget

NEW CASTLE (March 13, 2019) – To reduce hardships on families and individuals in Delaware and to help households budget their monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the Department of Health and Social Services is announcing that it will issue all April food benefits on April 13 rather than staggering them across a three-week […]
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DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation announces temporary closure of Auburn Valley Trail beginning March 18

Due to construction, the Auburn Valley Trail and parking lot in Auburn Valley State Park will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians.
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Free Training for Adults Willing to Coach Families with Loved Ones Suffering from Addiction, Mental Health Issues

Three-days of training hosted by DSAMH and atTAcK addiction NEW CASTLE (March 11, 2019) – The Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) and atTAcK addiction are collaborating to host a free training session March 29-31 at Caravel Academy in Bear for Delaware parents, other adult family members and caregivers willing to coach families […]
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Wilmington Man Pleads Guilty to 2017 Murder

Prosecutors also secure convictions for firearm, drug dealing, and racketeering charges A 40-year-old man who left a trail of blood from a homicide scene to his apartment complex pled guilty to murder. In October 2017, Timothy Jones stabbed a female victim numerous times inside a Porta-Potty in Kirkwood Park on the 600 block of East […]
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DNREC, DHSS now accepting applications for Wastewater and Drinking Water Asset Management Incentive Programs

DNREC and the Department of Health & Social Services Division of Public Health State Revolving Fund programs are now accepting applications.
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¿Eres elegible para el Crédito Tributario por Ingreso del Trabajo?

NEW CASTLE (7 de marzo de 2019) – El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Sociales (DHSS, por sus siglas en inglés) insta a las personas y a las familias trabajadoras de Delaware a reunirse con preparadores voluntarios de impuestos en diferentes lugares en todo el estado para determinar si cumplen con los requisitos para el […]
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DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Blotter: Feb. 25-March 3

DNREC's Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers made 1,861 contacts with hunters, anglers, boaters, and the general public, issuing 4 citations.
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Working Individuals, Families Urged to Meet with Volunteer Tax Preparers to Check Earned Income Tax Credit Eligibility

NEW CASTLE (March 7, 2019) – The Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is urging working individuals and families in Delaware to meet with volunteer tax preparers at locations across the state to determine if they are eligible for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and to file a federal tax return by […]
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Negro Travelers’ Green Book program at the New Castle Court House Museum on March 16, 2019

Program on the travel and vacation guidebook for people of color during the segregation era
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Lt. Governor Hall-Long’s Statement on Senate Bill 25

“Tobacco use leads the list of preventable deaths in the United States. Raising the age to 21 to purchase will reduce smoking and save lives. Let’s make Delaware stronger and healthier, and pass SB 25.”   ###
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Op-ed: Protecting the Health of our Young People by Raising the Minimum Sales Age of Tobacco Products from 18 to 21

Protecting the Health of our Young People, and our State's Future, by Raising the Minimum Sales Age of Tobacco Products from 18 to 21 Op-ed by Karyl T. Rattay, MD, MS, Director, Division of Public Health, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services It's a fact that most smokers start using tobacco as youth: Eighty-nine […]
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DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife’s DuPont Nature Center to reopen April 3

The DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve will reopen Wednesday, April 3 after having been closed for the fall and winter.
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Health science students win state honors

During HOSA-Future Health Professionals 5th Annual Rare Disease Day on Feb. 28 at Nemours Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children in North Wilmington, students raised awareness of rare pediatric diseases. Their academic posters and presentations were judged by a group of distinguished judges from Nemours.
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Governor Carney Announces Support for Legislation to Raise Tobacco Sales Age

Senate Bill 25 would raise the legal age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 DOVER, Del. – Surrounded by members of the General Assembly, advocates, students, and health care professionals, Governor John Carney on Tuesday announced his support for Senate Bill 25 – legislation that would raise the legal age for sales of […]
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New resource connects small businesses with right help at right time

DOVER, Del. (March 5, 2019) – Delaware small business owners in search of the right help at the right time will find it through the new Business Resource Connection on the website of the Delaware Division of Small Business, www.delbiz.com. The Business Resource Connection provides valuable information on approximately 300 programs from more than 80 […]
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Delaware Joins National Suit Against Trump Administration’s Title X “Gag Rule”

Rule change threatens funding for Delaware clinics serving thousands of patients WILMINGTON – Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Monday that Delaware will join 19 sister states and the District of Columbia in a national lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Trump Administration's new "gag rule" altering the federal Title X family planning program. The suit, which is […]
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Attorney General Jennings Announces Independent Review of Hair Evidence in Some Pre-2000 Convictions

WILMINGTON – Citing the FBI's acknowledgement of a decades-long pattern of flawed testimony from one of its forensic units, Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Monday that the Delaware Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated an independent review of criminal convictions involving potentially questionable hair evidence. The FBI regularly used microscopic hair comparison analysis as a […]
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Business students take home state honors

Students from across the state took home honors from the BPA State Conference in Dover last week. Lists of the winners in each category for both middle and high school competitions are available.
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Coastal Zone Conversion Permit Act Regulatory Advisory Committee to meet March 12 in New Castle

The Coastal Zone Conversion Permit Act Regulatory Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet at 9 a.m., Tuesday, March 12, at the Buena Vista Conference Center.
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DPH to Distribute Overdose Reversing Medication Naloxone March 9, 2019 in Georgetown

GEORGETOWN (March 1, 2019) – In an effort to reduce the number of individuals dying from drug overdoses in Delaware, the Division of Public Health (DPH) will hold Community Naloxone Distribution events in each county throughout the month of March. DPH will distribute free naloxone kits to members of the general public from 10 a.m. […]
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Flu Deaths Continue to Rise in Delaware; DPH Reminds Residents to Protect Themselves

DOVER — Although the overall number of laboratory-confirmed flu cases in Delaware this flu season remains lower than the total number of cases reported at the same time last year, the number of flu-related deaths has continued to increase during the 2018-2019 flu season. As of February 16, 2019, the most recent date for which […]
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Guilty Pleas for Bank Robber and Drug Dealer

A 49-year-old Townsend man has pled guilty to robbing a Middletown bank. Deputy Attorney General Rebecca Song secured the plea from Nathaniel Lester with the assistance of social worker Crystal Pitts. Detective Julia Fabbroni of the Middletown Police Department was the Chief Investigating Officer. In November 2018, Lester walked into the Fulton Bank branch in […]
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Emergency quarantine declared for pest threatening Delaware

Photos are available for media use on Flickr. Dover, Del. – The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) announced today that they are quarantining eleven zip codes in New Castle County to eradicate, control, and prevent the spread of spotted lanternfly in Delaware and to surrounding states. The spotted lanternfly is a destructive invasive plant hopper […]
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