Records Pond dam and fishing piers closing March 2

The dam and associated fishing access areas at Records Pond in Laurel will be closed to public use during reconstruction of the dam beginning March 2.
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DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Blotter: Feb. 17-23

To help achieve public compliance with laws and regulations, officers from Feb. 17-23 made 1,376 public contacts and responded to 53 complaints.
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Delaware consumers protected by work of weights and measures inspectors

DOVER, Del. – Every day, Delaware consumers are protected by the work of the Weights and Measures inspectors at the Delaware Department of Agriculture. When consumers purchase products based on a weight or measurement – like a gallon of gas or a pound of lunch meat – the Department's Weights and Measures section is responsible […]
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Governor Carney: Application Period is Open for Student Representative on State Board of Education

Applications for rising 11th or 12th grade student seat are due March 20, 2020  DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney announced on Thursday the application period for the student seat on the State Board of Education is open through March 20, 2020. The application can be found on the State Board of Education website. Governor […]
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Polly Drummond Hill Road yard waste site to close for season Friday, Feb. 28

DNREC's Polly Drummond Hill Yard Waste site in New Castle County will close for the season on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Normally, the site closes earlier – at the end of January – but due to mild weather, DNREC extended the site's operation into 2020 to accommodate yard waste activities. Area residents who wish to recycle their yard waste while the Polly Drummond Hill Road site is closed have other options for yard waste disposal.
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Smyrna man arrested on drug charges

A Smyrna man was arrested on drug charges following a traffic stop and vehicle search in Dover conducted by the Delaware Natural Resources Police.
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Harriet Tubman living history at Old State House on March 10

Actress Millicent Sparks to portray the noted Underground Railroad conductor.
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Air Permitting Basics training workshops scheduled March 18 and 26

DOVER, Del.– DNREC's Division of Air Quality and industry partners will host Air Permitting Basics training workshops at 8 a.m., Wednesday, March 18, at DNREC's Lukens Drive office, 391 Lukens Drive, New Castle, DE 19720, and again at 8 a.m., Thursday, March 26, in the DNREC Auditorium, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Topics to be covered include an overview of DNREC's Division of Air Quality and air permitting basics – with examples presented at the workshops for generators and boilers. Certificates for professional development hours will be available for those attending. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required. To register, and for more information, please visit https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/air/permitting-basics/.
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Delaware Details Preparations for Potential Spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is actively taking steps to prepare for community spread of the coronavirus disease known as COVID-19, as well as providing information to Delawareans about the actions they can take now to make preparations. To date, no one in Delaware has tested positive for COVID-19.
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As public process begins to create plan for climate change, survey shows majority of Delawareans say it is time to act

Public input sessions are beginning next week to create Delaware's plan to mitigate, adapt and respond to climate change.
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Camille Decker to Represent Delaware in 2020 Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington

Sanford School senior to advance to National Finals in Washington, DC Smyrna, Del. (February 26, 2020) – From a field of 15 Delaware high school students, Camille Decker, a senior from Sanford School, earned the title of 2020 Poetry Out Loud Delaware State Champion at the state finals held in Smyrna, Del. on Feb. 25. […]
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DigiGirlz Registration Now Open

Media Contact: Christina Dirksen, Strategic Communications Manager, DTI (302) 739-9500 Christina.Dirksen@delaware.gov 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 is now open for Delaware DigiGirlz Day 2020, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary! Girls in the 8th and 9th grades (or […]
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DNREC to close The Point at Cape Henlopen March 1 for 2020 for beach nesting season

LEWES – The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park, including a stretch of ocean beach and dunes, and a half-mile along the bay shoreline, will close Sunday, March 1, for the benefit of threatened and endangered beachnesters and migratory shorebirds, including red knot, piping plovers, oystercatchers, least terns, and other species. The Point's nesting habitat […]
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Attorney General Jennings announces bipartisan, multistate investigation of JUUL

Attorney General Kathy Jennings today announced that Delaware has joined a bipartisan, multistate investigation of JUUL Labs. The 39-state coalition is investigating JUUL's marketing and sales practices, including targeting of youth. The investigation also concerns claims regarding nicotine content, statements regarding the risks and safety of e-cigarettes, and the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as smoking cessation […]
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Two wells near Dover AFB have possible elevated PFOS/PFOA levels

Preliminary results show two wells near the base (AFB) have possible elevated levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).
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Funding available to communities to plan for coastal flooding and climate change impacts

DNREC is soliciting letters of interest to enter into projects that will support local resilience planning and adaptation activities in Delaware.
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DNREC to launch refrigerant incentive program

DNREC will launch a program to provide incentives to businesses to install refrigeration systems that are less harmful to the environment.
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DPH Concerned About Increasing Number of Flu Cases As It Announces Additional Flu-Related Deaths

DOVER – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is expressing concern about the increasing number of laboratory-confirmed flu cases in the state as the agency announces additional flu-related deaths for the 2019-2020 season. To date, nine Delawareans have passed away due to flu-related complications during the 2019-2020 flu season. All nine individuals had underlying […]
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DFA Banquet and Tree Farmer Award on March 19

The 2020 Delaware Forestry Association Annual Meeting and Banquet will be held on Thursday, March 19 at the Felton Fire Hall in Felton, Delaware. The event features the presentation of the 2020 "Delaware Tree Farmer of the Year Award." Cost is $27 for adults and $13.50 for children ages 6 to 12.  Details at  delawareforest.com
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Consumer Alert: Number Spoofing Targets Delmarva Customers

The Delaware Public Service Commission (PSC) and Delaware Division of the Public Advocate have received numerous complaints of third-party electricity suppliers "spoofing" phone numbers in an effort to sign up households for new service contracts.
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Spring trout stocking and March 7 season opening at downstate ponds announced

Delaware spring 2020 downstate freshwater trout season will begin Saturday, March 7.
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Delaware Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish to meet Feb. 25 in Dover

Delaware's Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25 in the DNREC Auditorium, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901.
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Security Grant Funds Available for Nonprofit Security

Smyrna, DE – Do you know a nonprofit organization in Delaware that may be interested in grant funding for security enhancements?  Organizations with 501(c)(3) status may be eligible to receive funding from the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) which supports organizations that may be at high risk of a terrorist attack.  Nonprofits that may qualify […]
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Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau to Hold Public Meetings

Newly Medicare-eligible residents encouraged to attend Welcome to Medicare: 2020 The Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB), a division of the Department of Insurance, has announced a series of Welcome to Medicare: 2020 events taking place throughout the year. More than a dozen public learning sessions will take place across the state. Participants will learn about […]
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DNREC Secretary’s Emergency Order authorizes change to striped bass fishing regulations

DNREC reduces the striped bass fishing quota for commercial fishing and limits the number and size of fish that recreational anglers can keep.
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DNREC now accepting grant proposals for community water quality improvement projects

DNREC's Division of Watershed Stewardship is now accepting project proposals for matching grants for community water quality improvement projects.
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Registration open to hunters for mandatory wild turkey hunting courses

DOVER – With Delaware's annual spring wild turkey hunting season approaching, DNREC's Division of Fish & Wildlife Hunter Education Program reminds both resident and non-resident hunters age 13 and older that they must pass a Division-Approved turkey hunting course before they can legally hunt turkeys in the First State. Also, hunters age 13 and older born after Jan. 1, 1967, must have completed an approved basic hunter education safety course and have a course card/number. These hunter education requirements have collectively helped Delaware turkey hunters achieve an excellent hunting safety record.
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Women’s history celebrated at state’s museums during March 2020

Six special programs held in celebration of National Women's History Month.
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Joint Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission-Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council hearings in Dover Feb. 19

DOVER – DNREC's Division of Fish & Wildlife will host joint Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC)/Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) public fisheries scoping hearings on Wednesday, Feb. 19 in DNREC's Auditorium, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. A Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment hearing will begin at 6 p.m., followed by a Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment hearing at 7 p.m. The Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment will consider potential modifications to commercial and recreational catch allocations for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass in consideration of updated recreational and commercial fishing catch estimates.
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Division of the Arts to Host Annual State Employee Art Exhibition

More than 280 state employees and their family members have registered to show artwork at Delaware State University Art Center/Gallery Dover, Del. (February 17, 2020) – The free exhibition will be open to the public from February 24 to March 25, 2020 at the Art Center/Gallery at Delaware State University, Dover. The reception and awards […]
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DPH Announces Third Negative Test Result for Coronavirus

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing that the second of two pending test results for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has come back negative. The individual, a New Castle County resident, is no longer hospitalized and is continuing to recover from their underlying illness at home. DPH will not be providing any additional information about the individual. Three Delawareans have been tested for COVID-19 to date, and all three results have been negative. There are no other persons under investigation in Delaware at this time.
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Child Support Begins Sending Payments to New ReliaCard®

NEW CASTLE (Feb. 14, 2020) – On Monday, Feb. 10, the Delaware Division of Child Support Services successfully began sending payments to the new prepaid debit card, issued by U.S. Bank ReliaCard, for child support recipients. New applicants of the ReliaCard will have payments sent to their card on Feb. 17, 2020. The Division of […]
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DNREC-sponsored ‘Butterflies and Clean Water’ presentations set for March 2 and 30 as part of Reclaim Our River Program

LAUREL – The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship's Reclaim Our River Program – Nanticoke Series, in partnership with the Delaware Nature Society's Abbott's Mill Nature Center, and the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, will host two free presentations in March on saving the monarch butterfly, gardening for butterflies, and the importance of clean water. The presentations will […]
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“Coffee, Cross Stitch and Conversation” at Lewes’ Zwaanendael Museum on Feb. 22, 2020

Museum to feature a workshop on cross stitch, a form of embroidery in which X-shaped stitches are used to form a picture.
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Commissioner Navarro Responds Strongly to Report of Premium Increases on Members of the Military

Action, legislation, and investigations into "patriot penalties" Delaware Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro responded strongly to a Consumer Federation of America report that Delaware service members may return home from deployment to increased auto insurance premiums, calling the practice completely unacceptable and issuing a formal bulletin to insurance companies about the illegality of this practice in […]
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DPH Announces Second Negative Test Result For Coronavirus

DOVER – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing that one of two pending test results for 2019 novel coronavirus (now known as COVID-19) has come back negative. The individual has been discharged from the hospital and is continuing to recover from their underlying illness at home. Test results for one other person […]
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The Delaware Division of the Arts to Host 2020 Poetry Out Loud State Competition

Seventeen students to compete to advance to National Finals in Washington, DC Smyrna, Del. (February 13, 2020) –The free recitation contest will host its state final competition at Smyrna Opera House on Tuesday, February 25 at 7 p.m. (snow date: Thursday, February 27). The finalists will compete for the opportunity to represent Delaware and advance […]
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Delaware Captive Insurance Contributes $4 Million to State

Captives reduce taxpayer burden Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro announced data showing a strong year of captive insurance formations in Delaware, with 56 licenses provided in 2019, outpacing previous years. "The success of Delaware's captive insurance program is reflective of the hard work of Delaware's captive staff in applying firm but fair regulations and finding innovative […]
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DNREC goes live with enhanced online electronic recreational fishing license sales system

DOVER – Anglers who have purchased recreational fishing licenses and freshwater trout stamps, or exempt anglers who obtained free Fisherman Information Network (FIN) numbers directly from DNREC's website in the past will now benefit from an updated, more user-friendly version of the electronic fishing license sales system, DNREC's Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today. The enhanced fishing license sales system can be accessed online via DNREC's new ePermitting system, which involves customers establishing a user profile usable for a variety of DNREC licensing and permitting opportunities.
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Community Preparedness Workshop for Seniors and People With Disabilities in Dover

  Smyrna – Are you prepared for an emergency or disaster?  Disasters can strike suddenly, anytime and anywhere, and first responders may not be able to reach you right away. If you were unable to attend the Community Preparedness Workshop in Georgetown, a second workshop will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at the Modern […]
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February 28th is deadline to change political party affiliation before Presidential Primary

You must be registered as a Democrat or a Republican in your party's Presidential Primary. The deadline to change political party affiliation before the 2020 Presidential Primary is Friday, February 28, 2020.
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DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Blotter: Jan. 27- Feb. 2

To help achieve public compliance with laws and regulations, officers from Jan. 27-Feb. 2 made 1,713 public contacts and responded to 61 complaints.
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Delaware Monitoring Returning Travelers from China for 2019 Novel Coronavirus

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is providing an update on its efforts to monitor for potential cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). DPH continues to coordinate closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health care providers to identify potential cases, and has updated its guidance for risk assessment and monitoring travelers returning from China.
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Odyssey Charter placed on formal review

In response to complaints received by the Delaware Department of Education regarding Odyssey Charter School's governance, Secretary of Education Susan Bunting is placing the school on formal review.
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Delaware opens registration for 2020 domestic hemp program

Following up on the recent announcement of USDA's approval of Delaware's Domestic Hemp Production Program, the Delaware Department of Agriculture released their registration materials online Friday, February 7.
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Companies Save Over $4 Million From Reduced Workers’ Compensation Rates

Workplace Safety Program saves $7.6 million for participants The Delaware Department of Insurance has analyzed new filings from the state's top writers of workers' compensation insurance after announcing the third consecutive year of decreased rates in November. The top writers represent nearly 10,000 companies that hold policies within the state. Policyholders of these companies will […]
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Repairs to Gordons Pond elevated boardwalk at Cape Henlopen State Park delayed until next week

Repairs to Gordons Pond elevated boardwalk at Cape Henlopen State Park delayed until next week LEWES (Feb. 5, 2020) – The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has rescheduled repairs to the Gordons Pond elevated boardwalk at Cape Henlopen State Park for Monday, Feb. 10 and Tuesday, Feb. 11, due to inclement […]
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Delaware Receives Overwhelming Support in Case to Prevent Political Partisanship on State Courts

The U.S. Supreme Court Accepted Governor Carney's Petition to Hear Carney v. Adams WILMINGTON, Del. — Delaware's five most recent governors, the three most recent Chief Justices of the Delaware Supreme Court, the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the […]
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DNREC’s Water Infrastructure Advisory Council to meet Feb. 19 at Delaware Technical Community College in Dover

The Delaware Water Infrastructure Advisory Council will meet at 9 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 19, at Delaware Technical Community College.
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Delaware Resident Tests Negative for 2019 Novel Coronavirus

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is providing an update regarding its investigation into a potential case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus in a Delaware resident. Test results from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) came back negative for the virus. There is no other person in Delaware under investigation at this time.
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