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BUSINESS
Delaware Park Casino and Racing is investing $5 million in a 10,000-square-foot covered outdoor patio that will open next spring. The patio will include 250 popular slot machines in an open-air setting near the complex’s racetrack. The new patio will be heated and allow patrons to smoke while playing the slots. Delaware Park has also opened High Steaks Brewery and plans to open a holiday-themed pop-up bar in the next month or so.
Harrington’s long-awaited plans to build an industrial park on 131 acres between U.S. Route 13 and Delaware 14 could get a boost from proposals for a 28,000-square-foot lumber treatment facility and a nearly 10,000-square-foot storage warehouse.
The Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA ) has received a $20 million federal grant to fuel DRBA’s efforts to bring a green-energy-friendly, diesel-hybrid ferry vessel to the Cape May–Lewes Ferry fleet. The grant will cover about a quarter of the $74 million cost of a new ferry that will likely replace the 43-year-old MV Cape Henlopen as early as 2027.
Ward & Taylor Real Estate Attorneys opened a new Dover office at 29 South State Street. The real estate law firm now has five offices in Delaware.
Advance Auto Parts has opened a new location at 38090 Dupont Blvd. in Selbyville.
Lakewood, NJ-based ExcelCare Health Management has purchased three short-term and post-hospital treatment centers in Delaware for a reported $62.2 million. The facilities are Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation in Wilmington, Churchman Village in Newark, and Breakwater Village in Lewes. All three will be rebranded under the ExcelCare name: ExcelCare at Newark, ExcelCare at Wilmington and ExcelCare at Lewes.
CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
F.H. Furr Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical, which has operations in Delaware, has launched its second annual holiday campaign in partnership with The Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation . From now through December 15, 2024, F.H. Furr will donate 100% of the revenue from every heating inspection to help Toys for Tots bring joy to children in need this holiday season.
New Castle-based Croda has donated $10,000 to Sean’s House , a Newark-based nonprofit that provides free resources and a safe space for young Delawareans wanting to improve their mental health.
More than 1,000 residents comprising 126 teams participated in this year’s Wilmington, DE Walk to End Alzheimer’s ® held on Saturday, October 19 at Tubman Garrett Riverfront Park. Participants raised nearly $220,000 to support the care, support and research programs of the Alzheimer’s Association . As part of that effort, Foulk Living senior living community’s team far surpassed its $1,000 goal, raising $2,240 for the 2024 Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Foulk Living senior living community provides independent living, assisted living with memory care, and skilled nursing. The Foulk Living team for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s included staff, residents and family members.
The United Breast Cancer Foundation (UBCF), Christiana Mall, and the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition (DBCC) joined forces to honor breast cancer survivors with a pink-filled event in the JC Penney Court at the Christiana Mall on Oct. 5. Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors received beautiful pink bags filled with personal care items, fancy soaps, makeup, wireless earphones, dish towels, wireless chargers, makeup applicators, and small home decor. Many other Christiana Mall tenants came out to support the cause and breast cancer survivors, including Lego, Victoria’s Secret, Purple, and Coach.
Bank of America will be presented with the inaugural Easterseals Disability Community Impact Award on Oct. 29 at the 2024 Easterseals Annual Celebration in recognition of its long-standing dedication to fostering an inclusive workforce for people with disabilities. Easterseals is a leading provider of services for children and adults with disabilities and their families in the region.
Club Phred backing The Blues Brothers Horns helped raise more than $200,000 ($50,000 more than the 2022 event and a little more than the 2023 event) for www.StopSoldierSuicide.org . The event was held at VetFest in the Town of Whitehall near Middletown. According to event organizer Brian DiSabatino, CEO of EDiS Company , approximately 22 veterans and one active-duty military member succumbs to their hidden wounds and become a victim of suicide every day — 50% higher than their civilian counterparts.
CULTURE
The Delaware Art Museum has built on its ongoing District 8 mural project as a complement to its “Jazz Age Illustration” exhibition. The mural project enlarges images from DelArt’s American Illustration collection, combined with quotations from popular writers and press from the period. The murals are on view throughout District 8 through the New Year at Luther Towers, BrewHaHa Trolley Square, the intersection of Delaware Avenue and Dupont Street, Lincoln Towers, Southeast Kitchen, and the interaction of Pennsylvania and Greenhill avenues outside the Marian Coffin Garden. “Jazz Around Town” is supported by City of Wilmington District 8 Councilman Nathan Field and an AARP Challenge Grant. This organization is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts , a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts .
EDUCATION
Goldey Beacom College added three alumni to its Distinguished Alumni Gallery in early October. Honorees were:
- President’s Award: Calvin St. Juste ’02, who is the honorary special envoy for investment, development, and international business relations for St. Kitts and Nevis. His Excellency is the former global chief operating officer and head of global strategy at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s Financial Wellness division.
- Distinguished Alumni: Marwa Zakharia ’06 is the CEO of AssetBook, a portfolio management and reporting technology provider.
- Rising Star: Carla Lee ’19, ’20 is a vice president at JPMorgan Chase, leading the Affordable Lending Strategy for the Business Banking Lending Product Team. She has led the launch and scaling of multiple diverse talent development programs in the Delaware Market designed to retain and advance top, diverse talent.
Delaware State University has opened its new Center for Urban Revitalization and Entrepreneurship (CURE) facility at 205 South State Street in Dover. The center houses DSU’s cutting-edge CURE business incubator and co-workspace.
Students, former school and District leaders, and administrators added their signatures to a beam that will be installed in Hodgson Vocational Technical High School’s new state-of-the-art, 286,896-square-foot school on the current site of the playing fields. Part of the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District with an enrollment of more than 1,100 students, 16 career areas, 16 varsity sports, and 14 clubs, the new building is scheduled to open in time for the 2026-2027 school year. The new Hodgson is the first school project to participate in the State’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise pilot program, giving opportunities to minority- and women-owned businesses throughout the state to bid on and win contracts for portions of the construction.
Lt. Col. George Hardy , a highly decorated Tuskegee Airman and pilot from Philadelphia, is now celebrated as the name of one of Delaware State University’s Aviation planes. One of the DSU’s Piper Arrow aircraft is now the namesake of Lt. Col. Hardy after an Oct. 22 ceremony at the Delaware Airpark – where the University bases its Aviation Program — to rename the plane in honor his aviation career and contributions as a veteran. Lt. Col. Hardy – who is 99 years old – could not attend the ceremony.
GOVERNMENT
The Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will open registration for the online lottery for its annual low-digit tag release on Oct. 28 and close it on Nov. 3. The lottery will be over four days beginning Tuesday, November 12, 2024. You may register only once per driver’s license or identification card. To register, visit dmv.de.gov/taglottery.
Beach-nesting piping plovers – a federally-listed threatened species and Delaware state-listed endangered species – experienced a decrease in adult pair numbers but increased nesting success in Delaware during 2024, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced. Seven pairs of piping plovers were recorded nesting at The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, as well as 17 nesting pairs documented at Fowler Beach on Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, for a total of 24 nesting pairs. Before this year, pair counts in Delaware had steadily increased since 2016. The pair count stabilized at 24 in 2021 and 2022, but sharply increased to 31 in 2023. Photo: DNREC
A coalition of 50 state attorneys general has reached a settlement with Marriott International, Inc. as the result of a multi-year data breach of one of its guest reservation databases. Under the settlement, Marriott has agreed to strengthen its data security practices using a dynamic risk-based approach; provide certain consumer protections; and make a $52 million payment to states. Delaware will receive $400,000 from the settlement, which will go to the state Consumer Protection Fund.
The Delaware Supreme Court has adopted an interim policy guiding the use of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) – specifically AI that generates data– by judicial officers and court personnel. The interim policy neither prohibits nor requires the use of generative AI. The court’s interim policy focuses on the fact that those who use this technology are ultimately responsible for the accuracy of whatever is produced. The policy also states users have a duty to educate themselves on the technology, how to use it properly, and comply with existing court rules and policies.
HEALTH
Highmark Health Options , the state’s largest Medicaid managed care organization (MCO), will offer new coverage options from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (Highmark BCBS) beginning Jan. 1, 2025, called Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNP) for Delawareans who are eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare health care coverage.
RETAIL/RESTAURANTS
Applebee’s locations in Camden, Dover, Middletown, New Castle, Newark, and Wilmington will offer a Kids Eat Free special on Oct. 31, 2024. These locations are owned and operated by Flynn Group .
Hill Donut and Pancake House has opened its second Delaware location at the former Stone Balloon Ale House on Newark’s Main Street. It’s Hill’s second location; the first is on Marsh Road in north Wilmington. Besides doughnuts, the menu includes brunch with adult beverages and, for the lunch and dinner crowd, 322 BBQ (and specialty burgers).
John Thompson has opened Gio’s Pizza Co. in the former Casa DiLeo space on Rehoboth Avenue Extended outside Rehoboth Beach in an effort to continue the legacy created by his uncle John DiLeo, according to the Cape Gazette. Thompson co-owns the new pizza shop with his wife Dana Marmo. They took over the restaurant space earlier this year.
SPORTS
The Western Family YMCA has made significant renovations to its basketball gymnasium and outdoor pickleball courts, designed to enhance the overall experience for members and the community. The outdoor courts have been transformed with new asphalt and a professional acrylic playing surface specifically designed for pickleball. The newly resurfaced area now includes six state-of-the-art pickleball courts equipped with lighting for evening play.
FOND FAREWELLS
More than 200 A.I. du Pont High School alumni band members came out Friday night at Homecoming to remember their late band director Paul L. Parets, who died Oct. 13 at age 82. Mr. P, as he was known, led the Tiger marching band for 36 years until his retirement in 2012. Parets took the band all over the country and Europe during his tenure. Here’s a link to a great story on DelawareOnline. We hope the paywall won’t prevent you from reading it.
PEOPLE
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Shamoor Anis has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Delaware. He is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
Jarrett Harris has joined Dover Federal Credit Union as the Vice President of Information Technology. Harris brings a wealth of knowledge and 26 years of international experience in cyber security, IT infrastructure and data processing. Prior to joining Dover Federal Credit Union, his experience includes a position as the General Manager of Global IT Operations covering 26 countries and 10,000 users in a 10-billion-dollar organization.
Bayhealth Cancer Institute welcomed hematologist and oncologist Dr. Sheeba Habeeb Ba Aqeel to its team, serving Kent and Sussex counties. In addition, Dr. Paulina McCabe has joined Bayhealth Primary Care in Milford. She joins Dr. Lauren Parmer, Dr. Jonathan Simon, and Erika Porter, FNP-BC, and is now accepting new primary care patients.
The ACLU of Delaware presented Kandler Awards recognizing community members and organizations that have fought to protect and expand civil liberties in Delaware:
- Dr. Ann Aviles , for her extensive work as an activist for housing justice and education equity in Delaware. Dr. Aviles, an associate professor at the University of Delaware, has worked with community-based organizations to advocate for educational access, equitable funding, and anti-racist systems and practices with, and for, students and families of color experiencing homelessness/poverty, incarceration, and mental health issues.
- La Esperanza , Delaware’s second-largest multi-service agency for Hispanic immigrants that helps clients gain access to employment, housing, education, permanent residency, U.S. citizenship, naturalization, and self-sufficiency.
- Peta Gordon , an attorney with Arnold and Porter, for work securing essential school funding through the Delawareans for Educational Opportunity v. Carney settlement.
Pamela Millard has joined Cole Schotz P.C. as a member of the firm’s Corporate Department in Delaware. Millard has more than 15 years of experience advising clients on all aspects of Delaware’s corporate law and the governance of Delaware entities.
Becker Morgan Group Associate Principal and Civil Engineer Christopher Duke , PE, PTOE, LEED AP has been named president of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Delaware (ACEC Delaware).
Bankruptcy and restructuring attorney Matthew O. Talmo has been named partner at Morris Nichols.
Dave Baker has been appointed treasurer and a member of the board at Delaware Botanic Gardens at Pepper Creek (DBG).
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