Joe Ciccanti

Anxiety Levels Across Delaware Have Increased 4% Over 5 Years, Finds Study

By Joe Ciccanti / July 18, 2024

Many people are stressed out these days. A Mission for Michael conducted a comprehensive study to analyze anxiety and stress levels over the past five years to determine if Americans are becoming more or less anxious. Utilizing County Health Rankings data, they identified specific counties experiencing significant changes during this period. The study revealed that the average percentage of…

Application Period for Tree-Planting Project Funding Open

By Joe Ciccanti / July 18, 2024

The Tree for Every Delawarean Initiative (TEDI), which Governor John Carney launched in November, 2021, is seeking funding requests for tree-planting projects that will be completed in 2025. The goal is the planting of 1 million trees by 2030. To date, almost 200,000 trees have been planted. Funding requests can include multiple projects and may…

Governor Carney Signs Bill Creating Affordable Housing Production Task Force

By Joe Ciccanti / July 18, 2024

Governor John Carney has signed House Bill 442, which creates the Affordable Housing Production Task Force (“Task Force”). The purpose and mission of the Task Force is to investigate and make findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on how the State and local governments can increase the production of affordable rental…

Dover Man Arrested for Drug Offenses, Resisting Arrest

By Joe Ciccanti / July 17, 2024

Delaware State Police have arrested a 34-year-old Dover man on multiple drug and resisting arrest charges after a pursuit near Seaford yesterday. According to State Police, yesterday shortly before 4 p.m., a member of the Sussex County Governor’s Task Force saw an Acura MDX fail to use its turn signal as it was turning onto…

Two-Vehicle Collision in Long Neck Area Under Investigation

By Joe Ciccanti / July 17, 2024

Delaware State Police are investigating a two-vehicle collision that occurred yesterday afternoon at the back entrance to a shopping center in the area of John J. Williams Highway and Bay Farm Road. Emergency response units from Indian River included Rescue Units from the Oak Orchard and Long Neck facilities as well as the Delaware State…

Selbyville Police Looking for Bank Fraud Suspect

By Joe Ciccanti / July 17, 2024

Charges are pending as Selbyville Police look for a suspicious individual attempting to commit a fraud at the Bank of Ocean City within the corporate limits of Selbyville. Through investigative measures officers learned that the person (photographed below) used a false identification and attempted to fraudulently withdraw funds from an account. Anyone with information on…

Cape Henlopen School District Mourns Loss of Two Students in Vehicle Crash

By Joe Ciccanti / July 17, 2024

The Cape Henlopen School District is mourning the loss of the sudden death of two of their students following a vehicle crash that occurred on Gills Neck Road in Lewes on the night of July 15th.  According to Delaware State Police, the driver of a BMW had apparently been speeding before exiting the road at…

Dover Police Warns About Use of Gel-Blaster Guns

By Joe Ciccanti / July 17, 2024

The Dover Police Department is putting out an alert about a recent uptick in calls regarding juveniles using Gel-Blaster guns, commonly referred to as Orbeez, including “drive-by” style incidents. If your child owns one of these Orbeez guns, Dover PD asks that you monitor their use and talk to them about the associated risks from improper…

Mobile Home Fire in Talbot County–Accidental

By Joe Ciccanti / July 17, 2024

A mobile home fire that occurred late yesterday afternoon on Schockley Lane in Cordova, Talbot County has been ruled accidental. According to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal, the fire was due to a mechanical and electrical failure in the water pump. The American Red Cross was notified of the fire to assist with…

Juveniles Charged Following Investigation into Series of Molotov Cocktail Incidents 

By Joe Ciccanti / July 12, 2024

Deputy State Fire Marshals have charged two juveniles, ages 11 and 14, after Molotov cocktail incidents targeting homes in west Salisbury. The investigation, starting June 12th, was led by the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office and involved tips from the community and home video surveillance. The 11-year-old faces a Child in Need of Services referral, while…

Delaware Mosquito Control Section Insecticide Application(s)

By Joe Ciccanti / July 11, 2024

Weather permitting the Delaware Mosquito Control Section plans insecticide applications this evening in Milford as well as near Camden, Wyoming, Marydel, Ellendale, Lincoln, Milton, and Lewes. The applications will be done with a truck-mounted sprayer to control adult mosquitoes in those areas. All insecticides to be used are registered with the USEPA for mosquito control and will be applied according…

Ocean City Police Department Seeks to Identify Group of Individuals Following Incident of Trespassing and Malicious Destruction of Property

By Joe Ciccanti / July 11, 2024

The Ocean City Police Department is currently investigating a trespassing and malicious destruction of property incident that occurred on June 14th at Bayside Park. The Ocean City Police Department is attempting to identify a group of individuals who jumped a fence into the basketball courts after park hours. One individual destroyed the lock on the…

Dover Woman Charged With Shoplifting at Felton Royal Farms

By Joe Ciccanti / July 11, 2024

A 44-year-old Dover woman has been charged with shoplifting under $1,500, which is a class A misdemeanor. The arrest happened on W Main St in Felton on Tuesday evening. The woman had an active warrant out of Felton PD for a shoplifting that happened on July 2nd at the Felton Royal Farms. Video surveillance from…

DE Department of Justice Secures Lengthy Prison Sentence for Violent Gun offender

By Joe Ciccanti / July 11, 2024

 A Maryland man has been sentenced to more than three decades in prison for the murder of Charles “Jaimie” Kupidlowski in Felton in 2023. On June 17th, Steven M. Smith of Centreville, MD, pled guilty in Kent County Superior Court to Murder 2nd Degree and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. Smith,…

Grants to Support Delaware Students Experiencing Homelessness

By Joe Ciccanti / July 11, 2024

Fourteen charter schools or school districts including the Cape Henlopen and Indian River School Districts will benefit from grants to facilitate the enrollment, attendance, and success in school of children and youth experiencing homelessness. The help is available thanks to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Education for Homeless Children and Youth grants. This funding will…

DelDOT Traffic Alert – Nighttime Closure of SR 16 West of Rt. 1

By Joe Ciccanti / July 11, 2024

Nightly closures of Route16 west of Route 1 in the Milton area will go into effect next week for bridge construction. Northbound SR 1 motorists traveling through the intersection will not be impacted. Southbound SR 1 motorists traveling through the intersection can expect nighttime lane closures July 16th through July 19th and then returning on Monday July…

Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester Announce $2.5 Million to Expand School-Based Health Services in DE Public Schools

By Joe Ciccanti / July 11, 2024

Delaware will receive $2.5 million from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand health care resources offered at Delaware’s public schools. This funding is the direct result of a provision co-authored by Senator Tom Carper that was included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, legislation also championed by Senator Chris Coons and…

Worcester County Sheriff’s Office: Continued Reports from Individuals Targeted by Phone Scam

By Joe Ciccanti / July 11, 2024

The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office continues to receive reports from individuals targeted by a phone scam. The scammer impersonates a member of the Command Staff, falsely claiming that the victim has missed Federal Jury Duty and must pay a fine using various methods, including gift cards. The scammer also uses phone number spoofing to make…

Downtown Parking Garage in Salisbury to Undergo Necessary Structural Maintenance and Repair

By Joe Ciccanti / July 11, 2024

Required maintenance and repair by a contractor has begun on the Circle Avenue Parking Garage in Salisbury to allow for the long-term viability of the structure. The work will continue for the next several months. During the work, some parking spots will be inaccessible, however there will still be more than enough spots to handle…

Passing of retired Chancellor Grover C. Brown

By Joe Ciccanti / July 11, 2024

The Delaware Court of Chancery mourns the loss of Chancellor Grover C. Brown, who served on the court from 1973 to 1985. Brown died at age 89 on July 1st, 2024. A native of Harrington, Delaware, Brown was first appointed to the bench in 1971 as a judge on the newly expanded Family Court. Brown was…

Senator Carper Holds Hearing on Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse Recovery Efforts, Path Ahead

By Joe Ciccanti / July 11, 2024

U.S. Senator Tom Carper, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, led a hearing on the state and federal response to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. Yesterday’s hearing examined the unified response to the collapse of the bridge and the effort to reopen the Port of Baltimore,…

Police Chase in Kent County Ends With Arrest of Rehoboth Beach Man on Multiple Felony Offenses

By Joe Ciccanti / July 10, 2024

A police chase near Felton led to the arrest of a 38-year-old Rehoboth Beach man who now faces multiple felony offenses. On Tuesday around 5:30 p.m., detectives attempted to pull over a vehicle in the parking lot of Royal Farms on South Dupont Highway, but the GMC Yukon sped away. During the pursuit, detectives saw…

Troopers Arrest Seaford Man for DUI and Gun Offenses After Traffic Stop

By Joe Ciccanti / July 10, 2024

Delaware State Police have arrested a 22-year-old Seaford man on multiple gun and traffic-related charges after a traffic stop in the area of South Market Street in Blades. According to State Police, a trooper pulled over a car due to multiple equipment violations. The driver, identified as Myles Andrews, showed signs of impairment. After the trooper…

Town of Berlin Seeks Redevelopment Presentations for Former Tyson Foods Processing Plant at Heron Park

By Joe Ciccanti / July 10, 2024

The Mayor and Council of the Town of Berlin are inviting interested parties to submit redevelopmentpresentations for the old Tyson Foods processing plant on parcel 57 at Heron Park. The Town aims to transform the site, setting a minimum price of $1,200,000.00 for the parcel. The Town is currently executing a strategic demolition of the…