Delaware
Sussex broker tapped to lead Delaware Association of Realtors
George Thomasson, a Sussex County Realtor and associate broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty, was installed Jan. 12 as the 2024 president of the 4,400-plus-member Delaware Association of Realtors by his longtime broker, Bette Gallo. The ceremony, held at Wild Quail Golf & Country Club, included installation of the organization’s full slate of officers and directors for the year.
At the Inspire: Inaugural Luncheon, Thomasson shared his 2024 strategic initiatives to inspire future association leaders with a leadership academy, bolster the awareness of Realtors’ value to the public, and sign a memorandum of understanding with the National Association of Real Estate Brokers to create a more inclusive environment for Black real estate professionals.
As president, Thomasson will preside at all meetings of the DAR board of directors and executive committee, and will serve as an ex officio member of all DAR committees and work groups. He will also serve as the official spokesperson for the association on issues related to the real estate industry as well as local residential and commercial markets in Delaware. He also will represent DAR and its members on the National Association of Realtors board of directors and at local, state and national functions.
Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Thomasson’s journey in the industry began in 1987 when he obtained his D.C. real estate license. His career has spanned various ventures, from co-founding the Eklektikos Gallery of Art in Georgetown, D.C., with his life partner of 30 years, Michael Sprouse, to relocating to Delaware and rekindling his passion for real estate in 2003 at Gallo Realty (now BHHS PenFed Realty). Also, he serves on the Lewes Historic Preservation and Architectural Review Commission.
Thomasson boasts a distinguished track record of service within the Sussex County Association of Realtors, including his presidency in 2022. He also held the pivotal position of 2023 DAR Public Policy Committee chair and has been an esteemed DAR board member since 2018. With this extensive background, Thomasson brings a wealth of experience and unwavering leadership to his new role.
The full slate of 2024 DAR officers includes: President George Thomasson (Sussex County), President-elect Scott Farnan (New Castle County); Vice President Steve Schmidt (Kent County), Treasurer Steve Alexander (Sussex County), and Chief Executive Officer and Board Secretary Wesley T. Stefanick.
Directors installed from Sussex County are SCAOR President Adriane Gallagher, Bruce Plummer, Kevin Thawley, Allison Stine, Joe Maggio and Dr. Susan Giove. Chrissy Steele of Sussex County, immediate DAR past president, and Trina Joyner, SCAOR National Association of Realtors director, were installed as general members.
For more information, go to delawarerealtor.com.
Delaware
Delaware gas prices soar nearly 50 cents per gallon in a month: AAA
Bucks County gas prices rise sharply
As the war in Iran deepens, gas pump prices in Bucks County have risen.
A conflict on the other side of the world is hitting your wallet in Delaware.
Prices for gasoline have soared since the start of a war involving the U.S., Israel and Iran that began on Feb. 28. The national average gas price is $3.45 per gallon for regular, according to automotive, travel and insurance company AAA. It was $2.89 per gallon one month ago.
Delaware’s average price is lower than the national average at $3.36 per gallon, a steep hike from $2.88 per gallon a month ago, according to AAA data.
Delaware is small so average prices for regular gasoline are pretty stable from county to county. Sussex and Kent Counties sit at $3.37 per gallon and New Castle County is at $3.35 per gallon.
The current average prices per gallon, according to AAA, are:
- Regular: $3.365, up from $2.886 one month ago
- Mid-Grade: $3.916, up from $3.487 one month ago
- Premium: $4.191, up from $3.785 one month ago
- Diesel: $4.545, up from $3.856 one month ago
In a March 5 press release, AAA said there is usually a jump in prices in the spring, but the last time prices rose this sharply was in March 2022 when the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out.
Shane Brennan covers Wilmington and other Delaware issues. Reach out with ideas, tips or feedback at slbrennan@delawareonline.com.
Delaware
Delaware hoops loss worst in decades but Ingelsby has faith in future
Delaware closes basketball season with lopsided Conference USA loss
Ingelsby determined to return Blue Hens to success after 10-21, injury-marred season
Historical calamities notwithstanding, what occurred inside the Carpenter Center in the early afternoon of March 7 should not be the total measure of the Blue Hens.
Certainly, an unsightly 81-38 basketball loss to Louisiana Tech was in some ways emblematic of Delaware’s 2025-26 basketball season, during which it endured unprecedented misfortune.
But the Blue Hens also frequently rose above their hardships, and even periodically excelled despite them.
First-year Conference USA member Delaware needed to win its game against Louisiana Tech, plus have Florida International and New Mexico State lose theirs later to make the CUSA Tournament, which includes just the top 10 of the 12 league schools.
As that final score hints, it turned into a failure of epic proportion for Delaware, which finishes the season in last place.
The 38 points Delaware scored were its fewest in a game in more than 61 years, since a 77-34 setback against Penn at the Palestra Dec. 9, 1964.
Delaware had scored fewer than 40 points just twice since, in a 46-39 defeat at Rider Feb. 19, 1983, and a 60-39 loss at VCU Jan. 16, 2008.
Ingelsby determined to improve situation
The Blue Hens played their fifth straight game with just six of the 13 scholarship players with whom they began the season, including two freshmen. They’d played the nine games before that with seven.
It caught up with them.
So they’re stuck with their 10-21 record, making these Delaware’s first back-to-back 20-loss seasons since it went 10-20 in 2014-15 and 7-23 in 2015-16 under former coach Monte Ross and 13-20 in Martin Ingelsby’s first UD season in 2016-17.
But the final showing was not representative of who’d they recently been. Delaware was coming off an 83-80 victory over Sam Houston State, which will be the league tournament’s second seed.
They’d also won four of eight before Saturday, which followed a near home upset of regular-season champion Liberty and included an excruciating overtime home loss to Western Kentucky in which the Hens trailed only in the opening seconds of the game and the final moments of OT.
“We’ve dealt with a lot this year,” Ingelsby said. “Obviously, the injuries, adversity, clarity on our roster.
“I’m a competitive dude. So it doesn’t sit well with me. You’re not happy with how overall this season went, obviously going into the league and trying to figure it out.”
Critical offseason looms
In the end, too many players playing too many minutes was part of those struggles. Christian Bliss was first nationally, Justyn Fernandez was fifth and Macon Emory eighth in minutes per game entering Saturday
But those three, in particular, showed how good they are, which is why Delaware won as much as it did. Same with Tyler Houser, though the knee injury he sustained in that WKU game could sideline him all next year.
So Delaware has several very good players. It just needs to retain those it has, such as the aforementioned group, and get more.
That is, of course, easier said than done. But it will be up to Ingelsby, whose contract extends through the 2028-29 season, and his staff to ensure it does, when the transfer portal opens after the Final Four.
“I’m optimistic,” Ingelsby said. “I think we were damn close this year with being dealt a tough hand with all the injuries. We put a good team together but never got a sense to see that team kind of play and grow and learn through the ups and downs of the season.
“But I’m confident that the right players, the right coaching staff, the right support, which we’re getting, that we can be very good in this league.”
“I’ll thank them forever”
Houston Emory, feted in Senior Day ceremonies Saturday, is the only one of Delaware’s remaining 12 scholarship players after Nnanna Njoku’s departure who has completed his eligibility. What a modern-day oddity he is, having spent his entire career at one school.
Delaware has signed one incoming freshman, Jafet Valencia, a 6-7, 200-pound guard from Leesburg, Virginia, and Evergreen Christian School. Ingelsby said he’ll likely be the only one.
“Today was not a semblance of what this team was able to do and how they competed for Delaware men’s basketball,” Ingelsby said, “the University of Delaware, with as tough of a hand as I’ve experienced in my 20-plus years in college basketball.
“We got six scholarship guys out there, two freshmen. Those guys that were there every day, I’ll thank them forever for everything that they gave this program.”
Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
Delaware
What is Delaware’s state dog? It’s not a particular breed
This library lets kids read books to dogs to practice fluency
PAWS for People brings therapy dogs to the Milton Public Library where kids can practice reading out loud and spend time with the dogs, Jan. 31, 2026.
Delaware has a several items that represent the state.
The First State has a state bird (Blue Hen chicken), a state flower (peach blossom), a state fish (weakfish) and a state dessert (peach pie). Delaware even has a state bug (ladybug), state wildlife (gray fox) and state butterfly (tiger swallowtail).
While all the symbols have their place, few tug at the heartstrings like the state dog.
What is Delaware’s state dog?
The state dog of Delaware is the rescue dog, which replaced the golden retriever in 2023.
Then-Gov. John Carney signed Senate Bill 37 into law in May 2023 to make the change. The designation was made to help bring attention to rescue animals in the hope of getting them adopted.
“That just elevates all animals in shelters,” Sara Smith, a Brandywine Valley SPCA spokesperson, said during an adoption event in 2024.
What are the country’s other state dogs?
Delaware is one of 16 states with official dogs.
- Alaska — Alaskan malamute
- Delaware — rescue dog
- Georgia — adoptable dog
- Louisiana — Catahoula leopard dog
- Maryland — Chesapeake Bay retriever
- Massachusetts — Boston terrier
- New Hampshire — Chinook
- New Jersey — seeing eye dog
- New York — working dogs
- North Carolina — Plott hound
- Pennsylvania — Great Dane
- South Carolina — Boykin spaniel
- Tennessee — bluetick coonhound
- Texas — Blue Lacy
- Virginia — American foxhound
- Wisconsin — American water spaniel
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