[versión en español]

[vèsyon kreyòl ayisyen]

Rehoboth Bay Aquaculture Oysters Not Affected; Crabs, Conch and Finfish Harvest Remains Open

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has issued an emergency closure of Indian River Bay to the harvest of bivalve shellfish, including clams and mussels, after DNREC received notice of an ongoing sewage release connected to the town of Millsboro’s sewer system that is affecting the Indian River and may impact the bay.

Under National Shellfish Sanitation Program requirements, waters must be closed to bivalve shellfish harvest for 21 days following the end of the release to protect public health and allow time for natural cleansing. Because the release is currently ongoing, the 21-day closure period will begin once DNREC confirms the discharge has ended. DNREC will provide an update and reopening date when available.

This closure does not affect Rehoboth Bay. Oysters grown under commercial aquaculture leases in Rehoboth Bay are not affected by the Indian River Bay closure and remain suitable for raw consumption by healthy individuals. (Recreational oyster harvesting is not permitted in Delaware to protect oyster populations.)

The harvest of crabs, conch and finfish is not affected by this closure.

As an added precaution, DNREC advises water users to limit water contact in Indian River Bay and nearby waters for the next few days, particularly in areas potentially affected by the discharge.

Delaware Natural Resources Police will patrol the area and help inform the public about the closure. DNREC will also notify any affected commercial aquaculture leaseholders.

More information about closures and the DNREC Shellfish Program is available at de.gov/shellfish.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities.  For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, Bluesky or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

###

Print

A soldier from Delaware who was killed during World War II has been accounted for, military officials announced this week. 

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Louis E. Roemer, 43, of Wilmington, Delaware, who died while he was being held by Japan as a prisoner of war, was officially accounted for in July 2025, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said on Wednesday. The agency is sharing details publicly now that his family has received a full briefing, the announcement says.

Roemer was assigned to the Army’s Chemical Warfare Service in early 1942 and was stationed on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines, according to the agency’s news release. He was captured and held as a prisoner of Japan in the Philippines until 1945, when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard a ship called the Oryoku Maru. Unaware that Allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier attacked the ship, which then sank in Subic Bay. Roemer was then put on a different ship, the Enoura Maru. The Taiwan-bound ship was also attacked by the U.S. on Jan. 9, 1945 and eventually sank. Roemer was then placed aboard a ship called the Brazil Maru bound for Japan but reportedly died during the journey of acute colitis.

Japanese records from this time contain errors, so Roemer may have died sooner in the transport process or even in the second ship attack, military officials said.

After the war ended, the American Graves Registration Command was responsible for investigating and recovering missing U.S. personnel.

A search and recovery team recovered 311 bodies from a mass grave in Takao, Formosa, in 1946 but was unable to identify them. The remains were then buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, officials said in the announcement.

In 2022 and 2023, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency disinterred unidentified bodies tied to the Enoura Maru from the Punchbowl. Scientists used dental records and other evidence to identify Roemer’s remains. 

A newspaper clipping shared by officials about Roemer’s death says his wife, Mary D. Roemer, found out he died the day before Japan surrendered. According to another article, a soldier said Roemer slipped away from the camp during the Bataan Death March to get wood to make medicine for soldiers suffering from dysentery. He saved hundreds of lives, it says.

Roemer’s widow accepted two military awards on behalf of her husband, one newspaper article says. He left behind a son, also named Louis.

Roemer’s name is on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. A rosette will be added next to his name to show he has been accounted for, officials said. His remains will be buried again on a date to be determined.

Darby said she started receiving harassing messages and threats after Shupe’s viral post. She said she reposted the meme again this year on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day in an act of defiance to show the mostly white people calling her racist and misogynistic slurs that she would not be cowed.

“They’re trying to intimidate me, they’re trying to bully me and I’m not scared of no white folks,” Darby said. “It’s not the 1800s anymore. I’m reposting it because what y’all going to do? It’s facts, there is nothing you can do to me.”

Darby is currently running for the House District 1 seat, currently held by Democratic Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha. She says she’s not concerned that the controversy will affect her campaign.

Members of the state House and Senate thanked law enforcement officers for their service during Tuesday’s vote on the resolution, with some highlighting the positive strides police departments have made in shedding old ideas and moving with the times.

“Understanding that a change was needed,” House Majority Leader Kerri Evelyn Harris said. “Focusing more on the person, understanding trauma, community policing. All of these things have made a difference.”

Delaware State Police Col. William Crotty said they’ve accomplished those goals by having conversations and demonstrating their values.

“Over the last several years together, we have chosen professionalism, we’ve chosen unified standards and we’ve elevated best practices to better serve our community,” he said. “We’ve accomplished these things by listening, learning, building trust and transparency with all the members of our community.”

State lawmakers also honored Snook’s service and life during Tuesday’s vote. Senate Secretary Ryan Dunphy, a member of Snook’s family, offered a stirring remembrance of the fallen officer.

“Going through fatherhood at the same time as him was so much fun and that’s just one of the things I’m going to really miss,” he said. “But my son will always know love and be connected to his uncle Ty, who is watching over him as his guardian angel. And we will always, always be there for his little girl.”

The state Senate passed the concurrent resolution unanimously. The House approved the measure through a voice vote.