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Delaware weekly roundup: Local election security; AI at UD; Creative Vision Factory rebrands – Technical.ly

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Delaware weekly roundup: Local election security; AI at UD; Creative Vision Factory rebrands – Technical.ly


What does election security look like in DE?

Election security in Delaware relies on high-tech like machine learning to detect suspicious patterns, but it’s low-tech, too: No voting booth can be connected to the internet, bluetooth or any other source of electric communications. 

I spoke with the Delaware Department of Technology and Information CSO Solomon Adote ahead of the primaries.

➡️ Read the interview here

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UD is embracing AI for creating study tools

This semester is a first for the University of Delaware as it rolls out a new AI platform for faculty called Study AiDE. It helps create study guides for students using 20 years of archived lectures. 

I spoke with two of the technologists behind it, Jevonia “Nova” Harris and Erin Sicuranza.

➡️ Learn more about UD’s AI study tool

One of the industry’s most impactful events

Tens of thousands of women and nonbinary technologists will convene in Philly for the annual Grace Hopper Celebration this October.

Named after Rear Admiral Grace Hopper — one of the first women to receive a doctorate in mathematics — GHC 24 brings together technologists for networking and professional development, and to recognize the work women and nonbinary people are doing in the industry. With a stacked lineup of speakers and sessions, it’s a place to hear from like-minded professionals and uncover insights into the next big trends.

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➡️  Join the community in Philly and virtually, Oct. 8-11

News Incubator: What else to know today

• Spotlight Delaware is running a new Election Day live blog as it canvases precincts up and down the state. The blog will run through today’s primary elections. [Spotlight Delaware]

• The Creative Vision Factory has been officially reborn as Recovery Café, located in Wilmington’s Little Italy. The new daytime drop-in offers a safe space and resources for anyone in the community seeking support for issues like addiction, domestic abuse and homelessness. [Delaware Public Media/Technical.ly]

• Five Delaware bills aimed at fighting climate change have just become law. One lays out a plan for moving forward with offshore wind farm contracts. [Delaware Public Media]

• Beach fave Surf Bagel is expanding to its first New Castle County location at the Dove Run Shopping Center in Middletown. Surfers Dave and Tom Vitella founded the NYC-style bagel shop in 2004 and sold it to Lewes-based SoDel Concepts in 2021. [Delaware Business Times]

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• HBCU Delaware State University and science electronics manufacturing company Agilent celebrate three years of a STEM partnership that has offered internships and opportunities for students from underrepresented communities. Since 2022, the partnership has provided $3 million in scholarships. [Town Square Delaware/Technical.ly]

• How stressed are we? According to a recent WalletHub report, Wilmington and Dover are among the most stressed cities in the US, ranking at No. 25 and No. 62, respectively. Regionally, we’re even more stressed out: Philly ranks sixth. [Delaware Online]

• School is in, and Dover High’s student body of over 1,800 students is steadily growing. But so is the number of vacant jobs in its Capital School District, which is currently looking to fill 135 positions. [WDEL]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Friday, Sept. 13 — Book Talk with Don Lemon at Wilmington Library [Details]

• Saturday, Sept. 14 — Chancery Market’s Sip and Shop on the patio [Details]

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• Saturday, Sept. 14 — Festival Hispano Wilmington [Details]

• Saturday, Sept. 14 — Soul of the City Festival at The Grand Opera House [Details]

• Saturday, Sept. 14 — Beer Fest at Constitution Yards [Details]

• Tuesday, Sept. 17 — Free Networking Mixer at the Post in Wilmington  [Details]

• Thursday, Sept. 19 — ChristianaCare talk: Unleashing Creativity: Generative AI and the future of UX [Details]

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• Partner event: 1682 makes it’s post-COVID return on Oct. 18. Hosted in Center City at the fun Five Below HQ, the ticketed event ($500-$650) features a full day of workshops, panels and more on how AI and innovation are impacting the tech scene. [Register]

Before you go…

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Delaware

Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

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Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas


Authorities say a Delaware County school employee is accused of traveling to Texas to sexually assault a minor he met online.

What we know:

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Michael Robinson, 43, was taken into custody near Radnor Middle School where investigators say he worked as a paraprofessional.

Investigators believe Robinson traveled to Tyler, Texas in the summer of 2024 to meet a minor he had connected with online.

Robinson, according to U.S. Marshals, allegedly sexually assaulted the teen over the course of a weekend. 

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Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

Prosecutors in Smith County, Texas charged Robinson in December with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under 15-years-old.

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Robinson is being held at a Delaware County jail where he is awaiting extradition to Texas.

What they’re saying:

U.S. Marshals in Pennsylvania said Robinson’s arrest shows that “sexual predators will always be pursued relentlessly.”

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The Radnor Township School District said Robinson has been placed on leave and will not have contact with students.

“Parents of the limited number of children to whom the employee was assigned were contacted by the administration immediately.”

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The district said it is cooperating with law enforcement and has “no information indicating misconduct involving district students.”

Crime & Public SafetyDelaware CountyNews



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Rehoboth cancels 2026 Polar Bear Plunge after major snowstorm

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Rehoboth cancels 2026 Polar Bear Plunge after major snowstorm


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Rehoboth Beach has canceled the upcoming 2026 Lewes Polar Bear Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge as the Sussex County resort town continues dealing with the aftermath of last weekend’s snowstorm, organizers of the annual Special Olympics fundraiser said on Feb. 26.

“Rehoboth Beach is navigating significant challenges because of the snowstorm,” a Special Olympics Delaware email announced. “At present, the boardwalk and all beach crossings remain snow covered and many sidewalks throughout downtown Rehoboth are as well.”

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The plunge and 5K had been rescheduled to March 1 after severe weather conditions in late January caused it to be moved from its original Feb. 1 date.

The plunge will not be rescheduled for this year.

Last weekend’s storm brought nearly 2 feet of snow to parts of Sussex, closing hundreds of roads when trees and wires were downed. There were also power outages across the county, including Rehoboth Beach which had to restore power to its wastewater treatment facility.

Plunging for a cause

The polar bear plunge is one of Special Olympics Delaware’s more popular fundraisers, drawing more than 4,000 participants last year.

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In recent years, the event has been bringing in more than a million dollars for Special Olympics Delaware. Last year, plunge events drew $1.3 million, just shy of the record-breaking $1.5 million raised in 2024.

Alex Seymore, Special Olympics Delaware’s director of digital media, said the organization had already raised more than $1 million from this year’s event.

“We expect a small impact,” Seymore told Delaware Online/The News Journal. “But again, we’re showing that we’ve raised over a million dollars.

He added they are reviewing how the cancelation will impact them and their services.

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“It’s been just a couple hours, so we’re not completely positive how it will impact things in the long run,” he said. “We’re thankful for everybody that’s helped raise this money through this time.”

What is still occurring

While the plunge and 5k and been canceled this year, there are other indoor events that will continue as scheduled:

Feb. 27

  • 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.

Feb. 28

  • noon to 2 p.m. ​Fire & Ice in the Atlantic Sands Ballroom, 1 Baltimore Ave, Rehoboth Beach.
  • 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Restaurant chili contest.
  • 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.



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Trump Accounts for kids; are they available in Delaware?

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Trump Accounts for kids; are they available in Delaware?


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President Donald Trump touted his Trump Accounts for kids platform during his State of the Union address Tuesday, Feb. 24, months before the savings account program goes live this summer.

Roughly 63% of parents open bank accounts for the newborns and young children according to The Financial Brand, showing that in general, opening a bank accounts for your child is a good idea.

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But what, exactly, are Trump Accounts for kids, and does it make sense for you to open one for your child? Here’s everything you need to know.

Trump Account for kids explained

The IRS explained in a memo Trump Accounts will be available for any children under 18, with $1,000 seed money available for newborns and very young children.

That account will be seeded with federal government funds.

“A Trump account is a type of traditional individual retirement account that is established for the exclusive benefit of an eligible individual and that is designated at its establishment as a Trump account,” read the IRS’ Trump Accounts memo. “Upon an election under the pilot program, $1,000 is paid by the Secretary to the Trump account of an eligible child.

“An eligible child means a qualifying child who is born after December 31, 2024 and before January 1, 2029, who is a U.S. citizen, and for whom no prior pilot program election has been made.”

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The Trump Accounts website confirms parents do not need to make a contribution, but can deposit up to $5,000 a year into the interest-bearing account.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in comments published Jan. 28 a single $1,000 deposit into a Trump Account at birth should grow to an estimated $500,000 by the age of retirement.

When will Trump Accounts for kids lunch, and can I apply in Delaware?

Trump Accounts for kids will go live on Monday, July 5, and parents in Delaware are allowed to apply for the nationwide offering when it opens.

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Until then, you can visit the Trump Accounts website to add your name to the email list to get an update when the service goes live.

The IRS and U.S. Department of the Treasury released Trump Accounts guidance you can read before opening an account.

Problems with Trump Accounts for kids

While opening a Trump Account for your child may seem a good thing, TIME uncovered a few problems with President Donald Trump’s namesake account service.

“The program may be open to every child, but its benefits will flow overwhelmingly to families with the means to contribute thousands of dollars a year. What could have been a leveling tool instead risks becoming a widening wedge between the haves and the have-nots,” read a portion of TIME’s take. “For a family living paycheck-to-paycheck that is unable to add anything beyond the government’s $1,000 seed deposit, the balance reaches just $5,839 by age 18. “

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies echoed much of that sentiment, and said Trump Accounts for kids will have the opposite effect from its stated goals.

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Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.



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