Delaware
Newark is a Gov. Matt Meyer signature away from being able to levy a per-student tax on UD
Poultry expert talks about popularity of backyard chicken flocks
Georgie Cartanza is the poultry extension agent for the UD Cooperative Extension at the Carvel Research Center in Georgetown.
A per-student tax from Newark on his hometown college is closer to a reality than ever.
The state Senate passed House Bill 34, which would amend Newark’s city charter to allow it to levy a per-student tax on the University of Delaware. UD is the largest university in the state and the economic and cultural heartbeat of Delaware’s third most populated city. There weren’t any ‘no’ votes from any state representative of senator against the bill.
The bill allows the city to levy a tax of up to $50 per-student, per-semester. City officials have long been searching for an additional revenue stream to help with rising property taxes and utility costs. UD occupies nearly 40% of the city’s municipal borders, and it sits on untaxable land. But its students, faculty, staff and their families are the drivers of Newark’s economy.
Now the bill has to be signed by Gov. Matt Meyer. The governor’s office said the legislation is under review, but did not indicate anything further.
Newark Mayor Travis McDermott said this is a long time coming and thanked the bill’s sponsor, Democratic state representative for Newark Cyndie Romer, for her work to get it through.
“I think it’s a piece of the puzzle to achieving equitable funding for the City of Newark,” he said.
The bill has one amendment, deleting the cost of living adjustment made to the tax rate every year, keeping the limit at $50. If signed, it will be up to the city to put this into action.
McDermott said if the bill is signed into law, the city will not rush to levy a tax. After all, graduation is this weekend.
He said the council and city staff will look at what the best rate is and does not think the tax will start at the maximum allowed $50 rate. If signed, the city council will take a look at the rate while formulating next year’s city budget.
“I don’t want to just throw an arbitrary number out and say this is what the fee is going to be,” he said. “I think we need to do an analysis of what the services cost and what would be the appropriate fee to set. So, that’s going to take some work on city staff’s part to see where we want to put that number out.”
At its maximum rate, the city could pull in $2.4 million, which is about a 8% increase in revenue. Utility payments make up 75% of the city’s revenue. It has already hiked property taxes by 7.5% for the 2024-25 budget.
UD’s economic output is indelible. Blue Hens contribute more than $3 billion annually, according to a report in 2022. Despite its output for the city and state, the city only collects around $180,000 from the university annually from deals made in 1965 and 2002.
In an emailed statement to The News Journal on May 23, UD said it shares an interest in Newark’s improvements, financial viability and strength, and that the city’s issues with rising costs reflect its own problems. UD’s focus remains on access to its education.
“We prepare students, including thousands of Delawareans, for success in their professions, communities and beyond,” the university said in its statement. “Our goal is and remains centered on providing an accessible and affordable pathway to a UD education for our students – those who contribute social, cultural and economic value to the City of Newark.”
Shane Brennan covers Wilmington and other Delaware issues. Reach out with ideas, tips or feedback at slbrennan@delawareonline.com.
How to safely shovel snow
The Mayo Clinic has some tips for safely shoveling snow.
Gas the snowblowers and get those shovels out because snowfall is headed for Delaware.
Snow is forecast for this weekend with bitterly cold conditions then settling in through early next week.
On Saturday, Dec. 13, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey, placed all of Delaware under a winter weather advisory and the Delaware Bay under a gale warning.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia and areas surrounding the city are under a winter storm warning.
Here’s a look at what to expect with the Delaware weather forecast for Saturday, Dec. 13, through Sunday, Dec. 14.
Delaware weather radar
When will it snow?
A period of snow is expected the night of Dec. 13 through mid-morning Dec. 14, according to the National Weather Service.
This may start as some light rain or a rain/snow mix south and east of I-95 before quickly changing to all snow. Snowfall intensity may increase for a time early in the morning on Dec. 14.
About 1 to 5 inches of snow across the region is possible. While the location of where a zone of higher amounts can occur is less certain, the greatest chances for this is mostly across the I-95 corridor, the weather service said.
The snow will begin falling around 11 p.m. in Wilmington while snowfall will begin in the central portion of New Castle County by midnight and the southern part of the county by 1 a.m., according to the NWS.
The northern part of Kent County can expect snow to start falling around 2 a.m. and areas around Dover by 3 a.m.
Snow will begin in the southern part of Kent County and northern portion of Sussex County around 4 a.m.
Most of Sussex County can expect snow at 5 a.m. while the southern part of the county will see snowfall by 6 a.m. Areas around Rehoboth Beach can expect snow by 7 a.m.
How much will it snow?
That will depend where you are in Delaware.
A total of 1 to 5 inches of snow across the whole area. There could be a zone of 5-plus inches near I-95 into southern New Jersey and northern Delmarva, where snowfall rates near 1 inch per hour are also possible, according to the NWS.
Snowfall intensity may increase for a time early Sunday morning, forecasters said.
Most parts of New Castle County can expect up to 4 to 6 inches, while Kent County could see up to 1 to 2 inches in some areas. Sussex County should expect at least an inch, the NWS said.
Delaware snow forecast
Here’s an AccuWeather town-by-town snow forecast for this weekend in Delaware:
New Castle County
- Middletown: 3 to 6 inches
- New Castle: 4 to 6 inches
- Newark: 4 to 6 inches
- Pike Creek: 4 to 6 inches
- Wilmington: 3 to 6 inches
Kent County
- Dover: 2 to 4 inches
- Felton: 2 to 4 inches
- Harrington: 2 to 4 inches
- Milford (In Kent and Sussex counties): 2 to 4 inches
Sussex County
- Georgetown: 1 to 3 inches
- Millsboro: 1 to 3 inches
- Rehoboth Beach: 1 to 3 inches
- Seaford: 1 to 3 inches
Snow impacts
Here are some of the likely impacts of the weekend weather, according to the NWS:
- Snow-covered roads and slippery conditions possible the night of Dec. 13 and the morning of Dec. 14.
- Rain to snow could reduce the snow totals some. In addition, any pre-treating of surfaces would get initially washed away on the night of Dec. 13.
- Hypothermia or frostbite could occur with prolonged exposure and lack of proper clothing. Some impacts to infrastructure are possible the night of Dec. 14 through Dec. 16.
Windchills reach single digits, gale warning
When you’re outside shoveling, make sure to bundle up because it’s going to be bitterly cold Dec. 14 into Dec. 16.
Bitterly cold conditions will arrive Dec. 14 and continuing through early next week with the coldest time frame the night of Dec. 14 through the night of Dec. 15. Air temperatures on Dec. 16 stay below freezing across the region.
By Sunday night, the windchill will make it feel like 6 degrees in Wilmington, 4 degrees in Dover, and 5 degrees in Rehoboth Beach.
Many areas will not get above freezing from Sunday through Tuesday until a warming trend begins Wednesday, Dec. 17.
Peak gusts of 25 to 40 mph will be present Sunday into Sunday night which will result in very low windchill values.
Areas of blowing snow are possible, which may result in roads becoming snow-covered again and reduced visibility at times, according to the NWS.
Wind gusts between 35 to 40 knots are probable on the Delaware Bay and the New Jersey and Delaware Atlantic coastal waters along with hazardous seas. Areas of freezing spray are possible the night of Dec. 14 and Dec. 15.
How do I stay safe in the snow?
It is strongly recommended that you stay at home when it snows.
But if you absolutely need to drive, make sure you bear in mind the following safety tips:
- Drive slowly. Snow and ice can decrease traction on the road, so be sure to reduce your speed.
- Avoid using cruise control.
- Increase following distances from the usual two seconds to roughly five to six seconds, as it’ll take longer for you to come to a stop on snowy roadways.
- Make sure you have at least a half a tank of gas in your car.
- Make sure you have an emergency driving kit in your vehicle. Items should include blankets or sleeping bags, extra warm clothing, first-aid supplies, drinking water and shelf-stable food items like protein or energy bars and trail mix.
If there’s a chance you’ll have to shovel your driveway or walkway this weekend, make sure you pay attention to the latest weather forecast, wear appropriate clothing and boots, and drink lots of water.
Make sure you also pace yourself as you’re shoveling. Check if you feel any pain or soreness and have your phone close by in case of an emergency.
What should I do to keep warm?
With winter fast approaching, residents are recommended to take the necessary steps to stay safe as the weather turns cold.
This includes making sure your homes “can be safely heated” and you always have crucial items on hand in case of an emergency, including nonperishable and pet foods, water and medicine.
Delawareans are also encouraged to have a driving kit in their car this winter.
Items should include blankets or sleeping bags, extra warm clothing, first-aid supplies, drinking water and shelf-stable food items like protein or energy bars and trail mix.
Olivia Montes contributed to this story.
Delaware
Search Warrants in Dover Lead to Arrests for Drug and Gun Offenses – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware
The Delaware State Police have arrested 39-year-old Neal Barnes, 52-year-old Anthony James, and 51-year-old Kevin Walker, all from Dover, Delaware, for felony drug and gun charges following three search warrants in Dover.
On December 11, 2025, members of the Kent County Drug Unit executed search warrants at three residences on the 60, 70, and 100 blocks of Vanessa Drive in Dover. The search warrants were obtained following an investigation of Neal Barnes, Anthony James, and Kevin Walker for the distribution of illegal narcotics from their residences. During the search warrants, all three suspects were detained inside their respective homes without incident, and a child was present in Walker’s residence.
During a search of Barnes’ residence, detectives found the following items:
- Approximately 2.76 grams of cocaine
- Approximately 99.76 grams of crack cocaine
- 9mm handgun and ammunition
- .38 caliber handgun and ammunition
- Digital scales
- Drug paraphernalia
During a search of James’ residence, detectives found the following items:
- Approximately 19.88 grams of crack cocaine
- Approximately 52.59 grams of cocaine
- Drug paraphernalia
- $2,472 in suspected drug proceeds
During a search of Walker’s residence, detectives found the following items:
- Approximately .69 grams of heroin
- Approximately .35 grams of methamphetamine
- Approximately 11.77 grams of crack cocaine
- Approximately 31 ecstasy pills
- Approximately 14 acetaminophen and oxycodone hydrochloride pills
- Approximately 21 buprenorphine and naloxone sublingual films
Barnes was arrested and taken to Troop 3, where he was charged with the crimes listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2, and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $57,000 cash bond.
- Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Tier 3 (Felony)
- Possession of a Controlled Substance, Tier 3 (Felony)
- Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance (Felony)
- Possession of a Firearm/Destructive Weapon if Previously Convicted of a Violent Felony (Felony) – 3 counts
- Possession of a Controlled or Counterfeit Substance except Human Growth Hormone without a Prescription
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
James was arrested and taken to Troop 3, where he was charged with the crimes listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2, and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $146,000 cash bond.
- Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Tier 3 (Felony)
- Possession of a Controlled Substance, Tier 3 (Felony)
- Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Tier 2 (Felony)
- Possession of a Controlled Substance, Tier 2 (Felony)
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Walker was arrested and taken to Troop 3, where he was charged with the crimes listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2, and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $39,500 secured bond.
- Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Tier 2 (Felony) – 2 counts
- Possession of a Controlled Substance, Tier 2 (Felony) – 2 counts
- Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Felony) – 2 counts
- Possession of a Controlled or Counterfeit Substance except Human Growth Hormone without a Prescription – 5 counts
- Endangering the Welfare of a Child by Committing a Drug Offense with a Child in the Dwelling
Disclaimer: Any individual charged in this release is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Crews and customers across the Delaware Valley are gearing up for the region’s first accumulating snowfall of the season, expected late Saturday into Sunday morning.
PennDOT says it has more than 100,000 tons of salt ready and plans to deploy over 400 trucks across the region for this event.
Road crews began brining operations Friday, which will continue through the weekend with plowing on Sunday.
READ MORE | Accuweather Alert: Light snow to blanket the region Saturday night into Sunday morning
“Maybe 1 to 3, maybe a little bit more depending on how the storm tracks,” said Brad Rudolph of PennDOT.
He added that timing is key with the snow beginning to fall on Saturday night, while many may be out and about, and with thousands expected to travel to Lincoln Financial Field Sunday for the Eagles game against the Raiders.
Preps underway for first snow of the season in Delaware Valley
“People are going to travel, they’re going to need to take it slow. We’re going to push back snow from travel lanes, we’ll make the roads passable. They may not be completely clear of snow and ice, something to consider,” Rudolph said. “We expect this storm to push out relatively early Sunday, well before that Eagles game, but we still might have some cleaning up to do. We’ll be working long after this snow is done.”
At Stanley’s Hardware in Roxborough, workers spent Friday unpacking boxes and moving thousands of pounds of salt and other supplies to fill commercial and individual orders.
“Our aisle is filled right now. We have tons of skids of rock salt, ice melter, shovels,” said Joe Jaconski of Stanley’s Hardware.
Customers were already stocking up.
“We have food, we have shovels, just had to get some salt just to make sure we’re keeping the sidewalks nice and safe for everyone,” said Matt Skomsky of Roxborough.
Customers were steady at Stanley’s Friday, and business is expected to pick up through the weekend, but managers say don’t wait to get ready.
“I recommend just being ahead of it. Try to beat the storm because when the storm comes, it gets very busy in here-the lines wrapped around,” Jaconski said.
PennDOT urges drivers to keep their distance from plow trucks and check the forecast before heading out.
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