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Young humpback whale washes ashore in Delaware after possible ship strike, officials say

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Young humpback whale washes ashore in Delaware after possible ship strike, officials say


A young 32-foot humpback whale washed up on shore along the Delaware coast last week after it may have been struck by a large ship, according to the MERR Institute, a rescue and care facility for marine mammals in Lewes, Delaware.

The whale, estimated to have weighed at least 20,000 pounds, washed up in the Bethany Beach community on Jan. 8 after it had been floating at sea for a couple of days.

Whale likely struck by a ship

The MERR Institute said the humpback whale was in the surf zone throughout Thursday night before heavy equipment moved it to the shore the next day. 

Marine officials said the tossing and churning in the surf caused gases to form and inflate the tongue. MERR Institute’s necropsy team then performed a post-mortem examination on Friday, Jan. 9. 

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Officials said the whale had subdermal hemorrhaging and a broken jaw on the right side, and that an injury of that nature is often associated with a large ship strike. Officials said the whale was likely still alive when it was struck by the ship.

MERR Institute officials said the whale was buried on the beach, which is “the most common practice for the disposition of the body. These large whales cannot be safely towed out to sea, so burying them on the beach allows them to become an important part of the beach ecosystem.”

“This was a tragic event, and we would like to thank everyone who helped to support us in our examination of this whale,” said MERR executive director Suzanne Thurman. “MERR’s volunteers were as wonderful as ever, and worked tirelessly to assist in examining the whale in a very short window of time. We would also like to thank DNREC for providing heavy equipment resources for towing and burial of the whale. They were able to tow the whale up onto the beach so we could safely examine it, and their staff was indispensable in helping us to position the whale so that we could get as much information as possible.”

Thurman continued, “And last but certainly not least, we would like to thank the very kind homeowners in Ocean Ridge. They looked out for our volunteers by sending down coffee and doughnuts, letting us use their bathroom, and for showing so much caring and compassion for this beautiful animal. We always appreciate the fact that we live in a community that cares so much about the ocean and its creatures.”

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Controversial meme resurfaces as Delaware mourns loss of murdered state trooper

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Controversial meme resurfaces as Delaware mourns loss of murdered state trooper


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.

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“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.”

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



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Time has come to stop writing

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To all my great readers, the past eight years have just flown by. It’s time to retire again. It was enjoyable writing stories about my life history, stories about Delaware history. I hope everyone learned something new about Delaware. It’s a great city to live in and raise your family.



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Delaware senator to lead visit to Denmark as Trump presses to annex Greenland

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Delaware senator to lead visit to Denmark as Trump presses to annex Greenland


What are journalists missing from the state of Delaware? What would you most like WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

Delaware Sen. Chris Coons is leading a Congressional bipartisan delegation to Denmark later this week. Delaware Congresswoman Sarah McBride will join Coons alongside Democratic Reps. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, Gregory Meeks of New York and Republican Sen. Thom Tillis from North Carolina.

The visit comes as President Donald Trump has threatened the country’s capital Copenhagen over his desire to annex Greenland into the United States. In recent statements, Trump has not ruled out purchasing or using military action against Greenland, which is a self-governing territory of Denmark.

“I would like to make a deal the easy way, but if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way,” Trump said last week.

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In a news release, Coons said the trip is meant to highlight more than 200 years of friendship between the two countries. The delegation will meet with Danish and Greenlandic government and business leaders to discuss issues including Arctic security and strengthening trade relations.

“Denmark has always been a strong diplomatic, economic, and security partner who sacrificed more lives than any other country relative to its population when the United States invoked Article 5 following the September 11 attacks,” Coons said in a statement. “At a time of increasing international instability, we need to draw closer to our allies, not drive them away, and this delegation will send a clear message that Congress is committed to NATO and our network of alliances.”



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