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After Ida, researchers call for infrastructure changes along the Brandywine

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After Ida, researchers call for infrastructure changes along the Brandywine


Among the recommendations outlined in the report include a number of infrastructure improvements, such as repairing or removing some dams, upgrading stormwater infrastructure and elevating homes along the Brandywine.

“We’re not going to solve flooding,” said Seung Ah Byun, executive director for the Chester County Water Resources Authority. “It’s going to happen, and it’s a matter of being prepared and making sure people are out of harm’s way as much as we can.”

Rain events in the region have become more intense as a result of climate change. Climate scientists expect the trend to continue, putting an increasing number of residences and businesses at risk for flooding. Currently, 5,000 residents live along the Brandywine’s floodplain.

Flooding in the upper reaches of the Brandywine watershed is exacerbated by the area’s sloping topography, creating a funnel-like shape in the watershed closer to the Pennsylvania-Delaware state line and generating more stormwater runoff in the area.

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Though flood control facilities in the region can store more than 5 billion gallons of flood water, the study’s authors say it’s not enough to protect communities from major storms. So, they evaluated some of the factors that make the Brandywine vulnerable to flooding, and collected 1,500 comments from the public and stakeholders to help draft recommendations to reduce the impacts of storms.

The authors found 60% of the dams, culverts and bridges along the Brandywine exacerbate flooding because they are undersized or damaged. The report recommends further studies to determine whether some of these structures could be repaired, removed, or in some cases, modified to store higher volumes of flood waters.

Other infrastructure improvements outlined in the study include upgrading failing stormwater basins, and replacing impervious areas with vegetation to help prevent stormwater runoff.

The study recommends several other changes to protect people and property, including implementing additional restrictions on development in sloping areas, elevating homes and flood proofing businesses.



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Delaware

Trump Judge Declines to Appoint His Pick as Delaware US Attorney

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Trump Judge Declines to Appoint His Pick as Delaware US Attorney


A Trump-appointed judge in Delaware has declined to appoint the president’s interim US attorney to head the office in the state on an ongoing basis.

Chief Judge Colm Connolly posted a notice dated Thursday that the US District Court for the District of Delaware “declines to exercise its authority” to appoint a US attorney for the district. Connolly notes that the term of current interim US Attorney Julianne Murray expires Nov. 11, without referring to her by name.

Connolly had signaled he didn’t intend to defer to the administration’s choice of Murray, a former Delaware GOP party chair, by soliciting …



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Kensington outreach group travels to Wilmington, Del. to look for lost homeless they helped

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Kensington outreach group travels to Wilmington, Del. to look for lost homeless they helped


The City of Philadelphia has been working to clean up Kensington for several years now, but in the process, people who once lived on the streets there are moving to other cities. And, outreach groups are losing track of the people they were working to take care of.

NBC10’s Johnny Archer went out with one group, Operation Save Our City, on Wednesday night as they tried to search for missing people in Wilmington, Delaware.

“I’m trying to figure how many of my folks from Kensington ended up here,” said Rosalind  Pichardo.

The outreach group said they are concerned because some of the folks who have gone missing won’t get the resources they need.

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The group went to a homeless encampment in the Christina Park neighborhood of Wilmington and handed out bananas and Narcan.

“This current drug supply is so dangerous,” Pichardo said. “Other cities might not know how to deal with detox and withdrawal from this current drug supply, and if we get folks back home to deal with their condition, they have a chance to survive.”

Since the City of Philadelphia started cleaning up Kensington under Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration, many unhoused people have left Philadelphia.

NBC10 investigators reported last month that the City of Philadelphia was buying one-way bus tickets to send unhoused people out of the city.

A program from the city that buys one-way bus tickets for Philadelphia’s unhoused population is using taxpayer money to fund it. NBC10 investigative reporter Claudia Vargas looks into the reasons why.

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But neighboring communities are  feeling the impact.

Wilmington Mayor John Carney said his city is one of them.

“It’s just not right for these other places to send their folks to Wilmington,” Carney said last week. “The constant influx from cities and towns makes it hard for us to care for the population here. And most importantly, it’s unfair for the city residents who live in these neighborhoods.”

Pichardo said the solution to cleaning up Kensington should not be sending people some place else.

“This certainly can’t be the solution to cleaning up Kensington,” she said. “Rerouting people to other cities to make it another city’s problem.”

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NBC10 reached out to Mayor Parker’s office on this issue and has not yet heard back.

Operation Save Our City said they did not find any of the people they were looking for on Wednesday night, but they will be back on Thursday to continue their search.



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Little Living housing project hopes to bring 172 affordable homes to Kent County

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Little Living housing project hopes to bring 172 affordable homes to Kent County


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

Plans to bring more affordable housing to Delaware’s Kent County are now underway through the Cottage Community at Murphy Farms. The project comes with an estimated price tag of $17 million to $25 million.

While there are still many hurdles to overcome, land now owned by the Murphy family near Frederica would be transformed into a thoughtfully designed community where affordability and sustainability meet.

The plans are an expansion of the Little Living community created in Sussex County in recent years. The opportunity emerged when Little Living’s founder and president George Meringolo learned about the property while undergoing medical treatment. Rather than simply selling it for a large profit, the Murphy family expressed a desire to invest in a community with better intentions.

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The project will be right off Rt. 1, near the Delaware Turf Spots Complex that covers about 22.5 acres.

Site plan for the proposed Cottage Community development in Kent County. (Courtesy of Little Living)

A self-sustaining community

“On that 22 and a half acres, there’ll be approximately 172 houses. There will be a number of one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom, which will be sold,” Meringolo said. “Those selling prices will start at about $110,000 for the one bedroom, $120,000 for the two bedroom, and about $130,000 for the three bedroom. Those prices would be firmed up as we get closer to it because you don’t know what’s happening with the cost of materials and those kinds of things.”

In addition to individual homes for sale, Little Living plans around 30 townhouses for rent at about $1,200 each month with utilities included.

“This project will also include a clubhouse. It’ll include self-store sheds that people can rent if they need more room for storage. It’ll include a laundromat for people to take care of their laundry,” he said. “On the outside edge is probably going to be a convenience store with a gas station, so people can pick up day-to-day needs that they need. And there’ll also probably be something like a McDonald’s.”

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“It’s really a self-contained little community. It’s going to be powered by solar panels. I think it’s a very, very nice addition to the area,” he added.

To preserve the character and upkeep of the neighborhood, homeowners will lease the land rather than own it outright, ensuring funds are available for maintenance and common area care.

“We will have enough money every month to make sure that the grass is cut, that the houses are maintained on the outside, that the roads are maintained, that it does not fall into disrepair,” he said.



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