PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — New Year’s Eve kicked off with a bang over the Delaware River.

“The way they just explode!” said Sarah Cordoba, 9, of Phoenixville, Pa. “It’s like a colorful pop in the air.”

“They were very glittery and colorful,” said 6-year-old Arther Gupta.

He was mesmerized by the fireworks at Penn’s Landing this evening, and so was his family, who had a waterside viewing spot.

“I had never seen fireworks off of a boat before so that was pretty spectacular,” said his mother Esther Gupta.

This evening’s downpour held off until just after the 6 p.m. fireworks show.

“First time I’ve been down here in a while. He wanted to come and we came out here,” said Lloyd Harris of Philadelphia, who brought his son to the Penn’s Landing fireworks show for the first time.

Some families spent part of their New Year’s Eve together on the ice.

“We’re going to be ice skating, Ferris wheel and then we’re gonna go back to the hotel and have dinner,” said Helena Cordoba of Phoenixville, Pa.

And as for New Year’s resolutions?

“Stick to exercising on a consistent basis,” said Sarina McGovern of South Philadelphia.

“I think to be more productive,” said 11-year-old Leah Cardoba of Phoenixville, Pa.

“I do need to try to be more patient,” said Brenda Carswell of Woodbridge, Va.

“Honestly it’s to spend more time with my family. I tend to work quite a bit. So it’ll be nice to be home,” said Wendy Wagster of Robbinsville, N.J.

Nearly half of U.S. states are set to raise their minimum wage at the outset of 2025, boosting pay for millions of workers stretching from California to Maine.

In all, 21 states will raise their wage floors on Jan. 1 in keeping with inflation-adjusted increases or as part of scheduled hikes that take effect at the beginning of each calendar year.

The pay increases will affect about 9.2 million workers, who will gain a combined $5.7 billion over the course of 2025, according to the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, or EPI.

After the wave of wage hikes, Washington will become the state with the highest minimum wage, offering workers $16.66 per hour. Workers in California and New York will enjoy the second-highest wage floor, as both states implement a minimum hourly wage of $16.50.

Pay increases set to take hold in the new year will bring the wage floor to $15 an hour or higher in Washington, D.C., as well as 10 states, among them Delaware, Illinois and Rhode Island. Those areas play host to one of every three U.S. workers, EPI found.

Overall, the states set to raise their minimum wage on Wednesday include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

The nation’s highest wage floors will take effect in some of the nearly 50 cities and other localities that will impose minimum pay hikes.

Twenty-nine cities in California will see pay hikes, including a $17-an-hour wage floor that will take effect in Oakland. Seven localities in Washington will increase their minimum wage, among them the country’s highest wage floor: $21.10 an hour in Tukwila.

The latest round of pay increases, however, will not affect more than a dozen states concentrated in the South that lack a minimum wage or offer a minimum wage that does not exceed the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour.

The last federal minimum wage hike took place in 2009, when Congress raised the pay floor to its current level. When adjusted for inflation, the federal minimum wage stands at its lowest level since February 1956, nearly 70 years ago, EPI found.

Two teens were shot, one fatally, Monday night in Wilmington, police said.

City police were called to the 2300 block of N. Carter St. about 8 p.m. for reports of the shooting.

There, they found a 15- and 16-year-old both critically injured. Both were rushed to the hospital, where the 15-year-old died.

As of Tuesday morning, the 16-year-old was still in critical condition, police said.

READ: Man charged in fatal stabbing of 30-year-old in Wilmington

The shooting garnered attention on social media, with numerous posts speculating about what happened, who was shot and how many people were injured.

Police have not released any information about potential suspects. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Justin Kane at 302-576-3961.

Got a tip? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on X at @izzihughes_