Federal Authorities are investigating the crash of a banner plane that went down in southern Delaware on the 4th of July.

The plan reportedly crash-landed upside down in a wooded area near Rickards Road between Roxana and Millville at just after 3:50 p.m. on Thursday. The pilot, who had taken off from Bunting Field in Berlin, Maryland, around 3:00 p.m., survived the crash, reportedly without serious injuries. The plane went down after flying along the beach for almost an hour.

Emergency crews arrived at the scene and found the plane across a field with the pilot already out of the aircraft. The initial 911 call was made by a local woman who saw the plane go down according to reports from the scene.

Delaware State Police responded to the crash and are assisting federal investigators at the scene.

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In the summer of 1776, Delaware became a separate state by cutting ties with Great Britain and Pennsylvania. This pivotal moment in history marked Delaware’s independence and its identity as one of the original 13 states that signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4.

Established by Congress in 2016, the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission is gearing up for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with America250. This initiative aims to engage Americans nationwide. Delaware recently joined the efforts as the 37th state.

“Delaware 250 is the state of Delaware’s official undertaking in commemoration of the United States Semiquincentennial,” said Margaret Hughes, coordinator of Delaware 250.

“We’ve got Delaware 250 which is working across the state with museums, with historical groups, with heritage societies, with genealogical groups, with communities across the state to think about what this anniversary means.”

For Hughes, the 250th anniversary is a significant milestone, prompting a deep dive into the community’s history.

“When we’re thinking about the moments of the 250th, we’re thinking about how to uplift all of the stories and all of the contributions of Delawareans over its long history,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to reflect on our past, to think about where we are in the present day and to look forward and plan for a future for our state.”

Delaware 250 is offering quarterly grants to various stakeholders, including community groups and organizations, to facilitate exhibits, speaking engagements and other celebratory events for 2026.

“We launched our first round of grant funding this past spring. We funded nine projects across the state in each of the counties,” Hughes shared. “We funded nine projects across the state in each of the counties. One of the recipients included the Delaware Art Museum to work on an exhibit. They’re in the planning phases for an exhibit that will go up in 2026.”

Workers in Delaware experienced the lowest wage growth in the United States over the past year, according to recent data from ADP Pay Insights.

Employees in Delaware who have remained in their positions for at least 12 months saw their wages increase by 4.1%, bringing the median annual salary to $60,000. This figure places Delaware at the bottom of the rankings for wage growth across all states.

On average, other states saw a wage growth rate of 4.9% for job-stayers. In stark contrast, the top-performing states for wage growth in June showed significantly higher increases. Montana led with a 7.3% rise, followed by Idaho at 6.5%. Alaska, North Dakota, and Oregon each reported a 6% increase.

ADP’s Pay Insights report provides a unique view of salary trends by analyzing the same cohort of nearly 10 million employees over a 12-month period.