Delaware
Delaware history from News Journal archives May 3-9: train crash kills 4
Take a boat ride to Fort Delaware in the Delaware River’s Pea Patch Island
Take a boat ride to Fort Delaware, once a bastion of military defense and a prison camp during the Civil War, on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River.
The Delaware history column features excerpts from The News Journal archives including The Morning News and The Evening Journal. See the archives at delawareonline.com.
May 3, 1926, The Evening Journal
Thousands attend funeral of train collision victims at Barratt’s Chapel
Editor’s note: This report also has excerpts about the collision from the April 29, 1926, issue of The Evening Journal.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilburn B. Friedel and daughters Ruth, 14, and Grace, 11, who were killed Wednesday evening when a train struck their automobile at a crossing near Felton, were buried at Barratt’s Chapel yesterday afternoon.
It was the first time in the history of this church known throughout the country as the cradle of Methodism that four members of the same family have been buried at the same time.
It was also the largest attended funeral in the history of the old chapel. Thousands of persons from all sections of the county and state were in attendance….
Their third daughter, Delma, aged 16 years, who was the only occupant of the car to survive, is still in critical condition in the Milford Hospital.
The son of the deceased couple, Wilburn Jr., 22, who was visiting in New York at the time of the accident, was present at the services.
Mr. Friedel was a farmer living two miles from Felton. He and his family had been visiting his mother, Mrs. Effie Friedel, and were on their way home when the accident happened at the Delaware Railroad crossing just east of Felton.
His mother’s home is but a short distance from crossing. She, with a daughter, was standing on the porch of her home and had just waved good-bye as the locomotive crashed into the automobile….
The crossing is protected with warning signs. The express was northbound. It is thought that Mr. Friedel had just temporarily glanced back to his mother’s home and failed to look down the track before starting across….
The train, known as the American Express Special D-20, left Delmar at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon and was due in Philadelphia at 9:05 that night….
According to employees of the railroad company, the engineer had sounded his whistle on approaching the crossing and the bell was ringing at the time of the collision.
Following the crash, the engineer brought his train to a stop and the task of investigating the tragedy began. The train was delayed for more than an hour….
The railroaders in charge were not detained but were ordered to appear at the inquest….
The funeral services in the old chapel were crowded to the doors. Scores stood in the aisles and around the walls, but not more than one-tenth of the people in attendance could get inside. The others stood quietly in the churchyard until the services were over and the bodies were brought to the graveyard for interment….
Services were conducted by the Rev. D.J. Moore, pastor of Felton M.E. Church, and he was assisted by the Rev. E.H. Collins of Harrington and the Rev. H.B. Kelso of Dover….
Dr. Moore alluded to the fact that the victims were regular attendants and interested in the church. He did not refer to the accident itself but drew lessons from the uncertainty of life and the necessity for being prepared for death….
May 6, 1976, The Morning News
$54,500 traded for $2,725 in armored car money drop
An “honest” Delawarean, who, has apparently been staring at a pile of $54,500 in unmarked, small denomination bills since last Friday, turned his find over to police yesterday.
The man, identified by New Castle County Police only as “an anonymous citizen of Delaware,” collected a reward of $2,725 for returning the cash, which fell out of a Purolator Courier armored truck when it hit a bump on U.S. 202 and a door flew open Friday about 7 a.m.
Lt. Richard LeCates said the man telephoned police Wednesday at about 8 a.m., and said he was bringing the money in. Two hours later, he walked into police headquarters and plopped the moneybags on a detective’s desk.
“It was all there,” LeCates said.
As many as 100 passersby saw a man pick up the two cloth bags of money, and Pennsylvania State Police have been questioning witnesses to learn the man’s identity….
Hoping for more information, police asked the Delaware press to publish the story….
May 9, 2006, The News Journal
New Castle County to increase homebuilding fee 500% for fire service
Looking to cope with rapid housing growth, New Castle County is poised to increase by more than 500% a homebuilding fee that helps pay for new fire stations and equipment.
An ordinance would increase the impact fee from $84 to $510 for a detached single-family home. The fee is paid by developers and passed on to buyers to expand volunteer fire and rescue services….
County Council’s approval of the change could help volunteer fire companies that have applied to the county for money from the impact fee fund but are blocked by a backlog….
The county has collected $1.75 million since the fee was imposed seven years ago, but there is a backlog of $4.75 million for projects that have been approved and are waiting for funding….
Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com.
DELAWARE – Municipal leaders and technology partners gathered for the inaugural meeting of the Government Artificial Intelligence, Technology & Ethics (G.A.T.E.) Committee, a new statewide collaborative focused on the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in government operations.
The committee, initially led by the City of Milford Information Technology (IT) Department, is set to serve as a government AI roundtable, open to municipalities, counties, public agencies, emergency services organizations, and technology partners. Currently participating entities include:
- City of Milford
- City of Dover
- Sussex County
- Kent County
- New Castle County
- Town of Bethany Beach
- City of Rehoboth Beach
- Town of Bridgeville
- Town of Millsboro
- Town to Townsend
- Village of Arden
- Town of Greenwood
- Carlisle Fire Company
- Lewes Board of Public Works
- Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation
- SHI
- Market America
- Wagamon Technology
“AI is not here to replace our talented employees, it’s here to support them,” Milford City Manager Christopher Coleman said. “Humans must always have the final say in reports, decisions, and public-facing projects.”
At the inaugural meeting, Milford IT Director Bill Pettigrew led discussions on AI governance, policy development, security considerations, and practical use cases for local government. Presentations reportedly included demonstrations of Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, along with discussions on prompt engineering, AI policy development, and municipal implementation strategies.
The GATE Committee plans to meet again virtually on Jul. 14 at 8:30 a.m., and will feature additional demonstrations and discussions on AI implementation in government services.
Inside Wilmington’s Constitution Yards Beer Garden
Inside Wilmington’s Constitution Yards Beer Garden
A controversial Senate bill that would require labor union work be used for school projects jumped its latest hurdle in House committee, despite industry opposition along its legislative journey.
Backed by Sen. Jack Walsh, the measure aims to mandate school construction or renovation projects costing $5 million or more to include a project labor agreement with the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council for work carried out after Dec. 31.
Project Labor agreements ensure projects are completed on time and within budget, specify benefits and wages, while enforcing safety.
If passed, this bill would be Delaware’s first project labor agreement requirement law, according to Walsh. At least 12 other states have similar laws in place, according to House Majority Whip Ed Osienski, who serves as the bill’s primary backer in the House.
Supporters have argued that this bill will ensure these projects are completed on time, with high quality labor.
During the June 10 hearing, Taylor Hawk, director of Legislative and Political Strategy for Delaware State Education Association, a union that represents state educators, also argued these agreements will ensure students go to school in the highest quality buildings.
“Policies like PLAs help ensure that publicly funded school construction is completed safely to the highest standards of quality, while supporting the workers who build and maintain these critical community assets,” she said.
It’s not just quality labor supporters have pointed out. Bill backers claim requiring these agreements will be better for workers, too, as unionized laborers have greater protections.
Sam Noel, a representative of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, said requiring these agreements will safeguard workers’ wages.
However, several opponents also packed inside the House chamber. Some told lawmakers this bill will not only take money and jobs away from in-state small and minority-owned businesses, but weaken their ability to compete with other companies and states.
Jason Stallings works for Quality Exteriors based in Harrington, which specializes in commercial roofing. During the hearing, Stallings said around 75% of the company’s yearly work comes from school and state projects.
But there are no union roofing contractors in Delaware, he said, so the work would have to fall to out-of-state laborers.
“The passing of SB 272 will pretty much be the end of our company that’s been in business for 40 years in Delaware,” Stallings said.
Others also argued this bill will lead to potential layoffs and increase project costs on the taxpayers’ dime.
Brian Maxwell, director of the Delaware Office of Management and Budget, also said construction projects with a labor agreement cost roughly 30% more per square foot than those without.
“If the cost of school construction is escalated by just 10 to 20%, that will further place significant pressure on both the state and local school district budgets,” Maxwell said during the hearing.
The Sussex County Vocational Technical School District is building a new high school in Georgetown, now expected to open in September 2028. Superintendent Kevin Carson told lawmakers this bill stands to increase costs on that project.
In the hearing, Carson said requiring a project labor agreement would bump construction costs of the high school by about 22%, costing taxpayers an additional $22 million. Opening is already delayed by one year, as the district will increase the size to accommodate 1,800 students.
The bill will now head to the House chamber for further consideration. The bill already passed close to party lines in the Senate on May 21.
Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@delawareonline.com.
Sophia Voight is a growth and development reporter. Reach her with feedback and story tips at svoight@delawareonline.com.
When successfully remediated and redeveloped, brownfields are placed back into productive use, like the UD STAR Campus building depicted here occupying the site of a former automotive assembly plant /Delaware DNREC photo
Early-bird Registration for Conference Ends June 30
Environmental professionals, developers, municipal leaders, policymakers and community stakeholders are invited to register now for the Delaware Brownfield Conference to take place Thursday, Aug. 20 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. Registration and conference details are available on the de.gov/brownfields webpage.
Hosted by the DNREC Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances, the conference offers a full day of practical learning, networking and collaboration focused on redevelopment outcomes.
The conference will also highlight how Delaware’s Brownfield Development Program is helping move projects forward by supporting the cleanup and redevelopment, reuse or expansion of properties that may be perceived to be environmentally contaminated, and turning abandoned and underused sites into new opportunities for commercial use, housing, jobs and local investment.
That value is underscored by a recently published study, “Economic Impact on Delaware’s Economy: The Brownfield Program 2025.” Commissioned by DNREC and prepared by the University of Delaware’s Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research, the study reviewed 113 brownfield sites with remediation completed between 2015 and 2022 and found significant increases in property values, along with gains in employment and tax revenues. For example, the report found the studied sites supported 5,853 jobs in 2022 and paid more than $2.3 million more in county property taxes in 2024 than in their completion year. Attendees can learn more about these findings and related topics at the conference.
Early registration discounts are available through June 30, including general admission early-bird pricing and a special rate for students and government/nonprofit professionals who register by the deadline.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available for organizations that want to be supportive of the conference and brownfield redevelopment. Sponsorship levels include benefits such as conference registration, promotion in the program and email marketing and exhibit space. For sponsorship information, email Melissa Leckie of the Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances.
About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances ensures Delaware’s wastes are managed to protect human life, health, safety and the environment. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn.
Media Contacts: Alyssa Imprescia, Alyssa.imprescia@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov
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