NEWS FEED

Governor Carney Issues Statement on Senate Confirmations
Date Posted: December 16, 2024

Holiday Safety
Date Posted: December 16, 2024

Statement from Governor Carney
Date Posted: December 14, 2024

2024 Electoral College
Date Posted: December 13, 2024

Presidential Daughter Ashley Biden, Gov. Carney, DNREC Secretary Garvin Rededicate Renovated Biden Environmental Center
Date Posted: December 13, 2024

Delaware Natural Resources Police, DNREC Again Stock Santa’s Sleigh Via USMC Reserve Toys for Tots Partnership
Date Posted: December 13, 2024

Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) Open Retail License Lottery
Date Posted: December 13, 2024

Rooted in Tradition: 160 Delaware Farms Celebrate Over 100 Years
Date Posted: December 12, 2024

Governor Carney Announces Leadership Change at the Department of Transportation
Date Posted: December 12, 2024

$1.45 Million in Grants Announced to Support Homeless Services in Delaware
Date Posted: December 12, 2024

Governor Carney Announces Next Steps to Expand Access to High-Speed Broadband
Date Posted: December 11, 2024

Newly Released Federal Report Highlights Complexity of PFAS Exposure
Date Posted: December 10, 2024

Millsboro Fire
Date Posted: December 10, 2024

AG Jennings announces more than 135 charges in indictment against Wilmington-area gang 
Date Posted: December 10, 2024

DNREC Approves Permits for US Wind Offshore Project
Date Posted: December 9, 2024

Delaware Paramedics Administer 250th Unit of Whole Blood for Prehospital Care
Date Posted: December 9, 2024

Laurel Fire
Date Posted: December 9, 2024

Delaware Day Adventure Begins December 7
Date Posted: December 6, 2024

E-ZPass Delaware Announces Annual Free Transponder Event
Date Posted: December 5, 2024

DSHA Celebrates Home Sweet Home For The Holidays Program And $75 Million In Additional Assistance
Date Posted: December 5, 2024

Cheswold Fire
Date Posted: December 4, 2024

Frederica Fire
Date Posted: December 4, 2024

AG Jennings reaches agreement with recidivist Wilmington landlord to shut down operations in Delaware
Date Posted: December 4, 2024

Delaware Office of Highway Safety Encourages Safe Driving Decisions for Seniors and Their Loved Ones
Date Posted: December 3, 2024

Nominations Open for 2025 Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards
Date Posted: December 3, 2024

Smyrna administrative assistant named 2025 Delaware Educational Support Professional of the Year
Date Posted: December 2, 2024

Delaware 250 Announces Fall 2024 Grant Recipients
Date Posted: December 2, 2024

The Mezzanine Gallery to Exhibit Lori Crawford’s “EnvironMental Just(ice) Mercy”
Date Posted: December 2, 2024

Winter Weather Awareness Week: December 2 to 6
Date Posted: November 27, 2024

2025 Delaware State Parks Annual Passes, Surf Fishing Permits to Go on Sale Dec. 3
Date Posted: November 27, 2024

DHSS Adds New Data and Reports to the CostAware Website
Date Posted: November 26, 2024

Delaware Celebrates National Adoption Month
Date Posted: November 26, 2024

Thanksgiving Safety 2024
Date Posted: November 26, 2024

DNREC Begins Emergency Dredging Project Restoring Beach North of Indian River Inlet
Date Posted: November 25, 2024

Burn Ban Lifted
Date Posted: November 25, 2024

Registration Open for 2025 Junior Solar Sprint
Date Posted: November 25, 2024

Celebrate the Holidays in Delaware with the Hidden Holiday Gems Passport
Date Posted: November 22, 2024

Governor Carney Proclaims November 17-23 as Delaware Apprenticeship Week
Date Posted: November 22, 2024

Governor Carney Announces Judicial Nominations
Date Posted: November 22, 2024

Delaware Office of Highway Safety Launches Sober Rides Initiative and Kicks Off Winter Holiday Road Safety Campaign
Date Posted: November 21, 2024

Governor Carney, DSB Announce Fall 2024 EDGE Grant Competition Awards
Date Posted: November 20, 2024

City Of Wilmington Celebrates Ten Years Of Downtown Development Districts
Date Posted: November 20, 2024

Division of Revenue Releases Guidance on New Short-term Rental Lodging Tax
Date Posted: November 20, 2024

DOJ secures life plus decades more in prison for domestic violence repeat offender
Date Posted: November 19, 2024

Federal Court Orders Harris Jewelry to Restore its Website and Portal for Servicemembers to Request Refunds
Date Posted: November 19, 2024

Agriculture, Food and Natural Science Students Take Home Awards from 97th National FFA Convention & Expo
Date Posted: November 19, 2024

Delaware Forest Service To Host Upcoming Wildfire Training
Date Posted: November 18, 2024

Delaware’s Sports Tourism Industry Contributed Significant Economic Impact in 2023, According to Recent Study
Date Posted: November 15, 2024

Delaware Celebrates Improvements To The Housing Assistance Application Process
Date Posted: November 15, 2024

Delaware Natural Resources Police Collecting Toys for Tots Donations for Kids
Date Posted: November 15, 2024

Delaware State Housing Authority Recognizes Mortgage Lending Community And Veterans At 2024 Annual Lender Meeting
Date Posted: November 14, 2024

Delaware Officials Unveil Harm Reduction Vending Machines
Date Posted: November 14, 2024

2025 District/Charter Educational Support Professionals of the Year Honored
Date Posted: November 14, 2024

Historical Marker Dedicated – Mount Olive Holiness Pentecostal Church in Smyrna
Date Posted: November 13, 2024

DelDOT Receives Top Bond Rating and Announces Bond Sale
Date Posted: November 12, 2024

Delaware’s Education Savings Plan Earns Silver Rating
Date Posted: November 7, 2024

Delaware Schools Receive National, State Honors
Date Posted: November 6, 2024

DNREC to Host Nov. 14 Webinar about Storm Water Management and Living Shorelines
Date Posted: November 6, 2024

Governor Carney Releases Government Efficiency and Accountability Review (GEAR) Board Report
Date Posted: November 4, 2024

DOJ secures conviction in the killing of Cynthia Amalfitano 
Date Posted: November 4, 2024

AG Jennings and bipartisan coalition of 30 states announce finalization of settlement with Kroger over opioid crisis
Date Posted: November 4, 2024

Carney Administration Outlines Investments in Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
Date Posted: November 1, 2024

Open Enrollment on Delaware’s Health Insurance Marketplace Starts Nov. 1
Date Posted: November 1, 2024

AG Jennings Announces Cooperation Agreements and Settlements with Heritage and Apotex totaling $49.1 Million
Date Posted: November 1, 2024

DNREC Reopens Castle Trail Along C&D Canal Following Repairs to Storm-Damaged Section
Date Posted: October 31, 2024

Delaware Partners with American Cancer Society for 2nd Annual Lung Cancer Screening Campaign
Date Posted: October 31, 2024

OMC Provides Update on License Lottery and Selected Applicants for Delaware’s Marijuana Industry
Date Posted: October 31, 2024

Funding Awarded for Tree-Planting Projects
Date Posted: October 31, 2024

With Annual Fall Trout Stocking in White Clay Creek, DNREC Delivers Angling Opportunities
Date Posted: October 30, 2024

Carney, Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester Announce Over $127 Million in Federal Funding to Decarbonize Port Wilmington
Date Posted: October 30, 2024

Governor Carney Launches Statewide Student Mentoring Program
Date Posted: October 29, 2024

DPH Oral Health Screening Programs Support Students’ Healthy Smiles and Expand Access to Dental Care
Date Posted: October 29, 2024

Opioid Fund Co-Chairs Release Roadmap to Recalibrate Use of Settlement Funds
Date Posted: October 28, 2024

New HSCA Rate Goes into Effect in January
Date Posted: October 28, 2024

AG Jennings resuspends financial advisor for illegally accessing former clients’ account information
Date Posted: October 28, 2024

DOJ secures more than two decades of prison time in cold case murder
Date Posted: October 28, 2024

Housing Assistance Applicants Should Update Information On Public Housing Waitlists By Nov. 22
Date Posted: October 28, 2024

Delaware Forest Service Opens Grants for Local Communities
Date Posted: October 28, 2024

Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) Conducts Lottery for Delaware’s Regulated Marijuana Industry
Date Posted: October 25, 2024

Governor Carney, with Guidance from Water Supply Coordinating Council, Declares Statewide Drought Watch
Date Posted: October 25, 2024

Tag-A-Palooza 2024
Date Posted: October 24, 2024

Office of the Marijuana Commissioner: Licensing Lottery
Date Posted: October 23, 2024

AG Jennings issues open letter to Delaware landlords urging Delaware Landlord/Tenant Code Compliance
Date Posted: October 22, 2024

New Housing Vouchers for Delaware Families
Date Posted: October 21, 2024

Piping Plover Population in Delaware Experiences Slight Decline, Offset by Higher Nesting Success
Date Posted: October 21, 2024

National Slow Down Move Over Day Observed as Delaware Sees Near Record Crashes
Date Posted: October 18, 2024

Delaware Officials Unveil New Sign to Celebrate Delaware’s Agricultural Lands Preservation Program
Date Posted: October 17, 2024

DOJ secures prison time for former trooper
Date Posted: October 16, 2024

Colonial Teacher Named Delaware 2025 Teacher of the Year
Date Posted: October 15, 2024

Governor Carney Orders Lowering of Flags
Date Posted: October 15, 2024

Delaware Faces Dry Conditions: Open Burning Ban Issued, Water Conservation Urged
Date Posted: October 15, 2024

Burning Ban
Date Posted: October 15, 2024

DelDOT Announces 4th Annual Name That Plow Contest
Date Posted: October 15, 2024

Potassium Iodide Distribution on October 24 in Townsend
Date Posted: October 15, 2024

DPH Releases Latest Cancer Incidence and Mortality Trends in Delaware
Date Posted: October 14, 2024

Navarro Announces Eighth Consecutive Workers’ Comp Rate Decrease
Date Posted: October 14, 2024

Governor Carney Statement on Honorable James T. Vaughn, Jr.’s Passing
Date Posted: October 11, 2024

Delaware Celebrates $14.3 Million Climate Grant for I-95 Charging Infrastructure
Date Posted: October 10, 2024

AG Jennings Announces $52 Million Multistate Settlement with Marriott for Data Breach
Date Posted: October 10, 2024

First Spouse Tracey Quillen Carney, Delaware DOE, Delaware Readiness Teams Kick off Kindergarten Registration
Date Posted: October 9, 2024

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

Cerron Cade has been a trusted member of Gov. John Carney’s cabinet, serving as both labor secretary and currently budget director.

Carney, who will become Wilmington mayor next month, has so much faith in Cade that he appointed him as city chief of staff.

Cade’s political career is now in jeopardy. He’s been suspended with pay from his state post for what the governor, in a cryptic Saturday evening news release, called a “personal legal matter.”

But WHYY News has learned that Cade, who oversees the state’s $7.2 billion operating and capital budgets, was arrested last week by state police for what court records describe as serial petty shoplifting from Wilmington’s Home Depot store.

Cade, 41, faces six counts of misdemeanor shoplifting for thefts that allegedly occurred between June 16 and Oct. 30.

Cade, whose taxpayer-funded salary is $164,000, allegedly stole eight items valued at $394.32, court records obtained by WHYY News show. Attempts to reach Cade were unsuccessful.

The four-page arrest affidavit, provided by Delaware Justice of the Peace Court under a public records request, says Cade utilized a practice known as “skip scanning.”

That means Cade allegedly purchased items at the store’s self-checkout registers but didn’t scan one or more items on each of the six separate incidents that were outlined in the arrest warrant.

The items Cade is accused of stealing were for gardening, patio and other home uses. The items include the following:

• Area rug, $199
• Animal cage trap, $74.97
• Patio lantern, $39.98
• Contractor bags, $29.97
• Paint, $16.48
• Laundry detergent, $15.97
• Battery-operated candle, $10.98
• Bag of soil, $6.97

Cade, who stands 6 feet, 6 inches tall, usually drove his gray 2019 Chevrolet Traverse SUV to the store on Miller Road, the warrant said. His arrival, departure and movements inside the cavernous Home Depot were captured on store surveillance cameras, the warrant said.

On one occasion, Cade was observed putting an item he allegedly stole — the animal cage trap — inside one he bought — a planter, the warrant said.

On another occasion, he put the candle inside the patio lantern, and stole them both, the warrant said.

State police, who didn’t announce the arrest in a news release but provided basic information after a request by WHYY News, said they began investigating on Dec. 6 after Home Depot reported multiple thefts by the same suspect.

Abortion insurance coverage

A new law requires most private health insurance plans, state-regulated plans and Delaware’s Medicaid insurance program to cover abortions and related health care.

Health insurers are required to cover up to $750 for abortion services, which state lawmakers said should fully cover the cost of care for most patients.

There is an exemption for churches, religious businesses and employers to seek a waiver from the new requirements.

Insurance coverage for abortion begins Jan. 1 for people enrolled in Medicaid. Coverage for people with other types of health insurance plans will begin the following year, on Jan. 1, 2026.

New Jersey

Medical debt consumer protections

Parts of the Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act already took effect this past summer, and more consumer protections are scheduled to kick in this coming July.

Right now, people in New Jersey who have unpaid bills and debt from hospital stays, health procedures and other kinds of care will not see their credit scores impacted as they figure out how to pay off their debt or dispute charges.

“Medical debt is incurred involuntarily, and it can result in exponential economic harms,” said Laura Waddell, health care program director at New Jersey Citizen Action. “So it wasn’t like, ‘Should we work on this?’ It was, ‘We have to work on this.’”

Debt collectors can no longer report a person’s medical debt to credit bureaus and agencies, which determine a person’s credit score. If someone’s score drops because of their medical debt, they may find it more difficult to secure a car loan, get approved for an apartment rental, apply for credit cards and even get a job.

If a bill collector does report a person’s medical debt to a credit bureau or agency in violation of the new state law, the amount of debt that is reported is voided, meaning, the patient will no longer have to pay it.

Beginning this July, all notices to patients about medical debt and billing must also notify them of their rights and new consumer protections. Interest on medical debt will be capped at 3% and debt collectors will be banned from using wage garnishment — when a portion of a person’s paycheck is withheld to pay off debt — for people earning up to 600% of the Federal Poverty Level, which is about $90,360 a year for a single person, or $187,200 for a family of four.

Waddell said the new consumer protections may not apply to people who are using medical credit cards to pay for services, copays and other charges (these are different from debit cards used for Health Savings Accounts).

Efforts to reduce the burdens of medical debt and regulate collection practices even more is ongoing, Waddell said.

“In the coming year, we want to try to bring more protections so that these aggressive debt collection practices, really try and curb some of those,” she said.

Postpartum health care planning

Later this spring, health care providers will be required to make a care plan with pregnant patients and new mothers for the postpartum period, which is a time after when women can experience complications after labor and delivery.

These postpartum care plans must include the review of future health care appointments; recommended testing or procedures for any ongoing health issues; guidance on the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression, anxiety and other mental health needs; breastfeeding support services; contraception options; and recommendations for other common postpartum health issues.

Plans and guidance must also be offered to patients who’ve experienced stillbirth and pregnancy loss.