Delaware
Delaware icon DJ Jazzy Jeff cooks up FIFA World Cup 2026 music
Delaware officials tout tourism, watch parties for 2026 FIFA World Cop
Officials announced that the state will host four watch parties across Delaware for this summer’s World Cup. 2/12/26
Delaware resident DJ Jazzy Jeff, the same Grammy winner who played Will Smith’s bestie on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” sitcom, will bring the First State to Philadelphia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 this summer.
The West Philly native – best known for teaming up with Will Smith and forming the 1980s dynamic duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – is an official FIFA music ambassador for the World Cup.
DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jeffrey Allen Townes) lives in Bear, and he produced a Social ID (or branded music) that soccer fans will hear when FIFA games are broadcast from Philly at Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Philadelphia Eagles) from June 14 to July 4. (The entire FIFA World Cup tournament runs from June 11 to July 19.).
DJ Jazzy Jeff talks FIFA World Cup 2026 music: ‘It’s an honor’
FIFA teamed up with influential producers from well over a dozen host cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada to tie the soccer tournament to each city’s culture, giving World Cup fans and visitors a preview with a taste of audio flavor for each place they’ll experience before these games.
Philly is one of the World Cup host cities across the U.S., and Jazzy Jeff collaborated with Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the nonprofit organization that is the operational host committee tasked with planning and delivering the World Cup to Philly this summer.
Fans will be able to download the Social IDs on Apple, Spotify, and other platforms, according to FIFA.
“Music has the power to bring people together and transport them to a specific time and place. My hope is that this Sonic ID is representative of the experience of Philadelphia, inside a stadium packed to the brim with passionate fans,” the Firefly Music Festival alum said in a 2025 statement. “It’s an honor to be part of the FIFA World Cup 26™ journey and I can’t wait for the world to feel the energy of Philly in 2026!”
Music from the Social ID Jazzy Jeff and other artists delivered will be played in stadiums, during broadcasts, across digital platforms throughout the tournament, and at FIFA Fan Festivals, which are entertainment hubs for watch parties and performances.
“DJ Jazzy Jeff has shaped the sound of Philadelphia for the last 40 years and we’re proud to capture a piece of that legacy in our Host City Sonic ID,” Meg Kane, host city executive/CEO for Philadelphia Soccer 2026, said in a 2025 statement.
While DJ Jazzy Jeff’s social ID was announced in early 2025, his music is going to get renewed interest since Delaware officially announced its partnership with Philly Soccer 2026 on Feb. 12, which includes the state’s plans to attract tourism for the FIFA World Cup.
How many people will watch the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The FIFA World Cup is the largest sporting event on Earth. Over 3 billion are expected to tune into this summer’s World Cup final, which will be played July 19 at neighboring New Jersey at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, temporarily renamed New York New Jersey Stadium.
While the recent Super Bowl 60 peaked at 137.8 million viewers, the last World Cup in 2022 drew over 1.4 billion spectators.
How many people will visit Delaware for FIFA World Cup 2026?
More than 100,000 hotel rooms are expected to be booked in the tri-state region (Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey), along with over 500,000 visitors to the region. The economic impact this summer is estimated at nearly $800 million, Kane said.
Delaware will host a FIFA World Cup 2026 team
Gov. Matt Meyer announced at a Feb. 12 tourism event that Delaware is bringing the World Cup to the Small Wonder, but he didn’t reveal which team at the time.
One of the club teams will lodge in the state, while the team practices at the Philadelphia Union’s Subaru Park stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania.
“There’s never been a [Delaware] governor who can stand up and say that the World Cup is coming here,” Meyer said at the event held at the Hyatt Place Wilmington/Riverfront. “We’re very excited about that, bringing … a place of the world’s best here to Delaware.”
If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.
Delaware
Local police departments earn state accreditation
The Delaware Police Officer Standards and Training Commission recently announced that the Dewey Beach Police Department and Rehoboth Beach Police Department have both earned state accreditation from the Delaware Police Accreditation Commission.
As part of the rigorous process, a team of DPAC assessors ensured all accreditation standards were met by completing comprehensive, on-site inspections of each agency, reviewing their policies and procedures for compliance, and conducting interviews with department members.
“This milestone represents a significant step forward for public safety in Delaware. The initial state accreditation of these police agencies reflects a strong commitment to professionalism, accountability and excellence in law enforcement. I commend each department for their dedication to serving their communities with integrity and for upholding the highest standards,” said Joshua Bushweller, Department of Safety and Homeland Security secretary and DPAC chair.
Delaware
DDA inducts three Delaware Century Farms – 47abc
Dover, Del. – Three farms, one from each of Delaware’s counties, were inducted into the Century Farm Program by the state Department of Agriculture on Thursday at the Delaware Agricultural Museum.
Each of the family farms has been owned and operated for at least a century. Each received a sign for their farms, an engraved plate and legislative tributes.
In addition to Secretary of Agriculture, Don Clifton, and Deputy Secretary Jimmy Kroon, state Senators David Wilson (R – District 18) and Kyra Hoffner (D – District 14) were also in attendance.
Wright Family Farms are located in Harrington in Kent County. In 1919, the farm was purchased by William Wright. Over a century later, William’s grandson, Ronald, is the owner and his great-grandson, Greg, said he hopes to continue the family legacy by buying the farm from his father.
Although the event celebrated each family for their hard work and resilience, it also highlighted the challenges farmers have to surmount to stay in business today, let alone for a hundred years.
“The price of equipment, the price of fertilizer, the price of seed, everything is just gone up,” Greg said. “So, you know, everything’s going up that we gotta purchase just to stay in business.”
Clifton, Kroon and Wilson also echoed difficulties in balancing the need to preserve agricultural land with the need to develop housing and sustainable energy projects like solar power.
“I know housing is very important, and we want people to always have good housing, but at some point, I think you’re going to saturate the area with more houses than you have food to feed these people,” Wilson said.
Kroon also said there are difficulties in keeping future generations motivated to stay in farming.
“When you think about it in the context of multi-generational farm families, there’s a real long-term challenge where a new generation may think twice about whether they want to keep farming if it’s always a struggle,” he said.
Clifton said farming has always been a challenging way of life, but it has been so since time immemorial.
“These families, their experience shows that they have an appreciation for the way of life and perseverance and that’s to be honored and emulated to the greatest extent possible,” he said.
Greg said he hopes to pass down the way of life so that his family legacy can live on for another hundred years, as well as for other families.
“A hundred years as the same family tilling the land, that’s, you know, that’s an honor right there,” Greg said. “And I hope that more farmers who are close to 100 years old will be doing the same thing. You know, keep it in the family.”
Delaware
Investigation underway after man’s body pulled from Delaware River
An investigation is underway after police said a man’s body was pulled from the Delaware River in South Philadelphia.
According to police, around 9 a.m. on Friday, April 17, 2026, emergency responders pulled an unidentified man from the Delaware River, near the Navy Yard. Medic’s pronounced the man dead at 9:11 a.m.
Léelo en español aquí.
SkyForce10 flew above as police and other first responders were on the scene.
NBC10
NBC10
Police are working to determine the circumstances of the incident and identify the man.
This is a developing story; check back here for updates.
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