Delaware

Delaware will see $25M in repairs after flooding on Indian River Inlet, Route 1

Published

2 years ago

September 25, 2024

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Delaware will see M in repairs after flooding on Indian River Inlet, Route 1

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This story was supported by a statehouse coverage grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The Indian River Inlet will get $10 million in federal funding for a large-scale beach replenishment project — that’s on top of the $15 million the state gave to the effort earlier this month.

Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control held a public meeting Tuesday evening at Bethany Beach Town Hall to update residents on the issue. Those familiar with the situation say the $25 million will help to stop the bleeding for now, but a longer-term fix is still needed.

The dune on the northeast end of the inlet bridge was breached Aug. 18, due to Hurricane Ernesto. The high tide, powerful winds and waves caused by the hurricane breached the dune and forced the closure of Route 1, according to DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin in a Sept. 6 editorial in The News Journal. Garvin said the agency was short of the funds it needed, but a spokesperson for Gov. John Carney confirmed that $15 million was approved for the ongoing daily work and emergency replenishment.

“This area is one of the most visible signs of the increasing effect of storms on our state,” Carney said in a statement released earlier this month. “State crews have been engaged in continuous repair work over the last month, but we are still seeing threat to the dunes and the highway at many high tides, so we need to put larger protections into place in the near term.”

The August breach was the second time the Coastal Highway infrastructure has been threatened in the past several months by water from the Atlantic Ocean because the dune required emergency repair from DNREC and the Delaware Department of Transportation. Sand dunes provide natural protection against storm surges and high waves by preventing or minimizing flooding and infrastructure damage.

Rep. Ron Gray (R-Selbyville) says his constituents are concerned about the bridge remaining passable. He says everyone from first responders to residents heading to work use it daily.

“It’s the major thoroughfare that without it, there would be a 45-minute detour to go around,” he said. “So not only the convenience, but it’s public safety. If someone needs hospital facilities or emergency facilities, it’s a direct route up to Beebe Hospital from south of the inlet.”

Gray said there’s two pieces to the repairs: the near-term dredging project and work to make the sand bypass system operational again. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the bypass is designed to move “approximately 100,000 cubic yards of sand annually to nourish the beach on the north side of the inlet jetty.”

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Delaware

The best Delaware high schools for athletes? According to one study, these are top 25

Published

5 hours ago

May 29, 2026

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The best Delaware high schools for athletes? According to one study, these are top 25

Tucked away on the East Coast, one of the smallest states has had a sizeable impact on the national sports scene.

Elena Delle Donne, one of the GOATs of women’s basketball, dominated the hardwood as a high school athlete, breaking Delaware’s points record. Chris Godwin, who has been a Pro Bowler and won a Super Bowl, was a top WR recruit and won two championships as a Delaware high schooler. Delino DeShields, a former MLB player, committed to LSU for both baseball and football.

Total number of sports: 16

1. Salesianum School (Wilmington)

Total number of sports: 15

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Delaware

Update – Suspect in Custody State Police Investigating Home Invasion in Georgetown – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware

Published

16 hours ago

May 29, 2026

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*Update – Suspect in Custody* State Police Investigating Home Invasion in Georgetown – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware

Date Posted: Friday, May 29th, 2026

The Delaware State Police have arrested 44-year-old Robert Berry from Millsboro, Delaware for a home invasion that occurred in Georgetown.

On May 15, 2026, at approximately 10:30 a.m., troopers responded to the 24000 block of Lawson Road in Georgetown for a panic alarm activation reported by a home security vendor. Troopers arrived and learned that the 83-year-old female victim had activated her panic alarm after an unknown male suspect, forced his way into her home as she opened her front door. Once inside, the suspect pointed a handgun at her and demanded to see another unknown person he believed was inside the residence. The victim was able to lock herself in a bedroom and activate her panic alarm while the suspect searched through the residence before leaving in an unknown direction. The victim was not injured.

Through investigative means, detectives identified Robert Berry as the suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest.

On May 28, 2026, Berry was arrested and taken to Troop 4, where he was charged with the crimes listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2, and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $166,000 cash bond.

Attempt to Commit Robbery 1st Degree (Felony)
Home Invasion Burglary 1st Degree (Felony)
Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
Possess, Purchase, Own, or Control a Firearm/Destructive Weapon if Previously Convicted of Two Violent Felonies on Separate
Occasions (Felony)
Aggravated Menacing (Felony)

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Disclaimer: Any individual charged in this release is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Delaware

49-year-old dies by suicide while held in Delaware State Police cell

Published

1 day ago

May 28, 2026

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49-year-old dies by suicide while held in Delaware State Police cell

A 49-year-old Hartly man died after hanging himself in a holding cell at Delaware State Police Troop 3 in Camden, authorities said.

“Video surveillance confirmed that while detained alone in a temporary holding cell at Troop 3, [the suspect] used a shoelace to commit suicide by hanging,” state police said in a May 28 statement. “When troopers found [him], they attempted lifesaving efforts, but he was pronounced dead a short time later.”

Police did not immediately respond to a late May 28 email seeking information on custody protocols or whether the suspect appeared suicidal.

In a May 28 press release, police said troopers were responding to a report of a domestic assault at a home on Misty Way in the Hartly-area about 8 p.m. on May 27.

Before troopers arrived, they were notified that the man had left the residence in his girlfriend’s vehicle. Police said he had an active arrest warrant stemming from a previous incident at the same location on May 22.

The vehicle was spotted by a Delaware State Police helicopter and a chase began, police said.

The chase crossed into Maryland, then returned to Delaware before ending at the residence on Misty Way, police said.

There, police said he initially refused orders to get out of the vehicle, and when he finally did, he resisted further orders from troopers.

Police said he assaulted a DSP canine they deployed. When he was eventually taken into custody, police took him to an area hospital for evaluation of injuries sustained from the dog apprehension.

The Hartly man was released from the hospital on the morning of May 28 and taken to Troop 3, where police said he was charged with several crimes, including strangulation for the May 22 incident and resisting arrest with violence and second-degree assault on a law enforcement animal for the May 27 incident.

Police said he hanged himself while being held at Troop 3, but did not specify when it occurred.

The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit, along with the Delaware Department of Justice’s Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust, are investigating.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com. This is a developing story. Return to delawareonline.com for updates.

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