Delaware
Delaware’s high Black maternal mortality rate targeted by new center in Dover
From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!
The racial disparity in maternal mortality in Delaware is significant. The rate for Black residents is 36%, more than twice as high compared to white or Hispanic mothers.
Nationally, Black mothers have also faced a disproportionately high maternal mortality rate. In 2021, the rate reached nearly 70 deaths per 100,000 live births, more than 2.5 times higher than white mothers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Similarly, infant mortality rates mirror these disparities.
Addressing these issues requires additional support for marginalized groups, and that’s where the Do Care Doula Foundation Inc. comes in. Their new center in Dover will be a cornerstone in providing crucial assistance to these communities.
“It’s an extension of the nonprofit’s mission of decreasing birth disparities within the Black and brown community,” said Do Care’s executive director Erica Allen. “We’ve done a lot of community outreach events, virtual if you will, but we are now going to have a footprint within the community and be able to expand and provide more services by having an actual brick-and-mortar location.”
“Initially, the way we started was we just began training doulas, actually. So doulas being birth and postpartum support persons that are non-medical,” she added.
The group started delivering services virtually and offering help on location in 2021. The new center will help expand services to include a diaper bank, basic needs pantry, menstrual supplies, support groups, fitness classes, childbirth and lactation education, BIPOC doula training and development, and events featuring giveaways of essential baby items.
Delaware
Delaware college student, kindergartener advocate for legislation to help support AAPI education
Two bills being heard in Delaware are aimed to be solutions in the fight against anti-Asian rhetoric, violence, and hate. The legislation was inspired by a dad and a college student, who are getting additional support from a very special kindergartener.
“I believe everyone in Delaware should learn about the vast cultures and traditions of Asian and Pacific Islander communities,” said Austin Lou.
Austin is a kindergartener with a grown-up voice advocating for legislation to support AAPIs.
“I’m here today to speak in favor of House bill 322,” he said. “I’m proud of my heritage, but sometimes I can feel invisible.”
Yunfei Lou is Austin’s dad. He grew up in Lewes, Delaware.
“I still kind of struggle with an identity crisis of who I am as a one and a half generation Asian American mom, a lot of the time, I still slip and say them Americans, even though I am an American through and through. I pay taxes, I vote,” said Yunfei.
Yunfei wants to instill a sense of belonging among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and increase education.
“We basically we want to kind of remove that veil, the mystique around being Asian and really give the community an opportunity to really learn about who we are,” he said.
Yunfei has partnered with Devin Jiang, who’s a junior at the University of Delaware studying public policy.
“COVID-19 was when I saw this community crumble for the first time and I realized that Asian Americans can’t be silent anymore,” said Devin.
Together Devin, Yunfei and little Austin are lobbying for AAPI inclusion in education and to establish a state AAPI commission in the form of two bills.
“The first step is to gain more political representation, making sure that we have a voice at the table,” said Devin.
“Once we have that commission established, we can then start having some brainstorming sessions on trying to get community feedback,” said Yunfei .
SB 297, the AAPI education bill, has already evolved to include programming for all racial, cultural, and ethnic groups.
“We want to be as inclusive as possible,” said Yunfei .
“This would mean more educational programs in schools and a stronger sense of belonging for Asian American students like me,” said Austin.
The education bill will be heard in committee on May 15. HB 322, which would establish the AAPI state commission, has passed the Delaware House and will also be heard in the Senate.
Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Delaware
Incumbent upset, narrow races: How Tuesday’s school board elections shook out
Behind the scenes of Wilmington’s pop-up robot street art installation
A behind-the-scenes look at the robot pop-up street art installation by Wilmington artist David Sanchez
Over 5,600 Delawareans turned out to vote in Tuesday’s school board elections across the state, according to the unofficial results from the Delaware Department of Elections. Contested races were held in seven districts: Appoquinimink, Colonial, Red Clay Consolidated, Indian River, Delmar and Woodbridge.
While other districts throughout the state did have seats up for grabs, Delaware Code states that elections will not be held if there is only one person running.
Here are the preliminary results posted by the Delaware Department of Elections, in alphabetical order by county:
NEW CASTLE COUNTY
Appoquinimink
Incumbent Norm Abrams has been reelected to his at-large seat on the Appoquinimink School Board, which he has held for 15 years. He received 54% of the 880 total votes cast, beating opponents Britney Mumford and Candace Justino.
Mumford, executive director of the public education equity-focused nonprofit DelawareCAN, was the runner-up with 32% of votes. Justino, who works with the nonprofit “Public Allies of Delaware” program at the University of Delaware, received the fewest votes.
Colonial
Incumbent Robin Crossan was narrowly reelected to represent District G on the Colonial School Board, a position he’s held for six years. He received 52% of the 362 total votes cast, beating opponent Tanya Kerns, a retired financial analyst with Amtrak, by just 12 votes.
Red Clay Consolidated
Susan Sander has been elected to represent District E on the Red Clay Consolidated School Board, beating incumbent Jason Casper, who has held the position for almost seven years. Sander, a community volunteer and former executive assistant for assisted living communities, earned 72% of the 2,043 total votes cast.
KENT COUNTY
Lake Forest
Incumbent Sarah R. Starkey has been reelected to her at-large seat on the Lake Forest School Board, which she has held for almost five years. She received 77% of the 290 total votes cast, beating opponent David Mazur, a former behavior modification specialist in New Jersey.
SUSSEX COUNTY
Delmar
Russell Smart has been elected to fill the at-large seat on the Delmar School Board. Smart, whose son is a student in the district, received 68% of the 563 total votes cast, beating opponent Dawn Turner, who was previously appointed to fill a vacant seat on the school board in 2021 and served through June 2023.
Woodbridge
John Campbell has been elected to fill the at-large seat on the Woodbridge School Board. Campbell, who has two children in the district and coaches youth sports, received 59% of the 684 total votes cast, beating opponents Brian Swain and Kristie Thomas.
Swain, a former teacher and principal, was the runner up with 34% of the votes. Thomas, who served on the boards of a government tax ditch program and the Woodbridge Little League, received the fewest votes.
Indian River
Anita West-Werner has been elected to represent District 4 on the Indian River School Board. West-Werner, a U.S. Air Force colonel and parent of two children in the district, received 59% of the total 835 votes cast, beating opponent Joshua Hudson, a captain with DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police.
BACKGROUND: Delaware’s school board election guide: Who’s running in your district?
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.
Delaware
2024 Delaware school board election results
The preliminary results for the 2024 Delaware school board elections are in, and there will be five new faces sworn into their seats this summer.
Across state’s 19 school districts, 16 candidates campaigned for seven open seats in seven districts.
Here are this year’s winners:
New Castle County
Appoquinimink School District — Incumbent Norman A. Abrams Jr.
Colonial School District — Robin Crossan
Red Clay Consolidated School District — Susan Sander
Kent County
Lake Forest School District — Incumbent Sarah R. Starkey
Sussex County
Delmar School District — Russell R. Smart
Indian River School District — Anita West-Werner
Woodbridge School District — John Campbell
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
Post Views: 1
-
Politics1 week ago
House Dems seeking re-election seemingly reverse course, call on Biden to 'bring order to the southern border'
-
Politics1 week ago
Fetterman says anti-Israel campus protests ‘working against peace' in Middle East, not putting hostages first
-
World1 week ago
Gaza ceasefire talks at crucial stage as Hamas delegation leaves Cairo
-
World1 week ago
Stand-in Jose Raul Mulino wins Panama presidential race
-
News1 week ago
Compass Direct LLC’s 2024 Registration in North Carolina
-
World1 week ago
Tech compliance reports, Newsletter
-
News1 week ago
Columbia University cancels its main commencement ceremony after weeks of turmoil
-
News1 week ago
Man, 75, confesses to killing wife in hospital because he couldn’t afford her care, court documents say