Delaware
Delaware's White Clay Creek State Park adds 275 acres for recreation and preservation
At a cost of about $26 million, the expansion is a collaborative effort involving the Delaware Open Space program and Mt. Cuba Center through the Conservation Fund.
Recognizing the park’s ecological value, it secured an additional $500,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation via Walmart’s Acres for America program.
“We rank every project. Some of the factors that go into those scores [are] how it connects with our current land, the recreational opportunities that it provides, the quality of the land is a big factor in that scoring as well as the size,” Bivens said. “So this checks all of those boxes, so much so that we received that nationally competitive grant. I think we were only one of 10 in the nation to receive that Acres for America grant.”
The park is set to undergo a transformative expansion across three planned phases:
- Phase 1: About 90 acres –- acquisition completed in September 2023.
- Phase 2: About 97 acres — acquisition anticipated in early 2024.
- Phase 3: About 88 acres — acquisition anticipated in late 2024.
In the pursuit of opening the additional space, Bivens emphasizes that the land, once privately owned, has never been examined or studied — which will be an immediate priority.
The goal is to integrate this area into the 2021 state park master plan, making adjustments to existing routes and potentially adding new ones.
“It usually takes us two or three years to do a full study. We had done a master plan for the park and we heard clearly from people that they love the trails and they want us to protect as much as possible and serve that green space. So this certainly fits into that,” he said. “It’ll be a natural extension to trails that we have at the park, which are already very popular.”
“White Clay has some of the most popular trails in the entire state as far as usage goes on our trail counters. So I think this will definitely be a property that we look at for trail expansions,” he added.
Dedicated to preserving Delaware’s greenery and providing nature enthusiasts with their “special place” in state parks, Delaware State Parks is also working to address traffic congestion in the county. The acquisition of additional land is seen as a strategic move to enhance park accessibility and connectivity to other trails.
DELAWARE COUNTY, Ohio — People in Delaware County said it feels like new housing developments are popping up on every corner.
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“What haven’t you noticed, right? The whole area just exploded,” said Scott Shonebarger.
Scott Sanders, the executive director of the Regional Planning Commission, said companies like Intel and other industries are a main driver for thousands of people moving to Delaware County.
With the big boom comes an urgent need for more housing.
John Wicks is the developer at Real Property Design and Development.
He has spent over a decade building homes for families in Delaware County.
Wicks said the Olentangy School District is one of the hottest spots for new homes.
“I started with one high school up until the 90s, then now we’re up to four up to five different high schools so it’s just a big draw,” said Wicks. “It’s a beautiful community.”
The district has grown into the fourth largest in Ohio with a new elementary school opening next year, and a fifth high school in 2028.
Wicks said the growth has presented some challenges over the years like labor shortage and some opposition.
“It’s become a big issue for a lot of people that live in and around these areas. They tend to oppose new growth and new development, so restrictions have gotten a little bit harder. Costs have obviously gone up over the last 20 years,” said Wicks.
The planning commission says between 275,000 and 350,000 people could call Delaware County home by 2040.
That’s up from 214,000 in 2020.
Scott Shonebarger said he supports growth but wonders when is enough.
“I mean to a certain extent I think you know at some point right you have to have some sort of boundaries I think, getting into the fact that now you have five high schools,” said Shonebarger. “What’s the limit?”
Police in Wilmington, Delaware, shot and killed a 19-year-old man Wednesday night.
The incident happened in a residential area near 24th and Jessup streets just after 11 p.m., Wilmington police said in a news release. The person who was shot has not been publicly identified.
Officers were monitoring a large crowd gathered outside when they saw a man exit a home with a handgun and point it toward the crowd, police say.
When officers approached the man, he ran away and a foot pursuit began, police say.
At some point in the chase, an officer fired their weapon and hit the 19-year-old. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.
Police say they recovered a loaded gun from the man and that the officer was not injured.
Video filmed at the scene shows a crowd of residents gathered outside after the shooting.
Police are asking anyone with more information to come forward. The shooting is under investigation by the Delaware Department of Justice and Wilmington police.
Delaware Supreme Court Justice Karen L. Valihura announced Wednesday that she will lead a new corporate law institute at the Wilmington University Farnan School of Law.
She will step down from the bench of Delaware’s highest court in late July, after choosing not to seek reappointment at the end of her 12-year term. She revealed her plans for the next phase of her legal career in a special session of the court in Wilmington.
As well as joining the Wilmington University law school faculty, Valihura will be the founding director of the school’s new Corporate Law, Governance and Practice Institute. …
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