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Legislation creating a hospital cost review board passed the Delaware House Thursday after a long and contentious debate that frustrated members of both sides of the aisle.

Speaker Valerie Longhurst’s bill passed 21-16 on a near party-line vote, with three Democrats, Reps. Sean Lynn, Stell Parker Selby and Sean Matthews voting in opposition. After more than three hours of debate, Democrats took a short break, came back into session and then used a procedural maneuver to end debate and force a vote on the bill. Some lawmakers said they were disappointed with how the debate on the bill was handled.

“It’s an embarrassing day,” House Minority Leader Michael Ramone said. “It’s a sad day, and I’m very sad to be a part of this legislature.”

The measure aims to rein in increasing health care costs in the First State by requiring hospitals to submit their budgets to ensure they’re in compliance with government spending benchmarks. The hospital cost review board bill is based on a similar board Vermont created to curb health care costs.

Under Longhurst’s proposal, the board would review each hospital’s budget annually. If a hospital fails to meet spending benchmarks, it would be required to develop a performance improvement plan. Once a hospital meets spending targets for three consecutive years, the board would release it from the performance plan oversight. When a hospital successfully meets its budget goals for three consecutive years, it would no longer be required to participate in the budget approval process.

“This legislation is not about punishing hospitals, but rather ensuring our constituents are able to access quality and affordable health care and to put a system into place to slow down the skyrocketing costs that we have experienced in Delaware,” she said.

The board would consist of seven members, six of whom would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate. The executive director of the Delaware Healthcare Association would be the seventh “non-voting” member.

Longhurst argued that the only year the benchmark had been met was in 2020 due to COVID, when fewer people were accessing regular medical care.

“Every other year, health care spending has far surpassed the benchmark we set for this date, including years with over 11% growth in health care costs,” she said.

2021 saw an 11% increase as more people resumed health care visits they had put off during the pandemic, according to the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services’ third annual benchmark trend report.

Gov. John Carney set a spending benchmark in 2018, which was an aspirational goal for annual per-capita-rate health care spending growth. The 3.8% benchmark took effect in 2019. It’s since fluctuated to various percentages below 4%.

Opponents of the legislation have said it substitutes political judgment for hospital experts’ expertise and doesn’t focus on cost drivers such as prescription drugs, workforce shortages, and insurance companies. Newark-based ChristianaCare, Dover-based Bayhealth and Lewes-based Beebe Health have recently spoken out in opposition to the board.

Would you like hummingbirds to look at your bird feeder the same way Homer Simpson looks at a cold beer?  

You’re definitely not alone. We have some tips that will help to turn your feeder into Delaware’s version of Moe’s Bar for this hummingbird this season — minus the drunken shenanigans.

There’s also an interactive map below from HummingbirdCentral.com, that will help you to locate hummingbird sightings across the state. According to the map, several hummingbirds were spotted in Wilmington on Tuesday.

Where to hang hummingbird houses? 

An ideal time for Delawareans to set up, freshen up and clean your birdfeeders for hummingbirds is in late April, according to a report by Geoff LeBaron, Christmas Bird Count director for the National Audubon Society.   

What do I put in my bird feeder?  

The only food/nectar you need in your bird feeder is sugar and water. But make sure it’s white sugar (not brown). And the ratio between water to sugar should be 4:1, LeBron told us last spring.

Bird lovers hoping to attract hummingbirds should never use any other sweeteners, honey or other substances, LeBaron said.

“Those may contain things that can harm hummingbirds, and the sugar water as outlined here is an accurate mimic of natural flower nectar,” he added.

How to keep ants out of hummingbird feeders? 

Some hummingbird feeders include moats to drown ants that climb onto them. If your feeder doesn’t have a moat, you can go somewhere like Lowes to buy attachable ant guards to trap pests, the National Audubon Society suggests.  The bird conservation organization says bee guards are less deadly and if you’re still having infestation problems, avoid feeders with yellow hues because bees are attracted to the bright color.   

How can I attract more hummingbirds?  

The ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only breeding species east of the Rocky Mountains, which is the hummingbird you’ll most likely see in Delaware, LeBaron said.

Attract bees and butterflies: Want a sustainable pollinator garden for bees, butterflies, birds? Here’s what to do

Helping wildlife: What to do if you find baby animals this spring in Delaware

But hummingbirds aren’t gonna stick around your yard just for a drink of sweet water. These creatures are really looking for the plants that feed them, as well as insects. Ninety percent of their diet is from protein, mostly tiny insects.   

Matt Del Pizzo of Port Penn, past president of the Delaware Audubon Society, previously told us that red flowers are attractive to the birds. Other plants that hummingbirds enjoy include jewelweed, native oak trees, goldenrods and columbine.   

Where should I put my hummingbird feeder?  

Hanging feeders under a tree with shade or under a porch is ideal for hummingbirds as they don’t want to get burnt to a crisp in the summer.   

If you have a window surrounded by a shady area, that’ll also give you a cool view of the birds, Doug Tallamy, professor of agriculture and natural resources in the department of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware, previously told us.

Here are 11 plants to attract hummingbirds to your garden

Plan your hummingbird garden using these 11 plants.

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Angela Peterson and Lou Saldivar, Wochit

How long will hummingbirds be in Delaware?  

Fall migration of hummingbirds will probably extend through October in Delaware. Leaving your feeder out longer can help to attract more birds, LeBaron said.  

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 State Police arrested 20-year-old Noah Howell of Seaford, Delaware, for multiple felony offenses after a domestic altercation ended in a pursuit early this morning in New Castle County.

On April 25, 2024, at approximately 11:39 p.m., troopers responded to a distress call from a woman on her way to Delaware State Police Troop 2, located at 100 Cpl/1 Stephen J. Ballard Way, Newark. The caller reported being pursued by her ex-boyfriend, Noah Howell. She also reported Howell struck her vehicle multiple times with his blue Hyundai Santa Fe on the way to Troop 2. Upon arriving at Troop 2’s parking lot, Howell struck the victim’s vehicle again with his Hyundai, before he climbed onto the hood of the victim’s car. Despite verbal commands from troopers, Howell got back into his vehicle and began accelerating when a trooper tried to stop him through the open driver’s side window. As a result, the trooper was thrown from the SUV. While attempting to flee, Howell’s SUV crashed into two vehicle barrier posts in front of Troop 2.

Following that, Howell fled from Troop 2’s parking lot, and entered the adjoining property of William Keene Elementary School, located at 200 Cpl/1 Stephen J. Ballard Way. Therein, Howell drove through a metal fence on the school’s property as he fled toward Pulaski Highway. In the ensuing pursuit, Howell committed numerous traffic violations, ultimately culminating in a collision with a Dart bus at the intersection of Route 1 and Route 72. Following the crash, Howell attempted to escape on foot but was quickly apprehended. While taking Howell into custody, troopers smelled an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person. A subsequent search of his vehicle revealed multiple empty liquor bottles.

Howell was taken to an area hospital for a non-life-threatening injury sustained during the crash. The driver and sole occupant of the DART bus, and the victim, whose identity will not be disclosed, were not injured during the incident. Three troopers were injured during the incident. The troopers were treated and released from an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

After Howell was discharged from the hospital, he was taken to Troop 2, where he was charged with the crimes listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2, and committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $32,700 cash bond.

• Criminal Mischief $5,000 or More (Felony)
• Disregarding a Police Officer Signal (Felony)
• Resisting Arrest with Force of Violence (Felony)
• Reckless Endangering 2^nd Degree – 6 counts
• Resisting Arrest
• Criminal Mischief $1,000 but less than $5,000 – 2 counts
• Driving a Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol
• Driving While Suspended or Revoked
• Aggressive Driving
• Additional Traffic Violations

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