Gubernatorial candidates debate in Dover

Delaware’s six candidates for governor — three Democrats and three Republicans – spoke out at the Delaware Journalism Collaborative’s first debate of the season last week.

Though an attempt at broadcasting the debate from Dover Public Library simultaneously in both English and Spanish didn’t work out as planned, a full video of the event is now available, with Spanish transcription.

➡️ Check out the recap and watch the video here.

VFA alumni keep building entrepreneurship

The closure of Venture for America, a program that put entrepreneurial fellows into cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, Miami and Birmingham was a disappointment for everyone involved. Many of the 1,400 alumni and fellows are determined to keep the momentum going, despite the downturn in VC funding to startups that contributed to the org shutting its doors.

One upside: With no more org rules, entrepreneurs in non-VFA places like Delaware may have an opportunity to get involved.

➡️ Read my report on the aftermath of VFA’s closure here.

Leveraging data to find solutions on the ground

So many big geospatial datasets, so little time — or really, so few professionals trained to leverage the wealth of information they contain. That’s why Temple University’s Geography, Environment and Urban Studies Department runs three professional science master’s degree programs that train more experts in the field.

Students in these GIS programs learn to harness the power of existing data to find novel approaches to urban and regional planning, public health, environmental assessments and other issues. If you’re into mapping and want to make an impact, this program could be for you.

“I feel like a lot of the social sciences are about defining problems,” a department professor told Technical.ly. “But with GIS, I feel like we’re kind of flipping that and figuring out solutions to the problems.”

➡️ Find out more about Temple’s GIS grad programs

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News Incubator: What else to know today

• Out of the 19 companies in the 2024 Inc. 5000 listed as being in Delaware, 11 are actually located here. That’s the result of out-of-state companies using DE-incorporated addresses and local mailboxes as their business address. [Social media post]

• Democratic National Convention attendees from Delaware support the Harris/Waltz ticket. Still, there are mixed emotions in the aftermath of President Joe Biden’s exit from the race. [New York Times]

• The Philadelphia Inquirer endorses Matt Meyer for governor of Delaware, citing projects like the Hope Center and Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long’s financial controversies. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

• Chemours opened an electric vehicle battery lab at the Discovery Hub at the University of Delaware STAR Campus. Ten employees will start developing battery electrodes using Chemours’ existing Teflon research. [Delaware Business Times]

• The Delaware Department of Education released a guide for navigating AI in the classroom and avoiding problems like plagiarism and information bias. The guide is the culmination of an eight-month effort with the state’s Council on Educational Technology. [Town Square Live]

• CP Cases, a UK-based manufacturing company with a subsidiary in Frankford, which was a location project of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, has been 87% acquired by the global firm Lagercrantz. Delaware-based US general manager Peter Gill and founder Peter Ross will retain 13% ownership in the company’s shares. [Delaware Prosperity Partnership]

• Phish’s four-day Mondegreen Festival in Dover last weekend drew about 45,000 people from as far as New Zealand and Japan. Many said they’d come back to Delaware — at least if Phish returns for another festival. [The News Journal]

• Attack ads on Delaware candidates for governor are often funded by out-of-state PACs, whose millions dwarf the candidates’ local fundraising. One of the biggest donors is NYC-based TransPerfect CEO Phil Shawe, who’s had a beef with the Delaware Chancery Court for nearly a decade. [Spotlight Delaware/The News Journal]

• Norwegian company AquaCon is turning the old Bainbridge Naval Base west of Newark on the edge of Cecil County, Maryland into a $320 million salmon farm. The project will be built in two phases, starting next year. [Delaware Business Now]

• The New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District upgraded its St. George’s High School facility with solar panels on rooftops and fields, funded by an Energize Delaware Grant. The company contracted to install the panels, Seiberlich Trane Energy Services, said 50% of its service engineers graduated from the Vo-Tech district. [WDEL]

• A local photographer captured the northern lights on the Delaware Bay. While the 2 a.m. light show was partially visible to the naked eye, the bright pink and yellow in the photo were produced using a 10-second exposure on an iPhone 15 Pro Max. [The Cape Gazette]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Wednesday, Aug. 21 — It’s Bizness Time with Full Carbon, Stitch House Brewery, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. [Details]

• Thursday, Aug. 22 — 3rd Annual HBCU College Fair, Teen Warehouse, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. [Details]

• Saturday, Aug. 24 — Milk & Honey Small Business Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. [Details]

• Tuesday, Aug. 27 — Delaware Journalism Collaborative U.S. House of Representatives Debate with a live stream, 7 p.m. to 8:30 pm [Details]

• Tuesday, Aug. 27 — DEBCC: Know Your Rights as an Undocumented Business Owner online seminar, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. [Details]

CHRISTIANA, Delaware (WPVI) — A college freshman in Delaware is out hundreds of dollars after someone stole nearly everything he was taking with him to start the new school year on campus.

It happened Sunday in the parking lot of their hotel, the Ramada, on Chapman Road in Christiana, New Castle County.

Ty’Shawn Ewings, 18, said he and his mother, Shayna, decided to stay at the hotel the night before his dorm move-in.

Ewings is attending Goldey-Beacom College in Pike Creek, where he is on a scholarship for track and field.

“Honestly I thought we were going to have a great time, come down here and stay at a hotel,” Ewings said.

After a fairly peaceful night enjoying their last hours together, Ewings said he and his mother were awakened by a call from the hotel. He quickly knew something was wrong when he saw his mother run out of their room.

“I run downstairs with her because she’s screaming and crying,” he said. “So I’m like, ‘Oh shoot, what happened?’”

When they made it to the parking lot, it became a lot clearer what had caused his mom to become so upset. Ewings said someone had broken the passenger window of their car and stole hundreds of dollars worth of clothes, shoes, and other essentials his mother had bought him for his new academic journey.

It was particularly painful for his single mother, who had saved up the entire summer to make sure Ewings had everything he needed to start college successfully.

“She saved up, bought some stuff, and was going to surprise me when I got on campus,” Ewings told Action News. “I was like, ‘Dang it hurts.’”

When the two attempted to address the break-in with hotel staff, they said — with the exception of one employee — “they had no care in the world.”

They allege they were told that customers park at their own risk.

“You would think that a hotel would have proper security to prevent stuff like this from happening,” Ewings said.

Action News went to the hotel and spotted what appeared to be remnants of the broken glass window in the parking lot.

We also saw at least one sign that read, “Guest parking users assume all risk.”

When we went inside to speak to the general manager, she didn’t verbally answer any questions concerning security or safety.

The general manager sent the following statement in response:

“The Ramada Newark is deeply concerned about a recent incident involving a guest car break-in on our property. The safety and security of our guests are our top priority, and we are taking this matter very seriously. We understand the inconvenience and distress this incident has caused, and we extend our most sincere apologies to the affected guest. We are currently cooperating fully with local law enforcement in their investigation.

These incidents are rare, and the property does have a robust surveillance system to deter such incidents.

We encourage all guests to take precautions to protect their personal belongings, including locking vehicles and avoiding leaving valuables in plain sight. We are available to assist guests with any questions they may have.

The Ramada Newark remains committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all our guests”

Fortunately for Ewings, a family member reached out to the admissions office at Goldey-Beacom College and informed them of his situation.

Word got to the school’s athletic director, who then went out of his way to make sure the incoming freshman had some of his belongings replaced for the time being.

“He went to admissions because they always have T-shirts and things like that. And then went to athletics and so athletics was able to put together what they had,” Colleen Keith, the school’s president, explained.

Keith said the act of kindness wasn’t surprising to her because the staff and faculty at the small college consider the student body to be extended family who they look out for.

“My first out-of-the-box instinct is that I’m a mom and I want that kid to get what he needs,” she said. “That’s how everyone is here. People blur the lines between being a mom or being a dad and making sure the students have what they need.”

Though he doesn’t see himself as a victim, Ewings said he couldn’t be more appreciative of the unexpected help.

He told Action News that in his short time at the college, “It’s not just a community, it’s a family. Everybody’s willing to do the best in their power to help.”

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the police.

In 2016, McBride told the DNC crowd in Philadelphia that more work reducing discrimination for LGBTQ people lay ahead.

“Will we be a nation where there’s only one way to love, only one way to look, and only one way to live,” she said eight years ago. “Or will we be a nation where everyone has the freedom to live openly and equally?”

While states have passed a handful of anti-LGBTQ bills every year, there has been an uptick in federal and state efforts since 2016 that has targeted transgender care for minors, and restricted bathroom usage for students that align with their gender identity and limited access to books with LGBTQ characters and themes.

McBride said speaking at the DNC in 2016 made her feel like she belonged.

“It was comforting, because it was one of the first times that I and so many other people like me had the opportunity to see that there may be a place for us in our Democracy,” she said. “That we could have our voices heard, that we could have a seat at the table in a very public way, and that the Democratic Party was a party that truly welcomed and embraced everyone’s talents and potential.”

The First State senator said despite all of the history she’s made, her campaign for Congress isn’t just about that.

“I’m running to make a difference,” she said. “To do what I have done in the Delaware State Senate, which is to deliver for working people and their families.”

McBride said she is also concerned about attacks on people’s ability to live their lives free from interference from those who don’t like their choices.

“The attacks we’re seeing target and impact a large majority of Americans across different backgrounds and identities,” McBride said. “Fundamentally, it’s about control. It’s about controlling people’s bodies and decisions.”

McBride faces Earl Cooper and Elias Weir in the September 10 primary. Whoever wins will compete against Republicans Donyale Hall or John Whalen in the November general election.