Delaware

Inside Huxley & Hiro, a bookstore with animal greeters and Curious Histories section

Published

2 years ago

June 7, 2024

Inside Huxley & Hiro, a bookstore with animal greeters and Curious Histories section

Independent bookstores are the heartbeats of their communities. They provide culture and community, generate local jobs and sales tax revenue, promote literacy and education, champion and center diverse and new authors, connect readers to books in a personal and authentic way, and actively support the right to read and access to books in their communities.

Each week we profile an independent bookstore, sharing what makes each one special and getting their expert and unique book recommendations.

This week we have Huxley & Hiro in Wilmington, Delaware!

What’s your store’s story?

Huxley & Hiro is a woman and LGBTQ owned bookstore in historic downtown Wilmington. As a public benefit corporation, the store’s mission is to partner with local non-profits and provide a community meeting space for the arts. Our store is named after our Maine Coon cat Huxley and Shiba Inu dog Hiro, who make regular appearances to welcome customers. Shortly after opening, owners Ryan Eanes and Claire van den Broek were named most influential Delawareans of 2024 in the business category!

What makes your independent bookstore special?

In the digital age where books are so easily and freely accessible online, and where we are constantly engaged on our phones and other devices, we recognized an increasing desire for places where people could come together in person and share their love of literature. Through a carefully curated selection of books and a design that is browsing-friendly, we want to offer our community a new take on the beloved experience of in-person shopping on a downtown Main Street. Though we as founders are millennials, we realized that both younger and older generations see the Millennial/Gen X vision of virtual communities as far more dystopian than the idealized image we had of the possibilities of technology. Our society seems to have a deep seated desire to return to in-person communities and 15 minute neighborhoods where we can build interpersonal connections not mediated by technology.

What’s your favorite section in your store?

My (Claire) favorite section of the store is our ‘Curious Histories’ display. Influenced by James Daunt, who created an entire London bookstore organized by country instead of genre (no sci-fi, because that wasn’t classifiable by country), we wanted to bring to life a curated collection that drew on many genres, centered around the theme of ‘Curious Histories’. We pulled books from cooking, travel, history, the sciences, and so on that focused on unusual stories, like the history of the egg or Sesame Street in Moscow. Our hope is that this display will offer people a new way of browsing that doesn’t confine them to the genre towards which they usually gravitate; the kind of experience algorithms online aren’t good at curating.

What book do you love to recommend to customers and why?

My favorite recommendation is Sadegh Hedayat’s “Blind Owl,” a deeply disturbing novella written by an Iranian author in the 1930s. Imagine if Edgar Allan Poe and Franz Kafka had a child born in Iran, who grew up watching F. W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu.” Surreal and dreamlike, at times verging on an early Middle Eastern magical realism, this largely unknown novella will haunt you.

What book do you think deserves more attention and why?

Though it’s a classic, I’m always surprised more people aren’t familiar with Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margarita.” Written in Soviet Russia and censored until after his death, Mikhail Bulgakov’s comedic novel chronicles the adventures of Satan, his cat and his valet as they visit Moscow. The story is strongly interwoven with Goethe’s “Faust,” one of the greatest plays ever written, and in many ways, it’s also the love story of the Master and his Margarita (Faust and Gretchen). Brilliant, hilarious, and at times quite moving.

Why is shopping at local, independent bookstores important?

When you choose a local, independent bookstore, more of your money stays within the community. We want to live in vibrant, 15 minute walking communities where we can find unique things and discover new experiences. Bookstores remain a critical part of this experience, and only by supporting local businesses can we ensure that these kinds of neighborhoods remain a reality. Sure you can buy a book cheaply, but do you want to live next a massive warehouse with trucks coming and going at all hours, or do you want to grab your coffee and dog and wander into a beautiful local store with friendly employees who know you and can help you discover new books?

What are some of your store’s events, programs, or partnerships coming up this quarter that you would like to share?

We regularly partner with other local businesses for experiences such as coffee tastings from a local roaster, a bag making workshop that benefits women with cancer, and historical talks such as our event with a 102 year old WWII Air Force Veteran to celebrate that our city has been named an American WWII Heritage City.

We are also partnering with Delaware Futures to create a Banned Books Advocacy Program that will allow disadvantaged youths to spend six weeks exploring banned books, learning to write letters to school boards, and gaining a better understanding of why groups want to ban books and how to fight censorship. At the end of the Program, they will earn a certificate that we hope will provide them with an advantage in their college applications.

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Delaware

Search Warrants in Dover Lead to Arrests for Drug and Gun Offenses – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware

Published

9 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Search Warrants in Dover Lead to Arrests for Drug and Gun Offenses – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware

Date Posted: Saturday, December 13th, 2025

The Delaware State Police have arrested 39-year-old Neal Barnes, 52-year-old Anthony James, and 51-year-old Kevin Walker, all from Dover, Delaware, for felony drug and gun charges following three search warrants in Dover.

On December 11, 2025, members of the Kent County Drug Unit executed search warrants at three residences on the 60, 70, and 100 blocks of Vanessa Drive in Dover. The search warrants were obtained following an investigation of Neal Barnes, Anthony James, and Kevin Walker for the distribution of illegal narcotics from their residences. During the search warrants, all three suspects were detained inside their respective homes without incident, and a child was present in Walker’s residence.

During a search of Barnes’ residence, detectives found the following items:

Approximately 2.76 grams of cocaine
Approximately 99.76 grams of crack cocaine
9mm handgun and ammunition
.38 caliber handgun and ammunition
Digital scales
Drug paraphernalia

During a search of James’ residence, detectives found the following items:

Approximately 19.88 grams of crack cocaine
Approximately 52.59 grams of cocaine
Drug paraphernalia
$2,472 in suspected drug proceeds

During a search of Walker’s residence, detectives found the following items:

Approximately .69 grams of heroin
Approximately .35 grams of methamphetamine
Approximately 11.77 grams of crack cocaine
Approximately 31 ecstasy pills
Approximately 14 acetaminophen and oxycodone hydrochloride pills
Approximately 21 buprenorphine and naloxone sublingual films

Barnes was arrested and taken to Troop 3, 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 $57,000 cash bond.

Neal Barnes

Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Tier 3 (Felony)
Possession of a Controlled Substance, Tier 3 (Felony)
Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance (Felony)
Possession of a Firearm/Destructive Weapon if Previously Convicted of a Violent Felony (Felony) – 3 counts
Possession of a Controlled or Counterfeit Substance except Human Growth Hormone without a Prescription
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

James was arrested and taken to Troop 3, 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 $146,000 cash bond.

Anthony James

Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Tier 3 (Felony)
Possession of a Controlled Substance, Tier 3 (Felony)
Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Tier 2 (Felony)
Possession of a Controlled Substance, Tier 2 (Felony)
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Walker was arrested and taken to Troop 3, 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 $39,500 secured bond.

Kevin walker

Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Tier 2 (Felony) – 2 counts
Possession of a Controlled Substance, Tier 2 (Felony) – 2 counts
Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Felony) – 2 counts
Possession of a Controlled or Counterfeit Substance except Human Growth Hormone without a Prescription – 5 counts
Endangering the Welfare of a Child by Committing a Drug Offense with a Child in the Dwelling

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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

PennDOT, hardware stores prepare for first snow of season in Delaware Valley

Published

21 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

PennDOT, hardware stores prepare for first snow of season in Delaware Valley

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Crews and customers across the Delaware Valley are gearing up for the region’s first accumulating snowfall of the season, expected late Saturday into Sunday morning.

PennDOT says it has more than 100,000 tons of salt ready and plans to deploy over 400 trucks across the region for this event.

Road crews began brining operations Friday, which will continue through the weekend with plowing on Sunday.

READ MORE | Accuweather Alert: Light snow to blanket the region Saturday night into Sunday morning

“Maybe 1 to 3, maybe a little bit more depending on how the storm tracks,” said Brad Rudolph of PennDOT.

He added that timing is key with the snow beginning to fall on Saturday night, while many may be out and about, and with thousands expected to travel to Lincoln Financial Field Sunday for the Eagles game against the Raiders.

Preps underway for first snow of the season in Delaware Valley

“People are going to travel, they’re going to need to take it slow. We’re going to push back snow from travel lanes, we’ll make the roads passable. They may not be completely clear of snow and ice, something to consider,” Rudolph said. “We expect this storm to push out relatively early Sunday, well before that Eagles game, but we still might have some cleaning up to do. We’ll be working long after this snow is done.”

At Stanley’s Hardware in Roxborough, workers spent Friday unpacking boxes and moving thousands of pounds of salt and other supplies to fill commercial and individual orders.

“Our aisle is filled right now. We have tons of skids of rock salt, ice melter, shovels,” said Joe Jaconski of Stanley’s Hardware.

Customers were already stocking up.

“We have food, we have shovels, just had to get some salt just to make sure we’re keeping the sidewalks nice and safe for everyone,” said Matt Skomsky of Roxborough.

Customers were steady at Stanley’s Friday, and business is expected to pick up through the weekend, but managers say don’t wait to get ready.

“I recommend just being ahead of it. Try to beat the storm because when the storm comes, it gets very busy in here-the lines wrapped around,” Jaconski said.

PennDOT urges drivers to keep their distance from plow trucks and check the forecast before heading out.

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Delaware

Done Deal: 695 Delaware Avenue – Buffalo Rising

Published

2 days ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Done Deal: 695 Delaware Avenue – Buffalo Rising

Ellicott Development has expanded it local property portfolio. Ellicott’s 4628 Group Inc. purchased 695 Delaware Avenue on Wednesday for $1.025 million. Fred Kaplan Living Trust was the seller. The 8,454 sq.ft., three-story barn-like structure with mansard roofed addition is occupied by media production and marketing firm Crosswater Digital Media. It was the home of WKBW radio for a number of years. The property totals 0.4 acres in size with a large parking lot fronting Delaware Avenue.

The property is bookended by the Westbrook Apartments and Wilcox House apartment buildings, both ten-story structures. It sits across the street from 700 Delaware, the former Computer Task Group Building Ellicott purchased in 2018 and is now occupied by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.