Delaware

Legislative Hall ‘moving forward’ with renovation, expansion plans, despite opposition

Published

1 year ago

December 2, 2024

Press Room

Legislative Hall ‘moving forward’ with renovation, expansion plans, despite opposition

Delaware’s Legislative Hall may soon look a little different.

Plans to expand and revamp the Statehouse are “moving forward,” beginning with a new parking garage, said Richard Puffer, who chairs the legislative committee overseeing the project.

The $150 million project has raised renewed concerns over the expense and need for the renovations.

Here’s what Delaware needs to know.

When has Legislative Hall last changed?

Legislative Hall has been Delaware’s state capitol building since 1933.

In addition to House and Senate chambers, the building houses offices belonging to members of the state General Assembly and is home to several committee rooms and the formal office of the state governor. It also has many murals, portraits and exhibits.

Plans to renovate and expand Legislative Hall began in November 2021. The last time Legislative Hall was renovated and expanded was in the 1990s.

There is “a great need” for more meeting and office space, both for employees and the public, said Puffer, who also serves as the chief clerk of the state House of Representatives.

What is included in the project?

A costly part of the project will be the new parking garage.

The current design will include approximately 350 parking spaces, including 240 for public access and 97 for state legislators and employees.

Once the garage is finished, construction will then begin on an underground tunnel connecting the garage to the capitol, Puffer said.

Additional work will include building up to four new large meeting rooms and moving the entrance from the west to the east side of the building across the street from the new parking garage.

How long will this project take?

The budget for the project should be finalized in June 2025, Puffer said.

If all goes smoothly, construction for the garage will begin in July 2025 and conclude by the end of December 2026 – with additional work set to begin in the summer or fall of 2026 and be completed by late 2028.

How much will this project cost?

As of now, roughly $40 million has already been invested into the project, with an additional $10 million from the FY 2025 Bond Bill, which was passed in June.

Puffer also said an additional $110 million has been requested for renovations and expansions.

Cost of the project questioned

John Flaherty, Delaware Coalition for Open Government board member, recently told the Office of Management and Budget, the project is “self-serving” and does not serve the public.

“How busy is the General Assembly” to warrant such an expensive change, given that the state legislature will convene for nearly 42 days out of the year this upcoming session, Flaherty said.

Other individuals who oppose this project, including Delaware Black Commission founder Jakim Mohammed, also call this a “wasted, taxpayer-funded” expenditure.

Mohammed also feels that attention should instead be focused on pressing issues facing the state, including education, infrastructure and housing.

Former state senator Karen Peterson recalled how parking and meeting space at Legislative Hall had “never been an issue” before, and how these renovations will be “taking money away.”

“We should be funding the needs, not the wants,” Peterson said.

While Puffer said he understands these concerns, he also mentioned how these expansions will help allow people “to participate in the legislative process.”

The Legislative Hall Committee is scheduled to hold its next meeting on Dec. 10 at 12:30 p.m.

For more information on how to attend or tune in virtually, visit the state General Assembly website.

Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. You can reach her at omontes@delawareonline.com.

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Delaware

Delaware Lottery Mega Millions, Play 3 Day winning numbers for April 7, 2026

Published

12 hours ago

April 8, 2026

Press Room

Delaware Lottery Mega Millions, Play 3 Day winning numbers for April 7, 2026

The Delaware Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Tuesday, April 7, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from April 7 drawing

05-15-22-33-37, Mega Ball: 02

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Play 3 numbers from April 7 drawing

Day: 5-9-9

Night: 0-3-0

Check Play 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Play 4 numbers from April 7 drawing

Day: 2-6-6-0

Night: 0-1-1-4

Check Play 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Multi-Win Lotto numbers from April 7 drawing

04-14-21-22-25-27

Check Multi-Win Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Play 5 numbers from April 7 drawing

Day: 4-2-1-3-6

Night: 2-3-2-8-7

Check Play 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Sign the Ticket: Establish legal ownership by signing the back of your ticket with an ink pen.
Prizes up to $599: Claim at any Delaware Lottery Retailer, in person at the Delaware Lottery Office, or mail your signed ticket and claim form; print your name/address on the ticket’s back and keep a copy/photo for records. By mail, send original tickets and documentation to: Delaware Lottery, 1575 McKee Road, Suite 102, Dover, DE 19904.
Prizes up to $2,500: Claim in person at Delaware Lottery Retailer Claim Centers throughout Kent, Sussex and New Castle Counties.
Prizes of $5,001 or more: Claim in person at the Delaware Lottery Office (business days 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) with a photo ID and Social Security card.
For all prize claims, directions to the Delaware Lottery Office are available online or via mapquest.com for a map.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Delaware Lottery.

Can I claim a jackpot prize anonymously in Delaware?

Fortunately for First State residents, the Delaware Lottery allows winners remain anonymous. Unlike many other states that require a prize be over a certain jackpot, Delawareans can remain anonymous no matter how much, or how little, they win.

How long do I have to claim my prize in Delaware?

Tickets are valid for up to one year past the drawing date for drawing game prizes or within one year of the announced end of sales for Instant Games, according to delottery.com.

When are the Delaware Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
Play 3, 4: Daily at 1:58 p.m. and 7:57 p.m., except Sunday afternoon.
Multi-Win Lotto: 7:57 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Lucky for Life: Daily at 10:38 p.m.
Lotto America: 11:00 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Delaware Online digital operations manager. You can send feedback using this form.

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Delaware

Powerball winner in Delaware worth $2M among unclaimed lottery prizes

Published

24 hours ago

April 7, 2026

Press Room

Powerball winner in Delaware worth M among unclaimed lottery prizes

Do you have a Powerball ticket lying around? If so, check your ticket because you might be a winner.

There are three unclaimed Powerball prizes in Delaware worth $50,000 or more including a $2-million winning Powerball ticket, according to the Delaware Lottery. There’s also a Delaware Lottery game winner worth nearly $400,000 that is still unclaimed.

As of Tuesday, April 7, these tickets remain unclaimed, according to lottery officials.

Think you might be a winner? Check the numbers here:

Powerball unclaimed tickets

$2 million winning ticket sold at Boyd’s Corner Liquors in Middletown for Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, drawing
$50,000 winning ticket sold at Brookside Liquors in Newark for Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, drawing
$50,000 winning ticket sold at Wawa No. 849 in Rehoboth Beach for Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, drawing

Delaware Lottery unclaimed tickets

$390,000 Lucky for Life winning ticket sold at Safeway #2706 in Rehoboth Beach for Friday, April 18, 2025, drawing

Can I claim a jackpot prize anonymously in Delaware?

Fortunately for First State residents, the Delaware Lottery allows winners to remain anonymous. Unlike many other states that require a prize be over a certain jackpot, Delawareans can remain anonymous no matter how much or how little they win.

How can I claim my prize?

First things first, sign the back of your ticket using an ink pen to identify yourself as the ticket owner. According to the Delaware lottery, once signed, ticket ownership cannot be changed or transferred.

For prizes $599 or less, tickets can be redeemed at Delaware lottery retailers or the Delaware Lottery Office. You can also mail your tickets to the Delaware Lottery Office: 1575 McKee Road, Suite 102, Dover, DE 19904.

Prizes worth $2,500 or less can be claimed at select Delaware Lottery retailer claim centers throughout Kent, Sussex and New Castle counties.

Any prize between $600 and $5,000 can be claimed between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday at these redemption centers:

Delaware Lottery: 1575 McKee Road, Suite 102, Dover
Division of Revenue: 20653 DuPont Blvd., Suite 2, Georgetown
Division of Revenue: Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French St., Wilmington

A prize worth $5,001 or more can be claimed at the Delaware Lottery Office on business days from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. You must bring a photo ID that includes your name and address, as well as a Social Security card.

All winning Powerball, Mega Millions and Lotto America tickets must be redeemed in the state and jurisdiction where they were sold.

When was the last $2 million Powerball ticket sold in Delaware?

The last the a $2 million-winning Powerball ticket was sold in Delaware was for the Feb. 25, 2023, drawing, according to the Delaware Lottery.

A 36-year-old Newark woman bought the winning ticket at Wawa #861 on Capitol Trail near Newark.

When was the last $1 million Powerball ticket sold in Delaware?

The last $1 million-winning Powerball ticket sold in Delaware was for the Oct. 22 drawing worth $321 million.

The prize was won by a 51-year-old Dover woman, who purchased the ticket at Harrington Raceway and Casino, according to Delaware Lottery officials.

Has there been a Powerball jackpot winner in Delaware?

The most recent Powerball jackpot winner in Delaware was during the Monday, Aug. 6, drawing worth $231 million. No one has claimed the prize as of Tuesday, April 7.

Before that, the last Powerball jackpot winner in Delaware occurred about a decade ago. A lucky winner purchased a ticket at the Selbyville Goose Creek store for the Dec. 17, 2016, drawing worth $121.6 million.

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Delaware

Crash on Del. highway leads to man hit, killed by passing truck on Saturday, police say

Published

1 day ago

April 7, 2026

Press Room

Crash on Del. highway leads to man hit, killed by passing truck on Saturday, police say

A man was killed on Saturday night after his car was hit by another vehicle and he started to walk along the highway before being hit by a third car, according to the Delaware State Police.

This all unfolded around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 4 as a Ford Winstar and Kia Optima were going northbound on Interstate 495 near 12th Street, police said.

At one point, the front of the Kia crashed into the back of the Ford and the Ford hit a guardrail, officials explained.

The man driving the Ford, identified as Upper Darby resident 45-year-old Mark Barnett, Sr., then started to walk along I-495 when he was hit by a Ram 1500 pickup truck, according to police.

Barnett was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The driver of the Ram pickup was identified as a 65-year-old man from Gillett, Pennsylvania, and he was not hurt, police reported.

The driver of the Kia left as officers made it to the scene, officials said.

I-495 was shut down to traffic for about five hours as detectives investigated.

If you have any footage of the incident or have any information that could help investigators, please contact Cpl. D. McKenna at 302-365-8486.

Tips can also be shared through a private Facebook message to Delaware State Police or by contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800-847-3333.

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