Delaware
Massive fire destroys historic church in Wilmington, Delaware
A fire tore through a church in Wilmington, Delaware, leaving most of the historic structure in ruins.
Battalion Chief of the Wilmington Fire Department, Robert Pryor, told NBC10 that the fire broke out around 3 a.m. on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at the Mother African Union Church along North Franklin Street.
Pryor said the fire spread throughout the entire church, shooting flames 20 to 30 feet into the air.
It took crews over an hour to get the fire under control.
Wilmington Fire Department
Wilmington Fire Department
Wilmington Fire Department
Wilmington Fire Department
While firefighters battled the flames, they also evacuated the surrounding homes due to falling embers, according to Pryor. Those residents have since returned to their homes.
Residents in the area told NBC10 that they smelled the fire before they saw it.
“I looked up the street and the flames were higher than that steeple,” said neighbor Kathleen Brawders.
Wilmington Fire Department Wilmington Fire Department 
The building is now structurally unstable, and no one is allowed inside, Pryor shared.
The cause of the fire is now under investigation.
Delaware
Rutgers Basketball Adds St. Peter’s and Delaware State to 2026-27 Non-Conference Schedule
Rutgers men’s basketball has added some more local flair to its 2026-2027 non-conference schedule, as the Scarlet Knights have added St. Peter’s and Delaware State to their non-conference slate, according to Craig Epstein of The Knight Report.
Both games are set to be home games for Rutgers, as they will host St. Peter’s on December 13 and Delaware State on December 29. The Knights’ game against the Hornets comes exactly one full calendar year since Rutgers beat them 65-50 to end last year’s non-conference slate.
The last time Rutgers played St. Peter’s was in 2024 when they bested the Peacocks 75-65. Last season, St. Peter’s was one of the best teams in the MAAC, sporting a 17-12 record and finishing second in conference standings. The Peacocks’ only power conference opponent last season was Seton Hall. The Pirates pulled off a 77-50 victory in that game.
Delaware State, on the other hand, did not have a good season last year. They finished the season with a record of 8-23 and last place in the MEAC. They did play another power conference opponent last season, Syracuse, whom they lost to by 40 points.
With the addition of the Peacocks and the Hornets, Rutgers has a well-rounded non-conference Schedule in terms of competition. Rutgers is slated to have games against Bryant, Army, NJIT, Syracuse, and Seton Hall in addition to Delaware State and St. Peter’s. They are also set to compete in the Players Era Tournament, where they will take on Houston, Notre Dame, and another opponent from the eight-team field.
Delaware
State Police Investigating Shooting in Newark – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware
Date Posted: Monday, June 29th, 2026
The Delaware State Police is investigating a shooting that occurred Saturday evening in Newark.
On June 27, 2026, at approximately 6:30 p.m., troopers responded to a local hospital for a report of two individuals who arrived with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. The Criminal Investigations Unit responded and took over the case.
Through investigative efforts, detectives determined the shooting may have occurred on Otts Chapel Road near Elkton Road in Newark. Detectives responded to the location and located multiple spent shell casings.
The Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit continues to investigate this incident. Detectives ask anyone who witnessed the shooting or has information relevant to the case to contact Detective J. Lucyk at (302) 365-8446. Information may also be provided by sending a private Facebook message to the Delaware State Police or contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.
If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of a crime or has lost a loved one to a sudden death and needs assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit / Delaware Victim Center is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll-free hotline at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461). You may also email the Victim Services Unit at DSP_VictimServicesMail@delaware.gov.
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Delaware
6 things to know about Delaware actor Ryan Phillippe
Which famous people have visited Hotel du Pont in Delaware?
Athletes, world leaders, actors and other famous people have visited the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington over the years.
Fans of the intense first-responder series “9-1-1 Nashville” on ABC will have an extra reason to tune in when Season 2 starts, thanks to the addition of Delaware star actor Ryan Phillippe.
The New Castle native is cast in the role of a detective from New York who’s no stranger to drama. Season 2 is slated to premiere in late September or in early October, according to TV Insider.
Phillippe hasn’t been messing around this year, as he starred in the two-part action thriller “One Mile,” released in two parts: “Chapter One” and “Chapter Two” across streaming platforms including Prime Video and Apple TV.
Here are six facts to know about the 51-year-old Phillippe, including some things that might surprise long-time supporters.
Ryan Phillippe seen with Post Malone in Delaware
There’s a legendary photo of rapper Post Malone and Phillippe standing in front of a beer-pong table in a backstage location at Firefly Music Festival, which Phillippe posted to Instagram on June 24, 2019. Posty headlined the festival June 23. That year was precious because it marked the last pre-pandemic Firefly, an event that’s been dark since late 2022.
“Post-show beer pong – the family and i had such a great time at #firefly,” Phillippe posted on IG. “i highly recommend the festival & am proud of my home state for how killer it is.”
How did Ryan Phillippe get famous?
While Phillippe first got attention for his role as Billy on the daytime soap “One Life to Live” (1992-1993), his breakout role would come a few years later when he starred as Barry Cox in the horror film “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997). The film followed a group of friends (including Cox) who were haunted by a hook-wielding villain seeking revenge.
The cast featured Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. The fame from that film put Phillippe on the map and it led to major films and TV shows like “Cruel Intentions” (1999) and “Crash” (2004) and the USA Network TV series “Shooter” (2016-2018).
Where did Ryan Phillippe go to school in Delaware?
The actor attended high school at New Castle Baptist Academy in New Castle. He also graduated from the modeling and acting school Barbizon in Wilmington.
Ryan Phillippe shows rap skills on ‘Sway in the Morning’
In 2017, Phillippe visited Eminem’s Shade 45 studio, where he was a guest on the “Sway in the Morning” radio show, hosted by Sway Calloway and co-host Heather B.
Phillippe, who is a big rap fan, dropped a freestyle on the radio show, much like actor Shia LeBeouf, who made waves when he rapped on the show.
In the Delaware actor’s freestyle, he name-dropped his movies “Cruel Intentions” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer” with some sexually themed bars, before choosing to switch gears:
I’m tryna keep it clean ‘Cuz I’m a father and a daddy if you know what I mean A poly-mather machine I can still get inspired Like when an actor gets on Sway and starts spittin’ some fire like Shia Shia was nice, man LeBeouf was a beast And there will be do disrespect ‘cuz I don’t want no LeBeef
SNL and WWE hosted Ryan Phillippe
Not everyone can say that they hosted both “SNL” and the WWE’s “Monday Night Raw,” but Phillippe made it happen. He was on a tear and both episodes aired in 2010.
Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe used to be married
The Delaware native is a single dad with three children. His first two kids are Ava and Deacon, a son and daughter he shares with his ex-wife, Reese Witherspoon.
Phillippe and Witherspoon, who both appeared in the 1999 film “Cruel Intentions,” married that same year, and their relationship lasted nearly a decade before they divorced.
Phillippe’s third child is his daughter, Kai, born in 2011. Her mother is Phillipe’s ex-girlfriend and actor Alexis Knapp.
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
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