Delaware
Meyer defeats Hall-Long, O’Mara in Delaware’s Democratic primary for governor
Some voters interviewed at polling places Tuesday mentioned Hall-Long’s troubles but others did not.
Prina Read, of New Castle, said Meyer was her choice.
“Obviously, Delaware as a whole is a much bigger platform and much more territory to cover than New Castle County,’’ Read said. “I think he’s proven his ability to be a good governor.”
Ramada Chapman, of Wilmington, also voted for Meyer.
“It got a little dicey even up to like the last 24 hours but I do think it’s Matt’s time,” Chapman said. “I think he’s done the work to work up to it. And I think it’s time for some fresh leadership with integrity.”
Khaleb Freeman, of Wilmington, said he voted for Hall-Long.
“I kind of fell in love with her personality and who she represented,’’ Freeman said. “I feel like she represents a newer generation in her own way and bringing forth new ideas.”
Kimberly Livington, of the Millcreek area, said she would have voted for Hall-Long but for “the recent scandals” and instead chose O’Mara.
Hall-Long faced revolt in her own campaign after launch
Hall-Long, by virtue of winning two statewide races for lieutenant governor, was widely viewed by political observers as the frontrunner when she announced her candidacy last September, and Carney immediately endorsed her.
At the time, Meyer was her only opponent, having declared his candidacy three months earlier. While Meyer had won two New Castle County races, the Wilmington native and resident was a relatively unknown candidate in Kent and Sussex counties, where about 130,000 of the state’s 351,000 registered Democrats live. Hall-Long, by contrast, hails from Sussex County.
But the race to replace Carney took a dramatic turn within days of Hall-Long’s launch when she abruptly suspended fundraising. That occurred within days of her campaign launch, and forced the cancellation of a handful of events, including one Carney was supposed to host.
Hall-Long’s campaign initially told some supporters she was dealing with a “personal, private matter.’’ But she soon announced that a review of her campaign finances she launched had found “there may have been reporting issues that require attention.” The lieutenant governor promised that forensic accountants would “thoroughly audit’’ her campaign receipts and spending.
What Hall-Long didn’t announce, however, was that her campaign and fundraising managers, plus other staffers and volunteers, had bolted from her team after discovering that more than $207,000 had been paid to her husband and campaign treasurer, Dana Long. The revolt, based on insider accounts, was revealed in a November WHYY News investigation.
The WHYY News story came days after the lieutenant governor said an audit had found she had been sloppy in recording $308,000 in loans that she — not her husband — had made to her campaigns since 2016, and $207,000 in repayments. Dana Long, who was not named as the recipient of the $207,000, was replaced as treasurer and Hall-Long said she would not seek to recoup the $101,000 loan balance.
Yet Hall-Long resisted calls by Meyer, Common Cause of Delaware, and others to release the so-called audit, insisting the issues were behind her and the campaign was back in stride.
Instead, the University of Delaware professor stressed to voters that she was well-equipped and prepared to be the first nurse to become a U.S. governor, and the second woman to hold the post in Delaware.
Carney, who had decided to run for mayor of Wilmington and won Tuesday’s Democratic primary, never held a fundraiser for his handpicked successor. Carney did, however, continue supporting her bid to succeed him, and even recorded a video promoting her candidacy.
Delaware
A Delaware Water Gap park visit may cost more in ‘25: How you can weigh in
A fee increase and expansion are proposed for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and federal park officials want to hear what people think about it.
The National Park Service on Monday opened a 30-day public comment period to solicit public input on several proposed changes to the park’s fee system.
The proposal includes an increase in fee amounts, a two-week extension of the fee season, changes to the annual pass purchases, and the addition of two new fee sites. If approved, the changes would go into effect in April 2025.
The last fee increase was implemented in 2015, and the park service says revenues aren’t stretching as far as they once did. For starters, visitation to the park has increased 26% since 2019, the park service says. And due to inflation and rising costs, the $10 amenity fee currently charged at the park now purchases nearly 33% less than it did in 2015 when the fee was increased from $7 — it now takes over $13 to buy the same goods and services.
“Over the past several years, the park’s budget has remained relatively flat while costs and visitation have both increased, facilities and equipment have aged, and the need for routine maintenance has grown,” Superintendent Doyle Sapp said in a news release on the proposal.
“It is essential that we seek additional revenue sources to help us fill the funding gap so that we can continue to offer outstanding recreational opportunities and visitor experiences while protecting the park’s natural and cultural resources in perpetuity,” he continued.
The park service is authorized to collect and retain revenue under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, provided the money is used to enhance visitor experiences. More information on the act can be found at nps.gov.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area does not charge entrance fees to visit the park. Amenity fees are charged for specific areas used for swimming, picnicking and launching boats.
Over the past three years, revenue from Delaware Water Gap’s amenity fees has been used for restroom repairs and upgrades throughout the park, river campsite improvements, multiple trail projects including rehabilitation, stabilization and resurfacing of the McDade Recreational Trail, and work at George W. Childs Park. Revenue also has been used to pay for seasonal maintenance, fee collection and public safety staff.
“What you pay here, stays here, in this park, where it is used for repair, maintenance, and facility enhancements directly related to visitor enjoyment, access, health, and safety and for seasonal staff that serve park visitors and improve their experiences,” Elizabeth Winslow, the park’s fee program manager, states in the release.
The National Park Service is seeking public comment on the proposed changes that include:
- Increasing amenity fees from $10 per vehicle per day to $20 per vehicle per day at the sites that charge amenity fees and extending the fee season by approximately two weeks to Nov. 1.
- Increasing the cost of an annual pass from $45 to $60 and discontinuing discounts for multiple passes issued to the same household.
- Charging amenity fees at two new sites, Kittatinny Point in New Jersey, and Hialeah Picnic Area in Pennsylvania. Day passes for these sites would be available through recreation.gov, the NPS online reservation system, or in person by using a drop box and fee envelope like those used at other unstaffed fee sites in the park.
If approved, increased revenue from the proposed fee changes would allow the park to hire additional seasonal employees, including custodians, trail workers, interpretive park rangers and visitor center staff, and public safety staff to help meet the public’s needs and ensure outstanding visitor experiences, according to the release.
Additionally, over the next five years the park plans to invest around $800,000 of fee revenue on hiking trail improvements and vegetation management, including on popular trails such as the Toms Creek Trail, Cliff Park Trails, and Hornbecks Creek Trail in Pennsylvania, and the Van Campens Glen Trail, Military Road Trail, and Rattlesnake Swamp Trail in New Jersey. Improvements to the facilities at Milford Beach also are planned.
To comment on the proposal, go to parkplanning.nps.gov/DEWAFees25 and click on “Comment Now” or mail your written comment to Superintendent Doyle Sapp, Attention: Fee Change Proposal, 1978 River Road, Bushkill, PA 18324. The 30-day comment period is open until midnight on Jan. 14, 2025.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is a nearly 70,000-acre unit of the national park system, located in Pike, Monroe and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Sussex counties in New Jersey.
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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
Delaware
Man injured after car slams into truck in Bear, Delaware
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Delaware
It’s not much, but Delaware has first measurable snowfall. Dangerously cold air moves in
How to safely shovel snow
The Mayo Clinic has some tips for safely shoveling snow.
Saturday is the winter solstice, and parts of Delaware have already had a small, but still measurable, amount of snowfall.
For the first time since Feb. 17, 2024, measurable snowfall was reported in Delaware to the National Weather Service. Community reports of 0.1 inches of snow outside of Newark and in Smyrna are on the board after a storm brought rain and snow to the First State. That is the smallest amount of snowfall that can be recorded.
Wilmington last received measurable snowfall on that February date, but received only a trace Friday night. Parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey saw more than 5 inches from the same system.
Winter starts with cold snap
The storm ushered in dangerously cold air that will grip the Northeast for the weekend.
The temperatures are not so extreme that advisories will be issued, but it is not a good idea to stay outside for very long, said National Weather Service meteorologist Amanda Lee in Mount Holly, New Jersey.
On the night of Dec. 21, temperatures will dip, according to the weather service:
- 17 degrees in Wilmington
- 16 degrees in Dover
- 17 degrees in Georgetown
The overnight of Dec. 22 will be chillier, with temperatures dipping past the teens and wind chills in the single digits. It could plunge to:
- 10 degrees in Wilmington
- 10 degrees in Dover
- 9 degrees in Georgetown
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