• Michael Houghton resigned as Delaware’s marijuana appeals commissioner, effective April 24.
• This follows his removal last month from the state’s economic advisory panel by Gov. Matt Meyer.
• Houghton’s ousting from the economic panel occurred after he criticized the governor’s administration over transparency.

In the weeks following his unseating from Delaware’s long-standing economic advisory panel, long-time budget forecaster Michael Houghton announced his decision to resign from his position as the marijuana appeals commissioner from Sussex County, effective April 24.  

This decision comes after Houghton was ousted from the state’s Economic and Financial Advisory Council last month.  

The controversial removal by Gov. Matt Meyer came a day after a news report where Houghton criticized the Democrat’s administration “over transparency surrounding the state’s prominent corporate franchise,” according to previous reporting from Spotlight Delaware.   

A March 25 letter from Meyer to Houghton shared with Delaware Online/The News Journal did not include a reason behind the leader’s decision, only that he would be choosing a new council member to fill Houghton’s seat. 

A closer look: Gov. Meyer names replacement on Delaware’s financial council

Meyer later named CSC Corporate Counsel and Director of Global Government Affairs Brenda Wise as a replacement on April 7.   

When asked if there were any more potential changes in DEFAC’s future or other panels, Meyer said he and his team look at and analyze each one, and then “do what’s best” for each board and commission.

“Some need new faces, and some don’t,” he said during a press conference on April 15.

Houghton told Delaware Online/The News Journal he felt it was “necessary and appropriate” for him to step down as commissioner at this time, considering the past month or so.

“There are significant issues facing the Appeals Commission,” Houghton said in a statement shared April 24. “With a new appointment to the Commission, the Governor will shape its direction and advance his policies.”

Delaware’s largest rooftop solar project is now online with state leaders hoping it marks a turning point for renewable energy across the state.

The massive rooftop installation at Delmarva Corrugated Packaging in Kent County is expected to generate about 30% of the company’s daily power needs, reducing costs and easing demand on the regional power grid.

The project comes as solar energy continues to grow nationwide.

Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows solar generation increasing year over year while costs have dropped significantly over the past few decades.

Combined with improvements in battery storage, wind and solar now generate more than 17% of the country’s electricity.

In Dover, the nonprofit Energize Delaware is helping drive that momentum.

The group also operates solar-powered electric vehicle chargers that offer free and clean energy to drivers.

“It’s actually our largest investment in Kent County and it’s phenomenal work they’re doing,” Drew Slater of Energize Delaware said. “They built the building 30% more efficient than what a standard building would be and now they’ve added solar on top of it. It’s just furthering their own sustainability goals.”

The rooftop array itself spans about 10 acres — space that otherwise would have gone unused.

Advocates say rooftop solar offers an alternative to building arrays on open land, though challenges remain.

Large buildings often need to be constructed or retrofitted to support the weight of solar panels which has limited widespread adoption so far.

Still, as technology improves and costs continue to fall, more businesses and property owners may follow suit.

“I think it’s a great sign of things to come,” Slater said.

While projects like this won’t solve all of Delaware’s energy challenges, supporters say every addition helps — and this one is already making an impact.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.

Delaware has had no shortage of football players who excelled at the high school level, sparking their teams and earning fans’ admiration.

The best of them went on to collegiate and pro success.

With the United States nearing its 250th anniversary of gaining independence, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time.

At the root of that are the high school athletes who became familiar names in their schools, communities and the state of Delaware while making headlines with their athletic exploits. The USA TODAY Network hopes to first spotlight those individuals.

Here in Delaware, we’re compiling lists of the best players in several sports. We begin with football, which has long garnered the most attention.

These are our choices for Delaware’s 10 greatest football players, listed alphabetically:

Jamie Duncan, Christiana

Duncan was a central figure in Christiana’s rise to power. He was 1992 state Defensive Player of the Year after also being first-team All-State at linebacker as a junior in 1991. He also starred as a tight end and running back. At Vanderbilt, he was a second-team All-American linebacker in 1997 and made 425 career tackles while earning SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Duncan then appeared in 96 NFL games with 56 starts over seven seasons.

Chris Godwin, Middletown

The wide receiver sparked Middletown to the 2011 and 2012 state titles and was a state Player of the Year honoree. He then starred at Penn State, catching 154 passes for 2,421 yards and 18 TDs. He was a third-round 2017 draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Godwin was All-Pro in 2019 and won the Super Bowl after the 2020 season. He’s caught 612 passes for 7,626 yards and 41 touchdowns in nine NFL seasons, all with the Bucs.

Duron Harmon, Caesar Rodney

Harmon was state Defensive Player of the Year while sparking the Riders to the 2008 state championship. He then played in 50 games at Rutgers, starting his last two seasons and intercepting six passes while earning All-Big East at safety. Harmon was then a key part of the New England Patriots’ secondary, spending seven of his 11 seasons there and winning three Super Bowls. He played in 168 NFL games and had 24 interceptions.

Kwame Harris, Newark

Harris was the state’s most heavily recruited high school football player ever while being a three-time first-team All-Stater and Lineman of the Year. He went to Stanford and was a three-year starter and first-team All-Pac 10 choice as a senior. Harris was a first-round draft pick, 26^th overall, by the 49ers and played 86 games with 55 starts in six NFL seasons.