Delaware
Mother says laundry, pillow protected child during road rage shooting in Delaware
SMYRNA, Delaware (WPVI) — It was a frightening moment for a mother over the weekend when another driver started shooting at her car in Delaware.
It happened Saturday night as she was driving back home from Rehoboth Beach with her 2-year-old in the backseat.
“That was the scariest time of my life. My nerves are still bad until this day. Driving makes me nervous,” said 30-year-old Kendra, who didn’t want to share her last name.
Five bullet holes in her trunk are a grim reminder of the dangerous incident that unfolded just before 10:30 p.m.
She said her 2-year-old daughter was sleeping in the back seat when the incident started.
“I could have lost my life over beeping the horn. My child could have lost her life over me beeping the horn,” said Kendra.
She said she honked when a driver in a white SUV, possibly a GMC Yukon, drifted into her lane while traveling northbound on State Route 1 in Smyrna.
Delaware State Police said the unknown driver responded by aggressively tailgating her, flashing high beams and shouting obscenities from the window.
“He waited for my car to pass by him and started shooting my vehicle while my child was in the back,” said Kendra. “I couldn’t stop crying. I couldn’t stop hyperventilating. I’m driving 90 plus mph checking on my child and making sure she’s okay.”
Kendra said the suspect fired five shots before getting off at exit 119.
Police said remarkably, a small item in the truck protected them.
“This is the bullet that would have struck my child, but luckily I had this — my laundry in the back and this $5 Walmart pillow saved my child’s life,” said Kendra. “I’m keeping this for the rest of my life.”
Kendra said she’ll continue to be mindful of drivers on the road.
Police recommend these tips to deal with aggressive drivers: Do not confront the driver. Instead, go to a safe location. Secure your windows and doors, and report the incident to 911 with detailed information.
“I’m just going to fall back and let you do whatever it is you’re going to do,” said Kendra. “You never know what type of day people are having, and God forbid I don’t want to go through that situation again, and I hope no one else would have to go through that type of situation.”
Police are investigating and reviewing surveillance video, but they urge anyone who witnessed the incident or may know the suspect, to contact them immediately.
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Delaware
Where to find warming centers in Delaware during freezing temps
A video of tips on how to clean your snow boots and keep them in great condition.
A video of tips on how to clean your snow boots and keep them in great condition.
As temperatures fall, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services will open multiple warming stations to provide shelter for anyone in need starting Jan. 28.
These stations will offer Delawareans “a safe, warm space to get relief from the cold,” according to a post from the department on the social media platform Facebook issued Jan. 27.
Temperatures through Jan. 30 are expected to be below freezing, with another chance of snow predicted for this weekend, according to a recent National Weather Service report.
The warming centers will include facilities located in all three counties, including Wilmington, Dover and Georgetown.
Here’s what Delawareans should know.
Delaware warming stations
New Castle County
Canby Park Office, 1920 Maryland Ave., Wilmington
Churchman’s Corporate Center, 84 Christiana Road, New Castle
Claymont State Service Center, 3301 Green St., Claymont
Kent County
James W. Williams State Service Center, 805 River Road, Dover
Smyrna State Service Center, 200 South DuPont Blvd., Suite 101, Smyrna
Sussex County
Anna C. Shipley State Service Center, 350 Virginia Ave., Seaford
Laurel State Service Center, 31039 North Poplar St., Laurel
Thurman Adams State Service Center, 546 S. Bedford St. Georgetown
Delaware warming station hours
Stations will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 28. Stations will remain open throughout the remainder of the week, through Jan. 30.
These centers will provide space to residents in need of “a safe, warm place to go,” according to the Facebook post.
How to stay warm
With winter now in full force, residents are urged to take the necessary steps to stay safe as the weather turns cold.
This includes making sure your homes “can be safely heated” and you always have crucial items on hand in case of an emergency, including non-perishable and pet foods, water and medicine.
Delawareans are also encouraged to have a driving kit in their car this winter.
Items should include blankets or sleeping bags, extra warm clothing, first-aid supplies, drinking water and shelf-stable food items like protein or energy bars and trail mix.
Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@delawareonline.com.
Delaware
Delaware Senate Democrats oppose more ICE funding after Minneapolis shootings
What are journalists missing from the state of Delaware? What would you most like WHYY News to cover? Let us know.
Delaware’s congressional delegation is calling President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown lawless and vowing to oppose more money for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The effort to vote down additional DHS funding this week comes after two U.S. citizens were fatally shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents, respectively, this month in Minneapolis. Renee Nicole Macklin Good, a 37-year old mom, was killed Jan. 7, and Alex Pretti, a Veterans Affairs intensive care nurse, died at the hands of federal officers last week.
U.S. Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware said federal agents are wreaking havoc on all Americans, and that this is a pivotal moment for the country.
“It is incumbent upon all of us to do whatever we can in this moment,” she said. “Delawareans, we’re known as a state of neighbors, and I hope that that sentiment stays with us and spreads across the country, because we need it now more than ever.”
The Trump administration, as well as the president himself, have blamed the victims for their deaths. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called Good a “domestic terrorist.” She said Pretti was “brandishing a weapon,” although bystander video shows Pretti holding a cellphone and trying to help a woman who had been pepper sprayed. Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino said Pretti intended to “massacre law enforcement agents.”
DHS received $75 billion in the massive tax and spending bill Republicans passed this summer, known as the “one big, beautiful bill.” Senators are currently scheduled to vote Thursday on six “minibus” appropriation bills to fund the government. If those fail, a partial government shutdown could begin as soon as midnight Friday. Senate Democrats want the DHS funding bill to get a separate vote from the other bills.
Delaware
Delaware needs to take care of littering
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