Delaware

Proposed biliteracy school in southern Delaware awaits approval

Published

12 months ago

January 11, 2025

Proposed biliteracy school in southern Delaware awaits approval

The dual-language immersion model aims to change that dynamic by helping children maintain their cultural roots while excelling academically.

The school will be housed in Georgetown’s historic ice house on Depot Street, which has seen decades of use and disuse. Once a cornerstone of the town’s industrial and commercial identity, the brick structure has been a warehouse, a home to businesses, and even considered for apartment conversions before falling into neglect.

“Right now, the building’s not looking like much, but we have some great plans,” López Waite said. “We’re working with a great architect to really transform that building into a beautiful school.”

Renovations will begin as soon as the project receives final approval from the State Board of Education. The process will take about 18 months. The first phase will focus on the ground floor to accommodate the initial cohort of students in September 2026.

“We’re going to renovate the first floor first, and so that’s enough space for us to house kindergarten, first and second [grades],” she said. “Then [we] will continue to renovate the other floors and be able to accommodate the growth each year as we add a grade. And so at our full capacity, we’ll have 400 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.”

Through it all, they aim to serve as a bridge that unites the community, fostering connections across cultures, resources and opportunities. By working closely with local nonprofits such as La Esperanza, La Red, La Plaza, the Sussex Health Coalition, and the Georgetown Town Council, they hope to build a foundation of collaboration and shared progress.

Ultimately, the school’s impact is envisioned as going far beyond education.

“We want us to be able to come and basically help our communities come together because we do believe that the majority of our residents have a desire and are hopeful that that can happen,” Waite said. “But there really hasn’t been, I guess, sort of the catalyst, sort of the gel that brings these things together. And they are optimistic that having their children attending a school together could be maybe that catalyst.”

The State Board of Education is expected to rule on the school’s proposal at its meeting on January 16.

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Delaware

Delaware County’s 250th events aim to boost local economy

Published

10 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Delaware County’s 250th events aim to boost local economy

DELAWARE COUNTY – Delaware County is gearing up for a year-long celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary, bringing together community partners for a series of events and programs.

Delaware County’s plans for the semiquincentennial

The Delaware County America 250 Commission hosted a “We the People” party to unveil plans for the upcoming celebrations.

The events aim to educate and connect the local community while drawing visitors from outside Philadelphia to explore the area’s rich history.

What they’re saying:

“Delaware County is not just watching from the sidelines, we are proud to be an essential part of a massive regional and national celebration,” said Christine Reuther, Delaware County Council Vice Chair.

Andrea Silva, director of the Delaware County America 250 Commission, highlighted the diverse themes that will be showcased throughout the year.

Celebrating 250 years of history

The backstory:

Friday’s event celebrated Delaware County’s 250-year history, with different tables reflecting various themes.

Attendees included Colonial Farmstead, Penn’s Woods Winery, and Pathways to Freedom.

The programming will feature over 100 events, including the Battle for Independence: Amazing Race to Brandywine and the Irish America 250 Kick Off on Jan. 14.

The celebrations are expected to leave a lasting legacy, with hopes of boosting the local economy.

“We want to see real economic impact for our local businesses as visitors from around the world come to shop on our main streets and stay in our towns and eat in our restaurants,” said Reuther.

What’s next:

This year’s county event specifics can be found here.

The Source: Information from the Delaware County America 250 Commission.

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Delaware

Wilmington’s first homicide of 2026 claims life of 19-year-old

Published

22 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Wilmington’s first homicide of 2026 claims life of 19-year-old

A 19-year-old man was shot dead in Wilmington’s Southbridge neighborhood in the early hours of Jan. 9, police said.

Wilmington officers arriving to the 200 block of S. Claymont St. about 3:30 a.m. found the teen there.

The teen, whom police have not named, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Anyone with information about this shooting should contact Wilmington Police Detective Derek Haines at (302) 576-3656. People can also provide information to Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333 or delawarecrimestoppers.com.

Violence by the numbers

This is the first homicide reported this year in Delaware, which last year saw a slight drop in all violent killings.

Delaware police reported 52 people being killed in violent crimes in 2025, a drop of nearly 12% when compared with 59 people killed in 2024, according to a Delaware Online/The News Journal database.

While the number of people killed in homicides statewide is down, the number of people killed by gunfire in Delaware was up in 2025 for the third year in a row.

According to the Delaware Online database, 47 were shot dead in Delaware last year. That was one more victim (46) than in 2024, three more (44) than in 2023 and nine more (38) than in 2022.

Despite the increase in gun-related deaths, there were fewer people shot last year in Delaware for the second year in a row.

Police reported 164 people being shot last year in Delaware. The previous year saw 195 people shot and police reported 210 people being shot in 2023.

This was the fewest people shot in Delaware since 2018, when police reported 146 people being shot statewide.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

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Delaware

MERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

MERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach

A dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach on Jan. 8, according to the nonprofit Marine Education Research and Rehabilitation Institute.

The juvenile male was first seen Jan. 6, floating at sea about 2 miles off the Indian River Inlet, a MERR Facebook post said. The bloated 30-foot whale ultimately beached near a private community in the early afternoon of Jan. 8, the post said.

MERR is attempting to coordinate with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to get equipment to move the whale out of the water and onto the beach to perform a necropsy, the post said. Right now, there isn’t enough information to determine a cause of death.

Delaware saw at least three dead whales last year, in the Indian River Bay, at Delaware Seashore State Park and at Pigeon Point. The first two were humpbacks, while the Pigeon Point whale was a fin whale.

A necropsy on the Delaware Seashore whale found blunt force trauma across its back, indicating it may have been struck by a ship, MERR Director Suzanne Thurman said.

Recently, on Jan. 4, a dead fin whale was found on the bow of a ship at the Gloucester Marine Terminal in New Jersey, which is located in the Port of Philadelphia on the Delaware River.

Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Facebook.

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