Delaware

Sussex gets grant to fund Route 9 trail crossing feasibility study

Published

1 month ago

December 9, 2025

Sussex gets grant to fund Route 9 trail crossing feasibility study

The Delaware Bicycle Council approved a $35,000 grant Dec. 3, to Sussex County to help fund a feasibility study for a Route 9 tunnel crossing near Cool Spring Road to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

Council members present at the meeting voted 12-0 to give 2025 Cycling Infrastructure Innovation grants of $35,000 to Sussex County and $15,000 to Newark.

Sussex County would use its allocation toward a study of a potential tunnel for the Lewes to Georgetown Trail, County Administrator Todd Lawson said Dec. 4.

“This is just for us to study whether the feasibility of putting a tunnel in that location works,” Lawson said. “We view this as a kick-start of an idea we are looking into.”

Sussex County Council will have to approve the balance of the study’s estimated $45,000 cost, he said.

The trail connects to Lewes, and the state is in the process of extending it the rest of the way to Georgetown.

“The biking community and users of the Georgetown to Lewes Trail have contacted Sussex County for an improved crossing at this location,” said John Fiori, the Delaware Department of Transportation bicycle coordinator who assists the council.

Currently, the only crossing of Route 9 for the trail is at the signalized intersection of Route 9/Fisher Road/Hudson Road, which was constructed by DelDOT, Fiori said.

But safety of the crossing is a growing concern as traffic on Route 9 has been increasing, with housing and commercial developments in the area and more planned.

A developer has proposed building 1,922 houses and 450,975 square feet of commercial space between Hudson and Cool Spring roads. Safety of the Route 9 crossing west of Lewes was discussed briefly at a Nov. 2 public hearing on that development project, which is located near the Route 9 trail crossing.

A Route 9 crossing project was championed for a couple of years by Walter Bryan, a bicycle council member who died in April.

Several alternatives for a crossing have been discussed over the years, including a bridge spanning Route 9.

The idea of a bridge was dropped for several reasons, including the angle of the crossing would require a very long span and there are high-voltage power lines running along the highway.

If the feasibility study supports the project, the county would have to convince the state and federal governments to fund and build a tunnel, Lawson said.

Sussex County Land Trust would also be involved in the project, he said. The group owns the Stephen P. Hudson Park near the potential Route 9 crossing site. It includes a trailhead parking lot.

The bicycle council’s five-member working group met with eight applicants as it worked to determine how to divide the $50,000 that is available, Fiori said.

Applications were ranked based on five categories: proximity to other bicycle routes or public facilities such as a community center, post office, library, school or park; creating a link between compatible facilities; eliminating hazards; inclusion in a master plan; and ability to complete the project.

Lawson said the Lewes-to-Georgetown Trail is exceeding all expectations, making an improved crossing an important project. The anticipated completion of the trail will bring many more users, but also increased need for a safe crossing, he said.

“People are going to be very attracted to that,” Lawson said. “It will exceed all expectations.”

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Delaware

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

Published

8 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.

America 250Delaware County

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Delaware

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

Published

21 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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