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The road ahead: How journalism takes me on a journey

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The road ahead: How journalism takes me on a journey


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I consider myself an adventurer at heart.

Over the last 17 years, my family and I have gone on many adventures up and down the First State. From hiking and cycling around Lums Pond State Park to taking a weeklong getaway to Fenwick Island, we made it a goal to try and explore as much as Delaware as we could, taking in all our new home had to offer.

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That’s part of what drew me to being a journalist in the first place: the chance to go somewhere new, meet new people and learn what truly drives them to do what they do.

Whether it was a Lewes restaurant hosting drive-thru movie nights, a Middletown student collecting donated prom dresses or small-business owners pushing for lawmakers to raise the minimum wage, covering Delaware not only allows me to tell the stories that need to be told but also to learn more about a state I have called home for the last several years.

When I first joined The News Journal last summer, there was no shortage of breaking political news: The previous legislative session just ended. Then-Gov. John Carney declared his candidacy for Wilmington mayor, leading to the gubernatorial race. Then-U.S. Sen. Tom Carper announced his retirement, leading then-U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester to run for his soon-to-be-open seat. Several political newcomers vied for vacant positions at Legislative Hall.

Needless to say, there was a lot to explore.

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For the last several months, my reporting has taken me to new places across the First State, introducing me to fresh and reacquainting me with familiar faces, and experiencing some traditions and big events: attending the Delaware State Fair in Harrington. Talking with now-U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride in Wilmington. Attending Return Day in Georgetown. Speaking with now-Gov. Matt Meyer while walking through downtown Dover – the list goes on.

With the legislative session underway, a slew of bills have been (re)introduced and potentially could lead to change in the First State – including, but not limited to, enshrining reproductive freedom in the state constitution and reintroducing the end-of-life options act.

Don’t get me wrong: It’s not always an easy road. Aside from the constant fear of getting stuck in traffic – which, knock on wood, has happened only once – there’s also one question that continues to linger in the back of my brain: What if?  

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Ordinarily, this question wouldn’t bother me. Heading out into the unknown was an adrenaline rush – I thrived on it.

But now, with the current political climate, an air of uncertainty hangs in the air. Thoughts of what might happen, how it might trickle down and who may be caught in the crossfire.

While that question hangs in the balance, and may keep me up at night, I’ve come to learn this is what we as journalists do: We continue to do what we do best. We put ourselves out there, absorb as much as possible and tell the stories that must be written.

This is all part of the process: We have a general idea of where we’re going, but we have no idea what we might encounter – or learn – when we get there.

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Because journalism in itself is an adventure – and I cannot wait to see where it takes me next.

One final note: I am the author of The Press Room, a weekly roundup to what’s new, what’s happening and what’s changing in First State politics. As always, if you’re interested in sharing story tips, ideas or observations, please send them my way at omontes@delawareonline.com.

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.



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Delaware

Delaware state police trooper killed in active shooter incident at DMV facility; suspect also dead

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Delaware state police trooper killed in active shooter incident at DMV facility; suspect also dead


This story originally appeared on 6abc.

Delaware state police say a trooper was killed in what officials said was an active shooter situation at a DMV facility in New Castle on Tuesday afternoon.

The suspect in this incident is also dead, Gov. Matt Meyer said.

State police said they are “are continuing to assess additional injuries.” There is no official word yet on the exact number of people injured.

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Police say the active shooter incident is now over.

The incident happened around 2 p.m. at the facility on Hessler Boulevard.

No further details have been made available.

Police are asking residents to avoid the area.

Stay with Action News and 6abc.com as this story develops.

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2 hurt after car crashes into building in Talleyville, Delaware

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2 hurt after car crashes into building in Talleyville, Delaware


Two people were hurt after a car crashed into a building in Talleyville, Delaware, Monday morning.

The incident occurred shortly before 11 a.m. along the 100 block of Brandywine Boulevard. Police said a woman was driving a light-colored vehicle when she somehow lost control and crashed through the first floor of a realty company.

A fire station is located across the street from where the crash occurred. Firefighters responded in less than a minute and the driver as well as another person were both taken to the hospital. Investigators told NBC10 both victims suffered minor injuries and are expected to be OK.

Crews removed the vehicle and boarded up the damaged building. They continue to investigate the cause of the crash.

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Delaware-based dark money group ‘Alabama Patients First’ unleashes TV, digital attack on Blue Cross Blue Shield 

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Delaware-based dark money group ‘Alabama Patients First’ unleashes TV, digital attack on Blue Cross Blue Shield 


A brand-new, out-of-state dark-money group launched an attack on Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama over the past week, and has already invested over $320,000 in negative television advertising alone. 

During some of this weekend’s largest SEC football matchups, including Alabama vs. Oklahoma, the group ran a shock-style message that is now being pushed to Alabama voters more aggressively than any political campaign could afford to spend on television at this point in the 2026 election cycle. 

According to business filings, “Alabama Patients First LLC” was formed in Delaware on December 11. The state is known for its Teflon business privacy laws. LLCs are not required to publicly list their ownership or members, making it an ideal vehicle for dark money to reach its target. 

Since its formation, the group has been busy in Alabama.

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Using a “Paid for by Alabama Patients First” disclaimer, the group aired television advertisements, launched a website, and directed SMS marketing campaigns directly to voters, igniting a costly media attack against the state’s leading insurer. 

“They make a killing off telling you ‘No.’ Blue Cross Blue Shield: ‘No.’ That’s Blue Cross “B*******,” the ad says.

A station-by-station breakdown of the Alabama Patients First TV buy across multiple Montgomery-area outlets, including WSFA, WAKA, WCOV-TV, WNCF, and others, totals $226,071. 

The group also spent $102,000 across Birmingham, Huntsville, and Dothan media markets.

The buy spans six weekends, ranging from its first airing on December 14, with a much smaller spend scheduled after January 1, to a wind-down on January 18, 2026. 

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By comparison, in the Montgomery media market, the group spent $211,633 in December and just $14,438 in January.

In total, the out-of-state group has spent at least $328,071 on pushing the TV spot to Alabama residents. 

Alabama Patients First’s TV spend isn’t the whole tab, either. The professional fees required to deploy such an operation likely reach into the millions – and the timing is striking.

The attack on Alabama began the same week that Jackson Hospital and Clinic, Inc. initiated a high-visibility litigation campaign against BCBS of Alabama. 

Jackson Hospital and its lender, Atlanta-based Jackson Investment Group, are on the clock for a December 31, 2025 bankruptcy court deadline to secure $100 million in public funding, which would help satisfy a debtor-in-possession (DIP) agreement the two signed earlier this year. 

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Yellowhammer News requested information from officials at Jackson Investment Group, Jackson Healthcare, and Jackson Hospital to confirm or deny a connection between the hospital’s lending relationship and the creation of Alabama Patients First. 

At the time of publication, those requests went unanswered.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama did respond to the negative ad blitz in a statement on Monday afternoon.

“The ads are an intentional misrepresentation of how we do business,” Sophie Martin, Director of Corporate Communications for BCBS of Alabama, said.

“Based on the timing of the ads, we believe they are nothing more than an improper attempt by Jackson’s investor-lender to improperly influence litigation.”

Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.

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