Delaware
Thousands of chicks found abandoned in USPS truck in Delaware have been adopted by families, farms
Thousands of chicks found abandoned inside a postal service truck for three days have gone to new homes, according to the Delaware shelter that had cared for them, with the last batch picked up on Thursday morning.
All the surviving birds, estimated as more than 5,000 chickens — it was too hard to get a specific count — plus some others like turkeys and quails, were primarily adopted by local families, rescues and farms, according to First State Animal Center and SPCA.
The chicks were part of a 12,000-bird shipment left unattended in a truck at a Delaware mail distribution center. Trapped in high temperatures without food or hydration, thousands died, according to the state Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Postal Service has said it is investigating the “process breakdown” that occurred.
For more than two weeks, the surviving birds had been cared for at an overwhelmed First State Animal Center and SPCA, said John Parana, executive director. As a no-kill operation, the shelter would not take adopters planning to use the birds for meat, Parana said. Some of the adopters took hundreds at a time, hoping for egg-laying hens, while others took them as pets.
Stephanie Bruzdzinski adopted a handful of chicks after her daughter learned about their situation.
“She was very upset and wanted to help out,” said Bruzdzinski, who was similarly shocked when she heard the news. “She doesn’t like when things aren’t getting taken care of.”
The birds originated from Pennsylvania-based Freedom Ranger Hatchery’s weekly bird shipment to clients around the country, and due to biosecurity concerns, the hatchery cannot take the chicks back, a company spokesperson said.
A man riding motorcycle was killed in a crash in Wilmington on Saturday afternoon, Delaware State Police said.
The crash occurred at around 1 p.m. at the intersection of Limestone Road and Ocheltree Lane, police said. An investigation has found that the motorcyclist was traveling northbound on Limestone Road when he was struck by a Honda Accord that was trying to make a left turn onto Ocheltree Lane from the southbound side of Limestone Road.
The man on the motorcycle tried to avoid the crash by laying the motorcycle down on the road, but the motorcycle slid into the Honda, causing the man to be ejected from the motorcycle, police said.
The motorcyclist, who has been identified as a 38-year-old from Wilmington, was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The man’s name is being withheld at this time so next of kin can be notified, police said.
According to police, the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet and had a green light at the time of the crash. The Honda Accord, which was driven by a 77-year-old woman from Edgewood, Maryland, had a red blinking arrow light.
The woman was uninjured in the crash and police said they are still investigating the exact cause. No charges have been announced.
A fire tore through a church in Wilmington, Delaware, leaving most of the historic structure in ruins.
Battalion Chief of the Wilmington Fire Department, Robert Pryor, told NBC10 that the fire broke out around 3 a.m. on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at the Mother African Union Church along North Franklin Street.
Pryor said the fire spread throughout the entire church, shooting flames 20 to 30 feet into the air.
It took crews over an hour to get the fire under control.
Wilmington Fire Department
Wilmington Fire Department
Wilmington Fire Department
Wilmington Fire Department
While firefighters battled the flames, they also evacuated the surrounding homes due to falling embers, according to Pryor. Those residents have since returned to their homes.
Residents in the area told NBC10 that they smelled the fire before they saw it.
“I looked up the street and the flames were higher than that steeple,” said neighbor Kathleen Brawders.
Wilmington Fire Department Wilmington Fire Department 
The building is now structurally unstable, and no one is allowed inside, Pryor shared.
The cause of the fire is now under investigation.
NEW CASTLE COUNTY, Del. – A Wilmington man was arrested and charged in connection with three armed robberies in New Castle County earlier this month, police announced.
What we know:
Michael Reynolds was charged on Friday with eight felonies, including three counts each of robbery and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, according to the Delaware State Police.
The first robbery happened on May 3, at a Shore Stop on South Old Baltimore Pike in Newark. According to police, Reynolds walked into the store around 8:15 p.m., armed with a knife and wearing a mask. He demanded money from the clerk, police said, then walked off.
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The next robbery happened less than 24 hours later. Around 7:30 p.m. Reynolds is accused of doing the same thing at a Shell gas station on New Castle Avenue in New Castle. Police say he walked in with a knife and demanded money from the cash register.
After this robbery, officers were able to identify the suspect’s car, a white Ford Taurus, and appeared to find it in Wilmington. Officers tried to chase the car, but the driver got away. Police found the car abandoned.
Reynolds was arrested shortly after that. Once in custody, police said they connected Reynolds to “additional incidents” New Castle County that are currently under investigation.
What we don’t know:
Police did not say what those other incidents were.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Delaware State Police Department.
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