Delaware

Today in Delaware County history, July 2

Published

1 year ago

July 2, 2024

Today in Delaware County history, July 2

100 Years Ago, 1924: When officers handling fireworks, seized under instructions of Mayor S.E. Turner, were storing them in a cell last night, one of the packages containing several dozen boxes of torpedoes dropped to the floor and exploded. Prisoners were greatly excited as the torpedoes let go, and the corridors of the cell room began to fill with acrid smoke. There were shouts of “let us out” heard from men locked up. For a time it was feared more fireworks would go off and the officers hurriedly moved them from the cell into the corridor. Windows were lowered and the smoke soon cleared.

75 Years Ago, 1949: Bumper-to-bumper traffic lined highways through Chester on Friday night and again this morning as the big 4th of July race to the shore, the mountains, Shangri La … anywhere but home … began for thousands of travelers. Second of the three-day holidays of 1949, this Independence Day will see more cars on the road than at any time in the postwar period, according to traffic engineers of Keystone Automobile Club. Pennsylvania Railroad officials have placed 48 additional trains into service over a five-day period starting Friday to take care of “near-peak” train travel. Louis Kapelski, manager of Chester-Bridgeport Ferry Co., says he has geared his four-ferry service to handle 1,000 cars an hour during the holiday.

50 Years Ago, 1974: Delaware County motorists will find plenty of gasoline for the July 4 holiday period, but users of one brand will be paying four cents a gallon more. “The supply of gasoline is plentiful,” said James Breslin of Media, a director of the Pennsylvania Service Station Dealers Association. While plenty of gas was reported available, Gulf Oil Co. Monday announced a four cents across-the-board price hike.

25 Years Ago, 1999: By tonight, Newtown Township will have a brand new road — and fewer traffic woes, it’s hoped. The Winding Way Bypass, linking Route 252 to West Chester Pike across a 22-acre portion of the SAP America Inc. property, is scheduled to be open to traffic tomorrow morning.

10 Years Ago, 2014: Chichester School Board passed the 2014-15 final budget totaling nearly $68.7 million in expenditures. The budget includes a 1 percent property tax increase, raising the school district’s millage rate to 39.0708 mills. Last month’s preliminary version of the budget had proposed a 2 percent tax increase. The predicted increase is due to rising health care costs, an increase in pension payments owed to the Public School Employees’ Retirement System, and an increase in charter and cybercharter school enrollments.

— COLIN AINSWORTH

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Delaware

Delaware will save more than $300M after federal tax decoupling takes effect

Published

2 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Delaware will save more than 0M after federal tax decoupling takes effect

The fiscal year 2027 forecast remained relatively flat from the October meeting. But some expenses declined, including salaries for teachers. Brian Maxwell, state director of Management and Budget, said teacher salary expenses were down because student enrollment has dropped. He said federal immigration policy could be impacting the state’s Multilingual Learners.

“Obviously, there have been a number of students that may not be showing up to class just because of the enforcement of [Immigration and Customs Enforcement],” he said. “So some of the families may be scared to actually send their kids to school.”

Maxwell said overall enrollment is down, but the number of students needing special education services is up. The next student count is in February.

DEFAC members also discussed the revised Healthcare Spending benchmark. In September, the subcommittee devised a methodology that only used healthcare inflation, resulting in a 7.13% for 2026.

“We all gathered in October and there was a fair amount of concern with that outcome,” said Christen Linke Young, director of Health and Social Services. “So the subcommittee reconvened earlier this month to consider a new approach.”

After adopting the methodology using expected national inflation data and a three-year measure of health care cost growth, the benchmark now sits at 4.9%. But Young said there would be no penalty for hospitals exceeding the guideline.

Gov. Meyer and the state’s largest nongovernmental employer, ChristianaCare Health System, reached an agreement earlier this year in a lawsuit the regional hospital system filed last year. The Diamond State Hospital Cost Review Board was created by lawmakers in June 2024 to try to rein in hospital spending. But the agreement, which requires new legislation and the governor’s signature, would strip the board of its authority to approve and modify hospital budgets.

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Delaware

Snow melting soon as Delaware warms after icy blast

Published

14 hours ago

December 15, 2025

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Snow melting soon as Delaware warms after icy blast

Delaware may have seen its first snowfall of the season, but it won’t stick around for long.

Despite below freezing temperatures Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, it’s possible that by the weekend there won’t be a trace of snow.

Here’s what to know about this week’s weather and snow melt.

When will the snow melt away?

While Delaware will face freezing temperatures Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, the National Weather Service forecast is calling for a warmup starting on Dec. 17. Here’s the forecast:

New Castle County

Cold weather will continue this evening and into Dec. 16 with lows dropping into the teens. The county will hit 32 degrees on Dec. 16 before dropping to 22 that night. Temperatures start climbing into the low 40s with partly sunny skies on Dec. 17. Highs will hit 51 degrees on Dec. 18. If most of the snow hasn’t melted by that point, it should be gone after rain goes through the area during the overnight between Dec. 17 and Dec. 18. Highs will remain above freezing, hitting 44 on Dec. 18.

Kent County

Lows will drop into the teens overnight before climbing above freezing on Dec. 16. On Dec. 17, Kent County will see partly sunny skies with highs in the upper 40s. It will be mostly cloudy on Dec. 18 with highs hitting 55. There’s a 90% chance of rain during the overnight hours into Dec. 19. The 19th is looking mostly cloudy with highs reaching 47.

Sussex County

After lows hit 19 during the overnight tonight, the high for Dec. 16 will be 38 degrees with sunny skies. Any snow in the southern part of the state will vanish Dec. 17 and Dec 18. Both days will feature sunny skies with highs reaching the low 50s on Dec. 17 and almost hitting 60 on Dec. 18.

What is black ice?

Despite the warm up, overnight temperatures are expected to be below freezing. If you are driving at night, you’ll need to watch out for black ice.

According to The Weather Channel, black ice is a thin layer of ice that forms on roads and is difficult to see. It’s generally found on bridges, overpasses and spots on the road shaded by trees or other objects.

If roadways are wet from rain, snow or fog and temperatures drop below 32 degrees, black ice can form on roadways.

If you hit black ice, you should do the following:

Keep your steering wheel straight.
Do not brake
Take your foot off the accelerator to reduce speed

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Delaware

Delayed openings in Delaware: What schools are starting late?

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Delayed openings in Delaware: What schools are starting late?

Potentially icy road conditions have led every public school in Delaware to announce delayed openings for Dec. 15.

Every public school is operating on some sort of delay, most of which are two hours. The Delaware Department of Transportation already sent out a warning about treacherous driving conditions. Whatever has not dried from the Dec. 14 snowstorm will freeze over as temperatures plunge into the 20s and winds kick up over night.

The following school districts have announced delays.