Delaware
Towns with the best weather include places in NJ, Del., Pa.
Blogger recalls visit to abandoned honeymoon resort in the Poconos
Erik Arneson remembers “perfect weather” and a peaceful setting the day he and his friend ventured out to Birchwood.
Ashley Catherine Fontones, Pocono Record
You may not think it, given the extended heat wave that gripped much of the country this summer, but the Mid-Atlantic region has some of the best seasons and overall mild weather in the country, according to a recent WalletHub survey.
While they won’t compete with historically mild-weather locations in Arizona and California, New Jersey and New York both have cities that made WalletHub’s list.
Toms River, Trenton, Wilmington make list for mild weather
Average temperatures, best sky conditions and snow precipitation were among the factors WalletHub used to examine 600 cities in its “Cities With the Best and Worst Weather” findings.
Toms River ranked 47th on WalletHub’s list of cities with the mildest temperatures overall.
Trenton ranked 51st, Paterson ranked 56th; Jersey City and Union City tied are tied at 65th place.
Clifton and Passaic were also tied in the rankings in 67th place.
Camden ranked in 95th place, and Elizabeth and Newark were also tied at 97th place.
In Delaware, Bear, Middletown, Newark and Wilmington were tied at 63rd place in WalletHub’s “Mild Weather Overall” ranking.
Upstate New York has mild cities
Schenectady, New York, ranked 47th on WalletHub’s list, followed by New York City, ranked 65th.
Albany ranked 91st, and Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Yonkers, were tied on WallutHub’s list in 96th place.
Rochester ranked 99th, while Buffalo, Canton and Cheektowaga were tied in 99th place,
Syracuse ranked 100th on WalletHub’s list.
Pennsylvania cities make WalletHub’s ‘Mild Weather Overall’ list
Allentown ranked 52nd on WalletHub’s “Mild Weather Overall” list, followed by Reading in 61st place and Philadelphia, which ranked 62nd.
Bethlehem ranked 76th, Scranton ranked 85th, Pittsburgh ranked 87th and Erie was ranked at 91.
Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.
Arnold never ‘attended or earned degree from Ohio University’
After police announced his arrest, WHYY News spoke with three close relatives who said Arnold never lived in Ohio or went to college there, either in person or virtually.
When WHYY News initially asked Lawson last week about Arnold’s possible falsification of his resume, she said the state — not the district — is responsible for verifying academic credentials that allow educators to get salary enhancements.
“The ultimate verifier of doctoral degrees, and master’s degrees … is the Delaware Department of Education,” Lawson said. “We have a letter on file from DDOE that verifies every employee’s graduate credential/licensure in order for that employee to be paid at the doctoral level.”
The state’s searchable public certification website, known as DEEDS (Delaware Educator Data System), shows that Arnold has a master’s degree in psychology and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Ohio University’s main campus in the town of Athens. No doctorate in philosophy is listed.
While waiting for an answer from Ohio University last week about whether Arnold graduated or attended the school, WHYY News asked the Department of Education how officials certified that he had the degrees he had claimed.
A reporter also informed the state that relatives said he never lived in Ohio and the school did not offer advanced psychology degrees online.
Education Secretary Mark Holodick, a former Brandywine superintendent, and other state education officials would not agree to be interviewed about Arnold and his credentials.
But spokesperson Alison May replied in writing that Arnold’s “applications for graduate salary increments were validated by DDOE. Ohio University did offer this doctorate at the time of his attendance.”
May’s email did not explain how the state verified the degrees.
Dan Pittman, Ohio University’s communications director, later confirmed, however, that Arnold never “attended, or earned a degree from, Ohio University at any time.”
WHYY News shared that disclosure by the university with May, who several hours later sent a written statement acknowledging that the salary boost based on Arnold having a doctorate “was approved in error.”
May added that the state was trying to determine how that occurred.
“The department will be investigating how this approval was made and how to improve practices and our systems checks to prevent this kind of error from happening again,” May wrote. “We are alerting law enforcement, who will manage any investigation into potential false documentation.”
May also shared the state’s regulation for approving advanced degrees, and offered a partial explanation of how Arnold was able to exploit the state’s certification system.
The rule specifies that transcripts can be submitted by the university directly to the district, but that the state “in its discretion may also accept verification of an official transcript by other means if the authenticity of the transcript can be made.”
In Arnold’s case, May wrote that he applied for the higher salary when he was hired in October 2021, and “the transcripts used for this graduate salary increment (GSI) approval were submitted by the applicant directly.”
The state issued the approval letter in July 2022, and made his salary boost retroactive to his hiring date nine months earlier.
“The Department of Education recognizes your education level as a Doctorate Degree,” said the approval letter to Arnold and shared with Brandywine. WHYY News obtained the letter under the state’s Freedom of Information Act.
Asked for further explanation of how the fake transcripts were approved, May wrote that the state “can answer questions related to its findings once complete.”
Montagne said that in the past, when similar issues arose with an educator’s credentials, there usually weren’t “any repercussions. People are shocked and then nothing happens.”
But in Arnold’s case, where someone who faked advanced degrees has been charged with repeatedly raping a child, those responsible for the “ludicrous” error need to be disciplined and possibly fired, she said.
“Delaware’s a small state, so this wasn’t lost in bureaucracy,” Montagne said. “This is probably one or two people that aren’t doing their job. I don’t understand the reluctance that we have to just move on from people that are incompetent.”
Lawon said the debacle with Arnold’s degrees makes it painfully obvious that it’s time for the state, as well as all 19 Delaware school districts and charter schools, to double down on verifying that job candidates aren’t faking their credentials.
“This circumstance causes us all to look at our processes and procedures,” Lawson said. “After seeing what Ohio University wrote, what can we all do to make sure that this doesn’t happen again?”
Amid summer fun, COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the Delaware Valley region, according to the CDC.
“My mother is elderly and her nursing aids have had to cancel,” said Rachelle Omenson from Runnemede, New Jersey.
In addition to taking precautions for her mother, Omenson is also a teacher.
She knows it won’t be long before back-to-school season brings even more germs.
“There’s a lot that we don’t encounter over the summer and then all of a sudden just all the germs come flooding back immediately,” said Omenson.
So why are we seeing this summer surge of COVID-19?
Doctors are seeing it at Virtua Health in South Jersey.
“Since the Fourth of July, we have seen an increase in local cases here in South Jersey and in the greater Philadelphia area. Fortunately, in most of these cases, patients have very mild symptoms,” said pulmonologist Dr. Jonathan Galli, director of advanced lung disease.
According to the CDC, using COVID-19 wastewater data, New Jersey had a moderate level of COVID activity in its wastewater last week. Viral levels were up 36% from the week before.
Galli says there are several reasons why we’re seeing more cases now.
“Probably their immunity if they got sick with it over the winter is going away and then the cycle repeats in the summer when people have family vacations,” said Galli.
Updated COVID-19 vaccines will likely be available in August or September and are being produced by Pfizer, Novavax, and Moderna.
Action News found one mom who says as school starts up again, they plan to get updated shots.
“Without the boosters, the symptoms would be much worse. And we’re concerned about our kid’s health at all times,” said Erika Reeves from Washington Township.
She says she lost her grandmother to COVID-19 during the pandemic.
Dr. Galli says he is still seeing patients with lingering effects of COVID-19, with symptoms similar to asthma. Most of those cases resolve in a matter of weeks or months.
He says if you’re wondering if you should get an updated booster or dealing with any lingering COVID symptoms, you should talk to your doctor.
Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Delaware
Delaware Tourism Office to Reopen the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund – State of Delaware News
Applications Accepted Beginning Aug. 1
DOVER, Del. – On Aug. 1, the Delaware Tourism Office will reopen the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund for applications. Established through the FY24 Bond and Capital Improvements Act, the fund provides financial support to new or existing sports facilities that hold events throughout the year to attract out-of-state visitors and contribute to the state and local economy.
“As a significant economic driver, sports tourism generates millions of dollars and brings thousands of visitors to our state each year,” said Governor John Carney. “This fund provides the opportunity to support new and existing sports facilities to ensure that Delaware remains competitive in the sports tourism field for years to come.”
Delaware has been selected to host a variety of national sporting events, including the USA Lacrosse Youth Nationals, the MEAC Volleyball Championship, the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships and the state’s first PGA Tour event, the 2022 BMW Championship. The state has also hosted smaller-scale sporting events in lacrosse, football, soccer, softball, baseball and other sports.
“Sports tourism is a $128 billion global industry that is continuously growing, and Delaware faces stiff competition from neighboring states to attract and retain sporting events,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “We welcome the opportunity to reopen this investment fund and provide financial support to our state’s world-class sports facilities so that sporting event operators keep Delaware top of mind when looking for locations for their tournaments and other competitions.”
During the fund’s initial application period from March 1 through April 12, 2024, the Delaware Tourism Office received 18 applications requesting more than $54 million. Available funds totaled $11.3 million and were distributed to four awardees, including Wilmington Sports LLC, DE Turf, Midway Motion & Fitness and STATS Tournaments. The FY25 Bond and Capital Improvements Act provided an additional $10 million for a second round of funding.
“The first round of applications for the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund was incredibly competitive and showcased the variety of facilities hosting a range of sporting events throughout the year,” said Delaware Tourism Office Director Jessica Welch. “We are thrilled to be able to reopen the program for new applications and continue supporting these facilities who contribute significantly to our state’s economic growth and help promote Delaware as a prime destination for out-of-state visitors.”
The Delaware Tourism Office will hold an informational webinar for prospective applicants to learn more about the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund on Thursday, July 25, at 2 p.m. Pre-registration is required.
Applications for the investment fund will be accepted by the Delaware Tourism Office until Sept. 13 at 4 p.m. All applicants must submit a completed original application, along with 10 printed copies and an electronic copy included on a thumb drive, to the Delaware Tourism Office located at 99 Kings Highway in Dover, Del. More information on eligibility, funding requirements and complete program regulations can be found on the Delaware Tourism Office website.
The Delaware Tourism Office, a division of the Delaware Division of Small Business, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware. For more information, visit the official Delaware Tourism website at www.visitdelaware.com or call toll-free at 866-284-7483.
###
Media Contact:
Allyson Ennis
Allyson.Ennis@Delaware.gov
Related Topics: Delaware Tourism Office, Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund
Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.
Here you can subscribe to future news updates.
Applications Accepted Beginning Aug. 1
DOVER, Del. – On Aug. 1, the Delaware Tourism Office will reopen the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund for applications. Established through the FY24 Bond and Capital Improvements Act, the fund provides financial support to new or existing sports facilities that hold events throughout the year to attract out-of-state visitors and contribute to the state and local economy.
“As a significant economic driver, sports tourism generates millions of dollars and brings thousands of visitors to our state each year,” said Governor John Carney. “This fund provides the opportunity to support new and existing sports facilities to ensure that Delaware remains competitive in the sports tourism field for years to come.”
Delaware has been selected to host a variety of national sporting events, including the USA Lacrosse Youth Nationals, the MEAC Volleyball Championship, the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships and the state’s first PGA Tour event, the 2022 BMW Championship. The state has also hosted smaller-scale sporting events in lacrosse, football, soccer, softball, baseball and other sports.
“Sports tourism is a $128 billion global industry that is continuously growing, and Delaware faces stiff competition from neighboring states to attract and retain sporting events,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “We welcome the opportunity to reopen this investment fund and provide financial support to our state’s world-class sports facilities so that sporting event operators keep Delaware top of mind when looking for locations for their tournaments and other competitions.”
During the fund’s initial application period from March 1 through April 12, 2024, the Delaware Tourism Office received 18 applications requesting more than $54 million. Available funds totaled $11.3 million and were distributed to four awardees, including Wilmington Sports LLC, DE Turf, Midway Motion & Fitness and STATS Tournaments. The FY25 Bond and Capital Improvements Act provided an additional $10 million for a second round of funding.
“The first round of applications for the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund was incredibly competitive and showcased the variety of facilities hosting a range of sporting events throughout the year,” said Delaware Tourism Office Director Jessica Welch. “We are thrilled to be able to reopen the program for new applications and continue supporting these facilities who contribute significantly to our state’s economic growth and help promote Delaware as a prime destination for out-of-state visitors.”
The Delaware Tourism Office will hold an informational webinar for prospective applicants to learn more about the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund on Thursday, July 25, at 2 p.m. Pre-registration is required.
Applications for the investment fund will be accepted by the Delaware Tourism Office until Sept. 13 at 4 p.m. All applicants must submit a completed original application, along with 10 printed copies and an electronic copy included on a thumb drive, to the Delaware Tourism Office located at 99 Kings Highway in Dover, Del. More information on eligibility, funding requirements and complete program regulations can be found on the Delaware Tourism Office website.
The Delaware Tourism Office, a division of the Delaware Division of Small Business, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware. For more information, visit the official Delaware Tourism website at www.visitdelaware.com or call toll-free at 866-284-7483.
###
Media Contact:
Allyson Ennis
Allyson.Ennis@Delaware.gov
Related Topics: Delaware Tourism Office, Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund
Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.
Here you can subscribe to future news updates.
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