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Wait, what’s a Metallica Scholar? $75,000 awarded to Delaware Tech: Education roundup

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Wait, what’s a Metallica Scholar? ,000 awarded to Delaware Tech: Education roundup


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Smells like teen spirit.

Wait wrong band. From teen support* to hard rock, Delaware outfits are landing new grants to support students.

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TeenSHARP, the nonprofit based in downtown Wilmington, just landed new funding from WSFS Bank’s foundation. Delaware Tech just clinched a spot within the Metallica Scholars Initiative, further fueling support for workforce development. Yes, that Metallica.

In this weekly roundup, we’ll catch you up on these and other education updates you may have missed.

[Did we miss another good education story? Tell me about it: kepowers@gannett.com.]

TeenSHARP lands $300,000 grant to support Delaware students

One bank’s charitable arm just announced grants this summer.

The WSFS CARES Foundation selected two organizations in Delaware, totaling $500,000 in giving this quarter. One such organization is TeenSHARP, a national nonprofit based in Wilmington.

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The program will receive $300,000 to continue providing high school students “assistance as they move to and through college, helping them navigate their professional careers to build leadership and decision-making skills, financial stability and independence,” WSFS Bank wrote in a July 15 announcement.

The bank’s foundation has long supported the program aimed at helping Black, Latino and lower-income students reach top schools – watching the program grow from just 10 students, to about 400. Founded in 2009, TeenSHARP supports such students through “intense academic preparation, support and advising,” according to its website, with various virtual programs available.

“The WSFS CARES Foundation continues to show up as a strong supporter of TeenSHARP for more than four years of our 15+ year run of opening the doors to opportunity and dynamic leadership for Black, Latino and low-income students across the Delaware Valley,” said Tamara Fentress, chief of staff at TeenSHARP, in a statement.

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Delaware Technical Community College joins Metallica Scholars initiative

Delaware Technical Community College just joined a new program connected to a famous rock band.

That’s the Metallica Scholars Initiative, and DelTech is one of 18 new colleges joining its ranks. The initiative was created by All Within My Hands, a non-profit created by both members and management of Metallica. Each school receives $75,000 to enhance workforce training programs, impacting some 8,000 students.

“When we launched the Metallica Scholars Initiative, it really spoke to me,” said James “Papa Het” Hetfield, Metallica guitarist and lead singer, in a press release. “A collective goal of breaking the stigma of trade skills. Trade skills are vital to society, and what’s even more important is to support the many folks who are trying to create a career by learning and using these skills. I am so proud — we all are — to see how this program is changing lives.”

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The initiative offers workforce opportunities for students interested in gaining skills and training to find “meaningful and well-paying careers.” To date, All Within My Hands has invested more than $10.5 million in the workforce, according to the release.

“This generous funding will help us deliver on our mission of responding to the needs of Delaware’s employers through workforce training programs for our state’s high-demand jobs,” Delaware Tech President Mark T. Brainard said in a statement.

Rainy day at the beach? Shopping, shows, treats will keep you busy in Delaware

ICYMI: Lawmaker calls for ‘comprehensive audit’ in Delaware child counselor hiring after failures

State Sen. Brian Pettyjohn called on the Department of Education to conduct a “comprehensive audit” of the credential verification process for child counselors in public schools. It comes in the wake of one Brandywine School District employee arrested this month on rape charges, amid previous allegations of sexual misconduct, as previously reported.

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That school therapist, John Arnold, used a “bogus degree” to land his position, Delaware Online/The News Journal has learned.

In addition, according to interviews and documents obtained by Delaware Online/The News Journal, a parent and employees at Nemours Children’s Hospital raised concerns to district officials months before his arrest.

Such issues centered on Arnold’s qualifications – recently determined to have been fabricated – his treatment of a 6-year-old child in his program who was under Nemours’ care, his history of practicing without a license and his behavior toward staff. The concerns were first raised in April and reiterated in early May, as previously reported.

The Republican senator made a formal request to Secretary of Education Mark Holodick, according to the caucus’ communications team, to conduct the audit.

“As a State Senator and a member of the Education Committee, I am deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of our children,” Sen. Pettyjohn said in a press release. “The reported case highlights a significant oversight in the credential verification process, which not only endangers our children but also erodes public trust in our education and child welfare systems.”

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Police told Delaware Online/The News Journal there is no current indication that Arnold, who was recently working at Lombardy Elementary School, victimized his students.

He’s accused of assaulting a 5-year-old girl, with claims dating back to 2022, according to court documents.

Delaware schools: Nemours raised concerns months before arrest of Brandywine school therapist

Got a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for Delaware Online/The News Journal and USA TODAY Network Northeast, with a focus on education. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on X @kpowers01.



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Delaware

Lane’s 14 lead Delaware past Iona 64-58

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Lane’s 14 lead Delaware past Iona 64-58


Associated Press

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (AP) — Niels Lane and Tahron Allen each scored 14 points to help Delaware defeat Iona 64-58 on Tuesday night.

Lane added six rebounds and four steals for the Fightin’ Blue Hens (2-1). Allen finished 6 of 11 from the field.

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Yaphet Moundi finished with 16 points, 18 rebounds, three steals and three blocks for the Gaels (0-3). Dejour Reaves added 16 points and two steals.

Allen scored 11 points in the first half for Delaware, who led 30-18 at the break. Lane led the way with eight second-half points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Gas prices decline across Philadelphia region as we head into holiday travel season

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Gas prices decline across Philadelphia region as we head into holiday travel season


PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — ‘Tis the season for lower gas prices.

“I appreciate these gas prices going down. I don’t know what happened lately but you know I’m digging it,” said Kylief Hannah of Camden.

Nationally and in the Philadelphia region, they’re going down.

According to AAA, Philadelphia’s average for a gallon of unleaded regular is $3.11, which is down 8 cents in a month.

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South Jersey’s average is now $2.85, down 8 cents.

And Delaware’s average is $2.92, down 24 cents.

The national average is $3.07, down 13 cents from a month ago.

Experts from AAA say this is the time of year when we usually see a dip.

“We see the summer driving season come to an end. We see demand taper off and this year we’re seeing the price of crude oil go down,” said Jana Tidwell of AAA Mid-Atlantic.

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On Tuesday, in Camden County, prices ranged from $2.67 to $2.99.

“Certain places you get $2.67, $2.68,” said Don Nelson, who owns a plumbing business.

His gas expenses for his trucks are like paying another employee, he says.

“I spend $55,000 a year on gasoline,” said Nelson.

Drivers in South Jersey say every little bit helps.

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“Prices are going down for the better. So yes I am saving money,” said Gabriel Rosa of Camden.

Experts expect the trend to continue, barring any hurricanes that may interfere with refinery production, and there are typically little spikes as we near the holiday travel season.

Before we know it many people will be hitting the road for Thanksgiving and filling up.

Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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Q&A with Jason Gregorec, president of Delaware North's Gaming division – Delaware North Newsroom

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Q&A with Jason Gregorec, president of Delaware North's Gaming division – Delaware North Newsroom


Jason Gregorec joined Delaware North in August as president of the company’s Gaming division. He brings with him an extensive background with some of the world’s leading gaming and hospitality companies, including Caesars Entertainment and Eldorado Resorts. Gregorec managed the financial performance, staffing and guest experience at iconic locations such as Paris, Planet Hollywood and Horseshoe resorts, and led the remodeling and rebranding of Bally’s Las Vegas into Horseshoe Las Vegas.  

You bring more than 30 years of diverse casino experience to Delaware North.
Tell us a little about your background and how that has impacted your career.  

I’ve work in numerous roles throughout my career. My first position in the casino industry was a bartender, then a dealer, and then I continued to work my way up through the industry in multiple departments – which gave me a great perspective and appreciation of the hard work the team does and what it takes to successfully run a property each day. 

It also helped me to see the importance of maintaining the connection between leaders and frontline team members. Whether that is through town halls, skip-level meetings or roundtables, I think it’s important to hear directly from team members on both the successes and challenges that they are facing. 

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What are your first impressions about Delaware North’s Gaming properties? 

The biggest impact I’ve noticed is the service team members are providing to both internal and external guests. Everyone was welcoming and the facilities are clean and well-maintained – just overall great products. I’d never been to a Delaware North Gaming property before joining the company, and I was very impressed. 

The difference between good service and great service is anticipating the guest’s needs, especially guests coming to the properties regularly. Every casino offers similar gaming products, but the outstanding service our team provides is Delaware North’s competitive advantage. 

Tell us about your leadership style. How does it fit with Delaware North’s culture? 

It’s about putting the people first. In working for multiple companies, I’ve been exposed to different leadership styles and have taken the best aspects from leaders at each of those to create my own style.  

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For me, it comes down to being genuine and sincere with your people. I believe there is a difference between managing people and leading people, and we want to make sure we are acting as leaders for our team and the organization. 

Culture and values are everything to me and what drew me to Delaware North. I felt and saw that early on – everyone is working together with a common goal in mind. It’s about putting the people – both guests and team members – first. 

How has it been working with the Gaming leadership team, including Group President Brian Hansberry? 

In my initial meetings with other company leaders, I saw the collaboration and different elements of the company’s strategic imperatives and values displayed. Seeing the culture in action reinforced that I was in the right place. 

The Gaming leadership team is well-rounded with a good blend of experience, both in the industry and with Delaware North. Each of us brings a different perspective to the table, which helps to support new thoughts and ideas while having an underlying understanding of our shared goals, values and mission. 

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Brian has decades of vast knowledge and diverse experience in the casino industry, which is critical to the success of the Gaming division. He has a great strategic outlook and can look at the division and not only see what’s next, but what is several steps down the road. I am excited to learn and grow under Brian’s leadership. 

The Gaming division leadership team recently expanded with the addition of David Kopasz as chief hospitality officer and Lee Terfloth as chief interactive gaming officer. What do you anticipate will be the impact? 

David and Lee both join the team with a diverse background and specialized experience in their respective areas. David has vast experience leading high-performing teams at some of the largest and most successful resorts in the country. He will drive performance in non-gaming departments, elevate our service standards and take our VIP experiences to the next level. 

Lee’s extensive experience in digital/online gaming and unique skill set will help us to drive growth with our online gaming offerings, including social, sports betting and iCasino (online gaming) and propel Gamewise to new records. Both David and Lee are tremendous additions and will make impactful improvements in the Gaming division. 

What are your plans for Delaware North’s interactive gaming division, Gamewise? 

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Online gaming is growing tremendously, so it’s a very important part of the overall Gaming strategy for Delaware North.  

We’re working on transitioning Gamewise to a new platform, the best available on the market, which will improve the guest experience and allow more flexibility for content. It will serve as an omnichannel solution for our player loyalty programs and allow us to offer a first-class product. We can then expand into additional states as they become available. 

Our strategy is not to be the biggest, but to offer the absolute best experience for our guests. With the addition of Lee, I am excited to see him execute our goals. 



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