Delaware

Weapons detection system approved for largest Delaware County school district

Published

1 year ago

September 25, 2024

Weapons detection system approved for largest Delaware County school district

Upper Darby schools to install weapons detection system

The largest school district in Delaware County is going high-tech with a new security system designed to keep students safe.

UPPER DARBY TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Delaware County’s largest school district is going high-tech with a new security system designed to keep students safe and weapons out of school.

The Upper Darby School Board unanimously voted to approve the purchase of a $1.1 million weapons detection system for three of its district’s secondary schools.

The Evolv system uses artificial intelligence to scan for all kinds of weapons. The system is being used in some of the biggest concert and sporting venues in the world, including Citizen’s Bank Park.

“I am asking you please, please put the kids and the staff’s safety first,” said one parent, addressing the school board.

Two recent incidents in particular prompted the board to re-examine the proposal of a new system designed by the Massachusetts technology company. School administrators say in the first week of classes one student brought a gun to school and, in a separate incident, another student brought an ammunition magazine from a semi-automatic rifle.

Administrators say the system is much faster and more effective than traditional metal detectors.

“This is more, I would say, user-friendly. Similar to what you find at sporting venues. Making sure specific metals or what appears to be a gun are ruled out of being in a venue” said Upper Darby School Superintendent, Dr. Daniel McGarry.

The company says Evolv can scan up to 2,000 people an hour. The security lanes staffed by school administrators will soon be installed at Upper Darby High School, Upper Darby Middle School and Beverly Hills Middle School.

But, not everyone is on board with the plan. Some parents are worried their schools will look more like prisons.

“Have you looked at any studies on the potential negative impact on our psychologically vulnerable children?” asked one parent.

“I don’t believe treating the entire community of children like potential criminals is the best way to address their ongoing education,” added another parent, addressing the board.

But most parents who spoke applauded the measure, citing the recent incidents and school shootings around the country. Some called it a sobering sign of the times as the board unanimously voted to approve the expenditure.

“The sole intent here is to protect kids, save lives and make sure nobody is in harm’s way,” said McGarry.

The Evolv system should be installed in schools within four to six weeks.

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Delaware

A first in Delaware for energy-efficient affordable housing

Published

3 hours ago

February 20, 2026

Press Room

A first in Delaware for energy-efficient affordable housing

The first homes in Delaware to achieve one of the nation’s highest certifications for energy-efficient design were unveiled in Dover on Feb. 19.
An open house and dedication were held for the four Phius-certified homes on North Kirkwood Street.

The first residential buildings in Delaware to achieve one of the nation’s highest certifications for energy-efficient design were unveiled in Dover on Feb. 19.

The North Kirkwood Street “passive house project” features four homes that have been certified in Phius core prescriptive design.

Phius stands for “Passive House Institute United States,” a nonprofit that trains and certifies professionals to build highly energy-efficient and healthy homes, certifies energy-efficient building products and conducts research on energy-efficient construction.

So the homes will be more affordable each month with lower utility bills – and thanks to funding help from nonprofits and governments, the homes will have a more affordable price.

The houses cost an average of about $350,000 to build, but they’re being sold for $250,000 each.

Leading the project were three nonprofits:

NeighborGood Partners, which specializes in affordable housing counseling and development, financial education and lending

Energize Delaware, which promotes clean, efficient and sustainable energy solutions with energy-saving programs, rebates and financing

New Ecology, which helps energy-efficient construction with technical assistance, testing and verification services, project coordination, education and training

NeighborGood Partners is selecting the homeowners from those enrolled in the organization’s housing counseling program, with preference to those who already live in Dover.

“I just want to recognize all the different partners that we had because it took, in this case, a village to make this happen,” said NeighborGood Partners Executive Director Karen Speakman.

Along with the groups heading the project, additional funds came from the Delaware State Housing Authority, Healthy Communities Delaware and the city of Dover including a portion of the city’s money from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

Construction was led by Green Diamond Builders with Cypress Construction and Architectural Alliance, with New Ecology overseeing the certification process.

How much energy do the homes save?

Phius-certified homes are designed to deliver healthy indoor air, consistent comfort and significantly lower utility bills to reduce monthly housing costs, according to the organization’s website.

How much lower bills?

With 1,680 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths, the all-electric homes in Dover are designed to use about 7,500 kilowatt hours of electricity a year, about 625 kilowatt hours per month.

That’s about 30% less than what the average home uses – 10,791 kilowatt hours per year or 899.25 kilowatt hours per month, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Norm Horn, New Ecology construction project manager, outlined the key components in the energy-efficient construction including:

continuous insulation around the outside of the home, higher levels of insulation in the walls, under the floors and in the attic and “significant attention to how that insulation was installed so it works”

a thermal airtight building enclosure that requires very little energy to heat and cool

highly efficient heat pump systems for heating, cooling, the water heater and clothes dryer

dehumidifier system to control moisture

continuous mechanical ventilation with heat recovery that provides fresh, filtered air

New Ecology Chief Executive Officer Kim Stevenson said the construction techniques used in these homes help the owners in several ways.

Utility bills can spike during winter’s cold and summer’s heat if homes don’t have good insulation, good windows and doors or proper sealing around them.

“That forces families to make impossible tradeoffs between paying utility bills, rent or mortgage, food and health care,” Stevenson said.

The Phius homes can decrease monthly utility bills while also improving residents’ health with moisture control to prevent mold along with top-quality air circulation for cleaner, healthier air.

These four homes will be examples for others to follow in trying to make homes more affordable, more energy efficient and healthier, as the nonprofits leading the effort expand the training to more builders.

Tony DePrima, Energize Delaware treasurer and former executive director, said the homes will be part of a research project, comparing data including utility bills to more typical homes to see the cost savings over time.

Energize Delaware is “trying to figure out how do we make this work for the people who need it most,” DePrima said.

Reporter Ben Mace covers real estate and development news. Reach him at rmace@gannett.com.

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Delaware

Who has the best pizza in Delaware? Is it Grotto or another shop?

Published

15 hours ago

February 19, 2026

Press Room

Who has the best pizza in Delaware? Is it Grotto or another shop?

The News Journal/Delaware Online is hosting a “Munch Madness” tournament to find Delaware’s best pizza.
Readers will nominate their favorite pizza places, and the top 42 will compete in a single-elimination bracket.
Cafe Napoli in Milltown is the reigning champion from the last tournament held in March 2023.

The hunger games are returning to Delaware, where your favorite pizza spots from all three counties across the state will step into a saucy arena, armed with lots of cheese, and not a shred of fear.

It’s been nearly three fully baked years since readers crowned Cafe Napoli in Milltown as Delaware’s best pizza place in Delaware Online/The News Journal’s annual Munch Madness tournament in March 2023.

We’re not sure if another pizzeria is worthy of a seat on the mozzarella throne of glory because (once again) that’s not our call. It’s your job to vote and ultimately crown your cheesy champion.

We’re just here to count the votes, one slice at a time.

How does the tournament work for the best pizza in Delaware?

Readers will kick things off by filling out an easy survey below, which simply requires you to provide the name and city/town of the Delaware place that makes your favorite pizza.

From there, we’ll tally up the top 64 pizza contenders for this single-elimination showdown. Each week, pizza shops will be cut in half, based on reader votes. The bracket will look like this: Round 1 (64 contestants), Round 2 (32), Round 3 (Sweet 16), Round 4 (Elite 8), Round 5 (Final 4) and Round 6 (the winner).

Now, let’s paint the town red like Ragu.

Cafe Napoli is the reigning pizza champion in Delaware

This Milltown shop on Kirkwood Highway has been in the pizza game for over 30 years, and the pizzeria hangs its hat on authentic Napoletano cuisine and Southern Italian hospitality.

Cafe Napoli was founded by four brothers: Domenico, Antonio, Pasquale and Mario. They left Italy and decided to run a winning restaurant.

Although this pizza shop is defending its throne, one bite at a time, that doesn’t mean you should leave your guard down around their mozzarella sticks. Those bad boys are light, yet they’re deceptively filling.

In 2023, during their epic Munch Madness run, General Manager Tim Widdoes, who has worked at Cafe Napoli for 30-plus years (though you’d never guess it), told us the top pizza his customers dream about.

“Our most popular would probably be the chicken bruschetta. That’s our breaded chicken, homemade bruschetta, on a white garlic pizza, topped with a little bit of ranch dressing,” Widdoes said.

ORDER FROM UBER EATS

The pie is on point like a Katniss arrow aimed straight at your appetite.

“People love that pizza.”

If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters

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