Voter registration

House passes same-day voter registration bill, photo ID not required

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

A bill to allow same-day voter registration in Delaware is set to be considered by the Senate.  Under current law, Delawareans have until four Saturdays before an election to register to vote. House Bill 25 would eliminate that deadline and allow eligible voters to register to vote in primary, special and general elections on the same day they cast their …

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Wilmington Learning Collaborative releases draft agreement

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

A draft of the agreement formalizing the Wilmington Learning Collaborative says parents, students and teachers will be included in the governing council, which will hire a small team to run the organization. The draft, announced Wednesday during a community engagement event, is a major step forward the five-year process that will see Wilmington elementary and middle schools carved out of …

Kathy McGuiness

McGuiness trial expected to begin Tuesday in Dover

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Jury selection in the case against State Auditor Kathleen McGuiness has been set for Monday in Kent County. Assuming jury selection goes according to plan, court officials expect opening arguments to begin Tuesday. The trial was moved from Wilmington to Dover after McGuiness’s defense attorney objected to hearing the case in a different county than the auditor’s office.  McGuiness was …

Emissions

Carbon emissions goals released from Senate committee

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

A controversial bill setting Delaware’s goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions was released from the Senate Environment and Energy Committee Wednesday and will advance to the Senate floor for a vote.  Senate Bill 305, the Delaware Climate Change Solutions Act, would require Delaware to reduce its carbon emissions by 50% before 2030 and by 90% before 2050.  Opponents said the …

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Bill to ban colleges asking about criminal history sparks debate

Jarek RutzEducation, Delaware Live, Headlines

    A bill that would prohibit higher education institutions from asking about an applicant’s criminal history is headed to the Delaware House. It drew a lot of comment during a hearing Wednesday in the Senate Education Committee and ultimately passed with one yay and three on its merits. It was approved Thursday by the Senate, sending it to the …

The Company of the North American Tour of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Photos by Joan Marcus 0216r

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ dancer performs male, female roles

Betsy PriceCulture, Headlines

Lauren Blair Smith sometimes portrays a woman in the national tour of “Fiddler on the Roof,” coming to Wilmington this week. Sometimes, she’s one of the guys. Smith, who snagged the role as a dancer and understudy to two of the featured characters right out of college, dances as a woman in the first big musical scene, “Tradition.” Then she …

Hammys

Oysters, burgers, brews among new Delaware beach eats

Pam GeorgeFood, Headlines

  Forget the ocean. Many visitors come to Delaware’s coast for the beach eats— and with good reason. The concepts cover the gamut, from smashed burgers to samosas. What’s more, the culinary action is no longer confined to the beach as development continues along Route 1 and toward the inland bays. If you’re headed to the beach this summer, here …

Gun Debate

House committee OKs semi-automatic, under 21 purchase ban

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Bills to ban semi-automatic firearms and restrict the purchase of guns by Delawareans 21 and older were released from a House committee Wednesday and will advance to the House floor for a vote. The hearing attracted a crowd of well over 100 concerned citizens on both sides of the issue, many of whom filled lawmakers’ seats in the House chamber. …

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Old Swedes to hold its first Swedish summer festival

Betsy PriceCulture, Headlines

  Old Swedes Historic Site, a quiet corner of First State National Historical Park, this month will hold its first summer festival, complete with a Swedish meatball competition. Organizers hope the Midsommar Festival, set for June 25 on Wilmington’s east side, will become an annual event and raise the profile of Old Swedes. Leoné L. Cahill-Krout, who became executive director …

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House votes against overriding Carney’s marijuana veto

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

An attempt to override Gov. John Carney’s veto of a bill to legalize marijuana possession failed in the Delaware House of Representatives Tuesday. With the vote, this year’s endeavor to end marijuana prohibition in Delaware is all but certainly dead.  Numerous lawmakers who previously voted to pass House Bill 371 voted against the veto override Tuesday out of an apparent …