The Green

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The protests that continue to rock the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death in police custody have also touched cities and towns throughout Delaware. 

But the protests go beyond Floyd’s death, the latest involving an unarmed black man at the hands of police. They are focused on systemic racial injustices.

Now some Delawareans are again demanding change to the way police here use force— and how they are protected under state law when they do.

School referendums are difficult enough to pass under normal conditions.  But during a global pandemic that’s forced schools to remote learning and severely damaged the economy, getting voters to approve one now seems an almost impossible task.

But it’s one the Christina School District faces with voters heading to the polls Tuesday to decide if they will back a tax increase need to stave off drastic cuts.

This week, contributor Larry Nagengast digs into what the referendum is seeking, why it’s needed and what will happen if it come up short.

The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) is a national private-public organization based at the University of Delaware.

It received an $8.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce last week to help combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Delaware Public Media’s Nick Ciolino recently spoke with NIIMBL Director Kelvin Lee about how those dollars will be spent and what the grant means locally for Delawareans.

Delaware’s Poets Laureate, Al Mills and Nnamdi Chukwuocha,are among the 2020 Poets Laureate Fellows.

And the honor is giving them the chance to launch a new project.

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Delaware begins Phase 1 of its reopening plan this Monday June 1. But even as many things start to come back to life, how they operate will be different.

That’s especially true for a number of traditional summer activities.

Last week, we offered a look at how summer camps are affected.  This week, we turn to another summer staple: community pools.

They are allowed to open, but with restrictions, and contributor Eileen Dallabrida this week spent some time surveying First State pools to see what their plans and expectations are.

The coronavirus pandemic has put on hold many of those familiar senior year milestones: prom, recognition for their accomplishments, and a commencement ceremony with all of the familiar trappings.

Now, graduation plans at Delaware high schools are evolving after Governor John Carney recently updated the COVID-19 State of Emergency to allow outdoor gatherings of up to 250 people.

The Delaware Botanic Gardens (DBG) - located along Pepper Creek in Dagsboro - opened to the public last September after several years of planning.

The 37-acre coastal garden was supposed to reopen for a new season in March, but did not because of the coronavirus crises.

The coronavirus dramatically altered life for high schoolers in Delaware. 

Many are getting more sleep, trying out new hobbies or playing more video games. Others are struggling with online school, social isolation and persistent worries about the virus.

Delaware Public Media partners with McKean and Mount Pleasant High Schools in the Red Clay and Brandywine school districts to work with students in those schools when classes are in session in those buildings.

But with students all working remotely, Delaware Public Media’s youth media producer Sophia Schmidt tried something different - collecting audio journal entries from radio students at these schools over the past month.  The result is their pandemic experiences, in their own words. 

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Delaware is set to begin Phase 1 of its reopening plan on June.  In the interim, it’s is embarking on what Gov. John Carney calls a “rolling reopening” – a series of baby-steps that allow some segments of the state to ramp up even sooner.

The hope is to start getting the economy back up and running - and avoid long-term damage to it.

Contributor Jon Hurdle takes a look at where Delaware’s economy is right now – and what impact these initial steps may have on bringing it back in hard-hit sectors like restaurants and hospitality.

Many summer staples may be significantly altered or completely absent this year.

That includes summer camps, which could have a big impact on some families that rely on them to give their kids something to do once school lets out.

Contributor Larry Nagengast looks at where summer camps stand as the state starts to slowly reopen.

Museums across Delaware are getting creative during the Coronavirus pandemic.

While it’s been shut down, staff at The Delaware Contemporary in Wilmington worked on the launch of a public art initiative. And now that project is about to come to fruition.

Occasionally, The Green takes time to highlight work created by student journalists, including those at the University of Delaware.

And while learning during the spring semester has been completely online at UD, these students continued to do their work telling stories about issues and topics they find interesting and important - remotely

In this week’s Enlighten Me, we highlight a series of thoughtful, informative pieces produced without the usual access to equipment and interviews studnets would normally have when working on these stories -- which make them all the more impressive.

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The state partnered with Nanticoke Hospital Thursday to host the first testing event using saliva-based tests made by the company Curative.

The state purchased 200,000 of these test kits.

Delaware Public Media’s Sophia Schmidt talks with Dr. Rick Hong of the Division of Public Health about the new tests and how they fit into the state’s plan to more than quadruple monthly testing as it moves toward gradual reopening.

Efforts to strengthen historic preservation in New Castle County are taking shape as the county’s Historic Preservation Working Group starts drafting ordinances to address a variety of ongoing issues.  The group, created nearly a year ago, includes three County Council members determined to make progress.

Their effort comes as the fate of the Houston House- a historic home in Village of Bayberry North, near Middletown – is closer to being decided by New Castle County’s Historic Preservation Board.

Contributor Larry Nagengast has been following these issues and updates them this week.

The fate of the Houston House, a historic home in the Village of Bayberry North near Middletown, is closer to being decided by New Castle County’s Historic Preservation Board.

Contributor Larry Nagengast looks at how the battle of the property has evolved in recent months.

Like many arts and performance venues, the Freeman Stage in Selbyville is feeling the effects of the COVID-19 crisis. 

It's 2020 concert season this summer is currently on hold.

Recently, Asian giant hornets have quickly gained fame, or infamy, in the U.S. as reports that a couple of the so-called ‘murder hornets’ -  capable of wiping out and entire bee hive - were found dead in Pacific Northwest.

What threat might they pose to Delaware’s growing beekeeper population and their prized hives?

Delaware Public Media’s Mark Fowser has more in this week’s Enlighten Me

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The Hispanic Delawareans have faced the highest per capita rate of known COVID-19 infections of any racial or ethnic group in the state.

State public health officials have said Spanish-language media and other trusted community partners are part of their strategy to disseminate information about the virus to this population.

This week, Delaware Public Media’s Sophia Schmidt talks with publisher and founder of Hoy en Delaware, Jose Somalo, about the role the the Spanish-language monthly paper is playing in the response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The coronavirus pandemic has created new challenges for people in the throes of substance abuse disorder, and those charged with treating their addiction. Some local providers say that while changes to federal regulations are helping address some of those challenges, they are also creating new problems.  

A long-simmering battle between Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the state’s Public Service Commission is flaring up in court. 

The two are at odds over The First State’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard and how it’s managed

Contributor Jon Hurdle looks at where the battle lines are drawn.

As the state tips its toe in the reopening waters – allowing some businesses to reopen in a limited fashion with significant restrictions – one area usually ramping up this time of year faces uncertainty.  Farmers markets have been told they must stay closed for now.

Contributor Eileen Dallabrida checks in with these markets and vendors that sell at them to learn how they’re dealing with the forced hiatus.

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The center of the coronavirus outbreak in Delaware has shifted in recent weeks with an increased focused on Sussex County.

This week Delaware Public Media’s Sophia Schmidt checks in with Donna Patterson — an expert on global health and epidemics at Delaware State University — on the state of Delaware’s outbreak and response.

New Castle County has received the result of a second test for traces of the coronavirus in its sewer system. It could point to a dramatic increase in infections.