A father and daughter from Berlin has been arrested by the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation for burglarizing homes in Berlin and pawning stolen jewelry to pay for an alleged drug habit.

Investigators from the WCBI says 23-year-old Kate Hughlett and her 60-year-old father, James, have been charged with various theft and burglary charges in connection with the six-week crime spree between March 26 and May 15 at seven homes.

Police have recovered nearly $8,000 worth of stolen property from jewelry stores and pawn shops.

Kate Hughlett remains jailed in lieu of $10,000 bail; her father was released after posting $10,000 bail.

Officials from DelDOT and Delaware’s Transit Corporation will be in Rehoboth Beach this morning to kick-off the 2013 DART Resort Transit Service.

Today’s event marks the beginning of the summer’s bus service in Delaware’s beach communities, which provides a low-cost transportation solution for residents and visitors alike, who are wishing for easier access to the beaches, outlets, restaurants and shops.

Once again this season, DART will operate seven transit routes in the resort area serving Rehoboth, Dewey, Fenwick, Lewes, Georgetown, Long Neck and Ocean City.

A custodian at Pinehurst Elementary School in Salisbury was robbed last week and the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office is asking for your help to try and identify the suspect or suspects who committed the crime.

The Sheriff’s Office says the custodian was in the school parking lot around 9 p.m. on May 15 when he was approached from behind; the suspect or suspects stole his wallet and some school property he had with him.

Anyone with information can call the Sheriff’s Office or Crime Solvers.

A 16-year-old Salisbury boy faces charges after he allegedly admitted to having sex with a 12-year-old girl.

Creighton Bowen was charged this week as an adult; he faces charges of 2^nd degree rape and 3^rd and 4^th degree sex offense.

During interviews with police, both the boy and girl admitted to officers that they had sex and said they were aware of each other’s ages.

Bowen is being held in lieu of $75,000 bond.

Former Sussex County Council Candidate Don Ayotte is this week calling for the resignation of Sussex County Councilman Vance Phillips in the wake of a civil lawsuit accusing him of repeatedly sexually abusing an 18-year-old woman in 2011.

The now 20-year-old woman filed the suit last week in Kent County Superior Court accusing Phillips of repeatedly sexually abusing her just before she started college.

Phillips said in a statement last week that he has NO plans to resign, although at that point no one had publicly called for his resignation.

Ayotte meantime, will be speaking with Delmarva’s Morning News THIS morning around 8:35 a.m.

Wicomico County and the City of Salisbury is today reminding residents to pay their taxes before the June 18 deadline.

Finance Director Andrew Mackel says more than 1,100 properties in the county still owe taxes; he says if owners don't pay up by the deadline, their property will go up for auction at the value of those taxes the very next day.

Mackel says the auction is already scheduled for June 19 at the government building in Salisbury; the sale is open to the public.

An off-duty Maryland State Police trooper is in critical condition this morning at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma in Baltimore after he was dragged by a car in Caroline County Wednesday night.

The preliminary investigation by the MSP Criminal Enforcement Division indicates that at about 7:15 last night, the trooper was traveling in the area of 7th Street and Market Street in Denton when he observed several people in a car ahead of him who appeared to be involved in some type of vandalism.  

The trooper exited his car and approached the car ahead of him on foot; while the trooper was talking with the three individuals in the car, all apparently juveniles, preliminary information indicates the driver accelerated and the trooper was somehow dragged by the vehicle an undetermined distance down the road.  The trooper became dislodged from the vehicle and fell to the roadway.  The suspect vehicle then fled the scene; the suspect vehicle was located a short time later and the three individuals are currently being questioned by investigators. 

Delaware’s Joint Finance Committee on Wednesday approved $2 million in new spending for charter schools in the First State. The money will be used for start-up costs or to expand existing programs.

JFC members also on Wednesday approved more than $2 million in new block grants to help schools with technology needs and a similar amount for computers used to administer statewide standardized tests.

Blake Hundley organized a 5K run to benefit Boston after the Boston Marathon bombings.  Blake is a 5th grader and his run was held at the beginning of this month, and now he’s getting ready to deliver his donation to One Fund Boston.   

In a letter to the editor, Blake Hundley says he’s getting ready to go to Boston to deliver his donation to the One Fund Boston.  The Lord Baltimore 5th Grader organized his own 5-K fundraiser in Bethany Beach on May 3rd and 129 runners of all ages helped Blake to raise over $5000 to benefit the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.  Blake also thanks all the groups and people who helped to make Blake’s Run for Boston a success
 

May 22, 2013
Dear Editor:

Soon, I will leave Delaware and go to Massachusetts to deliver a donation of more than $5,000 that we raised at Blake’s Run for Boston on May 3 in support of the Boston Marathon victims. There are so many people I need to thank because it is due to their generosity that I am able to make this contribution to One Fund Boston.

In response to the attack, I organized and my first 5k for charity, Blake’s Run for Boston, in hopes of contributing money for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.  So many people worked hard to make this event memorable and successful.  First, thanks to my parents, Rick and Michele Hundley, my sisters Devin and Logan, and the rest of my family.  Their encouragement and assistance were incredible.  Thanks to my many sponsors: Baja Beach House Grill, Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce, Bethany Beach Books, Bethany Beach First Responders Triathlon, Bethany Beach Volunteer Fire Company, Coastal Point, Creative Resource Group, Dave's Silkscreening, Delaware Wave, Harris Teeter, Jeff Baxter of Prosperity Mortgage, PNC Bank, Piranha Sports, Professional Physical Therapy & Sports Care, Rehoboth Beach Sports, Seashore Striders, and the Town of Bethany Beach.  Their financial and in-kind support was critical.  I would like to send special thanks to Jackie Inman of Bethany Beach Books and Jim and Ellen Bradford of Rehoboth Beach Sports; they not only sponsored my run, but donated 10% of their sales from the weekend.  Thanks also to the many runners who rallied, volunteers who helped, and fans who cheered.  This support makes me so proud of our community and reminds me in what a special area we live.

For those who were not able to attend or run, but still want to help, donations can still be made at www.BlakesRunforBoston.com

Sending my sincere thanks,
Blake Hundley

 

As the long holiday weekend is getting ready to start – lots of people will be out on the beach going for that golden tan.  However the Division of Public Health will also be on hand Friday afternoon.  The latest Delaware cancer stats show that malignant melanoma – skin cancer – is increasing at a greater rate than the national rate.  And the rate among men is increasing more quickly than women.  The Division of Public Health and other organizations will be at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand on Friday from 11 to 2pm with information and ways to protect yourself from the harmful rays of the sun.  They’ll also have free sunscreen and burn care samples while the supplies last. 

A handful of residents attended a presentation on hurricane preparedness by the Ocean City Emergency Services Department at Ocean City Hall. Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald says the message this year is the same as it has been: be prepared, and have a plan.

The presentation included slides showing pictures of the flooding in Ocean City from Superstorm Sandy's storm surge, especially on the bay side. Emergency Services officials say Sandy produced the second-highest surge ever in town, at 6.1 feet. The highest was 6.6 feet. Public losses from Sandy in town totaled $1.2 million, including many docks in the bays that were damaged and destroyed. Other slides in the presentation showed flooding from the nor'easter of March 1962, as well as hurricane damage in other parts of the country, such as Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas in 2008. The presentation featured tips for building an emergency kit for being stuck at home during and after a storm, what to do in the event of an evacuation order ahead of a storm, as well as links to local, state and federal websites for more information.

Theobald says people would be surprised by how many Ocean City residents don't have a plan for a hurricane. While he says emergency officials are sensitive to the fact that an evacuation completely shuts down the local economy, that decision is made based strictly on public safety. Officials recommend having flood insurance for your property, even if you don't live in flood-prone areas. Theobald says officials are working to better identify for the public what are flood-prone areas of town, since areas beside for downtown and the south end flooded during Sandy. At one point, Coastal Highway was closed from 62nd Street south, and even Route 90 was impassable.

Hurricane season begins on June 1. The presentation can be found here.

Over 100 people turned up to campaign against fracking at the Democratic Governors Association Policy Meeting in Maryland Wednesday.  Food & Water Watch along with members of several other groups are calling for a ban on fracking and demand the DGA stop taking what they are calling “dirty money” from companies in the oil & gas industry.  Wednesday’s march was the start of a summer-long effort – with other DGA meetings to be targeted in Colorado and other cities.

The Delaware Procurement Expo is coming up on June 14 at the Chase Center in Wilmington, however registration is now open for the expo.  The expo helps government agencies and prime contractors in their search of local area small businesses for meeting their product or service needs.  Training sessions will also be available during the day.  The expo will run from 8am to 4pm

To register to attend or exhibit - http://events.delawarecontracts.com

The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police and Selbyville Police have teamed up in the Border to Border seat belt enforcement.  Sheriff’s deputies patrolled Route 113 at the state line with Selbyville Police looking for drivers not wearing their seat belts.  The Sheriff’s Department and State police also patrolled Route 13 at the Maryland-Virginia border.  22 citations were issued and 25 warnings given during the enforcement.

Newark Police are investigating robbery at the T-Mobile Store on East Delaware Avenue.  Just after noon today a man entered the store, showed a gun and demanded cash.  He left with an undisclosed amount of cash.  Newark and UD Police used a K-9 unit to track the suspect but was not successful.  The suspect is white, about 5’ 8” to 5’ 10” with an average build and wore a black shirt, pants, cap and mask.  Anyone with information – call Crime Stoppers.

Ocean City Police spotted a car being driven erratically on Coastal Highway on Monday night around 11:20.  Officers suspected the driver was impaired and tried to stop him near 74^th Street, but the driver took off.  The driver drove into a parking garage at 77^th Street hitting a bush as he exited and then sped through several stop signs before crossing 4 lanes of Coastal Highway where he lost control nearly hitting the center median and then turning on 79^th Street where he drove on the sidewalk and hit a street sign.  The driver, 29 year old Shawn Martin of Eldersburg tried to run off on foot, but was arrested by police and confirmed to be DUI.  Martin was issued 49 citations for a variety of traffic offenses and must appear in court for 12 of them.

Mosquito spraying is planned for this evening and Thursday morning by truck mounted sprayer to control adult mosquitoes.  Spraying will take place in Bowers Beach, Dagsboro and Selbyville and near Woodside, Marydel, Felton, Frederica and Frankford.

A fire this afternoon in Woodside has been ruled accidental by the State Fire Marshal.  Fire broke out just after 2p0m at a home on Dundee Road.  Camden-Wyoming Firefighters found fire showing when they arrived and neighboring fire companies helped put out the blaze.  The Fire Marshal says the blaze began inside the attached garage and was caused by a riding lawn mower which had just been used and stored in the garage.  Damage is estimated at $50,000 – there were no injuries.

A Dover man has been arrested on charges of harassment and terroristic threatening.  Capitol Police say 49 year old Raymond Brokenbrough continuously called and texted a female State employee over several weeks after she had asked him to stop contacting her.  Police say he threatened physical harm.  Brokenbrough turned himself in to Capitol Police and is currently free on $2000 unsecured bond and ordered to have no contact with the victim.

During a school board convention recently in California, Cape Henlopen School Board member Sandi Minard tells WGMD she heard more on a course project that she was approached about some time ago – the Bible Literacy Project. 

Minnard says this is an academic study of the Bible – a history course as opposed to a religion class or one teaching a specific doctrine.  The course was brought up during a recent school board meeting and while it’s been discussed by parents who are split on the issue – the issue is now in the hands of the curriculum committee.

Minnard tell WGMD that the topic will be brought up again at the June 13 School Board Meeting.