Kent County

Delaware reached a milestone in permanently preserving 151,257 acres of farmland. Four farms in New Castle County, 16 in Kent County, and 40 in Sussex County were preserved in the most recent round. The Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation selects those farms approved for easement purchase using a discounted ranking system. The foundation does not own the land...

A Dover mid-rise office building is headed to the auction block. An online auction is slated on Sept. 18-20 for the seven-story First Capital Center, formerly the Duncan Center, at 500 W. Loockerman St. in downtown Dover. The building has attracted government, congressional offices and other tenants over the years. However, the current occupancy rate is 52%. The...

SpringHill Suites Frederica, an all-suites 86-room hotel, opened its doors during a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony this week. The hotel, which broke ground in January 2022, is part of Asbury Square, a project designed to attract Delaware residents as well as tourists and athletic teams. The hotel is near the DE Turf sports complex, a site that attracts...

State prosecutors have secured three convictions against Camden Mayor Justin King over a physical confrontation. Camden is a suburb of Dover. King, 41, was until recently the mayor of Camden, Delaware and owns several businesses in the area. On Feb. 25, King confronted two male victims, both 19, whom he claimed had been causing mischief at his car wash. King shoved the...

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, Dover,  reported lower net income for the second quarter and first half of 2023 due to warmer temperatures and inflationary pressures. Earnings missed estimates from Zacks. In the second quarter of 2023, the company's net income was $16.1 million, compared to $17.1 million reported in the same quarter of 2022. EPS in the quarter was $0.90 per share, compared to $0.96 per share...

Artesian Resources Corp. reported lower earnings in the second quarter, with expense growth outstripping revenue. Arteisan, based new Newark, has filed to increase rates. Its last comprehensive application was in 2014. Artesian filed a request with the Delaware Public Service Commission, or DEPSC, to implement new rates to meet a requested increase in revenue of 23.84%, or approximately $17.5 million,...

Statewide assessment results for the 2022-23 school year show students continue to need extra support, according to a release from the state Department of Education. Showing progress were two central Delaware districts, a release indicated. In English language arts, 40% of students in grades 3-8 scored at or above their grade’s proficiency level, down two percentage points from last year. In...

A craft brewing pioneer is apparently exiting Dover. Delaware Online and social media posts reported that Fordham and Dominion Brewing in Dover will close for good, with its tasting room staying open as long as the previously brewed beer is available. According to the post, the closing notice came on July 25th, although no formal announcement was made and...

Delaware State Fair attendance hit the 303,00 mark in 2023, despite storms and hot weather, up slightly from a year earlier. Hot weather is commonplace with the fair, held from mid to late July. The fairgrounds now have multiple air-conditioned buildings and livestock was made more comfortable or large industrial-grade high-velocity, low-speed ceiling-mounted fans installed last year. Assistant General Manager and Director...

The Delawaer Association of Realtors reported interesting developments in Delaware's housing market during June. Homes stayed on the market slightly longer than before, giving buyers time to mull over their decisions. This shift might indicate a move towards a more balanced market, where neither sellers nor buyers have a significant upper hand, the association noted. Despite fewer new...

WSFS Financial Corporation, the parent company of WSFS Bank, reported higher earnings in the second quarter. Rodger Levenson, CEO, said, "We were pleased with our 2Q operating results, which continued to reflect the strength and diversity of our business model." Levinson continued, "Our balance sheet remains strong with stable credit metrics, an ACL coverage ratio of 1.28%, significant liquidity capacity,...

The Delaware State Fair will get underway on Friday with enhanced security that includes a weapons ban. It comes after a long-running wave of mass shootings around the nation. All patrons entering the fairgrounds must walk through weapons/metal detectors that will be in operation at all gates. Weapons of any kind are prohibited regardless of a patron’s "license to carry"...

At the end of last month, the General Assembly has passed a sweeping set of measures that place efforts to reduce greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050 into the Delaware code. All are expected to receive the governor's signature. One wide-ranging bill was passed after similar legislation failed to pass last year, with business and other groups objecting to the...

A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment last week charging three Dover residents and one Middletown resident with operating a large-scale trafficking operation that sold cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl.The amount of fentanyl seized from this organization represents the largest known fentanyl seizure in Delaware history, according to a release from the office of the U.S. District...