Delaware

Delaware one of only 7 states to receive outstanding distinction this year

May 2, 2007 -- Dover – Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner announced today that the state of Delaware received the highest possible credit ratings for its anticipated sale of General Obligation Bonds on May 3rd. This marks the 11th consecutive time that the Triple A bond ratings have been reaffirmed by the three major rating agencies. Delaware has maintained the highest possible rating with all three nationally recognized rating agencies during the entire term of Governor Minner and since the spring of 2000.    » read more »

Mountaire Farms signs trade deal with Cuba

April 24, 2007 -- Dover – Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner and John Wise, president of Mountaire Farms, announced that Mountaire Farms of Delaware has signed a trade agreement with Cuba. According to the contract with Alimport, Cuba’s purchasing agency for farm and food products, Mountaire will begin shipping container loads of chicken to Cuba in May.    » read more »

April 19, 2007 -- Dover – Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner is asking Delawareans to ring bells across the state at noon tomorrow in remembrance of those killed during Monday’s tragic shootings at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. The bell-ringing is at the request of Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who has declared tomorrow a Day of Mourning for his state.    » read more »

April 17, 2007 -- Dover – Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner today ordered that U.S. and Delaware flags be lowered to half-staff in memory of those killed in yesterday’s tragic shootings on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. The order is in conjunction with a White House proclamation ordering that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff until sunset Sunday, April 22.    » read more »

Attorney General Biden pleased to support new coordinated effort

March 6, 2007 -- A tougher way of prosecuting habitual toll violators supports the coordinated efforts of the Delaware State Police (DSP), Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), and the Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) to crack down on toll evaders on I-95, SR-1, and the Delaware Memorial Bridge.    » read more »

March 7, 2007 -- Wildlife art enthusiasts, stamp and print collectors, waterfowl hunters, birdwatchers and wetland conservationists will gather beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 31 at the Delaware Ducks Unlimited Greenings’ Event at Owens Station in Greenwood for the judging of Delaware’s annual Duck Stamp and Trout Stamp contests. Sponsored by the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife in partnership with Delaware Ducks Unlimited, the annual competitions draw entries by hundreds of renowned and emerging artists from across the country.    » read more »

February 28, 2007 -- Washington D.C. -- The Delaware delegation -- Senators Joe Biden and Tom Carper and Congressman Mike Castle -- today helped announce up to $80 million in federal funding from the Department of Energy that was awarded to Broin Companies for the development of a cellulosic ethanol plant that will commercialize cellulosic ethanol technology developed by DuPont. The bio-refinery will be built at Broin's Emmetsburg, Iowa facility which is expected to produce 25 million gallons of ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks.

The delegation sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Energy, Samuel Bodman, in October 2006 supporting Broin's grant application. President Bush visited DuPont's experimental station in Wilmington in January where the cellulosic ethanol technology is produced.

"This technology - which recycles leftover corn stalks, leaves and cobs into energy - is crucial to reducing our dependence on oil and meeting the goal of replacing 20 percent of our fuel supply with homegrown, renewable fuels. I applaud DuPont for its innovation and leadership," said Senator Biden.    » read more »

Feb. 27, 2007 -- Dover – Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner and the State Employment Benefits Committee today officially launched DelaWELL, a voluntary state employee health and wellness initiative that will include a confidential health risk assessment and a comprehensive education and lifestyle plan custom tailored for participants.

“Our state employees are a vital resource in ensuring Delaware’s continued success,” Gov. Minner said. “As Governor, I know that investing in our state employees’ continued health is critical. DelaWELL will not only provide employees the opportunity to achieve a healthy lifestyle goal, but it will complement our other successful health initiatives, such as the Know Your Numbers Campaign.”

The DelaWELL program begins with a health risk assessment through a confidential, personalized questionnaire designed to evaluate participants’ health status. After completing the health risk assessment, participants will receive a personal report that includes feedback, tools and resources to assist in making lifestyle changes.    » read more »

February 27, 2007 -- State wildlife areas throughout Delaware provide vital nesting boxes for screech owls. More than 350 boxes have been placed in the state’s fourteen wildlife areas by DNREC’s Divison of Fish and Wildlife biologists. The boxes are perched high on predator-proof poles at heights from six to thirty feet above the ground in forested wetlands. Although the boxes are primarily for wood ducks, they provide the perfect roosting and nesting places for screech owls.

According to Wayne Lehman, DNREC Fish and Wildlife Regional Manager, the nesting boxes are cleaned annually in January and February before the bird’s breeding season. “Over the years, our conservation efforts to protect screech owls by providing safe, nesting and roosting areas have been important,” said Lehman. “In addition, annual winter cleaning of the nesting boxes provides us with the opportunity to band the owls and record important data that’s used to help assess the overall health of the species. Throughout the year, we ask that the public not open the boxes because owls will abandon nests if disturbed by humans.”    » read more »

February 20, 2007 -- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary John A. Hughes has issued a Notice of Administrative Penalty Assessment and Secretary’s Order to Formosa Plastics Corporation for violations at its Delaware City facility of Delaware’s air pollution control regulations. These violations occurred between April 15, 2005 and July 25, 2006 and include releases of air contaminants, contaminated wastewater and hydrogen chloride emissions in excess of permitted levels. Since the incidents, for all cases, Formosa has adopted measures to prevent recurrence of the violations.

Formosa Plastics is a manufacturer whose core business is the production and processing of commodity chemicals and plastic resins. The Delaware City facility produces polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin for bulk sale to other industries that produce PVC end products.    » read more »

February 20, 2007 -- The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife will hold a public workshop at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8 in the DNREC Auditorium, Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, to present findings on the status of Delaware’s oyster resources and discuss oyster management recommendations for the 2007 fishing season.    » read more »

February 20, 2007 -- As part of this month’s First Saturdays in the First State, the First State Heritage Park at Dover will present a program revisiting one of the darker chapters in Delaware’s criminal history: the story of Red Hannah, the whipping post used in Kent County to punish those convicted of crimes such as assault and battery, theft and other felonies.

Whipping was used as a form of punishment in Delaware from the early 1700s to 1972, when the law allowing it was repealed. The state’s last public whipping occurred in the 1950s. Each of Delaware’s three counties had its own whipping post. Red Hannah stood outside the prison on the northeast corner of The Dover Green, near the present location of the Delaware Visitor Center and Biggs Museum of American Art.    » read more »

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2007, Dover – Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner announced today that she has appointed William G. “Bill” Bush IV of Dover to serve as her legal counsel.

Bush, 39, currently has a private legal practice in Dover and serves as attorney for the House Democratic Caucus. He is a former policy advisor and legal counsel to the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security, a position he held from 2001 to 2005.    » read more »

February 15, 2007 -- Two energy conservation workshops developed for farmers, agribusiness and members of Delaware’s agricultural community have been scheduled:

• Wednesday, February 21 in Sussex County
6 – 8 p.m.
University of Delaware, Carvel Research & Education Center
16483 County Seat Highway
Georgetown

• Thursday, March 1 in Kent County
6 – 8 p.m.
University of Delaware, Paradee Building
69 Transportation Circle
Dover    » read more »

Feb. 14, 2007 -- Dover – Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner issued the following statement today in response to DaimlerChrysler’s decision to idle its plant in Newark in 2009:

“I want to commend our state team on making an outstanding presentation to DaimlerChrysler after we learned of the company’s plans for restructuring. Company officials told us Delaware’s presentation was the best of any state, and we appreciate them working with us on what is clearly a very important economic development project,” Gov. Minner said. “While we were hoping for no reductions at the plant, this news is not as bad as it could have been in light of the company-wide cost reductions. We are pleased that the plant will not be closed and look forward to continued opportunities to work with DaimlerChrysler in the years ahead to develop strategies that would help the facility return to production. Again, we never want to see Delaware jobs impacted, but this decision offers us another opportunity to keep this plant viable in the years ahead.”

Source: Delaware Governor's Office