Governor Announces Expansion of Addiction Treatment Services

Downstate detox center, increase in individualized treatment services, and informational website part of Statewide efforts

Wilmington, DE – Building on ongoing efforts to address the addiction epidemic in Delaware and the growing need of drug treatment services statewide, Governor Markell today unveiled efforts to expand addiction treatment services and support for Delawareans impacted by addiction.AddictionTreatmentPlan

“Across our state, too many of our neighbors and their family members are impacted by their loved one’s addiction to heroin, prescription drugs, alcohol or other substances,” said Governor Markell. “We must remain committed to opening the doors to addiction treatment because people deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential, free from the pain that addiction brings.”

Part of the efforts unveiled include establishing a new withdrawal management treatment center in Sussex County to serve individuals who live downstate. Currently, the State operates one detox center, NET Kirkwood Detoxification Center, in New Castle County. In addition, the State plans to offer more individualized treatment services at both locations through variable lengths of stay and increased supervision for those who require intense monitoring.

Funding for the new facility, which totals $950,000, is part of the $1 million that was approved by the General Assembly for FY15 to address gaps in the State’s drug treatment services after the Governor called for additional resources in his State of the State address. The other $50,000 of those funds will allow the Delaware Division of Public Health to work closely with Delaware school nurses to expand the “Smart Moves, Smart Choices” prescription drug abuse education and prevention campaign statewide.

“Above all else, we will achieve our greatest success if we can educate and prevent substance use among our young people,” said Governor Markell.AddictionTreatmentPlan

Recognizing the importance of education and prevention in addressing the addiction epidemic, the State also launched www.HelpIsHereDE.com, an information website that puts an emphasis on prevention, treatment and recovery; and announced the launch of a public awareness campaign that will support the website and focus on reducing the stigma associated with addiction.

The Governor also expressed his gratitude to Members of the General Assembly, including Senators Margaret Rose Henry and Bethany Hall-Long, as well as Representatives Mike Barbieri, Helene Kelley and Michael Mulrooney, who have worked with the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), advocates, health care providers and other community leaders to help shape the state’s priorities to address addiction.

Photos from the event


Four family farms honored as Delaware Century Farms

Photos are available for media use on Flickr.

DOVER – Four families which have owned their farms for at least 100 years were honored as owners of Century Farms on Tuesday in a ceremony honoring Delaware agriculture’s long heritage and historic roots.

“Delaware’s agricultural success rests on the shoulders of our farm families, more than 2,400 strong, many of which have worked the land for generations,” said Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee. “These families we honor today are the personification of the virtues of hard work, dedication and innovation that have made our industry so strong. I hope that their children and grandchildren continue in that long tradition of excellence.”

The inductions into the Century Farms Program bring the total number of farms recognized to 129, said Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Austin Short, who heads DDA’s Planning and Preservation Section. The Century Farm Awards have been presented annually since 1987.

“These farms are all active and working, producing fruit, vegetables, grain, livestock and poultry and contributing to Delaware’s $1.3 billion agricultural economy,” Short said. “We look forward to adding even more farms to this distinguished list in the years to come, and for all of our Century Farms to thrive and become 200-year farms.”

The families recognized Tuesday at the Delaware Agricultural Museum & Village included:

>> The Malfitano family (Joseph M. Malfitano), which owns a 56.5-acre farm near Greenwood, in the family since 1913 and now producing vegetables, fruit, soybeans and corn.

>> The Cook family (Mr. and Mrs. H. Wallace Cook Jr.), which owns a 109-acre farm near Newark, in the family since 1855 and now producing dairy, corn, soybean, wheat, alfalfa, beef and pork.

>> The Peterson family (Charles, Andrew and Brian Peterson), which owns a 31.5-acre farm near Bridgeville, in the family since 1909 and now producing corn and soybeans.

>> The Hudson family (Margaret T. Hudson, Jeffrey M. Hudson and Gregrey N. H udson), which owns a 300-acre farm near Millsboro, with the original 132-acre parcel in the family since 1908. The farm now produces corn, soybeans, wheat and poultry.

Legislative tributes were also presented from state Sens. Gary Simpson, Brian Pettyjohn, Gerald Hocker, Bruce Ennis and Bethany Hall-Long, and from state Reps. Dave Wilson, John Atkins, Earl Jacques and Harvey Kenton. Also in attendance were Reps. Bobby Outten and William Carson.

Century Farms must have been farmed by the same family for at least 100 years and must include at least 10 acres of the original parcel or gross more than $10,000 annually in agricultural sales.

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Media contact:

Dan Shortridge
Chief of Community Relations
Delaware Department of Agriculture
302-698-4520
daniel.shortridge@delaware.gov


Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs seeks next-of-kin for unmarked human remains found near Hawks Nest Circle in Lewes, Sussex County

In accordance with Title 7, Chapter 54, Section 5406(b) of the Delaware Code, the Director of the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Department of State, hereby gives notice of the discovery of unmarked human skeletal remains near Hawks Nest Circle in Lewes, Sussex County. The remains were discovered during construction work on private property.

The number of graves, and the age, gender and ethnicity of the individuals is uncertain. At least three burials are present. Initial study indicates that at least one of the individuals is of European or African descent. The dates of the burials are unknown, but are most likely to be between 1670 and 1900. The Woolgast, Clark, Clement, Oldman, Jacobs, Clarke, Phillips, Thomas, Burton, Wolfe, Gibbons and Willard families owned the land during this time period, but there may have been undocumented inhabitants.

Any persons who have reason to believe they may be next-of-kin to these individuals or have evidence that they have relatives buried in this location should contact the Director, Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, 21 The Green, Dover, DE 19901-3611; telephone 302-736-7400; weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; no later than Dec. 3, 2014.

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Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone:  302-736-7413
E-mail:  Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web:   http://history.delaware.gov


Governor’s Weekly Message: Supporting Great Educators Who Strengthen Our Schools


(Wilmington, DE) – In his weekly message, Governor Markell highlights the State’s efforts to support and recognize great teachers and their impact on overall student success.
“We all know how important teachers are to our children’s academic success,” said Governor Markell. “By giving great teachers the tools they need to be successful and by fairly rewarding their contributions in our schools, we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.”
Every week, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

YouTube: http://youtu.be/WhIMbDelRnc
Delaware.Gov: http://governor.delaware.gov/podcast_video.shtml
By email: Please contact our press team to subscribe to our press list
Facebook: www.facebook.com/governormarkell
Twitter: www.twitter.com/governormarkell

You can view the Governor’s Weekly Message Transcript: Supporting Great Educators Who Strengthen Our Schools


Governor’s Weekly Message Transcript: Supporting Great Educators Who Strengthen Our Schools

We all know how important teachers are to our children’s academic success. So to give our students the best possible education, we’ve got to celebrate and support great educators. That’s why my favorite event of the year is our annual State Teacher of the Year ceremony, where we recognize the state’s top educators and highlight their work as models for strengthening our schools. This year’s winner is Megan Szabo, who teaches middle school science at Postlethwait in the Caesar Rodney School District. Megan has risen to the challenge of not only helping her students, but also supporting her peers. She is a lead science teacher, head coach of the school’s Science Olympiad, and advisor to the National Junior Honor Society. Her students say her hands-on activities instill a love of learning and science. Just as Megan, and educators like her, inspire their students, they should also inspire our state’s leaders to listen and respond to their needs. Conversations with our state’s top teachers have highlighted the need to better attract and retain great educators, including those who pursue administrative positions because they can’t advance their careers while staying in the classroom. That’s why I’ve committed to raising starting salaries and giving teachers a path to increase their earnings by being leaders in their schools. Teacher input has also inspired us to improve educator preparation programs and support professional learning communities where teachers meet to discuss the progress of their students and the most effective lessons. And I’m proud of the recent increase in state funding for technology in our classrooms. By giving great teachers the tools they need to be successful and by fairly rewarding their contributions in our schools, we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.