Governor, delegation call on Trump Administration to ramp up relief efforts in Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor Carney, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester on Friday released the following joint statement regarding relief efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands:

“The devastation that has affected the lives of millions of Americans in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is heartbreaking. These men, women and children may be thousands of miles away from Delaware, but they are our neighbors and we have a responsibility to help them recover and rebuild. The President has taken an important first step that temporarily makes it easier to ship aid and supplies to Puerto Rico, and we’re glad Congress has approved a first installment of disaster assistance, but there’s much more work to be done.

“The Delaware National Guard has deployed troops and flown two dozen relief missions, but we are ready and willing to do more. We have more guard units specialized in communications, engineering, aviation, security, medical, and heavy truck driving that are ready and eager to assist the emergency response efforts.

“We are committed to doing everything in our power to help, but the Trump Administration has the critical responsibility of taking the lead and activating the full force of the federal government to help these people. It must start by issuing a full disaster declaration for the entire island of Puerto Rico to ensure they can make use of all the assistance our country can give.”

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DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation, in partnership with the Fort Miles Historical Association, will host an open house for the public review and comment on proposed capital improvements to the Fort Miles Museum and Historic Area in Cape Henlopen State Park. The open house will feature informative exhibit boards on the proposed updated master plan for Cape Henlopen’s Fort Miles facilities and surrounding areas, and opportunities for the public to get information from DNREC staff and provide written feedback.

The open house will be held 5 -7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 16, at the Lewes Public Library, 111 Adams Ave., Lewes, DE, 19958.

Proposed capital improvements include upgraded and expanded parking areas for the museum complex, as well as an outdoor venue area at the north end of Battery 519.

Funding for the project comes entirely from foundation grants and private contributions raised by the Fort Miles Historical Association.

Media Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Providing C-130 Evacuation Transport and Staff Assistance

New Castle, Del. – Two Delaware National Guard C-130s and flight crews returned this week from a five-day mission assisting with hurricane relief efforts in the Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. While deployed, Delaware National Guard Airmen flew a total of more than 60 hours, transported 100 personnel, and more than 50 tons of cargo. These two crews remain on duty and on standby for follow-on missions.

One aircraft flew to Minnesota to pick up a Joint Incident Site Communications Capability package (JISCC, which is a portable, turn-key satellite communications system), a team of operators, military vehicles, and a pallet of equipment. This mission went to assist in Puerto Rico.

Another mission to assist Puerto Rico involved delivering vehicles, generators, emergency aid personnel, and medical equipment. This aircraft also evacuated about 40 people stranded in Puerto Rico, and transported them safely to Savannah, Ga.
“The National Guard has the expertise in supporting the Homeland, and this is just another example of citizen-Soldiers and Airmen at their best,” said Maj. Gen. Carol Timmons, Adjutant General, Delaware National Guard. “We are leaning forward as much as possible. We have hundreds of troops who are prepared and eager to answer the call.”

However, the Delaware National Guard cannot unilaterally send support. This is a nationally coordinated response and Delaware can only be tasked by the National Guard Bureau (NGB), using federal funds, or through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), using state funds. The Delaware National Guard is in close communication with NGB for federal taskings, and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency for support through EMAC.

“Our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico are suffering, and Delaware continues to stand ready to assist them,” said Governor John Carney. “We will continue to look for ways to send needed resources and personnel to help our fellow citizens in need. Thank you to members of our Delaware National Guard for their important service.”

For the past month, tens of thousands of Citizen-Soldiers, Airmen, and women have answered the call in supporting the homeland – and Delaware is a strong partner. Since the end of August, about 50 Delaware National Guardsmen and women have deployed to support the relief effort.

At the end of August, the Delaware National Guard sent about a dozen Soldiers and Airmen to the National Guard Bureau to assist in staffing the NGB Joint Operations Center. These positions include experts in communications, operations, intelligence, logistics, and public affairs. We also launched a C-130 and flight crew to Texas. That team flew 11 sorties, transported 31 emergency aid personnel, more than 24 tons of cargo, and evacuated 183 people to safety.

On Labor Day Weekend, we deployed a team from our 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron via C-130 aircraft to help in Texas. This team is comprised of flight nurses, aeromedical evacuation technicians, and a health services administrator. Fortunately, the team was not needed for any medical emergencies and returned home safely.

We currently have about 30 on duty and hundreds ready to support engineering, aviation, communications, transportation, vehicle and equipment maintenance, security, and medical needs.

* Please take a look at our Facebook page (Delaware National Guard) and our Instagram (#Delawarenationalguard) to view photos both the devastation and support efforts in Texas and the Caribbean. These photos are released and available for media use. We will continue to provide updates, and continue to post photos on our social media sites.

** Delaware National Guard will continue to provide updates as the event continues.

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Working group, established by Executive Order #13, will hold its first meeting October 6

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Friday announced appointments to the Delaware Offshore Wind Working Group, which was established last month by Executive Order 13 to study potential environmental and economic development benefits of offshore wind development to serve Delaware.

“Finding ways to participate in the development of alternate energy sources is the right decision for our environment and our economy, and has the potential to create good-paying jobs,” said Governor Carney. “The members of this working group will help us explore potential economic and environmental benefits of offshore wind development for Delaware, and determine costs and benefits for electric ratepayers across our state. Thank you to Bruce Burcat for agreeing to chair this group, and to all of those who have agreed to serve.”

Newly appointed members of the Offshore Wind Working Group are: 

• Bruce Burcat, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition, Chair
• Senator David McBride
• Senator Harris McDowell
• Representative Trey Paradee
• Representative Ronald Gray
• Secretary Jeff Bullock, Delaware Department of State
• Secretary Shawn Garvin, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
• Robert Howatt, Executive Director, Public Service Commission Staff
• Drew Slater, Public Advocate
• Albert Shields, Policy Director, Office of the Governor
• Mario Giovanni, Director of Energy Acquisition, Delmarva Power & Light
• Patrick McCullar, President and CEO, Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation
• Mark Nielson, Vice President, Staff Services, Delaware Electrical Cooperative
• Professor Jeremy Firestone, Director, Center for Carbon-free Power Integration, University of Delaware
• Brenna Goggin, Director of Advocacy, Delaware Nature Society
• Jeffrey Gordon, President, American Birding Association
• Guy Marcozzi, President and CEO, Duffield Associates
• James Maravelias, President, Delaware State AFL-CIO
• Collin O’Mara, President and CEO, National Wildlife Federation

By December 15, the working group will submit a report to the Governor that makes recommendations on short- and long-term strategies for developing wind power to serve Delaware, and plans to develop job opportunities in the offshore wind industry. The group also will draft any necessary legislation, including possible amendments to Delaware’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards Act.

The first meeting of the Offshore Wind Working Group is scheduled for Friday, October 6 at 9:00 a.m. in the Delaware Public Service Commission Hearing Room, 861 Silver Lake Blvd., Dover, DE 19904. All Delaware Offshore Wind Working Group meetings will be listed on the statewide calendar and are open to the public. Meeting agendas, minutes and related materials will be posted on the state calendar as well. Information about the October 6 meeting can be found here.

More information about the Offshore Wind Working Group can be found on the DNREC website.

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Related news:
Governor Carney’s Statement on Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Announcement on Emission Reductions
Governor Carney to Trump Administration: No Drilling in the Atlantic
Delaware Joins U.S. Climate Alliance to Uphold Goals of Paris Agreement
Governor Carney’s Statement on President Trump’s Order to Review Offshore Drilling Restrictions 

Also, Wilmington man faces life in prison after murder conviction; Former nonprofit executive sentenced to prison for stealing donations

Steven Kellam, the leader of a violent crime network that operated in Sussex and Kent counties, was convicted on several felony charges including 2 counts of Murder First Degree, and will spend the rest of his life in prison when sentenced later this year. A Superior Court jury convicted Kellam, 37, of Seaford, on charges of 2 counts of Murder First Degree, 1 count of Organized Crime and Racketeering, 27 counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, 3 counts of Conspiracy Second Degree, 1 count of Conspiracy First Degree, 3 counts of Home Invasion, 2 counts of Robbery First Degree, 2 counts of Assault Second Degree, 1 count of Assault Third Degree, 2 counts of Attempted Robbery First Degree, and 1 count of Wearing a Disguise During the Commission of a Felony. In addition to several other crimes, Kellam along with Richard Robinson, Rhamir Waples, Shamir Stratton and Carlton Gibbs were found to be involved in a January 2014 home invasion robbery on Harmon’s Hill Road in Millsboro, during which Cletis Nelson and William Hopkins were shot and killed. The criminal enterprise was brought down in the summer of 2015 by a joint investigation by the Delaware State Police and the Delaware Department of Justice, called Operation “In the House.” Kellam’s case was the last to be resolved of those involved in the January 2014 incident. In addition to Kellam’s conviction:

• Richard Robinson pled guilty in December 2016 to Murder Second Degree, Organized Crime and Racketeering, 2 counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, 1 count of Conspiracy First Degree, and 1 count of Burglary First Degree.
• Rhamir Waples was convicted by a jury in March 2017 of 2 counts of Murder First Degree, 15 counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, 1 count of Home Invasion, 2 counts of Robbery First Degree, and 1 count of Conspiracy Second Degree.
• Shamir Stratton pled guilty in December 2016 to Home Invasion, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Robbery First Degree, and Conspiracy Second Degree.
• Carlton Gibbs pled guilty in May 2017 to Robbery Second Degree.

Deputy Attorneys General Chris Hutchison and Martin Cosgrove prosecuted the case. The original release with details on Operation “In The House” can be found here. Department of Justice has worked with Delaware State Police and other agencies over the past few years in bringing down similar criminal enterprises as part of other joint investigations including: “Operation Golden Horseshoe” in August 2017 related to a drug trafficking operation in Sussex County; Operation Duck Hunt” in May 2016 involving heroin trafficking and money laundering in Kent and Sussex counties; and “Operation Son Sun” which resulted in guilty adjudications for all 46 defendants tied to Delaware’s largest heroin trafficking organization. DOJ prosecutors have also successfully prosecuted multiple members of the Touch Money Gang (TMG), Only My Brothers (OMB) and the Shoot to Kill (STK) criminal gangs.

A 40-year-old Wilmington man will spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2015 fatal shooting of another man in the city. A Superior Court jury convicted Damian Thomas of Murder First Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, and Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon. In April 2015, 38-year-old Deshannon Reid was on the phone while sitting with his mother on his porch in the unit block of West 27th Street when Thomas came up and tried to talk to him. The two men argued when Reid told Thomas to leave him alone, prompting Thomas get a gun from a nearby apartment, return, and use it shoot Reid. Thomas fled after the shooting and was arrested in Cherry Hill, New Jersey in July 2016. A judge will sentence Thomas to life in prison in November. Deputy Attorneys General Annemarie Puit and Eric Zubrow prosecuted the case, with assistance from social worker Donna Lindsey, investigator John Ciritella, paralegals Stacey Coupe and Jamie Prater, and administrative specialist Evelyn Davis.

Eric Harris, the former executive director of Sojourners’ Place in Wilmington, will spend 7 years in prison for stealing from the non-profit organization. The 51-year-old Harris pled guilty in Superior Court in April 2017 to Theft over $100,000, Act of Intimidation, and Forgery Second Degree. Starting in fall 2013, Harris began stealing donation checks sent to Sojourners Place totaling $189,947, depositing them into a bank account he had set up in the charity’s name without its authorization. Harris then withdrew those funds as cash or charged the account for personal expenses. A Superior Court judge sentenced Harris to a total of 35 years in prison, of which he will serve 7 years, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 1 year of probation. Harris was ordered to have no contact with Sojourners’ Place or its employees, and not to handle any funds for any future employer. Harris must also pay restitution to Sojourners’ Place and its insurance carrier. During the sentencing hearing, the judge expressed the magnitude of the impact that this economic crime had on the community, and the good, charitable work done by Sojourners’ Place. Deputy Attorneys General Stephen McDonald and Thomas Brown of the DOJ Consumer Protection Unit prosecuted the case. Detective Michael Hayman of the Wilmington Police led the criminal investigation.

Deputy Attorney General Jenna Milecki secured a prison sentence for a 33-year-old Middletown man who sexually abused a child. Daniel Alvarez pled guilty in July to one count of Rape Third Degree and one count of Attempted Unlawful Sexual Contact First Degree in connection with his repeated abuse of a child throughout 2014. A Superior Court judge sentenced Alvarez to 11 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 4 years of probation. Alvarez must also register as a Tier 3 sex offender. DOJ social worker Claudia Melton assisted with the case.

A 34-year-old New Castle man will face at least 10 years in prison for raping a child. Gemiyale Adkins pled guilty to one count of Rape Second Degree and one count of Rape Fourth Degree in Superior Court. During the late summer of 2016, Adkins sexually assaulted a young child. When sentenced by a Superior Court judge in November, Adkins faces a minimum mandatory prison sentence of 10 years, and will be required to register as a Tier 3 sex offender. Deputy Attorney General Jenna Milecki prosecuted the case with assistance from social worker Claudia Melton.