For Immediate Release

Contact: Julia Lawes – 302-577-8901

Prison Sentence for Man In Domestic Dispute

Others face prison for assault, weapons, and robbery charges

Deputy Attorney General Anna Currier secured a prison sentence for a 37-year-old Newark man who pled guilty earlier this year to Strangulation, Tampering with a Witness, and Assault Third Degree. In December 2017, George Bishop assaulted his girlfriend by punching, strangling, and pouring bleach on her. After his arrest, Bishop violated a protective order by contacting the victim, resulting in additional charges. A Superior Court judge sentenced Bishop to 7 years in prison, followed by 12 months of either home confinement or work release, then 18 months of GPS-monitored probation. DOJ social worker Stacey Murphy assisted with the prosecution.

A 23-year-old Elkton, MD man faces at least 5 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of Assault First Degree, Assault Second Degree, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. In June 2018, Daquan Hammond shot two people as they sat on the porch of a house on Rambo Terrace in New Castle. Hammond faces a minimum mandatory sentence of at least 5 years in prison when sentenced by a Superior Court judge in April. Deputy Attorney General Will Raisis secured the guilty plea, with paralegal Julianne Besznyak and social worker Courtney Cochran assisting with the case.

A string of robberies in the Newark and Bear area resulted in prison for a 34-year-old from Bear. Deputy Attorney General Marc Petrucci secured the sentence for Thomas Watson. Between December 2017 and January 2018, police believed Watson robbed 7 commercial businesses. In August, Watson pled guilty to 2 counts of Robbery First Degree. A Superior Court judge sentenced Watson to 6 years in prison followed by 6 months of probation. Detectives from the New Castle County Police Department and the Delaware State Police jointly investigated the case.

State Auditor, R. Thomas Wagner, Jr., has released the June 30, 2018 State of Delaware School District Construction Projects examination engagement report for New Castle County Vo-Tech School District.

The engagement was performed by AOA in accordance with attestation standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the standards applicable to attestation engagements contained in Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States.

Please read the full report, available at auditor.delaware.gov, to gain an understanding of the procedures performed and conclusions reached.

If you have any questions, please contact R. Thomas Wagner, State Auditor, at 302-739-5055 or R.Thomas.Wagner@delaware.gov.

Evidence photo of tires dumped in the Newark area. DNREC Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit photo.

NEWARK – Following an investigation into illegal dumping of scrap tires in Newark, DNREC Natural Resources Police Officers with the Environmental Crimes Unit arrested a Newark man Dec. 14 for illegal dumping and hauling solid waste without a permit. The illegal dumping of tires took place over several days earlier this month.

Robert B. Halter, 39, of Newark, was charged with two counts of causing or contributing to the disposal or discharge of solid waste materials and two counts of transportation, storage, or collection of solid waste without a permit.

Halter had active capias out of Justice of the Peace Court 11, New Castle County Court of Common Pleas, and Family Court. He was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 11 in New Castle, where he was committed to Howard Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington, after failing to pay $2,000 cash bond related to the prior capias. He received an additional $200 unsecured bond for the four charges of dumping and hauling scrap tires without a permit.

Delaware residents can report illegal trash dumping to DNREC’s Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit by calling the 24-hour environmental complaints line at 800-662-8802.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 340

Take your tree to a yard waste site or contact your waste collector

DOVER – DNREC encourages Delawareans to give their recycling spirit a boost after the holiday season by taking their Christmas trees to one of many yard waste recycling facilities located throughout the state. Christmas trees will be accepted free of charge for recycling from Delaware residents at a number of facilities listed below; other drop-off sites may charge a fee as noted. The Department also reminds residents that Christmas trees are no longer accepted for recycling at any of DNREC’s Delaware State Parks.

“Recycling Christmas trees has been an environmentally-friendly tradition for many years, and we hope that Delawareans will continue that tradition this holiday season,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin.

Residents can bring in their trees as early as today’s date and as late as Jan. 28, 2019, but should contact a facility beforehand for specific hours and details. Trees will not be accepted from commercial haulers or tree vendors without prior approval. Artificial decorations, including hooks, wire, tinsel, flocking (fake snow), and ornaments, as well as wood and metal tree stands, must be removed from all trees before dropping them off for recycling.

Only Christmas trees will be accepted for free from Delaware residents. Facilities may charge a fee for other yard waste. Other locations throughout the state, including some businesses, waste haulers, and landscapers, also accept Christmas trees for recycling for a fee. Also, your regular trash hauler may offer special collection dates for Christmas trees in January, and municipal or regional collection or drop-off events may be held in your area.

Christmas tree recycling saves valuable landfill space in Delaware. More than 180,000 tons of yard waste, including grass, leaves, brush, trees, and other lawn maintenance and landscaped materials, was recycled throughout the state in 2017. Prior to Delaware’s yard waste ban, many of these materials – considered a resource for composting and reuse rather than waste – were deposited in landfills, taking up valuable space and limiting local markets for mulch and compost products.

Christmas trees may be dropped off by Delaware residents at the following locations:

New Castle County

Copeland’s Mulch Depot (Free for trees purchased at Copeland’s; otherwise $5)
2 Honeysuckle Drive, Stanton, DE 19804; phone 302-633-9536
Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.*
Closed until Jan. 2

Polly Drummond Hill Road Community Yard Waste Demonstration Site (FREE)
Located in the Pike Creek area on Polly Drummond Hill Road, about 1/2 mile north of Kirkwood Highway.
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., through Jan. 13. The site will close starting Jan. 14; for more information, visit www.de.gov/yardwaste.

Kent County

Kent County will collect Christmas trees on residents’ regular trash days from Jan. 7-11 and 14-18 for customers in trash districts with yard waste collection service.

Sussex County

Grizzly’s Landscape Supply Service ($10/tree)
14680 Coastal Highway, Milton, DE 19968, phone 302-644-0654
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.*

Mr. Mulch (Free Christmas Tree Recycling)
22288 Coverdale Road, Seaford, DE 19973, phone 302-629-5737
Hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-4 p.m.*

Millville Organic Center (Free Christmas Tree Recycling)
Whites Neck Road (0.5 miles North of Route 26) Millville, DE 19967, phone 302-423-2601
Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.*
NOTE: Closed Dec. 24-Jan. 2, reopens Jan. 3.

Selbyville Mulch, Stone, & Soil (free for active customers within the last 6 months)
38205 DuPont Boulevard, Selbyville, DE 19975, phone 302-436-8286
Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.*

Stockley Materials (Free Christmas Tree Recycling)
25136 DuPont Boulevard, Georgetown, DE 19947, phone 302-856-7601
Hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-5 p.m.*

*Please call ahead as businesses may alter their hours of operation around the holidays.

Delawareans are also reminded that Jan. 13, 2019 is the last day to drop materials off at DNREC’s Polly Drummond Hill Road yard waste site, which will close for maintenance Jan. 14.

For more information about yard waste, including drop-off sites, visit DNREC’s website, www.de.gov/yardwaste, or call 302-739-9403, ext.1.

Contact: Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 341

The Governor’s Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens (GACEC) and its community partners, are pleased to report that the Heart 2 Heart Hugs campaign has now begun. Heart 2 Heart Hugs is focused on providing warmth, comfort, hugs and smiles for kids and young adults in Delaware who are homeless or in foster care. Donations of “hugs” (to include new or handmade coats, blankets, scarves, gloves, fleece items, monetary donations and more) will continue until February 2019 for this year’s effort.

The GACEC has received tremendous support not only from individuals within the community, but from area businesses, state agencies and other organizations as well. Most recently the Twisted Stitchers crocheting group that meets at Dover’s Modern Maturity Center donated many large bags of beautiful handmade items. In October the program was blessed with another large donation of handmade items from the Care Wear project that is part of Volunteer Delaware.

Statistics from the Delaware Department of Education (DOE) show that in the 2017-18 school year, there were 21,168 students receiving special education services. Roughly one third of those students are homeless or in foster care. Homelessness impacts children and the State of Delaware in many ways. Health issues, food security and educational proficiency are areas that the report uses to show how great the needs are for children who are homeless. Wendy Strauss, executive director of the GACEC stated that “…this project connects hearts and collects hugs for our children in foster care and for our children who are homeless.

Programs like this let our children know that we are thinking about them and we care for them.” Dover Mayor, Robin R. Christiansen commented during his remarks at the Kickoff Event, held November 29th at Central Middle School, “Every one of us can make a difference in the lives of someone who is not as fortunate as we are, and we should strive to do that daily.” Secretary Josette Manning of the Division of Services for Children Youth and their Families (DSCYF) spoke about the blessing that this program is to those experiencing placement in foster care or homelessness. “Often the transition to foster care is a move that is quick and traumatic for the children, having something of their very own at a new place can be such a comfort.” Wendy Strauss concluded the kickoff by reminding everyone to connect hearts and collect hugs for our children who are homeless or in foster care across the State. Items will be collected through February 11, 2019, with the distribution event scheduled to take place on February 14, 2019 at George Massey Station in Dover. The distribution reception will allow foster care representatives and school homeless liaisons from around the State the opportunity to select needed items for their clients.

Drop-off points are located throughout the state and may be found on the homepage of the GACEC at http://gacec.delaware.gov. Contact the GACEC at (302) 739-4553 or Sybil Baker, GACEC Administrative Coordinator Sybil.brown@gacec.k12.de.us for additional information.