The Delaware DMV has implemented Senate Bill 168, regarding “Driver Education on Traffic Stop Procedures” offering resources to help better educate and inform drivers. Introduced by Former Senator Margaret Rose Henry, Representative Debra Heffernan, and Former Representative Charles Potter Jr., the bill amends Title 14, Title 18, and Title 21 of the Delaware Code relating to driver education on traffic stop procedures. In support of Senate Bill 168, the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles has developed a series of videos that clarify and define the roles of the driver, law enforcement officer, and others during a traffic stop.

The videos are located at https://de.gov/TrafficStop along with the full text and links to download Senate Bill 168 in both English and Spanish. Use of these tools can assist in the elimination of stress and confusion and ensure the safety of all parties involved during a traffic stop.

The Delaware Department of Transportation and Division of Motor Vehicles wants to ensure the safety of all citizens in the State of Delaware. Partnering with local law enforcement for this initiative was an important step to ensure everyone is educated and aware of what to expect during a traffic stop.

“Working with our legislators and partners in law enforcement, these new tools provide a better understanding of traffic stop procedures and can lessen the anxiety that can be experienced during these situations. The ultimate goal is to help both the driver and law enforcement officer have a safe and respectful interaction,” said Secretary of Transportation Jennifer Cohan.

Jana Simpler, Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles stated, “In a never-ending effort in ensuring the safety of Delaware’s motoring public, DMV was proud to partner with state and local law enforcement to develop clear and concise tools to educate the public about the traffic stop process. Ensuring all parties are aware of their roles during a traffic stop ensures everyone makes it homes safely.”

Sgt. Richard D. Bratz, Public Information Director of the Delaware State Police commented, “The Delaware State Police is committed to public safety as well as providing resources essential to sustain healthy and secure communities. As such, we are proud to partner with the Delaware Department of Transportation, Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles and law enforcement agencies throughout Delaware to spread this vital message of best practices when interacting with law enforcement during a traffic stop. It is our mission to work with our communities to leverage innovative ideas and technology to deliver quality police services to reduce crime and improve public safety while respecting the rights of all citizens.

Please take the time to educate yourself and your family on the law, rules, and procedures of what to expect during a traffic stop. We thank the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles for including this important information for our newest drivers to our veteran drivers for a safer Delaware.”

Lt. Andrew Rubin, Administration Division Commander of the Newark Police Department states “the Department is committed to respecting the rights of all citizens that we encounter. A traffic stop can be a stressful encounter for both the citizen being stopped and the police officer affecting the stop. There are specific rules and procedures that officers must follow during a traffic stop, and various laws and case law dictate what an officer and the citizen can do during the stop.

The Newark Police were happy to partner with the Division of Motor Vehicles to help inform the public of best practices for interacting with a police officer during a traffic stop. We encourage the public to familiarize themselves with the procedures that DMV is disseminating.

Remember – when a police officer stops a vehicle, they likely do not know who is in the car at the time and whether the occupant(s) has committed a crime other than a traffic offense. This can be stressful for all parties involved. Please follow the procedures outlined in the guide from DMV to minimize the stress of a traffic stop.”

For more information on Senate Bill 168, “Driver Education on Traffic Stop Procedures,” please visit https://de.gov/TrafficStop 

LEWES (Aug. 29, 2019) – The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park will reopen today, August 29, DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation announced. The area to reopen includes a stretch of ocean beach and dunes that was previously closed on March 1 to benefit more than 30 species of shorebirds including up to 11 species of terns, six species of gulls, the brown pelican, and the double-crested cormorant as well as threatened and endangered species such as red knots, piping plovers, least terns, oystercatchers, and others.

Piping plovers, least terns and oystercatchers nest on the upper portion of the beach between the high tide line and the toe of the dunes and on large flat areas known as “washover flats” created by storm waves. The flat areas with no or little vegetation are attractive to these species because they provide direct access to the bay where waves are smaller, and feeding is easier.

Oystercatchers use their long bills to probe into the substrate and feed on bivalve mollusks and invertebrates. Piping plovers east small invertebrates like worms, mollusks and crustaceans gleaned from the surface of wet sand of mud. Various breeds of terns exclusively feed on the fish caught by diving into the water. Other migratory birds feed on invertebrates and by overturning rocks, shells, and debris to catch creatures seeking shelter underneath.

The bayside closure remains in effect until October 1 for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter. Piping plovers migrate to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States; least terns migrate to coastal areas of South America and Central America; oystercatchers typically migrate to the Florida coast and Gulf of Mexico.

DNREC’s Divisions of Parks & Recreation, Fish & Wildlife, and Watershed Stewardship have been working together since 1990 to implement a management plan to halt the decline of beachnester and migratory shorebird populations. The Point has been closed annually since 1993 and is the only undisturbed beach habitat along the Atlantic coast of Delaware.

For more information, contact Cape Henlopen State Park at 302-645-8983.

DOVER – Bayhealth and Beebe Medical Centers have each received $750,000 in federal grant funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to develop rural residency programs. HRSA awarded approximately $20 million in Rural Residency Planning and Development Program (RRPD) grants to recipients across 21 states. The two health systems were among 27 nationwide that will receive up to $750,000 over a three-year period to develop new rural residency programs while achieving accreditation through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

The award comes at a time when the number of full-time equivalent primary care physicians providing direct patient care in Delaware is declining. That number declined about 6 percent from 2013 to 2018, according to a University of Delaware study of the primary care physician workforce commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). In 2018, there were 815 individual primary care physicians practicing in Delaware, down from 862 in 2013.

“These funds will significantly help us strengthen the primary care workforce in Delaware, particularly the central and southern parts of the state,” said DHSS Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a board-certified family physician. “We need more primary care physicians to remain in practice and find ways to encourage new doctors, including those from minority and rural backgrounds, to choose primary care as their specialty.”

Another concerning trend shows a declining percentage of primary care physicians expecting to be active in five years, especially in Kent County. Kent has the highest percentage of physicians 65 and older (25 percent), compared with Sussex County (16 percent) and New Castle County (13 percent). Only 60 percent of primary care physicians in Kent County reported that they will be active in five years, compared to 70 percent in Sussex County and 78 percent in New Castle County.

“We are extremely grateful for, and excited about, the opportunities this funding provides for our state,” said Division of Public Health (DPH) Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “As demonstrated in Kent and Sussex counties, rural communities are more likely to have a shortage of health professionals. However, clinicians who train in rural settings are more likely to continue to practice there after they complete their residencies. This grant award will help us enhance the pool of long-term practicing physicians.”

The Rural Residency Planning and Development Program (RRPD), administered by HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) and Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW), is part of a multi-year initiative by HRSA to expand the physician workforce in rural areas by developing new, sustainable residency programs in family medicine, internal medicine, and psychiatry. Rural residency programs often face challenges in securing sustainable financing and faculty support. The RRPD grant award funding will help recipients address these challenges.

Both Beebe and Bayhealth have chosen to focus on family medicine in their residency programs. The Bayhealth program will include six residents per year and the Beebe program will include four residents per year.

“We are thrilled to have been awarded this grant from HRSA. This grant will be used to continue our promise to deliver the nation’s best health care here at home,” said Bayhealth President & CEO Terry M. Murphy, FACHE. “As we look toward our future at Bayhealth, our medical education programs are an investment not only in Bayhealth’s future, but in the future of each community we serve.”

“We are excited as Beebe embarks on another transformative journey and begins looking at providing medical education and training programs to doctors,” said Beebe Medical Group Senior Vice President/CMO, Bobby Gulab, MD, MBA. “This will also allow us to keep more of these doctors in the area and continue to meet the needs of the community. I have no doubt Drs. James and Richard Beebe would have been very proud of the steps Beebe is taking to help our community and to provide medical education to doctors.”

“Bayhealth and Beebe Medical Centers are both vital sources of care for many Delawareans,” said Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health. “This grant will expand the primary care physician workforce in Sussex and Kent counties, which will allow us to reduce some of the barriers patients experience when seeking medical care.”

“Delaware and states across the country are grappling with a shortage of primary care physicians in rural and underserved areas,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper. “As we continue to look for ways to increase access to quality, affordable health care to everyone no matter where they live or how much money they make, this federal grant will go a long way to attract and retain primary care physicians to Delaware where we need them the most.”

“We’re facing a projected shortage of primary care physicians in our country, particularly in places like Kent and Sussex counties. The number of older folks who will need access to quality health care is also predicted to double in the next twenty years,” said U.S. Senator Chris Coons. “The Rural Residency Planning and Development Program is one of many initiatives supported by Congress to address these shortages while supporting medical centers like Bayhealth and Beebe.”

Both Kent County – 2,069 patients per primary care physician – and Sussex County – 2,014 patients per physician –¬ are above the 2,000-to-one ratio used by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to designate shortage areas.

To review a complete list of all grant recipients, visit www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/rural-residency-planning-development.

For more information about rural health policy issues, visit https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/index.html.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

Additional victims encouraged to contact Consumer Protection Unit

The Delaware Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Unit today announced three indictments, including separate criminal charges against two brothers, in a series of home improvement frauds targeting older Delawareans.

Isaac K. Lovell, 44, of Bear was indicted on July 8, 2019 on charges including Racketeering, Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering, Home Improvement Fraud, and Theft Greater than $100,000. The indictment alleges that Isaac Lovell utilized his home improvement business, Phire-Fly Contracting Co., to defraud senior citizens, including an older woman from whom Lovell received over $600,000 between 2015 and 2017. A warrant was issued for Isaac Lovell’s arrest in July 2019; he was recently arrested in Ohio and extradited to Delaware on August 13, 2019.

David H. Lovell, 48, of Wilmington was indicted on August 19, 2019, on charges including Racketeering and Home Improvement Fraud. The indictment against David Lovell alleges that between 2015 and 2017, he used his home improvement business, DHL & Son Contracting, to defraud multiple elderly individuals. In a pattern similar to his brother’s, David Lovell convinced his victims to pay him for home improvement services that he never completed.

Andrew W. Masserelli, 48, of Magnolia was indicted on August 5, 2019, on charges of Home Improvement Fraud and Theft Greater than $1,500. Between 2016 and 2018, Masserelli and his business, Drew’s Tree Service, allegedly defrauded multiple homeowners, including two senior citizens, by failing to substantially complete tree removal work on their properties after accepting money.

Individuals who believe they have been defrauded by any of these individuals or their businesses are encouraged to contact the Department of Justice at (302) 577-8600. Other reports of home improvement fraud, in general, should be made to local law enforcement.

CPU advises Delawareans hiring a contractor for home improvement work to be alert for scams, and to help avoid them by doing homework before hiring a contractor:

• Contractors should always be bonded and maintain all required licenses for mechanical work.
• Get references and follow up on them, including conducting online searches and searching for companies at the Delaware Better Business Bureau’s website.
• Do research and talk to friends and neighbors about a contractor’s reputation.
• Always have terms with contractors memorialized in writing.
• Never pay for the work in cash or in full up front, keep detailed payment records, and withhold final payment until you are satisfied with the work.

Because fraud victims are often embarrassed, Delawareans with older loved ones are encouraged to have their loved ones contact them before entering into any home improvement contract, and to visit loved ones’ residence regularly when home improvement work is being performed.

For more tips on hiring a contractor, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website.

The Delaware Department of Justice reminds the public that an indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a jury trial at which the State bears the burden of proving each charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

Bond refunding saves taxpayers $15 million

WILMINGTON, Del. – Delaware’s proactive fiscal management has been recognized with the announcement of the State’s triple-A bond ratings and an upgrade of the rating for Delaware Transportation Authority (DTA) bonds. The State’s ratings were issued in advance of the refunding of $123 million of Series 2009D Build America Bonds that will save Delaware taxpayers more than $15 million over the next decade. DTA’s ratings were issued as the Authority priced $138 million of new Series 2019 Transportation System Senior Revenue Bonds. Bond ratings reflect an issuer’s financial management policies and practices, ability to make future debt service payments, and economic strength, stability and diversity. Both the State and DTA’s bond issues were priced at interest rates that will result in historically low costs for Delaware taxpayers. 

“Delawareans expect us to responsibly manage taxpayer dollars, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Governor John Carney. “We have an ongoing commitment to ensuring that our fiscal house is in order. These important bond issues and our excellent bond ratings will save us money, and help finance important infrastructure projects like schools and roadway projects all across our state.”

The State’s August refunding refinanced $123 million of outstanding debt through a competitive bid process resulting in a 1.12% all-in borrowing cost — the lowest in modern state history for debt of a similar maturity. The State general fund will realize savings of $1.12 million in the current fiscal year alone. The original bonds financed numerous capital projects including schools, libraries, and other state infrastructure projects.  

“The State’s very successful refinancing reflects a team effort by the Carney Administration, the General Assembly, and our financial and legal advisors,” said Secretary of Finance Rick Geisenberger. “Delaware’s premier bond rating reflects many years of prudent fiscal management and recent efforts to limit operating budget growth, boost reserves during good times, and steer one-time revenues to one-time projects. Our goal continues to be preserving the State’s financial flexibility while ensuring that public borrowing is done responsibly and affordably.”

DTA priced its $138 million of new bonds at a competitive all-in rate of 2.11%. This rate followed the announcement that DTA’s bond rating was upgraded by Moody’s Investor Services from Aa2 to Aa1 while Standard & Poor’s reaffirmed its AA+ rating. Moody’s also upgraded the Authority’s outstanding US 301 Project Revenue Bonds Series 2015 from A1 to Aa3 and its Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Series 2015 Bonds from A2 to Aa3. The Delaware Department of Transportation’s steady reduction in its overall debt combined with continued positive trends in toll, DMV and motor fuel revenues helps lower the cost of capital and frees up funding to further maintain and improve transportation infrastructure throughout Delaware.    

“We are very pleased with the rating services’ upgrade, and having a strong rating enables the Department to get the most out of every taxpayer dollar,” said Secretary of Transportation Jennifer Cohan. “DelDOT is excited to continue delivering on Delaware’s largest Capital Transportation Program in its history.”

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