DNREC has issued a recreational swimming advisory for Rehoboth Beach at Rehoboth Avenue based on elevated levels of bacteria found in a sample taken Wednesday by the Department’s environmental scientists.

The elevated levels of bacteria is most likely associated with rainfall that occurred on Tuesday night. These bacteria often originate from wildlife sources and increased rainfall, waves or wildlife feeding near the surf (shorebirds, marine mammals or other warm-blooded animals), which can result in these indicator bacteria washing into near-shore waters.

DNREC’s Recreational Water Program staff is collecting another water sample, with results from it available Friday afternoon, at which time a decision will be made to lift the current recreational swimming advisory or to extend it. Ocean beach swimming advisories usually can be ended after a day or so.

The City of Rehoboth Beach has been notified of the recreational advisory, and notice has gone out on DNREC’s Recreational Water advisory notification listserv.

Additional information on recreational swimming advisories and DNREC’s water testing program, and instructions on how to join the advisory notification list, can be found at https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/watershed-stewardship/assessment/recreational-water-monitoring/

The current advisory status for DNREC-monitored beaches and water bodies is at https://recwaters.dnrec.delaware.gov/.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The Division of Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with DNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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The public comment period on a pending application for an air permit for Croda Inc. will be extended until Aug. 15, 2020. The previous announced deadline was July 31, 2020.

Croda has requested a federally enforceable 7 DE Admin. Code 1102 construction permit for their facility at 315 Cherry Lane, in New Castle, to add a 12,000-gallon drumming tank (Blend Drumming Tank C, Emission Unit 2) to existing Blend Tanks A and B. The emission increase for the addition of Blend Tank C will be 0.36 ton per year (TPY) of volatile organic compounds (VOC) including 0.17 TPY hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) (primarily dioxane).

An informational public meeting was held virtually on this application on July 16, and a virtual public hearing was held on July 21. The official hearing transcript, along with information about this pending application, all exhibits entered into the hearing record, and all comments received on this matter to date, are available for review on the Croda hearing page at https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/events/virtual-public-hearing-croda-7-de-admin-code-1102-construction-permit/

Public comments may be submitted:

• through a comment form link on the hearing page at https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/public-hearings/comment-form/
• via email to DNRECHearingComments@delaware.gov
• via the US Postal Service to Lisa A. Vest, DNREC Office of the Secretary, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. For more information, visit the website and connect with DNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, Michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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This virtual retreat will take place online over a period of four weeks from August 10 – September 2, 2020

Wilmington, Del. (July 29, 2020) – Co-sponsored and coordinated by seven state arts agencies, the 2020 Mid-Atlantic Teaching Artist Virtual Retreat from August 10 through September 2, 2020 will bring together arts education professionals from across the Mid-Atlantic region to build and strengthen a regional network of highly qualified teaching artists.

Participants will have the opportunity to acquire financial tools, artistic knowledge, educational pedagogy, and self-care practices that are necessary to lead sustainable careers as entrepreneurs and creatives. Intended for teaching artists of all experience levels working in school and community settings, this retreat is designed to:

• support teaching artists holistically, sustaining both the profession (entrepreneur) and the person (discipline expertise)
• expand the arts education landscape to include more representation of rural, urban and suburban locations, in-school and out-of-school experiences, and diverse communities
• support teaching artists in developing resiliency in the “new normal” of online arts education deliver
• expand on the learnings of the 2018 Mid-Atlantic Teaching Artists Retreat
• connect teaching artists with colleagues across the Mid-Atlantic region.

Keynote Speaker

The keynote speaker for the Retreat is Michael O’Bryan, founder of Humanature, a consultancy working with nonprofits, businesses, local government agencies and their employees to transform how they understand and support human development, interaction, and performance.

O’Bryan is an expert practitioner and budding researcher in the fields of community development, organizational culture, and human wellbeing. O’Bryan has spent more than a decade working directly with resilient yet underserved populations — including veterans, adults in recovery, returning citizens, and families experiencing homelessness.

O’Bryan is currently an Innovation Fellow at Drexel University’s Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation and also serves as Director of Learning at The Village of Arts and Humanities, a non-profit located in North Philadelphia. O’Bryan currently serves on the boards of two philanthropic institutions, The Samuel S. Fels Fund and The Philadelphia Cultural Fund, and is every day inspired by exploring the science of our humanity.

Teaching Artist Virtual Retreat Agenda

All times are Eastern Daylight Time.

Monday, August 10
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Video Conference Platform Tutorial
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.: Opening Keynote: Michael O’Bryan

Tuesday, August 11
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: The Power of Ritual Practices, with Nicoletta de la Brown, Vida Mágica Love (MD)
4:00 – 5:15 p.m.: Side Hustle: How to Get Seen, Heard and Paid, with S. Rasheem, Ti Coleman and Krystal Lee (MD)

Wednesday, August 12
Session at capacity: 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Teaching Artists in the Elementary Classroom: A Discussion on What Works, with Kylie Proudfoot-Payne, ArtsBank, Inc. (WV)
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Art As Microphone; Empowering Student Voices through Transformative Art Education, with Matthew Adelberg, Baltimore City Public Schools (MD)
4:00 – 5:15 p.m.: Protest Poetry, with Katie Rainey and Javan Howard, Community Word Project (NY)

Thursday, August 13
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: State Arts Agency Teaching Artist Cohort Meetings

Tuesday, August 18
Session at capacity: 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Applying Indigenous African Principles in the Classroom: Decolonizing the Classroom, with Olu Butterfly, DewMore Baltimore (MD) (Limit of 40 participants)
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Remote Learning for Media Arts: Case Studies from Magic Box
Productions, with Patrick Lovejoy and Danilo Randijc-Coleman, Magic Box Productions (NY)
4:00 – 5:15 p.m.: Teaching & Presenting Theatre in a Virtual World, with Kasia Klimiuk, Our Fabulous Variety Show / IluminArt Productions (NY)

Wednesday, August 19
Session at capacity: 4:00 – 5:15 p.m.: Putting “Community” at the Center of a Community Based Arts Organization, with Alysia Souder, Hector Morales and Phritz Napoleon, Institute of Music for Children (NJ)
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Financial Wellness for Teaching Artists, with Elaine Grogan Luttrell, Minerva Financial Arts (DE)
Session at capacity: 4:00 – 5:15 p.m.: Exploring Virtual Engagement for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities, with Abby Schreer and Hayley Sheerwood, CO/LAB Theater Group (NY) (Limit of 40 participants)

Thursday, August 20
State Arts Agency Teaching Artist Cohort Meetings
Tuesday, August 25
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Creative Aging during COVID, with Julie Kline, Lifetime Arts (NY)
4:00 – 5:15 p.m.: Putting the Focus on Photo Essays, with Randall Coleman and Lisa Liebering, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (PA)

Wednesday, August 26
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Designing a Learning Story: Connecting Your Work to the Education Sector, Part 1 — Mapping Your Work, with Rob McAdams, University of Richmond (VA)
4:00 – 5:15 p.m.: Designing a Learning Story: Connecting Your Work to the Education Sector, Part 2, with Lisa Donovan, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and Rob McAdams, University of Richmond (VA)

Thursday, August 27
State Arts Agency Teaching Artist Cohort Meetings

Tuesday, September 1
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Healing Minds, Moving Bodies: Measuring the Mental Health Effects of Online Dance Classes during the COVID-19 Pandemic, with Rachel Rugh and Julia Basso, New River Moving Arts (VA)
4:00 – 5:15 p.m.: Teaching Artist as Leader, Entrepreneur and Futurist, with Jeff Poulin, Creative Generation (PA)

Wednesday, September 2
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Closing Plenary Panel TBA

The 2020 Mid-Atlantic Teaching Artists Virtual Retreat is a cosponsored project of the Delaware Division of the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.

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Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing
302-577-8280, leeann.wallett@delaware.gov

The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

NEW CASTLE (July 29, 2020) – Incoming Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Molly Magarik, who will be sworn into office July 31, today announced several leadership changes across the organization. The changes:

Marissa Catalon, who previously served as Deputy Director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS), has been appointed as the new Division Director effective July 1. Catalon replaced Marie Nonnenmacher, who is retiring on July 31. Catalon has served as Deputy Director for the past 2 ½ years and has worked for the State of Delaware for more than 27 years. She joined DDDS in 2005 as the Day and Transition Program Administrator for New Castle County. In 2011, she became the Statewide Director of Day and Transition Services, responsible for the oversight and management of all DDDS employment, day and transition services. Leslie Boyd, who previously served as Chief of Administration at the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, was appointed as DDDS’ new Deputy Director. She started in her new position on July 20. Boyd began her public service in 1996 at DHSS’ Division of Management Services in the Audit and Recovery Management Services Unit and held various positions prior to leaving DHSS and moving to the Children’s Department as Chief of Administration. For the past 15 years in that role, she was responsible for the management of the Cost Recovery/Client Eligibility Unit.

Corinna Getchell, who has served as Director of the Office of Health Facilities Licensing and Certification at the Division of Health Care Quality (DHCQ), will be appointed Division Director. Getchell has worked in her previous position at both DHCQ and at the Division of Public Health, when the Office of Health Facilities Licensing and Certification was part of that division. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she also has a leadership role at part of the Long-Term Care Incident Command at the State Health Operations Center in Smyrna. Yrene Waldron is returning to retirement to spend time with her family.

Melissa Smith, who had been serving as Acting Deputy Director of the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD) since November 2018, has been elevated to Deputy Director, serving with Division Director Dava Newnam. Smith previously served as a Special Projects Planner with DSAAPD with a focus on assessing the needs of the division’s long-term care facilities, including implementation of person-centered care approaches. Smith has served in other leadership roles within DHSS, including as Deputy Director of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health and as Planning Supervisor in DSAAPD.

Deborah Talley, who had been serving as Acting Deputy Director of the Division for the Visually Impaired (DVI) since February 2020, has been elevated to Deputy Director. Talley has worked at DVI since 2014 in communications and outreach. She serves with Division Director Sandi Miller on DVI’s leadership team. In addition to her work at DVI, Talley has almost 20 years in the field of employment services for individuals with disabilities and had served as Executive Director of the Delaware Business Leadership Network since 2017.

Finally, Magarik announced she will conduct a national search for a new Director for the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH). Deputy Director Alexis Teitelbaum will serve as Acting Director. Teitelbaum, who has served as Deputy Director since January 2020, previously served as Chief of Administration in DHSS’ Division of Social Services. Elizabeth Romero will be transitioning to spend more time with her family and continue her life’s work to improve equity, health and health systems.

“In addition to these leadership changes, I will name a new Deputy Secretary soon to help lead our agency during these critical times,” Incoming Secretary Magarik said. “Thanks to the incredible leadership of our current Secretary, Dr. Kara Odom Walker, DHSS has a strategic plan to help guide us as we create more streamlined, efficient services for Delawareans. Over the past several years and during our ongoing COVID-19 response, we have worked to integrate health and social services, and those changes reflect a need to refocus on our 21st-century needs and align our pandemic efforts.”

Magarik is replacing Dr. Walker, who is leaving her position on July 31 and will join Nemours’ National Office of Policy and Prevention in Washington, D.C., as Senior Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer. Magarik served as Deputy Secretary to Dr. Walker since February 2017. As part of her portfolio of work, Magarik led strategic planning efforts and coordinated with the DHSS Reorganization Committee on key recommendations, which included realigning the organization with greater accountability. These leadership changes are part of initial steps to implement those recommendations. Over the coming months, she also will work to reorganize the Department to provide more coordinated and person-centered services for the people of Delaware.

The Department of Health and Social Services, with more than 4,000 employees, is responsible for meeting the health and social service needs of Delawareans by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency and protecting vulnerable populations.

As Deputy Secretary, Magarik directed and managed key priorities for DHSS, including health care financing, payment and delivery system reform; budget administration and management; and early childhood education. She also served as the Department’s chief strategy officer and developed and maintained critical partnerships with Delaware cabinet agency leaders, the legislature, the federal delegation, advocates, and health care system leadership throughout the state.

Before joining DHSS, Magarik served as State Director for then Congressman John Carney and Political Director for Beau Biden’s campaign for Attorney General. She also worked as a strategic advisor across nonprofits and government, including as Executive Director of the Delaware Democratic Party. She is a candidate for a Master’s of Health Care Delivery Science from Dartmouth College, and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Women’s Studies from the University of Delaware. She and her husband, Josh, have two daughters and live in Middletown.

DOVER, DELAWARE – Delaware State Auditor Kathy McGuiness today announced the creation of a national COVID-19 Data Quality Audit template developed as part of a multistate effort to review state COVID-19 data reporting and monitoring. The first-of-its-kind project to create an audit framework for states to follow was conceived through collaboration with fiscal watchdogs from five states – Delaware, Florida, Mississippi, Ohio and Pennsylvania – and with assistance from the National State Auditors Association.

“I saw variation in the reporting and monitoring of COVID-19 cases by states nationally and felt it was important to have a consistent tool for states to easily review and share information about how their state’s approach to data use informs COVID-19 mitigation efforts,” said Delaware State Auditor McGuiness. It’s an issue every state is grappling with during this pandemic, and I’m proud to lead this effort toward a universal goal.”

The other four states in the task force wanted a uniform instrument to assess the data used to guide states’ virus responses.

“Florida values collaboration with other state auditors on topics of great importance, such as COVID-19 data reporting and monitoring. The audit template is an important tool that will facilitate the gathering and sharing of critical information,” said Florida Auditor General Sherrill Norman.

“Americans need access to relevant, accurate data that they can trust and understand as they make decisions that impact their families. By adding consistency to the data gathering process and implementing best practices from across the nation, we can help provide clarity and confidence in the COVID-19 statistics that are being shared. Americans must be able to trust the data, so they can trust the resulting policies,” said Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber.

“Mississippi is proud to participate in knowledge sharing among auditors during this pandemic. It’s more critical than ever that we collectively share best practices,” said State Auditor Shad White.

“The goal is to help states increase the accuracy of data collection and interpretation, and to apply analytical techniques to improve our understanding of the pandemic’s progression,” said Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. “By adopting a standardized approach to state-level reviews, we can help ensure consistency so that public health officials have access to the most reliable information.”

Ten other fiscal watchdogs in Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Tennessee and three states requesting not to be named as well the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have expressed interest in using the template to take a closer look at their state’s or territory’s data. Results will be released once completed.

“Knowing the quality of the information states collect, report and monitor will go a long way in allowing policymakers and public health officials to improve their efforts to protect the public and limit virus spread,” McGuiness said.

Learn about the Delaware Office of the Auditor of Accounts online at https://auditor.delaware.gov

Contact: Alaina Sewell, Executive Assistant, Alaina.Sewell@delaware.gov, 302-857-3931