Wilmington, DE – Joined by a dozen Delaware business leaders, Governor Markell spoke with Ambassador Dr. S. Jaishankar on the future of India-Delaware relations today at a breakfast reception organized by the Delaware Economic Development Office and the World Trade Center Delaware. Attendees at the reception included Bill Kurtz, chief financial and commercial officer for Bloom Energy; Hara-Prasad Nanda, global strategic planning director for DuPont; and Tom Keefer, deputy executive director of the Diamond State Port Corporation.

“In the new economy, giving Delaware businesses the opportunity to serve customers around the world and attracting foreign investment are major factors in creating jobs and economic opportunity for Delawareans,” said Markell. “We are proud to already have many connections with India and we appreciate the opportunity to engage with American companies founded by people from India as well as Delaware companies looking to create customers in India.”

Ambassador Jaishankar told the group that the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May, leading to India’s first majority-led government in 30 years, has already led to improved relations between India and the United States. He expects the new government will work quickly to make the regulatory changes and infrastructure improvements needed to increase the country’s growth rate, which has slid behind neighboring countries in recent years.

“Modi thinks there’s a need to modernize the society to support that kind of growth, so there’s a big social sector push for literacy and gender issue, cleanliness, infrastructure, skill development,” Jaishankar said. “There’s a much broader social economic agenda today.”

Ambassador Jaishankar said the government has made it a priority to improve the ability for foreign companies to do business in India, simplifying tax systems and raising the limits for foreign investment in certain sectors. Sanitation, electric power, health care, environment, food and infrastructure are just a few of the industries that will all see new opportunities in India, he said.

“You’re going to see a new China-level demand in the market,” Jaishankar said.

Rebecca Faber, president/CEO of World Trade Center Delaware, hopes to see Delaware businesses capitalize on that growing demand.

“India is growing as a potential market for exports and partnerships for Delaware companies, and signs from the Modi administration indicate the speed of growth is likely to accelerate,” Faber said. “Already this morning, Ambassador Jaishankar was able to offer assistance to a few of the companies in the room specific to their business needs.”

World Trade Center Delaware is planning to lead a delegation of companies to the Embassy of India in Washington D.C. for further discussions in early 2015.

Bill Kurtz of Bloom Energy, a provider of solid oxide fuel cell technology with a manufacturing plant in Newark, was one of those companies able to bring opportunities and concerns to the ambassador during the meeting.

“We see India has a very attractive market opportunity for Bloom Energy to bring reliable, clean energy to improve their infrastructure and support growth and development in their economy,” Kurtz said.

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Four defendants receive significant prison sentences for keeping victim locked in car trunk for two days and then abandoning her in a cemetery

GEORGETOWN — A Sussex County Superior Court judge on Friday sentenced Phillip Brewer, 18, to spend the next 12 years in prison, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden announced. Brewer had previously pled guilty to second-degree carjacking, three counts of kidnapping and four counts of second-degree conspiracy for his role in the March 2013 carjacking and kidnapping of an 89-year-old Sussex County woman, Margaret E. Smith.

As part of his plea agreement with the Department of Justice, Brewer cooperated in the prosecution of the three other defendants, and the significant cooperation was reflected in his sentence. He received seven years in prison for his role in the carjacking and kidnapping and another five years for a previous parole violation.

The three other defendants have all pled guilty or been convicted at trial and have all received sentences of at least 16 years behind bars.

“The length and severity of these sentences show how seriously we take violent crimes committed against senior citizens,” Biden said. “These prison terms will keep these individuals off the streets and out of Delaware’s neighborhoods for a long time. I want to thank Deputy Attorneys General Melanie Withers and Casey Ewart for their hard work and dedication on these prosecutions.”

On March 18, 2013 Jackeline Perez, and her friend, Junia McDonald, 16, first asked Smith for a ride from a Milford convenience store to a home in Lincoln. After arriving at the home, Smith was forced to turn over her car keys and then forced into the trunk of her car. Perez and McDonald then drove to pick up other friends – Brewer and Rondaiges Harper – with Smith locked in the trunk of the car.  Smith spent two days trapped in the trunk of her car before being released at a cemetery near Seaford.

The other defendants’ sentences are:  

·         Jackeline Perez, 17, was sentenced last week to 16 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to first-degree carjacking, first-degree kidnapping and second-degree conspiracy;

·         Junia McDonald, 16, who was sentenced Sept. 12 to 16 years in prison followed by nine years of home confinement and probation. She had pled guilty to first-degree carjacking, first-degree kidnapping and second-degree conspiracy.

·         Rondaiges Harper, 19, was convicted by a jury in June on first-degree kidnapping, first-degree carjacking and conspiracy charges. He was sentenced July 25 to 30 years in prison.

Much about our current health care system is unsustainable. It’s unfair both to the people who use it and to those who care for them. Despite tremendous strides to increase access to insurance and to develop better treatments, our health outcomes for many ailments rate below the national average. Yet, Delawareans pay 25 percent more for care and health costs take close to 25 percent of our state budget.

It’s why I have committed to an innovative plan for a healthier state – developed by all parts of our health care community working together. And by winning a $35 million federal grant for our plan this week, we can now do the hard work of making this vision a reality. It means paying doctors and hospitals for quality of care rather than quantity of procedures. We can’t accept when an effective heart clinic isn’t financially sustainable because not enough patients make return visits – but that is the case in our state and that will change. We will invest in the technology to ensure all of a patients’ doctors have access to the health information they need to provide the right care. We will launch a healthy neighborhoods program so communities can support healthier living practices, while increasing people’s access to preventive screenings. We will establish a common scorecard that ensures doctors and nurses can learn from their colleagues’ most effective practices. We’ll also train a health care workforce that will excel in our new system. These will just a few of our initiatives.

I encourage you to learn more on my website at governor.delaware.gov. By providing Delawareans with the best care while reducing the unsustainable growth in health costs, we will keep Delaware moving forward.

Last week’s Congressional passage gives Delaware its National Park

New Castle, DE ­– Today, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Congressman John Carney (all D-Del.) celebrated Delaware’s National Park at the New Castle Courthouse in Old New Castle. Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives, followed by the U.S. Senate passed historic legislation to authorize the creation of a national park in Delaware. The language passed mirrored bills introduced in 2013 by Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Rep. John Carney– the First State National Historical Park Act of 2013.

The legislation authorizes the First State National Monument in Delaware to become the First State National Historical Park and expands the current First State National Monument to include park sites in all three counties of Delaware.  Similar to the national monument, the First State National Historical Park will celebrate early American Dutch, Swedish and English Settlements located throughout Delaware, and Delaware’s role in the events leading up to  the founding of our nation.

“This National Park represents a unique opportunity, where conservation, stewardship and tourism all come together, and where a true partnership between federal, state, and local governments has been forged,” said Governor Markell. “With the passage of this legislation, we are ensuring Delaware’s incredible history is accessible for us and for generations of Americans to come.”

“For over a decade, I have been working with federal officials, state officials, community leaders and everyday citizens to establish a national park in Delaware,” said Sen. Carper. “I thank my colleagues in the House and Senate for approving this legislation. Now, Delaware has a national park that preserves and teaches the lessons of our state’s heritage and our country’s history. I cannot wait for the day when families from all across this country and the world will plan their vacations around the First State National Historical Park to learn how Delaware helped launch the most enduring experiment in democracy that the world has ever known – the United States of America. I must also give special recognition and thanks to Senators Coons (D-Del.), Casey (D-Pa.) and Toomey (R-Pa.) and Representatives Carney (D-Del.) and Meehan (R-Pa.) for their continued support and efforts during this process, as well as the many state and local government and community leaders who have worked hard to make this a reality.”

“A national park will preserve and celebrate our state’s vibrant history, while boosting Delaware’s economy and creating jobs,” Senator Coons said. “For more than a decade, Senator Carper has worked tirelessly to finally bring a national park to our state, and with final passage in the Senate last week, he has succeeded. National parks are an important part of our national culture and heritage, and it’s long past time that Delaware’s rich history and resources were recognized with official national park status.”

“This is a tremendous achievement for Delaware,” said Congressman Carney. “After years and years of hard work by so many in our state, Delaware will join the ranks of nearly all other states with a National Park. I look forward to taking my family and visitors from out of state to visit the natural and historic sites in our park. And I’m gratified that our neighbors around the country will be able to enjoy the historic attractions our great state has to offer. This is a proud moment for Delaware.”

The legislation allows the Park Service to work with other historically significant sites that are not included in the National Park, but can be included in the National Park materials, tours and other related items. Additionally, the legislation authorizes a study to assess historical significant properties that should be listed as national landmarks and be associated with the national park. The management and headquarters of the national monument will continue to be the same for the newly-designated national park.

The following sites have been authorized to be included in the park:

New Castle County, DE / Delaware County, PA:

• Woodlawn Trustees Property

New Castle County, DE:

• The Old Sheriff’s House
• Old New Castle Courthouse
• New Castle Green
• Old Swedes Church National Historic Landmark
• Fort Christina National Historic Landmark

Kent County, DE:

• Dover Green
• John Dickinson Plantation National Historic Landmark

Sussex County, DE:

• Ryves Holt House

For over a decade, Senator Carper has worked with the Delaware delegation, federal officials, state officials, and community leaders to identify a theme and a park concept that fits well within our federal budget and is worthy of designation as a national park.  In January 2009, the Bush Administration finalized a National Park Service Special Resource Study concluding that a national park should be placed in Delaware and every year since Senator Carper has introduced legislation authorizing a national park.  Since 2009, there have been over a dozen public meetings on the national park effort – including legislative hearings in both chambers of Congress – which have shown overwhelming support for the national park idea.

The Senate approved the First State National Historical Park as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. It passed the House last week. It will now go to the President for his signature.

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During this holiday season, many Delawareans will be receiving or giving new tablets, smartphones, and eBook readers—and Delaware Libraries have the electronic collections and resources to make the most of them. New for 2014, libraries have added streaming videos and eMagazines to those eCollections!

Patrons can download free eBooks, eAudiobooks, and eMagazines, and even watch streaming videos from Delaware Libraries with a library card. Borrowed titles will automatically expire at the end of the lending period.

“Delaware libraries offer an unbeatable value: free checkout of all types of downloadable material through the statewide online library catalog,” said State Librarian Dr. Annie Norman.  “And there are never any late fees!”

Delaware Libraries’ digital book collection has been available for three years, and it has been growing and expanding steadily in that time.  There are now over 16,000 titles in the digital collection.  This collection is very popular with library users.  November 2014 continued the trend of record-setting borrowing levels.  On average, Delawareans download almost 900 eBooks and eAudiobooks daily from the digital collection.

To get started with downloadable offerings visit http://delawarelibraries.org and visit your local library if you need assistance.

About:

The Delaware Division of Libraries, a state agency dedicated to unleashing the potential in all Delawareans in partnership with Delaware Libraries, offers free access to the online catalog (delawarelibraries.org); Wi-Fi; computers/internet; eBooks, programs/classes, community partnerships, and more.

Contact:

Beth-Ann Ryan, Deputy Director

Delaware Division of Libraries

Beth-ann.ryan@delaware.gov

302-257-3002