Dover, DE – On November 5, 2014, the controlled substance registration of Patrick A. Titus, MD, was suspended for one year. Under Delaware law, physicians discontinuing business or leaving the State must notify their patients in a daily, local newspaper. This notice must explain how a patient can obtain their records.

Ideally, the best individual situated to provide their patient with guidance and referrals to other providers, is that patient’s physician. If that doesn’t occur, patients being treated over long periods of time for pain with opiates such as oxycodone, fentanyl, morphine and oxymorphone are in need of providers with expertise in treating and managing pain.

In preparation for the recent Titus suspension and wanting to increase the opportunity for continuity of care for patients, the Division of Professional Regulation, the Division of Public Health, the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counselling and the Office of Controlled Substances coordinated efforts to notify hospital and community pharmacies, hospital emergency rooms and treatment programs.

Patients of Dr. Titus who are seeking referrals to physicians may contact Dr. Titus’ office or the local hospitals, Bayhealth’s Milford Memorial Hospital, Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, and Nanticoke Health Services in Seaford. Referrals may be limited in the availability of specialists that are accepting new patients. The physician referral phone number for Bayhealth Milford is 866-BAY-DOCS (229-3627). The number for Beebe Healthcare is 302-645-3332. The number for Nanticoke Health Services is 877-NHS4DOCS (647-4362).

In addition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides a National Helpline to provide referrals for treatment services. That Helpline is staffed 24 hours a day year-round and can be contacted at 800-662-4359.

While opiates serve a very real purpose, they are also in a family of prescription drugs which can be easily subject to addiction. Twice as many Americans regularly abused prescription drugs than the number who regularly used cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, and inhalants combined. Accidental poisonings have surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the number one cause of fatalities in Delaware.

Recognizing the importance of education and prevention in addressing the addiction epidemic, the State recently launched www.helpisherede.com/, an information website that puts an emphasis on prevention, treatment and recovery; and announced the launch of a public awareness campaign that will support the website and focus on reducing the stigma associated with addiction. The website contains detailed information for those seeking substance abuse recovery services, as well as information on identifying addiction, supporting loved ones and more.

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, drink almost no sugary beverages.

Wide array of Wilmington Educators, Parents and Community Leaders Selected to Serve

Wilmington, DE – Today, Wilmington Education Advisory Group Chairman Tony Allen announced the members of the advisory committee formed by Governor Markell through Executive Order 46. The body was created to advise the Governor and his administration on how best to strengthen educational opportunities for all Wilmington students and to support family engagement.

The group convened for the first time earlier this month, and began to review options considered by earlier groups and commissions to improve access to quality public education options. The group will build upon this earlier work and extend it to meet the challenges now facing Wilmington students and families. The group has tasked itself with putting forward clear, actionable, recommendations that address both structural and programmatic barriers impeding the progress of many Wilmington students, especially low-income students.  These barriers not only diminish student achievement in school, they also limit lifelong opportunities for productive and rewarding lives and work.

Dr. Allen, a long-time Wilmington resident, civic leader and bank executive offered the following on the work of the committee, “The work of this advisory group is important, but it is not new.  There is more than 100 years of evidence suggesting that low-income children – from urban and rural environments – can succeed at very high levels but need more in the way academic and non-academic supports to realize their full potential.  Over the last 20 years, there have been specific, consistent recommendations offered in support of the success and well-being of Wilmington children.   Now is the time to translate agreement on recommendations into actions that are implemented.”

The group’s first meeting took place on November 5, 2014, and information on that session is posted here.  The group includes the following citizens:

• Norma Ivonne Antongiorgi – La Academia Antonia Alonso Charter School board member, retired Wilmington teacher
• Mayor James Baker – Former Mayor of the City of Wilmington, Chairman Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League
• Rosemary Banks – retired Wilmington teacher
• Adriana Bohm, Ph.D. – Wilmington parent and School Board Member
• Melissa Browne – Wilmington parent and Pre-K Lead Planner, Relay Graduate School of Education
• Nikki Castle, Ph.D. – research evaluator and founder, East Side Charter School
• Councilman Nnamdi Chukwuocha – education committee chair, Wilmington City Council
• The Reverend Meredith Griffin, D.Min. – education committee chair, Interdenominational Ministers Action Council (IMAC)
• Henry Harper, Ph.D. – retired superintendent
• Susan Hessling – teacher  at Warner Elementary
• Elizabeth Lockman – Wilmington parent and community advocate
• Chandra Pitts – Wilmington parent, community activist, Executive Director of One Village Alliance
• Marco Ramos – Program Coordinator, Latin American Community Center
• Richard “Mouse” Smith – President, Delaware NAACP
• Shefon Taylor – Wilmington parent and Public Allies Alumna
• Cheryl Trawick – retired Wilmington administrator
• Meghan Wallace – former special education teacher
• Shelia Wyatt – retired Wilmington teacher

The following schedule of upcoming meetings of the Advisory Group in Wilmington:

• Monday, November 24th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at Warner Elementary School
• Saturday, December 6th from 8:00am – 12pm at the Community Education Building
• Tuesday, December 9th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm (location to be announced)
• Tuesday December 16th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm (location TBA)

Delaware’s economy is getting stronger, with job growth outpacing the national average over the past two years. And we must ensure our state’s policies help continue this trend.

We know that small companies account for the majority of business sales and job creation, so it’s critical that we provide the support and environment they need to thrive. That means encouraging businesses of all types, from Miller Metal’s fabrication facility in Bridgeville to BrightFields environmental consulting in Wilmington to Royal Treatments, a home décor and window treatments shop owned by Karen Gill in Smyrna. Karen took advantage of our Project Pop-Up program, which provides small business owners three months of rent-free retail space in vacant downtown properties.She and her husband have now started a second company on Smyrna’s Main Street.

Project Pop-Up is part of our comprehensive approach to encourage small business growth. We’ve cut and modified state regulations; doubled the availability of research and development tax credit for small companies; and helped them develop relationships with partners around the world. Our efforts will only have their full effect if all small businesses have a fair chance to prosper. It’s why I was proud to announce the Small Business Focus Program, which helps state agencies consider small companies when purchasing the goods and services that they need. And it ensures that businesspeople with disabilities, as well as companies owned by women, minorities, and veterans, compete for state contracts on a level playing field.

Hardworking entrepreneurs across ours state have great ideas to serve customers in Delaware, throughout the country, and around the world. By ensuring they have the opportunity to reach their potential, we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.

(DOVER, Del.—Nov. 20, 2014)—The museums of the State of Delaware will be sponsoring seven special events during the month of April 2015. A full schedule is included below. All programs are free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-744-5055.

Administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the six museums of the State of Delaware—the New Castle Court House Museum, the John Dickinson Plantation, the First State Heritage Park Welcome Center and Galleries, The Old State House, the Johnson Victrola Museum and the Zwaanendael Museum—tell the story of the First State’s contributions to the history and culture of the United States. Through displays, exhibits and special programs, the museums explore how the state’s distinctive physical environment, in combination with the people who came to live there, gave Delaware an identity that is different from any other place.

Special events, April 2015
Note: Recent program changes are highlighted in brown.

Thursday–Saturday, April 9–11, 2015
Lewes Tulip Festival. City-wide series of activities celebrating Lewes’ Dutch heritage including Dutch games, crafts and a display of Delftware ceramics at the Zwaanendael Museum. Sponsored by the Lewes Chamber of Commerce. Downtown Lewes. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 302-645-8073.

Saturday, April 11, 2015
Demonstrations by the Thistledown Fiber Arts Guild.Program explores spinning, weaving, knitting and other fabric arts. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Program 1–3 p.m. Museum open 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 302-739-3277.

Friday, April 17, 2015
“ ‘Over There’: How Victor’s Musical Industry Influenced the Nation During World War I.” Two-part program begins with a lecture on the contributions of the Victor Talking Machine Company to the war effort to be presented at the Dover Public Library, followed by a presentation at the Johnson Victrola Museum on Victor’s World-War-I-era recordings played on authentic Victor Talking Machines. Partnership between the library and the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs. Program begins at 7 p.m. at the Dover Public Library, 35 Loockerman Plaza, Dover. 302-736-7030.

Saturday, April 18, 2015
Dutch-American Friendship Day. Discover Delaware’s Dutch roots and learn how that connection is alive today. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-645-1148.

Saturday, April 18, 2015
“The Story of Dinah.” Program explores the life and craft of Dinah Patten, an accomplished spinner and enslaved person owned by the John Dickinson family. A hands-on activity will accompany the program in which the audience learns how to prepare wool for spinning. Partnership between the Dover Public Library and the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs. Dover Public Library, 35 Loockerman Plaza, Dover. 2 p.m. 302-736-7030.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Earth Day at the John Dickinson Plantation. Explore the natural beauty at the home of the “Penman of the Revolution,” enjoy tours of the colonial-revival garden and create a scented sachet. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Activities 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Museum open 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 302-739-3277.

Saturday, April 25, 2015
King’s Day. Celebration of the birthday of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in a program that will also explore royal titles and Delaware’s Dutch connection. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-645-1148.

Exhibits and displays, April 2015
In addition to special programming, the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs is presenting the following exhibits and displays:

Ongoing
“Delaware and the War of 1812.”Exhibit examines the service and sacrifice of Delawareans of 1812 to 1815, and the important role that the state played in a conflict that helped shaped the development of the United States.Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. from April 1–Oct. 31. Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. from Nov. 1–March 31. 302-645-1148. Note correction to museum hours.

Ongoing
“Emeline Hawkins: Her Journey From Slavery to Freedom on the Underground Railroad.” Exhibit chronicles the compelling story of Emeline Hawkins and her family and their 1845 odyssey on the Underground Railroad from slavery in Maryland, through Delaware to freedom in Pennsylvania. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Mon.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-323-4453.

Ongoing
Sculptures by Charles Parks. Display of works by the noted Wilmington artist featuring historical and political figures including a Minute Man, and presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George W. Bush. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Mon.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-323-4453. Recently added display.

Ongoing
“A Seaborne Citizenry: The DeBraak and Its Atlantic World.” Exhibit utilizes artifacts recovered from His Majesty’s Sloop of War DeBraak, a British warship that sank off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798 to tell the story of the vessel, its crew and the historical context within which it operated in the Atlantic World of the late 18th century. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. from April 1–Oct. 31. Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. from Nov. 1–March 31. 302-645-1148. Note correction to museum hours.

Ongoing
“Simple Machines.” Exhibit demonstrating the six “simple machines”—incline ramp, screw, wedge, pulley, lever and wheel—that constitute the elementary building blocks of which many more-complicated machines are composed. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 302-739-3277.

Ongoing
“Simple Pleasures: Picnic, Play and Dance.” Display of original Edwardian and roaring-20s fall and winter fashions and sporting attire that reflect the spirit of the liberated “modern” woman as depicted in the Downton Abbey television series. From the collections of the state of Delaware. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. Mon.–Sat., 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5055. Note change in display title and description.

Ongoing
“Simple Pleasures: Play and Dance.” Display of original Edwardian and roaring-20s fall and winter fashions that reflect the spirit of the liberated “modern” woman as depicted in the Downton Abbey television series. From the collections of the state of Delaware. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. from April 1–Oct. 31. Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. from Nov. 1–March 31. 302-645-1148. Recently added display.

-End-

Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-736-7413
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov

Wilmington, DE – Formed in Delaware over three decades ago by Governor Pete du Pont, Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) celebrates an important milestone today, with the enrollment of the one-millionth student (full JAG release below). Governor Markell now chairs the organization.

Representing the First State at the celebration is Laurel Senior High School student Da’Shalyn Barnes. President of her local chapter of Jobs for Delaware’s Graduates (JDG), Da’Shalyn also serves as secretary for the Delaware State Career Association as well as The National Honor Society, and is a representative of the Student Government Association. Her full bio is attached. She and Markell will participate in today’s National Leadership Awards Luncheon in Washington, where 31 students (one from each state with a JAG program) will represent the “One-Millionth JAG Student.”  They will join 250 leaders from business, government, education, and communities who support and invest their time and reputations in the work of Jobs for America’s Graduates.

Media interested in speaking with the Governor or others involved in today’s JAG celebration should contact Jonathon Dworkin at 302-233-6695 or jonathon.dworkin@delaware.gov.

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ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE “ONE-MILLIONTH JAG STUDENT”

Jobs for America’s Graduates, a national non-profit with 35 years of experience in helping some of the nation’s most at-risk young people succeed in school and on the job, announces the enrollment of the one-millionth student since the inception of the organization under the leadership of Governor Pete du Pont in 1979.

Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) now operates in 1,000 classroom sites in 31 states.  It provides intensive employability skills training, motivational student organization activities, remediation, academic support, and problem-solving for external issues that affect young men and women.  JAG students receive a full 12 months of follow-up after graduation to ensure their successful transition into work, higher education, or both.

The results of JAG have been consistent for 34 years:

1. Dramatically increasing graduation rates to 90% or above.
2. Doubling the rates that poor, disadvantaged, and young people of color are able to secure jobs and tripling the rates that they secure full-time employment.
3. Increasing the rates of both higher education enrollment and completion for this same population – almost all first-generation college students.

Governor Jack Markell of Delaware serves as Chair of the Board of Jobs for America’s Graduates and nine other Governors serve on the Board, along with “C-suite” executives of the Fortune 500, the U.S. President of the United Way Worldwide, and the Presidents of the Business Roundtable and the National Urban League.

Governor Markell highlighted the “One-Millionth JAG Student” milestone by stating that it is “a special pleasure for all of us in Delaware who, for 35 years, have seen what an extraordinary value Jobs for America’s Graduates brings to young people.  It is a record of hope, opportunity, and delivery on the promise of jobs and higher education success for our young people.”

The “One-Millionth JAG Student” will be celebrated at the JAG National Leadership Awards Luncheon at noon on November 20 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Washington, DC.  More than 600 young leaders from around the country will attend, including those 31 who have been selected (one from each JAG state) to represent the “One-Millionth JAG Student.”  They will join 250 leaders from business, government, education, and communities who support and invest their time and reputations in the work of Jobs for America’s Graduates.

“[Before JAG] I had no direction in life and really felt that I would never do anything in my life. That is all in my past now. I know I belong in JAG. I know that I am loved and cared for. I know that I can achieve great things – things I never imagined at one point in my life. I have a plan for a wonderful future, for JAG has given me hope!” said Autumn Keith, Jobs for Georgia’s Graduates One-Millionth JAG Student representative.

In addition to Governor Jack Markell, it is anticipated that Governors Jay Nixon of Missouri, Phil Bryant of Mississippi, and John de Jongh, Jr. of the Virgin Islands (all JAG Board members) will attend.  Senator Tom Carper of Delaware (Vice Chair of the Board during his years as Governor of Delaware) will also participate at the event.

Governor Phil Bryant will become the JAG Chairman on January 1, 2015.  Regarding his attendance at this special event, the Governor stated that he is “humbled to be the Chair-elect of this high impact, proven program.  I look forward to continuing our efforts in Mississippi to grow Jobs for Mississippi Graduates from the current 50 to 100 programs, and as Chair I will work to increase the number of JAG programs across the country as we look ahead to serving the next one million JAG students.”

The event will highlight the remarkably generous investment of USA Funds in the work of Jobs for America’s Graduates and its new direction, to help ensure that JAG’s students achieve a higher level of success in graduation, higher education, and employment.  At the Luncheon, USA Funds will receive the National Student Investor of the Year Award for its investments in JAG and several other initiatives in various states to improve students’ successful enrollment in and completion of higher education.

McKinsey & Company will be recognized for launching its “Generation” Initiative that, over the next four years, will engage 250,000 young men and women in the U.S.in a new form of engagement with employers to provide intensive training over 8-12 weeks, followed by two-month internships.  McKinsey & Company will receive the National Youth Employment Partnership Award for its leadership in building new relationships and connections between prospective employers and young people as they graduate from high school.