The Delaware Division of the Arts Mezzanine Gallery is pleased to present The Waters Around Us, an exhibition of acrylic paintings by Steve Rogers. The exhibition will be on view from August 7-28, with an opening reception on August 7, 5-8 p.m. The Gallery, open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is located in the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington.

The Waters Around Us presents a selection of carefully detailed, realist images of maritime subjects and views of Delaware coastal areas. The artist is a member of the American Society of Marine Artists. Steve Rogers lives and works in Lewes, Delaware.

Watch the Meet the Artist video.

“The Fair is an opportunity to highlight the vibrancy of our agricultural community, a $1.2 billion sector with an $8 billion economic impact,” said Governor Markell. “Our farmers are some of the hardest-working and most efficient in the nation. Their products are in demand around the world and agriculture is vital part of our state’s push to increase international trade – forging bonds between Delaware and our friends and neighbors in countries near and far.”
Every week, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/-dkRcNlJnlU
Delaware.Gov: http://governor.delaware.gov/podcast_video.shtml
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Transcript of the Governor’s Weekly Message: Celebrating Ongoing Agricultural Efforts at the Delaware State Fair

The Delaware Division of the Arts announces the awarding of $2.95 million in grants for Fiscal Year 2016, to support 112 arts initiatives throughout the state. Twenty-three communities across Delaware, from Claymont to Selbyville, will receive grants to support arts programming and services, arts education, and related arts marketing and promotion.

“The investment we make in the arts is multiplied through local matching,” said Governor Jack Markell. “In addition, art contributes to a quality of life that attracts businesses, strengthens education, and positively impacts our state’s economy.”

Division grants support a variety of projects and programs, from storytelling for preschool reading readiness, to community-based participatory arts, to professional exhibitions and performances featuring local, national and international artists. These grants support arts programming offered by both arts and community organizations based in large and small communities across Delaware.

“Delaware’s arts sector continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to engaging communities throughout the state,” reported Division Director Paul Weagraff. “Panelists from across the state deliberated thoroughly and thoughtfully to assist in reviewing and ranking applicants in all grant categories. This input from our constituents helps to ensure that we are supporting arts programming that is of high quality and serves all Delawareans.”

Funding for the Division of the Arts to support arts programming in Delaware comes from the Delaware General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

A complete listing of Fiscal Year 2016 grants can be found at: www.artsdel.org/grants/grantawards2016.pdf.

Traffic fatalities are trending upward for 2015

Dover – Highway safety officials are urging motorists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians to focus on the task of driving and/or safely crossing the road.  May, June and July have seen an above-average number of fatalities as compared to the five-year average. Statewide, there were 34 fatalities between May and July and a total of 62 persons have lost their lives in fatal crashes this year.

A variety of factors are at work in causing the crashes according to fatality reports, but what appear to be common factors are speed, impairment, and unsafe crossing by pedestrians. The months of June and July have seen an increase in speed related crashes; July has 13 crashes alone.  Of those 13 crashes, five of them were crashes where a pedestrian died.  Since January 1^st of this year there have been a total of 18 pedestrian fatalities, compared to 10 at this time last year.

“An overwhelming majority of crashes are preventable. Using crosswalks, limiting your distractions and slowing down can prevent you from being involved in a crash,” said Jana Simpler, Director for the Office of Highway Safety.

Motorcycle crashes are also trending upward with 9 fatalities to date this year. There were 15 motorcycle fatalities in all of 2014.  Factors leading to motorcycle crashes include speed and loss of control.  “With many more warm riding days ahead, we urge motorcyclists to freshen up their riding skills and take one of the rider training courses offered by DMV or other partners,”  said Alison Kirk Community Relations Officer, Office of Highway Safety. “If the crash trend continues, we may end with more motorcycle fatalities than last year.”

OHS reminds all drivers to go back to the basics of driving safety:  slow down, don’t drink and drive and always buckle up.  Plan extra time to get to any destination so you don’t let traffic frustration cause you to make a bad decision behind the wheel.

Follow OHS for regular updates on Facebook ArriveAliveDE, Twitter @DEHighwaySafe, and www.ohs.delaware.gov.

Delaware Secretary of State Jeffrey W. Bullock today announced a partnership with Veroha, Inc., taking the first step toward enabling electronic notarizations nationwide, using a single, secure platform. By creating a cloud-based authentication system endorsed by the State, this partnership will enable third party technology providers to promote widespread adoption of e-notary solutions to their clients anywhere in the US.

“Delaware’s electronic notary initiative builds on our reputation as the Corporate Capital of the United States and our continuous efforts to provide businesses with innovative, flexible and efficient corporate and legal services,” said Secretary Bullock. “Now, businesses can achieve digital signature authentication more efficiently, securely and reliably than the paper-based process that has been used for centuries.”

Under Delaware law, electronic notarizations may be performed anywhere in the nation by electronic notaries registered in the state, including employees of banks, mortgage lenders, insurance companies, federal agencies and law firms. Since the law was enacted, the State has worked with Delaware-based Veroha to develop a secure, cloud-based platform to enable electronic notarizations and assign a unique number to each notarial act. After years of development, testing and auditing by third parties, the e-notary system is now ready.

Veroha will partner with Notary Technology Service Providers (or “NTSPs”) such as digital document solutions companies, mortgage lenders and other high volume notary users interested in embedding Delaware e-notary services within their existing commercially-available e-signature and notarial systems. Businesses will be able to connect to Veroha’s electronic platform through a document management company using an industry standard application programming interface, or API.

“Veroha’s platform will save time and money by allowing banks, law firms, government agencies and other organizations to incorporate electronic notarizations seamlessly into their current workflow,” said Tom O’Connell, a member of Veroha’s senior leadership team and president of global technology services company and Veroha partner, AIS. “Our platform works with existing document solutions and without the need for additional software.”

Electronic notarizations offer businesses many advantages. Because hard copies are no longer required to authenticate a signature, companies no longer need the expense, inconvenience and risk associated with warehousing paper documents. Furthermore, unlike paper documents, digital documents cannot be altered after they are notarized electronically. This “non-repudiation” feature is a safeguard against fraud and has many applications beyond the traditional use of notarization for legal documents.

“More than a million legal entities and 55% of all publicly-traded companies in the United States have chosen Delaware as their legal home,” said Rick Geisenberger, Delaware’s Chief Deputy Secretary of State. “These companies conduct business around the world, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to work with best-in-class service providers to provide these businesses with a secure and innovative solution to signature authentication.”

For more information and for document management and e-signature companies, banks, mortgage lenders and others interested in becoming an NTSP, please visit www.veroha.com. As NTSPs are vetted by Veroha and approved by the State, contact information will be posted at www.notary.delaware.gov for electronic notaries interested in registering with the State of Delaware.

For questions regarding Delaware notary rules and laws, please visit www.notary.delaware.gov or e-mail the State at notary@delaware.gov.