January 26, 2024

The Delaware Office of the State Fire Marshal investigated a structure fire that occurred in Millsboro, Delaware on January 25, 2024.

The incident, reported shortly after 09:30 P.M. , occurred in the 26000 block of John J. Williams Highway Millsboro, Delaware. The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company arrived on the scene and found smoke showing from a structure at Cadia Healthcare Renaissance Rehabilitation Center. Mutual aid fire companies assisted at the scene.

State fire investigators were called to the scene to perform an investigation to determine the origin and cause of the fire. The fire was determined to be Accidental in nature, originating on the interior of the structure in a mechanical room. The fire was caused by an unspecified electrical malfunction at an electrical powerstrip. The fire was contained by the structures automatic fire sprinkler system. Damage is estimated at $2500. There were no reported injuries.

John M. Galaska
Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal
(302) 856-5600 Office

Jeff McCoy and his wife Jen McCoy of Millsboro display the state-record
52-pound, 11.2-ounce king mackerel Jeff caught on a recent family fishing
outing along Fenwick Shoal off Delaware’s Atlantic Coast. /Submitted photo

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that a Millsboro angler has become the kingfish king of Delaware’s Atlantic waters by catching a 52-pound, 11.2-ounce king mackerel, also known as a kingfish, in late July along Fenwick Shoal. Jeff McCoy landed the new state record king mackerel fishing from his 25-foot boat, The Reel McCoy, kept at DNREC’s Indian River Marina in Delaware Seashore State Park.

“To be honest, it was one of those cases of pure luck – well, not pure luck but like the old saying goes, ‘I’d rather be lucky than good almost any day,’ and that was one of those days,” said McCoy, while enroute back to the dock this afternoon after another angling outing on the ocean. His king mackerel, with a 56-inch fork length and 24-inch girth, bested the previous Delaware record, which stood for more than 31 years, by a stunning 4 pounds, 2.2 ounces.

McCoy’s catch was certified as a state record by Delaware Natural Resources Police Fish and Wildlife Cpl. Kyle Wharton at Hook ‘em & Cook ‘em Bait, Tackle and Seafood on the Indian River Inlet. Aboard the center console Reel McCoy with him that day were his wife, Jen McCoy, and his mother- and father-in-law, Lynda and Dennis Boas, and brother-in-law, Jeff Boas.

McCoy had intended to fish for sharks that day and once his family fishing party reached Fenwick Shoal he put in play some studious preparation and execution of strategy for catching a big gamefish – just not that gamefish. At one point, after the king mackerel made a 15-minute run, McCoy said his fishing line wrapped around the boat’s anchor rope. Quick action by his brother-in-law disentangled McCoy’s fishing line, and the fight was on again with the kingfish making several more runs. Eventually he gained the upper hand and was able to maneuver the fish alongside Reel McCoy, where it was landed with another assist from brother-in-law Jeff Boas.

Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament state records can be found at de.gov/sportfish. More information about the Sport Fishing Tournament and state record fish is available in the 2023 Delaware Fishing Guide. The guide is also available in print from the DNREC Fisheries Section by calling 302-739-9914 and from license agents throughout the state.

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 DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram,  Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has declared an emergency closure for recreational clamming and mussel harvest in Indian River Bay until Aug. 24. DNREC’s mandatory closure protective of public health came after a pump station connected to the town of Millsboro’s sanitary sewer system failed today, discharging raw sewage into the Iron Branch, a tributary of the Indian River, which flows into the bay.

The harvest of crabs, conch and finfish are not affected by the closure. Oysters grown commercially under aquaculture leases in Rehoboth Bay are not impacted or affected by the Indian River Bay closure. Recreational harvest of oysters is prohibited in Delaware.

The wastewater spill has potentially caused fecal contamination of shellfish in Indian River Bay, which according to National Shellfish Sanitation Program requirements, must be closed to bivalve shellfish harvest for 21 days to protect public health. The 21-day closure of shellfish harvest is a federal guideline that also gives bivalves time for natural cleansing.

DNREC also advises recreational water users to limit water contact in the upper Indian River Bay for the next few days, particularly in waters near the location of the spill.

The spill was stopped Wednesday afternoon. DNREC Division of Water staff are monitoring repairs at the Millsboro pump station. Delaware Fish and Wildlife Natural Resources Police working with the DNREC Delaware Shellfish Program are patrolling and monitoring Indian River Bay to enforce the closure of the bay to recreational bivalve harvest and to ensure recreational clammers are aware of it. More information about the closure and the Delaware Shellfish Program under DNREC authority can be found at de.gov/shellfish.

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 DNREC Division of Water manages and protects Delaware’s water resources. The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie,  nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC), in partnership with Via, the leader in TransitTech, have launched DART Connect, the state’s first on-demand microtransit service that will transform mobility in the rural communities of Georgetown and Millsboro in Sussex County, Delaware. DART Connect is a pilot project funded under the Federal Transit Administration’s Accelerating Innovative Mobility highly competitive grant program.

Customers can use the new DART Connect smartphone app or dial 1-800-652-DART, option 3 to request a ride, on-the-spot, anywhere within the service zones of Georgetown and Millsboro, or to travel between the two towns. On-demand microtransit uses smaller vehicles to provide shared rides within 15 minutes of a ride request. DART Connect replaces the Flex Routes 901 and 902 which served fixed destinations throughout Georgetown and Millsboro on an hourly schedule. On the first day of launch, ridership on DART Connect surpassed the average daily ridership of the previous 901 and 902 Flex routes.

Georgetown, designated as a Federal Opportunity Zone, and Millsboro are key employment and health services hubs with strong agricultural and manufacturing sectors. DART Connect increases service frequency and expands access to transit for thousands of residents, workers and visitors lacking access to a vehicle or who rely on bus service to travel to jobs, medical and social services throughout these communities.

“Our customers across the state have been requesting transit services in many hard to serve areas, and we are excited to launch this innovative approach to providing people the mobility they need,” stated John Sisson, Chief Executive Officer, Delaware Transit Corporation, which operates DART First State transit service. “The full-scale deployment of this service is expected to be a game changer for the transit industry, especially for those systems serving more rural and suburban areas.”

“We continue to look for opportunities to expand public transportation to underserved areas of the state and we hope this pilot program will serve as a model that we can implement in other areas of our state going forward,” said Nicole Majeski, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Transportation.

Governor John Carney added, “By introducing on-demand transit, we are taking the first step to ensure Georgetown and Millsboro residents and workers have access to an affordable option to safely reach jobs, appointments and other activities that many of us take for granted.”

“We’ve heard for years that connecting residents of our most rural and underserved parts of Sussex County to their jobs, doctor’s appointments, goods and services is a challenge that will take a major investment to overcome,” said Delaware’s Congressional Delegation of Senators Tom Carper, Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del). “This past year has proven especially hard as we are trying to connect residents to health care, vaccines, and job opportunities. This is why we are proud to support this federal funding which will bridge the transportation gap that has hindered Sussex County residents for so long.”

“Nearly six percent of households in Sussex County lack access to a vehicle,” said Veronica Vanterpool, DTC’s Chief Innovation Officer and project manager for DART Connect. “It is important that transit agencies test new technologies and explore innovative service models to provide quality bus service for our customers, especially those with limited mobility options.”
Via’s innovative IMS technology will create a fully connected mobility network that transforms the way DTC provides transit service, particularly in rural, low-density communities, where service can be infrequent and ridership can be low. DART Connect, is technology-powered transit that will reduce barriers to transit access, such as the lack of first/last mile connectivity to transit and strengthen the employment sector in rural Sussex County. The results of this pilot project will serve as a blueprint for cities and transit agencies across the US to expand access to affordable, efficient and equitable transportation solutions.

“We are proud to partner with Delaware Transit Corporation to expand access to equitable, efficient and sustainable transportation for rural communities,” said Via CEO and co-founder Daniel Ramot. “This new service demonstrates the tremendous opportunities that are created when Federal funding is made available for tech-enabled transit solutions.”

Phases two and three of the DART Connect pilot will allow customers to use the DART Connect app, and pay the $2 fare using the existing DART Pass app, to plan and book a trip on DTC’s 62 bus route network to connect to destinations throughout the county and state. DART Connect will be the first app in the state to allow customers to plan, book, pay and track their ride request in one seamless experience.

The DART Connect app is also available in Spanish to ensure broader use for the significant Latino population throughout Georgetown and Millsboro. Additional information will be available about the continuing implementation of the IMS system over the next few months. To learn more about DART Connect, visit https://dartfirststate.com/Programs/dartconnect/

The Delaware Transit Corporation, a subsidiary of the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), operates DART First State. For more information, please visit www.DartFirstState.com or call 1-800-652-DART. Real-Time Bus Information and DART Pass, the mobile fare payment option, are both available on the free DART Transit App (iOS and Android).

About Via:
Founded in 2012, Via pioneered the TransitTech category by using new technologies to power public mobility systems, optimizing networks of dynamic shuttles, buses, wheelchair accessible vehicles, school buses, and autonomous vehicles around the globe. Building the world’s most efficient, equitable, and sustainable transportation network for all riders — including those with limited mobility, those without smartphones, and unbanked populations — Via works with its partners to lower the cost of public transit and provide accessible options that rival the convenience of a personal car at a much reduced environmental impact. At the intersection of transportation and technology, Via is a visionary market leader that combines software innovation with sophisticated service design and operational expertise to fundamentally improve the way the world moves, with 200 global partners on six continents, and counting.

MILLSBORO – Mountaire Farms of Delaware reported to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control today that the company’s cleanup of an accidental release of partially treated wastewater Wednesday, Feb. 13 at Mountaire’s Millsboro poultry facility has been completed under DNREC’s direction.

DNREC Groundwater Discharges Section staff were onsite at Mountaire today to verify the status of cleanup efforts. Mountaire Farms’ response actions to the release have included continuous 24-hour pumping of the discharged wastewater back into the wastewater treatment system for retreatment; scraping of soils in the area where the release occurred to remove any potential solids; liming of the ground surface once solids are removed; repair of the mechanical component the company reports led to the accidental release, and complete inspection of the system.

DNREC also is requiring enhanced groundwater monitoring by Mountaire in the area of the release to determine if any potential impacts to groundwater have occurred since the release was discovered early Wednesday morning.

Media contact: Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 49, No. 34

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