Northern Delaware Arts Venues Set Fall Schedules

☀️ Rise and Shine, 302. I can handle most things in life, but hearing someone chew with their mouth open is not one of them.

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There's always that moment when you're sorting the mail: open it, save it, or toss it. What happens to coupon mailers at your house?

Source: Out & About Magazine

Dozens of Northern Delaware museums, theaters, and musical ensembles have released their fall programming schedules. The lineups include a mix of stage productions, historical exhibitions, and live concerts across the region.

Venues like The Grand, Winterthur, and the Delaware Theatre Company outlined their upcoming seasons, which feature everything from Broadway musicals to classical music and historical tours. The Academy of the Dance also announced a return to its original name alongside its expanded curriculum.

Many of the performances and exhibitions begin in September and continue through the holiday season. Attendees can secure tickets directly through the individual venues.

Source: WDEL

ChristianaCare rolled out a new photo ID requirement for entry at three of its major hospital campuses. Patients and visitors who are 16 or older must present identification when they arrive at the Newark, Wilmington, and Cecil locations.

After checking in at the front desk, individuals receive a visitor badge that must be worn at all times while inside the facility. The rule applies whether people are visiting a patient or arriving for their own medical appointment.

Hospital staff recommend arriving a few minutes early to account for the added badging process before heading inside.

A North East man, Aaron Christley, rolled out a social media platform called Your Wall, pitching it as a Facebook-like site with no ads and more user control. The platform is online now and is aimed at people who want a more stripped-down feed.

Christley said Your Wall does not sell or harvest user data, does not run ads, and lets users import Facebook friends lists, groups and photos. He also said parents can create and monitor accounts for children, including limits on time and friend-list-only content.

An app was in beta testing, with Christley seeking testers by email. Users could also sign up through the platform’s website.

Source: Delaware Business Times 🔒 PAYWALLED

The office market vacancy rate in Northern Delaware fell to 16.8% during the second quarter of the year. This drop marks the lowest level recorded for the region since 2017, reflecting a steady absorption of available commercial properties.

A combination of lease renewals and corporate expansions drove the downward shift. Companies leased nearly 64,000 square feet of office space during the spring months.

This activity pushed the overall vacancy rate down by half a percentage point from the first quarter. Real estate professionals track these quarterly absorption rates to measure the overall health of the commercial market.

Source: Newark Post

Demolition was underway on three old houses at Main and Washington streets in Newark, clearing room for a five-story mixed-use apartment building on the east end of Main Street. The 0.7-acre property is tied to an LLC connected to Inderpreet Singh, owner of a Wilmington-area environmental consulting firm.

The project called for about 5,000 square feet of retail space, a leasing office and lobby on the first floor, with 32 three-bedroom apartments above. Three apartments were deed restricted as affordable housing, a first for a traditional downtown apartment complex in Newark.

The plan also included 42 parking spaces, with access from Washington Street and some spaces reserved for commercial visitors.

Source: Delaware Business Now

Delmarva Power said it would keep seeking legislative approval for battery storage projects in Delaware, even as a new state law tightened limits on some system upgrades. Delaware President Marcus Beal said batteries could help the utility manage peak electricity demand and evening drop-offs in solar generation.

The utility is also dealing with a proposed rate increase and Senate Bill 326, which caps spending on equipment that does not need immediate replacement. Beal said Delmarva had already postponed some upgrades and warned some could become emergency projects later.

Delmarva also said it was handling more solar projects, while keeping natural gas generation on the table if state rules allowed it back into power production.

Source: Spotlight Delaware

Following the May fire that destroyed Wilmington's historic Mother African Union Church, city officials left the cause undetermined. The Wilmington Fire Marshal kept the investigation open indefinitely.

Structural instability prevented investigators from safely entering the building before the remaining walls were demolished. A fire protection expert noted that an undetermined status is common when physical access to a scene is restricted. An insurance company also launched a parallel investigation into the blaze.

Church leaders committed to rebuilding at their original North Franklin Street location. The congregation held services at the Congo Legacy Center and spearheaded its annual August Quarterly festival.

Source: Spotlight Delaware

The Christina Board of Education voted to phase out school resource officers at its middle schools and replace them with district-employed constables. The sworn police officers will remain in the district's three high schools for the full academic year.

Under the compromise plan, the current officers will stay in the middle schools for six months while the district hires the new constables. The incoming constables will serve as armed security but will not have the same arrest powers as local police.

The change follows debates over whether armed officers belong in schools and how they are held accountable. Board leaders said they want to hold follow-up listening sessions with the community to discuss school safety.

Source: Spotlight Delaware

Plans for a massive data center near Delaware City stalled after developer Starwood Digital Ventures withdrew its appeal in Delaware Superior Court. The company had challenged a state ruling that blocked the development.

State environmental officials previously determined the proposed Project Washington facility violated the Coastal Zone Act due to its reliance on 516 backup diesel generators. Starwood abandoned its court challenge shortly after state lawmakers passed stricter regulations on the data center industry.

The facility cannot move forward under its current design. A company spokesperson indicated Starwood is still working with state and local regulators to find a path forward for the project.

On Mondays, opening acts and exhibits are listed here when they debut. After that, you'll find individual dates in the regular Theatre/Arts listings.

The Shark is Broken | Wilmington Drama League This sharp comedy-drama goes behind the scenes of a notoriously troubled film production, where delays, clashing personalities, and bruised egos test the relationships between its stars. Playing September 4th through September 13th.

August Wilson's How I Learned What I Learned | UD Theatre. A Resident Ensemble Players production detailing the life of playwright August Wilson, featuring stories from his early days in Pittsburgh and the unexpected lessons that inspired his work. Tickets are $15 to $39. Playing September 4th through September 20th.

Nothing in this section is sponsored. Just things worth knowing. I’ll always flag sponsors clearly.

That tongue. That smile. Those amber eyes locked right on you like you're already her favorite person. Duff is a 5-year-old medium-sized mixed-breed girl with a steel-grey coat, a white blaze down her nose, and the kind of open, joyful face that makes it genuinely hard to scroll past. The shelter team says she loves being outside with people and makes new friends wherever she goes.

She's not complicated. She's not a project. She's just a happy, sweet-spirited dog who's ready to soak up the good life with the right family.

Head over to Brandywine Valley SPCA at 290 Churchmans Road, New Castle, DE 19720 to spend some time with Duff and see what all that sunshine feels like in person. (Veterans, take note: Duff qualifies for a waived adoption fee through the Sponsored by Simba/Pets for Veterans program.)

Music in the Plaza: VinTage Jazz | Brandywine Mills Plaza. An outdoor performance by VinTage Jazz, accompanied by local food trucks and vendors selling handmade goods, apparel, and fresh produce. Tuesday 5-8 PM.

Levitt AMP Wilmington Music Series: Afro-Andean Funk | Tina Betz Urban Artist Exchange. A free Levitt AMP Wilmington Music Series concert featuring Afro-Andean Funk. Wednesday 7-8:30 PM.

Melissa Etheridge: Rise | Longwood Gardens. A concert in the Open Air Theatre featuring singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge performing tracks from her new album, Rise. Tickets are $90 to $154 and include all-day garden admission. Wednesday at 7:30 PM.

The Furious Bongos Play Zappa | Elkton Music Hall. A Zappa tribute band made up of musicians whose resumes include BB King, Mick Fleetwood, Jacob Collier, Yo-Yo Ma, and the LA Philharmonic, performing arrangements that reinterpret rather than replicate Frank's catalog. 21+. Wednesday at 8 PM.

Nothing in this section is sponsored. Just things worth knowing. I’ll always flag sponsors clearly.

Monday

87 🌡️ 72 | ⛅ Partly Sunny | 10% | 💨 NE 5 mph

Tuesday

94 🌡️ 74 | 🌤️ Mostly Sunny | 14% | 💨 W 0 to 5 mph

Wednesday

92 🌡️ 73 | ⛈️ Partly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 19% | 💨 NW 0 to 5 mph

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 76ºF. Temperature readings taken from the Atlantic Ocean in Rehoboth Beach.

The full events calendar includes live music, festivals, classes, markets, family activities, community gatherings, and dozens more happenings across Northern Delaware.

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