In the Know: Week in review, April 10-16, 2016

Use the "chapter" navigation on the right side of this page (desktop) or at the top (mobile) to quickly move to another section.

• Former DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman talks publicly for the first time about the proxy war and her retirement.

• The Panama Papers could cast a shadow on Delaware. The revelations about secretive shell companies are bringing calls for reform that could have major implications in the state.

• Women outnumber men 2 to 1 in new Delaware Medicaid enrollees, which officials say signals a concerning trend around the number of women in poverty in the state.

• Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton's and Bernie Sanders' campaigns open their Delaware headquarters, just weeks before the April 26 primary.

• Delaware drivers texting while driving could soon get hit with bigger fines and be given "points" on their license, under a House bill proposal.

• At Delaware's ocean beaches this summer, it's going to be a tighter squeeze for umbrella real estate with narrower strips of sand than many have come to expect.

• On Equal Pay Day, top Delaware women legislators from both parties call for more efforts to close the wage gap. The legislators cite U.S. Census Bureau statistics that suggest women earn only 82 percent of what men earn.

• Vice President Joe Biden is taking his mission to eradicate cancer to a higher authority. Biden will travel to Vatican City on April 28 for an international conference on breakthroughs in regenerative medicine.

• Delaware's peach crop is in trouble after an early April killer frost.

• Notice about Iranian, Sudanese and Syrian refugees coming into Delaware would have to be given to the governor and secretary of Homeland Security, under a bill proposed by Republican legislators. The bill would apply to any refugee who has lived within the past five years in a nation that the U.S. State Department says has supported international terrorism.

• The Amtrak deaths in Chester, Pennsylvania, could have been prevented if safety rules had been followed, experts say. “This is an absolutely-shouldn’t-have-happened situation,” says Allan Zarembski, a University of Delaware professor and director of the Railroad Engineering and Safety Program. “The safety procedures are in place to prevent exactly this.” A Delawarean was one of the two killed. The first official report on the crash is due within the next week.

• After a man committed suicide outside the Rockford Center, a psychiatric hospital in Stanton, a federal health agency is asking the state to investigate. The News Journal has obtained a New Castle County recording of the 911 call about the man.

• Some residents of the Evergreen Apartments at Riverfront Heights, near Wilmington, will have to move – at their own expense – because repairs to their building will take some time, they have been told. The residents’ building is next to the one where four people died of carbon monoxide poisoning last month. The owners of the complex face another lawsuit. Two women are seeking punitive damages for the wrongful death of their father, Carl "Timmy" Dunfee. Meanwhile, the state attorney general is determining what can be done legally to support displaced residents.

• To save two tracts of open space in densely populated New Castle County from becoming another subdivision, residents and politicians in the Newark area are hoping state and local government collaborate on multimillion-dollar buyouts.

• The Paladin Club double-slaying case opens with two differing tales. Prosecutors say it was murder-for-hire by a business partner. Defense lawyers say the state's cooperating witness was actually the one behind the killings.

• On the second day of the trial, the sister of one of the two victims says the "worst mistake" of her life was arguing with her brother before his death. "I was angry at the time. We were fighting back and forth," she testifies. But Kelly Connell, sister of Joseph Connell, says she had nothing to do with the killings or the home burglary.

• The News Journal has been ordered by a judge to turn over video of Christopher Rivers, charged in the Paladin Club slayings.

•  A medical examiner who did not perform the autopsies on the victims testifies on the third day of the trial. The substitution was made because the medical examiner who did perform the autopsies, Dr. Richard Callery, has been fired because of troubles at the state's drug lab that he oversaw. According to the new medical examiner's testimony, the bodies of Joseph and Olga Connell were riddled with gunshot wounds.

• An employee of Christopher Rivers' and Rivers' girlfriend testify on the fourth day of the trial about conversations with him in which he seemed to implicate himself in a plot to kill business partner Joseph Connell.

• The former girlfriend of Joshua Bey – who is accused of being the middleman in a murder-for-hire plot – said that Christopher Rivers gave her $750 to hire a lawyer for Bey after he was arrested. This was some of the first testimony connecting Bey to Rivers in the murder trial of Rivers and Dominique Benson.

• A proposed 90-bed psychiatric hospital in Georgetown will be fast-tracked if some Delaware lawmakers have their way. Bipartisan legislation would override an appeal filed against the Delaware Health Resources Board by Universal Health Services, a Pennsylvania-based mental health provider that oversees Rockford Center in Stanton and Dover Behavioral Health in Kent County, and pave the way for the hospital's construction. Sussex County has no free-standing psychiatric facilities or hospitals with dedicated psychiatric units.

• Developers of the proposed Overbrook Town Center are thrown a major roadblock by the Sussex County Council. Members vote 4-1 to deny TD Rehoboth LLC's request to rezone 114 acres of land near Milton from agricultural to commercial.

• A man and woman are found dead in a Newport-area home. "They had been dead for a while," a New Castle County Police spokeswoman says of the 53-year-old man and 67-year-old woman. Neighbors and their lawn caretaker had no idea.

• A Frankford family celebrates the life of 16-year-old Trevor Kramer, who died last month after a second battle with brain cancer.

• The Delaware Lottery game Multi-Win Lotto hits a record jackpot of $288,005, and a 66-year-old Newark woman wins it after accidentally buying an extra ticket.

• A Delaware Air National Guardsman returns home and surprises his 11-year-old daughter at school.

• Sen. Joe Biden is being played by Greg Kinnear in "Confirmation," a made-for-television movie about the 1991 Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings chaired by then-Sen. Biden. The show debuts on HBO on Saturday, April 16.

• A new Brazilian steakhouse is finally ready to open in Newark. Churrascaria Saudades is a Brazilian “rodizio,” which is an all-you-can-eat-style restaurant where customers pay one price. Also, a new oyster house is open in Wilmington. The Trolley Square Oyster House is a part of the Big Fish Restaurant Group.

• Newark chef Robbie Jester of the Stone Balloon Ale House will return for a second appearance on the Food Network's "Guy's Grocery Games" on Sunday at 8 p.m. The show is hosted by Guy Fieri.

• Railroad tracks are an odd place for a bird nest in Milton, but that's where a killdeer, a protected bird, is sitting on eggs.

• Every time the Philadelphia Phillies play at home on Jackie Robinson Day, University of Delaware professor Ron Whittington is there. "The impact during his playing days was well noted,” Whittington said. “But the impact he had after his playing days is even more notable, marching with Martin Luther King and actually being a civil rights leader. Jackie had a huge impact, not just on baseball, but in society as a whole. He is very deserving of having a day to honor him.”

• Actor Mandy Patinkin, journalist Bob Schieffer and former kidnap victim Elizabeth Smart will be honored Saturday, April 16, at the the 37th annual Common Wealth Awards of Distinguished Service in Wilmington.

• Nearly 140 Delaware Air National Guard members are officially welcomed home at the New Castle Air National Guard Base near New Castle. Also, about a dozen others are sent off at a ceremony.

• Salesianum is naming a newly created summer camp for low-income youth in honor of senior Tyler Ritchie Brown, who died in a car crash in March.

• Downtown Wilmington's office vacancy rate is dropping as developers find other uses for unoccupied buildings.

• Expansion of a free Delaware community college program is being sought. Gov. Jack Markell wants to make a scholarship program a little less rigid and broaden the offer to include people who aren't coming right out of high school.

• The New Castle County Ethics Commission gets $150,000 more to handle a record number of complaints. The citizen board investigates allegations of unethical behavior by New Castle County government employees and officials.

• Stanton-based Sallie Mae awards a total of $100,000 in scholarship money to four high school students across the country.

• A mother of a teenager who committed suicide after being viciously bullied and a Concord High School junior, also the victim of bullying, were the keynote speakers at a tribute to crime victims organized by the Delaware Victims' Rights Task Force in Dover.

• Delaware's contested stormwater regulations are at the center of a case heard by the Delaware Supreme Court.

• A Republican has joined the race for New Castle County executive. Barry Nahe, chief of Building Operations and Maintenance for New Castle County government, filed with state election officials last week as the only Republican currently in the race for executive.

• A Democrat announces a run for Wilmington City Council representing the 5th District. West Center City community leader Jerry Velazquez says he will focus on improving the quality of life for residents and be a trusted and accountable leader for the community, which includes some of Wilmington’s most troubled neighborhoods.

• Gov. Jack Markell and Newark Mayor Polly Sierer join a group of pro-gun-control cyclists. Team 26 members, who are biking from Newtown, Connecticut, to Washington, are lobbying for universal background checks.

• Two Delaware supporters of the Democracy Spring movement are among more than 400 protesters arrested in Washington, D.C.

• Incumbent Luke Chapman and political newcomer Jennifer Wallace win seats on the Newark City Council.

• Three of the four Democrats running for Delaware's U.S. House seat debate but struggle to differentiate their positions at the University of Delaware College Democrats' event in Newark.

• The four Democrats and two Republicans looking to replace U.S. Rep. John Carney and asked to detail the role they see for themselves in the national gun debate. The responses ran firmly along party lines for Democrats state Sen. Bryan Townsend, retired U.S. Marine Sean Barney, former state Secretary of Labor Lisa Blunt Rochester and accountant Mike Miller and Republicans Hans Reigle, former mayor of Wyoming, and Rose Izzo, a former nominee for the seat.

• New Castle County Councilman Joe Reda dies at 73. "He was the type of guy who did things and didn't need the accolades or praise," Elsmere Mayor Steve Burg says. "Although he seemed like a big tough guy, he was a kitty cat and he was always for the community."

• A Delaware bill to close a gun-selling loophole is introduced. House Bill 325 would prevent sellers from giving customers guns if the federal government fails to process a background check within three business days.

•  Velda Jones-Potter, who was forced out of Wilmington Mayor Dennis P. Williams' administration in 2013, is being pushed to enter the race for city treasurer. The one doing the pushing is none other than Ed Osborne, Williams' campaign treasurer for his re-election bid.

• EDITORIAL: A Delaware judge's ruling that The News Journal must comply with a subpoena to turn over previously unpublished video clips should worry the public. The video is from an interview of Christopher Rivers before he was charged with murder in the Paladin Club trial. The decision will have a chilling effect on our ability to develop and maintain sources.

• Letters to the editor: Topics include handicap parking, the presidential nomination process, Delaware’s incorporation laws, the “religious right” and Congress’ inaction.

• COLUMN: For Delawareans, Tax Freedom Day is April 18, the day when taxpayers finally earn enough to pay what they will owe for 2016. Tax Freedom Day keeps getting later in the year. Nationally, while Tax Freedom Day is the same day as last year, it’s 11 days later than it was just four years ago.

• Best Buy confirms that it plans to open a new store in the Christiana Fashion Center this summer. The new store will replace Best Buy’s existing anchor store at the Center Point Plaza II shopping center about 2 miles to the north.

• A Delaware house-cleaning company, the Cleaning Girl, tries to set itself apart from others by allowing customers to avoid paying for a full-house cleaning when they have only a few rooms that need tidying. Instead, the company offers an online menu where customers can pick a set number of rooms they want cleaned.

• Wilmington-based Chemours will raise the price of its lead product, and that is puzzling financial experts.

• The 19th annual Meals on Wheels Delaware Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch features dishes prepared by about 30 local, national and international guest chefs, as well as wine and brunch cocktails. The event is set for Sunday, April 17, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hercules Plaza, 1313 N. Market St. in Wilmington.

• Try Ina Garten’s recipe for “French Chicken Pot Pies” for a hearty, crowd-pleasing meal that’s somewhat light.

• A University of Delaware student's dish is featured at Grain Craft Bar+Kitchen in Newark. Taylor Austin, 19, who says she's "not a good cook," still managed to come up with the "Tower of Power" appetizer.

• The Dewey Beach Country & Americana Festival, featuring 14 bands, continues its offering of free country music at the Rusty Rudder, 113 Dickinson St. The music starts at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 16.

• East Coast Garden Center in Millsboro is an award-winning, family-run enterprise where you can buy plants, get married, take a class, pick up a gift, listen to a live radio show, tend a community garden plot or just stroll around 15 acres.

• Data-sharing is changing health care by improving patient and physician experiences.

• Pregnant women who exercise can benefit in a number of ways: prevent weight gain and back pain, boost mood, increase stamina and improve sleep.

• Drink more water, and you’ll eat fewer calories, registered dietitian Marianne Carter writes. The body loses about 2½ quarts of water per day.

• Beast-reduction surgery is usually is considered a reconstructive (medically necessary) procedure, and thus is usually covered by insurance.

• Flyers Chairman Ed Snider dies at age 83 after a battle with cancer. He helped bring the NHL to Philadelphia in 1967.

• For the Phillies, the starting pitching staff has been one of the best in baseball through the first week of the season.

• The bottom third of the Phillies’ lineup is struggling, but the team is willing to sacrifice offense for defense in the outfield.

• The Phillies' Vince Velasquez strikes out a career-high 16 as Philadelphia beats the San Diego Padres 3-0.

• Hockessin resident Michelle Zechman, 53, who will run the Boston Marathon next week, draws both inspiration and concern from the memory of her father's death after running a Newark 5K in 1988.

• Archmere Academy honors Marcy Aitken, who coached for eight years and taught for 37 years at the school. Read about this and more in Brad Myers' Prep Notes.• The Eagles' Jordan Hicks and Eric Rowe, who played more than originally expected last season as rookies, are both expected to have prominent roles this season.

• St. Mark’s right-hander Billy Sullivan gets the save as the Spartans hold on for a 4-3 home victory over Caravel.

• Where are the fish biting? Find out in our regional fishing report.

• A head-on crash injured two people, one critically, on Del. 273 in Christiana, according to state police. Alcohol was believed to be a factor, police say.

• A 14-year-old boy led Wilmington police on a short chase in stolen truck and rammed into a police SUV with the truck, police say.

• A 15-year-old Wilmington teen has been charged with attempted robbery in the city, police say.

• An investigation into embezzlement at the American Legion Post No. 28 in Millsboro has lead to multiple arrests.

• A 24-year-old Smyrna man in a stolen vehicle led officers in a brief chase, according to the New Castle County Police.

• In Dover, a burglar who stole a big-screen TV is sought by police.

• A Delaware State Police trooper's vehicle and another passenger vehicle crash in Stanton.

• A fight over the purchase of a car leads to shots being fired and the discovery of a pound of marijuana, Newark police say.

• Three University of Delaware students were robbed at gunpoint during a home invasion, Newark police say.

• A man broke in and stole over $1,000 worth of perishable food from kitchen freezer at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Claymont, state police say.

• A 21-year-old man who was shot in Wilmington on March 11 and died March 31 is named by police April 13.

• A drunken 55-year-old man is struck by a vehicle after leaving a bar in Stanton, state police say.

• A Dover man has been arrested after city police say they found him with heroin, crack cocaine and other drugs.

• New Castle police are looking for a masked man who they say robbed a Shell food mart at gunpoint.

• The Jaws of Life was used to free a woman after two-vehicle crash near Newark. She and another woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries, authorities say.

• Five men in Dover are arrested on gun and drug charges.

• A 22-year-old Dover man was arrested after police said he assaulted a woman.

• Imagine Delaware: Combating Diabetes, hosted by The News Journal, will be held on April 27. The event is the culmination of 12 weeks of coverage of weight and health issues relating to this debilitating disease. Register for the free event. 

• We're still seeking Delaware's Top Workplaces. Employers and workers may submit entries until April 22.

We want to see your prom photos – past and present. You may submit them online or email them to jgentry@delawareonline.com.