|
|
|
|
Scroll down to see news briefs from around the state of Delaware and Sussex County. See the Archives for past news briefs. Friday 12th September, 2003 Milton Woman Dies in Crash Near Georgetown Delaware State Police are investigating a fatal car crash that occurred Thursday at about 8:20 a.m.east of Georgetown on Truck Route 9 north of Sussex Route 47. A 1997 Freightliner tractor-trailer operated by Terry Dutton, 30, of Ellendale, was traveling northbound on Truck Route 9. A 1993 Jeep Cherokee operated by Melissa Sengun, 20, of Milton, was traveling southbound on Truck Route 9. For an unknown reason the Cherokee drifted into the northbound lane in front of the tractor-trailer. Dutton hit his brakes and swerved, trying to avoid the Cherokee, however the two collided head-on. After the initial crash the Cherokee rotated 180 degrees and rolled onto its passenger side. The Cherokee then caught on fire, trapping Sengun. Dutton and a passerby attempted to put out the fire but were unable.Sengun, who had been wearing her seatbelt, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Dutton was not injured in the crash. The trailer portion of the tractor-trailer was a utility box type, and it was empty. Allen Family Foods Inc. owns the trailer. The crash remains under investigation. Monday 8th September, 2003 Walsh Tops Field in Bethany Election John "Jack" Walsh topped a field of four candidates vying for three spots on the Bethany Beach Town Council in the town's Saturday, Sept. 6 election. Former council member Lois Lipsett failed in her bid for a seat on the council, trailing the field with 356 votes. Lipsett was also defeated last year as an incumbent seeking re-election. Walsh garnered 595 votes, newcomer Carol Olmstead received 543 and Wayne Fuller received 509. Fuller is no stranger to the council; although he had chosen last year not to seek re-election, he returned to the council earlier this year as an appointee to fill out the term of Jeff Cordiano, who resigned. Friday 5th September, 2003 First West Nile Case in NCCo Delaware's Division of Public Health (DPH) reports that a New Castle County resident is the state's first confirmed human case of West Nile virus (WNV) this year. The resident's physician describes the individual's current condition as stable. Last October, a Kent County man was diagnosed as the state's first West Nile virus case ever. West Nile virus is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes. Humans infected with West Nile virus typically have only mild symptoms similar to a mild flu, if they show any signs at all. Rarely do humans infected with the disease experience sudden onset of severe headache, high fever, stiff neck, confusion and muscle weakness. Individuals with these symptoms should see their physician immediately. As of Sept. 4, 2,667 human cases have been reported nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Forty-three patients died. In 2002, 4156 cases and 284 deaths were reported. West Nile virus first appeared in Delaware birds and horses in 2000. In 2002, 214 wild birds tested positive for the disease in Delaware, as did 24 horses and six mosquito pool samples. As of Sept. 3, 2003, the Delaware Public Health Laboratory identified West Nile virus in 80 wild birds, 11 sentinel chickens and 21 horses. Residents are advised to take common-sense precautions against insect bites. This includes wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants outdoors, applying insect repellent containing 50 percent or less DEET for adults and 30 percent or less DEET for children, and avoiding mosquito infested areas or times of peak mosquito activity around dusk, dawn or throughout the evening. To reduce mosquito-breeding, people should drain or remove items that collect water, such as buckets, birdbaths, rain barrels, old tires, blocked rain gutters and unused swimming pools. For questions about WNV in humans, and to report suspected human cases, call DPH at 888-295 5156. To report sick or dead wild birds, call Mosquito Control between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in New Castle County at (302) 323 4492, and in Kent or Sussex counties, call (302) 422-1512. For questions about animal health, call the Department of Agriculture at 1-800-282-8685 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or leave a message after-hours. Thursday 4th September, 2003 Millsboro Woman Dies in Crash A Millsboro woman died Tuesday, Sept. 2 after her husband ran a stop sign at Sussex roads 305 (Hollyville Road) and 297 (Mt. Joy Road) north of Millsboro. Delaware State Police said Guy Baker, 80, of Millsboro, was driving northbound on Hollyville Road, when he failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Hollyville and Mt. Joy roads at about 8: 42 a.m. A Toyota Tercel driven by Melissa Yeager, 18, of Millsboro, was westbound on Mt. Joy Road approaching the same intersection. When Baker failed to stop, Yeager's Toyota hit the passenger side of Baker's 1990 Ford Taurus. Baker was not injured, but his wife, Virginia Baker, 71, was pronounced dead at Beebe Medical Center, Lewes, from injuries suffered in the crash. Yeager was treated at Beebe for a bruised chest and released. Wednesday 3rd September, 2003 Gov. Minner in Georgetown Gov. Ruth Ann Minner will return to Sussex County for her next "Open Door After 4" session on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2003, at the new Court of Chancery on the Circle in Georgetown. Interested residents can sign up for a five-minute, one-on-one chat with the Governor. Slots are available for the session from 4 to 6 p.m. The slots are expected to fill up quickly and will be filled on a first-come, first served basis. To set up an appointment, please call Kate Bailey at (302) 577-8229 or (800) 292-9570. Residents who call after all the slots are filled will be asked to call back when the date and location of the October "Open Door After 4" session are announced. Residents can talk about any topic they choose during their session. Participants just need to name their topic when scheduling their appointment. For security reasons, those who receive an appointment will need to provide the name, address, telephone number, social security number and date of birth of everyone who will attend the meeting with the Governor. The deadline for appointments is the end of the day Friday, Sept. 5. Wednesday 20th August, 2003 9/11 Commemorative Ceremony Set in Georgetown "Never Forget" will be the theme of the 9/11 commemorative ceremony set for Thursday, Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. on The Circle in Georgetown. The ceremony will be a time to remember those lost in the 2001 terrorist attacks and honor members of Sussex County's public safety community and armed forces. The ceremony is open to the public; all are encouraged to attend. Students from the Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences will speak and sing patriotic songs. They will be joined by the Milford Community Band. Guests will include members of the armed forces, local and state police, fire companies and EMS agencies. Those who will be honored during the ceremony include the Delaware State Trooper of the Year as well as county paramedic, dispatcher and firefighter of the year. During the event, the circle will be closed to through traffic so county fire and police apparatus can be displayed. Parking will be located at the Georgetown Little League complex on East Market Street (Route 9), several blocks east of the circle in Georgetown. In the event of inclement weather, an alternate location may be announced. Tuesday 12th August, 2003 Clarksville Man Cited for Causing Sewage Overflow A Clarksville man has been ordered to stop allowing sewage to overflow from a septic system on his property. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary John A. Hughes has ordered Perry Townsend, owner of property located on the north side of Sussex Road 353 (Burbage Road) near Clarksville, to cease and desist the illegal discharge of wastewater from the septic system onto the ground. DNREC gave Townsend a permit in 1987 to install a septic system to serve a three-bedroom mobile home on his property with a design flow of up to 360 gallons per day. On May 6, 2003, DNREC inspected the property following a complaint of a septic overflow and found a second doublewide mobile home connected to the existing septic system. The illegal connection created twice as much wastewater, causing the system to overflow onto the ground's surface. Townsend was told to pump out the system immediately to prevent further overflows and to contact a licensed septic system installer to fix the illegal system. On July 31, 2003, DNREC inspected the property again, found that the illegal connection was still in use and there was no evidence of a pump-out. By allowing wastewater to discharge onto the surface of the ground without a permit and connecting the second dwelling to the existing system, Townsend violated state laws governing on-site wastewater treatment and disposal (septic) systems and his septic system permit. In addition to ceasing the illegal discharge of wastewater from the second doublewide mobile home, Townsend was ordered to hire a Class F licensed waste hauler to pump out the system as necessary to prevent a surface discharge until the system is repaired or connection is made to a municipal wastewater system. Friday 8th August, 2003 Fenwick Island Elects New Officers Aug. 12 The Fenwick Island Town Council will meet on Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 1:30 p.m. to swear in the new council members and elect new officers. Theo Brans, Chris Clark, Martha Keller and Audrey Serio were elected to the council Aug. 2 from a field of eight candidates. Brans was the only incumbent who ran for re-election this year; he was the top vote-getter in the Aug. 2 election. Council president Peg Baunchalk, treasurer Richard Griffin and police commissioner Edward "Buzz" Henifin did not seek re-election. Wednesday 6th August, 2003 Georgetown Man Arrested After High-Speed Chase A Georgetown man was arrested Tuesday, Aug. 5 after he led state police on a 12-minute pursuit in Long Neck. The incident began at approximately 12:10 a.m. on Long Neck Road when a Delaware State Police trooper assigned to Troop 7 attempted to stop a 2000 Ford Ranger pickup for speeding on Long Neck Road. The pickup, driven by Nicholas J. Fell, 42, of Avalon Drive, failed to stop and turned into Pot Nets Bayside. Fell eventually left Pot Nets and continued fleeing northbound on Long Neck Road, reaching speeds of more than 70 mph and forcing other motorists onto the shoulder. Fell then ran a red light at the intersection of SR 24 and continued northbound onto Route 5. He continued speeding, reaching speeds over 90 mph. Fell then turned west onto Sussex Road 292A and traveled down two other back roads. He driving in an erratic manner, running stop signs and speeding. The pickup then turned south onto Sussex Road 296 from Sussex Road 47. As the pickup entered a curve, Fell lost control of it. The pickup then rolled over several times and exited the west edge of roadway before coming to rest. Fell was charged with DUI, disregarding a police officer, aggressive driving, reckless driving, two counts of failing to signal, three counts of failing to stop at a stop sign, five counts of speeding, no proof of insurance, two counts of improper lane change, driving on the wrong side of the roadway, disregarding a red light, and driving while suspended or revoked. Fell was taken to Beebe Medical Center where he was treated for a head injury. He was eventually committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution in default of $6,900 cash bail. Long Neck Man Dies in Crash A 41-year-old Long Neck man was killed when the driver of a Pepsi truck lost control on a wet Iron Branch Road at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5. Passersby saved the life of a passenger in a pickup truck that was struck by the Pepsi truck, police said. According to police reports, a GMC Pepsi truck operated by Brian Pusey, 36, of Ocean City, Md., was traveling southbound on Iron Branch Road over the Possum Point Bridge. A 1985 Ford pickup truck operated by a 41-year-old Long Neck man was traveling northbound on Iron Branch Road over the Possum Point Bridge. Meanwhile, a 1996 Honda Accord operated by James Sturla, 73, of Dagsboro was traveling northbound on Iron Branch Road behind the pickup. As the Pepsi truck was negotiating a curve on the bridge, Pusey lost control of it, and the trailer part of the truck rotated clockwise into the northbound lane. The left side of the trailer then struck the front of the pickup and the pickup caught on fire. The front of the Honda then struck the right side of the pickup. After the crash the Honda was backed away from the pickup. Three probation and parole officers who had been traveling southbound on Iron Branch Road were first on the scene, and one of the officers used her baton to break out the passenger side window of the pickup. Two passersby that had been traveling northbound on Iron Branch Road were then able to pull the passenger to safety. The driver, however, was trapped in the pickup and could not be rescued. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger in the pickup, Richard Clark, 44, of Long Neck, was admitted to Beebe Medical Center with a fractured left hip and contusions and abrasions. Sturla and his wife Carolyn were transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Salisbury, Md.Their condition is unavailable at this time. Pusey was not injured. The road was closed for approximately four hours after the crash. The name of the driver of the pickup is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The crash remains under investigation. |
|
|
Copyright © 1999-2003 Sussex County Online |
