Millsboro

After years of construction, delay and turbulent waters, the Indian River Inlet Bridge opened to traffic last Friday, with Gov. Jack Markell taking the maiden ride across its span.

There’s little doubt of the success of a chain like Dairy Queen near a seaside locale, but Bill Shook, owner of the franchise in downtown Millsboro, has been finding year-round prosperity with more than just the ice cream. After 10 years, thanks to big taste and a welcoming staff, he is proving that even a business with a corporate structure can evoke a friendly mom-and-pop feel.

In an effort to move the Route 54 Improvement Project toward completion, the Department of Transportation (DelDOT) announced Thursday, Jan. 5, that contractor Mumford & Miller, will be doing paving operations this weekend.  Unseasonably warm weather will allow a portion of the project to be paved now instead of in the spring, officials said. 
 

Delaware State Police and officers from the Ocean View Police Department this week arrested two Ocean View-area residents in connection with a string of armed robberies at businesses throughout the area.

The Delaware State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit on Friday, Dec. 23, was investigating a single-vehicle crash in which two Millsboro residents were killed early that morning.

One day in the very near future, Millsboro Public Works Director Kenny Niblett will attend a baseball game at the local Little League Park, possessing intimate details of how the grass is kept so green and so lush at his town’s very own “field of dreams.”

Conley’s United Methodist Church will be celebrating it’s 11th year holding their Living Nativity on Dec. 16 and 17, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Selbyville police arrested Jeffrey Paddock, 49, of Ocean View on Wednesday, Nov. 23, for his alleged involvement in a string of local burglaries.

The Millsboro Fire Company will be hosting Shopping Spree Sunday on Dec. 20 to help raise money for supplies for the company.

For more than 30 years, the Town of Millsboro has held its annual Christmas parade, and on Dec. 3, beginning at 10 a.m., that tradition will continue.

Delaware State Police this week arrested a 43-year-old registered sex offender living near Millsboro in connection with the Nov. 2 rape and murder of a 70-year-old Millsboro-area woman.

Dressed in hardhats, gloves and reflective vests, a group of 20 civilians crossed the new Indian River Inlet Bridge, from end to end, for the first time. They grinned as a DelDOT tour guide led them across the newly completed 10-foot closure pour, which connected the two halves of the new bridge. Motorists had become accustomed to seeing the incomplete north and south sections move closer together until Oct. 18, when the closure pour was completed.

On Wednesday, Nov. 9, Delaware will join all other states in conducting the first nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) test. At 2 p.m., radio, television and cable stations will broadcast the familiar alert warning sound. Following the alert sound, the recorded message on broadcast media will state, “This is a test.” The audio message will be the same for both radio and television.

The Millsboro Downtown Partnership is trying to reach legislators in hopes of resolving traffic and safety issues within the town.

The Delaware State Police this week were investigating a home-invasion-style robbery that occurred late Saturday night in Millsboro.

Delaware’s Department of Transportation has announced that beginning this evening, Wednesday, Nov. 2, there will be a shift in traffic patterns on Route 1 just north of the Indian River Inlet Bridge. The shift will be implemented to ensure continued road safety due to dune erosion adjacent to the northbound lanes, they said.

Both the northbound and southbound lanes of Route 1, near the Indian River Inlet will close at approximately 9 p.m. tonight, due to high storm tides, report  officials from the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT).

In a chemical-laden world – from the cosmetics women wear and the chemicals in dry cleaning to the more obvious pollutants, such as smoke stacks and cigarettes – it is easy to get exposed to something dangerous. What’s not as easy is knowing if and/or when that something could lead to serious and lasting side-effects, or even disease.

Delaware State Police detectives this week were investigating a home invasion-style robbery that occurred Oct. 20 near Millsboro.

On Monday, Oct. 31, the Greater Millsboro Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Millsboro Police Department, will be holding Family Night Out.

On Sunday, Oct. 23, the Greater Millsboro Chamber of Commerce will host the Little Miss Millsboro Pageant from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Millsboro Town Hall. Chamber Coordinator Amy Simmons said that the town has been holding the pageant for more than 20 years, allowing young girls from the 19966 and 19939 area codes to compete.

Tha-thump. Tha-Thump. Tha-Thump.

It’s getting a lot harder for people driving across the Indian River Inlet Bridge to see through the gap between north and south sides of the new bridge as they drive past, with the time for the final concrete pour of the project nearing and just 10 feet of space remaining between the two cantilevered portions of the bridge deck.

Fall is upon us, and East Coast Garden Center in Millsboro is ready to kick off the season in style. This Saturday, Oct. 1, the garden center will host their fifth annual Harvest Festival, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., featuring a slew of activities to welcome the arrival of autumn.

State Police this week were seeking suspects in a Sept. 13 Lewes-area burglary, including two Millsboro-area residents. Police were looking for 33-year-old Melissa Kabino and 27-year-old Byron Martin, who were among five suspects in the robbery.

Sept. 10 and 11 will mark the 34th annual Nanticoke Indian Powwow, at which nearly 600 members of the Nanticoke Indian tribe and other Native American tribes will share their culture and heritage with each other and the public.

Karen Apostolico has always had an appreciation for yesterday’s treasures. After retiring to Millsboro from Wilmington four years ago, she has finally brought her passion to fruition, having opened Caroline’s Cottage in early June. The old house-turned-shop, located downtown, on Main Street, combines an artistic mix of vintage and contemporary pieces, including clothes, furniture, art, jewelry, ceramics and much more.

Coastal Delaware began its recovery from Hurricane Irene as torrential rains and gale-force winds cleared on Sunday morning, dealing generally with localized flooding and power outages, as well as downed trees and broken limbs – a considerably lesser impact than had been feared from the first hurricane to hit the state in recorded history.

The Millsboro Lions Club will hold a tribute to 9-11 on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 3 p.m. to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. It will be held in the Independence development, in their clubhouse, located on George Washington Avenue in Millsboro (at Route 5 and Harmon Hill Road).