Delaware ranked 1st in U.S. for foreclosure rate, data company finds

Delaware had the highest foreclosure rate in the country this year, according to a nationwide realty data analysis.

One in every 1,705 housing units in Delaware had a foreclosure filing in the first quarter of 2021, according to the report from ATTOM Data Solutions.

Of the state's three counties, Kent County saw the highest foreclosure rate at the start of this year, with one in every 1,281 housing units seeing a foreclosure filing. New Castle County saw one in every 1,691 and Sussex County saw one in every 2,094.

While the First State ranked first in terms of its foreclosure rate this past quarter, it was 31st in the total number of foreclosure filings, according to the data.

The state had 254 filings — showing that even a small change in the small state can have a big impact on its ranking. And some state officials questioned the data.

Also, foreclosure filings were down 74% compared to this time last year when Delaware had 990 filings in the first quarter.

The state saw 268 filings in the second quarter, 123 in the third quarter and 132 in the fourth quarter, according to ATTOM Data Solutions — all significantly lower than 2019 rates, likely thanks to efforts from the state to prevent foreclosures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nationally, the report said that foreclosures were up 9% in the first quarter compared to the end of last year, but down 78% from a year ago.

Illinois ranked second with foreclosures in one in every 2,175 housing units, and Florida was third with one in every 2,237 housing units.

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“The foreclosure moratorium on government-backed loans has virtually stopped foreclosure activity over the past year,” said Rick Sharga, executive vice president of RealtyTrac, an ATTOM Data Solutions company, in a statement.

“But mortgage servicers have been able to begin foreclosing actions on vacant and abandoned properties, which benefits neighborhoods and communities. It’s likely that these foreclosures are causing the slight uptick we’ve seen over the past few months.”

Addressing foreclosures in Delaware

The Delaware State Housing Authority launched a mortgage assistance program in August to help people struggling to make their payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That program was paused at the end of last year because the state was unsure if the federal government would continue to help fund the program, according to Jessica Eisenbrey Welch, a spokeswoman for the Delaware State Housing Authority.

The state spent nearly $2 million to help more than 300 households, she said in an email.

The state expects more funding this year thanks to the American Rescue Plan, which is the federal stimulus package, but it's not clear when the money will be available and the state is still waiting for federal guidance, Eisenbrey Welch said.

At the end of last year, Delaware ranked 9th in the country for foreclosure rates, the data showed.

Delaware is one of 20 states that have a judicial foreclosure process, and because this process tends to be longer those states typically have the highest percentage of foreclosure loans, according to Eisenbrey Welch.

"The state’s judicial foreclosure process, plus the mortgage mediation program that further extends the process to protect homeowners, tends to push up the number of loans shown as 'in foreclosure,'" she said.

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The Delaware Department of Justice, which manages a mediation program to help people avoid foreclosure, questioned the data report's methodology and conclusion.

In an email, DOJ spokesman Mat Marshall cited how the Mortgage Bankers Association ranked Delaware 11th in loan foreclosures last quarter in the nation.

"While our Q1 2021 participation data is not yet finalized, our preliminary figures do not show a significant change in the number of mediation-eligible foreclosure filings and certainly nothing that would give us cause to believe that Delaware moved from 11th in the nation to 1st," Marshall wrote.

The Department of Justice offers help for homeowners facing foreclosure.

More information can be found at https://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/fraud/cpu/automediation or by calling (800) 220-5424.

Sarah Gamard covers government and politics for Delaware Online/The News Journal. Reach her at (302) 324-2281 or sgamard@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGamard.

Wilmington rents rise as residents scramble to find new homes

Rent was rising at Wilmington’s South Front apartments.

It was an undeniable reality Alden Hall Larrick heard about over and over as her neighbor’s leases came up for renewal. Many had seen hikes of a couple of hundred dollars, so Larrick braced herself as she logged into the complex’s online portal in August to view her renewal offer.

Concord Mall: Coronavirus may be a death blow to a struggling model

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A sheet of white paper taped to the Concord Mall's glass entranceway notes the building's indefinite closure. The paper is crumpled and a piece is torn off the top left corner — the type of tear you make to get rid of a chewed stick of gum.

A light shining from the corridor behind it is one of the mall's only signs of life.

On this night, every parking lot light is out. The lot's sea foam green and worn blue traffic signs have no cars to direct. The building's marquee is fixed black.

The Concord Mall, like hundreds of nonessential Delaware businesses, has been ordered closed by Gov. John Carney as part of a stay-at-home order intended to limit the spread of the coronavirus, a disease so easily transmitted officials recommend you don't leave home without a mask.

No one knows when customers will be allowed back in. But more frightening for the industry, no one knows if customers will want to come back.

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Before social distancing, stay-at-home and shelter-in-place became part of our everyday vernacular, the prognosis for brick and mortar retailers was already grim.

Now experts say the unprecedented shutdown will accelerate trends in the industry, most notably the shift to online shopping as customers make purchases from the safety of their homes, leading to a sooner-than-expected watershed moment for mid-sized shopping destinations such as the Concord Mall.

"This is a black swan event," said Venkatesh Shankar, director of research at the center for retailing studies at Texas A&M University. "This is like a once in a century event, so nobody was prepared for this kind of damage.

"Owners will have to rethink whether malls are viable anymore."

At the top of the mangled printer paper is the logo for Namdar Realty Group. When the New-York based company assumed ownership of the Concord Mall three months ago, acquiring it out of foreclosure, no one predicted it would find itself in this situation — at least not this soon.

After losing Sears, Planet Fitness and the sports memorabilia store AB Sports, roughly 3 of every 10 stores in the Concord Mall were vacant before the coronavirus hit. The mall's vacancy rate was about three times the national average, which hit an all-time high in 2019 according to most analysts.

The mall already needed an answer to the question that's dogged the retail industry for more than a decade: Why leave the house when you can order almost everything online?

Now the question is more pressing than ever.

Tiers of shopping malls

After being down more than 10% in March and with more losses expected in April, nationwide retail sales are projected to be down more than $150 billion, according to the retail consultancy firm GlobalData.

Last week alone, nearly one million retail workers were furloughed by major brands such as Macy's and J.C. Penney. Even before the coronavirus pandemic both companies faced uncertainty, joining other mall-based retailers such as Forever 21, Charlotte Russe and Gamestop in closing dozens of locations.

"Even in the financial crisis we didn't see these kinds of declines," said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData.

Experts believe the coronavirus pandemic will have a lasting impact on consumer habits, as more people become wary of going to crowded places. The biggest effect: online sales will grow in almost every category.

A large group of shoppers will discover online alternatives and delivery services to replace their routine trips to the store during the pandemic, while already savvy online shoppers will see even less reason to shop in-person, experts say.

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Some stores will reimagine how they distribute their products. To appease social distancing guidelines some stores will alter their layouts to reduce touch points.

Shorter-term projections, which see declines in sales almost across the board, also factor in record-high unemployment. The retail sector at large enjoyed multiple years of steady growth as unemployment rates fell to record lows.

As retail transforms on a macro level, experts say the short-term effect of the pandemic on individual properties will likely vary.

To discuss these impacts retail observers often split shopping malls into three categories:

The A-list super-regional hub: the mall at or near capacity that has repurposed lost businesses successfully and completed at least one wide-ranging redevelopment

The B-level mid-tier: the mall in need of new life after losing an anchor or two

The bottom barrel C mall: a mall that was small to begin with, but is now almost completely dark

The Christiana Mall is still Delaware's greatest draw for in- and out-of-state shoppers, and experts suggest its business will remain relatively steady. It's the A-mall.

"The flagship malls are fine," said Charles Lindsey, associate professor of marketing at the University at Buffalo School of Management. "We all know what mall that is in our area because they’re just doing fine."

The Concord Mall, existing on the fringes of Christiana's orbit, is a class or more down and faces a challenging path to survival, with its anchors Macy's and J.C. Penney inching closer to bankruptcy every day their doors are closed.

"The draw that was the specialty mix is diminishing and the anchor tenants are disappearing," said Mark Cohen, director of retail studies at Columbia Business School. "I don’t see any sunshine in the forecast for these B, typically C malls."

The mall model has 'seen its best days'

In the mid-afternoon, days before officials announced Delaware's first coronavirus case, the long dimly lit Concord Mall corridor leading to Sears already looked deserted.

The fountain marking the end of the walkway was dry, safe for a few drops around its circular centerpiece. Its guts — the lights and hoses that fueled amusement for decades of children — were completely exposed.

If the signs advertising sales of 60% off weren't enough to remind you of Sears' looming closure, the gated Payless ShoeSource to its left would do the trick.

The sprawling shopping mall, anchored by department stores and bolstered by boutiques, dominated the retail landscape for decades. It brought together the disparate American downtown, while offering people a place to meet in a world that hadn't yet tethered an always-on connection.

Cohen said developers built too many malls during the mid-20th century, an issue later compounded by mall owners' failure to adapt. As malls became ubiquitous, Cohen said a feeling that each was the "same old" thing set in. These are some of the malls now struggling in overcrowded areas.

"I think the great American shopping mall has seen its best days," Cohen said.

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Many retail experts interviewed by Delaware Online/The News Journal said a significant investment would be needed to revive the Concord Mall. Others said it's time to rethink the property, suggesting it could be converted to a fulfillment center or a data center in the short term.

In statements made since acquiring the Concord Mall, Namdar and its affiliate Mason Asset Management have assured guests and store owners of its commitment to revitalizing the mall. It floated the idea of adding "mixed-use" features to the property, but hasn't released any specific details.

The group has earned a reputation for rarely making significant investments and often running already troubled malls on tight budgets, according to various media reports, including a January story in the Delaware Business Times.

In response to a request for comment for this story, Namdar offered the following statement:

"The reopening plan for the Concord Mall will be centered around providing strong support and fostering stronger relationships with each of our tenants. One example of that includes running marketing campaigns on social media and our digital platforms, as many tenants will be running promotions to attract foot traffic once again."

Betting on 'experiential retail'

Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, developers pinned their hopes on "experiential retail," the idea that adding businesses not traditionally found in malls like gyms, grocery stores, health care clinics and gaming centers could lure shoppers from their homes.

Some took the idea to another level by adding luxury apartments or townhomes, building so-called "live and play" communities. Maybe you'll come out to eat and shop if the businesses are in your front yard.

The newly developed Promenade at Granite Run in Media, Pennsylvania, is close to fully leased, two years after developers knocked down almost every store in the 40-year-old Granite Run Mall and built a mixed-use center from its ashes.

The property features luxury apartments, an Edge Fitness center, an Acme supermarket and a bevy of national restaurant brands.

Similar developments have taken root at the King of Prussia Town Center next to the famous mall, and the Plymouth Meeting Mall, which features a Whole Foods, 5 Wits entertainment venue, Legoland and Edge Fitness, among other shopping destinations.

It's unclear what the future holds for these properties, as most haven't been around long enough to judge whether the additions grant the property extra staying power, but many in the industry are encouraged by their high occupancy rates.

The Concord Mall hasn't had a major renovation since 1994. Experts say it will be even more difficult for lower-tier mall owners like Namdar to to pour money into expensive redevelopments as their reserves are tapped during the pandemic.

"They will be under tremendous strain," Shankar said. "In the short term it’s going to be really messy ... Those experience-type places will have to be reexamined."

When asked about potential redevelopment plans in a follow-up message, Namdar said its current focus is on "managing the impact of COVID-19." They said more updates on long-term plans would be available once "we begin to regain a bit of normalcy and clarity on what things look like post-coronavirus."

Allied Properties, a Delaware-based group that operated the mall previously, announced plans to completely redevelop the mall in 2017 but abandoned them midway through 2019.

With a high number of vacancies and the strong potential for more store closures, Lindsey described a cycle many lower-tier malls could soon find themselves in.

Malls will find it difficult to transition to other uses as stores struggle, and stores will continue to struggle if malls don't find other attractions. It's a problem that is now amplified.

"This is just going to accelerate that," he said. "The longer this continues, we're going to see some bankruptcies and additional store closings ... It will put pressure on malls because occupancy will go down."

Contact Brandon Holveck at bholveck@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @holveck_brandon.

East Side eatery honors past while working for Wilmington's future

Sunlight shone through the glass door of a building Charly "Evol" Bass knew well, the light kindling the warm hues of oranges and yellows that enveloped the walls of her restaurant, Jerry Deen’s.

A patchwork of wooden planks, multicolored signatures and yellow neighborhood street signs covered a pillar in the middle of the establishment, complemented by the various black-and-white pictures of Bass’ parents that adorned the walls. The frigid winter air often seeped into the restaurant as patrons came inside to pick up their food, stopping often to greet Bass on their way to the counter.

Behind Bass, on a sunny windowsill slightly obstructed by the drapes, sat a collage of photos showing her and a group of children she had mentored through Game Changers, a community organization focused on addressing issues within Wilmington’s neighborhoods.

Analysis: Southwest got billions of dollars in taxpayer aid. Why is its ...

Minneapolis CNN —

When the coronavirus pandemic ground the transportation industry to a screeching halt in early 2020, the US government doled out more than $54 billion in aid to help pay employees and keep the systems from buckling.

Southwest Airlines received more than $7 billion from that program. But its system had two major meltdowns in the past 18 months, including this week’s massive system failure the likes of which the aviation industry has never seen.

However, analysts say, Southwest’s service meltdown is unrelated to the taxpayer assistance the airline received in 2020. Although undoubtedly aggravating for stranded travelers, the billions of dollars taxpayers forked over to Southwest could not have been directed to solve the particular problems that caused this week’s snafu.

Cancelled Southwest Airlines flights are seen on the flight schedules at LaGuardia Airport, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, in New York. The U.S. Department of Transportation says it will look into flight cancellations by Southwest that have left travelers stranded at airports across the country amid an intense winter storm. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Yuki Iwamura/AP

[The pandemic aid] “is water under the bridge at this point,” said Robert Mann, a Port Washington, New York-based airline industry analyst. “The only distinguishing factors at this point are to what degree carriers have satisfied obligations that permit them to either return to paying dividends or return to paying higher officer salaries.”

When air travel plunged in early 2020, the government stepped in with financial assistance to keep the airlines running. Preventing layoffs and furloughs in the transportation sector was a critical focal point as employees such as pilots are subject to training requirements and other certifications that, if lagged, could significantly disrupt air travel for a considerable time.

The Payroll Support Program, which started in March 2020 and was reupped two times in 2021, was similar in nature to the Payroll Protection Program that was meant to help smaller businesses keep employees paid and working during the pandemic.

The federal aid to airlines, which was a mix of grants and loans, came with some caveats: The airlines had to use the funds exclusively to continue paying wages, salaries and benefits to employees; and, for specific periods of time, they couldn’t conduct furloughs or layoffs; issue dividends or stock buybacks; or increase pay for executives.

By the carriers and airline unions’ accounts, the program ultimately was a success.

“It worked,” Gary Kelly, Southwest’s former chief executive officer, said in December 2021 during a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing to examine the impact of the PSP.

“Funds received through each round of the PSP were only used for qualifying employee salaries, wages, and benefits,” he added. “We did not cut pay rates; we did not cut hours; we did not cut benefits; we did not layoff; we did not furlough. We actually raised our minimum pay to $15 per hour, effective August 1, 2021.”

Kelly noted that Southwest’s financially conservative approach that put it in a healthy position entering 2020, and the airline’s cost-cutting throughout the pandemic, had it on good footing for the future.

But this wasn’t a short-term event. As the pandemic spread and the virus evolved, demand bottomed out for travel, straining airlines’ operations. To save on costs, and to avoid layoffs, airlines including Southwest offered voluntary buyouts, leaves of absence and early retirement packages.

Earlier this year, as Southwest and other airlines struggled with staffing shortages, two House Democrats asked the Treasury Department’s inspector general to investigate whether any of the PSP funds were used for the buyouts, which ultimately helped contribute to staffing shortages and service disruptions when demand returned.

What caused the meltdown

Experts, employees and even the CEO admit that Southwest’s mess was decades in the making.

Southwest’s meltdown this past weekend, a massive cascading wave of cancellations that stranded tens of thousands of passengers and overwhelming the airline’s internal systems, were a culmination of issues brewing for years, Captain Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association told CNN this week.

“We’ve been having these issues for the past 20 months,” he told CNN. “We’ve seen these sorts of meltdowns occur on a much more regular basis and it really just has to do with outdated processes and outdated IT.”

Murray noted that Southwest’s ancient scheduling system hasn’t changed much since the 1990s. Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson told employees this week that the outdated scheduling system was the main culprit for the outage.

Southwest’s “point-to-point” model also didn’t help. The operational approach involves planes flying consecutive routes, picking up crews at those locations and relying on short turnaround times.

“When they have cancellations in one area, it really ripples through, because they don’t necessarily have their crews and their pilots in the right positions,” said Jeff Windau, senior equity analyst of equity research for Edward Jones. “They just kind of build on from city to city to city, and when that gets disrupted, it’s very difficult to get the operations flowing smoothly again.”

Southwest acknowledged many of the concerns raised by Murray and others.

“Part of what we’re suffering is a lack of tools,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan told employees in a memo obtained by CNN. “We’ve talked an awful lot about modernizing the operation, and the need to do that.”

Bailout money specifically meant to support workers

The PSP amounts were based on the carriers’ 2019 salary levels, which themselves were based on pre-pandemic flying levels. In April 2020, airline passenger traffic plummeted 96% and stayed 60% below 2019 levels in 2020, according to the US Government Accountability Office.

“No carrier was operating a 2019 level of flying,” Mann said. “In fact, while saying ‘no layoffs,’ numerous carriers cut hours and related pay. Many others initiated voluntary separation agreements that paid fewer hours and salary dollars over a defined future period in exchange for early retirements or similar.”

Mann said that means it’s highly unlikely that any airline paid the full amount of PSP to salaries. Where did the excess PSP money go?

“Could have been as simple as fuel, interest payments, other overheads,” he said. “But the idea that PSP would have paid for IT upgrades that a carrier saw no need for is not realistic.”

But Southwest will have to focus on its technology after its service meltdown.

“Now that the problem has occurred, and at [the Department of Transportation] and the market’s urging, I suspect the carrier has a different view of what IT upgrades are necessary,” he said. “They’ll spend their own money now to research, develop and implement new systems.”

Staffing shortages

Staffing issues also contributed to both of Southwest’s recent service outages, even if it wasn’t the primary factor in the latest meltdown.

Southwest, like other airlines – and other industries – has struggled with staffing shortages amid the recovery from the pandemic.

“The entire industry has been running, I won’t say running on empty, but running on reserve,” Mann said.

Travelers wait at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on December 27, 2022, in Houston, Texas, after Southwest canceled approximately 5,400 flights in less than 48 hours. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

In October 2021, Southwest had 7,000 fewer employees than it did pre-pandemic, according to Transportation Department data. The airline cited “inadequate staffing” following the cancellation of more than 2,000 flights during the Indigenous Peoples Day/Columbus Day weekend.

“We are still not where we want to be with staffing, and in particular with our flight crews,” then-COO Mike Van de Ven said in a recorded video to employees. A transcript of the recording was shared with CNN at the time. “We simply need more staffing cushion for the unexpected in this environment and we are bringing new people on board every day,” he said.

What’s next?

Southwest will attempt to move forward from its pitfalls under the watchful eye of the US government.

The Department of Transportation said it is investigating Southwest’s spate of cancellations and customer service delays. President Joe Biden said his administration “is working to ensure airlines are held accountable.”

Democratic Sens. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut issued a new letter Tuesday calling on Southwest to pay up for what they say were avoidable holiday cancellations.

“Southwest is planning to issue a $428 million dividend next year – the company can afford to do right by the consumers it has harmed,” they wrote. “Southwest should focus first on its customers stranded at airports and stuck on interminable hold.”

US Senator Maria Cantwell, who chaired the Senate committee hearing last year, issued a statement Tuesday pledging the panel would be looking into the causes behind Southwest Airlines cascade of flight cancellations.

“The problems at Southwest Airlines over the last several days go beyond weather,” she said in a statement. “The committee will be looking into the causes of these disruptions and its impact on consumers.”

– CNN’s Ted Barrett, Lauren Fox, David Goldman, and Chris Isidore contributed to this report.

Wilmington looking at 'almost unknowable' hit to revenue amid ...

Less than two weeks ago, Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki was prepared to present a healthy picture of the city's finances – stable economic growth, a modest budget surplus and no need for tax or water rate increases in the fiscal year that starts July.

Since then, the coronavirus outbreak has ravaged the restaurant and hospitality industries and numerous other businesses statewide.

A record 10,700 Delawareans filed for unemployment benefits last week alone, though it's not clear what proportion live or work in Wilmington.

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"Now, nobody knows what to expect," the mayor said.

Purzycki nevertheless proposed Thursday evening (remotely, on the Zoom video-conference platform) a $169 million budget to the City Council on Thursday evening – with the expectation that the revenues will be significantly lower than projected.

Revenue shortfalls expected

Officials will likely have to access the city's reserves to cover the difference.

City officials expect "some erosion" in revenues for the remaining three months of the 2020 fiscal year, he said, but "it's 2021 where the real danger lies."

Based on the state's March revenue estimates, the city expects next fiscal year to take in $171 million in revenues, more than 40% of which comes from the 1.25% income tax on city residents and those who work in the city.

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Purzycki said he considers the state's estimates, made as the outbreak was just beginning to hit Delaware, to be optimistic.

He said he does not yet know how much city wage tax loss is expected from laid-off restaurant workers and other businesses that have shuttered. Other revenue shortfalls are expected from lost permits and fees if business and construction activity slows down, and less tax collected on hotel room bookings and property sales.

Exact numbers are "almost unknowable at this point in time," he told the City Council.

The city will make its own revenue projections next month.

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Still, Purzycki said his goal is to avoid worst-case-scenario revenue assumptions that would require either city worker layoffs or tax hikes to balance the budget. In a city that largely provides only essential services to residents like police, firefighters, trash pickup and water, there's little left to cut.

The city has roughly $5 million in cash reserves available immediately and $17 million in a never-before-used "rainy day fund" that would require three-quarters of the City Council's approval to access.

"I don’t want to disrupt the entire government and start laying people off and slashing the government," he said. "At the same time, I'm not going to be indifferent to the expenses and raise taxes for everybody. We're going to deal with whatever shortcomings, use whatever cash reserves are available, then if it's a longer-term situation, we've got to think long-term solutions."

City Treasurer Velda Jones-Potter also on Thursday said she's proposing the city open up the rainy day fund.

Some of the administration's initiatives "may have to give way to economic realities," Purzycki acknowledged.

Included for now in the proposed budget is $1 million for the Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank, which receives and re-purposes vacant houses that don't find new owners at sheriff sale.

Also proposed are $400,000 for a program that hires residents to clean city streets, $672,000 for 20 new neighborhood security cameras and staff to monitor them and $617,000 for a new 311 city services call center.

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"Keeping cities clean is not a low-priority item," he said. "We want to support the Land Bank. If we don't fix housing in these neighborhoods, we'll lose them forever. They're high priorities, but we have to live in the real world."

The City Council, meeting remotely, will hear budget presentations from city departments throughout April.

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City workers fearful

The uncertain budget proposal comes after nearly two weeks of adjustments to the city government during the outbreak.

In-person services for residents are limited at the City-County Building. Many employees are working from home and roughly one-tenth of the city government workforce is on leave due to the virus, either for health reasons or to take care of children who are home amid statewide school closures.

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The city has stopped ticketing cars for both time-limited parking violations and for not paying meters. Street cleanings are suspended. Licenses and Inspections building code inspectors have generally stopped entering homes.

Officials have also halted water shutoffs and sheriff sales for residents who owe bills to the city.

Still reporting to work are the city's sanitation employees, who have been increasingly vocal about safety concerns and wages as they collect residents' trash amid a pandemic. Among their demands are hazard pay for performing an essential city duty.

City contracts with several labor unions, including the ones that represent police officers, firefighters and blue-collar city workers, specify the city must pay "premium" overtime wages to those who still must work in the event an emergency closes the city government down.

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Officials said there's little chance of doing that during a long-term health crisis.

The city has previously had to shut down and pay premium wages for short periods of time during snowstorms. Premium wages would amount to $5 million for the first two months, said John Rago, Purzycki's deputy chief of staff for policy and communications.

"You can't close the government, that's impossible," Purzycki said. "There are too many things that are necessary to continue."

One sanitation driver said that's of little comfort to city workers who don't have the luxury of working from home.

His department is short-staffed because several employees are on coronavirus-related leave, he told Delaware Online/The News Journal, and workers are picking up increased trash loads without masks as more city residents stay home during the outbreak.

Employees are particularly fearful, said another worker Reginald Grinnell, of coming into contact with the trash of an infected resident.

"We're going in there blind; it's just a big unknown," said Grinnell, who is vice president of the AFSCME Local 302, the union that represents city laborers. "The morale is down."

Purzycki said officials are "working on" providing protective gear.

Jeanne Kuang covers Wilmington for The News Journal. Contact her at jkuang@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2476.

The pandemic led to mass layoffs at hotels and restaurants; with ...

On a Wednesday afternoon, Angela Yeo, owner of Le Café Gourmet, tamped down coffee grounds as a worker manned the cash register in the small Parisian-style cafe.

Like many businesses lately, the downtown eatery is stretching to accommodate eager customers while being severely short staffed. Yeo and her husband are working with a skeleton crew of four, which isn’t enough to keep them open for their usual seven days a week — and barely gets them through their opening hours.

Regional malls across the country are dying. Delaware's could be in ...

As she exits the Boscov's at the Dover Mall, Edith Moyer uses one hand to situate her mask above her nose as the other clutches a large plastic shopping bag by her side.

Moyer does most of her shopping in-person — she likes to try on clothes and feel their texture, and she doesn't like the hassle of mailing items back. She has persisted through the pandemic, browsing for anniversary and birthday gifts while abiding by the mask requirements and social distancing markers of COVID-19 shopping.

'A tale of two cities': Wilmington mayor will have to win over more of ...

When City Treasurer Velda Jones-Potter made her eleventh-hour entry into the Wilmington mayoral primary last month, she told the public she was heeding the call of city residents who urged her to seek the nomination.

Within Mayor Mike Purzycki’s administration, which had been in an escalating City Hall conflict with Jones-Potter, officials saw things differently.

Delaware's warehouse boom reaches residential area near ...

Stephanie Richers moved her young family from Wilmington to the Middletown area for a quieter life.

Almost four years ago, she handpicked a plot at the northern edge of the Bayberry community off Boyds Corner Road.

In one direction from the property, across acres of open fields, Richers spots the silos of Emerson Farms, where her family walks for ice cream. The other side of the yard backs up to a creek Richers' children play in. Sometimes they can spot a bald eagle or an owl.

"I wanted the trees. I wanted the wildlife," Richers said. "I wanted that for our children."


One of Food Network's 'Worst Cooks in America' is a Delaware dad

There's no shame in this game: One of the "Worst Cooks in America" lives in Delaware.

Avi Boodram who lives in Christiana, will display his apparent lack of culinary abilities on the Food Network program that begins airing at 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7.

Boodram is one of 16 contestants competing in 'Worst Cooks in America: Spoiled Rotten," a seven-episode series that follows men and women as they go through a culinary "boot camp" led by Food Network chefs Anne Burrell and Tiffany Derry.

Delaware wrestler put family trauma behind him to wrestle for Navy

Thomas Ott was making his first phone call home from the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, Rhode Island, in the summer of 2014.

His mother, grandparents and siblings gathered at his Lewes home. It was their first time hearing Ott’s voice in weeks.

Ott had been a three-time state wrestling champion at Cape Henlopen High. He was also a football and lacrosse standout, and honors student before graduating in 2014.