From Ashley Dawson, managing editor for Delaware:
Two communities brought us hot holiday-related topics with
longevity this month.
The Middletown Hummers Parade controversy picked up from
last year as the town council held public meetings in December to discuss
further regulating the impromptu, grassroots parade, given criticisms of last
year’s overly bawdy floats that offended some residents and paradegoers.
Reporters Craig Anderson and Brooke Schultz covered public
meetings as the town leaders discussed the pros and cons -- and realities
-- of regulating the longtime event. The Sunday, Dec. 1 front page
featured a story outlining the options for having the parade with more
oversight versus cancelling it altogether.
Readers responded and their thoughts were featured in Speak
Out on Dec. 3 and a letter to the editor on Dec. 5.
With the public meetings running past deadline, we printed
stories Dec. 4 and Dec. 20, but published updates online each night. Coverage
of the 2020 New Year’s Day parade brought, as expected, floats spoofing the
debate to tame the event.
In Sussex County, the presence of nativities on public
property sparked debate. It became a hot topic after Glenn Rolfe reported on
Georgetown changing its town policies to allow the nativity scene as part of
regulating unmanned displays on town property.
Rehoboth had banned its longtime unmanned nativity scene at
the Rehoboth Bandstand as well. His Dec. 5 front page story looked at
municipalities struggling with Christmas displays in Kent and Sussex counties.
His coverage continued five days later when a community effort took root to
bring a live nativity to Georgetown -- meeting the town’s new
requirements for having attended displays.
The Saturday, Dec. 14 front page then featured dueling
attended displays: The First State Satanists got a permit to hold a vigil for
the Winter Solstice. There was a second story by Glenn on the Good Ole Boy
Foundation’s plans to begin 14 nights of attended nativity scenes after
rallying support and numerous churches.
There was an extended Speak Out on Dec. 6 and then others on
Dec. 14, 15 and 17, along with a letter to the editor on Dec. 10.
He capped off the issue with a wrap up of the foundation’s
nativity season -- which drew an estimated 800 to 1,000 people to The
Circle in Georgetown -- and organizers’ plans to return next year with a bigger
and better scene.
In news unrelated to the holiday season, Matt Bittle got a
tip that Wesley College made a second request to the state for more funding to
help its financial situation. A Dec. 10 story explained how the downtown
Dover-based college, after asking for $2.2 million in the summer, asked
for $3.2 million more but still didn’t provide detailed plans for a path
forward, sparking ire from the governor and a few lawmakers.
Matt then learned through a FOIA request that Wesley was
discussing merger plans with two institutions. While the document contained
heavily redacted information, it confirmed the college’s financial problems and
desire to partner with other higher ed institutions for financial stability and
acknowledged they hired a consulting firm to help with negotiations.
Wesley President Clark did respond with a statement for the Dec. 19
story.
A Speak Out featured reader reaction on Dec. 22.
In a Sunday, Dec. 22 story, Matt looked at how state
employees spent money on fast food with their state credit cards. The online
checkbook showed $246 million was spent; top chains were Dunkin Donuts,
Starbucks, McDonalds and Chic Fil A. A breakout box featured the full list of
top places.
It was the most read story of the month with 11,306 views. A
speak out featured reader reaction Dec. 24.
(Brooke’s story on an “Anchor Program” to spread suicide
prevention awareness through school-based wellness centers, sparked by a high
school student’s community project, complemented that news, creating a nice mix
for the front page.)
The impeachment inquiry and eventual impeachment vote
dominated Opinion pages with commentaries, letters and speak out columns.
Side note: Our reporters often receive praise from readers.
This was a fun one on Wesley:
Subject: Article about Wesley College.
Matt Bittle...In my opinion you continue to perform
brilliantly as Delaware's finest journalist. I'm somewhat of an
autodidact regarding writing well. I concentrate my reading on biography
and monographs published by university presses (my favorites are Chicago and
Johns Hopkins). Accordingly, I always look forward to reading your pieces in
our State News. Please make sure that your publisher appreciates your
standing. If Rhodes Vessels lavishes accolades on you...you're bloody
well worthy!! Regards from Lewes on December 10th.
From Dave
Ryan, editor of the Dorchester Banner:
We probably all
remember times in school when there was a little pushing and shoving, followed
by a scary lecture in the assistant principal's office.
It's not like
that anymore, at least not in Dorchester County.
The crew at the
Banner understand that when children are regularly hurting each other,
assaulting teachers and getting arrested, it's past time for the community to
examine and discuss the problem. Our journalists did their jobs concerning a
Board of Education meeting on Dec. 12, at which teachers demanded action to
address violence in the schools.
What was
particularly disturbing was that the teachers weren't talking about students
trading a few punches during recess, as serious as that would be - they were
talking about repeated assaults against teachers, some of which have resulted
in hospitalization. One teacher who spoke at the meeting said she had tried to
end her life last fall, after suffering unbearable mockery by elementary school
children.
It's not a new
issue. There was a meeting attended by hundreds last March, when folks were
upset about what was called a riot in Cambridge-South Dorchester High School's
cafeteria.
Board members
promised action then. Teachers say they don't see it now.
The Banner's
continuing investigation has had our people talking to teachers, students,
board members, the superintendent, police officers and parents. In fact, at
Rep. Andy Harris' town hall meeting in Cambridge on Dec. 30, a citizen in the
audience asked him about these issues, saying she had "read it in the
news."
People need a
trusted source that passes on the facts without bias, and allows them to
express themselves in response, without interference. That's what the Banner
did here.
In the 24 hours
after the story was published online immediately after the meeting, Facebook
stats tell us there were:
- 1,428 reached
- 1,502 engagements (We
had never seen more engagements than those reached.)
- 51 reactions
- 19 comments
- 153 shares
The Banner
continues to serve the public, tackling difficult issues and asking those in
power tough questions.
From Greg Bassett, editor of the Salisbury
Independent:
In December, Salisbury Independent had to dispatch three
Freedom of Information Act requests to dig into a complicated Wicomico County
governmental conflict. The contentious issue involves the County Council’s
public firing of the County Attorney, and the County Executive’s interpretation
of a County Charter Amendment.
The executive maintains a charter amendment essentially
overwrites the council’s ability to fire the attorney; the council’s direct
reading of the charter, however, offers a competing viewpoint. While the
executive has maintained through discussions that he has an opinion from an
outside lawyer backing his contention, neither the council’s legal adviser –
nor the County Attorney at the center of the drama – say they can defend the
executive’s interpretation.
Seeking public documents to avoid he-said/he-said reporting,
Salisbury Independent sought letters between the parties to get the entire
conflict on the record in the most-direct way. When the executive appeared to
be stalling on the release of documents, the newspaper went to the council
administration, which released the requested documents – and many others that
shed light on a story being played out mostly in closed sessions and under the
umbrella of quiet.
The newspaper published the FOIA-obtained documents in their
entirety online. While it is easy to get “in the weeds” on such a matter,
public feedback indicates that readers are interpreting the reporting as
in-depth coverage about a classic power struggle in which the executive appear
to be making a power grab, which will shape future decision-making.
From Richard Crumbacker, editor of the
Crisfield-Somerset County Times:
The Somerset County Board of Education during virtually
every monthly meeting hears from school principals and administrators on
programs they’ve introduced to improve attendance, school climate, academics,
etc.
Often it’s a “dog and pony show” and board members only see
and hear the positive.
However, when it comes to state test results, I’ve noticed
that in the last couple of years during this current administration it has not
been curious to receive any reports or updates from these same administrators.
The most recent was the Maryland School Report Card, which
boils down a variety of measures and standards and converts them into “stars”
ranging from 1 to 5.
After reporting that the intermediate school fell 27 percent
to become a 2-star school, and two other 4-star schools dropped down to
3-stars, I found it interesting that the school board the following week did
not ask for a report at the monthly meeting and no one offered any comments.
Nevertheless, the story made its point and may have ruffled
some feathers. I later heard from a teacher at the intermediate school that the
story made the rounds before the principal even held her staff meeting to
discuss the state’s findings.
