DNREC Now Soliciting Community Water Quality Improvement Grant Project Proposals

DNREC encourages Delaware non-profit organizations, conservation districts, community organizations and homeowners’ associations to submit project proposals to be considered for grant funds from DNREC’s Community Water Quality Improvement Grants program.

First Full Day of the 2026 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

Image courtesy of https://www.adn.com/newsletter/

Hi, ADN Iditarod fans,

It’s the first full day of the 2026 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, as mushers and their sled dog teams ascend into the Alaska Range after departing Willow in the race restart on Sunday afternoon.

As of Monday afternoon, top competitors had reached the checkpoint of Rainy Pass, led by defending champion Jessie Holmes who arrived there shortly after noon. He was followed over the next few hours by several top teams, including Matt Hall, who finished second last year, Paige Drobny, who finished third in 2025, and Travis Beals of Seward.

The stretch of trail teams are currently navigating is among the most technically challenging of the entire route. There are several ice bridges that cross open creeks, plus a 200-foot downhill section into the notorious Dalzell Gorge.
No teams had scratched from the race as of Monday.
This year’s field has no shortage of tough competition. There are four previous winners, including Holmes, and a host of perennial contenders who have regularly finished in the top 10.
[54th Iditarod officially begins, with stiff competition at the top]
“Everybody who’s been in the top 10 before, been in the top five, everybody has a shot at winning. Everyone shows up here very hungry to do well,” 2019 winner Pete Kaiser of Bethel said ahead of the race.
Mille Porsild of Denmark, Wade Marrs of Willow, Drobny and Hall, among others, are angling for strong finishes this year.
Defending Iditarod champion Jessie Holmes drives his dog during the restart of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Willow on Sunday. (Bill Roth / ADN)
This year’s smaller field of 37 mushers reflects a trend of declining participation in the race over the last several years. Costs to run the Iditarod— both as a musher and from an organizational standpoint — have ballooned, making the race more challenging than ever.
Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach said costs have doubled in the past three years. The organization continues to pursue new income sources (with this year’s inaugural Expedition Class being an example) and is working to stay solvent while making the race viable for a new generation of mushers.
But it’s not easy. For mushers, training, transportation, gear, drop bags and more add up quickly, putting the total cost anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000. Some, like veteran musher Gabe Dunham, have ongoing concerns about how long they can sustain a race career. 

On the organization side, the situation is much the same. Line items like fuel, insurance, aviation costs and the hundreds of bales of straw for dogs to rest on at trail checkpoints have gone up in price, according to Urbach.
The Iditarod’s new Expedition Class program, which allows mushers to run the race noncompetitively and under a different set of rules, is one of the organization’s efforts to seek new streams of revenue. As the first musher in this category, billionaire businessman Kjell Inge Røkke contributed more than $300,000 to this year’s race. That helped lower the entry costs for mushers and also increased the race purse.

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How Electric Vehicles are Going Mainstream (Again)

Electric vehicles are the future — but they’re not some far-off dream like flying cars. Rather, they represent the present as well as the possibilities to come. And they have a history that’s far deeper than you were likely aware.

In 2024, 10.5% of all new cars sold or leased in Delaware in 2024 were EVs, just above the national average. Battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles may have accounted for just 1% of all Delaware vehicles in 2023, according to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, but this figure is expected to increase. By the end of the decade, we could have well over 100,000 cars on Delaware roads running mostly or solely on electricity.

Many manufacturers are shifting to EVs in response to consumer demand motivated by a mix of environmental concerns, a desire to save money on gasoline and an interest in cutting-edge technology.

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Two Cape Henlopen Trails to Close for Repairs

The Junction and Breakwater Trail at Cape Henlopen State Park will close for repairs on weekdays for three weeks starting March 9, followed by the Gordon Pond Trail, which will close weekdays only for two weeks to fix small sections breeched by high tides.

NASCAR All-Star Race Format at Dover Motor Speedway Announced

DOVER, Del. (Feb. 25, 2026) — The full format for the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedwayhas been set, featuring a three-segment, 350-lap event that places every driver on track while rewarding race winners, past champions, and performance across the first two segments. The NASCAR All-Star Race will air live on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, with coverage beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 17.

“We’ve listened to our fans and worked closely with NASCAR to create a format that blends the tradition of a typical race weekend at The Monster Mile with the excitement and unpredictability that make the All-Star Race so special,” said Mike Tatoian, president of Dover Motor Speedway. “This format rewards performance, puts every driver on track on Sunday, and shines the spotlight on what Dover does best with high speeds and high levels of excitement. It’s going to make for an unforgettable All-Star Weekend!”

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YouTube : Remembering Charlie Kirk

WASHINGTON DC (Cleary’s Notebook News)(February 27, 2026)–Last month, Cabinet members of the Trump Administration posted an inspirational tribute to their friend on YouTube. Kirk was shot and killed on September 10, 2025. According to a Wikipedia article, Kirk was an American right-wing political activist. He was assassinated at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was scheduled to speak at an outdoor campus debate organized by Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization he co-founded and led. Kirk, age 31, was a close supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump and a highly influential figure in the MAGA movement.

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CNB HUNTING NEWS: Maryland Hunters Harvest Over 70,000 Deer 

Statewide harvest is 7.2% lower than the 5-year average

Maryland deer hunters harvested 71,649 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 5, 2025 through Feb. 4, 2026.

The statewide harvest reported to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources included 29,814 antlered and 37,925 antlerless white-tailed deer, and 1,874 antlered and 2,036 antlerless sika deer. The harvest was 14.9% lower than the 2024-2025 total of 84,201 deer and 7.2% lower than the previous 5-year average of 77,221.

The deer harvest fluctuates annually due to changes in hunter effort, weather conditions, availability of natural food sources such as acorns, disease outbreaks, and the population size prior to hunting season. Multiple counties in central and southern Maryland experienced an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease during late summer and fall. This likely reduced local deer populations and may have contributed to the lower harvests in those areas. The 2025 outbreak is not expected to have long-term consequences for local deer populations.

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CNB HUNTING NEWS: DNR Seeks Public Input 

Comment period includes migratory game bird season proposal for the coming season

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comment on proposed changes to the 2026-2028 hunting and trapping seasons and the proposed 2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Seasons and Bag Limits. 

The public can view the proposed regulations and comment online, as well as view and comment on the proposed migratory game bird seasons and bag limits now through February 28. 

“We thank our many stakeholders who have worked with us on the latest set of regulatory proposals,” said Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Karina Stonesifer. “Public input is essential to setting our regulations and we look forward to receiving comments to help us further refine and finalize these actions.”

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MSC Cargo Ship Departs Philadelphia Port Amid Icy River Conditions

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNEWS

PHILADELPHIA, PA (February 14, 2026) — An MSC cargo ship departed the Port of Philadelphia on Saturday morning as three tugboats worked in unison to turn the massive vessel around in the ice‑covered Delaware River. Two tugs pulled from the bow while a third pushed from the stern, slowly rotating the ship through sheets of broken ice created by the recent cold snap.

The dramatic maneuver underscored both the scale of modern container vessels and the skill required to navigate them through winter river conditions.

Read more: MSC Cargo Ship Departs Philadelphia Port Amid Icy River Conditions

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MSC’s Growing Presence in Philadelphia

The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has steadily expanded its relationship with the Port of Philadelphia in recent years. Its maiden call at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal occurred on April 27, 2022, when the MSC Michaela, a 6,730‑TEU container ship, arrived as part of MSC’s Indus 2 service.

The Indus 2 route provides Philadelphia shippers with direct connections to India, Italy, Spain, and Portugal — a significant advantage for regional importers and exporters seeking faster, more efficient access to global markets.

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Local Ties: Holt Family Participation

Members of the Holt Family, operators of the Holt Marine Terminal in Gloucester City, were onboard during the 2022 inaugural visit of the MSC Michaela. Their involvement reflects the long-standing partnership between Holt Logistics, PhilaPort, and international carriers seeking dependable East Coast gateways.

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Port leadership emphasized the importance of MSC

“Shippers want more efficient options and this new India/Med service fits perfectly into our wheelhouse,” said Jeff Theobald, Executive Director and CEO of PhilaPort.

Sean Mahoney, PhilaPort’s Director of Marketing, noted that securing the Indus 2 service was years in the making. “We have been working on attracting a service like Indus 2 for a while. Our terminal operator, Holt Logistics, has really done a great job with the customer base and made this service a reality.”

Officials say Philadelphia continues to play a major role in helping international supply chains adapt to global logistics challenges, offering shippers alternative routes and reliable port performance.

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Photo caption: On the Bridge of M/V MSC Michaela Voy#: 211A – Pictured (L to R) CBP Inspt Damiani, Sean Mahoney – PhilaPort, James Walsh – PhilaPort, Tom Holt – Holt Logistics, MSC – Capt. Carlo Fortuna, Christian Holt – Holt Logistics, Phillip Holt – Holt Logistics, CBP Inspt Mason 

For more information on this service, contact: marketing@philaport.com

 

 Miles Beach, presented by Visit Delaware, Returns in May

Image Colin Ward

Following a successful debut last season, Dover Motor Speedway and Visit Delaware have partnered again to bring a beach-inspired Fan Zone experience to The Monster Mile with the return of MILES BEACH, presented by Visit Delaware, during NASCAR All-Star Weekend, May 15–17.

MILES BEACH, presented by Visit Delaware, will again take over more than an acre of Dover’s famed Fan Zone, offering dozens of beach-themed, family-friendly attractions, including many FREE options, for fans to enjoy throughout All-Star Weekend.

“Miles Beach is a fun, creative way to bring the spirit of Delaware’s iconic beach towns to one of the state’s biggest sporting weekends,” said Jaimie Watts, Deputy Director of the Delaware Division of Small Business & Tourism. “As our region enjoys a landmark year for major events, from the FIFA World Cup and NASCAR All-Star Weekend to the MLB All-Star Game, America’s 250th and beyond, this partnership with Dover Motor Speedway highlights how Delaware fits into that bigger moment.”

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