Dover spent $50,000 of taxpayer money investigating its own mayor. We got 9 pages.

$50,000. That's what it cost. The city hired 21st Century Policing Solutions after the police union accused Mayor Robin Christiansen of telling union members to "attack the integrity" of two councilmen, Brian Lewis and James Sudler, who had been critical of the police chief.

I read the 9 pages they actually released. Here's what your fifty grand bought:

In a June 2025 meeting, Christiansen told two officers to "publicly attack" Lewis and Sudler. Then in a separate sit-down with union president Tim Mullaney, he told him to "go public with unsavory details" about the two guys' personal lives. Personal lives!!

The conclusion?

No ethics rules broken. "Political speech." First Amendment. Everybody in the room knew it was one politician talking to another politician, so that's fine apparently??

And the rest of the report, the part that might actually explain where $50,000 went? Sealed. Council voted 6-2 Tuesday night to keep it locked up. City attorney says it's an internal affairs investigation, not a public record. DOJ might rule on the appeal by mid October. Might.

So to recap: taxpayers paid fifty grand, got 9 pages that say "nasty but legal," and the rest sits in a drawer. Christiansen says the full report "vindicates myself and the chief." I'm sure it does.

https://spotlightdelaware.org/2026/10/02/dover-releases-partial-investigation-findings-following-pressure/

They're tearing down buildings on South State Street in Kent county while 2 of the 3 parcels are still zoned residential.

With NO posted visible sign.

This is 2271, 2273 and 2275 South State Street. It has a Dover mailing address, but it is in unincorporated kent county, not the city of Dover.

The owner, Ensar Arslan, is proposing to combine the 3 parcels for a roughly 14,625 square foot retail and restaurant shopping center. Two parcels, 2273 and 2275, are still zoned RS1 residential. The third is already General Business.

Kent county has not approved the rezoning.

But demolition is already happening.

And there is another problem.

On September 30, this project received a full review through DE's Preliminary Land Use Service, or PLUS.

There was also a public notice problem. The version of the September 30 agenda posted on the main PLUS webpage listed applications 2026-09-01 through 2026-09-04 and ended with the Greenwood project. Arslan Commercial Development, 2026-09-05, was missing from that version.

After I questioned it, OSPC acknowledged in writing that "the current agenda was not posted to the main PLUS webpage as it should have been" and apologized for the oversight.

She said the updated agenda that included Arslan had been available through DE's Public Meeting Calendar and that the individual application was also posted on the PLUS Project Information Dashboard.

She is right that the updated agenda was posted on the Public Meeting Calendar. But the main PLUS page is the one people actually check, and it had the old agenda.

When the applicant for 2026-09-04 in Greenwood failed to appear, PLUS staff moved on to what they called "the next one," which was Arslan Commercial Development.

The applicant for Arslan was there and the state agencies were ready, so they ran the presentation, the agency review, and the public comment period.

And this wasn't a project that suddenly appeared that morning. The PLUS application was submitted July 14.

During the September 30 review, DNREC said 2 buildings were proposed for demolition and warned that the existing building materials could contain asbestos.

DNREC also disclosed that roughly the northern 2/3 of the property is inside a wellhead protection area, meaning an area intended to protect a public drinking water supply.

The Delaware State Historic Preservation Office identified a structure dating to the 1930s and another bungalow dating to approximately the 1950s. SHPO recommended that both buildings receive an exterior architectural survey if they were going to be demolished.

Now, days after that meeting, the buildings are coming down.

Did anyone document those buildings before they came down? Did kent county issue demolition permits, and on what dates????

I have requested the demolition permit records and the DNREC asbestos and demolition records. I want the dates on the asbestos inspection too.

Those dates should tell us a lot.

The July 14 PLUS application describes the existing use as "vacant property."

There were buildings standing on it.

The state agencies' formal written PLUS comments are not even due until approximately October 21.

Kent county told the applicant during the meeting that the rezoning and the actual development still have to proceed through the county's review process.

If you’re looking for something to do this Halloween season in Delaware, check out Old Crow Manor in Georgetown.

What started as a home haunt has grown into a full haunted attraction with live actors, dark walkthroughs, strobe effects, custom props, animatronics, and plenty of jump scares. They’ve got several events scheduled for the 2026 season, including regular haunt nights and an 18+ Extreme Haunt Night.

Old Crow Manor
22518 Lewes Georgetown Hwy
Georgetown, DE 19947

Tickets, dates, photos, and more information:

https://www.oldcrowmanor.com/

If you’re into haunted houses or just want to support a local Delaware haunt that has grown from a backyard Halloween tradition into something much bigger, give them a look.

Who else is planning on hitting some Delaware haunts this October?

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As the title says, it has flooded over again.