The Coastal Point is proud to have served our coverage area for 20 years and would like to thank our readers and advertisers for their support! Please see our special edition inside.
FEBRUARY 2, 2024
THE LOCAL VOICE OF YOUR COMMUNITY.
Volume 21, Issue 5
FREE
IRSD board agrees to ‘average’ funding for LB SRO By Mike Smith Staff Reporter The Indian River School District Board of Education agreed on Monday night to a compromise measure to fund $31,990 annually toward the Lord Baltimore Elementary school resource officer, a law-enforcement role
Police chief, captain out in Bethany Beach following investigation
currently served by Ocean View Police Department Sgt. Rhys Bradshaw and underwritten by the Town of Ocean View. The Town had sought $40,000 in salary reimbursement to support the SRO position. IRSD board heard from upset Ocean View parents on Monday night, Jan. 29, about the lack of dis-
trict funding for the school resource officer at Lord Baltimore Elementary School. The question of fairness emerged in public comment, as the PTO and parents had researched school district budgets to learn that many other elementary and middle schools get SRO funding from the district. In fact, including district
funds for the Delaware State Police, the average of all IRSD-supported school resource programming is just under $32,000 per year per school. The board of education initially tabled the discussion until next month, following a motion by Board See SRO page 2
One cool customer
By Susan Canfora Staff Reporter In the wake of the firings last week of Bethany Beach Police Department chief Michael Redmon and Capt. Darin Cathell, the Town of Bethany Beach has named Sgt. Patrick Foley, a 17-year veteran of the force, as acting officer in charge at the police department. Bethany Beach Mayor Rosemary Hardiman told the Coastal Point about Foley’s appointment this week, several days after the firings were announced on Friday, Jan. 26. Redmon and Cathell were fired following an investigation that began in mid-August, when town officials became aware of the potential misuse of federal and state grants funds that were supposed to be used to pay overtime for police officers. Hardiman said the Town learned about the alleged misconduct “through an administrative review of internal records” and that the Town conducted an internal investigation. Neighboring police agencies, including those in Ocean View, South Bethany and Fenwick Island, had not
Special to the Coastal Point • Carla Varisco
Workers put together a giant ice sculpture of a dolphin in Bethany Beach as part of the Fire & Ice celebration on Saturday, Jan. 27. For more coverage, turn to page 30.
See BETHANY page 4
Skipjack Wind bowing out of Maryland offshore wind deal By Mike Smith Staff Reporter Ørsted, the Danish wind power company with operations in the U.S., is seeking a new customer. The company
will continue with its construction and operations plans and the “lease area isn’t moving,” according to a top executive in Annapolis. “The project is happening, and we are not walking away,” said the company
spokesperson. Ørsted had withdrawn last week from its OREC order with Maryland. The government affairs leader said the company is exploring “new opportunities” and will seek a new OREC
agreement or Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA). For now, Ørsted is parting ways with Maryland due to financial leasing agreement burdens and higher See SKIPJACK page 4