Jarek RutzHeadlines, Health
The deadline to submit for the organ donor awareness contest is Wednesday, April 30. (Photo by CatLane/iStock Getty Images)
Delaware high school students have a chance to win scholarships while raising awareness about a life-saving cause.
The Delaware Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Board has announced the launch of its 2025 Organ Donor Awareness Video Scholarship Contest, with up to $5,000 in total scholarships available.
The annual contest invites students in grades 9 through 12 to create a one- to two-minute public service video on the importance of becoming a designated organ and tissue donor.
Submissions will be judged on creativity, accuracy, and positive messaging. The deadline to enter is April 30, 2025.
Winners will be selected from each of Delaware’s three counties. First-place winners will receive a $1,000 scholarship, while second-place winners will earn $500.
“In our state, less than 50% of Delawareans are designated organ and tissue donors on their driver’s licenses or state IDs,” said Jill Fredel, chair of the Delaware Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Board and a kidney donor. “With National Donate Life Month in April, we want to encourage more young people to say ‘yes’ to becoming designated donors, a status they are likely to keep for the rest of their lives. This scholarship contest offers high school students a way to use their creativity, confidence and compassion to communicate the importance of organ and tissue donation to other young people.”
Students are encouraged to include interviews with transplant recipients in their videos to deepen the message and connect with viewers.
The contest coincides with National Donate Life Month in April, a time dedicated to honoring donors and raising awareness about the need for organ and tissue transplants.
The initiative is a collaboration between the Donor Awareness Board, the Delaware Department of Education, and Gift of Life, a nonprofit that supports organ donation across Delaware, eastern Pennsylvania, and southern New Jersey.
To learn more about the contest or to submit a video, click here.

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Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
Jarek can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz and on LinkedIn.
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A former Sussex Central High School principal, Judith Brittingham, has been arrested on multiple charges, including Official Misconduct, Theft, and Forgery, after an investigation revealed that she falsified payments to a staff member in the Indian River School District (IRSD). On March 19, Brittingham, 46, of Lewes, turned herself in after a warrant was issued for her arrest in connection with the fraudulent overtime and mileage compensation payments she arranged for an IRSD paraprofessional. Reason for arrest According to the investigation, Brittingham facilitated the falsification of documents to benefit the paraprofessional, with whom she later began a romantic relationship. The charges stem from an investigation that uncovered more than $15,000 in unjustified overtime payments. READ: FSE to host school board candidate forums again to better inform public ahead of elections Between April 4, 2022, and May 30, 2023, Brittingham arranged for the paraprofessional to receive overtime pay for in-home tutoring services during school hours. Brittingham submitted false paperwork claiming 159 overtime shifts, which resulted in the overpayments. The scheme was uncovered after the personnel director at Sussex Central High School alerted the district in 2024 about the romantic relationship between Brittingham and the paraprofessional. This disclosure led to an investigation, and Brittingham later admitted to the falsified payments. In addition to the fraudulent overtime, investigators also found that Brittingham had submitted falsified mileage reimbursement claims for the paraprofessional. While the paraprofessional was entitled to some reimbursement for his drive to a student’s home, the mileage claims were based on travel from his home in Laurel instead of Sussex Central High School, resulting in an overpayment of approximately $600. Authorities believe Brittingham submitted these reimbursement forms without the paraprofessional’s knowledge or consent. Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings emphasized the importance of upholding the law in public service, stating, “No one is above the law or beneath justice. Public employees who break the law are harming taxpayers, themselves, and good public servants whose work is undermined when the public trust is eroded.” Jennings expressed gratitude to the Delaware State Police and prosecutors for their efforts in the case, adding, “I am grateful to our prosecutors and the Delaware State Police for their dedication as we move forward with this case.” Brittingham faces charges of Official Misconduct, Theft, and Forgery in connection with her actions. Further developments in the case are expected as it moves through the legal process. “The Indian River School District initiated an internal investigation and notified all agencies involved when it was made aware of alleged improprieties by Dr. Brittingham,” the district said in a statement. “Additionally, we fully cooperated with the law enforcement investigation of this matter. Dr. Brittingham resigned her position in June 2024 and is no longer employed by the Indian River School District. Efforts to recoup the funds at issue are in process.”
THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED.  WILMINGTON– Police have identified the victim whose remains were discovered along Christina River earlier this month.  The woman has been identified as 32-year-old Normaris Colón Valles, who was reported missing from Philadelphia in November. Wilmington Police are still requesting public assistance in connection with her death. The WPD Criminal Investigations Division is assisting the Philadelphia Police Department in the course of its active investigation into this incident, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Philadelphia Police Northeast Detective Division at (215)-686-3153. Officers responded to the 1100 block of East 7th Street on March 4 at approximately 5:59 p.m. after receiving a report of a deceased person. Upon arrival, officers found the decomposed remains of an unidentified individual along the riverbank. The remains were handed over to the Delaware Division of Forensic Sciences for further examination. An autopsy determined that the victim was a white female, believed to be between 25-35 years old. Investigators suspect she may have been in the river since December. While there were no immediate signs of foul play, officials have not yet determined her cause of death. In an effort to identify the woman, police have released images of two tattoos found on her body. They are urging anyone who may recognize the tattoos or have information about the victim’s identity to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective James Rook of the Wilmington Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at (302) 576-3621 or via email at [email protected], or you can submit an anonymous tip online HERE.  Police have shared new sketches created by the Division of Forensic Sciences showing two tattoos on the victim’s body.
Michael Kealty of Magnolia, was sentenced Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware to 10 years in federal prison for his crime of coercing and enticing a minor into sexual activity. Shannon T. Hanson, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced the news, and The Honorable U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews issued the sentence. Documents show that Kealty met a 16-year-old girl online and groomed her for six months into producing sexually explicit images and videos of herself. READ: Learn more about state’s horseshoe crabs Thursday Kealty threatened to expose the girl’s images to the public if she did not continue to perform for him, and his Kealty’s online accounts also showed his attempted exploitation of additional, unidentified minor girls, including a 13-year-old. A former detective with the Smyrna Police Department, Kealty was charged in October 2023 with Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. On Oct. 15, 2024, Kealty pleaded guilty to an enhanced charge of Coercion/Enticement of a Minor, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. “Mr. Kealty betrayed his oath, his badge, and his community by exploiting the most vulnerable members of our community, our children,” Hanson said. “Today’s sentence sends a message that no one is above the law. I commend the FBI for their diligent pursuit of justice in this case and for ensuring that child predators like Mr. Kealty are brought to justice.” This case was investigated by the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Briana Knox prosecuted the case. “There is absolutely no tolerance for any actions that hurt a child. Kealty’s crimes are especially egregious considering he swore to protect our communities and children,” says Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office. “Delaware is safer with him locked up where can no longer victimize or abuse anyone else.”

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