Photos of the Year: Reflections of 2020 in Delaware

Dover High Senator Eden Davis ends up in an awkward position on top of a Seaford High School player on March 5. Dover High won the game, 63-47, but they never got a chance to play in the DIAA Boys Basketball quarterfinals, since the state tournament was halted due to the coronavirus. Dover High and the three other remaining teams in the tournament were named co-champions.

Before schools were closed because of the coronavirus, the Delaware Spelling Bee was held March 7 at St. Mark's High School. Anna Nguyen (center) from Smyrna Middle School displays the award she received for winning first place. Anaum Allimulla (left) from Newark Charter School placed third, and Sage Sawney (right) of Postlethwait Middle School finished second.

Hailey Ruszala, 13, of Dover, wasn't trying to make a fashion statement by wearing mittens and shorts at Brecknock Park on March 17. She was trying to protect herself from contracting the coronavirus, back when it was more common to see people wearing gloves in an attempt to reduce their exposure to the virus.

The Food Bank of Delaware distributed free food at Sussex Central High School in Georgetown Friday, April 24. About 2,500 families feeling the economic effects of COVID-19 received food at the drive-thru event.

When COVID-19 first hit in March, Appoquinimink School District nurses started collecting medical supplies, educating students about the pandemic and signing up with the Delaware Emergency Management Agency to help the community during the ongoing national crisis. Pictured are Appoquinimink Preschool Center nurse Aimee Hastings (left) and lead nurse Yvonne Camac (right).

At the beginning of the pandemic in March, Painted Stave Distilling in Smyrna started producing hand sanitizer and made hundreds of gallons for police departments like the Smyrna Police Department pictured here, along with fire departments, medics and other first responders.

Staff members at Bayhealth, Kent Campus, in Dover thank the first responders who drove by to salute healthcare workers in April during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

Collecting donations at the Donate Delaware site at Xbos in Smyrna April 2 are, from left, Holly's Club of Smyrna representative Christy Willis who's helping to coordinate efforts for first responders with her husband Isaac Willis from Citizens' Hose Company; Clayton Intermediate School nurse Susan Coley; Donate Delaware co-founder Dave Tiberi; Smyrna Middle School nurse Kelly Willoughby, Mike Megna, retired from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; JBM Intermediate School nurse Kertrina Green-Hite and Donate Delaware co-founder Richard Piendak. Donate Delaware collected supplies for hospitals and first responders throughout the state.

A man exercises his right to open carry at a Reopen Delaware rally outside of Legislative Hall in Dover on May 1.

A woman protests Gov. John Carney's lockdown at a Reopen Delaware rally outside of Legislative Hall on May 1.

Because of restrictions against large gatherings, the traditional Smyrna-Clayton Memorial Day parade and ceremony had to be canceled; however, volunteers with the Smyrna-Clayton Veterans Monument Committee raised flags then lowered them to half-staff at the monument on North Main Street in Smyrna May 25, and a procession of first responders drove by to show their respects. Pictured here, representatives from American Legion Post 14 and the American Legion Riders present a wreath at the Smyrna-Clayton Veterans Monument May 25.

Dover High graduate Robert Cole III waves as his family drives him around Dover International Speedway to receive his diploma in a special celebration June 4. Inside cars often decked out with Senator pride, balloons and celebratory signs, the grads took turns driving two laps around the track, heard their name announced across the speaker and collected their diploma at Victory Circle.

Over 280 seniors graduated from Sussex Technical High School on June 11 and 12. Four ceremonies were held in order to accommodate social distancing measures. Masked students sat six feet apart during each ceremony.

Small business owners were often the faces of how the coronavirus pandemic affected communities like Dover. Abbie Watson owns GroomKings, a barbershop on West Loockerman Street downtown. This photo of Watson cutting a customer’s hair was taken shortly after barber shops like his were given the greenlight to reopen in June.

Protests erupted in Dover shortly after the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died while in police custody Memorial Day in Minneapolis. A group of about 50 people gathered on Legislative Mall in Dover June 2, lying face-down on the ground for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the reported time that a Minneapolis police officer held Floyd down while pressing a knee on his neck. The group later marched in downtown Dover.

Hundreds of MOT community members marched down Main Street June 7 when the MOT community rallied in protest of police brutality on black Americans after George Floyd’s death. Elected officials, religious leaders and community activists called for change on how police departments operate.

Lawrence Walston lead a crowd of about 200 in a chant on The Circle in Georgetown June 3. There were peaceful protests across Sussex County following the May 25 death of 46-year-old George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is now in jail awaiting trial on a second-degree murder charge, amongst others.

Samiah Ortiz, 17, of Smyrna, is in tears after she said police forcefully took her down to the ground and arrested her during a nonviolent protest in Camden with the activism group Disrupt to Focus on June 9, when activists blocked highway traffic to draw attention to the American government continuously ignoring the human rights of Black Americans including George Floyd who was killed by police in Minneapolis. A total of 22 people got locked up that day, including nurse Tasheema Heyliger, who was an innocent bystander. Later that month Attorney General Kathleen Jennings dropped charges against the protesters.

In Smyrna, demonstrators march along Glenwood Avenue on their way to the Smyrna Police Station during the unity march against racism and police brutality June 13. Police from Smyrna, Clayton and Cheswold helped block traffic for the march.

Like many churches in Delaware during coronavirus restrictions, Asbury United Methodist Church held some outdoor services like this one June 14 at the vacant lot next to the church’s Glenwood Cemetery in Smyrna. Worshippers could sit in their cars or in lawn chairs. Some churches held services online, such as on Facebook Live. The governor placed limits on the number of people allowed at indoor services, but a successful lawsuit lifted restrictions on houses of worship.

The Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs removed a historic whipping post from the grounds of the Old Sussex County Courthouse in Georgetown July 1 “in response to calls from the community and in recognition of the violence and racial discrimination its display signifies to many Delawareans.” From left, Brittany Hazzard, Reba Hollingsworth and Jane Hovington spoke to a crowd of about 100 who came to watch the whipping post be removed.

Sen. Brian Pettyjohn (R-Georgetown) hosted a law enforcement appreciation rally on The Circle in Georgetown Monday, July 13. Over 100 people attended to show their support. “In our nation and even in our state, unfortunately, today we see police officers attacked, degraded, second-guessed and undermined because of the actions of a small number – a fraction of a percentage – of officers who are unworthy of the public trust, and the uniform and the badge that they wore,” Pettyjohn said. “It’s so important for us to take a step back and think not of the few dishonorable but of the vast number of honorable officers who serve and who have served our communities.”

Appoquinimink School District held socially distant graduation ceremonies for Middletown and Appoquinimink high schools, where all graduates and attendees had to wear masks. Pictured are Middletown High graduates during one of the ceremonies July 15.

Two Caesar Rodney High School students, Wyatt Long (left) and Dawson Mitchell, qualified to go up against cowboys and cowgirls from across the country in the National High School Rodeo Finals starting July 17. Stories showing the resiliency, talent and passion of Kent County’s younger generation were plentiful this year.

Ashley Papen and Rachel Thomas, volunteers at the Delaware State Fair, worked hard to keep things sanitized as the fair opened July 24. After presenting a 67-page operations plan and working with state and health officials, the Delaware State Fair found a way to open the gates for 10 days from Thursday, July 23 to Saturday, Aug. 1.

A Caesar Rodney High School graduate celebrates after receiving her diploma in one of four modified ceremonies at Rider Stadium July 25. Everyone wore masks on this hot summer day, sitting at least six-feet apart on the field and in the bleachers.

Smyrna High School finally got to celebrate the graduates in the Class of 2020 July 25 after graduation was rescheduled from June 6 and changed to 10 small ceremonies to comply with coronavirus restrictions on large gatherings. Principal Stacy Cook presented diplomas to the 384 graduates.

Master of ceremonies David Mast leads the dedication in front of the clock at the new Clayton Veterans Park Aug. 1. The new park, also the site of the town’s historic marker on Main Street near North Bassett Street, features a 16-foot tall four-sided clock with an old-fashioned look, metal benches, flower beds and a gazebo 12 feet in diameter. The base of the clock has metal plates with a memorial to veterans and the names of major donors. The cobblestones lining the brick walkway are from the town’s original streets. The idea started with a suggestion from Clayton Economic Development Committee member Eric Young, and was led by Young, Ed Ide and Councilman Skip Carrow with funding from the state, county, town and donations.

Author Martina Jackson, of Smyrna, holds the cover of her new children’s book “Little Brown Bear," starring her and her 15-month-old son, Kyrie, in matching outfits. The book was published Aug. 3 on Amazon.

A tornado tore through Kent County Aug. 4, hitting one neighborhood near Moore’s Lake in Dover especially hard. Here, longtime resident Patty Foltz comforts her neighbor Renae Shilling after her house was condemned two days after the tornado. The disaster relief nonprofit Team Rubicon later arrived in the neighborhood to help clean up.

Middletown community members clean up homes in the Crystal Run Farms neighborhood Aug. 15, 2020 after Tropical Storm Isaias damaged houses. The day of service was led by Volunteer Brewing Company with the support of local elected leaders.

Metal from the roof of Mr. Tire was ripped off by a reported tornado Aug. 4,and blown hundreds of feet away east of U.S. Route 13 near Food Lion in Smyrna. The National Weather Service confirmed the 29-mile path of destruction in Delaware was caused by a tornado during Tropical Storm Isaias

John Marvel stands with his son in front of trees that were blown down Aug. 4 between their home and their neighbor's home on Baldwin Drive in the Green Meadows neighborhood in Smyrna. The National Weather Service confirmed that the 29-mile path of destruction in Delaware was caused by a tornado during Tropical Storm Isaias.

A tree is seen toppled on top of a car in the development of Kent Acres in Dover, as a result of Tropical Storm Isaias, on Aug. 5.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson was honored by Dover International Speedway in August in his final season as a full-time driver. The speedway installed a plaque in Victory Lane, honoring Johnson as “The Monster Mile Master,” recognizing his 11 wins at the Dover track, and renamed a road outside the frontstretch grandstands as Jimmie Johnson Drive. After the Dover NASCAR races were canceled in May because of COVID-19, Dover International Speedway hosted a six-race weekend in August with two Cup Series races, two Xfinity Series races and races of two smaller series, but fans weren’t allowed due to coronavirus restrictions.

Stephanie Showell, who lives on Waples Drive, was one of several people in Georgetown who complained that their water was running black intermittently in September and October. Town Manager Eugene Dvornick said the discoloration was caused by manganese, which is common in low levels in public water systems. Georgetown worked with several organizations, including the state office of drinking water, to solve the problem.

North Georgetown Elementary School’s first students returned to school this year Sept. 17. The pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first-grade students were socially distanced in the gym/cafeteria as they arrived until they could be sorted into classrooms.

After learning remotely since March, students and teachers returned to the classrooms in October for hybrid instruction, where students are learning part time in person and part time online. Pictured is Amy Plummer’s kindergarten classroom at Spring Meadow Childhood Center Oct. 19. Students are spaced 6 feet apart to ensure social distancing and everyone is required to wear masks.

Students at North Smyrna Elementary respond to the teacher’s question during in-person classes in October. After switching to online-only instruction Dec. 7, the Smyrna School District is resuming the hybrid plan with a mix of in-person and online instruction starting Monday, Jan. 11, as recommended by Gov. John Carney, Division of Public Health Director Dr. Karyl Rattay and Secretary of Education. Dr. Susan Bunting.

An oil spill first discovered Oct. 19 at Broadkill Beach eventually affected the coastline from Delaware’s Fowler Beach to Maryland’s Assateague Island. Delaware and Maryland cleanup crews to collect over 75 tons of oiled debris and tar balls. The source of the spill has not been identified.

Kent County Levy Court President Brooks Banta (second from left, at podium) is honored by the Kent County Firefighters Association for his years of service to the county at the association’s annual dinner and awards ceremony in Felton. Banta, of Clayton, didn’t run for re-election in November, after serving 24 years on Levy Court, the last 14 as president.

Voters wait to cast their ballots at the Clayton Firehouse on East Street just after the polls opened at 7 a.m. Nov. 3. Long lines were reported at many polling sites throughout the state as voters cast ballots for President of the United States and a host of federal, state and county offices.

Democratic presidential candidate and former vice president Joe Biden of Delaware and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, pass each other as Harris moves to the podium during a campaign event at A.I. du Pont High School in Greenville, Delaware Aug. 12. Biden and Harris won the election in November over incumbents President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

Sherae'a "Rae" Moore of Middletown was elected to the House District 8 seat Nov. 3, 2020, becoming the first Black woman south of the canal to be elected to the General Assembly.

Three customers have been camping in front of GameStop in Camden for at least 17 hours by around 5:30 a.m. on Black Friday, Nov. 27. From left: Travis Martin, of New York, and his older brother Tim Martin, (right), who's originally from New York and has been stationed at Dover Air Force Base for nearly 10 years, are the first two in line; they've been camping since Nov. 25. Meanwhile, Ramon Santa, of Dover, is third in line and has been waiting for 17 hours.

The newly opened Odessa High School had its first fall sports season in 2020. Cross Country was the only one of five competing sports to participate at the varsity level. Pictured is Odessa's Evan Pertschi running through standing water in the DIAA 2020 Cross Country Boy's Division II Championship at Killens Pond State Park in Felton Dec. 5.

Appoquinimink boys soccer won the Division 1 state championship Dec. 12 in Dover. The Jaguars beat Salesianum in a 4-1 shootout, after regulation and overtime had ended 1-1. The game ended a 10-year winning streak of the Wilmington-area school.