Top stories for Delaware Online subscribers in 2021

In 2021, Delaware Online/The News Journal reporters dug into everything from a condominium complex on the brink of collapse to a collection of thousands of photos of Delaware license plates.

Some stories followed the tides of national news – for instance, as the U.S. exited Afghanistan a Delaware woman worked the phone to get her past co-workers out of the country – but in many cases reporters charted their own courses, investigating local issues that would likely otherwise go unnoticed.

That work is only made possible by our loyal subscribers. Here is a taste of the most read stories of our subscribers.

The history and future of the Wilmington Riverfront

After city officials in May announced plans to develop the east side of the Christina River in Wilmington, Delaware Online/The News Journal published a series of stories on the Wilmington Riverfront’s formation and cultural impact.

The stories considered the Riverfront’s origins, its recent growth and what neighboring residents want to see from the new investment.

COST: Hundreds of millions in tax dollars built Wilmington’s Riverfront, was it worth it?

GROWTH: Wilmington Riverfront went from a hot mess to a hot destination. How did they do it?

SOUTHBRIDGE: Residents call for equal investment in $100M Riverfront East plan

What to expect as tax officials begin visiting every home in Delaware

The first sweeping reassessment of property values throughout the state in decades began in September.

A Delaware judge ruled last year that the way the state’s three counties calculate property values for taxing purposes – a method that assesses homes based on their worth in the last reassessment decades ago – is unconstitutional.