um
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Briefly
Lewes continues annual
budget review process
Lewes Mayor and Council will continue-
review of the draft budget for fiscal year
2006-07 at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, March 2,
in City Hail. Following budget review the
council will hold an executive session to
discuss personnel matters. Executive ses-
sions are closed to the public. The panel
will return to open session for any action on
matters discussed in executive session.
contractors and basically teaching them a
whole new process," said Murphy. "It's
really taken the wind out of the sails on a
lot of them," he said. Murphy said he and
his staff receive at least three questions
each day pertaining to the city's compre-
hensive tree ordinance.
"We've had a lot of questions - lots of
questions," he said.
Murphy is working with Rehoboth
Commissioner Dennis Barbour to fine-tune
the ordinance. Officials are also working
with Milford arborist Bill Pike, who was
hired by the city in January. Pike assists the
city on Tuesdays and Thursdays concerning
trees.
CAPE GAZETTE - Friday, Feb. 24 - Monday, Feb. 27, 2006 - 3
Lewes architectural panel Planners review Sussex West
to review Lingo project phase, Hasting plan postponed
The Lewes Commercial Architectural The state's Preliminary Land Use Service
Review Commission will meet at 7 p.m., (PLUS) reviewed a new phase for the
Thursday, March 2, in City Hall. Items on Sussex West development, off Route 9, out- Laura Barter photo
• the agenda include a presentation by side of Lewes, during the Wednesday, Feb. Subdivision sought on School Lane
Michael Sing of Calvin Clendaniel 22 meeting in Dover.
Associates Architects, on behalf of Jack Kevin Burdette and Ron Sutton of A major subdivision request has been made for 501 School Lane, near
Lingo Inc., owners of property located at McCrone Industries in Milton presented Rehoboth Elementary School. Evelyn and Melissa Thoroughgood are the
1240 Kings Highway. The project would plans for 82 manufactured homes on 20 applicants, according to the Rehoboth Beach Building and Licensing
add a second floor and new set or stairs acres in the Sussex West development. Department. "Because it's a major subdivision, it's under review by the plan-
ning commission," said a representative with the building department.
over a portion of the existing office. An Burdettc said the property has been slat- The application has not yet been put on any agenda, and no date has been
entry porch would be demolished and ed fordevelopment and was included under selected for a review, but the Rehoboth Beach Planning Commission referred
rebuilt. Siding, trim and accent colors the originai conditionai-use request, filed to the application at its Feb. 13 meeting.
would remain the same. with the state and county, seeking a higher
The panel will also discuss and possibly density, state review, was postponed. Tureen,Royal win honors
revise the application process, demolition The phase currently before PLUS pro- The developers plan to build the 276-unit
regulations and sign ordinance, poses units on 6,600-square-foot lots, development on 204 acres east Route 30, as women in history
instead of the 7,500-square-foot lots across from Neptune Road (Sussex 251) Sussex County Council will present a
Rehoboth contractors required in the environmentally sensitive and southwest of Milton. proclamation to Rhonda Tuman on behalf
district. The Hasting parcel has been in farmland of Delaware Technical & Community
learning tree rules State planners recommended hydrants preservation for the last 10 years, but that College for teaching the history of women
David Murphy, Rehoboth Beach building for fire safety, even though they were not designation ends in 2006, allowing the for the past 12 years.
and licensing inspector, said he is instruct- included in the original phases of the devel- owners to develop. This proposal was The proclamation recognizes the work
ing contractors on tree ordinance details at opment, but overall state planners appeared rescheduled for 12:15 p.m., Wednesday, Delaware Technical & Community College
has done each year to provide a platform to
a Tuesday, Feb. 21, commissioner's meet- pleased with this phase of Sussex West. March 1, in Dover. The meeting is open to
ing. "... More and more, we are training Hasting Hollow, also on the agenda for the public. Continued on page 4
Two locals among nurses facing health-care fraud felonies
By KerryKester suffered from bed sores. A hired care nurse and added those vent pressure sores and other
Cape Gazette staff nurse expert who reviewed med- responsibilities to other nurses, heaith-threatening conditions. At
The Delaware Attorney ical records from the nursing The witness also told Daly she times employees who were upset
General's Office has made five home found "consistent negli- once saw Rhinehardt sign charts with the lack of care would phys-
arrests and is continuing to inves- gence and failures on the part of as though work had been done, ically write their initials on the
tigate a case of alleged Medicaid Green Valley Pavilion nursing but it had not. diapers of residents, along with
fraud at Green Vailey Pavilion in staff directly caused and con- The affidavits states Cox was a the time that the diaper had been
Smyrna. A Milton woman and a tributed to the decline and serious floor nurse who took on the job of changed, and when returning to
Lewes woman were among four physical nature to .... " states the unit manager in charge of over- work the next day, the same dia-
who have already been charged COX EDWARDS affidavit, seeing the nursing staff. The affi- per would be on the same resi-
with felony offenses. There is a The affidavit further states davit states Cox knew she was dent. [She] stated that incompe-
warrant to arrest a fifth woman. Justice. According to the affidavit Rhinehardt intentionally missltat- contributing to falsifying the doc- tent residents with no visitors
Sandra L. Edwards of Lewes for probable cause, the employee ed the level of care provided to uments by forging signatures and were the most neglected patients
and Mary J. Casper of Newark told the investigator that Casper, residents, and the former empkoy- otherwise falsifying the records, because there was no one to com-
were charged with two counts of nursing home administrator, ee interviewed told the investi/ga- and she knew it was a crime, plain about the neglect," the affi-
felony heaith-care fraud, felony either falsified or caused staffing tor she falsified Medicare amd When the period forthe Medicaid davit states, noting the witness
conspiracy to commit heaith-care records to be falsified. Medicaid Medicaid payments under direc- review drew near in 2003, reported her concerns to Casper,
fraud, felony patient neglect and law requires a minimum staffing tion from her supervisors. The Edwards, Yarrington and Rhinehardt and Edwards, the
misdemeanor patient neglect, ratio of 3.28 hours of direct care former employee also claimed the Rhinehardt spent time "cooking director of nursing.
Denise M. Rhinehardt, formerly per resident per day. nursing home restorative program the books," states the affidavit. The affidavit lists numerous
of Felton, is facing the same According to the affidavit, was set up so certified nursing Another former employee told other problems that occurred at
charges but is out of state and has Casper "had personal knowledge assistants would work with resi- Daly she was aware she had been the nursing home pertaining to
not yet been arrested. Charged that names would be added to dents to help them with range-of- listed on staffing reports when she patient care and falsifying records
with felony health-care fraud and staffing sheets to reflect that cer- motion exercises. However, she had not been at work, and to receive Medicaid reimburse-
felony conspiracy to commit tain employees were assigned to told Daly, it was not a reasonable Rhinehardt solicited her to sign a ments.
health-care fraud were Jann B. particular duties when it was expectation for such a small stuff, document that contained false "We remain committed to the
Cox of Milton and Mary L. known that the employees were "...it was not possible for flae entries. "[She] stated that she told protection of our most vulnerable
Yarfington of Magnolia. not performing those duties." The aides to do all the work they w0ere Rhinehardt that she should not citizens by investigating potential
According to Attorney General employee also said the restorative required to do in the time they hlad sign the document because she abuse and vigorously prosecuting
Carl C. Danberg, the investigation nursing program was discontin- to do it," states the affidavit. '"'If was hospitalized at the time these those who would take advantage
began two years ago and was a ued, which meant patients who you are applying for 70 add-cns services were purported to have of our senior citizens," said
joint effort between state and fed- needed to have their range of and you have five aides that, amd I been performed and therefore Danberg in a release issued by the
eral authorities, who share fund- motion improved to help ,ittx don't even ku.Qxv i( ttte were all could trot have lau. (tkiu at ktmrt, Cae.ue:rt', (c
ing responsibilities for Medicaid. pressure ulcers were not receiving full time, you couldn't if you the facility," states the affidavit. The current administrator at
The investigation began in May the care. looked at their hours, how could "On a typical day, [the witness] Green Valley Pavilion said all
2004, when a former employee at Daly also interviewed the son you possibly be doing that for 70 stated that a'half a dozen or more comments about the case must
the nursing home met with of apatient. He claimed his moth- patients?'" [completely dependent'residents] come from the corporate office.
Special Investigator Daniel Daly er spent extended periods of time The affidavit also states Casper never got out of bed, nor did they Comments were unavailable at
at the Delaware Department of without being repositioned and ended the position of a wound get repositioned in order to pre- press time.
