Delaware weekly roundup: $20M for a local ferry; Social media sites using you to train their AI; Local library hack

Welcome to the roundup of the latest from Delaware's tech and entrepreneurship scene. Want this in your inbox? Subscribe for free.

The Cape May-Lewes Ferry is going green

A $20 million federal grant to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry will add a new lower-emissions hybrid vessel to its fleet.

Also, a Newark Dairy and three Delaware airports are getting funds to upgrade facilities and equipment.

➡️ Read the September Money Moves

Opting out of AI training on social media

Social media platforms offer a constant stream of (mostly) human interaction in real-time that is used to train generative AI to follow trends, take on diverse viewpoints and learn slang. But not everyone wants their content feeding AI, due to privacy and ethical concerns.

Some social media platforms make it easy to opt-out. Others, not so much.

We rounded up platforms from LinkedIn to Tumblr to Twitch and spotlighted their policies and opt-out instructions, if applicable.

➡️ Read our report on opting out of AI training

Promote your brand, support our work

If your company offers services for tech firms or startups, or wants to reach people who work in those fields, we are here to help. Technical.ly’s has the largest engaged audience of technologists and entrepreneurs in the mid-Atlantic, and our newsletters and stories are read in innovation ecosystems around the nation.

Get ready for Black Friday and the fall budgeting season by booking a newsletter takeover or other advertising with us. It’s especially easy now that we have a self-service option with clear, upfront info on prices and packages. Plus you get the warm fuzzy feeling of helping an independent local journalism org thrive after 15 years of publishing — and counting.

➡️  Book your promo online here, or email with any questions 

News Incubator: What else to know today

• Hackers have taken over Delaware Libraries computer labs across the state, demanding money to relinquish them. Labs are closed while the matter is resolved, possibly by rebuilding the server. [Spotlight Delaware]

• Hanover Foods, which contracts with 41 farms in Delaware, received a $5 million grant to update its facility in Clayton. The company celebrates 100 years in business this year. [Delaware Prosperity Partnership]

• Six former employees are suing DuPont for unfair treatment due to their race. The employees worked at a DuPont facility in Buffalo, New York. [WGRZ]

• Delaware State University alum Asya Johnson will launch the first HBCU high school in New York City in the fall of 2025. The school will offer accelerated classes and students will graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate degree. [Instagram]

• The Wilmington Kitchen Collective will open its fourth commercial kitchen for food entrepreneurs this fall at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Wilmington. [Wilmington Kitchen Collective]

• The Tech Council of Delaware will represent the First State at the 2024 Global Ecosystem Summit on Oct. 1 in Toronto. Executive Director Zakiyyah Ali will speak on a panel about collaborative ecosystem growth. [Tech Council of Delaware]

• Delaware State University and the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce cut the ribbon on a new shared space in Dover. The $2.6 million space will serve as a primary office space for NeighborGood’s Restoring Central Dover and DSU’s Center for Urban Revitalization and Entrepreneurship. [Delaware Business Times]

• Two banks with a prominent presence in Delaware, M&T and WSFS, were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, as the top full-service US banks by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Buffalo-based M&T Bank is the largest full-service bank in Delaware. [Delaware Business Now]

• Want to buy Concord Diner in North Wilmington? It’s listed on Facebook Marketplace. [Facebook]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Thursday, Sept. 26 — A Scientist Walks into a Bar… at Grain on the Rocks in Lewes with University of Delaware marine science experts [Details]

• Thursday, Sept. 26 — Inspiring Women in STEM Conference [Details]

• Thursday, Sept. 26 – MACXF Quarterly Summit at Best Egg [Details]

• Sunday, Sept. 29 to Saturday, Oct. 5 — Wilmington Black Restaurant Week [Details]

• Monday, Sept. 30 — Halloween Extravaganza kicks off at New Life Thrift in Lewes [Details]

• Partner event: 1682 makes it’s post-COVID return on Oct. 18. Hosted in Center City at the fun Five Below HQ, the ticketed event ($500-$650) features a full day of workshops, panels and more on how AI and innovation are impacting the tech scene. [Register]