Wilmington

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners has called off a deal to invest $200.5 million and operate the state-owned Port of Wilmington, citing antagonism from a local longshoreman's union leader. The publicly traded energy company, based in Houston, wanted to expand cargoes, bring new jobs, and invest in needed port infrastructure repairs. The Diamond State Port Corp. in December named Kinder, with operations at Tioga Marine Terminal in Port Richmond and Fairless Hills, Bucks County, as the "preferred" bidder to lease the Wilmington port.

They weren't really looking for a house, Sissy Harris recalls, but her Realtor cousin invited Sissy and her husband to have a look at the brick dwelling with the slate roof anyway. Before they had finished touring the Greenville, Del., house, Jack Harris was ready to sign on the dotted line. Jack, a lawyer, is not a man who routinely acts in haste, but the 6,300-square-foot property enticed him, not only because of its open floor plan throughout three levels, but also because it had been renovated by the former owners and was in turnkey condition - serious pluses for a busy couple with two careers, three children, and two dogs.

WILMINGTON - Police charged a man Wednesday with second-degree murder in the death of his brother, shot during a gun battle. Daymon Winkler, 26, of Wilmington, was arrested in the death of Raheem Winkler, 19. He was being held on $3 million bail. On Aug. 25, the Winklers and two other men were involved in a shootout on Carter Street, police said. Raheem Winkler sustained a fatal gunshot wound.

Who killed the banks? And why aren't they in prison? It's past three years since Wachovia, National City , and other giant lenders that made too many dumb loans to borrowers who couldn't pay were forced into oblivion in government-aided discount sales to new owners, destroying share values and hometown jobs. Last time banks failed on a big scale - back when George H.W. Bush   was president - scores of bad-bank operators and lying business borrowers went to prison. That hasn't happened much under President Obama , whose administration prefers fines and wrist-slapping.

An 18-year-old Delaware woman was killed in Kennett Township early Sunday in a one-vehicle crash, Pennsylvania State Police said. Kristen Felkowski of Wilmington lost control of her 2005 BMW on a curve in the westbound lane of Old Kennett Road, east of Burnt Mill Road, and hit a tree at 6:15 a.m., police said. Felkowski was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. A 16-year-old passenger from Scranton, Pa., was taken to Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, police said.

WILMINGTON - Emma Harding and about 100 others took cover behind the counter of the Dunkin' Donuts downstairs. Jennifer Robinson fled into a communications room. Crying, Victoria Warren, hiding in another room, phoned her brother. "I'm scared," she told him. "I heard gunshots. " About 8:15 a.m. Monday, a gunman opened fire in the New Castle County Courthouse in an incident that left the shooter and two women dead. Police said the shooting grew out of a child-custody dispute. Two law-enforcement officers were wounded but survived because of their bulletproof vests.

A gunman opened fire in a Wilmington, Del. courthouse, this morning, leaving five people shot and three of those dead in what law enforcement described as a targeted shooting based on a child custody dispute. The gunman was among the dead. Two women were also killed. Two law enforcement officers were among those shot in the barrage. Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden said in a short press conference at 3:15 p.m. that the shooting "was not a random act of violence. " "This was the result of a custody dispute that has lasted in our court system for several years," Biden said.

St. Augustine senior Christian Adorno has signed with Wilmington University on a baseball scholarship. Adorno, a slick-fielding shortstop, has started since his sophomore season, when he helped the Hermits to the Non-Public A state championship. Adorno batted .400 as a sophomore with 10 stolen bases. He batted .396 as a junior with 36 hits, 22 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases. Wilmington is an NCAA Division II program that competes in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. - Phil Anastasia