State lawmakers voted last year to create a new position - an independent Inspector General - designed to detect fraud, waste and abuse in state government.Gov. Matt Meyer signed that bill into law last August and last month, he nominated Robert Storch to be the state’s first IG. Storch previously served as inspector general in the federal government with the Department of Defense and National Security Agency - as well as holding senior positions with the Dept. of Justice.Storch was confirmed by the State Senate this month and is now getting down to the business of building the office from the ground upAnd this week he sat down with Delaware Public Media political reporter Bente Bouthier to discuss delivering an Office of Inspector General to the First State.

This week is Delaware’s first Heat Awareness Week. And it seems especially well-timed.This week saw higher than average temperatures for this time of year. Maximum temperatures this week averaged over 80 degrees with the first three days seeing highs over 90 degrees, including record breaking highs in Wilmington and Georgetown.The creation of Heat Awareness Week in Delaware is the culmination of an effort by a group of Univ. of Delaware students in a class taught by Vaishnavi Tripuraneni, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences. Two of them - Katherine Turner and Jennifer Barbour - joined Delaware Public Media’s Jay Shah to explain why heat awareness matters and efforts to address heat-related issues.

The Wilmington Drama League closes out its current season with a musical adaptation of the hit movie "Sister Act."On this week's Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny speaks to two people involved with the production - Patrick Murray, the show's director and choreographer, and Kathy Buterbaugh, a cast member and the Wilmington Drama League's production manager.

A University of Delaware graduate student created a new belly binding garment for postpartum mothers using expertise across multiple disciplines.Belly binding for postpartum mothers has been used for centuries across different cultures. It involves wrapping the abdomen with specialized bands or long strips of fabric after childbirth to support shifting organs, stabilize the pelvis and relieve lower back pain while core muscles naturally heal.Casey Tyler is a master’s student in Fashion and Apparel Studies in UD’s College of Arts and Science, and they used their experience with help from an assistant professor, a doula and a spacesuit designer to create an updated version of this garment to improve its form and functionOn this edition of Enlighten Me, Delaware Public Media’s Joe Irizarry chats with Tyler about the new garment, the knotted belly bind.

Listen to the full show or individual segments:

A 2011 study published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wetlands Inventory found that 25% of Delaware is wetlands. Some of those are considered freshwater or nontidal wetlands - and are located further inland.Although they’re vital to the ecosystem, Delaware does not have any statewide regulations to protect these habitats.A new bill aims to change that. Senate Bill 9 would fill gaps left by federal laws governing what humans can or can’t do in protected areas.This week, Delaware Public Media’s Jay Shah sat down with the bill’s sponsor, State Senator Stephanie Hansen and Emily Knearl, Director of Public Policy at The Nature Conservancy to understand what this legislation would do and why it matters.

National Train Day was last Saturday - May 9th. To mark the occasion, the Lewes Junction Railroad & Bridge Association unveiled its newest arrival- an early 1900s steam engine.And Delaware Public Media’s Isreal Hale was on hand for that event for this edition of History Matters.

Clear Space Theatre in Rehoboth Beach presents two modern shows this month, both looking at life lessons through very different lenses.On this week's Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny spoke to Joe Gfaller, director of "Dear Evan Hansen," and Fay Jacobs, director of "The Legend of Georgia McBride."

We occasionally take time on The Green to highlight work by student journalists. This week, we offer a piece produced by Delaware State Univ. senior and Delaware Public Media intern Joyce KasiamaFor this week’s Enlighten Me, Joyce takes a closer look at one way the First State honors female leadership – the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame – by spending time with some of those previously recognized by the Hall of Fame.

Listen to the full show or individual segments: