Commissioners award $10M in grants to small businesses hurt by COVID

WEST CHESTER — Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline announced Friday the awarding of $10 million in grants to 333 Chester County small businesses.  The individual grants, made available through round two of the Chester County Main Street Preservation grant program for small businesses impacted by COVID-19, range from $20,000 to $49,500. “Preserving...

What To do: Football? Love is in the air, too

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times  Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Next weekend, there will be a wide array of holiday events – many dealing with chocolate and wine. The Chaddsford Winery (632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, 610-388-6221, http://www.chaddsford.com) is getting a jump on the rest with an event starting this weekend. Every Saturday and Sunday through February...

Kennett supervisors vote to donate $72K to Land Conservancy

KENNETT — On Wednesday, the Township Board of Supervisors voted to donate $72,000.00 to The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County (TLC) to support their land management activities in Kennett Township. “Preserving Open Space in Kennett Township, with a goal of 30% of the Township preserved, is one strategy this Board of Supervisors uses to ensure we maintain the character of our community”...

On Stage: More options this weekend for live entertainment

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times  Ian Bagg There is a Jamaican restaurant in Tampa’s Ybor City called Chephas’ Hot Spot. Run by Rastaman Cephas Gilbert, it features delightful and authentic food dished from the island. What it doesn’t have is a menu.  The meals all include fresh vegetables of the day along with beans and rice. There are no choices.   The only choice Cephas...

Green awarded 1st scholarship focused on local police diversity

Bakari Green, Jr. WEST CHESTER — Chester County resident Bakari Green, Jr. has been named the first recipient of a scholarship focused on diversifying law enforcement in Chester County.  The scholarship to the Delaware County Community College Municipal Police Academy is the first award made to a student of color, by the Committee for PA Act 120 Certification Scholarship.  Financial support...

Oh jeez, not again: groundhog sees his shadow, six more weeks of winter predicted

Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow Tuesday morning. According to tradition, that means six more weeks of winter. Image courtesy, VisitPa.com PUNXSUTAWNEY – This morning, Pennsylvania’s own world-famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. For the first-ever virtual Groundhog Day celebration, visitors from all over the world tuned in to see Phil make...

County Collects more than 2.3 tons of unused prescription drugs in 2020

Chester County Detectives Crime Scene Unit Detectives Chris Bucci (left) and Gary Lynch. WEST CHESTER — The Chester County District Attorney’s Office announced that the County’s Medication Drop-Off program collected over 2.3 tons of unused prescription drugs in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic was responsible for the 37% drop in numbers from 2019 when 3.7 tons were collected. “The success of...

Major snowstorm bearing down on Chester County; a foot of snow or more expected

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa The first major snowstorm in nearly two years is expected to hit Chester County Sunday, bringing 12 to 18 inches of snow, high winds and potentially hazardous traveling conditions on Monday and into Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). A Winter Storm Warning went into effect at 10 a.m. warning of a possible Nor’easter, heavy...

Op/Ed: Candles and balloons

By Donna Bullock, State Representative, 195th District State Rep. Donna Bullock My older son celebrated his 13th birthday in January.  We shared this moment virtually with family and friends. As I decorated his backdrop with balloons and he blew out candles on a cake, it hit me. Something so innocent and joyful has been redefined by the growing number of gun deaths. A week before, a 9-year-old...

Inner Nature: Plant poisons

By Vidya Rajan, Columnist, The Times Plants can be just as deadly to animals as animals are to animals, and this is not hyperbole. In order not to be eaten, plants abound with an alphabet soup of chemicals designed to make the predator so uncomfortable as to leave them alone, or to really make a point by killing them stone cold dead. Here, I want to spend a little time looking at plant toxins and...