Let’s be blunt about it: Russ Diamond is a jerk

By Mike McGann, Editor The Times @mikemcgannpa There are good people (lots, actually) and then — well, and unfortunately there’s no better way to put it — some people are reprehensible jerks (and yes, I wanted to use a more succinct expletive, but it seemed immature). One of the biggest in Pennsylvania is a State Representative from Lebanon County, Russ Diamond. After State Health Secretary...

What To Do: Beat cabin fever, enjoy local outdoor attractions

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times  Longwood Gardens With the easing up of COVID-19 restrictions in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey, more attractions are re-opening. For people who have been suffering from cabin fever, this is a good thing because it means there are more options for things to do. The weather even seems to be co-operating. After several weeks of temperatures...

County announces three new admin hires

New leadership appointments for Chester County government, clockwise from top right: Tiffany Sowers, Director of Human Resources; Nicole Forzato, County Solicitor; and Brianne Zanin, Deputy County Administrator. WEST CHESTER — Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline approved today the appointment of new Chester County Solicitor Nicole Forzato at their...

On Stage: With indoor performances a no-go, venues move outdoors

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times  The Fractals Live entertainment continues to get battered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, there have been a few attempts by venues to present live entertainment. Three different forms of presentation have emerged – indoor, outdoor and outdoor in a drive-in environment. Indoor shows might be the most pleasing aesthetically, but they are also...

Local, State Police to crackdown on aggressive driving

Aggressive drivers, look out! Local and State Police will be focusing on you, on July 29 in a joint-effort to make local highways safer — and calmer. On Wednesday, July 29, over 60 police departments from Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties will join Pennsylvania State Police in a coordinated aggressive-driving enforcement wave to help reduce the number of crashes,...

Chesco Coroner reports COVID-19 deaths down in nursing homes

WEST CHESTER — The Chester County Coroner’s Office  reported a significant drop in the number of nursing home residents dying with COVID-19 in June and July, officials said Friday. In May, 135 such deaths were reported, compared to 25 in June and 8 so far in July. For all of 2020 to date, 380 COVID-19 deaths have been reported to the Coroner’s Office, with 318 (83.6%) being residents of...

What To Do: Museums among a few options reopening

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The Barnes Foundation COVID-19 restrictions have been relaxed and area attractions are beginning to re-open. If there are attractions that you wish to visit, it would be a wise move to do it as soon as possible. Other areas of the country are seeing spikes in reported cases of the coronavirus – mainly because ignorant people have been refusing...

On Stage: Venues reopen briefly, but…close again, due to COVID-19

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times COVID-19 has almost completely wiped out live music and theater performances. There were glimmers of hope for live shows recently. Some venues actually hosted indoor performances in late July but the era of indoor live shows 2020 has drawn to a close. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has announced statewide mitigation efforts as COVID-19 cases surge in...

Chesco courts get ready for return of jury trials

Volunteers pretend to take the juror oath during an exercise to get the courts ready for the return of jury trials in West Chester. WEST CHESTER — This week the Chester County Justice Center prepared for the return of jury trials with a full scale exercise that tested plans to keep jurors safe while preserving the fairness of court proceedings. About 40 volunteers from various county departments...

DCCC to move to mostly online/remote classes for fall semester

This fall, Delaware County Community College has a multi-faceted plan to keep the education and training goals of our students on track, and to ensure safety during the coronavirus pandemic. The plan includes stringent safety protocols for wearing masks, social distancing and sanitizing; a tuition freeze for the 2020-2021 academic year to help keep college affordable and in reach of students and...