Have a Happy — and safe — Thanksgiving!

It’s been a year like no other, but we at The Times are thankful for so many readers who have continued to depend upon us for local news and information. It’s been a challenging year for our Chester County communities, but we remain thankful to live and work in such a special place. We hope that however you mark the holiday, you are able to stay safe, yet connect with your loved ones...

On Stage: Even as venues close again, Kendal Conrad keeps busy

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times  Kendal Conrad Philadelphia basically shuttered its doors to live entertainment again last week and the rest of the state doesn’t seem far behind. Some bars, restaurants and wineries have kept live music going but in a very small and low-key fashion. There are a few venues in Chester County that are hanging on — Cedar Hollow Inn Restaurant...

Grant program helps add volunteers for fire/EMS, but more are still needed

Paul Mattes A three-year, grant-funded effort to recruit volunteer firefighters for Chester County’s 45 fire companies and 32 ambulance companies yielded over 300 prospective new volunteer submissions. Of those who responded are now volunteer firefighters or EMTs, while others are still in the process, said Neil Vaughn, Past President for the Chester County Fire Chiefs Association, which received...

Ex-Sheriff Welsh, Deputy McKinney face charges over misuse of funds, deputies

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa Former Chester County Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh. Times file photo. State criminal charges and arrest warrants were issued Tuesday against former Chester County Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh and her boyfriend former Sheriff’s Deputy Harry McKinney alleging misappropriated funds from a charity for the department and alleged misuse...

COVID Update, Nov. 23: Wolf issues stay at home advisory, new limits on schools, gatherings

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa Gov. Tom Wolf warned Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic could worsen seriously in commonwealth with today’s peak cases that average more than 6,000 per day could spike to more than 22,000 per day by December and overwhelm the state’s hospital system, asking — but not ordering – residents to stay home as much as possible. Wolf did announce some...

We will remember who is backing this coup

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa This madness is not just on President Donald Trump, who continues to to make ridiculously false claims about the election. This is not about Rudolph Giuliani, who went into federal court this week, literally seeking to set aside your vote in Pennsylvania, with crazed conspiracy claims untethered from reality. Yes, they spew ridiculous conspiracy theories...

Inner Nature: Vaccine Formulations

By Vidya Rajan, Columnist, The Times In early October, I was listening to Weekend Edition on National Public Radio when an interview with the Executive Director of Shark Allies, Stefanie Brendl, came on the air [1]. Her concern was urgent: a world-wide coronavirus vaccine that could contain the ingredient squalene, isolated from from shark livers, could lead to over a half-million sharks being...

What To Do: A holiday season like no other gets under way

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times  Longwood Gardens The number of days left in the countdown to Thanksgiving 2020 is in single digits. We all know that Thanksgiving is the traditional “unofficial” start of the Christmas holiday season – even though the season commercially “started” when Christmas items were being stocked on stores’ shelves on Labor Day Weekend and “Black Friday”...

Chester County Commissioners present agriculture awards

Commissioner Marian Moskowitz, Commissioner Josh Maxwell, Scott Taylor (spouse of Sonya Beltran), Sonya Beltran, Avril Beltran, Daniel Beltran, Maria Beltran, Commissioner Michelle Kichline, Chester County Ag Council Board Chair Chris Alonzo AVONDALE — The Chester County Commissioners, along with the Chester County Agricultural Development Council (Ag Council), recently presented two annual agriculture...

On Stage: COVID spike means brief run of live shows coming to an end

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times  Pete Davidson The old saying, “If you snooze, you lose,” is valid for a wide variety of situations. If you don’t take advantage of watermelon and fresh-picked corn on the market shelves during the summer and early fall, don’t be disappointed when you look for it now and it’s long gone. The signs were there. Growing seasons only last so...