COVID-19 Update, May 15: 13 counties move to Yellow, 12 more announced for next week

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa With 13 counties moving to a more open “Yellow” status today in the fight against COVID-19, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that 12 more counties had met state criteria and would move to Yellow next Friday: Adams, Beaver, Carbon, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Wayne, and York. By next week, a total of 49 counties...

What To Do: Love Your Park Week, virtually

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Visiting local malls and restaurants isn’t possible right now with the COVID-19 restrictions still in effect. But visiting amazing locations – locally and globally –is available at your fingertips via virtual tours offered by internet websites. This year, Love Your Park Week, the annual springtime celebration of Philly parks, encourages...

COVID-19 Update, May 14: GOP legislators call on Wolf to move Chesco to Yellow

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa As the death toll climbs in the state and in Chester County, three local Republican state legislators called on Gov. Tom Wolf to move the county to “Yellow” status, Thursday. While Chester County does meet some of metrics laid out by Wolf’s plan to reopen the state — in particular medical capacity — it still fails in a few key areas: testing...

Op/Ed: Business owner and Commissioner: Weighing up both in planning Chester County’s renewal

By Marian Moskowitz, Chair, Chester County Board of Commissioners Marian Moskowitz Before I became a Chester County Commissioner, I was a small business owner.  My businesses ranged from retail to trucking, truck service to cosmetics, the import and export of mobile kiosks, to developing real estate.  I am very passionate about economic development, about the important contributions that small...

Music Spotlight: Chesco native Auer, new name, still great music

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Laura Auer The entertainment industry has been thrown into a state of disarray by COVID-19. Shows have been cancelled, album releases have been indefinitely delayed and nobody knows where or when it will end. Over the next few weeks, this column will feature musicians and entertainers from Chester County and look at what is happening with them right...

COVID-19 Update, May 13: State officials remind shoppers to wear masks to protect essential workers

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa Although the number of new COVID-19 cases in the commonwealth — and Chester County — appears to be shrinking, state officials are reminding residents to continue to be patient as the state works through the crisis. One area in particular is anger that seems to be being vented at workers at grocery stores and other essential retailers when employees...

Chesco extends essential-services only to June 4

WEST CHESTER — Chester County Government officials Wednesday announced the extension of the County’s essential services-only operation to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).   The extended period runs to Thursday, June 4. The Commissioners will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and adjust the status of essential services-only as necessary. The essential services identified...

COVID-19 Update, May 12: As Toomey demands reopening, Fauci warns of ‘uncontrollable’ outbreaks

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa A day after a firestorm by an apparent attempt by GOP legislative leaders to spark various county rebellions against Gov. Tom Wolf’s emergency COVID-19 Stay At Home and business closure orders — and Wolf making it clear those counties would pay a price — there appeared to be an uneasy quiet with no action in the ongoing standoff. Beyond Wolf’s...

Inner Nature: Chocolate — food or poison?

By Vidja Rajan, Columnist, The Times Easter, with its egg hunts and chocolate eggs, is past. With the current school closures and social distancing, the kids are bouncing off the walls already, and don’t need any further stimulation. It’s time to get rid of the chocolate. But the reliable excess food disposal unit, aka Man’s Best Friend, is forbidden from gormandizing Godivas. Why so? In...

COVID-19 Update: Wolf lays down the law with rebel counties, even as Trump Tweets support for lawlessness

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times, @mikemncgannpa Gov. Tom Wolf Gov. Tom Wolf laid down the law Monday, literally, making it clear that counties and states that chose to ignore his emergency pandemic business shut down orders would face consequences ranging from loss of federal COVID-19 recovery funding, loss of insurance, licenses and other civil penalties, even as President Donald Trump took...