County to hold COVID memorial events this weekend, place displays

WEST CHESTER — In observance of the one-year anniversary of the first recorded COVID-19 death in Chester County, the County Commissioners announce plans for memorial displays that will be located at three places in the north, central and south parts Chester County.
Special memorials will be featured in Warwick Park in Pottstown, Springton Manor Farm in Glenmoore, and Nottingham Park in Nottingham...
Wolf, DOH rightly under fire for botched, unfair vaccine rollout

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
Depending on who you talk to, Pennsylvania’s vaccine program is either going swimmingly, or it is a bungled mess, with lower than the national average per capita of vaccine in arms, while the state Department of Health (DOH) is intentionally shortchanging the collar counties — the same counties that did the best job in containing the COVID-19...
Pa., Chesco, municipalities to get funds from American Rescue Plan

Chester County and its municipalities are expected to receive an estimated $153 million in total federal pandemic relief through the recently passed American Rescue Plan (ARP), state Senator Carolyn Comitta said.
According to estimates from the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Appropriations Committee, Chester County will receive $101.82 million in estimated relief and its 73 municipalities will...
County, state continue to clash over vaccine distribution

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
While President Joe Biden announced that states will have to allow universal scheduling of COVID-19 vaccine appointments after May 1 for everyone over age 18, local officials continue to express worry that the state Department of Health is still not sending the county its fair share of vaccine, leading to widespread frustration by those in the first...
Chester County wins award for excellence in financial reporting

WEST CHESTER — The Chester County Controller’s Office received notification recently of an award bestowed upon them by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). A Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting was presented to County Controller Margaret Reif and her staff for the 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, which...
Sheriff: demand for concealed firearm carry permits spiked in second half of 2020

WEST CHESTER – In the third and fourth quarters of 2020, the demand for permits to carry concealed firearms skyrocketed in Chester County. The demand continues and the Chester County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) has taken steps to double the number of applications processed.
To keep up with the increased demand for License-to-Carry (LTC) permits, the CCSO has added weekend hours to allow more applications...
Local officials blast Wolf Admin. over ‘shortchanging’ SE counties on COVID-19 vaccine

A Sunday meeting between local elected officials and officials from the state Department of Health (DOH) did little to convince officials from Chester, Montgomery, Delaware and Bucks county that DOH has not shortchanged the region when it comes to COVID-19 vaccine — and that the state will continue to shortchange the counties surrounding Philadelphia.
The meeting — with county commissioners,...
Better days are coming, hang in there

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
It’s not hard to see that the majority of frustration of folks around Chester County right now is difficulty in scheduling to get a COVID-19 vaccine — if you read social media, it’s everywhere and it is understandable. We’re hitting a wall, annoyed and tired of the pandemic and everything required to keep people safe.
It’s been a long year...
Elected officials reach out to schedule vaccine appointments

Chester County Commissioner Michelle Kichline (right) making phone calls to county residents to book COVID-19 vaccine appointments, Saturday. Also pictured are (background left to right) State Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-19), and State Rep. Dan Williams (D-74.
WEST CHESTER — All three Chester County Commissioners, and a number of state elected officials joined Chester County Health Department staff...
Coroner says 7 deaths due to cold weather

The Chester County Coroner’s Office has investigated seven winter weather-related fatalities so far this year. Hypothermia caused or contributed to the deaths of six Chester County residents. Four persons were found outdoors and two died inside homes with inadequate or no heat. Ages of these decedents ranged from 59 to 87, and all but one were male. Alcohol intoxication played a role in one death,...