A Chester County lawmaker whose attempt to retire two years ago was thwarted will not seek re-election in 2016, and contenders are lining up for his seat. State Rep. Chris Ross, R-185, announced his retirement in 2013, but he was persuaded by party leaders to return to the race in 2014 when Cuyler Walker, the GOP choice to replace him, abruptly withdrew his name at…
I sit, watching the river flow by at the Brandywine River Museum of Art, while I ponder a Grandmother’s Prayer to her grandchild. Nearby, sits a new mother nursing her baby as the grandmother beams joy. A Mary Cassatt moment in a Kaethe Kollwitz world. You may know Mary Cassatt’s paintings of serene mothers and children. Kaethe Kollwitz, however, was an artist who endured World…
PennDOT has announced the following road projects, which are weather-dependent and could affect residents in the greater Chadds Ford area during the week of Dec. 12 through Dec. 19. Motorists are urged to allow extra time if they are traveling through one of the construction zones. Route 842 in Pocopson, Newlin, and East Marlborough townships will be the site of lane restrictions on Friday Dec.…
Constance “Connie” Noblet, 91, a pioneer in the crime victims’ rights movement, died on Sunday, Dec. 6, in Rhode Island, where she had lived for more than 20 years; however, her influence and inspiration never left Pennsylvania, those who worked with her said. In 1973, Noblet co-founded and served as director of the Rape Crisis Council of Chester County, one of the first rape crisis…
A limousine driver from Delaware who thought he was luring a 15-year-old boy for sex was actually communicating with a Delaware County detective, said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan. Whelan announced the arrest of Lawrence K. Walls, 58, of Millsboro, De., in a press release on Friday, Dec. 11. Walls is facing multiple felony charges, including attempted indecent assault and statutory sexual assault and…
State Rep. Steve Barrar, R-Chester/Delaware, majority chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, hosted a public hearing on House Bill 1272, which would allow fire companies to bill for real and reasonable costs associated with their emergency responses. “As our fire companies face the increasingly challenging issue of remaining financially viable, this bill would provide reimbursement for equipment that is used when…
With weather forecasters predicting an ideal weekend for holiday decorating, PECO extended wishes for a happy, energy-efficient holiday season and offered safety tips in a press release: Only decorate with lights approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), and consider using energy-efficient LED lighting, which consumes up to 75 percent less energy. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for the number of strands of lights that can be safely…
Kathleen "Dollie" Bonsall Davis, 84, of West Grove, died Tuesday, Dec. 8, in Newark. She was the wife of the late Ronald B. Davis who died in December of 2014 and with whom she shared 65 years of marriage. Born in West Chester, she was a daughter of the late Robert J. Bonsall Sr. and the late Violet McClintock Bonsall. Dollie was a technician for…
Crime Victims Center of Chester County, Inc. (CVC), an advocacy agency that works to assist crime victims and prevent victimization, will receive $45,000 in state grant funding to assist children impacted by sexual abuse, state Sen. Andy Dinniman said in a press release on Thursday, Dec. 10. The funds, which were approved by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), come from the Endowment…
A spate of daytime residential break-ins affecting a wide swath of homes in Chester and Delaware counties prompted the formation of a police task that caught two men burglarizing a Pocopson Township home on Wednesday, Dec. 9, police said. Daniel S. Freas, 29, of Birmingham Township, and David J. Lee, 36, of Oxford, were taken into custody after a member of the Westtown-East Goshen Regional…
Blood Bank of Delmarva is issuing an urgent call for blood donors, asking those who are able to schedule an appointment to please do so as soon as possible. “The Holiday Season is challenging for blood centers across the country, as many scheduled donors cancel their appointments and we find ourselves in critical need of blood to serve our hospitals and their patients. The need…