County Health Dept. retiree and Medical Reserve Corps Volunteer Walls receives CDC’s Trailblazer Award

Elizabeth “Betsy” Walls Elizabeth “Betsy” Walls, RN, the retired Director of Personal Health for the Chester County Health Department whose efforts helped to establish the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Program and Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) in Chester County, has been honored with a much-deserved award from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Betsy is recognized as Pennsylvania’s...

Frens appointed County Solicitor

Colleen Frens The Chester County Commissioners approved this week the appointment of Colleen Frens as Solicitor for the County of Chester.  Frens, the former Deputy County Solicitor, has served as Acting Solicitor since July 2022, following the appointment of former Solicitor, Nicole Forzato, to the bench of the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. “Colleen is an excellent lawyer who will serve...

Commissioners declare January as Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month

Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell, and Michelle Kichline proclaimed January as Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month at the first public Commissioners’ Meeting in 2023. The proclamation acknowledges the dedicated work of social service agencies, counselors, law enforcement, and modern-day abolitionists for caring for survivors, arresting and prosecuting offenders,...

Rep. Houlahan finally sworn to third term after days of GOP Speaker chaos

Houlahan in front of her new office location (1727 Longworth). The placard next to her reads: “This office belongs to the people of Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District.” Early this morning, U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan was officially sworn in for her third term as the United States Representative for Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District. While the Pennsylvania congressional delegation...

County recognition of Law Enforcement Appreciation Day includes spotlight on crisis intervention team training

As part of Chester County’s recognition of National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on January 9th, the Chester County Commissioners note the success of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, a crucial tool that helps to de-escalate mental health crisis situations and enhance safety and access to treatment. “Because law enforcement personnel have vital responsibilities as front-line caretakers...

On Stage: Slambovian Circus of Dreams ready to rock in the new year

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times  Slambovian Circus of Dreams The Mummers Parade is a great Philadelphia tradition which dates back more than a century, has its roots in South Philadelphia and is always held on January 1. There is another Mummers tradition in Philadelphia which dates back more than a decade, has its roots in South Philadelphia and is always held on December 30. Some...

CCIU celebrates 10 years of The County Cup

From left to right: Dr. Anita Riccio, Laurie Masino, Gary Entrekin, Dave Baron, Dr. George F. Fiore, Dr. Siobhan Leavy and Patti Ciuffetelli. The Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the County Cup, a food kiosk run by students in the CCIU’s Discover program. On December 16, current and former employees attended the anniversary event at the CCIU Educational...

On Stage Extra: A rockin’ voice from Ukraine headlines at Brooklyn Bowl

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times  Gogol Bordello plays international punk music that is wild, aggressive and filled with Eastern European influences. That’s because frontman/founder Eugene Hütz is wild, aggressive and a native of Eastern Europe. This week, the band is celebrating 15 years of New Year’s Eve shows in New York and Philadelphia with shows at the two cities’ Brooklyn...

County leaders discuss direction of Chester County Climate Action Plan in 2023

County leaders review and sort actions that support the Chester County Climate Action Plan. Chester County department leaders and partners met recently to review and prioritize long-term and short-term steps that must be taken to achieve the County’s Climate Action Plan goal of reducing greenhouse gases. The Climate Action Plan, adopted in October 2021 by the Commissioners, calls for the County government’s...

Commissioners OK 2nd round of American Rescue Plan Act grants

Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline approved the second round of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant recipients last week, at the final Commissioners’ public meeting of the year. More than $6 million in grants were awarded for 22 projects.  This adds to the $40 million in funds that were awarded to 73 applicants during the first round of grants, announced...