Officials urging patience, offering safety tips

Recovery from ice storm, including power restoration, could take days Many county residents will have cleanup work to do once power is restored. Patience: That’s what government officials are recommending as county residents – most without power – attempt to rebound from the ice storm. With some exceptions where large trees fell, most county roads are passable; however, many resemble accident...

County offering citizens free emergency training

Course to enable residents to provide aid to themselves, others in crisis The county is inviting citizens to become life-savers by receiving free training that will enable them to help themselves, their families,  neighbors – even first-responders  – in an emergency. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training is designed to prepare residents for a catastrophic event, potentially...

More of the same: snow closes schools, county offices

Forecasts of nasty weather Monday morning turned out to be accurate, as wet slushy, heavy snow has closed virtually every school in the area and all Chester County offices. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Winter Storm Warning early Monday, calling for accumulations in Chester County of between four and eight inches. The snow started just before the morning rush Monday and produced slick...

Groundhog, NWS agree: nasty weather inbound

4-6 inches of snow seen Monday; heavy rains, flooding possible Wed. While groundhogs may be seeing an extended winter, the National Weather Service says Chester County is in for a hairy week of wintery weather. It appears that the world most famous groundhog — Punxsutawney Phil — and the National Weather Service are on the same page: there’s lot more winter headed for Chester County. Although...

Art Watch: Sara Bleemer

Photo images from the heart By Lele Galer, Columnist, The Times Sara Bleemer is a local Chester County art photographer who has been taking photographic images for as long as she can remember, but as her children have grown older, she has been able to spend more time focusing on this artistic passion. For the past four years Sara has shown regularly in most of the local art shows and she has a...

A rush to bipartisanism amid a few intra-party battles

Is getting along to get ahead back in fashion? By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Let’s face it, bipartisanism is the new black. If you listened to a lot of political types in Chester County this past week, candidates and elected officials across the political spectrum were working to show their ability to make nice with the other side. But roiling below the surface are a handful of intra-party...

Galer Estate Winery honored again

Awarded 2 Double Gold Medals and designated as best wines in Pennsylvania The gang at Galer Estate celebrates even more honors for their Chester County grown wines. EAST MARLBOROUGH — Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery was recently awarded two “Double Gold – Best in Appellation” designations from Appellation America in Napa California.  Galer Estate 2010 Cabernet Franc and 2012 Pinot Gris...

6 county watershed projects win state grants

Nearly $1 million will help fund initiatives to protect area creeks The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will invest more than $20.65 million in watershed protection projects, the state announced on Wednesday, Jan. 22. Six watershed protection projects in Chester County will receive $980,828 of the state funding through the Growing Greener Program, State Sen. Andy Dinniman...

Snow way! Another storm set to dump on county

Schools, county offices close as up to a foot of snow could hit area Where have we heard this one before? Snow mixed with frigid temperatures has brought most of Chester County to a halt, closing schools, some municipal offices, county offices and other venues, as the National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for the county. The southern portion of the county is expected to see the...

Costello-DiGiorgio battle could have wide-ranging impact

Gerlach’s decision not to seek reelection touches off primary fight By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times That shattering and creaking sound you heard this week wasn’t from the extreme cold (unless you were near my nearly half-century old bones), but what would appear to be the shattering of a fragile unity among Chester County Republicans. When Jim Gerlach announced Monday that he would not...