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  • Swarthmore, Nether Providence take next step in merging fire departments

    Swarthmore, Nether Providence take next step in merging fire departments

    Swarthmore and Nether Providence are exploring a merger of fire departments to compensate for a drop in volunteers and aging equipment.

    The proposed merger would unite the South Media and Garden City fire companies in Nether Providence with the Swarthmore Fire and Protective Association.

    Swarthmore and Nether Providence commissioned Longwood Fire Chief A.J. McCarthy to study the challenges facing the three fire departments. He presented his report to both municipalities in early December.

    The report recommended creating one regional fire department to cover the two municipalities plus Rose Valley.

    McCarthy’s report highlighted a “critical” lack of volunteer firefighters and financial limitations.

    “Just because you haven’t had a disastrous fire doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen,” McCarthy said during a presentation of his report to Swarthmore Borough Council on Dec. 1. “I can tell you right now you’re not prepared for it.”

    Three Delaware Co. Township fire companies may merge into one.

    Swarthmore Mayor and Fire Chief Conlen Booth called the report “a vital first step” toward a merger.

    “The departments are going to need to sit down and look at these recommendations and then digest them,” Booth said. “And then identify ultimately what are ones that make sense for us.”

    Meet Conlen Booth, Swarthmore’s fire chief who just stepped into the mayor’s office

    A complete merger, forming one regional fire department, could take a year and a half to three years, he said, while something less formal could be completed more quickly.

    “I think there’s a very good chance that we would follow [the report’s recommendation] with maybe some nuances,” Booth said. “But there is no guarantee that happens and we could have other types of mergers, or we could start with other mergers and then evolve into that full merger.”

    Booth has a history of working in emergency services. He joined Swarthmore’s fire company in 2000, eventually working his way up to department chief.

    A single regional fire department would need new bylaws, a new charter, joint operation guidelines, and more. A complete merger would also require the departments to dissolve their existing nonprofit organizations and relief associations and create new ones.

    “A lot of these pieces are not difficult, it’s the sheer number of pieces that can be felt to be overwhelming,” Booth said.

    Nether Providence passed a resolution in support of the merger effort, but Township Manager Maureen Feyas declined to comment on the matter.

    The Swarthmore Fire & Protective Association firehouse.

    Lack of volunteers

    The biggest challenge for the fire departments is a drop in volunteers. In a 2023 report, Pennsylvania Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook said there were about 30,000 volunteers in the state at that time, down from 300,000 in the 1970s.

    South Media and Garden City operate solely with volunteers, while Swarthmore has some paid personnel.

    The report, however, says the full-time staff gives the department a “false confidence,” because they respond to both fire and medical emergencies. If two employees leave in the ambulance, that leaves only one behind with little volunteer support during daytime hours.

    The report also says South Media was “unable to produce a reliable and constant response” due to lack of volunteers.

    Garden City has had more success with volunteers. During a meeting in which McCarthy presented his report to Swarthmore Borough Council, he praised Garden City Chief Pat O’Rourke.

    “He’s doing an excellent job and is increasing volunteer numbers year-over-year, which is almost unheard of right now,” McCarthy said.

    Part of the reason these fire departments struggle to find volunteers is because they are located in affluent areas, McCarthy said, something he can attest to in his experience leading Longwood Fire Company in Chester County.

    “The area I protect has a very high cost of living, so I don’t have residents looking to do one of the most dangerous jobs in the world for free,” McCarthy said in the council meeting. “I have a lot of CFOs and CEOs. They’re busy in hospitals and law firms.”

    In 2024, Swarthmore had a median income of $146,992 and Nether Providence’s median income was $145,254, well above the national median of $83,730.

    The South Media Fire Company in Nether Providence.

    Equipment cost and maintenance

    A capital apparatus plan is also needed for upgrading and maintaining expensive fire trucks, ambulances, and other lifesaving equipment, the report states.

    Trucks have doubled in price over the last three years and take about five years to deliver, he said at the Swarthmore Borough Council meeting.

    “These things have to be planned out,” McCarthy said. “You can’t spend $2.5 million to replace a ladder truck and only start talking about it four months before you order it.”

    One of Swarthmore’s trucks costs more to maintain than to use, he said.

    Crozer’s closing

    The closing of Crozer-Chester Medical Center also put a burden on the area, with more medical emergencies to cover.

    Swarthmore stood up an ambulance service that can provide advanced life support in response to the closure, and it nearly doubled the number of calls the department responds to in a month, Booth said.

    The loss of Crozer’s ambulance service also means departments are being pulled further away to cover medical emergencies, causing a chain reaction where other departments are called to cover for them.

    Crozer’s new owner, Chariot Equities, said last week it hoped to reopen the hospital and resume emergency services in the county within two years.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • Philly snow cleanup: What to know about plowing, parking, schools, and more

    Philly snow cleanup: What to know about plowing, parking, schools, and more

    As Mayor Cherelle L. Parker put it earlier this week, we’re not out of the woods yet.

    The storm that hit Philadelphia Sunday brought with it 9.3 inches of snow for the city proper — the most we’ve seen at one time in a decade. And while that really sells the wintery vibe — especially when combined with the bitter cold we’re experiencing — cleanup efforts are ongoing.

    Highways and public transportation in the region are largely restored, but some city streets remain packed with snow and ice. City school buildings Wednesday were in their third day of snow-related closures. And we might even be looking at more snow to come.

    Here is what you need to know:

    Roads (mostly) cleared

    PennDot’s vehicle and speed restrictions have been lifted on all interstates and major highways across the Philadelphia region, as were those on state roads in New Jersey. But street plowing in the city remains a work in progress.

    Residents from around the city told The Inquirer many side streets and some secondary streets remained coated in several inches of snow and ice, making traveling on them difficult or impossible. Data from PlowPHL, a service that tracks plow movement, indicated Tuesday that roughly a quarter of city streets had not received any snow treatment since the storm.

    Parking enforcement resumes

    The Philadelphia Parking Authority reopened its offices Wednesday, and began on-street parking enforcement for safety violations including parking in bus zones and in front of fire hydrants. The 24-hour $5 emergency garage parking rate was also rescinded, with PPA garages returning to their usual rates, the authority said.

    Public transit resuming

    SEPTA on Monday restored all of its subway, trolley, and suburban trolley services, and as of Wednesday was running Regional Rail lines on their normal weekday schedules. Bus service, SEPTA notes online, is largely operational, though several routes remain suspended due to road conditions.

    Among the suspended buses Wednesday were routes 3, 5, 40, 41, and 115, according to the agency’s alerts page. The suspended routes, SEPTA indicated, would be restored “once it is safe to do so.”

    PATCO, meanwhile, returned to its normal weekday schedule Tuesday.

    Airport operational

    Philadelphia International Airport experienced hundreds of flight cancellations and delays due to the storm, but remained open despite the inclement weather, Parker said at a news conference this week.

    As of early Wednesday afternoon, the airport had experienced about 87 delays and 57 cancellations, according to flight data tracking website FlightAware. On Monday, the day after the storm, there were 326 delays and 290 cancelations, followed by 255 delays and 156 cancelations Tuesday, FlightAware indicated.

    Schools go virtual

    Philadelphia school buildings are slated to reopen Thursday after three straight days of being closed in the wake of the storm. A full snow day was declared Monday, followed by two days of virtual learning Tuesday and Wednesday.

    Archdiocesan high schools and city parochial schools will also go back to in-person classes Thursday.

    Students and staff who arrive late to class due to weather-related issued would not have their lateness counted against them, Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. said.

    This week’s disruption to the usual school schedule had begun taking its toll on some parents. Outside the city, many suburban districts had already reopened by Wednesday.

    More snow possible

    Post-storm, the Philadelphia region faces frigid temperatures that are expected to remain well below freezing until at least Feb. 4. Highs were expected to top out around the teens, and lows consistently in the single digits — along with wind chills reaching down into the negatives.

    And then, of course, there is the potential for more snow this weekend.

    Forecasters said Wednesday that it remained unclear exactly what we should expect, but a major coastal storm is likely to appear during the weekend. Early computer models indicated that the system would remain far offshore enough to spare the Philadelphia area from major snowfall, but accumulation predictions remain in flux.

  • Safety board releases initial findings in Bristol nursing home explosion that killed three people

    Safety board releases initial findings in Bristol nursing home explosion that killed three people

    Peco responded to the smell of gas at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center more than two hours before an explosion that killed three people and injured at least 20 others just days before Christmas. Yet in initial findings released Wednesday, federal investigators said the public utility company did not fully stop the gas flow to the facility until an hour and a half after the catastrophic blast.

    According to an investigative summary released by the National Transportation Safety Board, a maintenance director at the nursing home reported the odor coming from the basement boiler room around 11 a.m. A technician with Peco responded by 11:50 a.m. and identified the source — a leak in the gas meter valve.

    The technician called for backup to assist with the repair, and a meter services technician arrived about 1:20 p.m. The explosion occurred less than an hour later, at 2:15 p.m. A Peco emergency crew fully isolated the gas at 3:50 p.m., as first responders were pulling victims from the rubble.

    The NTSB’s initial findings provide the most concrete timeline yet of what happened in the lead-up to the Dec. 23 tragedy that rattled Lower Bucks County and raised questions about the actions of both the public utility company and the nursing home’s operator.

    Peco spokesperson Candice Womer said in a statement Wednesday that the company has begun reevaluating response protocols and prioritizing the movement of indoor gas meters to the outdoors, in an effort to meet “the highest standards of safety and reliability.”

    The initial findings do not fault or exonerate any parties in the blast, and NTSB officials said the investigation remains ongoing.

    Investigators work the scene at Bristol Health & Rehab Center the day after the explosion

    Carin O’Donnell, an attorney with Stark & Stark who is representing victims in a lawsuit, said the initial findings demonstrated that Peco gambled with everyone’s safety by not shutting off the flow of gas to the facility sooner.

    “Clearly, Peco knew there was a leak, and rather than terminate the gas, they sent their repairmen in while the gas line was still pressurized,” O’Donnell said. “It’s like sending them in with a lit cigarette and a match.”

    At least two separate lawsuits alleging negligence have been filed against Peco and Saber Healthcare Group, the Ohio-based nursing home operator that runs the facility.

    Residents and staff told The Inquirer they had detected a heavy gas odor inside the 174-bed facility early that morning, yet no building-wide evacuation order was given to residents.

    During interviews, NTSB officials heard from people in the facility that the smell could be detected from the basement up to the second floor of the building.

    The safety board did not address whether an evacuation should have been done. Investigators noted the Peco foreman and the meter services technician had “had less than 1 year of experience in their current roles.”

    Zachary Shamberg, chief of government affairs at Saber, cast the NTSB’s initial findings as exculpatory. He said in a statement that facility staff “acted promptly” while “Peco technicians unsuccessfully attempted to repair their gas line.”

    In the aftermath of the tragedy, Peco initially reported arriving at the facility around 2 p.m. and later changed the timeline to “hours” before the blast that occurred just after 2:15 p.m.

    First responders encountered chaos. People ran from the partially collapsed nursing home, many bleeding and injured. Police and firefighters helped others escape from the wreckage while contending with a second blast and fire that ignited after the initial explosion.

    Two people were pronounced dead in the aftermath of the blast: Muthoni Nduthu, 52, of Bristol, who worked at the facility as a nurse for over a decade, and a resident at the facility whom police identified as Ann Ready. Another resident, 66-year-old Patricia Merro, died two weeks later from her injuries.

    The sisters of Felistus Muthoni Nduthu-Ndegwa speak at her funeral at St. Ephrem Church in Bensalem. The 52-year-old nurse was killed in an explosion at Bristol Health and Rehab.

    The nursing home, previously known as Silver Lake, had been acquired by Saber Healthcare Group and renamed Bristol Health & Rehab Center three weeks before the explosion.

    Under the facility’s previous operator, the Cincinnati-based CommuniCare Health Services, the nursing home had been cited repeatedly for substandard care and facility management.

    Federal regulators gave the facility a one-star rating, and CommuniCare was fined more than $418,000 in 2024, records show, due to ongoing violations. Two months before the explosion, state inspectors cited the facility for lacking a fire safety plan, failing to maintain extinguishers, and having hallways and doors that could not contain smoke.

    A representative for Saber said last month the company had begun addressing those problems after taking over the facility in early December.

    After the blast, Peco tested the ground outside the nursing home and detected gas in the ground. The safety board said it continues to analyze physical evidence gathered from the scene and did not provide a timeline on delivering a final report.

  • A Montco woman who defrauded FEMA of $1.5 million in Hurricane Ida relief money was sentenced to 5 years in prison

    A Montco woman who defrauded FEMA of $1.5 million in Hurricane Ida relief money was sentenced to 5 years in prison

    A Montgomery County woman was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for defrauding the government of more than $1.5 million intended to aid victims of Hurricane Ida, the 2021 storm that tore through the region and left thousands of properties damaged and the Vine Street Expressway submerged in murky floodwaters.

    Jasmine Williams, 34, apologized for her conduct, saying in court that she was embarrassed by her actions and would never make similar mistakes again. In the years after her crimes, she said, she gave birth to a daughter, who is now 2, and she said becoming a mother has helped her see the errors of her past.

    “My past is who I was — and who I am today, I’m a different person,” Williams said.

    Still, U.S. District Judge Kelley B. Hodge said Williams made a series of decisions to benefit herself at the expense of others — calling it a “fleecing” of people who were truly in need of government help.

    “Everybody has struggles, everybody has to do something to survive. What you engaged in was driven by greed,” Hodge said. “You may say not 100%. But you got used to it. You liked it. You enjoyed it.”

    In addition to Williams’ prison term, Hodge imposed a four-year term of supervised release.

    Ida made landfall in Louisiana in August 2021 as a Category 4 hurricane, and went on to carve a destructive path over the Appalachians and through the Mid-Atlantic. Federal authorities believe it caused nearly 100 deaths and tens of billions of dollars in damage, and Philadelphia officials estimate that 11,000 properties in the city were damaged.

    The region was hit by tornadoes, significant downpours, power outages, and widespread flooding, including in parts of Center City and on Boathouse Row, Manayunk’s Main Street, and the Vine Street Expressway.

    Months after the storm subsided, then-President Joe Biden freed up funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to go toward storm relief. That’s when Williams began her scheme to target those funds, prosecutors said.

    On social media, prosecutors said, Williams posted that she could help people fill out applications for federal aid — even if they had suffered no harm from the storm.

    She helped people complete applications for properties they did not own or that were not damaged, prosecutors said, and drafted fake documents — including false emergency room bills and home repair estimates — to help their paperwork pass through FEMA’s screening process.

    In exchange, prosecutors said, she told applicants they had to pay her half of what they received. And in all, prosecutors said, she helped about 150 people file false registrations, causing FEMA to distribute about $1.5 million in fraudulent reimbursements. She pleaded guilty last year to more than two dozen charges, including wire fraud and mail fraud.

    “These individuals came to her for one reason: to obtain quick and free money,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Chandler Harris said in court.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth Mandelbaum said Williams used her illicit profits to pay for a series of extravagant expenses, including vacations to the Bahamas and Thailand, and luxury clothing and jewelry.

    “She wanted to live a lavish lifestyle and she did that on the backs of American taxpayers,” Mandelbaum said.

    Williams’ attorney, Summer McKeivier, acknowledged that Williams had taken advantage of a “get rich quick” scheme. But she said Williams was motivated not solely by greed, but also by a desire to provide financial security for herself and others.

    And she added that Williams, who had no previous criminal record, has now centered her life on being a mother her daughter can admire.

    Williams said: “Being a mother has changed my life in such a dramatic way.”

    Hodge encouraged Williams to continue moving past what she described as a “hustle mentality” and a desire to seek quick cash to fund a glamorous lifestyle.

    “This is not some version of a reality TV show on BET,” Hodge said. “This is real life.”

  • Evonn Wadkins, high school sports star at Simon Gratz and retired Philadelphia Mounted Police Officer, has died at 88

    Evonn Wadkins, high school sports star at Simon Gratz and retired Philadelphia Mounted Police Officer, has died at 88

    Evonn Wadkins, 88, formerly of Philadelphia, retired Philadelphia Mounted Police Officer, basketball and football star at Simon Gratz High School, builder, carpenter, plumber, bus driver, and volunteer, died Sunday, Jan. 11, of complications from a stroke at Bryn Mawr Extended Care Center.

    A gifted athlete with an innate desire to help others and be part of a team, Mr. Wadkins played basketball and football on Philadelphia playgrounds, in youth leagues and high school, and later with adults in semipro leagues and the Charles Baker Memorial Basketball League. He usually scored in double digits for the Gratz basketball team and went head-to-head against the legendary Sonny Hill and Wilt Chamberlain.

    He overcame a severe ankle injury when he was young and retired from the Baker League years later only after age and ailments forced him off the court. He was a “speedy end” on the football team at Gratz, the Daily Journal in Vineland said in 1955.

    His name appeared often in The Inquirer and other local newspapers in 1955 and ‘56, and they noted his 55-yard touchdown catch against Dobbins, 25-yard scoring reception against Vineland, and 44-yard scoring catch-and-run against Northeast in 1955.

    Mr. Wadkins (right) drives with the ball in this photo that was published in The Inquirer in 1956.

    Mr. Wadkins graduated from the Philadelphia Police Training Center in 1963 and spent 11 years patrolling Fairmount Park and elsewhere in the Traffic Division. He transferred to the Mounted Unit — and met Cracker Jack — in 1974, and officer and horse rode the Philly streets together until they both retired in 1988.

    “When he went on vacation, nobody could ride Cracker Jack,” said Mr. Wadkins’ wife, Elaine. “They could groom him. But Cracker Jack wouldn’t let anyone else ride him.”

    He also worked construction side jobs with neighbors and friends, and learned plumbing, heating, and carpentry skills. “Family and friends are still sleeping comfortably on his one-of-a-kind beds more than 40 years later,” his family said in a tribute.

    He drove a school bus for the School District of Philadelphia for 10 years in the 1980s and ’90s, and made friends with many of the students. He moved with his wife to Goochland, Va., 35 miles northwest of Richmond, in 1998.

    Mr. Wadkins and his wife, Elaine, married in 1959.

    He joined the Goochland chapter of the NAACP and volunteered at the Second Union Rosenwald School Museum. At the Second Union Baptist Church, he mentored boys and young men, and supervised the media ministry.

    He was serious about community service. “He never met a stranger,” his wife said.

    Evonn LeFrancis Wadkins was born June 4, 1937, in Philadelphia. He was the fifth of six children and earned his high school degree at night school after leaving Gratz early.

    He met Flora Elaine Poole at Gratz in 1954, and they married in 1959. They set up house in West Philadelphia a few years later and had daughters Evette and Elise, and a son, Evonn.

    This photo of Mr. Wadkins on his horse appeared in the Daily News in 1987.

    Mr. Wadkins, familiar with Fairmount Park from his time on police patrol, liked to share historical tidbits when the family drove through. He loved cars and traveled to Canada with his wife and to Germany with his brother to shop for several that caught his eye.

    He and his family traveled to Florida for a New Year’s party and to South Dakota to fly over Mount Rushmore. He and his wife cruised the Caribbean and toured the United States and Europe.

    He even flew with a friend to two Super Bowls. “He was a man on the go,” his family said.

    Mr. Wadkins liked McDonald’s pancakes and coached a few youth league basketball teams, one to a championship. When asked how he was doing, his usual response was: “Livin’ slow.”

    Mr. Wadkins enjoyed time with his family.

    His wife said: “He was a good provider. He was a great husband.”

    In addition to his wife and children, Mr. Wadkins is survived by five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, a brother, and other relatives. Two brothers and two sisters died earlier.

    Private services were held earlier.

    Donations in his name may be made to the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia, 3068 Belgrade St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19134; and the Second Union Rosenwald School Museum, 2843 Hadensville-Fife Rd., Goochland, Va.

  • ‘I killed my parents in their sleep:’ Bucks County man confesses to killing three family members

    ‘I killed my parents in their sleep:’ Bucks County man confesses to killing three family members

    Hours after authorities discovered three of his relatives dead in a Bucks County home, Kevin Castiglia confessed Monday to killing his parents in their sleep and then fatally stabbing his sister when she discovered their bodies, authorities said.

    Castiglia, 55, is charged with three counts of criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, and related crimes in the deaths of his father, Frederick, 90, his mother, Judith, 84, and his sister, Deborah, 53.

    Northampton Township police arrested him Monday after he barricaded himself inside his parents’ home on Heather Road for more than five hours with their bodies inside. He was armed with bloody knives as officers surrounded the house and attempted to persuade him to surrender, authorities said.

    After his arrest, Castiglia was taken to a local hospital, where, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest, he told a doctor, “I killed my parents in their sleep.” He also said he killed his sister “when she found them,” the affidavit said.

    Later at police headquarters, investigators said, Castiglia told officers he had stabbed all three relatives to death.

    Castiglia was being held without bail at the Bucks County Correctional Facility.

    Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan speaks at a press conference.

    At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Bucks County prosecutors declined to discuss a possible motive for the slayings. Deputy District Attorney Monica Furber, who is prosecuting the case, said investigators believe Castiglia killed his parents on Friday and his sister on Saturday.

    Deborah Castiglia was a longtime teacher in the Centennial School District. She joined the district in 1999, teaching math at Klinger Middle School, according to an email school officials sent to students, parents, staff, and community members. In 2018, she joined the teaching staff of William Tennent High School.

    She taught math students with “dedication, care, and compassion,” Superintendent Abram Lucabaugh wrote in the email. “Her loss is profoundly felt across our school community.”

    The district is offering counseling and support services for students and staff, Lucabaugh added.

    Castiglia’s parents, who had lived in the two-story redbrick home since 1970 and shared it with their son, had recently celebrated a wedding anniversary, Furber said.

    Police were called to the home after Deborah Castiglia’s boyfriend reported that Kevin Castiglia had threatened him when he went to the house looking for her, authorities said. He grew concerned after he saw her vehicle parked in the driveway, but could find no footprints in the snow, District Attorney Joe Khan said at Wednesday’s news conference.

    When officers arrived, Castiglia greeted them at the front door holding two knives, authorities said.

    They used a Taser to try to subdue him — to no avail, according to the affidavit: He pulled the probes from his body and retreated into the house.

    Bucks County Detectives and Police are at the Northampton Township home where three people died.

    Authorities established a perimeter around the home as negotiators worked to bring the situation to a peaceful end. During the standoff, officers repeatedly attempted to communicate with Castiglia, urging him to come out of the house, police said. But he would not engage, the affidavit said.

    A tactical team eventually broke into the house through the front door, as snipers positioned themselves in a nearby house to give on-the-ground officers cover.

    “I had no idea what was happening,” said neighbor Erica Titlow, 35. Snipers used the second story of her home during the standoff, she said, calling them “polite” and “grateful.”

    The standoff ended when officers took Castiglia into custody, authorities said. No officers were injured.

    Police found Deborah Castiglia’s body in the kitchen. The bodies of Frederick and Judith Castiglia were discovered in their bedroom, according to the affidavit, not in the basement as police previously reported.

    Furber said one weapon used in the killings was recovered inside the house. Investigators “don’t believe there was any kind of struggle” during the attacks, she said.

    Khan praised law enforcement’s efforts to take Castiglia into custody. “Bringing him in alive, despite being faced with an armed and eventually barricaded individual, is truly remarkable,” he said.

    Staff writer Jesse Bunch contributed to this article.

  • Immigration activists stage protests at Philly Target stores, demand the company reject ICE

    Immigration activists stage protests at Philly Target stores, demand the company reject ICE

    Activists with No ICE Philly demonstrated at Target stores in the city on Tuesday evening, attempting to slow business operations at a company that they say wrongly cooperates with federal immigration enforcement.

    Stores in South Philadelphia, Rittenhouse, Fairmount, Port Richmond and on Washington Avenue and City Avenue were among those targeted, the group said.

    Advocates say the retailer has failed to speak out against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to safeguard employees and customers, and has allowed the agency to set up operations in its parking lots.

    More than 40 people rallied on a frozen, 19-degree night outside the Target at Broad Street and Washington Avenue, holding signs that showed solidarity with Minneapolis residents who have resisted ICE in their community.

    “From MPLS to PHL, keep ICE out,” read one sign.

    Demonstrators gathered outside of the Target at Broad and Washington on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

    Inside, some masked customers bought ice trays and single bottles of table salt. As soon as they paid for the items at the checkout counters, they headed to the “Returns” area to seek refunds.

    Items were quickly restocked on store shelves by staff, only to be purchased and returned again.

    Demonstrators visited at least seven stores, according to the Rev. Jay Bergen, a leader of No ICE Philly and pastor at the Germantown Mennonite Church.

    “Our actions are in solidarity with people across the country responding to the call from Minneapolis communities to pressure Target,” Bergen said Wednesday.

    Company spokespeople did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the protests in Philadelphia. Target, founded in 1962, operates 1,989 stores across the United States and has a net revenue of more than $100 billion a year.

    At Broad and Washington on Tuesday, members of No ICE Philly handed out pocket-sized fliers that described their goals as they urged shoppers to go elsewhere. Some people turned away after talking to demonstrators. Others who went inside were met with boos.

    “Find another store!” the protesters shouted, as a police officer looked on.

    Elijah Wald, 66, said the Washington Avenue location was his neighborhood Target.

    “Our main hope is that businesses will understand that they need to protect their employees, that they need to not collaborate with a government that right now is targeting everybody,” he said.

    Wald, whose mother was a Jewish refugee who fled Nazi Austria, said he has always felt positive about immigration, that the United States was built of “people who are used to moving to find work, moving to find cheaper housing.”

    But the discourse over ICE operations in major cities has gone beyond undocumented people, said Wald.

    “They’re shooting U.S. citizens now,” he said.

    Demonstrators gathered outside of the Target at Broad and Washington Streets on Tuesday.

    At the Target at Snyder Plaza, about 20 demonstrators encouraged people to do their shopping elsewhere.

    “Protest with your wallet; Acme is right there,” a protester said through a sound system.

    Celine Bossart, 34, said boycotts are an effective way to denounce ICE actions.

    “As citizens, our power is limited, but a big part of the power that we do have is where we choose to spend our money,” she said, “and at the end of the day, corporations aren’t necessarily going to listen until it hits their bottom line.”

    A man in a Flyers jersey stopped to heckle the demonstrators, who responded with words of their own. Bossart said the protest did not aim to make anyone’s day difficult.

    “Our neighbors are people who work at Target, people who work at Acme; these are the neighbors who we’re trying to protect,” she said. “So we’re just trying to send a message to upper, upper management.”

    Last week, demonstrators held a sit-in at a store in Minneapolis, where the company is headquartered, chanting, “Something ’bout this isn’t right ― why does Target work for ICE?”

    At other Minnesota stores, demonstrators formed long lines to buy bags of winter ice melt, then immediately got back in line to return them, slowing the checkout process.

    No ICE Philly, which has led demonstrations against the agency, and against the arrests of immigrants outside the city Criminal Justice Center, said Target must:

    • Publicly call for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to leave Minnesota.
    • Post signs in its stores that deny entrance to immigration agents, absent a signed judicial warrant.
    • Train store staff on how to respond if agents arrive.
    • Publicly call for Congress to end ICE funding.

    Chief executives of Target and more than 60 large Minnesota companies issued a public letter on Sunday calling for an “immediate de-escalation of tensions.” It marked the first time, The New York Times reported, that the most recognizable businesses in the state weighed in on the turmoil in Minneapolis.

    Critics said the letter offered too little, too late, coming after two local U.S. citizens were shot to death by federal agents.

  • Grammar nerds and language lovers gather for a sold-out documentary at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute

    Grammar nerds and language lovers gather for a sold-out documentary at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute

    Despite frigid temperatures and the specter of the Philly area’s largest snowstorm in years, hundreds of language lovers and grammar nerds gathered in Bryn Mawr on Saturday for a screening of Rebel with a Clause, the hottest “road trip, grammar docu-comedy” on the indie movie circuit.

    Rebel with a Clause follows language expert Ellen Jovin as she takes her makeshift “Grammar Table” on a journey across the United States, from Bozeman, Mont., to New York City (and everywhere in between). From behind the table, Jovin asks strangers to divulge their questions, comments, and concerns about the English language, from when it’s best to use a semicolon to how to properly punctuate “y’all.” What starts as an amusing grammar refresher turns into a moving text on Americans’ shared humanity, even in polarizing times.

    Ellen Jovin, subject of “Rebel with a Clause,” signs books at a screening at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute on Jan. 24, 2026.

    Jovin, the movie’s star, has written four books on writing and grammar, including Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian, a reflection on her cross-country tour. The movie was directed and produced by Brandt Johnson, a writer and filmmaker who also happens to be Jovin’s husband.

    Jovin and Johnson, who are based in New York, are on a second cross-country tour as the Rebel with a Clause movie graces audiences. The Bryn Mawr screening marked the film’s first public showing in the Philly area.

    As he handed out optional grammar quizzes and grammar-themed chocolates in the Bryn Mawr Film Institute’s foyer, Johnson said the response to the movie has been “extraordinary.”

    “Ellen’s Grammar Table that she started in 2018 was about grammar, for sure, but it turned out to be as much about human connection,” Johnson said.

    “Just as a life experience, oh my gosh,” he added. “It’s been something that I certainly didn’t anticipate.”

    “Rebel with a Clause” producer Brandt Johnson hands out grammar-themed chocolates to moviegoers at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute on Jan. 24, 2026.

    Before the screening, attendees waited for their turn at the table, where Jovin was signing books and answering pressing questions about commas and ellipses.

    Mary Alice Cullinan, 76, said she and her friends are fascinated by grammar and how it seems to be losing ground among younger generations.

    Cullinan, who lives in Blue Bell, spent her career working in the restaurant industry but always read and wrote on the side.

    “I read to live,” she added.

    The Bryn Mawr Film Institute was packed with retired teachers, avid writers, and grammar aficionados who came armed with gripes about commas, parentheses, and quotation marks. At five minutes to showtime, an employee plastered a “SOLD OUT!” sign on the box office window.

    A sign announcing that the Bryn Mawr Film Institute’s screening of “Rebel with a Clause” was sold out. The grammar-themed documentary played at the Main Line movie theater on Jan. 24, 2026.

    Jen Tolnay, 63, a copy editor from Phoenixville, heard about the movie at an editors’ conference. She was so excited that she moved a haircut appointment to be there.

    The 86-minute film provoked regular laughter in the audience (and a line about Philadelphians’ pronunciation of the wet substance that comes out of the sink got a particularly hearty laugh).

    During a post-screening question-and-answer session, moviegoers complained about the poor grammar of sportscasters, praised Jovin and Johnson, and inquired about the colorful interactions Jovin had at the Grammar Table.

    For Katie McGlade, 69, grammar is an art form.

    The retired communications professional from Ardmore described herself as a habitual grammar corrector who would often fight with her editors about proper language usage. Now, as an artist, she makes colorful prints that center the adverb.

    “I love that’s she’s bringing joy to the word,” McGlade said of Jovin. ”We need joy and laughter, and we need to communicate with each other.”

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • New grocery stores are coming your way | Inquirer Chester County

    New grocery stores are coming your way | Inquirer Chester County

    Hi, Chester County! 👋

    A handful of new grocery stores are in the works, including a pair of brick-and-mortar co-ops. Also this week, a developer is hopeful that remediation of a contaminated Kennett Square site can make way for housing, plus, a new report reveals why so many voters were left off the poll books in November.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Chester County is getting several new grocery stores this year

    Sprouts is looking to expand to Phoenixville.

    Chester County residents are getting more grocery store options thanks to three independent shops.

    West Chester Cooperative is working on a brick-and-mortar for its members and the public. Another co-op, the Kennett Community Grocer, is targeting a spring opening for its storefront, which will sell local produce, dairy, meats, and eggs, and will have a cafe.

    Kimberton Whole Foods is also adding to its footprint, with a new store — and its largest — slated to open at Eagleview Town Center in the coming months.

    Two other national chains are eyeing spots in Phoenixville, with one already under construction.

    Read more about the county’s growing grocery options.

    Can a contaminated former industrial site in Kennett Square be cleaned and make way for housing?

    A developer wants to transform the former National Vulcanized Fiber site in Kennett Square into housing.

    A developer wants to transform one of Kennett Square’s largest untouched parcels into housing, but the process would be years in the making and has some residents concerned.

    Rockhopper LLC purchased the 22-acre lot at 400 W. Mulberry St. in 2009, two years after National Vulcanized Fiber shut down. It had operated there for more than a century and the site now requires extensive remediation, government agency approvals, and rezoning.

    Some borough residents are concerned about the safety of building houses there given the contaminants.

    The Inquirer’s Brooke Schultz delves into those concerns and where Rockhopper is in the process.

    📍 Countywide News

    • The region saw its largest snowstorm in a decade over the weekend, and Chester County recorded some of the highest totals in our area, with several municipalities reporting over 10 inches of snow. East Nantmeal saw 12.8 inches, followed by Malvern (12.5), Paoli (11.2), East Coventry (10.5), and Phoenixville (10.4). Freezing temperatures are expected to remain this week, meaning the snow and ice aren’t going anywhere. Check out a map of where got the most snowfall.
    • Due to the storm, a number of municipalities have altered trash pickup schedules. See how yours is impacted here.
    • The county now has an answer as to why over 75,000 independent and unaffiliated voters were left off the poll books in the November election. An independent report found that human error was to blame, and that issues were made worse by insufficient training, poor oversight, and staffing challenges. The county plans to implement many of the more than a dozen recommendations made in the report, along with several additional steps.
    • The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is hosting a pair of public meetings tomorrow about proposed water and wastewater rate changes impacting county residents. The hearings come about two months after the PUC voted unanimously to suspend and investigate Pennsylvania American Water Company’s proposed rate hike on water and wastewater services, which would have increased a typical water customer’s bill anywhere from $2.73 per month to $27.77 and potentially increased fees for the typical wastewater customer. The public input hearings will take place at Coatesville City Hall at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.

    💡 Community News

    • A developer of a proposed data center along Swedesford Road in East Whiteland Township will come before the Planning Commission tonight to present changes to the plan, which calls for a more than 1.6-million-square-foot center, up from the previous 1 million square feet proposed. The developer, Charles Lyddane, has been working to build a data center in that area for several years. The commission is scheduled to meet from 7 to 9 p.m. at the township building. The meeting will also be live streamed. Find details here.
    • Caln Township is hosting a conditional use hearing tomorrow night for Sheetz to demolish the former Rite Aid at 3807 E. Lincoln Highway and redevelop the lot into a 6,139-square-foot convenience store with a drive-through window, six gas pumps, and 43 parking spaces. The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the municipal building. The first Sheetz in the Philadelphia area is slated to open next month in Montgomery County.
    • Heads up for drivers: Work to reconstruct and widen four miles of the Pennsylvania Turnpike between the Route 29 interchange in East Whiteland Township and the Valley Forge Service Plaza in Tredyffrin Township was slated to get underway this month. Plans call for widening the road from four to six lanes and replacing mainline bridges. Construction is expected to take five years. And Dutton Mill Road between Strasburg and Manley Roads in East Goshen Township will continue to be closed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Friday for Peco work.
    • A Lincoln University woman, Fatima DeMaria, 65, has been charged with multiple counts of asylum fraud, mail fraud, and tax evasion for allegedly falsely representing herself as an immigration attorney who could help people obtain work authorizations in the U.S. DeMaria owned Immigration Matters Legal Services in Oxford and is accused of preparing fraudulent asylum forms in her clients’ names from 2021 to 2024, charging them between $6,000 and $9,000 per individual, and $12,000 to $15,000 per couple, totaling at least $1 million.
    • Easttown Township has been awarded nearly $1 million from the state’s Multimodal Transportation Fund for new sidewalks, ADA-compliant ramps, and crosswalks around Beaumont Elementary School and Hilltop Park.
    • Kennett Square-based Genesis HealthCare and its subsidiaries were officially sold last week to investment group 101 West State Street for $996 million. Once one of the largest skilled nursing providers in the U.S., Genesis filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July. Genesis says it operates nearly 200 nursing centers and senior living communities in 17 states, including Highgate at Paoli Pointe in Paoli. (McKnights)
    • The founder of independent natural beauty store The Indie Shelf, which has locations in Malvern and Philadelphia, is helping drive the region’s clean beauty movement. Sabeen Zia came up with the storefront concept after struggling to gain traction for her makeup brand and is now using her business to showcase and support small local brands with similar missions.

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    • In case you missed it, Great Valley School District is being investigated by the Trump administration over its policies allowing transgender girls to compete on girls’ sports teams. President Trump last year threatened to strip federal funding from schools that recognize transgender students. The district said last week that it’s cooperating with the investigation and working to prepare a response.
    • Tredyffrin/Easttown School District’s Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee is meeting next Wednesday to review the district’s prior redistricting process and establish criteria for selecting the Redistricting Steering Committee members. The meeting comes in advance of the opening of Bear Hill Elementary School, which is slated for August 2027. The committee has also been reviewing parameters for new attendance boundaries across all six elementary schools.
    • In other news, TESD’s school board recently selected Henry Zink to fill a vacancy on the board during a special meeting earlier this month.
    • Oxford Area School District’s Advisory Council is hosting a guidance plan meeting to begin shaping goals for each school from 2026 through 2029. The meeting will be held next Wednesday at the district administration building from 8:30 to 10 a.m.
    • Due to Monday’s snow day, Coatesville Area School District has planned a make-up day for April 6, which was slated to be the last day of spring recess.

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • A new pizza joint opened yesterday in Phoenixville, taking over the former New Haven Deli space at 1442 Charlestown Rd. Matthew’s Pizza’s menu includes pizzas, hoagies, cheesesteaks, burgers, and wraps.
    • Bored Trading Cafe is hosting a grand opening for its West Chester location on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Located at 139 W. Gay St., the cafe will serve coffee and other specialty drinks, baked goods, burgers, salads, and all-day breakfast.
    • And in Coatesville, Andrea’s Jazz Cafe is gearing up to open on Feb. 17. Andrea’s will offer live music and other entertainment, in addition to dining.

    🎳 Things to Do

    ❄️ Frozen: There’s hardly a more appropriate movie to watch this week than the beloved animated Disney film. ⏰ Friday, Jan. 30, 6-8 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 The Creamery, Kennett Square

    🎥 The Princess Bride: For those looking to catch a cult classic, the 1987 film will be screened seven times over the weekend. ⏰ Friday, Jan. 30-Sunday, Feb. 1, times vary 💵 $10-$15 📍 The Colonial Theatre, Phoenixville

    🍷 Wine and Chocolate Tasting: Taste five wines paired with chocolates during this guided one-hour event. There are additional tastings on Saturdays and Sundays in February. ⏰ Sunday, Feb. 1, noon-5 p.m. 💵 $40 📍 Chaddsford Winery

    🏡 On the Market

    A four-bedroom Colonial in Devon

    The home has a covered porch and a patio with a pergola.

    This four-bedroom, two-and-half-bathroom Devon Colonial’s recent updates include a new roof, fresh paint, and refinished hardwood floors. The first floor features a living room with a wood-burning fireplace, a dining room, also with a fireplace, a kitchen with granite countertops and high-end appliances, and a family room with a gas fireplace. All four bedrooms, including the primary suite, are on the second floor. Other features include a large patio with a pergola. There’s an open house Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $1.389M | Size: 2,543 SF | Acreage: 0.69

    📈 Chester County market report

    • Median listing price: $561,400 (down $8,600 from November) 📉
    • Median sold price: $555,000 (up $27,500 from November) 📈
    • Median days on the market: 61 (up 16 days from November) 📈

    This Chester County market report is published on a monthly basis. Above is data for December from realtor.com.

    🗞️ What other Chester County residents are reading this week:

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • Bucks County parents of deaf and blind infants are worried about losing a ‘lifeline’ as early intervention contract ends

    Bucks County parents of deaf and blind infants are worried about losing a ‘lifeline’ as early intervention contract ends

    Julia Hess was on the precipice of discovering the extent of the hearing loss in her 9-month-old daughter Jasmine’s right ear, when she learned that crucial support services for her baby and other visually or hearing impaired children in Bucks County would be cut off next week.

    Jasmine, affectionately known as Jazzy, is a smiley infant who has maintained a “sweet and sassy” personality even as she’s been diagnosed with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, a developmental disorder, and undergone three surgeries.

    “We can see it in her face in the way that she continues to try even when her body is exhausted and her muscles won’t move anymore,” said Hess, 29, a mental health therapist.

    Jazzy has been receiving early intervention services since she was 2 months old from the Bucks County Intermediate Unit, a county-level education agency, including hearing and communication services due to hearing loss in both ears and other developmental delays. Once a week, an instructor travels to Hess’ home and teaches Jazzy how to communicate with the world around her.

    The 9-month-old has made significant progress, but could face setbacks starting this Saturday when the Bucks County IU will cease services for hearing and visually impaired babies and toddlers ages 0-2, citing funding and staffing challenges. And it’s unclear where parents will find services next.

    “It’s really scary to feel like we are kind of just wandering in the dark,” Hess said.

    In Pennsylvania, children with developmental delays and disabilities are eligible to receive services through a state-backed early intervention system — a right grounded in federal special education law.

    But officials with the Bucks IU say they’ve been losing money on the program for hearing and visually impaired infants and toddlers, which currently serves 49 kids. While the state reimburses the county for early intervention services, it doesn’t cover “indirect” service time, officials said. That means the IU can’t bill for the time incurred by therapists driving between appointments, documenting services, and preparing a child’s program.

    Last year, the gap between what the state reimbursed and what the IU paid to deliver the services was $200,000, officials said.

    At the same time, the demand for services for older children also served by the intermediate unit — both preschool and school-age — has been growing, officials said. And with shortages of special education teachers plaguing school districts statewide, ending services for babies and infants allows the unit to redirect its limited supply of teachers for the deaf and visually impaired to serving older children — a group the IU has primary responsibility for serving.

    “I think what we’re experiencing is what happens when you have a severe shortage, a growing number of kids that need the support, and antiquated models of funding that haven’t kept up,” the intermediate unit’s executive director, Mark Hoffman, said Jan. 20 at a meeting of the unit’s board, which is made up of school board members from districts across Bucks County.

    A Pennsylvania Department of Human Services spokesperson said Monday that provider rates would soon be increased as the result of a $10 million boost in this year’s state budget.

    Revised rates “are still being finalized based on this increase and are expected in the coming weeks,” and will be retroactive to July, said the spokesperson, Brandon Cwalina, who said the change would also allow the state to access more federal money.

    It was unclear whether the increase would change the situation in Bucks County. Officials with the IU said Tuesday they hadn’t been informed of any funding increases.

    Families dependent on services from the intermediate unit are unsure what will happen once the contract expires Saturday.

    “They’ve been a lifeline to us … We haven’t had anybody in our family with this,” said Ali Tirendi, 32, of Warrington, noting that service providers not only help kids, but also educate parents, too.

    Nine-month-old Jasmine receives early intervention services, that are set to be disrupted, from the Bucks County IU.

    Grappling with staffing and funding shortages

    Just 24 days before these crucial services were set to be disrupted, families received correspondence from the Bucks County Department of Behavioral Health/Developmental Programs notifying them that “your current hearing/vision support provider may no longer be available,” according to a Jan. 7 letter from Patricia Erario, county early intervention director, reviewed by The Inquirer.

    One of those providers is BARC Developmental Services, a nonprofit agency that provides services to individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism, and uses teachers from the Bucks intermediate unit to carry out its services.

    Mary Sautter, executive director of BARC, said the Bucks IU informed BARC on Dec. 8 that they would be terminating their contract with the developmental services agency, ending a partnership that’s existed for decades. She said stakeholders are planning to have a meeting this week to discuss next steps.

    “Our hope is that we can find a resolution that minimizes disruption to these vital services so that children can continue to thrive,” said Sautter, adding that BARC is also dealing with staff shortages making it difficult to use their own personnel as providers.

    They have one contractor that services 14 kids, but Sautter said they’re looking to expand the contractor’s caseload.

    “It’s a very unfortunate situation,” Sautter said.

    Erario said that the department would work with agencies to find solutions for families, including virtual options, changing the date or time, or finding an alternative provider if necessary.

    Bucks County spokesperson Jim O’Malley said the county “will be working with our partners in the community to restore access to those affected.”

    Given staffing shortages, Jill Waldbieser, a Neshaminy school board member who serves on the intermediate unit’s board, said she was extremely skeptical the county would find replacement teachers.

    “There’s absolutely no way they’re going to find providers,” said Waldbieser, whose 11-year-old son is deaf.

    Waldbieser’s son went without an interpreter for a year in violation of his individualized education plan.

    “Even if it’s a day or week” that children go without services, “you can never get that time back,” said Waldbieser, who has been pressing officials for a solution.

    Early intervention is valuable for families, and a gap in services could be detrimental, said Casey James, 35, of Warminster, whose 19-month-old has a hearing impairment.

    “What families like mine are concerned about are service gaps, delays, being forced into a fragmented system with multiple providers,” James said.

    Ashley Dats said it “took us as a shock” to learn services for her 21-month-old daughter, who has severe hearing loss, would soon be interrupted.

    “We’re worried,” said Dats, who lives in Doylestown. Her daughter gets a weekly hourlong session with a teacher of the deaf, who works to help her understand spoken language — narrating actions during play, and encouraging her to mimic words — and catch up to her normal-hearing peers.

    Even if a new provider is identified, Dats doesn’t know when that will be, or how her daughter will fare with the change. It took two months for her daughter to reengage after a previous switch in teachers, she said.

    “There are milestones we’re looking to hit, to show us her brain is processing and understanding” words, said Dats, who worried about losing momentum as a result of the service interruption.

    “We don’t want them to get left behind because of funding issues.”