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  • Philly porch pirates are particularly active in December. How to keep your packages safe.

    Philly porch pirates are particularly active in December. How to keep your packages safe.

    As boxes of holiday gifts pile up on your stoop, beware: Porch pirates continue to strike in Philadelphia.

    Reports of package theft from January through November of this year are up 6% compared to last year, according to The Inquirer’s analysis of Philadelphia Police Department data.

    And if the past two years are any indication, porch pirates will be particularly active this month.

    In neighborhoods across the city, residents have shared their frustration over repeated thefts. Katie Byrne said she’s had more a dozen packages swiped from out front of her Fishtown home. Often, she said, “before I even get the notification it got delivered.” This year, she said she and a neighbor have teamed up to grab each other’s packages when the other isn’t home.

    As porch pirates swipe holiday gifts, some Philadelphians say ‘FedEx could do better’

    Porch pirates strike in the suburbs, too. Exasperated consumers have vented about package thefts to their neighborhood Facebook groups in Brookhaven, Cheltenham, Conshohocken, Croydon, Lower Merion, Levittown, Media, West Chester, Quakertown, and even down the Shore.

    Last holiday season in Newtown Square, Katy Retzbach said $150 in Christmas gifts were stolen from under her family’s mailbox in broad daylight.

    Nationwide, at least 58 million packages were stolen last year, amounting to $16 billion in financial losses, according to a recent report from the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General. Most stolen packages are between $50 and $200 in value.

    What Philly’s package theft data shows

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    It’s difficult to determine how many package thefts will occur in Philadelphia before the year’s end, as reports of the crime spike each December. And some of these incidents go unreported to the police.

    In 2023 and 2024, package-theft reports in December accounted for nearly 14% of the annual total on average, according to the analysis of police data.

    If 2025 were to follow that pattern, Philadelphia would log around 450 reported package thefts this month — slightly more than last year but less than 2023 — and would end the year with a total of 3,300 reports, more than the city recorded each of the past two years.

    The total number of reported package thefts declined by 1.2% between 2023 and 2024, according to the analysis. However, the number of thefts reported in December increased over the same period.

    How to protect against porch piracy

    Some people find or erect secure places to have their packages delivered. A metal cage for packages is shown here in this 2019 file photo.

    There’s no surefire way to prevent porch piracy.

    But police departments and carriers like USPS, FedEx, and UPS provide the following tips to reduce your chances of falling victim — or to get your money back if your package is stolen:

    • Leave drop-off instructions: Log into your online account with the package carrier and ask that they leave deliveries in a less visible location, such as behind a planter, in a shed, or at a side door. Or ask that they require a signature for drop-off. This requires that delivery people read the instructions, which some Philadelphians have found is not always the case.
    • Redirect the delivery: You can also go online and redirect deliveries to locations such as your office, the home of a friend who doesn’t experience package theft, or a secure physical mailbox, such as a FedEx, UPS, or Amazon Locker pickup location. If you aren’t going to be home for a day, you can also request a hold on packages until you return, or have a neighbor or friend pick them up.
    • Use security cameras: Cameras can alert you that someone is outside and allow you to grab a package immediately if you’re at home. If a delivery is stolen, the footage can help police find the porch pirate. (If they’re charged and convicted in New Jersey, they could even go to prison.)
    • Report theft: After confirming that the package was in fact delivered, file a police report. Then, contact the seller, shipping company, and, if all else fails, your credit card company to see if they cover package theft.
  • N.J. Gov. Murphy declares emergency to ease propane delivery woes caused by Delco facility disruption

    N.J. Gov. Murphy declares emergency to ease propane delivery woes caused by Delco facility disruption

    With the region in the grips of bitter cold, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday declared a state of emergency due to “anticipated impacts on the delivery of propane” for homes and businesses because of a service disruption at a Delaware County distribution facility.

    The declaration allows operators of commercial vehicles transporting propane to drive for 14 hours instead of the normal limit of 11 hours before taking the mandatory 10 hours of off-duty after a shift.

    “I am declaring a State of Emergency to ensure that the approximately 186,000 New Jerseyans who rely on propane for home heating purposes can receive it without interruption. This Executive Order expands delivery capabilities to keep homes heated and families secure,” Murphy said in a statement.

    The declaration, which takes effect 9 a.m. Friday, will remain in effect until Murphy determines that the emergency no longer exists, according to the governor’s executive order containing the declaration.

    The rules for commercial truck driving are governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, but a federal waiver is available during a declared state of emergency, according to the executive order.

    The National Propane Gas Association said on its website that an electric transformer at the Marcus Hook Terminal on Nov. 19 “suffered an incident which disabled the propane truck-loading rack for three days, and created lingering problems at the terminal.”

    Energy Transfer Partners, which operates the terminal, has been unable to pump propane from its storage cavern, the association said.

    “Wait times at the terminal have been increasing, and given that the terminal is loading directly from the pipeline, the time to load is taking longer than normal,” the association said, adding later that the timing for repairs is uncertain.

    A representative for Energy Transfer could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.

  • Kilmar Abrego Garcia is freed from immigrant detention center in Pennsylvania after judge’s order

    Kilmar Abrego Garcia is freed from immigrant detention center in Pennsylvania after judge’s order

    Kilmar Abrego Garcia was freed from an immigration detention center in Pennsylvania on Thursday evening following a federal judge’s order earlier in the day that compelled his release, marking a significant development in a case that has served as a test of the deportation powers of President Donald Trump’s administration.

    An attorney for Abrego Garcia confirmed his client’s release, telling the Associated Press that he left the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, where he had been held since late September, just before 5 p.m. Abrego Garcia, whose case gained international attention earlier this year after he was deported to the notorious CECOT prison in his native El Salvador before being ordered returned, will return to Maryland.

    “The government still has plenty of tools in their toolbox, plenty of tricks up their sleeve,” attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg said. “We’re going to be there to fight to make sure there is a fair trial.”

    Abrego Garcia’s release came after Maryland U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had detained him with no legal basis. In an order issued Thursday morning, Xinis ordered ICE to release him immediately.

    “Since Abrego Garcia’s return from wrongful detention in El Salvador, he has been re-detained, again without lawful authority,” the judge wrote. “For this reason, the Court will GRANT Abrego Garcia’s Petition for immediate release from ICE custody.”

    The Department of Homeland Security was highly critical of the release order, calling it “naked judicial activism” by a judge who was appointed by President Barack Obama, a Democrat.

    “This order lacks any valid legal basis, and we will continue to fight this tooth and nail in the courts,” said Tricia McLaughlin, the department’s assistant secretary.

    Abrego Garcia entered the United States without permission at age 16, then settled in Maryland, and later married and started a family. An immigration judge ruled in 2019 that he could be deported, but not to El Salvador, where he faced threats of gang violence. The Trump administration, which claimed Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang, nonetheless deported him to that country in March, and his wife successfully sued to bring him back.

    His case went on to become a rallying point for those who oppose Trump’s immigration crackdown. Upon his return, he was charged with human trafficking — an allegation his lawyers called preposterous and vindictive. Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty in that case and filed a motion to dismiss the charges.

    Though Abrego Garcia cannot legally be deported to El Salvador, ICE has sought to deport him to several African countries, including Eswatini, Ghana, and Uganda. In her order, Xinis wrote that “none of these countries were ever viable options” and noted that Costa Rica — where Abrego Garcia indicated he would prefer to be deported should he be removed — never rescinded an offer to accept him, as officials previously alleged.

    “But Costa Rica had never wavered in its commitment to receive Abrego Garcia, just as Abrego Garcia never wavered in his commitment to resettle there,” Xinis wrote.

    A transfer to Pennsylvania

    After being held at a detention center in Virginia following his return to the United States in June, Abrego Garcia was transferred to Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Western Pennsylvania. Known as Moshannon, the facility is run by the Florida-based private prisons giant GEO Group.

    In a recent Inquirer report, current and former detainees described grim and crowded conditions at the facility, with 75 men sleeping together in a pod, sharing six toilets and three showers among them. The facility is the largest detention center in the northeastern United States, capable of holding nearly 1,900 prisoners, The Inquirer previously reported.

    ICE officials said at the time of Abrego Garcia’s transfer that his detention to Moshannon would allow his lawyers easier access to their client. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys, however, raised concerns about the conditions at the facility, saying there had been reports of “assaults, inadequate medical care, and insufficient food” there.

    In a separate immigration court action filed in August, Abrego Garcia petitioned to reopen his immigration case to seek asylum in the United States. That case remains ongoing.

    In her order releasing Abrego Garcia, Xinis wrote that federal authorities “did not just stonewall” the court: “They affirmatively misled the tribunal.” Xinis also dismissed the federal government’s arguments that the court did not have jurisdiction to rule on a final order of removal, noting that such an order had not been filed.

    “Thus, Abrego Garcia’s request for immediate release cannot touch upon the execution of a removal order if no such order exists,” she wrote.

    Staff writers Jeff Gammage and Max Marin contributed to this article, which contains information from the Associated Press.

  • Coatesville district is closing 2 elementary schools, opening a new one, and realigning boundaries

    Coatesville district is closing 2 elementary schools, opening a new one, and realigning boundaries

    The Coatesville Area School District will soon see a swath of changes as it prepares to shutter two elementary schools at the end of the school year, open a new one, and realign its attendance boundaries to ensure equity amid the transition.

    The new map, approved by the school board Tuesday, splits the district into four geographic regions, intended to keep communities together while maintaining ethnic and socio-economic balance, according to the district’s presentation.

    “We’re proud of our diverse population that we have in Coatesville, so we were looking to sustain that in each of our elementary schools as well,” the district’s superintendent, Anthony P. Rybarczyk, said in an interview Thursday.

    The update, slated to take effect next school year, comes as the district has been rolling out a new facilities plan over the last several years, while its enrollment has declined and its budget has been squeezed by charter schools. When students leave Caln and East Fallowfield elementary schools for the summer, the two nearly century-old schools will close permanently. The schools, which both serve kindergarten through fifth grades, enroll roughly 730 students between them.

    Under the new attendance zones, families in the Indian Run Village are being reassigned to Kings Highway Elementary School. Families in the area of Millview Park will be reassigned to Kings Highway, rather than split among three of the district’s elementary schools. The community divided by Barley Sheaf Road will now attend Reeceville Elementary. The district began communicating the changes Wednesday.

    “Geographically, it made sense,” Rybarczyk said during the school board meeting. “We met with transportation as well, they were very promising in how they said this could save time on their runs and avoid the crossovers between going from one community to the next.”

    The middle school feeder pattern will be split into two sections, with Kings Highway and Reeceville matriculating to North Brandywine Middle School. Rainbow Elementary School and the new Doe Run — which will open in August on the former South Brandywine Middle School site — will feed to Scott Middle School.

    Fourth graders at elementary schools will be “grandfathered in” to complete their fifth-grade year at the elementary school they’ve been in, even if its enrollment is set to shift. The district plans to ask parents to provide transportation for those students next year, Rybarczyk said.

    As the district winds down two of its schools, it will celebrate their history over the summer, with legacy walks and celebrations.

    “The great thing about Coatesville is the children are in the schools where their parents went,” he said.

    The district will keep the buildings, with an eye toward potential growth in the future, Rybarczyk said, though the district has no immediate plans for them.

    The schools’ closure and the opening of Doe Run Elementary School are part of a broader effort to update the district’s aging facilities, which Rybarczyk said would continue next year.

    “I think the community has been looking for something like this for a long time as well,” he said.

    With “a shift of a number of charter school families coming back to our district” and new development, Rybarczyk said he believes the district could see its enrollment grow. Its campaign to bring students back from cyber and charter schools, launched alongside its upgrading of facilities in the last few years, has gained back 64 students, and hundreds of thousands of dollars, he said.

    “We’re going to see what the need will be in the future, because we could have an influx where we need to repurpose them in some way,” he said at the board meeting. “Obviously, they’re two older schools …There’s some work to be done if we were to repurpose those.”

    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.

  • Delco homeowner surprised to find ‘significant amount of cash’ in mailbox

    Delco homeowner surprised to find ‘significant amount of cash’ in mailbox

    It had all the markings of a good, old-fashioned bit of porch piracy.

    The man appeared one recent morning in front of a Nether Providence home. He looked to be between 20 and 30 years old, around 5 feet 8, and balding. He wore a black puffer jacket.

    For a long while, he paced back and forth in front of the home in the 300 block of South Providence Road.

    Then, he opened the mailbox, fiddled with something inside, and walked away.

    When the homeowner, who witnessed the incident, went to investigate, however, she was struck by what she found. Inside her mailbox was what Nether Providence police are calling “a significant amount of cash.”

    In a season more closely associated with pinched parcels and pilfered packages, police in this Delco township are trying to get to the bottom of something far more novel: An individual apparently passing out a large sum of money through a mailbox.

    So far, authorities have been left stumped; a spokesperson for the Nether Providence police on Thursday called the incident an “open investigation” but declined to comment beyond a brief news release issued earlier in the week on the matter, which occurred shortly before 11 a.m. on Dec. 6.

    One theory is that the delivery could have been a simple mix-up: According to the homeowner who discovered the cash, the property once housed a psychiatrist’s office, and she suspected the money could’ve been left by a former patient unaware that the previous owner was no longer there.

    Police are asking that anyone with information about the curious delivery — or the individual behind it — contact them at 610-892-2875.

    “NPPD is urging anyone with information to come forward as detectives work to determine the circumstances surrounding the cash drop-off and identify the individual involved,” according to the department news release.

  • Suspect in Warminster child sex assaults arrested in El Salvador, police say

    Suspect in Warminster child sex assaults arrested in El Salvador, police say

    A Warminster man who fled to his native El Salvador last year after he was charged with sex crimes against children was extradited to Bucks County on Thursday to face trial for sexually assaulting three girls, including a 5-year-old authorities say he raped multiple times.

    Noel Yanes, 45, is charged with rape, statutory sexual assault of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and related crimes.

    Bucks County District Attorney Jen Schorn said Yanes’ arrest was a testament to the pursuit of justice for those who harm children.

    “To those who commit crimes against the most vulnerable and believe they can evade accountability by fleeing across borders, this should serve as a clear message: You will be found, apprehended, and brought back to face the consequences of your actions,” she said.

    After months of investigation into the case and Yanes’ whereabouts by local and federal authorities, he was arraigned in district court in Warminster early Thursday and remained in custody on 10% of $500,000 bail. There was no indication he had hired an attorney.

    Investigators in Bucks County learned of the assaults in February 2024, when one of the girls told police Yanes had raped her multiple times at a home on Tollhouse Road in Warminster where he was living at the time, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest. She said the assaults began when she was 5 years old and continued for six years.

    A second girl told police Yanes groped her in Wildwood, at a park in Doylestown, and at the same Warminster home where the other girl said she was raped. She said the assaults began when she was 4 and continued for two years.

    The third girl said Yanes sexually assaulted her when she was 8 years old as they swam together in a pool at a home in Warminster Township, the affidavit said. Yanes groped her while he was spinning her around, holding her by her ankles, she said, and he groped her twice more later in the day.

    Yanes fled the country shortly after the charges against him were filed in February 2024. He was on the run there for 11 months before U.S. marshals received a tip about his whereabouts, and his capture was a collaboration between local prosecutors and the Department of Justice, officials said Thursday.

  • A new village makes it easier to age in place | Inquirer Lower Merion

    A new village makes it easier to age in place | Inquirer Lower Merion

    Hi, Lower Merion! 👋

    A group of township residents has formed a network aimed at helping older adults age in place. Also this week, SEPTA plans to wrap up Regional Rail car updates shortly, Narberth parking permits are available for 2026, plus where to get unique and crafty gifts around town.

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

    For older Lower Merion residents, it takes a village to age in place

    The Lower Merion Village offers social activities and volunteer opportunities for older adults and people with disabilities in the Main Line community.

    A group of Lower Merion residents has come together to help one another age in place. More and more older adults prefer to remain in their homes, a choice that comes with some logistical concerns.

    Lower Merion Village, part of the national Village to Village Network, is setting out to ease some of those burdens by connecting residents to social events, as well as transportation, household help, and other services.

    While Lower Merion Village isn’t accepting members yet, its organizers have their sights set on being a resource to help longtime residents thrive in the community they love.

    Read more about Lower Merion Village here.

    💡 Community News

    • SEPTA missed Friday’s federally imposed deadline to finish repairs to the heat-detection system on its Regional Rail cars. The agency said the lapse was due to a shortage of the thermal wire required to make the repairs. Installation of the backordered wire for 30 of SEPTA’s remaining trains is expected to be completed next week.
    • Narberth residential parking permits for 2026 are now available. Fees range from $10 for a single car to $100 for a fourth vehicle.
    • Bryn Mawr College last week announced Airea “Dee” Matthews, professor and co-chair of the creative writing department, as its next provost. Matthews will assume the role on Jan. 1.
    • Looking for a crafty holiday gift for those on your list? Several Lower Merion shops, including Past Present Future in Ardmore, and Something Different by Eric in Bryn Mawr, have goods like funky snow globes, cat-themed pillows, and other unique housewares.
    • For those shopping in Ardmore, township metered parking spaces and the township garage on Cricket Avenue are free on Saturdays this month.
    • On Sunday and Monday, Santa will be visiting parts of Lower Merion aboard a Merion Fire Company of Ardmore fire truck. The big man will visit Wynnewood, Ardmore north of the railroad tracks, and Haverford on Sunday, and then the Ardmore section south of the railroad tracks on Monday.
    • Brook J. Lenfest sold his 14,000-square-foot Haverford home, which was the most expensive recorded residential sale in the Philadelphia area among public records last week. The CEO of telecommunications company NetCarrier’s Avonwood Road home went for $5.9 million. (Philadelphia Business Journal)
    • Narberth’s GET Café is the subject of a new documentary that will debut at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute tonight at 7 p.m. David Block’s Brewing Possibilities focuses on the cafe’s mission to support neurodivergent individuals through employment and community building. Tickets to the premiere are $30. (Patch)
    • It may not even officially be winter yet, but Holy Child School at Rosemont has opened registration for its 2026 summer camps.

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    • Black Rocks’ book fair runs through tomorrow and winter concerts continue throughout this week and next. See the district’s full calendar here.
    • Lower Merion tackle/defensive tackle Kechan Miller has signed on to play college football at Temple University next year.

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • Hanukkah begins Sunday night. Looking for takeout or catering options? Main Line Today has rounded up 10 local spots offering everything from sides to main dishes. 

    🎳 Things to Do

    🎄 Home for the Holidays: Take a look inside the main house at Stoneleigh, all decked out for the holidays. There will also be seasonal treats and musical performances. ⏰ Saturday, Dec. 13-Sunday, Dec. 14, times vary 💵 $15 for Natural Lands members and $20 for non-members 📍Stoneleigh

    🛍️ Ardmore Holiday Market: Over 20 vendors will be selling handcrafted goods at this inaugural event. ⏰ Saturday, Dec. 13, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍Schauffele Plaza

    🎵 Funky Brunch: Holiday Edition: Shop local vendors while sipping beer and enjoying brunch at this family-friendly event. ⏰ Sunday, Dec. 14, 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Ardmore Music Hall

    🍫 Happy Hanukkah Menorah Making and More: Kids ages 5 to 12 can make edible Hanukkah-themed crafts. ⏰ Sunday, Dec. 14, 4-5 p.m. 💵 $21.20 📍The Candy Lab

    ✡️ Menorah Lighting: Celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with a lighting of the giant menorah at Suburban Square. There will also be food, drinks, and activities like donut decorating. ⏰ Sunday, Dec. 14, 5 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Suburban Square

    🖌️ Kwanzaa Crafternoon: Kids can make a colorful Kwanzaa craft out of paper, stickers, and markers during this drop-in event. ⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 17, 3-5 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Gladwyne Library

    🏡 On the Market

    This midcentury modern Penn Valley home has an indoor pool

    The home has a midcentury modern design.

    This Penn Valley home has a distinctive look thanks to its midcentury modern design. The majority of the home’s living space is on the first floor, which has an updated eat-in kitchen and six of the home’s seven bedrooms. The primary suite has three walk-in closets and sliding glass doors that lead to an atrium and an office. There’s another suite on the lower level, but perhaps most unique is the glass-encased indoor pool. The home also has a large deck and patio.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $2.485M | Size: 5,881 SF | Acreage: 1.29

    🗞️ What other Lower Merion 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.

  • WSSD seeks ideas to fix its dire budget issues | Inquirer Greater Media

    WSSD seeks ideas to fix its dire budget issues | Inquirer Greater Media

    Hi, Greater Media! 👋

    Last night, Delaware County Council approved a tax hike for 2026. We share more details below. Also this week, Wallingford-Swarthmore School District is looking at ways to stem its budget deficit, plus Ridley Creek remediation to clean up a September oil spill is nearing completion.

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

    Wallingford-Swarthmore is looking for ways to dig out of its budget deficit

    Wallingford-Swarthmore School District held listening sessions about its budget at Strath Haven Middle School on Monday.

    Facing a $2.6 million budget deficit for the 2027-28 school year, Wallingford-Swarthmore School District is considering any idea to trim that figure.

    That was the takeaway from a Monday listening session, where Superintendent Russell Johnston said the district is “turning over every stone” in its quest and took suggestions from the public.

    Unlike neighboring districts, WSSD is predominately supported by homeowners’ tax dollars, many of whom already feel stretched thin, The Inquirer’s Denali Sagner reports.

    While some attendees left the meeting feeling better about the school’s objectives, others still wonder how it got in this hole in the first place.

    Read more about Wallingford-Swarthmore’s plans to address its budget woes here.

    Ridley Creek cleanup is nearing the finish line after an oil tanker crash earlier this year

    Remediation work to clean up a September oil spill that contaminated Ridley Creek is nearing completion.

    Work to clean up oil that spilled into Ridley Creek when a tanker crashed on the Route 1 Bypass in September is nearly finished. Officials expect to wrap up next week, with road closures on Ridley Creek Road continuing until then.

    Crews have been remediating the area, where an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 gallons of oil spilled, including removing contaminated soil and refilling the site, The Inquirer’s Torin Sweeney reports.

    Read more about how crews have tackled the cleanup here.

    💡 Community News

    • Last night, Delaware County Council voted to approve a 19% property tax hike for 2026. Despite pushback from residents, the council enacted a double-digit increase for the second consecutive year. For the average assessed home, taxes will go up an additional $188 annually.
    • Delaware County Council voted unanimously last week to enact a policy protecting LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. It is one of at least 79 local governments in Pennsylvania to adopt similar nondiscrimination ordinances.
    • SEPTA missed Friday’s federally imposed deadline to finish repairs to the heat-detection system on its Regional Rail cars. The agency said the lapse was due to a shortage of the thermal wire required to make the repairs. Installation of the backordered wire for 30 of SEPTA’s remaining trains is expected to be completed next week.
    • Now in its 50th year, the Festival of Lights officially got underway last week at Rose Tree County Park in Media, and will be lit nightly through Jan. 3. We take a look back at highlights from the opening night.
    • An Inquirer analysis of a year’s worth of Riddle Hospital inspections found that the Media hospital was cited once between last November and this October for failing to properly monitor a patient’s vital signs while waiting for care in the emergency department.
    • Residential parking permits for 2026 are now available for Media borough residents. Fees are $5 each for a household’s first two cars and $15 each thereafter. New for 2026, the borough will not distribute a physical sticker, but will instead track registration through the Passport Parking app.
    • Newlin Grist Mill has named a new executive director to lead the historic Concord Township site. Amy Ricci, who most recently held that same role at former Philadelphia paper mill Historic Rittenhouse Town, will assume the position in January, becoming the organization’s fourth executive director.
    • Wawa is opening its 1,000th fuel store today at 675 Baltimore Pike in Springfield. The first 250 guests will get a free T-shirt and coffee. (Daily Times)

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    • Notre Dame de Lourdes School in Swarthmore took home first place in the kindergarten through eighth grade category of B101’s annual Christmas Choir Competition for its rendition of Like It’s Christmas. The school will receive $5,000 for its music program and will perform the winning song at the Philly Pops’ A Philly Holiday Spectacular on Sunday.
    • There’s a school board meeting tonight at Penncrest High School. On Monday and Tuesday, Rose Tree Elementary will host its fifth grade band concert. Penncrest High School’s winter choral concert is on Wednesday. See RTMSD’s full calendar here.
    • Tonight is Swarthmore-Rutledge School’s winter concert, Strath Haven High’s orchestra concert is Monday, and its choral concert is Tuesday. Wallingford Elementary is hosting winter concerts on Wednesday and Thursday. See WSSD’s full calendar here.
    • WSSD is also hosting a community artificial intelligence forum tonight from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Strath Haven Middle School’s library, where attendees can provide feedback about policies.

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • Wonder is opening next week at the Promenade at Granite Run. The food hall at 1145 W. Baltimore Pike will host a “friends and family” preview Monday through Wednesday ahead of its grand opening next Thursday.
    • The Towne House in Media has been transformed for the five-week run of “Holly Jolly.” The holiday décor will be on display through Jan. 4, during which time festive drinks can also be ordered. Options include the Mistletoe Kiss, made with vodka, rosemary simple syrup, lemon, and club soda, or Holly’s Hot Chocolate, which gives hot cocoa a kick thanks to vanilla vodka and Irish cream.
    • Santa will be making a stop in Glen Mills this weekend alongside Mrs. Claus when the duo visit Harvest Seasonal Grill Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Kids can also decorate cookies during the holiday brunch buffet. Tickets are $25 for children and $35 for adults. Reservations are required.

    🎳 Things to Do

    🌃 Night Market: Swarthmore merchants will stay open later on Friday, and there will also be pop-up vendors, food, drinks, and an ugly sweater competition. ⏰ Friday, Dec. 12, 5-8 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Swarthmore town center

    🎙️ The Newspaper Taxis: Hear tunes from this Beatles tribute band. ⏰ Friday, Dec. 12, 8 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Shere-E-Punjab, Media

    🍪 Cookie Walk: Love holiday cookies but don’t love baking? Or just want to get a larger array? This annual event lets attendees pick and pay for the homemade sweets they want. ⏰ Saturday, Dec. 13, 9 a.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Middletown Church, Media

    ☕ Cocoa and Photos with the Clauses and Friends: Write a letter to Santa, decorate cookies, and pose for festive photos with Olaf, Jolly Bear, and the big man himself. ⏰ Saturday, Dec. 13, 10 a.m.-noon 💵 Free 📍 Media Community Center

    🕎 Chanukah Village: A number of stores throughout Media will host crafts and other activities in celebration of the first night of the holiday. A 4:30 p.m. menorah lighting will be held at the Delaware County Courthouse. ⏰ Sunday, Dec. 14, 3-5 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Various locations

    🏡 On the Market

    A modern four-bedroom townhouse in Middletown Township

    The townhome spans over 3,600 square feet and backs up to woods.

    Built in 2022, this spacious townhouse’s first floor features an open-concept kitchen, dining, and living area, which has access to a deck overlooking the woods. There are four bedrooms upstairs, including a primary suite with double vanities and a walk-in closet. It also has a finished walk-out basement with a full bathroom, and access to the community clubhouse and a tot lot. There’s an open house this Saturday from noon to 3 p.m.

    See more photos of the townhouse here.

    Price: $815,000 | Size: 3,640 SF

    🗞️ What other Greater Media residents are reading this week:

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    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.

  • Cleanup of Ridley Creek oil spill near Media is almost complete

    Cleanup of Ridley Creek oil spill near Media is almost complete

    Crews are in the final stages of cleaning up the site where oil leaked into Ridley Creek after a tanker truck crashed near Media in September, according to municipal and county officials.

    Ridley Creek Road will continue to have road closures from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. until the work is finished.

    Work should be completed next week, said Larry Bak, the county’s hazmat crew chief. Crews from Lewis Environmental have removed the contaminated soil and are refilling the site. Environmental consulting firm Aquaterra is overseeing the remediation work and testing.

    A Cardinal USA truck carrying home heating oil crashed on Sept. 22 while traveling north on the Route 1 Bypass at the border of Upper Providence and Middletown Townships. The truck swerved across the highway and rolled an undetermined number of times, according to Upper Providence Fire Marshal Alan Mancill.

    The truck came to rest with the cab hanging off the east side of an overpass and a gash in its side that spilled 1,000 to 2,000 gallons of oil onto the roadway and into Ridley Creek below, Mancill said.

    The cause of the crash is unclear and Upper Providence police could not be reached for comment.

    Remediation work continues on Ridley Creek Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, under the Route 1 overpass in Media, Delaware County where a tanker overturned spilling thousands of gallons of home heating oil in September.

    Blocking the oil’s flow downstream was a priority for the Delaware County Emergency Services Department’s hazmat team, Bak said.

    “I sent half of my team up onto the bridge to work with the tank truck, and I sent the other half of my initial response down to the creek to get in front of it as it was going downstream,” Bak said. The crew put containment booms across the creek to halt the spread of oil.

    Aqua’s Ridley Creek water treatment facility is about a mile and a half downstream from the site. Bak said the facility was quickly alerted to shut off its intake after the spill. It was reopened after the water was deemed safe, but the booms remain in place just in case.

    “I believe the expression is ‘an overabundance of caution,’” Bak said.

    The site of the crash posed a challenge to the cleanup crew, with oil contaminating a hillside as well as the creek and marshy area below the bridge. Crews used a special excavator with 35-foot arms.

    “It had to reach out and down because it’s a fairly steep hill,” Bak said. “It’s not an insignificant height.”

    To reach the contaminated areas, the crew also built a dam from the Ridley Creek Road side with pipes underneath to let the creek flow underneath. The dam will be removed after work is complete, Bak said.

    Once the work is done, soil will continue to be monitored for 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.

  • Delco residents prepare for a 19% property tax hike — the second double-digit increase they face in two years

    Delco residents prepare for a 19% property tax hike — the second double-digit increase they face in two years

    For the second year in a row the Delaware County Council approved a double-digit property tax increase.

    Facing fury from residents, the all-Democratic board voted 4-1 Wednesday to approve a $340 million budget that raises the county portion of property taxes 19%.

    Last year, the council voted to increase taxes 23% as federal COVID-19 relief dollars that had filled the county’s longstanding structural deficit began to run dry. That hike took effect in January.

    The new 19% increase, which will take effect next month, will place Delaware County on stable financial footing, members of the council argued.

    “Our primary responsibility is to ensure that this county is on solid financial footing. Make no mistake, absent this increase tonight that would not be the case. We would run out of money,” said Councilmember Kevin Madden, whose term on the board runs out this year.

    The budget, Council Chair Monica Taylor said, would be the first truly balanced budget for the county in more than a decade.

    The tax increase will translate to an additional $188 annually for the county’s average assessed home value of $255,000.

    Taylor and the other council members said they didn’t take the increase lightly, but that it was a necessary step. Their Republican predecessors, they argued, went too long without substantially increasing taxes and left the county in dire straits when Democrats took control in 2020.

    Amid inflation and shrinking federal funds, they said the last two years of increases were needed. And after increasing taxes 19% in 2026, they predicted taxes could be kept level in the future.

    “If it comes down to it, next year rather than raise taxes I am going to be looking at cutting discretionary spending,” Councilmember Christine Reuther said Wednesday.

    The proposed budget increased spending by just under 6% with the majority of new spending attributed to increased costs for employee health benefits, increased court costs, employee pay, and increases to the county’s SEPTA contribution.

    “Our strategy is not just to increase revenue but to decrease expenses,” County Executive Barbara O’Malley said.

    Over the course of several meetings and hearings ahead of the vote Delaware County residents showed frustration with the increase and doubt that 2026 would be the end of the hikes. They urged council members to find ways to cut the budget or to spread the increases out over more years.

    “I own my home but I’m behind on my taxes because the taxes are so high,” resident Maureen Mitchell said in a Monday budget hearing. “Something’s gotta give for the seniors, we’re losing our homes.”

    Although Democrats inherited a deficit when they took control of the council, residents pointed out that they also made significant expenditures in recent years, including the decision to deprivatize the prison, spending more on legal fees, and launching a health department. The majority of the health department is funded by state and federal dollars.

    “Find some cuts and give taxpayers a break, then hold the line on future spending,” said Michael Straw, the chair of the Media Borough Republican Committee.

    Democrats retained control of all five seats on council in November despite GOP messaging that focused on rising tax costs.

    Cynthia Sabatini, an Upper Providence resident, asked council members to release a full list of what spending is discretionary and to spread the increase out over several years.

    “Why does it have to be done in one fell swoop?” she asked Monday.

    Councilmember Elaine Schaefer voted against the increase because she said she couldn’t justify such a steep hike during hard economic times.

    “We do need to raise the revenue but in my opinion it’s too abrupt and causes too much of a hardship to do two really significant increases in a row,” Schaefer said Wednesday.

    Delaware County is one of three of Philadelphia’s collar counties considering a tax increase this year. Montgomery County is poised to vote on a 4% tax increase next week while Bucks County is contemplating a tax increase to fill a $16 million deficit.