A Downingtown dog has been euthanized after it injured multiple people in recent months and made residents feel unsafe, officials said.
The decision, made the day of a Thursday hearing in district court, stems from a November incident in which the dog bit a child in a neighboring house on the 500 block of Thomas Road.
Whitley Coggins said her sons, ages 4 and 8, had been playing in the backyard when the neighbor’s dogs were let outside. One mixed-breed dog got through the fence, attacking her youngest son, she said. The boy was bitten on his upper arm and required stitches.
There are four dogs that had been known to neighbors for aggressive behavior, she said. Though the Coggins family had never personally experienced it until November, the mother said, she warned her sons to run back inside if they ever saw the dogs in the yard.
After the hearing and the owner’s decision to euthanize, Coggins said she was frustrated that the only positive was that one of the dogs was removed from the house.
“I feel like I’m supposed to feel like something was done, I’m supposed to feel good that the one dog that attacked my child is gone, and I do feel a small sense of replaced safety or something — that that one dog is not there,” she said. “But that one dog has never been the problem, not the whole problem.”
Coggins said her sons still feel unsafe leaving the house and are fearful of dogs.
“Following our time in court, we still had to return — and the rest of the neighbors had to return — to a neighborhood with three dogs who have registered attacks on other people and other animals, and because of the laws and the way the laws are written or interpreted, there is nothing to go forward with to remove these dogs,” Coggins said.
Reached by phone, the attorney for the dog owner declined comment.
Brendan Brazunas, Downingtown’s chief of police, said the owner’s defense counsel immediately suggested euthanasia given the seriousness of the 4-year-old’s injury, and the fact that this was the fourth documented bite involving this dog since 2023.
“The dog that created the most issues at that house is this dog that was euthanized,” Brazunas said. “Obviously, the community is very concerned and they’re afraid, and I think this was the first step with regards to dogs at that house.”
Brandywine Valley SPCA, which had assisted the Downingtown police in the case, transported and euthanized the dog, a spokesperson for the organization said.
“This was a tragic situation that never should have escalated to this point,” Erica Deuso, mayor of Downingtown, said in a statement. “I love animals, and I am heartbroken any time a dog loses its life, but public safety comes first.”
The charges were dropped, as they can only be made for live dogs, Brazunas said. But there are ongoing cases facing the owner’s other dogs.
A Jan. 20 incidentwas reported to police when the dogs escaped through an open door and injured an adult man, a tow-truck driver who was returning a vehicle. That case will be heard in the coming weeks.
The SPCA has six outstanding charges for other dogs in the owner’s home regarding rabies vaccinations, dog licenses, and the dogs getting loose, the spokesperson said.
Federal and private grants totaling nearly $29 million were announced Wednesday for conservation projects within the Delaware River Watershed, including a South Philadelphia wetlands park, a water trail in Camden County, and support of the Lights Out Philly program to keep birds from crashing into buildings.
The money comes from nearly $12.5 million in grants to the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. An additional $17 million comes in matching funds from nonprofits such as thePhiladelphia-based William Penn Foundation.
The total is about $9 million less than last year’s grant awards of $38 million. A representative for the two federal agencies did not state a reason for the decline.
However, the reduction comes as many federal grants have been cut or reduced by President DonaldTrump’s administration.
What’s being funded?
In all, the new funds will flow to 30 conservation projects, including local trail creations, stream restorations, shoreline enhancements, and wildlife habitat improvements. The money will go toward planning, hiring for, and construction of projects in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York.
Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF, said the projects “demonstrate the impact that public-private partnerships can have at a landscape scale and will help ensure a healthier and cleaner future for the Delaware River watershed and the communities and species that depend on it.”
The watershed is within a densely populated corridor but remains 50% forested. Four hundred miles of it is classified as a National Wild and Scenic River, largely undeveloped but accessible for recreation.
The grants cover a wide range of projects.
For example, $498,800 will go toward reducing migratory bird collisions into buildings throughout the Delaware Watershed, which includes Philadelphia and New Jersey. The project of the Wildlife Management Institute, along with Bird Safe Philly, will identify and retrofit buildings to be bird-friendly, inform the public about built-environment hazards, and how to mitigate them.
Leigh Altadonna, coordinator for Bird Safe Philly, a collaborative of five organizations, welcomed the grant.
“These funds will reinforce Bird Safe Philly’s continuing work with nature centers, libraries, arboretums and other buildings as part of our mission to mitigate bird collisions with glass,” Altadonna said.
She said money would go toward educating the public about howto make their homes and communities bird-friendly.
Bird Safe Philly coordinates with owners of the city’s skyscrapers to turn off or dim lights, which can attract birds during the spring and fall migration seasons.
A sample of grants with total federal and private funding
Pennsylvania
$650,000 for South Philadelphia Wetlands Park II, a project of the Delaware River Waterfront Corp. The money will go toward completing needed documentation for the park located just south of the base of Tasker Street through Pier 70. The goal is to restore wetland habitat and increase public access to piers and berths, add a kayak launch and a natural pier park, and restore two acres of forested upland, meadow and wetlands.
$2 million for stream channel restoration in the south branch of French Creek, a project of the French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust. The stream channel and surrounding wetland will be improved as a habitat for brook trout and bog turtle, restore 6.7 acres of riparian buffer, and more than 13 acres of surrounding wetland and flood plain.
$900,400 to reintroduce wild brook trout in restored agricultural watersheds in Chester County, a project of the Stroud Water Research Center, which will monitor the re-establishment effort and implement agricultural best management practices to give trout the best chance of recovery.
New Jersey
$3.5 million for horseshoe crab and shorebird habitat at the Kimbles Beach and Bay Cove area in Cape May Court House, a project of the American Littoral Society. The money will go toward restoring one mile of critical habitat along the Delaware Bay, by placing 49,000 tons of sand to stabilize the beach, reverse coastal erosion, and protect the shoreline.
$1.2 million for restoration and recreational projects on the Cooper River Water Trail, which is spearheaded by the Upstream Alliance. The money will go toward engaging 3,000 community members through hands-on recreational programming, hiring local youth, and promoting public access on the new trail in Camden County. It will include paddling and fishing programs for the community and create a Friends of the Cooper River Water Trail group.
$487,400 for ecological restoration and wildlife habitat improvements at Swede Run Fields in Moorestown, Burlington County, for a project by the township to eradicate invasive species and establish native plant communities within the wetlands, riparian forest, and upland meadow buffers.
A Democratic campaign manager was charged Monday in Chester County with filing fraudulent nomination petitions in the 2024 primary for auditor general, including the forged signature of a Chester County judge, authorities said.
Mariel Kornblith-Martin, 40, of Philadelphia, is accused of filing the false nomination petitions when serving as campaign manager for Mark Pinsley, the Lehigh County controller, as he sought to secure a place on the competitive Democratic primary ballot.
Petitions for Pinsley’s campaign included the names of people who said they had not signed them, including Chester County Judge Alita Rovito, Coatesville City Council members Carmen Green and Khadija Al-Amin, and West Goshen Township Supervisor Nate Wolman, The Inquirer reported.
Rovito reported the forgery to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office at the time, saying the signature was not hers and she did not sign nominating petitions for any candidate, “as to do so would be a violation of judicial ethics,” according to charging documents.
Rovito, a Democrat, told The Inquirer at the time that “the use of my name and signature is concerning to me due [to] the potential implications on my role as a member of the independent judiciary.”
Alita Rovito, a Chester County judge, poses for a portrait in West Chester, Pa. in 2020.
In the criminal complaint filed against Kornblith-Martin, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office alleges that she gave three college students “stacks of pages containing signatures of supporters” and asked them to sign the required sworn declaration at the bottom of each page. Among the charges filed against Kornblith-Martin was solicitation to false swearing.
Prosecutors say she paid the students, who are not named in the charging documents, $50 on at least three occasions to sign the petitions.
“That’s disgraceful,” former U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, the chair of the Philadelphia Democratic Party, said of the charges against Kornblith-Martin. “She’s not one of our favorites.”
The three college students were all working part-time on several campaigns run by Kornblith-Martin, according to the complaint.
The students were previously identified by The Inquirer as paid volunteers attending Temple University.
Kornblith-Martin described herself to investigators as a “political operative” in Philadelphia with 13 years of experience who had worked on 16 campaigns, according to the criminal complaint. She previously served in Philadelphia’s 39th Democratic Ward, but resigned last year, according to its ward leader, Traffic Court Judge Michael Sullivan.
Kornblith-Martin did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday or Thursday.
She turned herself in on Wednesday and has been released on bail, which was set at $50,000.
Kornblith-Martin said in 2024 that the campaign was conducting an “internal investigation” when asked about the alleged fraudulent signatures.
Pinsley told The Inquirer on Wednesday evening his campaign “reviewed what was brought to our attention but did not have enough verified information to reach independent conclusions” when concerns were raised.
“Petition drives can involve invalid or questionable signatures for many reasons, and we were not in a position to determine intent,” he added in a text message. “I was not personally involved in the signature collection, and I believe the legal process is the appropriate place for the facts to be established. If anyone knowingly falsified signatures, that would be wrong and should carry consequences.”
Pinsley said he has “not been involved” with Kornblith-Martin since his auditor general campaign and does “not know the facts of this situation.” Pinsley is now running in the crowded Democratic primary to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in the Lehigh Valley.
Pinsley’s campaign was not the only one with signatures that came under scrutiny.
King, an entrepreneur who still has political aspirations, told The Inquirer the incident had disillusioned him about the two-party system and inspired him to reapply to law school.
“When ballot access becomes a game of shortcuts and challenges, democracy loses before voters ever enter the booth,” he said.
The February 2024 revelation that Pinsley’s campaign may have submitted fraudulent petitions shook up the race for a little-known office responsible for conducting audits to ensure that state money is spent properly.
Pinsley failed to secure the Democratic nomination over State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who ultimately lost to incumbent Republican Auditor General Tim DeFoor as the GOP swept the state’s row officesin the general election.
Kenyatta did not formally challenge Pinsley’s nominating petitions to remove him from the ballot during the primary. Reached Wednesday, Kenyatta said in a statement: “Fraud occurring within any stage of our electoral process is a direct assault on our democracy.”
“The charges brought today are a first step in the legal process but accountability must not end here: the buck always stops with the candidate,” added Kenyatta, the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee.
Investigators found at least nine pages of alleged forgeries of Chester County voters, according to the complaint.
To get on the ballot in Pennsylvania for a statewide row office like auditor general, a candidate must submit 1,000 signatures, including at least 100 from at least five counties.
Tuesday’s public meeting was the first time community members — and the county commissioners themselves — were able to respond to an independent firm’s investigation and report, which found that insufficient training, poor oversight, and staffing challenges in the county’s elections office forced more than 12,000 voters to cast provisional ballots in the general election. The poll book error occurred as the 25-person department has faced unusually high turnover in recent years, and as the director faces allegations of fostering a toxic workplace.
“This is the first step, this is not the last step … to rebuilding trust with the public and improving elections in a way that ensures this never happens again,” Josh Maxwell, chairman of the county commissioners, told the attendees.
The 24-page report, prepared by West Chester law firm Fleck, Eckert, Klein & McGarry LLC and published last month, found that two employees mistakenly included only registered Democrats and Republicans when using the statewide voter roll to create the poll book, omitting more than 75,000 registered independent and unaffiliated voters from the rolls.
The employees, inexperienced and never formally trained, lacked direct supervision, the report said. No one in the county’s department checked the books until a poll worker noticed the omissions before polls opened on Election Day.
There was no evidence of malfeasance, the report said. County officials said previously that everyone who wanted to vote could cast a ballot, despite the issue.
Still, the error rocked Election Day in the county, with officialsscrambling to print supplemental poll books and poll workers staying late to address the challenges. Republican Commissioner Eric Roe broke with his Democratic peers by voting against the certification of the election results in December, saying his conscience would not allow it.
Community members said Tuesday the error further eroded trust in voting security.
John Luther addresses the Chester County Commissioners as they hold a public meeting to discuss the errors they had in the pole books during the November election. West Chester. Tuesday, February 3, 2026
“How many voters were disenfranchised and did not vote?” resident John Luther asked the commissioners. “That is the most important thing. You guys can fix all the rest, but you can’t fix what you messed up in the front.”
Kadida Kenner — who leads the New Pennsylvania Project, an organization dedicated to voter registration — said she rushed on Election Day to West Chester University, where the organization had helped students register to vote, to make sure they were not disenfranchised.
“I see the impact of this mistake, this opportunity for change and growth,” she said. “The events of Election Day really did not help our efforts to be able to overcome feelings of individuals, as it relates to the electoral process, here in the commonwealth and across the country.”
The report recommended more than a dozen changes for the county to prevent future errors, including improved training, reviewing processes and policies, and evaluating staff levels and pay. The county rolled out a plan to address the recommendations and intends to make monthly reports on its progress, saying some recommendations would be in place ahead of May’s primary.
“Everyone in this room knows that a grievous error was made, and everyone is upset about it,” resident Marian Schneider said. “We can stop the browbeating and focus on the path forward.”
The report stopped short of recommending personnel changes. Maxwell said the commissioners would not discuss personnel actions.
Attorney Sigmund Fleck addresses the Chester County Commissioners as they hold a public meeting to discuss the errors they had in the pole books during the November election. West Chester. Tuesday, February 3, 2026
“Bottom line, this appears to be a human error — clicking the wrong box,” said Sigmund Fleck, one of the attorneys who oversaw the report.
Residents worried that those errors were symptoms of a deeper problem, and that the report’s scope did not fully address issues within voter services.
“Yes, human error is a factor here,” Elizabeth Sieb told the commissioners. “This goes far beyond that. Mistakes of this magnitude require consequences.”
Fleck pointed to larger issues with the state’s election system that culminated in the error, such as tight turnaround times for publishing the poll books, lack of statewide training, and a fairly old-school online voting roll system.
Elizabeth Sieb addresses the Chester county commissioners as they hold a public meeting to discuss the errors they had in the pole books during the November election. West Chester. Tuesday, February 3, 2026
But other counties deal with those same complications, some community members argued. November’s error came after the county omitted the office of the prothonotary on the ballot in May’s primary. The report found that errorwas due to the county solicitor’s office misinterpreting state law.
“Sixty-seven counties face the same exact issues, except for one: management,” said Nathan Prospero Fox, a former voter services employee.
Roe acknowledged the anger directed at county staff, but said: “The truth is, the buck doesn’t stop with staff. It stops with us.”
“I am so sorry,” he continued. “This is not the end; there’s still time for accountability and improvement.”
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.
Actor, director, and producer Michael Bertrando was recently appointed to fill a vacancy on Kennett Square’s council.
Kennett Square Borough Council is getting a little brush with fame after Task stuntman Michael Bertrando was sworn in Monday to fill a vacant role, which he’ll hold until December 2027.
The longtime Kennett Square resident is no stranger to the borough. An actor, director, and producer, Bertrando has worked at his family’s 80-year-old sub shop for decades. Outside of his work at Sam’s Sub Shop, he has also been a stuntman for Mark Ruffalo on Task.
It’s been just over 13 years since the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened Exit 320, connecting drivers to Route 29 and slashing commute times to communities like Malvern. The all E-ZPass interchange has since helped spur billions of dollars in economic development throughout Great Valley.
Chester County and Paoli Hospitals both recently ranked among America’s 250 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades. The rankings, released last week, are awarded to the top 5% of institutions in the nation for “overall clinical excellence.”
💡 Community News
Pulte Homes of Pennsylvania is looking to build a new residential community on the vacant land near Ludwigs Corner in Chester Springs at 1246 and 1320 Pottstown Pike and 603 Birchrun Road. Last month, the homebuilder submitted a conditional use application to West Vincent Township to develop Promenade Chester Springs, which would consist of 28 single-family homes and 46 townhomes, as well as a tot lot and dog park. The application is currently under review.
Main Line Health has received a more than $530,000 state grant that will support its planned health center in Caln Township. The center will be at the corner of Lloyd and Manor Avenues and have primary, urgent, and specialty care, as well as imaging and lab services. Plans call for a roughly 145,000-square-foot, three-story facility on 14.5 acres. It’s slated to open in the summer of 2027.
Construction is underway to transform the former Quality Inn and Suites at 943 S. High St. in West Chester into a senior living facility. Charter Senior Living of West Chester will be a 162-unit community with 32 memory-care, 59 senior-living, and 71 assisted-living apartments. Leasing is expected to start late this year, with the project completed in late 2027.
The community is mourning the deaths of two area coaches. Joe Walsh, a longtime football, wrestling, lacrosse, and tennis coach at West Chester’s Henderson High School, where he was also a health and physical education teacher before his retirement, died of cancer last week at the age of 75. He is remembered as “an inspiration,” “a great coach,” and “a positive example for many, many young people.” John Robert Rohde, an Exton resident, West Chester University alum, and former Malvern Prep and Unionville High School lacrosse coach, died last week at the age of 77. Rohde served as commissioner of the Glenmoore Eagle Youth Association Little League and was a cofounder of Lionville Youth Association Lacrosse.
Penn Township Park closed on Monday for construction of an inclusive playground, pickleball, basketball, and hockey courts, as well as other updates. Construction is expected to take about one year. Sports fields are expected to be added in the future.
A monthslong $1.3 million Peco project to upgrade the electrical distribution system is set to begin Monday in Tredyffrin Township. Between now and August, work will take place on Westwind, Coldstream, and Churchill Drives, Contention and Stuart Lanes, Winston Way, and Tory Hollow, Cassatt and Old State Roads. There may be some temporary service interruptions, which Peco says will be communicated in advance.
In case you missed it, a developer is looking to upsize a proposed data center at a Superfund site in East Whiteland Township, despite community pushback. Last week, the developer appeared before the planning commission with an amended proposal that calls for a more than 1.6-million-square-foot center.
A new vintage shop is hosting a grand opening of its storefront at 26 S. Main St. in Phoenixville on Friday. Great Scott Vintage will sell vintage clothing, decor, and housewares.
Penn Vet plans to expand its Chester County presence to the tune of $94 million. The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine plans to build a new lab building at the New Bolton Center in East Marlborough Township that will combine the state-funded Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology Research Laboratory and the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System. (Philadelphia Business Journal)
🏫 Schools Briefing
The Tredyffrin/Easttown School District’s board of directors adopted the preliminary 2026-27 budget last week, which has a $14.9 million operational deficit. Further budget discussion will take place at a finance committee meeting on Monday.
Owen J. Roberts School District has released its 2026-27 academic calendar. The first day of school will be Aug. 24 and the last day will be June 4, which is comparable to the current academic year.
There are parent-teacher conferences next Thursday and Friday in the Phoenixville Area School District. Sign up for a time here.
🍽️ On our Plate
Looking for a great date night spot? Jolene’s in West Chester and L’Olivo Trattoria in Exton are among the region’s under-the-radar romantic dining spots, according to The Inquirer’s Food reporters. The chic and modern Jolene’s blends “French-leaning food with a strong cocktail and wine list in a moody, unstuffy dining room,” while L’Olivo has a warm, familiar vibe to pair with its Northern Italian cuisine, The Inquirer’s Michael Klein reports.
A new takeout pizza and cheesesteak shop is planning a grand opening in West Caln this Friday. Bada Bing Steaks & Pizza is located at 691 W. Kings Highway and also offers sandwiches on house-made focaccia and wings.
Midway Grill in Thorndale, which is known for its hot dogs, is now under new ownership. The Zambaras family, who owned it for 60 years and across four generations, sold the Lincoln Highway establishment to the Cantalicio family effective Sunday. In a note to diners, the Zambaras family said they were grateful for the “unwavering support and loyalty” over the years.
🎳 Things to Do
🪴 Make Your Own Pot Workshop: Make your own 4-inch pot and then add a plant before taking it home. ⏰ Friday, Feb. 6, 6 p.m. 💵 $80 📍 The Green House, West Chester
🛏️ Once Upon a Mattress: This comedic musical puts a spin on classic tale The Princess and the Pea. ⏰ Friday, Feb. 6-Sunday, Feb. 22, select days and times 💵 $31.60-$41.80 📍 SALT Performing Arts, Chester Springs
👜 Renaissance Faire Flight Night: People’s Light’s first “flight night” of the year will be Renaissance-themed, with a cash bar. Attendees are encouraged to dress for the occasion. ⏰ Wednesday, Feb. 11, 6 p.m. 💵 $45 📍 The Farmhouse at People’s Light, Malvern
There’s a family room off of the kitchen, which has a chandelier, built-ins, and a stone fireplace.
Situated on 3.6 acres, this Landenberg home offers privacy without being too far off the beaten path. The updated home has a dining room with a statement chandelier, multiple sitting rooms, and an open-concept family room with a stone fireplace that adjoins the kitchen, where there’s an island and white cabinetry offset by dark granite countertops and a glass tile backsplash. There are four bedrooms upstairs, including the primary suite, which has vaulted ceilings and a large walk-in closet. There’s also a finished basement. Outside, there’s a deck, a hot tub, and an in-ground pool. There are open houses Friday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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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.
Michael Bertrando’s first brush with Kennett Square’s council three years ago was to discuss a parking issue at his family’s legacy sandwich spot, Sam’s Sub Shop. He saw his neighbors, listened to them, and started to see how the council worked. Eventually, he became something of a regular.
When the issue of short-term rentals came up last month, Bertrando had a lot of perspective: As an actor — you might haveseen him on HBO’s Task — he has traveled extensively. He has seen the negative effects short-term rentals can have had on communities from New York to Argentina to Brazil. He spoke up.
And then people started to drop by the sandwich shop, which he runs alongside his parents, suggesting that he put his name in for a vacant seat on the council.
The council voted last month to appoint Bertrando, 52, from a crowded field of applicants to fill former council member Julie Hamilton’s seat through December 2027. He was sworn in Monday.
The seat will be on the ballot for a four-year term in the 2027 general election. Hamilton resigned for a job in Texas, the Daily Local reported.
Long ties to Kennett Square
Council member is another job title the local businessman and Task stuntman can add to his resumé.
“I’m volunteering to help the residents of my community; that’s my primary goal,” he said in an interview Tuesday.
Bertrando — an actor, director, and producer — has worked at his family’s 80-year-old sub shop for decades. It drew him back home a few years ago, so he could help his aging parents run the shop.
But in the years between, Bertrando left Kennett Square to pursue acting, appearing in commercials for brands like Mercedes, McDonald’s, Nintendo, and Oscar Mayer; traveling the world as a professional clown; and working the improv comedy circuit in New York and Chicago.
His film career has continued back in Pennsylvania; Bertrando served as Mark Ruffalo’s stand-in and stunt double in Task, the HBO crime drama set in Delco. In his own productions, his hometown has seeped into his work. A short film, Italian Special, is set within Sam’s Sub Shop and Kennett Square.
Since returning to the borough, Bertrando has been a frequent visitor to council meetings, and advised the borough alongside other business leaders on what was going well, and what wasn’t, in Kennett Square.
Priorities on council
His professional career and his family’s long lineage in Kennett Square have shaped his perspectives on the borough, and what he thinks he can add as a council member.
He is motivated by the possible development of a new theater. Infusing more arts into the community would be beneficial, he said.
Having worked on Task, he saw how other municipalities the show filmed in benefited from an influx of revenue: from parking to hiring police for traffic control, to renting out locations in town, to ordering food for lunches and snacks, to coffee runs, to overnight stays in hotels.
“We have all the infrastructure needed for that to happen here in Kennett,” he said.
Both Task and fellow Pennsylvania-based crime drama Mare of Easttown mention Kennett Square, but neither used the borough for filming.
“When you have a theater or something arts-driven in the town, I think that’s a signal,” he said. “I think a theater can work as a beacon for revenue from other sources, like film production.”
Beyond the intersection of his passion for film and the borough, he said the development of the former National Vulcanized Fiber land, a large undeveloped parcel that is being remediated for contamination in soil from the industrial site, has been of concern for residents.
While the project would be years out even if ultimately approved, Bertrando said he would advocate for environmental transparency and affordable development that respects the existing neighborhoods.
He would also like to improve communication between the municipality and its residents — the longtime community members, like Bertrando’s family, and those who are choosing to relocate.
As he began his term on the other side of public comment, he said, he focused in, listening closely to what his neighbors were saying. He feels the burden to pay close attention, since he was appointed to the role, rather than elected.
“I really have to make the effort to listen to their concerns and really try the best ways to help in their concerns,” he said. “Sitting on the other side was exciting. It was important. It’s serious. It’s my town. I really care about it.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro had a message for data center developers on Tuesday: Come to Pennsylvania, but bring your own energy — or pay up.
During his budget address, Shapiro said his proposal — the Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards — will ensure center operators are “not saddling homeowners with added costs because of their development.”
Data centers, which house the technology to power cloud storage and other computing, have been proliferating across the country and the region due to the increasing demands of generative artificial intelligence, or AI.State and local officials are trying to keep up with the rapid pace of development, proposing new legislation — and updating existing measures — in an attempt to regulate the facilities.
Shapiro’s plan would require data centers to supply their own energy or pay for any new generation they need. It also calls on them to hire and train Pennsylvania workers and comply with “the highest standards of environmental protection,” including in water conservation, Shapiro said.
In exchange, the governor added, data center developers will get “speed and certainty” in the permitting process, as well as applicable tax credits.
The comments from Shapiro, a Democrat who has consistently encouraged data center development, come amid a flurry of legislative and executive action, as elected officials promise to keep Pennsylvania and New Jersey consumers from bearing the costs of these power-hungry facilities.
Data centers, the electric grid, and governors’ proposals
At the same time, some governors, including Shapiro, have criticized and sued PJM, the Montgomery County-based electric grid operator, over its annual capacity auction, which influences how much customers pay.
On Tuesday, Shapiro reiterated calls for PJM to speed up new power-generation projects and extend a price cap.
Separate from GRID, Shapiro also said electric companies, including Peco, should increase transparency around pricing and “rein in costs” for consumers, including low-income and vulnerable Pennsylvanians.
“These steps will save consumers money immediately,” Shapiro said. He announced an energy-affordability watchdog to monitor utility-rate requests and take legal action if necessary to prevent companies from “jacking up their rates and costing you more.”
Through several executive orders, she froze utility rates and expanded programs to spur new power generation in the state. She also ordered electric utilities to report energy requests from data centers.
“This is just the beginning,” Sherrill said in her inaugural remarks. “We are going to take on the affordability crisis, and we are going to shake up the status quo.”
In Pennsylvania, ‘Data Center Consumer Protection Bill’ advances
An Amazon data center is shown last year while under construction in front of the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Berwick, Pa.
Meanwhile in Harrisburg and Trenton, some lawmakers have other ideas about how to keep residents from subsidizing data centers.
As of Tuesday, nearly 30 bills in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey legislatures mentioned data centers, according to online records. Many of those bills aren’t directly related to residents’ electric bills, and instead address the facilities’ energy sources, water usage, environmental impacts, and general regulation.
“Today’s vote brings us one step closer to protecting ratepayers,” Robert Matzie, the Beaver County Democrat who introduced the bill, said in a statement. “Data centers can bring jobs and expand the local tax base, but if unchecked, they can drive up utility costs. Electric bills are already too high.”
The bills were introduced by State Reps. Kyle Donahue and Kyle Mullins, both Democrats from the Scranton area, which has become a hot spot for data center development.
“There is a real concern and a sense of overwhelm among the people we represent,” Mullins said at the hearing. “The people of Pennsylvania have serious concerns about data center energy usage and water usage, especially as they see utility bills continue to rise rapidly.”
Dan Diorio, vice president of state policy for the Data Center Coalition, said he worried the bills would discourage operators from building in Pennsylvania. He said they are already incentivized to reduce energy costs, which are estimated to make up anywhere from 40% to 80% of a data center’s total operating costs.
“Data center companies strive to maximize energy efficiency to keep their costs low,” Diorio said.
Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, the Philadelphia Democrat who chairs the energy committee, closed Monday’s hearing by reminding members of one of its main objectives: to “keep down the energy bills that are skyrocketing for people back home.”
A South Jersey lawmaker says his bill could help consumers
A Philadelphia-area woman woman turns down her thermostat in attempt to save on electricity in this January 2023 file photo.
The pain of skyrocketing utility bills has been felt acutely in New Jersey, which unlike Pennsylvania uses more energy than it produces.
Between 2024 and 2025, New Jersey residents’ electric bills rose more than 13% on average, the fifth steepest increase in the U.S., according to federal data analyzed by the business magazine Kiplinger. Pennsylvanians saw a nearly 10% increase during the same period, according to the data.
A bill sponsored by New Jersey State Assembly member David Bailey Jr., a Democrat from Salem County, attempts to prevent future price hikes.
The legislation would require data center developers to have “skin in the game,” as Bailey described it in a recent interview, and sign a contract to purchase at least 85% of the electric service they request for 10 years. He said it would also provide incentives for data centers to supply their own energy generation.
“I don’t want to come off as an anti-data center person,” said Bailey, who represents parts of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland Counties. “This is a very positive thing. We’re just saying we don’t want these big companies to come in and pass this [cost] on to our mom and pops, our neighbors, and our everyday ratepayers.”
Bailey said he was disappointed that his bill was pocket-vetoed by former Gov. Phil Murphy last month. Now, it has to restart the legislative process. But Bailey said he expects it to eventually pass with bipartisan support.
“No matter your party affiliation you understand the affordability issue,” Bailey said. “You understand your electric bill” — and how much it has risen recently.
Joe Walsh, 75, of West Chester, member of four athletic Halls of Fame, longtime high school and college football coach, retired health and physical education teacher at West Chester Henderson High School, mentor, and neighbor extraordinaire, died Tuesday, Jan. 27, of cancer at his home.
Mr. Walsh grew up in the Farmbrook section of Levittown, Bucks County, and played football at the old Woodrow Wilson High School and what is now West Chester University. He got a job as a health and physical education teacher and assistant football coach at Henderson in 1972 and spent the next five decades coaching thousands of high school and college athletes, teaching thousands of high school students, and mentoring hundreds of friends and colleagues.
He coached football, wrestling, lacrosse, and tennis at Henderson, and his football teams at Henderson and Sun Valley High School combined to win four league championships. He coached in 13 all-star football games and was named the Chester County area football coach of the year four times, the Ches-Mont League coach of the year three times, and the Del-Val League coach of the year once.
In 1992, an Inquirer reporter asked him to describe himself. “I am an easygoing, volatile kind of coach,” he said with a big chuckle, the reporter wrote. “Actually,” he said, “I think I’m a player’s coach. I think my rapport with my players is my strong point.”
Mr. Walsh (center) had many occasions to celebrate with family and friends on the football field.
Former colleagues, players, and friends said in online tributes that Mr. Walsh was “an inspiration,” “a great coach,” and “a positive example for many, many young people.” On Threads, his brother, Russ, called him a “Hall of Fame human being.”
“He was always there,” said John Lunardi, assistant principal at Henderson, who played quarterback for Mr. Walsh and served later as his assistant coach, “a steady, reliable role model, somebody who could be counted on no matter what.”
In 20 years as head football coach at Henderson, from 1992 to 2011, Mr. Walsh’s teams won 131 games, lost 104, and captured three Ches-Mont League championships. From 1988 to 1991, he went 17-25 as head coach at Sun Valley and won the 1990 Del-Val League championship.
His 2007 team at Henderson went 12-2, won the Ches-Mont title, and made it to the district championship game. “Our motto,” he told The Inquirer in2004, “is no excuses, just results.”
Mr. Walsh and his Henderson football team were featured in The Inquirer’s 1992 preview section.
In 2025, he was inducted into the Chester County Sports Hall of Fame, and colleagues there noted his “remarkable achievements and contributions to local athletics” in a Facebook tribute. He earned a standing ovation after speaking at the ceremony, and Henderson officials recognized his legacy with a moment of silence at a recent basketball game. They said in a tribute: “Joe Walsh was a Hall of Fame person in every possible way.”
Mr. Walsh taught health and physical education at Henderson from 1972 to 2008. He organized offseason clinics to encourage all students to join sports teams and told The Inquirer in 1992: “I’ve always tried my best to get as many people out and make it enjoyable for them so they stay out.”
He served as board president for the Killinger Football Foundation and cofounded W & W Option Football Camps LLC in 2001. “It wasn’t about the wins and losses for him,” said his wife, Pam. “It was all about the kids, and he was that way in all aspects of his life.”
Mr. Walsh and his wife, Pam, had many adventures together and spent countless afternoons at football games.
Joseph Richard Walsh was born Feb. 5, 1950, in Philadelphia. He lettered in football, wrestling, and track in high school, and graduated from Wilson in 1968.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education at West Chester in 1972 and played center on its two-time championship football team.
He married Sharon Clark, and they had a son, Joe, and a daughter, Kelly. After a divorce, he married Pam Connor in 1978, and they had a daughter, Jen, and lived in Downingtown and then West Whiteland Township since 1985.
Mr. Walsh enjoyed all kinds of fishing and golf. In 2023, he and his wife visited half a dozen college football stadiums on a wild cross-country road trip to Yellowstone National Park.
Mr. Walsh enjoyed time with his children.
They entertained often at home, and his gourmet soups were usually the hit of the party. He doted on his children and grandchildren, and never lost his sense of humor, they said.
He was the best neighbor ever, friends said. He cleared miles of sidewalks and driveways with his snowblower every winter, hosted late-into-the-night firepit parties every summer, and could fix practically anything.
“He was gentle but strong,” his wife said. “He was kind and considerate, and he never badmouthed anybody. He truly was a great man.”
In addition to his wife, children, brother, and former wife, Mr. Walsh is survived by seven grandchildren, one great-granddaughter, sisters Eileen and Ruth, and other relatives.
Mr. Walsh rarely let the big ones get away.
Visitation with the family is to be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, and from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 6, at DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, 410 N. Church St., West Chester, Pa. 19380. A celebration of his life is to follow Friday at 10:30.
A developer wants to increase the size of its proposed data center on a remediated Superfund site in East Whiteland Township, stoking ire from nearby residents who worry about the increased scope stressing the power grid and driving up costs, along with environmental and health risks.
The facility — which would exceed 1.6 million square feet in the amended plan —would sit on roughly 100 acres at 13 S. Bacton Hill Rd., located along the boundary line for East and West Whiteland Townships, and near U.S. Route 202.
The amended plan, brought before the township’s planning commission Wednesday, would increase the size of the two data center buildings by roughly 61% from what was previously approved.
Other changes in the new plan include:
Scrapping two microwave towers, antenna yards, and ground-mounted cooling towers
Relocating office and loading facilities to face Swedesford Road
Redesigning cooling equipment to use waterless chillers instead of water-consuming cooling towers, reducing water use by about 3 million gallons per day
The applicants are asking the planning commission to approve the modifications because the currently approved plan is outdated, in both technology capacity and what occupants of such centers would need, said Josh Rabina, principal for Sentinel Data Centers, who is working with Green Fig Land LLC on the project.
The planning commission had approved the original plan in 2024, but the project has been underway since at least 2018, when the developer sought zoning changes to OK data center use. After the planning commission’s approval in 2024, Sentinel joined the project, and suggested changes to address water and energy consumption, said Lou Colagreco, the attorney for the applicant.
“They just looked at it with a different set of eyes, and they said, ‘First plan works; this plan probably works better,’” Colagreco told the commission. “It addresses certain concerns that we have heard about regarding data centers.”
But nearly an hour and a half of public comment showed that residents’ concerns weren’t assuaged by the proposed new plan.
“My head’s spinning with what’s going on here. I think you guys are way out over your skis here with what you should be asking, and there’s a lot that appears to me that you don’t even know you should be asking,” said one resident, Dean Prescott.
Across the county — and the region — data center projects have been met with scrutiny from the people who will reside near them. Their opposition clashes with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has been championing data center development, promoting a 10-year plan that includes cutting regulatory “red tape” to make it easier to approve them. The governor’s office also recently announced Amazon would spend $20 billion to develop data centers and other artificial-intelligence campuses across Pennsylvania.
Despite the enthusiasm at the state level, 42% of Pennsylvania say they would oppose the centers being built in their area, according to a recent survey.
And it’s creating a bind for local officials, who are limited in what they can do to prohibit development in areas that are zoned for such purposes.
Residents in nearby East Vincent, also in Chester County, are pressing hard on their board of supervisors to reject a proposed data center at the historic Pennhurst State School and Hospital. The board there had sought to impose restrictions on data centers, but last month declined to move forward with an ordinance after the township’s solicitor warned it could lead to a challenge from the developer.
In East Whiteland, as residents called on officials to reject the plan, township solicitor Michael Gill warned it wasn’t that simple.
“This property is zoned to allow a data center use,” Gill said. “From a perspective of sheer outright denial of the use, that is not likely something that the township has the authority to do at this point in time. Nor did the township ever have the opportunity or the legal right to completely say, ‘We do not want data centers at all in East Whiteland Township.’”
The proposed data center would be located at a former limestone mining site that eventually became a lithium ore-processing business called the Foote Mineral Co., which closed in 1991. A Superfund cleanup was completed in 2010.
It is slated to sit across from Malvern Hunt, a neighborhood with about 280 homes and would be intersected by the Chester Valley Trail, a 18.6-mile route popular with walkers, cyclists, and runners.
Residents worried about the noise, the safety of their well water, and whether digging at a remediated site could adversely affect health. They also raised concerns about the stress — and cost — the facility could put on the power grid.
The facility would be adjacent to Peco’sPlanebrook substation, and the developer is paying for the upgrades needed to support the project, they said Wednesday. Peco officials said previously that surrounding customers wouldn’t see any impact.
The developers sidestepped questions about resident utility cost increases. The township’s planning director, Zachary Barner, said they had not seen “any sort of detailed analysis of consumer prices or anything like that.”
Chris Fontana, a Wakefield resident who said he works in software and infrastructure engineering leadership at Zillow, the real estate website, said industrial noise, massive infrastructure, and energy demands make buyers hesitate, affecting home values.
“Any tax benefit does not outweigh the permanent impact on our land, the strain on local utilities infrastructure, and the risk to the value of our homes, the single biggest investment most families here will ever make,” he said.
The developer will submit a revised plan and responses to consultant review letters in the coming days, township officials said. The developer will return to the planning commission next month, seeking a positive recommendation from the planning commission to go forward to the township’s board of supervisors.
Michael Chain Jr.oncehad to exit the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Downingtown and drive a zigzag pattern on State Routes 100, 113, 401, and 29 to reach his hotel.
So did his customers.
But thenthe turnpike built Exit 320, an all E-ZPass interchange thatconnects to Route 29 and brings traffic right to the family-owned Hotel Desmond Malvern, a DoubleTree by Hilton.
“It would easily take 20 minutes,” said Chain, general manager of the property. “Now you cut that in half, if not more.”
When it opened in December 2012, the interchange helped spur billions in new commercial and residential development in Chester County’s Great Valley.
Michael Chain, general manager at a hotel in Great Valley, says the Route 29 ramp has transformed his business.
Corporate office parks expanded and new ones sprouted. Vanguard relentlessly expanded its campus for its 12,000 workers. Pharmaceutical and biotech companies moved there. Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Teva, and other pharmaceutical companies planted offices and research laboratories there.
Thousands of people moved in to take advantage of the new jobs or a suddenly more convenient commute to Philadelphia and its inner-ring suburbs, Berks County, Lancaster, or even Harrisburg.
More than 10 years later, the effects of the turnpike’s project are evident, but the real estate market is evolving to meet a lower post-pandemic demand for traditional office space and a higher demand for more housing.
Through American history, transportation and development have been yoked. Towns and cities have grown around navigable rivers, post roads, national highways, railroads, interstates, turnpikes, and public transit.
“This new interchange was explosive in terms of the economic impact in that particular region in a way I’m not even sure we had anticipated,” said Craig R. Shuey, chief operating officer of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The key to success
Experts caution it would be a mistake to attribute too much of the growth in the Great Valley solely to the turnpike exit.
The area’s transition from agricultural and industrial to commercial mixed-use was already well underway when it opened. Real estate developersRouse & Associates acquired land in 1974 and began building the Great Valley Corporate Center, a 700-acre business park.
As the Pennsylvania 29 interchange was under construction, the U.S. 202 widening project occurred, helping ease the flow of traffic, although it stillgets congested at peak hours.
The Route 29 electronic toll interchange.
The exit “plays well with an improved Route 202,” said Tim Phelps, executive director of the Transportation Management Association of Chester County.
It’s also served by SEPTA Regional Rail Service and Amtrak, and there’s a connection to the 18.6-mile Chester Valley trail for biking, running, and walking.
“The key isall the multimodal access to the area from different points,” Phelps said. “You move goods and freight along corridors and people to jobs; transportation is economic development.”
New rise in residences
Growth hasn’t been linear.
”Since COVID the office market has been struggling everywhere, and a couple of years ago the funding for biotech became harder to get,“ said John McGee, a commercial real estate broker and developer. ”Both of these events had a negative impact on demand for [office] space in Great Valley.”
Other signs of a softer market in commercial space:
Malvern Green, a 111-acre office park owned by Oracle, is up for sale, marketed as a redevelopment opportunity. It has 759,000 square feet in four buildings on Valley Stream Parkway, off Route 29.
A 10.3-acre office property on Swedesford Road is slated to be demolished and turned into a mixed-use campus, with 250 apartments and about 6,700 square feet of retail and dining.
With the pandemic rewriting the rules of work beginning five years ago, residential development has picked up, driven by housing scarcity and lack of affordability.
Deb Abel, president of Abel Brothers Towing & Automotive, has seen the area evolve from her position as chair of the East Whiteland Planning Commission and as a member of the Chamber of Business & Industry.
Deb Abel, chair of the East Whitefield Planning Commission, says workforce development is key to the area’s growth.
“We talk all the time about workforce development,” Abel said. “People don’t want to come to work where they can’t afford to live.”
More — and more affordable — housing is key both for current and future staffing needs. Workers shouldn’t have to commute from other areas with more housing options, Abel said.
‘A tangible asset’
To Chain, the hotelier, travel time saved by the interchange is a tangible asset.
“It improves the quality of life on a personal level, and [in business] I’m a beneficiary of people staying on the turnpike,” he said.
As corporate travel budgets waxed and waned in the Great Recession and pandemic years, the Hotel Desmond beefed up other lines of business. An events space at the resort-like hotel now provides about half the revenues, Chain said.
The interchange has helped him draw conference business from statewide associations, most of them in Harrisburg.
And in recent years, youth sports travel teams from New York and New Jersey attending weekend tournaments in the region have filled rooms while using the interchange for easy access. Hockey teams are big.
‘A natural progression’
A new multifamily project for Greystar Real Estate Partners is rising next to Route 29 on undeveloped land.
IMC Construction is building a five-story, 267-unit apartment building featuring a rooftop lounge, fitness center, coworking space, pool courtyard, grilling stations, and more.
IMC Construction signs and traffic markers along North Morehall Road in Malvern.
A 133-unit “active adult” apartment building for people who are 55 and older is also under construction.
Project manager Bob Liberato grew up in the area when Route 29 was a country road with one traffic light between Phoenixville and Route 30.
It seems ironic now, but he remembers a petition circulating among fellow students at Great Valley High School to oppose the turnpike’s interchange proposal. Pretty much everybody signed.
“We wanted to stop the turnpike because we liked our life,” Liberato said. “It was open, mostly fields and trees. Being able to go outside, have parties in the woods — all of that was great.”
So what he’s doing now is, in a way, part of the circle of life.
“We’re seeing a shift toward more residential projects, and there is a runway for more in the Great Valley,” said Liberato. With a scarcity of new development, ”it’s a natural progression in a lot of Philly suburbs.”
