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  • The state system that runs West Chester and 9 other Pa. colleges votes to raise tuition 4.3%

    The state system that runs West Chester and 9 other Pa. colleges votes to raise tuition 4.3%

    Students in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education will face a 4.3% tuition hike — the largest percentage increase in a decade — if the system does not get a boost in state funding.

    PASSHE’s board of governors voted unanimously Thursday on the plan, which would enact the tuition increase if the system does not receive a 5%, or $31 million, increase in its state appropriation, which currently stands at $625 million. Gov. Shapiro has proposed flat funding for the system, and budget negotiations are continuing.

    Tuition would rise to $8,338 annually, up $344 from $7,994.

    “We’re all disappointed to … have to make this motion,” board chair Cynthia Shapira said. “We hope we do get the increase.”

    The 10 universities in the system are Cheyney, West Chester, Commonwealth, East Stroudsburg, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Millersville, Penn West, and Shippensburg. Collectively, they enrolled 83,005 students last academic year, when the system experienced its first enrollment increase in 15 years. About 90% of students are Pennsylvania residents.

    The vote to increase tuition came one day after Temple University approved a budget that increased tuition an average of 3.4% for next year.

    Rutgers University also on Thursday voted to increase tuition 3% for in-state and out-of-state students, which the school touted as its lowest increase in four years. Tuition for a typical in-state, full-time arts and sciences undergraduate will increase on average $448 for the year, rising from $14,933 to $15,381, the school said. Meals and housing on average will rise 4%, from $15,332 to $15,945.

    Earlier this year, the University of Pennsylvania increased its total costs by 3.8% for 2026-27. Pennsylvania State University, which approves tuition increases a year in advance, hiked tuition 2% for in-state students at University Park for 2026-27 and froze it for those attending Commonwealth campuses.

    The resolution approved by the PASSHE board calls for the increase to be rolled back “if sufficient funding in state appropriation is received.”

    Pa. public universities didn’t get a state funding increase this year, and they’re preparing for a tough enrollment outlook

    System chancellor Christopher Fiorentino said the tuition increase would cover the $31 million gap if the system does not get the increase. The board of governors took the same action last year and did not roll back a 3.6% tuition hike because the state held its funding flat.

    “We’re still really the most affordable four-year option that’s out there,” Fiorentino said in an interview before the meeting, comparing PASSHE schools to state-related universities like Temple and Penn State where tuition is more than twice that amount.

    Until 2025, the system had kept tuition at the same rate for seven years; if it had enacted inflationary increases, tuition would be $1,800 higher now, Fiorentino said. Preceding the freeze, tuition hikes were 2.5% in 2016-17, 3.5% in 2017-18, and 3% in 2018-19.

    Pennsylvania state universities raise tuition for the first time in seven years

    Fiorentino said he continues to make the system’s case to legislators for more funding.

    “Our graduates earn 65% more over their careers than people without college degrees, which is about a million dollars in lifetime earnings,” he said. “Ninety percent of our students are from Pennsylvania, and 80% of them take their first job in Pennsylvania after they graduate. Investing in the PASSHE system … is truly an investment in the workforce of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

    System to launch new ‘last dollar’ scholarships

    The system also announced that beginning in fall 2027, it would provide “last dollar” scholarships to all Pennsylvania students who receive federal Pell and state Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency grants. For many students from the lowest-income families, the grants cover full tuition, but some families in the middle range who receive smaller amounts of aid are still on the hook for part of the cost, the chancellor said.

    “They’re the ones that tend to get caught in a bind, and they’re the ones that we’ve been worried about,” he said. “We’re going to cover the balance of their tuition” and make sure they are not affected by future tuition increases.

    Fiorentino said he hopes that donors will want to contribute to the effort so the level of aid can be expanded.

    The new scholarship program, called the PASSHE Pledge, will not cover room and board or fees.

    He did not have an estimate of how many students would qualify, but said system officials have been worried about losing them. And that would add to the enrollment decline at a time when the system, like other colleges, already is challenged by a shrinking pool of available high school students.

    “We’re hoping this is going to increase our enrollment numbers,” Fiorentino said.

    It is too early to predict fall enrollment, he said, but some of the system’s 10 universities are doing better with deposits than last year, some the same, and some a little worse.

    Pennsylvania’s state university system sees first enrollment increase since 2010

    “We’re cautiously optimistic that we’re going to be stable,” he said.

    The system is partnering with community colleges to streamline the transfer process and concentrating on bringing students with some college credits and no degree back into the system, he said.

    “We will continue to work hard to maintain and grow our enrollments,” he said.

  • Rothman Orthopaedics is refocused on Philly region, opening three new surgery centers

    Rothman Orthopaedics is refocused on Philly region, opening three new surgery centers

    Rothman Orthopaedics plans to open three new surgery centers over the next year and keep adding doctors in its Philadelphia-area market, as the large physician-owned group refocuses growth efforts on its original territory.

    “Our biggest priority in the near term is strengthening our core business here, in Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey,” Rothman CEO Christian Ellison said. “We’re not gonna ignore opportunities. We’ll be opportunistic around things that make strategic sense.”

    The new approach comes after a now abandoned effort to break into the New York market, first in a partnership with Northwell Health in 2017 and then with NYU Langone Health. That foray ended last year with the sale of Rothman Orthopaedics of Greater New York and its three locations to NYU Langone.

    Rothman has seen more success after following the lure of fast population growth to Florida, where it opened offices in the Orlando area in 2020 in partnership with AdventHealth.

    “Florida has been a big success, because we’ve had the partnership down there with Advent Health that’s been kind of mutually beneficial,” said Ellison, who became Rothman’s CEO last fall.

    The Philadelphia draw

    The practice headquartered in Center City already has 24 locations in the Greater Philadelphia market. That number includes facilities that Rothman operates in partnership with Jefferson Health, Main Line Health, AtlantiCare, and RWJ Barnabas.

    Rothman located its newest office in West Chester, an area where Rothman had little market share, according to Ellison. He also sees opportunity in other parts of the Philadelphia region and contiguous markets.

    To make that growth possible, Rothman is partway through an effort to hire 41 physicians by the end of this year. That represents a 20% increase and will bring Rothman’s total to 214 physicians, the company said.

    The need for ambulatory surgery centers

    Rothman is a partner in nine surgery centers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and two surgical hospitals (Rothman Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital in Benslam and Physicians Care Surgical Hospital in Limerick).

    Those outpatient facilities account for nearly two-thirds of Rothman’s surgeries. Even the surgical hospitals function primarily as ambulatory centers, Ellison said. The remaining third of surgeries takes place in acute-care hospitals.

    “We are challenged for operating room capacity right now, both in the acute care hospitals, as well as in our ASCs, and so we feel like we need to bring more operating rooms online,” Ellison said.

    What’s more, Medicare and private insurers want more procedures done in lower-cost surgery centers. In the future, insurers will pay the same price for an outpatient knee replacement whether its done in a hospital of freestanding surgery center, Ellison predicted.

    Rothman hasn’t finalized locations for the new surgery centers, but Ellison said he expects two to be in Southeastern Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey. The centers will likely be in areas where Rothman has an established patient base.

    The physician group prefers to open the new centers independently, as opposed to going through partnerships like it has historically. “We think we’re uniquely positioned to manage that patient experience in the surgical environment,” Ellison said.

  • Rite Aid is gone. Its shells remain, with some becoming gyms and car washes.

    Rite Aid is gone. Its shells remain, with some becoming gyms and car washes.

    It’s been almost a year since the last Philly-area Rite Aids closed their doors for good after years of financial trouble.

    But the pharmacy chain’s distinct facade still dots the landscape — in suburban shopping centers, on the corners of congested intersections, sometimes even smack dab in the middle of city blocks.

    Some of these buildings are still vacant, surrounded by overgrown grass and empty parking lots. Others are getting new life as dollar stores, medical clinics, daycares, Spirit Halloweens, and a Rally House sports retailer.

    A former Rite Aid (left, rear) and former Wawa (right) sat empty in Collingswood in June.

    The 8,000- to 16,000-square-foot shells are ideal for only so many tenants, real estate experts have said, and it is not unusual for these kinds of properties to take several months or more to lease.

    Here is a look at what’s happening at a few local zombie Rite Aids:

    South Jersey Rite Aids are becoming fitness centers

    A former Rite Aid in Blackwood, Camden County, has been a gym for more than a year, and its owners soon plan to open a second location at another old Rite Aid in Cherry Hill.

    Nick Bennett, CEO of the Bunker Fitness Center, said the owner of the Blackwood Rite Aid building approached him after seeing the gym’s content on TikTok. At the time, Bennett said, the gym was outgrowing its 3,000-square-foot space in Franklinville, Gloucester County.

    When he went to see the 13,000-square-foot former Rite Aid in Blackwood, he said, it had already been demolished inside.

    “It was just wide open,” Bennett said. “That floor plan works for our business model because gyms are open. You don’t really need to put up walls.”

    Steve Cristelli works out at the Bunker Fitness Center in Blackwood.

    Another plus, he said: Pharmacies have rows of refrigerators, which require electrical outlets, and the Bunker crew could use those outlets to plug in workout equipment.

    The old Rite Aid on Black Horse Pike needed “very little” work, just paint and rubber floors, Bennett said, and was easily transformed into the exercise and recovery space he had envisioned. The gym opened in 2025.

    “We’re smashing it,” Bennett said, with thousands of members who pay between $49 and $59 a month for the 24/7 gym, which has cardio and strength machines, weights, a sauna, and a cold plunge. He declined to provide specific sales or membership figures for competitive reasons.

    The Bunker Fitness Center operates inside a former Rite Aid in Blackwood.

    But Bennett said the business is doing so well that it is expanding into another former Rite Aid, 12 miles away in Cherry Hill with franchisee Jack Prendergast.

    That 10,000-square-foot pharmacy shell at Brace and Kresson Roads closed more recently and needs a bit more work inside, Bennett said. When they signed the lease, he said, it “looked like a Rite Aid.”

    Bennett said he and Prendergast are demolishing the interior, aiming for a September opening.

    In Delco, a Rite Aid could become a township’s first car wash

    The former Rite Aid in Newtown Square may get new life as a car wash.

    The store at West Chester Pike and St. Alban’s Circle closed last year. In February El Car Wash, a Florida-based chain looking to expand into Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland, applied to open there, said Newtown Township Solicitor Rich Sokorai.

    On its website, El Car Wash lists several other Philly-area locations as “coming soon,” including Cherry Hill, Drexel Hill, Feasterville, and Maple Shade.

    The Newtown Square Rite Aid operated a drive-through, Sokorai said, and drive-throughs are permitted in that commercial zone. After a June meeting, the township zoning hearing board is considering whether to permit the car wash, with a decision expected in the coming weeks.

    A Rite Aid with a “store closing” sign last summer.

    If approved, it would be the only car wash in Newtown Township, the solicitor said.

    Residents of the neighborhood behind the old Rite Aid have expressed concerns to local officials, Sokorai said, “because they fear traffic.”

    Others have said they are looking forward to a new business moving into the vacant space on a prime corner, Sokorai said. Even before the Rite Aid closed last summer, its shelves were often empty, the solicitor said, and “it was dying a slow death.”

    Temple University buys another old Rite Aid

    Temple “T” flags fly on North Broad Street.

    Temple University recently bought a second former Rite Aid on North Broad Street.

    The school recently closed on the old Rite Aid building on the 2100 block of North Broad for $9.25 million, according to spokesperson Stephen Orbanek. He said ArchWell Health, which operates a primary-care clinic for seniors there, will remain the tenant.

    “This property’s location, directly across the street from James S. White Residence Hall, supports the priorities of our campus safety and physical environment plan,” Orbanek said.

    This latest Rite Aid acquisition comes two years after Temple bought a Rite Aid and its surrounding shopping center near Temple University Hospital for $8.2 million. The Rite Aid is being converted into Temple Health neurology offices.

    The moves are part of a broader expansion of the university’s footprint on Broad Street, which includes the January acquisition of a vacant property at the site of a former McDonald’s for $8 million.

    Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to indicate that Temple Health plans to open neurology offices at the previously acquired Rite Aid building.

  • Bam Margera is sober, skating, and is (sort of) back in the final ‘Jackass’

    Bam Margera is sober, skating, and is (sort of) back in the final ‘Jackass’

    A former bouncer with hands like 5-pound hams was peppering Bam Margera with rib punches in a small gym at his Chester County castle.

    Every few minutes, Margera waved his hands in surrender. He started looking for a place to sit down. Sweat poured down his face, and he struggled to catch his breath

    “I need a second,” he said.

    Margera had strung together years of bad days recently, but, despite the pain, this wasn’t one of them. Today, he’s sober, in love, skateboarding, spending some time with his family and son, Phoenix Wolf, and, on this early June afternoon, working out, too.

    Fans of the Jackass series will get to see him on Friday, June 26, when Jackass: Best and Last, the fifth and final film in the series, is released.

    “I think this is the grand finale of it all,” he said.

    While Margera didn’t film new stunts or pranks for the latest film and had no interest in attending any premieres (his parents attended) or promotional events, he signed a deal allowing unseen archival footage and outtakes from early Jackass days to be used in the film.

    Margera had a public falling out with the Jackass crew over sobriety demands they placed on him before the release of 2022’s Jackass Forever. (He still blames Johnny Knoxville’s “sharp tacks” stunt in a Viva La Bam episode for damaging his feet and hurting his skateboarding career.)

    “I’m not ready to reunite with anybody,” he said recently.

    Paramount Pictures alleged Margera broke a “wellness agreement” that required him to undergo regular drug and alcohol tests and take prescribed medication to be in the 2022 film. When the film was released, Margera had a brief cameo, and The Inquirer noted that it suffered without Margera’s trademark heartagram symbol and Philly hoagiemouth accent.

    Some stars of the show and films, including Stephen “Steve-O” Glover and Brandon Novak, a longtime friend of Margera’s, have gotten sober. While Margera was seemingly blowing up friendships at his worst, Novak, a former pro skater, said he never took it personally.

    “I always have and will still love him, wherever he is in his journey,” he told The Inquirer in June.

    West Chester native Bam Margera poses for a portrait at his home in Pocopson Township, Chester County on June 4, 2026. After years of personal struggles, Margera says he is sober, skating again, and reconnecting with the “Jackass” franchise, allowing producers to use archival footage of him in the latest film.

    Three years ago, Margera seemed hell-bent on burning his own bridges to a better life. He was in California, a long way from his home and family in Chester County. He was even further from good publicity, from his passion — skateboarding — or any semblance of a normal life. In his own words, he became a professional “piece of s—.”

    Margera was mired in a custody battle with his ex-wife, Nikki Boyd, along with a slew of other legal issues and lawsuits in Pennsylvania and beyond, plus the subsequent attorney fees. He was in and out of rehabilitation centers for drugs and alcohol, and dealing with medical and mental health issues.

    When The Inquirer spoke to Steve-O about Margera in 2023, he said he was ready to help.

    “I just can’t do it for him,” Steve-O said at the time. “I tried everything I could to encourage him to want to get better, and none of it worked, so here we are. He has to want to get better.”

    “Jackass” star Steve “Steve-O” Glover has been sober for several years but he says his stunts are better than ever.

    Margera was placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold when he was found acting erratically outside Trejo’s Tacos in Los Angeles in June of 2023. When he was released, he checked into the Sunset Marquis hotel with more drugs than he’d ever had. Looking back, Margera said he wasn’t suicidal, but he didn’t really expect to wake up.

    Still, he said a little prayer that night.

    If he survived, Margera expected God to deliver him the “hottest eye candy with a tan pit bull” to save him. When he woke up, surprised to be alive, Margera went out by the pool, ordered a Bloody Mary, and met Daani Marie, a model and stretch coach he later married.

    Margera and Daani Marie, who now spend most of their time in Florida, hit it off immediately.

    “I really like you,” she said. “Do you want to walk my dog with me?

    “What kind of dog do you have?” Bam asked.

    “A tan pit bull.”

    He looked up at the sun and smiled.

    Former Jackass star Bam Margera walks to the Chester County Justice Center on July 27, 2023, for a preliminary hearing.

    While he didn’t get sober immediately, Margera credits that night, that chance meeting with Daani Marie the next morning, for at least putting him on the path. The two were married in New Mexico a year later.

    “Enough was enough,” Margera said. “I knew if I continued this lifestyle, I’m gonna die this way.”

    Margera said he hadn’t been back to Castle Bam in 10 months, and on this June afternoon, was paying Andrew Mehan, a former bouncer in West Chester, for boxing lessons.

    Mehan had to kick Margera out of some West Chester bars back in the day. He’d seen Margera in worse shape.

    “Come on, get up,” he commanded.

    Bam Margera in his personal skateboard park in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in 2011. (Charles Fox/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)

    Suddenly, Margera would rise from his rest with a groan — he still smokes — and snap a few jabs at Mehan.

    His father, Phil, the lovable victim of countless pranks and a few punches from Bam over the years, sat in the wings, beaming with pride as his son countered with a few jabs.

    “Yeah, he put me through it, but I’ll sit through anything as long as he’s sober,” Phil said.

    Margera’s solo show, Viva La Bam!, was set almost entirely in and around Castle Bam, his notorious home and compound in Pocopson Township, Chester County, and also at his parents’ home. The show ran for five seasons on MTV, from October 2003 to August 2005.

    Many of Castle Bam’s mainstays were still there: purple luxury cars — a Bentley and Audi in the driveway — skateboard decks on the walls, and lots of Margera’s paintings leaning against the walls. Margera described his style as “Jackson Pollock-ish.”

    Brandon “Bam” Margera (right) of MTV’s “Jackass” was born in West Chester, and friend and costar Ryan Dunn moved there as a teen. Above, they were signing autographs after a screening of the movie “Jackass 3D” at Manayunk’s UA Main Street 6 in October 2010.

    One skateboard deck featured Ryan Dunn, another steady fixture at Castle Bam back in the day. Dunn, Margera’s longtime friend and a fellow Jackass star, died in a fiery crash after a night of drinking in Chester County in 2011. The two met at 15, at West Chester East High School, and were nearly inseparable thereafter. In the wake of Dunn’s death, Margera turned to food and alcohol — pints of vodka and Gatorade, food binges followed by purges — to deal with the grief.

    Margera was interviewed by a television station at the scene. He was mostly sobbing, and when asked how he would get through it, he said he “couldn’t.”

    On this June afternoon, there were people, young and old, everywhere at the Castle: in the pool, putting skateboards together, or doing yard work. His wife doesn’t love the cold, so he didn’t plan on spending too much time back at the Castle or any one place, for very long. Pocopson Township, he said, cracked down on his ability to host big gatherings and do outlandish stunts.

    “I love Pennsylvania, but I love to travel, too,” he said. “Boredom is my trigger.”

    Friends popped in and out, including Dennis Wood, a West Chester native who used to skate at Margera’s as a teen.

    “Obviously, there’s been trials and tribulations throughout the years; he took some steps forward, some steps back,” Wood said. “In the last couple of years, this is the best I’ve seen him.”

    Margera had very public fallouts with his family during the worst years, too. He was charged with assaulting his brother at Castle Bam in 2023.

    Margera’s mother, April, said his legal issues have been resolved and that he seems to be “out of the darkness.” She went to California with him and Phil recently to visit Phoenix Wolf.

    “I would like to say I’m really proud of him. He came a long way. We’ve all been through the fire and brimstone, and we seem to be coming out on the other side,” April said in a text message.

    Novak, a former star of Jackass and Viva La Bam! who now owns sober living houses in Delaware and New Jersey, said Margera’s family was always the grounding force, a source of unconditional love, and he was happy to hear the Margeras have made amends.

    He also loves that Margera is skating again.

    “Where he seems to be now is a healing stage,” Novak said recently. “To what degree, I can’t speak on, but it’s better than it was when he wasn’t speaking to his family or the majority of his friends.”

    Margera started skateboarding as a teen, with Phil driving him all over the area to pursue his passion, including the late Love Park and FDR Park. Margera’s earliest stunts appeared in videos for his brother’s alt-metal band, CKY, and he got noticed by MTV. His crew was teamed up with other wild men, like Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O. Jackass was born. Margera and Dunn were featured in the first episode on Oct. 1, 2000, riding — crashing, rather — shopping carts.

    Phil watched his son’s recent torturous boxing lesson with pride.

    “He’s still cute, even at 46,” Phil said.

    When the final sparring round was over, Mehan helped pull Margera’s gloves off. Margera slumped down and took deep breaths. A few minutes later, he shuffled out of the gym and walked straight into the deep end of the pool, fully clothed.

    “I need to quit smoking,” he said along the way.

    Mehan put the day’s boxing lesson into a deeper perspective while he unwrapped his own hands.

    “That’s the worst he’ll ever look,” Mehan said of the boxing lesson. “Here’s the deal: He fought through it. He kept saying he was done, that he wanted to quit, but he kept going.”

    West Chester native Bam Margera is filmed by a documentary crew as he rests during a boxing workout at his home in Pocopson Township, Chester County.
  • Five Chester County centenarians, ranging from 99 to 104, give their life secrets

    Five Chester County centenarians, ranging from 99 to 104, give their life secrets

    From horses giving way to cars and the invention of television, to the election of more than a dozen presidents, World War II, and even the sale of sliced bread — the 45 Chester County centenarians who gathered for an annual luncheon this week have watched the world remake itself time and time again.

    “I saw a lot of things. A lot of wars, and a lot of popes. There’s a lot of good things,” said Anne Caporale, who will turn 100 in July. “I got married, had a family. I had a good life.”

    The annual luncheon celebrated Chester County’s group of centenarians — a total of 57 residents reaching or surpassing the milestone. Tuesday’s celebration saw a dozen who would turn 100 this year, plus quite a few returning attendees, including 108-year-old Evelyn Fair, who still writes poetry.

    “You are the builders, the teachers, the parents, the neighbors, and the foundation of the Chester County community,” Josh Maxwell, chair of the board of county commissioners, told attendees. “Every single comfort and freedom we enjoy today is a direct result of the hard work, sacrifice, and grace you poured into the world decades and decades ago. We are walking today on paths that you have all cleared.”

    Meet some of Chester County’s longest residents.

    Henry Jacks, 104

    Henry Jacks, 104, enjoys the annual centenarian luncheon hosted by the Department of Aging.

    Henry Jacks moved to South Coatesville when he was 4 years old, and has called it home ever since. He’s witnessed “quite a bit of change.”

    He remembers watching deliveries come by horse and wagon and recalls the hard days of the 1930s during the Great Depression (“cost of living wasn’t as bad as it is now,” he noted). Jacks joined the Army in 1940 during World War II, serving in the 92nd Engineers Regiment, and was stationed in Africa and Italy. He came back home to have three children, a boy and two girls.

    He was a Boy Scout leader, the first Black mail carrier in Coatesville, a city council member, and a judge of elections. He still sings in the church choir. (His advice: “Treat people right. Go to church.”)

    “So many changes that I’ve seen in the days,” he said. “I remember when I first saw TV; one of the neighbors had one, and all of the kids used to watch through his window. I’ve seen from the horses, to the cars, to the jet airplanes. And it’s been a wonderful life.”

    Letitia Hemphill, 103

    Letitia Hemphill, 103, at Tuesday’s luncheon.

    Letitia Hemphill started her working life at the candy counter at the former F.W. Woolworth’s five-and-dime in her hometown of West Chester. Though her father remarked she wasn’t good at math, she’d go on to have a long career using her skills while filling the registers and doing the end-of-day count in a department store and later at the treasurer’s office.

    She retired in 1986 but had trouble sitting still.

    “I got bored of not working,” she said.

    She started cleaning houses. It was something she’d always done: help her mother clean in the morning, and then go to the park in the afternoon. She kept up the tradition with her two grandkids and her two great-grandkids, whom she babysat for 14 years.

    An active life has been key to Hemphill, who did 10 years of ballroom dancing and more than 20 years at the gym.

    “Keep your body moving and keep your mind moving,” she said.

    She keeps her mind active by painting landscapes in watercolor, a hobby she took up in 1995.

    Hemphill was born in West Chester to a stonemason father and a stay-at-home mother. Once, someone asked Hemphill if she had a lot of friends. With 11 brothers and sisters, she remarked she didn’t need any.

    When she journeys through West Chester, she points out all the stores that have changed over time.

    Still, Chester County is “beautiful,” and much of her family is still around to keep her moving: two children, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

    Joseph Donia, 100

    Joseph Donia, 100. There were 45 centenarians in attendance at Tuesday’s luncheon.

    Up until last year or so, Joseph Donia’s hobby was building boats. He constructed a 20-foot wooden cabin cruiser from scratch. He had it for 40 years.

    “The only reason I sold it — my wife couldn’t get on it anymore,” he said.

    He had a lifelong love of boats, and spent five years at sea for the U.S. Merchant Marine in World War II. His time in service was the only time he wasn’t living in West Chester, where he bought a house and raised three kids. He also has six grandkids and three great-grandkids.

    His most recent project was a 35-foot sailboat. It’s still sitting behind his West Chester home, but he’s given it to his son to finish.

    It kept the 100-year-old active — something he advises.

    Eleanor Hammond, 101

    Eleanor Hammond, 101, enjoys Tuesday’s annual luncheon.

    Eleanor Hammond has always been a fan of creative pursuits: a voracious reader who knitted and sewed. She stitched her daughter’s wedding gown, and, perhaps more memorably, a jacket for her husband.

    “He insisted I make him a jacket because I sewed for everyone else. He picked out the material; looked like Liberace. It was horrible,” she said. “I wouldn’t go out with him when he wore it.”

    A graduate of Coatesville High School, Hammond would go on to work there until she was 81, in the principal’s office. She was once a disciplinarian, and truancy officer. She’s watched the county change over time, marveling at the amount of development. And, less positively, the traffic.

    “The way to get here, I used to zip here,” she said. “But I can’t do that now.”

    Still, she likes it, and the changes that have come with time.

    “I’ve been here a long time. Everything about it is beautiful. The people are friendly, and it’s a beautiful place,” she said.

    And as much as she loves home, she recommends travel. If you don’t know the language, be nice, smile, and “use your arms” to convey your meaning.

    Anne Caporale, 99

    Anne Caporale, who turns 100 in July.

    Anne Caporale graduated alongside Hammond at Coatesville High School. She went on to raise six kids, and has 10 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.

    “We have quite a group,” she said. “I love them.”

    She has found Chester County to be a good place to live and “wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

    She lives at home, right by one of Downingtown’s high schools, which she loves because “the kids are great.” She still does her laundry and cooks every day. The luncheon Tuesday was a treat for her. “Let somebody else do the cooking,” she said.

    Keeping active is the secret, she said.

    “I know we’re here for a reason, but I don’t know it. I don’t question it,” she said.

    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.

  • There’s now a ‘Club America’ at Great Valley High School. Turning Point USA says interest grew after Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

    Making his pitch to the Great Valley school board, Jed Lu said he and fellow students seeking to bring slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA organization into their high school weren’t racists or extremists.

    “We simply have a different perspective,” Lu told the board at a late February meeting.

    The Chester County district is one of the latest in the Philadelphia area to approve a Club America chapter — the high school offshoot of Kirk’s group. The organization seeks to mobilize “anti-woke warriors” and has rapidly been adding new local chapters since his assassination in September, provoking debate around right-wing influence in public schools.

    Nationally, chapters have nearly tripled — from 1,200 prior to Kirk’s death, to more than 3,300, according to Turning Point officials. Governors in Republican-led states like Arkansas and Nebraska are partnering with Turning Point to expand clubs throughout their states.

    In eastern Pennsylvania, there were 11 Club America chapters at the end of last school year. Now, “we’re currently approaching 40,” said Nick Cocca, Turning Point’s enterprise director.

    How Charlie Kirk’s death could shift Pa.’s young voters

    The group’s expansion might be overstated in the Philadelphia region. Seven area high schools listed by Turning Point on its website or Instagram graphics as having Club America chapters said they didn’t have clubs.

    Souderton Area High School, for instance, appears on Turning Point’s map, but doesn’t have a club. The school’s assistant principal, Matthew Haines, said “a student made an inquiry” in September about starting a chapter, but never applied to do so.

    In some schools, like Springfield High School in Delaware County, “we have a few students who started running an after-school student pilot a few months back,” said principal Monica Conlin, but the district doesn’t officially recognize the club. Conlin said new clubs must complete a three-year pilot before gaining district approval.

    Still, the organization has gained traction. In addition to Great Valley, Penncrest High School in Rose Tree Media School District lists Club America among its student clubs; district officials and staff didn’t respond to requests for comment.

    Turning Point says it also has a Club America chapter at Pennsbury High School, and an Instagram account for “Club America at Pennsbury” invited students to a Feb. 25 meeting to discuss the State of the Union and “participate in prayer for law enforcement and our nation.” District officials didn’t respond to requests for comment.

    ‘An outpouring of support’ after Kirk’s death

    A spokesperson for Turning Point couldn’t explain the discrepancy between its list and schools that say they don’t have any Club America chapters.

    The organization was also unable to provide a local student willing to be interviewed.

    Cocca said Turning Point “saw an outpouring of support and outreach from young people across the country” in the wake of Kirk’s Sept. 10 assassination. To support its growth, the organization is hiring more field representatives to work with high school students, Cocca said.

    People hold posters of Charlie Kirk during a Turning Point USA rally at Utah State University, as a part of the organization’s push to memorialize Kirk in Logan, Utah, in September.

    Turning Point, which began as an organization advocating for conservative views on college campuses, had previously been expanding its presence in high schools. (A Turning Point chapter launched years ago at Pennridge High School in Upper Bucks County, for example.)

    Turning Point last July renamed its high school operation Club America. “We wanted a brand that spoke specifically to them,” Cocca said. He said that “when Charlie was alive, he used to say ‘I want a Club America chapter in every high school in America.’”

    The expansion has spurred conflict. Critics have highlighted Kirk’s controversial statements, including referring to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as “an awful person” and calling the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act a “mistake.”

    Kirk also promoted the so-called “great replacement theory,” framing non-white immigration as a plot to replace white populations.

    “This club is an easy way to incorporate hate and discrimination within our high school. This should not be normalized,” a Change.org petition launched in January against a proposed Club America chapter at West Chester East High School read. An update to the petition later declared that Turning Point “was shut down at West Chester East.”

    Molly Schwemler, a district spokesperson, said that earlier this year, some students expressed interest in starting a Club America chapter.

    But “after discussing the process and need for sponsorship from a teacher with school administration,” students “instead decided to organize independently outside of the school,” Schwemler said. (On its website, Turning Point lists West Chester East as having a chapter.)

    In an Instagram post, the club said it decided to operate independently “because people can’t be mature, open minded or respectful at our school.”

    Activism hubs and kits

    In addition to identifying a teacher adviser, students looking to form clubs often have to supply information to administrators like their purpose, planned activities, and funding needs.

    Schools have little discretion to reject a new club, based on the federal Equal Access Act and First Amendment, said Jeffrey Sultanik, a solicitor for numerous Philadelphia-area districts.

    Districts need “to be viewpoint-neutral,” Sultanik said, noting that “once you open up the door to clubs coming in,” administrators can’t pick and choose which to permit.

    In its handbook for Club America chapters, Turning Point calls it “imperative that every chapter works to become officially recognized by the school,” offering students help if schools deny them.

    Students can form an “activism hub” outside of school for a specific geographic area “as a last resort,” the handbook says.

    In Downingtown — where Turning Point says there is an activism hub — a school district spokesperson said the district has not sponsored any clubs “related to religious or political groups in recent history.” (Some other area schools have official political clubs: Penncrest High School, for instance, lists Penncrest Democrats of America.)

    Turning Point says its Club America chapters are nonpartisan and don’t support specific candidates.

    But the group’s ideology is clear from materials it supplies to student members. Presentations available in Turning Point’s “Activism Library” for students to use have titles including “Taxes Are Shady,” “Socialism Kinda Sus,” and “Big Gov Scares.”

    “Why are those on the left not proud to be Americans?” a presentation titled “Always Love America” asks.

    Kids can order “Activism Kits” from Turning Point with posters and stickers. A “2A” kit features slogans like “Gun rights are women’s rights” and “Guns are the greatest equalizer.”

    Cocca said Turning Point provides students “anything they may need, to promote what they want to promote, and what they want to make their club about” — whether that’s registering students to vote, or learning about the Constitution, he said.

    “Ultimately, it’s up to the students to use those resources the way they want to use them,” he said.

    Opposition to Club America groups

    Critics accuse Turning Point of trying to indoctrinate high schoolers.

    “They are grooming at the high school level, and college level, for a generational change,” said Sherry Lawrence, a parent in Great Valley who opposed the district’s new Club America chapter. “All the red flags are there for people who don’t subscribe to this brand of conservatism, or this brand of Christianity.”

    Lawrence questioned whether adults were driving some efforts to organize Club America chapters.

    In an October Facebook post in a Turning Point Pennsylvania Action group, George Sabo, then a GOP candidate for township supervisor in East Whiteland, said his daughter was starting a chapter at Great Valley High School. “We had discussed it over the summer but pulled the trigger after Charlie’s assassination,” Sabo wrote.

    In a brief phone interview, Sabo said it was his daughter’s idea to start the chapter.

    “My daughter and family, who believe in the Bible, and believe God is king, value those properties and want to see that brought more into the school district,” Sabo said.

    He said that while there had been pushback from other kids, “there’s some support from other kids, too.”

    Great Valley school board members during a meeting at Great Valley High School in Malvern in 2024.

    The Great Valley board approved the club 7-0 at its February meeting.

    At the board meeting, Lu, the club president, said he and the three other club officers had initiated its formation.

    While the club has a “conservative viewpoint,” Lu said, “our purpose is civic debate and civil discussion.” He added that the club is motivated by “the Christian value of love and compassion.”

    The club hopes to be an “impactful addition to Great Valley High School,” Lu said.

  • In Philly homes, wallpapering is back and the rules have changed

    In Philly homes, wallpapering is back and the rules have changed

    When decorating their circa-1920 townhouse, Eli Steiker-Ginzberg and Sarah Schrading wanted their vestibule to represent the home’s history. They chose a classic William Morris wallpaper called Bird and Pomegranate for above the chair rail and a textured Anaglypta paper painted in Benjamin Moore Baltic Sea below.

    “Colonial Wallcoverings had so many options it was overwhelming,” recalled Steiker-Ginzberg, who lives in the Fairmount area. “The leaves and birds and colors of this one really jumped out.”

    The William Morris paper was a splurge, so to stay on budget, they matched it with a less expensive paintable wallpaper. In total they spent about $2,000 on the materials and installation “for the smallest room in my house,” he joked.

    Wallpaper is showing up in unique ways and in new places. Bold patterns on the ceiling, colorful oversized florals on an accent wall, custom murals in the living room, and funky patterns in the closet and mudroom that add pizzazz and make a statement.

    The wallpapered vestibule in Eli Steiker-Ginzberg and Sarah Schrading’s home leads to a painted wall on the home’s first floor.

    More homeowners are embracing bold wall coverings, according to the 2026 U.S. Houzz Fall Design Trends Report. The shift reflects a move toward deeply personal designs, with homeowners opting for vivid, expressive details that make their spaces feel unique and emotionally resonant, the report found.

    “Wallpaper has character and brings out the life and beauty of a room,” said Paul Sperling, owner of Colonial Wallcoverings in Queen Village. “It shows off your personality.”

    Modern wallpapers are also easier to hang and strip than older versions, with paste-the-wall and self-adhesive DIY options.

    “A lot of people are afraid of wallpaper because it used to be a nightmare to take off,” Sperling said. “But most wallpapers now are easier to remove because of changes in how the papers are printed.”

    Making a statement

    When Jessica Maiuro moved into her Rittenhouse apartment in 2024, she wanted a wow factor as soon as she came through the front door. After a couple months of searching, she discovered a bold patterned wallpaper featuring Ben Franklin within a gilded picture frame blowing a bubble gum bubble, surrounded by a tiger and flowers.

    “I wanted something that would really make a bold statement and be a conversation starter when I hosted,” she recalled. “I had never seen any design like this, and I was instantly sold and in love. What could be more Philly?”

    Jessica Maiuro was delighted to find this Benjamin Franklin wallpaper for her home in Center City.

    Maiuro spent about $500 on the peel-and-stick wallpaper from the online seller Spoonflower and corralled her husband, John Jeong, and a friend to help her hang it. Her apartment is a rental, but she tested the paper and knows it will easily strip off when it’s time to take it down.

    When investing in wallpaper, consider where and how it will make the most impact. Wallpapers with small, repeating patterns work best in a smaller space, such as a powder room or vestibule.

    For larger spaces, wallpaper murals can serve as a focal point on the wall behind the bed or sofa, or continuing across several walls. They often feature grand designs or landscapes, including big, bold flowers and jungle scenes. Murals are more popular than ever, said Sperling, with brands like Rebel Walls and Glamora that specialize in custom sizes.

    For a more personal design, Rich Art Graphics in Center City will take your artwork and create a custom wallpaper to fit your dimensions.

    “Most of the time, a designer or artist will come to us with a fine art interpretation to be printed and installed in homes,” said Michael Antner, the print shop’s owner. “It’s something personal that they are very passionate about.”

    For example, a client may have a favorite painting or photograph they want to reimagine on an entire wall. Cityscapes and naturescapes are especially popular. Rich Art will create a digital file with the picture and manipulate it to the exact size of the wall.

    They offer traditional wallpaper adhered with paste or peel-and-stick adhesive. The average cost is $8 per square foot to create the paper, plus installation.

    A record player dating to the 1960s sits in Maiuro’s home under the gaze of bubble-gum-chewing Ben Franklin.

    The fifth wall

    The ceiling has become the fifth wall of the room, where wallpaper can make a bold statement and add a new dimension. Options include very intricate designs where viewers can spot new details to simpler patterns like clouds or green tree canopies.

    “It’s much more dramatic and brings more attention to the room,” Sperling said. “It takes vision.”

    Parents are even wallpapering nursery ceilings as a stimulating focal point for their babies.

    “Wallpapered ceilings have been a design staple for centuries in Europe, especially in homes where pattern and ornamentation played an important role in creating atmosphere and storytelling,” said Krystal Reinhard, founder and principal designer at Old Soul Design Studio in downtown West Chester.

    She’s seen a noticeable uptick in the past five years as homeowners look for more expressive, layered interiors. Papered ceilings work in smaller, contained spaces like powder rooms, nurseries, and offices. But they can also make sense on larger ceilings in bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens.

    When papering the ceiling, it’s important to consider the scale of the pattern — motifs or tonal textures often work beautifully overhead, Reinhard said. It’s best to hire an experienced installer because ceilings require precision and strong adhesive knowledge. Before committing to a pattern, one should test how it interacts with overhead lighting — fixtures can cast shadows that change the effect.

    “A wallpapered ceiling is one of the most effective ways to give a room soul,” Reinhard said. “It’s a detail that feels thoughtful and intentional.”

    Especially in the Philadelphia region, where so many homes have architectural character worth celebrating, treating the ceiling as a design opportunity can elevate the entire space, she said.

    It’s a way to honor historic craftsmanship while embracing a very current, expressive design moment.

    Steiker-Ginzberg and Schrading chose the wallpaper in their vestibule to represent the home’s history.

    How much does wallpapering cost?

    Wallpaper costs vary widely, starting at about $40 per 50-square-foot roll for peel-and-stick options from online sellers such as Wayfair. Textured materials from brands like Arte or historical luxury design houses like de Gourney or Zuber can reach several hundred dollars per individual square foot, Sperling said.

    Many companies provide a measuring calculator to determine exactly how much is needed for your project. It’s essential to take pattern repeat into account and add an extra 10% for mistakes and future repairs.

    Most companies sell samples. It’s helpful to hang those in various spots and observe over a few days to see how the pattern looks in the light at different times of day and night.

    For Steiker-Ginzberg, the wallpaper investment was worthwhile.

    “There’s something important and meaningful about the portal into your house and there being an intentional transition,” he said. “It makes a difference in the impression people get.”

  • The Sixers were terrible, but their former coach shined on NBC’s throwback broadcast

    The Sixers were terrible, but their former coach shined on NBC’s throwback broadcast

    The Sixers’ miserable loss to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs Tuesday was forgettable, but NBC’s throwback broadcast was something to remember.

    From the retro opening to the “Roundball Rock” theme to the 1990s-style graphics, everything NBC put together was pitch perfect. Even the retro scorebug captured the feel of NBC’s heyday covering the league in the 1990s and early 2000s, though back then the network didn’t keep the score on the screen out of fear of driving viewers away during blowouts like Tuesday night.

    In their first season broadcasting NBA games since 2002, NBC assembled a who’s who of former talent for Tuesday’s broadcast. Bob Costas, calling his first NBA game in 24 years, ably weaved back and forth from nostalgia to the action on the court, at least until the Spurs put the game out of reach in the third quarter.

    “It’s been nothing but pain for the Sixers tonight,” Costas said alongside longtime NBA analysts and former coaches Mike Fratello and Doug Collins.

    Costas also managed to squeeze the line “Two great Dicks” into the broadcast, referencing famed sportscaster Dick Enberg and former NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol.

    “Two great Richards,” Costas jokingly added.

    Initially, NBC planned to bring back Marv Albert, but the iconic NBA announcer had some health issues related to his voice and was unable to participate.

    Former NBC host and reporter Ahmad Rashad (who once played a preseason game for the Sixers alongside Charles Barkley) also wasn’t part of the broadcast. It’s not clear why Rashad wasn’t in South Philly alongside his former colleagues Tuesday night, but Costas gave him a special shoutout during the broadcast.

    “One of my favorite people I ever worked with in any sport,” Costas said. “Great company, terrific sense of humor. A lifelong friend.”

    The connections past and present were everywhere. Sixers point guard Kyle Lowry, among the few players on the court old enough to have watched the NBA in the 1990s, was drafted by NBC analyst Mike Fratello when he was still head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006.

    Heading into halftime, Spurs point guard Dylan Harper was interviewed by longtime NBC reporter Jim Gray, who interviewed Harper’s father, five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, many times over the years.

    “It really is Throwback Tuesday now,” Costas joked during the broadcast. “We’re now talking to the sons of guys we covered.”

    Doug Collins should be calling more NBA games

    Doug Collins speacks to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ashlyn Sullivan ahead of Tuesday’s Sixers-Spurs game.

    As far as the nuts and bolts of the broadcast, Collins was on top of things all night. In the first quarter, the former Sixers player and head coach quickly pointed out after a Wembanyama block it was the 24th game this season he’s had at least three blocks, leading the NBA.

    Later in the first half, when Costas mentioned the Thunder as one of the few teams that might challenge the Spurs in the playoffs, Collins quickly noted San Antonio won four of their five games against Oklahoma City this season.

    During the second half, with the game well out of reach for the Sixers, Collins recalled back to his own coaching days trying to get thrown out of a game he could no longer watch.

    “One of the old-time referees ran by the bench, stopped me, and said, ‘Listen, I know what your doing. You’re trying to get thrown out. You’re going to stay here and watch the same crap I’m watching,’” Collins recalled. “I couldn’t even get thrown out!”

    As Sports Media Watch’s Jon Lewis noted, Collins sounded like “not a moment has passed since he last called games for ESPN years ago.”

    In recent years, Collins has divided his time between homes in Arizona and West Chester, where he’s able to watch his grandchildren play basketball. Collins said he’d love to come back and call more games, but some health issues with his feet and legs have held him back.

    “It’s hard for me to travel,” Collins told The Inquirer before the game. “Otherwise, I’d still be working.”

    Interestingly, a lot of Sixers fans probably missed NBC’s throwback coverage, since NBC Sports Philadelphia’s broadcast was a strictly 21st century production featuring regular announcers Kate Scott and Alaa Abdelnaby. But most viewers probably changed the channel by the third quarter anyway.

    Scott and Abdelnaby will be back Wednesday to call the Sixers’ game against the Utah Jazz at 7:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

    Sixers standings

    Eastern Conference

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    Upcoming Sixers TV schedule

    • Wednesday: Jazz at Sixers, 7:30 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia)
    • Saturday: Sixers at Hawks, 6 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA TV)
    • Monday: Sixers at Cavaliers, 7 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia)
    • Tuesday, March 10: Grizzlies at Sixers, 7 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia)
    • Thursday, March 12: Sixers at Pistons, 7 p.m. (Amazon Prime Video)
    • Saturday, March 14: Nets at Sixers, 1 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia)
    • Sunday, March 15: Trail Blazers at Sixers, 6 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia)
  • A ‘milky white’ substance was leaking into a Chester County creek, and a business could face fines

    A ‘milky white’ substance was leaking into a Chester County creek, and a business could face fines

    A business that operates an industrial site in West Goshen Township that leaked hazardous discharge into a nearby creek could face fines, municipal officials said this week.

    Several people spotted a “milky white” substance in Goose Creek, near Nields Street in West Chester, on Saturday. The borough received reports of it around 12:20 p.m., according to a news release from the borough on Monday.

    The “illicit discharge” stemmed from a pipe at Atmos Technologies, at 216 Garfield Ave. in West Goshen Township, near Henderson High School. The leak was plugged within roughly an hour after reports were initially made, officials said.

    It is not known how long the pipe had been leaking before residents reported it.

    The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is investigating the spill to find out how much of it spread into the creek and what remediation efforts are needed to protect the public, officials said.

    Atmos Technologies told DEP that chlorinated water was released to a containment area, Robyn Briggs, a DEP spokesperson, said in an email Tuesday. It mixed with a manufactured product known as “Long Duration Foam AC-645,” forming a foaming agent.

    DEP alerted Aqua Pennsylvania, a public water provider that serves portions of Chester County. It continues to monitor the downstream flow, but said in a post online that residents’ drinking water was not affected.

    People had reported fish kills — mass deaths of fish, usually prompted by environmental stress or pollution — and “noticeable pollution” of the creek over the weekend, but Briggs said no further fish kills had been reported since and the creek appeared clear, with some foaming, on Sunday and Monday.

    Officials advised people and their pets to stay out of the creek, a West Goshen Township news release said Monday.

    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.

  • Delaware’s only Nordstrom is closing

    Delaware’s only Nordstrom is closing

    Delaware’s only Nordstrom store is set to close its doors next month.

    The Christiana Mall location will shutter on April 30, the company confirmed in an email on Monday. The closure was reported over the weekend by the Delaware News Journal.

    “We believe we’ll be best able to serve customers in the area by leveraging our surrounding stores and through our digital channels,” Nordstrom said in a statement.

    The two-story, 123,000-square-foot department store opened in the Newark mall 15 years ago. The high-end retailer is one of four anchors alongside J.C. Penney, Macy’s, and Target.

    Once Nordstrom closes, the nearest full-price location will be more than 30 miles away at the King of Prussia Mall. The company’s discount counterpart, Nordstrom Rack, operates a store nearby at the Christiana Fashion Center complex in Newark.

    In the past year, the company has expanded its off-price footprint, with new Nordstrom Rack stores in Deptford and Marlton in South Jersey.

    Nordstrom Rack in Center City is shown in 2018. Recently, the retailer has been expanding its off-price footprint.

    The retailer has announced plans to open more than a dozen additional locations this year. They include Nordstrom Rack stores in the Main Street at Exton shopping center and at the Promenade at Granite Run in Media.

    At the Christiana Mall, Nordstrom said it is “committed to taking care of our employees through this transition, including supporting those who are interested in finding another role within Nordstrom.” It did not say how many people would lose their jobs.

    A search of Delaware’s online database of WARN Act notices, which are required in advance of closures and mass layoffs, did not yield any results.

    Christiana Mall is billed by its owner, General Growth Properties (GGP), formerly Brookfield Property Partners, as “one of the most productive retail centers in the country.” The developers say that each year 10 million people visit the 1.2-million-square foot “tax-free shopping destination” that is home to more than 140 stores. Delaware has no state or local sales tax.

    The Christiana Mall is shown in 2018. Its owners say 10 million people visit the Newark shopping destination each year.

    A GGP spokesperson declined to comment on Nordstrom’s departure and said it was too soon to discuss what’s next for the space.

    The news of the closure comes amid an uncertain time for the retail industry.

    Some shopping destinations, such as the King of Prussia and Cherry Hill malls, appear to be thriving. Others struggle amid economic uncertainty and increased competition from online retailers. Several local malls are flat-out dead, with some in the process of being resurrected as mixed-use complexes with apartments, restaurants, and entertainment.

    Individual retailers have also seen disparate results.

    After decades in business, Saks Fifth Avenue in Bala Cynwyd is set to close next month after its parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In another segment of the retail industry, West Chester-based home shopping network QVC Group, according to a Bloomberg report, is considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize billions in debt.