Lance Armstong and the Pa. GOP: soul brothers?

If winning is all that matters, who cares about a little a lot of cheating? By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Lots to discuss this frosty weekend in January, so instead of the more typical main subject matter, indulge me and try to follow a thread of complicated technology, overt party politics, acoustics and just about a little bit of everything people are talking about in the Unionville area this...

County commissioners continue collegial, bipartisan trend

Minority commissioner reelected as vice-chair of three-member board At Wednesday’s reorganization meeting, the county commissioners approved the nominations of Terence Farrell (center) for Ryan Costello (right) as chairman, and Kathi Cozzone (left) as vice-chair. During a reorganization meeting on Wednesday, the Chester County Commissioners voted unanimously on 2013 leadership, continuing a bipartisan...

EMS paging switched to new $3.5 million system

Commissioners say changeover will improve efficiency and meet federal mandate By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times The new pagers are similar in appearance to the old ones, but the reduced bandwidth of the system should improve efficiency, county officials said. A new $3.5 million emergency-services paging system became operational Tuesday morning – an advance that improves communications...

County chosen for human-services funding program

Selection will provide flexibility in allocating resources, officials said County Commissioners Kathi Cozzone (from left), Terence Farell, and Ryan Costello applaud the county’s selection for a state block-grant program. Chester County was one of 20 counties selected by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare to participate in the Human Services Block Grant program, county officials said...

First responders get center that befits their bravery

Long-awaited Chester County Public Safety Training Campus opens first phase By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times Whether  trying to extricate accident victims from  burning wreckage or evaluating a bomb threat, emergency responders specialize in overcoming obstacles,. Such perseverance served them well in the quest for a county training facility, an arduous, years-long process that...

Feds deem county ready to handle disaster

For second year in row, county gets perfect score on readiness assessment The Center for Disease Control’s Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) has large quantities of medicine and medical supplies to protect the American public if there is a public health emergency (terrorist attack, flu outbreak, earthquake) severe enough to cause local supplies to run out. Just in time for National Preparedness...

Commissioners take 9-1-1 fee proposal off table

Plan to impose costs on municipalities met spirited criticism By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times Commissioners Kathi Cozzone (from left), Terence Farrell and Ryan Costello will not pursue a 9-1-1 cost-recovery plan proposed last month. The county commissioners announced yesterday that they will not advance a contentious proposal introduced in June to impose a cost- recovery fee for...

Will commissioners’ 9-1-1 fee plan flatline?

Municipal officials balk at sharing costs for county-controlled services By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The UnionvilleTimes.com WEST CHESTER — A proposal to apply a tourniquet of sorts to the county’s hemorrhaging 9-1-1 costs has generated cries of anguish from some municipal officials, prompting the Chester County commissioners to delay a vote. In an effort to defray about $2.6 million...

Strong support continues for Pocopson Home

Residents urge commissioners not to sell or lease the county facility By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com Commissioner Ryan Costello chats with members of the audience before the start of last night's meeting. At right is Mark Rupsis, the county's chief operating officer. The message from the commissioners at last night’s third meeting on the fate of the county-owned...

Ex-movie set a crowd-pleaser for pet-lovers

Chester County SPCA’s Forget-Me-Not gala brings hundreds to Unionville  By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com Emcee Dawn Timmeney (from left) introduces Katie and Cuyler Walker, and State Sen. Andy Dinniman, who brought his dog, Henry. A passion for pets pervaded the Chester County SPCA’s elegant 25th annual Forget-Me-Not Gala in Unionville on Sunday. Held at the residence...