Inner Nature: A chat with ChatGPT about bioelectricity

By Vidya Rajan, Columnist, The Times The power of a good story is that has sound grounding in fact, but also pushes the boundary of belief. Is it too much to imagine that our world will be un-livable soon due to the effects of climate change? Will watching the movie The Day After Tomorrow change your mind? Will watching GAATACA sensitize you to the possible outcomes of human genetic engineering? Will...

What To Do: Kennett Winterfest tops busy weekend

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times  Kennett Winterfest This is a special time of year in Kennett Square – the time for a popular annual event known as the Kennett Winterfest. Usually, tickets are already sold out by this time but this year some tickets remain. The Annual Kennett Winterfest (http://kennettwinterfest.com/) will be held on February 25 from 12:30-4 p.m. in a tented area...

On Stage: Grammy winners come to The Keswick

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Sarah Jarosz Rounder Records is known for its roster of super-talented singer/songwriters including Billy Strings, Dawes, Dr. John, Mipso and the duo of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. It also includes many topflight female singer-songwriters such as Samantha Fish, Sarah Jarosz, Katie Pruitt, Sierra Ferrell and the Indigo Girls. Many of these acts are...

Caln police officer shoots and wounds man after alleged car theft

A Caln police officer shot and wounded a man early Wednesday, after the man allegedly crashed an apparently stolen car into a police cruiser at high speed. Neither the suspect or the officer was identified by the Chester County District Attorney’s Office, but the suspect is reported to have suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh and a broken elbow and was treated for his injuries at Paoli Hospital. According...

PA is a third-world state because of funding issues

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa Pennsylvania has a funding problem. Yes, right now, there is a budget surplus, but for decades state government has slowly been starving essential services such as police, education and roads/infrastructure. There are a lot of issues — too many loopholes and tax exemptions for corporations (a shocking number of profitable companies pay nothing in tax),...

Democrats, Republicans announce party endorsements

The Democratic Committee and Chester County as well as the Republican Committee of Chester County held their annual nominating conventions this past week, endorsing a number of candidates for the May primary. Democrats announced a number of endorsements. Chairwoman Charlotte Valyo stressed the importance of the endorsement process, especially given cross-filing Republicans expected on the May...

What To Do: ‘Conversations with birds’

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Birds are all around us. Need proof — look at your car’s windshield after you park in an outdoor location. But, for the most part, birds are pretty cool. As they move through the sky and land on tree branches, telephone wires and roof eaves, they provide a momentary sense of delight — an accessible way for everyone to connect with the natural...

On Stage: Wolf makes Philly debut at The Foundry

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Julia Wolf In this era of cookie-cutter copy-cat modern pop, finding an original artist is a rarity. Finding something that makes the ears perk up and the brain smile is like buying a lottery scratch-off with a six-figure payoff. Thankfully, every once in a while, a singer comes along who doesn’t follow the pack. Fortunately, 2023 is a year when there...

CCIU, school districts team up to fight staff shortages

The Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) and its 12 partner school districts have teamed up for a countywide recruitment campaign to fill a variety of positions within their schools. As Pennsylvania faces a severe educational staffing shortage, the campaign aims to educate job seekers on the many roles available to them in education. In Chester County alone, over 600 open positions are waiting to...

What To Do: A holiday weekend for love

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Hagley Museum Valentine’s Day 2023 is just a few days away — February 14. That means that married couples, lovers, boyfriends and girlfriends, boyfriends and boyfriends, engaged couples, girlfriends and girlfriends, sweethearts and event pet owners and their pets will be celebrating the annual romantic holiday this weekend – and celebrating...