3+ week, 1+ day ago (421+ words) If you're like most well-intentioned gardeners, you might give a lot of thought to planting the "right" plants to nourish pollinators and other wildlife, with nectar, pollen, seeds and fruit. But have you given much thought to those animals' habitat? In addition to sustenance, beneficial insects and critters need a safe home in which to rest, hide, breed and pupate. One area crucial to their lifecycles is around the base of trees. "We talk about the importance of (native) trees in creating the caterpillars that drive the food web," Doug Tallamy, entomologist and bestselling author of "Nature's Best Hope" and "Bringing Nature Home," told me the last time we spoke. "But those caterpillars drop from the tree and they pupate in the ground. And how we landscape under those trees determines whether or not those caterpillars will survive," he said....

1+ week, 3+ day ago (12+ words) Remembering Michael P. Rellahan as the chronicler of life in Chester County...

4+ day, 6+ hour ago (1069+ words) Chris Lerch is passionate about supporting small businesses. And while he claims Small Business Saturday " an annual event observed the day after Black Friday " is his favorite day of the year, his efforts to do so extend throughout the year. "Small businesses are the heart of a community, but they can't survive without our support," he said. "I work to generate that support for local businesses because I believe they make our communities better." In 2020, Lerch founded Hello 422, an organization that promotes small businesses located along the Route 422 corridor from Birdsboro to Phoenixville. The goal was to drive traffic to local shops and restaurants that were struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. The same year, he kicked off Shop Small to Win Big, a campaign that has become an annual tradition celebrated on the three days after Thanksgiving. "We get a…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (362+ words) Operation Holiday was started in 1991 at The Mercury in Pottstown to help families going through tough times provide something for their children during the holidays. Themission of the program is to make sure there is food on the table and gifts under the tree when Christmas morning comes. Now in its 35th year, the program has served thousands of families throughout Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties, expanding its reach in recent years to include communities served by readers of the Reading Eagle, The Times Herald, The Reporter, and Daily Local News. Nearly $85,000 in donations last year provided gift cards to 366 children and grocery gift cards to 189 families, plus cash donations to food pantries in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties. This year, Operation Holiday has partnered with 21 agencies in the tri-county area. Agencies have referred 199 families with 403 children for gifts and food....

2+ day, 8+ hour ago (251+ words) This Small Business Saturday, I encourage everyone to take a break from online clicks and big-box stores and turn their attention to the small, local businesses that keep our communities vibrant. This year, I want to highlight two aspects of Small Business Saturday that are near and dear to my heart " pop-up retail and youth entrepreneurship. Across our region, more and more entrepreneurs " especially young people " are testing their ideas through temporary retail spaces, pop-up shops, and local vendor markets. These short-term opportunities allow aspiring business owners to reach customers, build a following, and gain real-world experience without the high cost or long-term commitment of a traditional storefront. For school aged students, pop-up retail offers a powerful learning experience " turning creativity and classroom lessons into hands-on business practice. Whether they're selling handmade crafts, baked goods, tech gadgets, or clothing designs,…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (303+ words) Edie Burkey, President of the nonprofit says the key message is: "Our Co-Op Grocer all begins with the local farmer, and today more than ever they are suffering from financial insecurity and becoming more insecure as they face challenges in the market." AgConnect has identified over 1,700 small farmers in Chester County. KCG will reach out to farms within a 4560-mile radius and hope to contract with 80 farmers for the start of operations. Over time, many more local producers will be added. "Their invitation will include Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, Sussex, New Castle. Kent, Cecil, and Lancaster Counties and southeast New Jersey. There are plans to have locally sourced baked goods, dairy, meat, beverages, prepared foods, jams, jellies, canned goods, and other artisan products. The interior design will have a "Hip, Cool Farmstand" feel. KCG's site is convenient to downtown Kennett…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (87+ words) Pennsylvania Supreme Court election 2025 results, judicial retention votes to keep Judge David Wecht, Judge Christine Donohue, Judge Kevin Dougherty; PA Superior Court Judge Alice Dubow; and Commonwealth Court Judge Michael Wojcik in office. Polling places in Pennsylvania open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Anyone in line by 8 p.m. is allowed to vote. Results will begin posting shortly after polls close at 8 p.m. Refresh this page to track the latest vote totals, and see the full final count....

2+ week, 5+ day ago (306+ words) In the recent elections, it seems our community of Kennett Square and the country is looking for fresh faces and youthful energy to become our upcoming leaders. Kennett Square clearly made that point unequivocally voting Juan L.Tafolla, the youngest elected official in Kennett history as a Kennett Borough Council member. Juan is a native of Kennett Square and lives with his parents, two brothers and a sister, who currently attend Kennett schools. Juan made his mark as a Kennett high school student initiating the idea of becoming a Junior Borough Council member. Under the tutorage of previous Mayor Leon Spencer, he took on the challenge. Even though Juan was not a voting member at that time, he participated in all the Council meetings for about two years. He expressed his creative ideas at that time and strongly supported affordable housing…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (295+ words) UPS calls the giant center Worldport. Here's what to know about its enormous scale: The facility at Muhammad Ali International Airport employs some 20,000 people, making UPS the largest employer in the Louisville area, the company said on its website. It processes 2 million packages per day in a facility the size of 10 football fields. It has the ability to handle even more: It has the capacity for 416,000 packages and documents per hour. Louisville's location in Kentucky puts it within four hours of flight time to 95% of the U.S. population. It serves 200 countries around the world. In 2022, the company said it would begin building a new aircraft hangar in Louisville that would be large enough to park two 747 planes, which are the largest in its fleet, and eight new flight simulators. UPS Healthcare, which provides shipments for clinical trials and shipments to medical…...

1+ day, 15+ hour ago (356+ words) Pennsylvania boys and girls high school basketball scores from Friday, Nov. 28: Academy Park 64, Norristown 41 Armstrong 61, River Valley 51 Avella 57, Chartiers-Houston 49 Beaver Area 59, Grove City 54 Bishop Canevin 65, Elizabeth-Forward 55 Blackhawk 52, Union Area 18 Bucktail 56, Curwensville 34 Claysburg-Kimmel 52, Portage Area 46 Derry 62, Burrell 55 Elk County Catholic 47, Cameron County 40 Ellwood CIty 81, Rochester 39 Elwood City Riverside 55, Perry Traditional Academy 29 Fairview 66, First Christian 47 Forbes Road 60, East Juniata 43 Fort LeBoeuf 63, Cambridge Springs 14 Frazier 47, McGuffey 43 Jeannette 78, Indiana 53 Keystone Oaks 54, Winchester Thurston 51 Laurel 67, Sharpsville 49 Laurel Highlands 61, Greensburg Salem 43 Lincoln Park Charter 71, Knoch 46 Mount Pleasant 51, Yough 26 Northern " Cal, Md. 99, Rockwood 12 Old Forge 45, Emmaus 42 Quaker Valley 52, Windber 17 Red Land 70, Bermudian Springs 45 Roberts 62, MaST Community Charter School II 28 Shenango 57, Franklin 47 Summit Academy 77, Valley 62 Thomas Jefferson 79, Serra Catholic 62 Union City 54, Titusville 45 Archbishop Ryan 73, Holy Cross, N.Y. 47 Armstrong 48, Burrell 45 Avella 35, Mapletown 32 Bedford 58, Northern Bedford 27 Butler 57, West Shamokin 26 Central Dauphin 44, Central York 31 Eastern Lebanon County High 58, Hamburg 28 Ephrata 42, Lebanon 41 Geibel Catholic…...