On March 4th 1861 William Penn was granted a charter of land from Charles II of England. The land was dubbed Pennsylvania or “Penn’s Woods” in honor of his father Admiral Sir William Penn.

The areas included in the charter that would then become Philadelphia…

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Governor Josh Shapiro issued a statement just past midnight saying, “There are many questions, many which will go unanswered, but the one thing we absolutely know for certain, is t…

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featuring music by Mike Nappi

“At 12:20 pm on Saturday, February 28, 2026 West Chester Borough was notified by numerous sources of a ‘milky white’ substance in Goose Creek,” stated a press release issued by the borough on March 2nd. The statement went on to include, “[The borough’s] Public Works Director coordinated the first response and notified leadership of West Goshen Township and West Chester Borough. The source of the illicit discharge was identified by 12:45pm as an industrial site in West Goshen Township near Henderson High School.”

The industrial site has since been identified as Atmos Technologies, a waste management company located in West Goshen. The company was formed in 2021 following the merger between Rusmar Incorporated and Crowley chemical company. It was then purchased by Texas-based Insight Equity in 2024. We reached out to Atmos Technologies and spoke with a customer service representative, but received no direct response. However, in a statement released to ABC and NBC news, the company claimed “the product itself is nonhazardous, non-toxic, and fully biodegradable,” and that “the material breaks down naturally and is not expected to have any long-term impact on local wildlife or the ecosystem.”

Robyn Briggs, regional communications manager for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), provided an account of the incident:

“Long Duration Foam/Chlorinated water entered a stormwater inlet on ATMOS Technologies property and discharged into Goose Creek. A failure in a process tank at ATMOS Technologies, located within the building, released approximately 4,000 gallons of chlorinated water. The chlorinated water overwhelmed a containment pit that also contained some residual of long duration foam and conveyed the material to a storm sewer inlet that discharges to the creek. DEP and West Chester Borough stopped this discharge into Goose Creek on Saturday, and DEP has overseen the cleanup in the days since.”

A ‘containment pit” is an industry term for in-ground storage of oils or other Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). No information has been provided on what chemicals, if any, were present in the affected containment pit, meaning it is currently unclear if any chemicals other than water, chlorine, and Long Duration Foam AC-645 entered Goose Creek. We asked the PADEP if any substances were being stored in the affected containment pit but have not yet received a response.

President of the Goose Creek Alliance, Mike Dunn, informed us fish have died as a result of the spill, and foam has been seen miles downstream. “We will be aggressively pursuing environmental justice from the perpetrators of this discharge. That includes advocating for full accountability, meaningful penalties, and a legally enforceable restoration plan that ensures this type of incident does not happen again,” said Dunn in a statement issued by the Goose Creek Alliance.

West Chester Borough shared more information about the chemical involved in a follow-up statement issued on March 3rd which stated “the material released was a combination of chlorinated water and a manufactured product known as Long Duration Foam AC-645. This product is widely used as temporary barrier to control dust, odors, and VOC emissions at hazardous waste sites, landfills, and excavation sites.”

The safety data sheet for Long Duration Foam AC-645, the chemical that spilled into Goose Creek, is available on our social media and provides additional info about the substance. Unfortunately, much of the data is missing. According to Dr. Megan Fork, chief scientist of the Goose Creek Alliance, “As an environmental scientist, my first stop when evaluating a chemical is the Safety Data Sheet, or SDS, the international standard for communicating risks to people and ecosystems. But when I located the SDS for Long Duration Foam AC-645, I was met with line after line of information ‘not available.’ This is not an oversight.”

Dr. Fork called the lack of information a “predictable outcome” as she further explained how chemical safety regulations function in the United States.

“Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), companies are not required to disclose the full contents of proprietary chemical mixtures. They are also not required to provide comprehensive safety data for new products before those products enter commerce. In practice, this means chemicals are often used widely for decades before we understand their risks and we only test them when something goes wrong over and over.”

At this time, PADEP does not know of impact to any private wells in the area. However, officials urge residents and pets to avoid Goose Creek until this is resolved and clean up operations have been completed. If you encounter dead or injured fish or animals which may be related to this incident, contact PADEP at 800-541-2050.

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Every day, we see countless images created by generative Artificial Intelligence (gAI). These are pictures created out of whole cloth by algorithms trained on a wide range of work. You have probably heard of the most popular of these models: ChatGPT by OpenAI, Gemini by Google, Claude by Anthropic, Copilot by Microsoft. With only a sentence or two, known as a prompt, you can create a hyper-realistic picture of Abraham Lincoln partying with Flava Flav at the Olympics. This means photographic or video evidence no longer necessarily indicates something to be true.

This January, we conducted a poll amongst our readers to ask, “Do you think government-run social media should somehow indicate when they use images generated by AI?” Of those who responded, roughly 96% said yes, and only about 3% of our subscribers said no.

In order to provide the community with more clarity about this issue, we reached out to local government leaders to inquire if they have policies regarding AI usage, as well as what those policies include.

West Chester Police Department Chief Joshua Lee confirmed the WCPD does indeed have an AI use policy in place, however due to the policy including “law enforcement information,” he was not comfortable sharing the details with us.

When asked directly if he used gAI or any LLM models himself, Chief Lee said he personally uses AI to help summarize things he reads, referencing Google Gemini and ChatGPT.

“In law enforcement, we aren’t so quick to jump on any particular bandwagon. We like to make sure new systems are safe and proven. AI is just another one of those things,” Chief Lee stated, adding, “Ultimately, it is the Chief’s responsibility to set a solid framework.”

Chief Lee responded to the public’s concerns regarding government produced gAI images by saying, “My biggest concern is that there is trust in the WCPD, so when people see us on social media and the real world I want it to match. You can trust whatever you see from us, because that’s the foundation we work upon.”

Next, we contacted West Chester borough manager Sean Metrick, who responded with the following statement: “Transparency in this area is important, and something we take seriously as we continue to evaluate our needs and responsibilities. At this time, the Borough does not have a formal AI policy, and our use of generative AI is very limited and general in nature. Because we are still in the early stages of reviewing this topic, I don’t think an interview is appropriate right now.”

Finally, we spoke with David Byerman, Chief Executive Officer of Chester County. Byerman began in his position three years ago, at a time he calls, “the beginning of the hockey stick” when it comes to AI.

According to Byerman, in 2025 Chester County contracted with ChatGPT for a walled-off version of the model which prohibits data uploaded by county employees from being shared with their public model. He also said that since the county works within the Microsoft ecosystem, some people also use Copilot.

Byerman disclosed Chester County government has a 90-person AI task force which meets monthly to discuss shared successes and failures in AI usage. Employees are also restricted from uploading or sharing any personally identifiable information (PII) to use with AI tools. “As a county, we have many departments with sensitive information and we take that seriously.”

When asked if the county government uses gAI to create images, Byerman responded, “we have a lot of talented graphical artists who work for the county. I’m not aware we have any reason to use image generation in any significant way.”

“Our expectation is, regarding policy, anything that’s AI generated and not reviewed by human beings, [that] needs to have an ‘AI Generated’ label. Content will never be used wholesale. It will be reviewed by staff.” Byerman stressed his view regards AI to be a productivity tool, not a substitute for good performance. “You would be foolish to not see the potential [in AI]. We have to do this responsibly in a way that would allay any concerns from residents in Chester County,” Byerman concluded.

The week-long event kicked off yesterday and features a variety of local restaurants throughout the borough. Participating restaurants will be offering exclusive menus for the event, and with multi-course meals priced from $40-$60, it’s a fantastic opportunity to try some of the county’s highest rated restaurants right here in town.

Hours and availability vary depending on location, but the event will continue every day from now through Sunday, Mar 1.

Scan below for the list of participating restaurants and more information:

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Last Saturday at the Baptist Church of West Chester, Fern Hill student Molly Davis celebrated a very special birthday. Not only has Molly just turned seven years old, but for the first time since the summer of 2023, her leukemia is in remission.

Laura Davis, Molly’s mother, said it started in June 2023. Molly’s father, Sean, brought her to the pediatrician because she was especially tired and her legs were bruised, among other issues. Molly was referred to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) when her tests came back with unusual results, indicating a possible issue with her blood.

“That kind of sent chills down our back,” said Sean. The family immediately headed to CHOP, where Molly underwent six hours of further testing. Just past midnight, they got the news: “I walked in and I could tell,” said Laura. “None of the doctors, none of the nurses, no one would look at me. [They said], come on into this conference room’ and I [said], ‘I’m not going in there’.”

“They pulled Laura and myself into a room,” said Sean, “and let us know [Molly] was diagnosed with leukemia.”

Molly was admitted to CHOP’s oncology department in King of Prussia, where they confirmed her diagnosis and began treatment on the same day. “They hit the ground running from day one,” said Laura.

In July, Molly returned to CHOP after suffering a seizure. “At that point, everything just spiraled out of control,” recounted Laura.

Molly began experiencing new symptoms that kept her at the hospital for the rest of the summer and kept her bedridden for nearly a month. Ultimately, the experience resulted in Molly losing 100% of her mobility. She was admitted to the Seashore House, a specialized physical and occupational therapy facility.

After about a week of rehabilitation therapy, Molly exclaimed, “Hey Mommy, I’m standing!” Laura turned around to see her daughter, who hadn’t moved in quite some time, standing at the edge of her bed.

“This was one of the first big successes and joys for us,” Sean remembered, “to get that positive energy, it was such a big moment for us.”

“From that point, it was like something clicked in her,” said Laura, “she went from just so sad and miserable and sullen, to, like a light switch went off, and she was like, ‘I’m doing this! I want to go to therapy, let’s go!’ It was great.”

With her mind made up, there was no stopping Molly Davis, and she was able to leave the Seashore House a week earlier than anticipated. On October 6th 2023, Molly and her parents were finally able to return home for the first time since that July.

Molly received her final dose of chemotherapy on January 6th of this year. Her cancer is now in remission, though residual treatment will continue for the next two and a half years. In five years, Molly will be considered fully cancer-free.

According to Laura, Molly doesn’t remember receiving her diagnosis, and she looks back at being in the hospital as a positive experience. “The nurses, the staff, the doctors, the child life specialists, they do such a good job of making the child feel at home,” expressed Sean. Molly misses her friends from the hospital and has even asked her parents when she can go back for a sleepover.

Molly’s older brother Cameron didn’t want to talk, but before her party, we spoke with Molly herself and asked her how it feels to be cancer-free. “Happy,” she smiled, sharing that she wants to be a cancer nurse when she grows up. For now, Molly spends her time cooking and taking care of her large collection of baby dolls.

As winter workouts give way to outdoor practices and the sound of batting practice starts echoing across local fields, high school baseball is preparing to return across Chester County. With opening day approaching, programs throughout the Ches-Mont League are getting ready for another spring defined by strong pitching, disciplined play, and some of the most competitive baseball in District 1.

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At West Chester Borough’s public safety meeting on Tuesday, Feb 10th, Councilman Brian McGinnis proposed a new ordinance to require borough council approval before the police department enters into a 287(g) agreement. A 287(g) agreement authorizes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or (ICE) to delegate state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE direction and oversight.

Councilwoman Lisa Kearns shared her struggle with the ordinance, eventually siding with Councilman McGinnis. “The one thing I think I know for sure is that we cannot continue to remain silent and do nothing as a local government,” said Kearns, “We can’t do that as our local immigrant community is terrorized and lives in fear. These are courageous people who are now being forced to live in the shadows. These are not the worst of the worst; these are our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers, and they are living in fear, right now, in West Chester.”

Not everyone supports the ordinance, however. Earlier that day, Mayor Lillian DeBaptiste announced that she and Chief Lee had developed a policy stating the West Chester police department (WCPD) would not enter into a 287(g) Agreement. Mayor DeBaptiste was concerned the creation of an ordinance, as well as the inevitable discussion surrounding it, would attract ICE attention.

“Like so many Americans, as the Mayor of the Borough of West Chester, I have been shocked by many recent events, and I have seen and felt the concerns of many of our community members.” The Mayor continued, “Please know that by policy, the WCPD does not enforce immigration laws, [they do not] inquire about people’s immigration status and [they do not] detain people based on immigration status. In the history of the WCPD there has never been, and there will never be a 287(g) agreement with ICE.”

However, Councilwoman Kearns stated that while this was a good first step, she questioned if this policy alone went far enough. The proposed ordinance would protect future administrations from changing that policy without council input. Kearns highlighted that “as quickly as a [policy] was made, it can be changed.”

Mayor DeBaptiste responded, “My concern is I hope that in your quest to do good, because what you are doing is good, you have not put a target on the very people that you want to help. That is my hope and that is my prayer, because it’s brown and Black people who are being targeted, it’s brown and Black people whose lives are at stake, and you do have the privilege of making all of the ordinances you want and not having to suffer the consequence.”

Former mayor and state representative Dianne Herrin a also spoke about the ordinance, citing the home rule charter. Herrin stated the Mayor “controls the police department, directs the activities of the police department through the chief of police. While the borough council controls police department hiring and finances, all operational control is vested in the office of the mayor.” Herrin thought the borough council was overstepping its authority, a point Councilman McGinnis disagreed with her on in a heated exchange.

Councilman McGinnis stated that, in his opinion, “entering into an agreement would obligate borough [resources] that may expose the borough to fiscal and legal risk. As such, participation constitutes a matter of municipal policy.”

The ordinance was forwarded to the borough council 3-0 and will be on the agenda for this month’s Borough Council work session, which will take place at Borough Hall on Tuesday, Feb 17.

In related news, it was announced the following morning Immigration and Customs Enforcement had rented out a field office in Tredyffrin. We will keep you updated on that story as it develops.

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