Author: Lisa Dukart

Hi, Chester County. 👋

A local family is working to preserve a memorial and play area dedicated to their late infant son, putting them at odds with some township officials. Also this week, a roller derby team is searching for a new home, two people have been charged in a road-rage incident, plus we take a look at Vanguard’s evolving real estate footprint.

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This family is fighting to keep a play area memorializing their son from being relocated

After the death of his 7-day-old son in 2022, Ryan Leithead channeled his grief into creating a memorial for Cayden. The result was a sandpit play area at the Pine Creek Park playground in West Pikeland Township, complete with a photo of Cayden’s hand encircled by those of his parents.

But as officials contemplate upgrading the playground, the memorial could end up being moved — something Leithead says feels like losing his son all over again. It’s put him and some other residents at odds with the board of supervisors.

Here’s what to know ahead of the board’s planned Sept. 8 meeting.

For these locals, roller derby is much more than just a sport

A local roller derby team is on the hunt for a new space to host its practices and possibly spectator-attended bouts, something that’s proving to be a tall order for the lesser-known sport that emphasizes inclusivity.

Consisting of about two dozen members, Brandywine Roller Derby currently practices at a facility on Collegium Charter School’s Exton campus, but hosts its games in Pottstown due to a lack of roller rinks anywhere in Chester County.

As the team gears up to recruit new skaters — there’s an event Sept. 20 — its president worries about the group’s future if it can’t find a new spot.

The Inquirer’s Brooke Schultz delves into roller derby’s history and why it’s more of a community than just a niche sport.

📍 Countywide News

• Two Chester County clubs — Applebrook Golf Club in Malvern and Stonewall in Elverson — have some of the best private golf courses in Pennsylvania, according to a ranking from Golfweek.
• Several new roadwork projects will join a slew of ongoing ones throughout the county this week. Here’s what to know.
• Trash and recycling pickups may operate on an altered schedule for Labor Day. Check with your municipality or service provider for details.

💡 Community News

• Two men involved in an alleged May road-rage incident in Tredyffrin Township were charged last week with attempted murder and terroristic threats.
• Another stop-work order was issued last week at the East Whiteland Township Superfund site that’s being converted into a 1.5 million-square-foot data center. This one called into question documentation about sufficient water to operate the facility.
• Malvern investment giant Vanguard has sold a Tredyffrin Township office complex for $17 million, but plans to continue leasing the site.
• Malvern medical-technology firm Tela Bio plans to slash about 20% of its workforce, or roughly 40 full-time employees, to cut operating expenses. The Great Valley Corporate Center company specializes in biological products for soft-tissue repairs.
• Fifteen players from the Berwyn–Paoli Area Little League challenger baseball team — geared toward individuals with physical and intellectual challenges — competed in the 2026 Little League Challenger Division’s exhibition game over the weekend.
• Former New Garden Township supervisor Warren Reynolds has been sentenced to 17 1/2 to 35 years in state prison for sexually abusing a child. Thirteen years ago, Reynolds was also charged with possessing child pornography.
• Birmingham Township is contemplating an ordinance to better define language about potential future data centers and will host a public hearing Tuesday at 7 p.m.
• Uwchlan Township’s board of supervisors will resume discussions about the possible development of a 492-home community at the Lionville Station Road property at Tuesday’s 6 p.m. meeting.
• Setting the Bar, a new shop specializing in vintage barware, recently opened at 152 E. Gay St. in West Chester.
• Uwchlan Ambulance Corps has launched a car seat loan program for community members.
• A new 67-apartment building with one- and two-bedroom units has opened at mixed-use development River Station in Downingtown. A second building with 93 apartments is slated to open next year.

🏫 Schools Briefing

• Coatesville Area School District is hosting a ribbon cutting and sneak-peek for students and their families this evening at 6 p.m. for its new Doe Run Elementary School, which broke ground in fall 2024. A community celebration is expected this fall.
• Kennett Consolidated School District opened New Garden Elementary this week, a little over two years after the project broke ground.
• Oxford Area School District has made several personnel changes as the school year gets underway. Stephanie Farmer has been appointed principal of Elk Ridge Elementary School, taking over for the retiring Matt Hovanec. Former Penn’s Grove School principal Tami Motes has taken that same role at Hornet Virtual Academy, with former Oxford Area High assistant principal Andy Wendle stepping into her previous role. Wendle is being succeeded by Vanessa Kephart.

🍽️ On our Plate

• Los Sombreros, a new West Chester eatery specializing in Mexican and Venezuelan cuisines, soft opened yesterday at 139 W. Gay St.
• Japanese restaurant Egawa, which serves a large selection of sushi and omakase, recently opened at 650 Carnegie Blvd. in Malvern.
• Want to get a peek at a 1923 Colonial revival once owned by the du Pont family? Tickets are on sale now for Longwood Gardens’ open-fire culinary event, Field & Flame, on Oct. 2 and 3, which will take place on the grounds of the 505-acre Wilmington estate Granogue that Longwood purchased in recent years.

🎳 Things to Do

🇺🇸 America250 Concert and Drone Show: Drones will light up the sky for this rescheduled patriotic celebration. There will also be food and drinks. ⏰ Thursday, Sept. 3, 6:30-8:30 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Exton Park

🏎️ OMI Car Show: See over 200 unique cars, trucks, and motorcycles; enjoy live music; and grab a bite to eat from a food truck at this 12th annual event. ⏰ Friday, Sept. 4, 4-8 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Downtown Oxford

🏇 Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show and Country Fair: Now in its 83rd year, the Labor Day weekend event features equestrian competitions and local vendors. ⏰ Saturday, Sept. 5-Monday, Sept. 7, 8 a.m. daily for equestrian events, 11 a.m. for the country fair 💵 $10 per carload 📍 Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show grounds, Glenmoore

🏡 On the Market

A four-bedroom Chester Springs home with a chic interior

Located in the Chester Springs neighborhood of the Reserve at Waynebrook, this four-bedroom home has undergone a number of updates. Its airy living spaces include a family room with a fireplace, a dining room, an office, and a remodeled eat-in kitchen with granite countertops and high-end appliances. The primary suite has a bathroom with a soaking tub, plus a walk-in closet. The home has a deck and a patio with a fire pit out back. There’s an open house Sept. 13 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

See more photos of the home here.

Price: $820,000 | Size: 3,499 SF | Acreage: 0.18

🗞️ What other Chester County residents are reading this week:

• Eagles reveal 53-man roster, keep four quarterbacks amid roster cuts
• South Jersey Freedom Fuel stations racked up big fines before being promoted by White House
• Police believe a new video shows violent pornographer Raymond ‘R.C.’ Horsch killing a woman on camera, sources say

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

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.

Hi, Chester County! 👋

A two-home, three-parcel property spanning 27 acres is for sale in Willistown Township. We take a look. Also this week, a new future for Rock Hill Farm is on the table, West Chester puts limits on new smoke shops, plus East Whiteland residents could expand the township’s board of supervisors.

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A sprawling three-property Willistown compound is for sale for nearly $9M

Three Willistown Township properties that span a combined 27 acres and have two homes with their own pools are being privately listed for sale.

Known as Sugartown Springs Farm, the properties include a 7,559-square-foot, four-bedroom main house that dates back to the mid-1700s. It has an in-ground pool and a pond.

Another home, this one with six bedrooms and spanning over 6,000 square feet, also has its own pool. Elsewhere on the property, there’s a two-story timber-frame barn with a glass atrium that was once used as an art gallery for Andrew Wyeth’s paintings.

Take a peek at all three.

A new ‘best-case scenario’ proposal for Rock Hill Farm

A larger swath of Rock Hill Farm could be preserved under a potential new deal between Willistown Township and the developer looking to build luxury homes on a portion of the 222-acre property.

A proposed settlement agreement between the parties could see upward of 75% of the land put under a conservation easement, while decreasing the number of residential subdivisions, something one township supervisor called a “good ‘best-case scenario.’”

The Inquirer’s Brooke Schultz fleshes out the details.

📍 Countywide News

• The first phase of SEPTA’s bus network overhaul began Sunday, impacting 30 routes, including along the Lancaster Avenue corridor. Now sure how it affects you? Check out The Inquirer’s interactive map.
• Chester County reported 41 measles cases recently, the second-highest number in the state since an outbreak began this spring.
• Chester County Solid Waste Authority is hosting a household hazardous waste event in Oxford this Saturday. Advanced registration is required.
• August may be coming to a close, but roadwork projects throughout the county aren’t. Here’s the latest on detours and delays.

💡 Community News

• West Chester will now require conditional use approval for smoke and vape shops to open in the town center after a council vote last week.
• Amid concerns over East Whiteland Township’s handling of a proposed data center project, residents have successfully collected enough signatures to add a measure to the November ballot, when they’ll decide if they want to expand their board of supervisors.
• Six Coatesville men involved in a revenge plot that left one of their friends dead have been sentenced to state prison.
• West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes were found at Cedar Hollow, Strafford, and Wilson Farm Parks this month in Tredyffrin Township.
• The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in Downingtown during last Thursday’s storm, traveling a short distance along Quarry Road.
• A developer’s plans to build a small-scale data center at the Shoppes at Coventry got pushback at Monday night’s meeting, when North Coventry supervisors voted to oppose it. The shopping center’s owner is seeking a special exception to allow for the nearly 86,000-square-foot center to move ahead, the Daily Local News reports.
• Lincoln University is suing Lower Oxford Township for what it says is an unconstitutional and racially discriminatory event ordinance that unfairly targets the historically Black school. The township passed the ordinance nearly a year after a shooting during the school’s homecoming left one person dead and several others injured.
• Fantasy-themed bookstore Leaves & Lore opened in West Chester on Saturday, and so many people showed up and made purchases that the owners had to close early on Sunday.
• It was a tough week for West Chester’s East Side Little League, which lost its opening game and a closely contested follow-up elimination game in the Little League World Series. But making it to Williamsport was still “a dream come true” for members of the team, who also got to hang with pros during the MLB Classic.
• A new 42-townhome community could be coming to the former Burger King site at 410 S. High St. after West Chester’s borough council gave preliminary approval for a proposed development there.
• Friday is the last day for public comment regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed cleanup plan of the former National Vulcanized Fiber site. Despite community pushback, Kennett Square’s council is considering allowing housing and business development on the 22-acre parcel once it’s remediated.
• Women’s boutique Stile by Per Lei is opening its newest location today at Gateway Shopping Center in Wayne.

🏫 Schools Briefing

• Coatesville Area School District is partnering with Union Community Care to open the county’s first school-based community health center, which will offer year-round care, including physicals, medication management, and vaccines.
• A handful of local football players, including from Malvern Prep, and Coatesville Area Senior, Downingtown East, and Owen J. Roberts High Schools, are among the ones to watch this season, according to coaches, scouts, and recruiting services.
• Several Chester County schools earned high marks in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings of the best public high schools in Pennsylvania. Downingtown STEM Academy took the top spot in the county, ranking second in the state, followed by Unionville High School (No. 10), Conestoga High School (No. 13), and Great Valley High School (No. 23). Downingtown STEM also ranked highly nationally, taking the No. 19 spot.

🍽️ On our Plate

• West Chester Cooperative has opened at 204 W. Market St., marking the latest new grocery store in the region.
• Victory Brewing has again teamed up with Longwood Gardens for its citrus shandy, a 5.5% ABV beer with notes of grapefruit and kumquat, available at the Kennett Square mainstay and in Victory taprooms.
• The second season of HBO series Task has been filming throughout the region this summer, including in West Grove, where Mark Ruffalo and other cast and crew members visited Twelves Grill and Cafe.

🎳 Things to Do

🍺 West Chester TAPS: Today is the last installment of the borough-wide happy hour for the season. ⏰ Wednesday, Aug. 26, 5-7 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Throughout West Chester

📚 Literary Festival: This inaugural event includes a ticketed community book exchange, local authors, vendors, crafts, and food trucks. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 29, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go, $17.85 for the book exchange 📍 Downingtown Vintage

🪕 Roots and Blues Fest: The Cris Jacobs Band headlines this third annual show. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 29, 11 a.m. 💵 $40 in advance, $50 at the door, free for kids 12 and under 📍 Anson B. Nixon Park, Kennett Square

🎶 Yesterday’s Gone: This Fleetwood Mac tribute will take place outdoors on a rooftop. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 29, 7-9 p.m. 💵 $22 for children, $30 for adults 📍 Kennett parking garage roof

🏡 On the Market

A Birchrunville home with hidden themed rooms and a tree house-inspired porch

This four-bedroom Spring City home has an airy open-concept living area, complete with vaulted ceilings and walls of windows overlooking nature. But its living quarters set it apart — literally. A first floor primary suite is accessed via its own raised bridge, while there are two themed rooms downstairs, complete with a grotto. They’re located behind a hidden doorway and through a secret passage off a living area with a second kitchen. A fourth bedroom, a suite, is upstairs, along with office space. Out back, there’s a tree house-inspired porch off the deck. There’s an open house tomorrow from 5 to 7 p.m.

See more photos of the property here.

Price: $1.2M | Size: 6,154 SF | Acreage: 3.03

🗞️ What other Chester County residents are reading this week:

• Some of Philly’s oldest restaurants are closing or changing hands. What’s going on?
• WHYY’s ‘Fresh Air’ host Terry Gross is at the center of catfish-style scams targeting stars and media personalities
• Stoop ball, Tastykake, and climbing ‘Billy’: The Bacon brothers talk about their Philadelphia childhood

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

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.

Hi, Chester County! 👋

After being fired, all six members of Westtown Township’s historical commission are striking out on their own. Also this week, Oxford will disband its police department, future development at a contaminated Kennett Square site could be on the horizon, plus, what to know about the mysterious drone sightings over Wallace Township.

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Axed Westtown historical commission members form their own society

All six former members of Westtown Township’s historical commission — who were fired last month amid disagreements with local officials over historic preservation — have formed their own independent society.

Known as the Westtown-Brandywine Historical Society, the group’s mission is to protect local buildings and history, similar to what they did before. “I feel like we’ve continued without missing a beat,” one member said, adding she was crushed when they were dismissed.

In just a few short weeks, the group has already planned several events, including historical tours of Oakbourne Mansion and Park and a discussion about the Darlington Inn. They believe the inn should be preserved, and their stance is why they think they were let go.

The Inquirer’s Brooke Schultz explores how the group formed so quickly and what’s ahead for them.

📍 Countywide News

• SEPTA is rolling out the first phase of its bus network overhaul Sunday, impacting 30 routes, including along the Lancaster Avenue corridor. Here’s what to know.
• Expect more roadwork throughout the county this week as new projects get underway and others continue.

💡 Community News

• Oxford’s borough council voted Monday to disband its police department and join the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department and Commission amid budgetary constraints. The change will go into effect next year. The borough will hold a town hall with the regional department’s police chief tomorrow.
• Kennett Square’s council moved future development at the defunct National Vulcanized Fiber site one step closer to reality this week despite pushback, agreeing to advertise an ordinance that would allow for housing and businesses at the contaminated 22-acre former industrial property.
• With limited housing inventory and a growing population, Kennett Square has decided to cap how many short-term rentals are allowed within the borough. Current units will be grandfathered in.
• For the past month or so, the West Brandywine Police Department has been investigating drone sightings in Wallace Township, where one has been spotted repeatedly flying over homes and roads for several hours at night. Inquirer columnist and area resident Sabrina Vourvoulias offers her take.
• West Chester’s 12-and-under East Side Little League team has punched its ticket to the Little League World Series, which gets underway today in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The team, representing the Mid-Atlantic region, is slated to compete Friday.
• Several Phillies players sported one-of-a-kind cleats for last week’s Field of Dreams game in Iowa, which were created by Downingtown company NXT LVL Customs.
• Longtime Phoenixville borough manager E. Jean Krack is planning to retire this coming spring after 18 years in the role. Council is working on plans to hire his successor.
• Willistown Township is hosting a meeting tomorrow at 7 p.m. at General Wayne Elementary School to discuss the potential settlement agreement for Rock Hill Farm. A judge recently overturned a township ruling denying the property could be developed into luxury homes.
• East Vincent Township’s planning commission is slated to continue discussions tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. about AQ Dev, LLC’s conditional use application to build 53 single-family homes at 446 Stony Run Rd.
• West Brandywine Township is holding a conditional use hearing Tuesday at 7 p.m. for Imaging Associates’ and Toll Brothers’ proposed age-restricted community at 500 Hibernia Rd.
• Nordstrom Rack is opening tomorrow at Main Street at Exton.
• Leaves and Lore, a new fantasy-focused independent bookstore at 118 N. High St. in West Chester, is opening its doors on Saturday.

🍽️ On our Plate

• Mark your calendars: Opus, an artsy New American restaurant and cocktail bar adjoining Artelo in Kennett Square, has set Sept. 11 to 13 as its opening weekend.

🎳 Things to Do

🏒 Flyers Community Caravan: Gritty is heading to Exton as part of a multi-stop tour that also includes the team’s in-arena host and Flyers alums. ⏰ Wednesday, Aug. 19, 5:30-7:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Miller Park, Exton

🍻 Summer Pop-Up Biergarten: Locust Lane Craft Brewery and Turk’s Head Wines will be pouring drinks, while food trucks Philly Hots! and Cousins Maine Lobster will dish up food. ⏰ Thursday, Aug. 20, 5-8 p.m. 💵 $10 in advance, $15 at the door 📍 Historic Sugartown, Malvern

🎸 Tell Me Lies: The Fleetwood Mac tribute group will perform some of the band’s most iconic hits. ⏰ Friday, Aug. 21 and Saturday, Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m. 💵 $51-$61 📍 Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, West Chester

📚 Philadelphia Book Crawl: Several Chesco bookshops — Forage Books in Kennett Square, Wellington Square Bookshop in Exton, and Reads & Company in Phoenixville — are participating in the region-wide event. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 22, times vary 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Locations vary

🏡 On the Market

A serene West Chester estate with a pool and two-story wine cellar

Built in the 1800s, this stone West Chester estate — known as Fernbank Farm, and already under contract — features a number of original architectural details. Among its most unique is a former ice house that’s been converted into a two-story wine cellar that can hold 1,500 bottles and also has a tasting room. Other features in the six-bedroom home include a library and sunroom, in addition to outdoor living spaces such as covered wraparound porches, gardens, and a heated pool.

See more photos of the property here.

Price: $3.3M | Size: 5,397 SF | Acreage: 6

📈 Chester County market report

• Median listing price: $599,900 (down $17,100 from June) 📉
• Median sold price: $610,000 (down $18,500 from June) 📉
• Median days on the market: 34 (up six days from June) 📈

This Chester County market report is published on a monthly basis. Above is data for July from realtor.com.

🗞️ What other Chester County residents are reading this week:

• Police say they believe two women were killed in Olney home — neither previously linked in missing persons search
• AND1’s trash-talking factory was based in the Philly suburbs. It began with a stolen roll of Wawa toilet paper and a dream
• Inside the world of competitive Amish volleyball

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

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.