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  • Memorializing the local pilot who died on 9/11 | Inquirer Chester County

    Memorializing the local pilot who died on 9/11 | Inquirer Chester County

    Hi, Chester County. 👋

    A group of former West Chester University football players rallied to create a monument to their late teammate, who died co-piloting one of the flights on Sept. 11, 2001. We take a look at their lasting tribute. Also this week, charges have been brought in the attempted robbery of Saquon Barkley’s Malvern home, an Exton software firm has expanded its Philadelphia footprint, plus, we take a peek inside a 19th-century West Chester property and its two-story wine cellar.

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    Remembering Michael Horrocks, the WCU alum who died co-piloting one of the 9/11 flights

    Michael Horrocks’ former West Chester University teammates continue to pay tribute to their late friend, who died co-piloting United Airlines Flight 175 on Sept. 11, 2001. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    In the years after the 9/11 attacks, football players at West Chester University didn’t know Michael Horrocks’ name. That didn’t sit right with his former teammate Tom Schafer, who, after learning the former quarterback died while co-piloting the ill-fated United Airlines Flight 175 that day, made sure that wouldn’t be the case any longer.

    Despite battling cancer, Schafer, along with other former teammates, set out to honor Horrocks with a scholarship endowment and a statue at the Golden Rams’ stadium, which was unveiled in 2010.

    For every practice and game since, players tap Horrocks’ left foot before taking the field, keeping alive the legacy of a man — an illustrious football player, a Marine, and a commercial pilot — none of them would ever know, but who they’d likely never forget.

    The Inquirer’s Alex Coffey looks back at Horrocks’ legacy and how his loved ones continue to honor his memory.

    📽️ Hear from his teammates in this Inquirer video.

    📍 Countywide News

    • Chester County and Paoli Hospitals earned high marks in the latest U.S. News Best Hospitals by Specialty rankings. Chester County was recognized in 13 categories, including colon cancer and gynecological cancer surgeries, while Paoli scored top marks in 12 categories such as lung and colon cancer surgeries.
    • Have an unwanted bike or sewing machine? Chester County Solid Waste Authority is collecting used goods Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the West Goshen Municipal Complex. Items will be sent to developing nations and a $20 donation is requested to offset shipping costs.
    • A number of new roadwork projects are getting underway. Here’s where.

    💡 Community News

    • A 24-year-old Philadelphia man, Jabir Parker, has been charged with attempting to burglarize the Malvern home of Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. He also allegedly made off with nearly $800,000 in stolen jewelry from two other homes.
    • Exton-based software company Bentley Systems International has opened a new 22,000-square-foot office in Philadelphia, where 150 engineers and other tech and business staff will work.
    • A nearly 5,400-square-foot West Chester home made of locally quarried stone and complete with a two-story wine cellar and tasting room inside a former ice house is on the market for $3.3 million. Take a peek inside.
    • Educational nonprofit Mighty Writers, which has an outpost in Kennett Square, announced temporary program suspensions and staff furloughs as it faces financial headwinds.
    • Two women died after a single-vehicle crash on East Lancaster Avenue in Downingtown on Sunday. The driver died at the scene and the passenger died later at the hospital.
    • On Saturday, West Whiteland Township police arrested 23-year-old Jordan Uriah Jones, who had been wanted for the statutory rape of a child, corruption of a minor, and unlawful sexual contact with a minor. After an eight-month investigation, police found that he fathered a child with a young girl.
    • Downingtown has named a new borough manager, elevating assistant borough manager and interim manager Corinne J. Badman to the role on a permanent basis. She succeeds Jeffrey A. Smith, who stepped down this summer.
    • A developer is looking to build two industrial flex warehouses on the roughly 15.5-acre property at 979 Octorara Trail in Parkesburg, where there are future plans for a hotel, restaurant, and street extension. West Sadsbury Township’s board of supervisors will hold a public hearing about the proposal at tonight’s 7 p.m. meeting.
    • East Bradford Township’s board of supervisors is expected to discuss an ordinance regarding data centers at tomorrow’s 6:30 p.m. meeting.
    • Work is slated to get underway this week on a monthslong sidewalk project in Toughkenamon. The $782,300 grant-funded project will rehabilitate a portion of sidewalk along Main Street.
    • Discount retailer Ocean State Job Lot, which is known for its selection of household goods and apparel, is grand opening its newest location at the Shoppes at Valley Forge in Phoenixville on Saturday.

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • The Drift Seafood Kitchen and Raw Bar is now open in Phoenixville. Located at 231 Bridge St., it dishes up a seafood-forward menu of shareable plates, soups, salads, and entrees, in addition to steaks.
    • Opus, an upscale New American restaurant and cocktail lounge at 201 Birch St. in Kennett Square, is hosting a ribbon cutting and community open house tomorrow to mark its debut.
    • Victory Brewing is releasing its newest beer tomorrow. The malty, dry-hopped Borough Brew, a tribute to Kennett Square, has notes of berry, melon, and pear. It’ll be exclusively on tap at Victory’s Kennett location, with $1 from each pour benefiting nonprofit Kennett Collaborative.

    🎳 Things to Do

    😂 West Chester Comedy Festival: Dozens of comedians will perform stand-up at several venues over the course of three days. ⏰ Thursday, Sept. 10-Saturday, Sept. 12, times vary 💵 Prices vary 📍 Various venues throughout West Chester

    🏇 Devon Fall Classic: See equestrian events and explore the country fair, complete with rides and vendors, at this annual event. ⏰ Thursday, Sept. 10-Sunday, Sept. 13, times vary 💵 $10-$20 general admission, $20-$35 for reserved seating 📍 Devon Horse Show and Country Fair grounds

    🎃 Glass Pumpkin Festival: Explore glass-blown works of art, see demonstrations, or make your own. There will also be live music, food trucks, drinks, and an artist market. ⏰ Friday, Sept. 11-Sunday, Sept. 13, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 💵 $7.18 admission 📍 WGK Glass Art, Toughkenamon

    🏎️ Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance: The three-day event includes a barbecue, a road rally, a gala, and a car show. ⏰ Friday, Sept. 11-Sunday, Sept. 13, times vary 💵 Prices vary 📍 Radnor Hunt grounds, Malvern

    🍄 The Mushroom Festival: The annual staple returns, showcasing all things mushroom. There will also be music, cooking demonstrations, and a fire truck show. ⏰ Saturday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 13, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 💵 $5 admission 📍 Kennett Square

    🏡 On the Market

    A Chester Springs home with a resort-style backyard

    An aerial view of the home, which has a pool and spa and backs up to nearly 30 acres of protected open space.Keith Conrey/Tohickon Media | Courtesy of Cary Simons/Kurfiss Sotheby's International Realty

    Situated in a cul-de-sac in the Chester Springs neighborhood Haverhill Estates, this four-bedroom Colonial backs up to a large swath of protected open land, giving it extra privacy. Among the home’s features are several living areas with fireplaces: a great room with a bar area and vaulted ceilings; a two-story family room; and a basement family room. The walk-out lower level also has a wine cellar, a gym, space for a fifth bedroom, and a theater room, complete with reclining chairs. Outside, the home has a deck, screened-in porch, a heated pool and spa, plus a cabana with a bar.

    See more photos of the property here.

    Price: $1.75M | Size: 7,166 SF | Acreage: 1.47

    🗞️ What other Chester County residents are reading this week:

    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.

  • A century-old bowling alley revival | Inquirer Greater Abington

    A century-old bowling alley revival | Inquirer Greater Abington

    Hi, Greater Abington. 👋

    A local developer is revamping Glenside Lanes with plans that include a concert venue. Also on the radar this week, SPS Technologies agreed to a proposed $5 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit over the massive factory fire that roiled the area last year, Abington is exploring possible early exit routes from its remaining Flock contract, and a revered local writer and teacher died at age 99.

    — Laura Smythe (greaterabington@inquirer.com)

    P.S. We want your feedback! Tell us what you think of the newsletter by taking our survey or replying to this email.

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    1920s Glenside bowling alley site is getting a concert venue

    Before Glenside Lanes housed a yoga studio, coffee shop, record store, and other local businesses, the building at 2256 Mt. Carmel Ave. was once the site of an early-20th-century bowling alley and billiards hall. Soon, those once-bustling bowling lanes will welcome a concert and event space, too, further restoring the location to its original liveliness.

    The driving force behind the micro-mall’s revival is Kevin Burke, a developer and Glenside native. His work is part of a national trend of investors seeking a blend of retail and experiential businesses to revitalize sleepy post-pandemic commercial spaces. He expects to open a similar multi-use project in Wyndmoor.

    The Inquirer’s Jess Rohan has all the details.

    💡 Community news

    • SPS Technologies reached a tentative $5 million settlement agreement last week in a class-action lawsuit that could bring payouts to those who were affected by the four-alarm fire at a former Abington Township factory last February. Eligible business owners, employees of impacted businesses, and homeowners can file claims through Dec. 3.
    • Abington Township is looking into how it might exit its remaining contract with Flock Safety early amid data concerns. The news comes after Gov. Josh Shapiro, an Abington resident, last week vocalized “real concerns” about how the technology affects privacy.
    • Longtime Abington resident Bennett Fairorth, a well-known writer and teacher, died this summer at age 99. Former students, including some who planned to celebrate his 100th birthday with him this month, have taken to social media to remember Fairorth, who regularly heard from past pupils during his retirement despite never owning a cell phone, computer, or answering machine.

    🏫 Schools briefing

    • A Tuesday night school board vote considered whether the Cheltenham district would bring former superintendent Brian Scriven a payout in excess of $265,000. Scriven resigned last month amid Cheltenham High School’s football hazing scandal. Reporter Maddie Hanna has the latest.
    • Abington will have a school board meeting next Tuesday night.

    🎳 Things to do

    ✨ Diamond in a Rhinestone World: Paint your own glittering ode to the late country music icon Dolly Parton. ⏰ Wednesday, Sept. 9, 7-9 p.m. 💵 $45 📍 Painting With a Twist, Jenkintown

    🌭 Glenside Food Truck Festival: Fill your belly at this collaborative event from Downtown Glenside, Cheltenham Township, and Arcadia University. ⏰ Thursday, Sept. 10, 5:30-9 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Easton Road and Wesley and Glenside Avenues

    🇺🇦 Ukrainian Fall Festival: Celebrate Ukrainian culture at this two-day fete offering food, live music, and kids activities. ⏰ Saturday, Sept. 12, 3-11 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 13, noon-6 p.m. 💵 $15 on Saturday for those age 13 and up; free on Sunday 📍 St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church, Jenkintown

    📚 Building Better, Stronger Relationships: Tune into this virtual author talk with conflict facilitator Priya Parker as she unpacks the conflict resolution techniques detailed in her new book The Art of Fighting: The Transformative Power of Conflict. ⏰ Tuesday, Sept. 15, 4-5 p.m. 💵 Free, registration required 📍 Virtual, sign up via Abington Township Public Library

    🏡 On the market

    A 101-year-old English Tudor with eight bedrooms

    Inside 7 Windsor Ave., Elkins Park, Pa.

    This expansive Elkins Park estate dates back to 1925, offering classic details such as hand-carved moldings, French doors, exposed beams, and a window seat. The eight-bedroom, six-bathroom home has two fireplaces, plus a yard, patio, and courtyard.

    See more photos of the property here.

    Price: $950,000 | Size: 5,297 SF | Acreage: 0.52

    🗞️ What other Greater Abington residents are reading this week:

    Correction: Developer Kevin Burke expects to open a multi-use project similar to Glenside Lanes in Wyndmoor.

    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.

  • Your fall festival plans | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Your fall festival plans | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Hello, Cherry Hill! 👋

    Fall is upon us, and the upcoming Cherry Hill Harvest Festival and bounty of area apple-picking options prove it. In other news, the district’s board of education will soon hold its first in-person forum since the pandemic, a community center commemorates the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and there’s a new daycare option in town for your pup.

    — Laura Smythe (cherryhill@inquirer.com)

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    Cherry Hill Harvest Festival and apple picking mark a change in seasons

    School’s back in session and Labor Day is in the rearview mirror (though if you’re still rocking white in your wardrobe, we won’t tell). Those are two strong indicators that fall and all of its festivities are upon us.

    The Cherry Hill Harvest Festival is among the can’t-miss seasonal offerings in greater Philadelphia this year, The Inquirer’s Dugan Arnett reports. The family-friendly fete returns to Croft Farm on Oct. 18, bringing free pumpkins, a petting zoo, and upward of 100 vendors to the community.

    Can’t wait to get started on fall activities? We bring you our comprehensive guide on where to go apple picking nearby, including Duffield’s Farm in Sewell.

    Happy fall-ing. 🍂

    💡 Community News

    Flags in commemoration of 9/11 at Katz JCC in Cherry Hill, NJ.
    • Members of the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey, the South Jersey Men’s Club, and Jewish War Veterans Post 126 of Cherry Hill lined the perimeter of the Katz Jewish Community Center with nearly 3,000 American flags last week to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
    • Roadwork will cause a few closures through Friday: a full road closure on Kenilworth Avenue between Jerome and Chapel Avenues from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., an overnight full closure on Cropwell Road between Marlowe and Kresson Roads from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., and a partial westbound closure on Kresson Road between Imperial Drive and Springdale Road from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    • New business alert: A few South Jersey residents opened a Cherry Hill location of Hounds Town USA, a franchise specializing in dog daycare, boarding, and pet spa services.
    • Meet stained glass artist and instructor Risa Dera, who works out of her home studio in Cherry Hill and aims to make artwork affordable for the local community and beyond. South Jersey Local News has the story.

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    🍽️ On Our Plate

    • Asianfresh Food Market’s location in Cherry Hill will debut on Saturday at 11 a.m.
    • Two Cherry Hill eateries are among the best Chinese restaurants in the state, according to NJ.com. The outlet gave nods to Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, which has an outpost at Towne Place at Garden State, and Han Dynasty, the Route 70 spot with “irresistible” dumplings. 

    🎳 Things to Do

    🍷 Singles Mixer: Meeting new friends or romantic interests in person can be hard as an adult. Consider taking a trip to nearby Mount Laurel to grow your social circle. ⏰ Thursday, Sept. 10, 7-10 p.m. 💵 $49.74 📍 Carlucci’s Waterfront

    🕯️ We Will Never Forget: Join first responders, Mayor Dave Fleisher, and township officials for a remembrance ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. ⏰ Friday, Sept. 11, 8:30 a.m. 💵 Free 📍 Cherry Hill Fire Department

    💼 South Jersey Job Fair: Hunt for your next gig by meeting with representatives of companies such as Cooper University Health and New Jersey Youth Justice Commission. ⏰ Friday, Sept. 11, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Cherry Hill Mall

    🗓️ Looking for more things to do? Check out our guide to ongoing South Jersey events.

    🏡 On the Market

    A ’70s bi-level converted into three distinct areas

    2005 Chapel Ave W., Cherry Hill, NJ.

    This five-bedroom, three-bathroom abode features a unique layout. The house was built in 1978 as a standard bi-level and has since been updated into three individual living spaces, each equipped with its own laundry machines and kitchen or kitchenette. A shared HVAC system and two water heaters unite the three distinct areas of the home, which has a fire pit, deck, patio, and storage shed out back.

    See more photos of the property here.

    Price: $565,000 | Size: 2,718 SF | Acreage: 0.27

    🗞️ What other Cherry Hill residents are reading this week:

    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.

  • Sea rise prompts Stone Harbor’s Wetlands Institute to move temporarily with plans for a new building

    Sea rise prompts Stone Harbor’s Wetlands Institute to move temporarily with plans for a new building

    The Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, N.J., has been a research and education stalwart for decades, instructing thousands of visitors annually on the importance of salt marshes and the marine world.

    Starting this week, though, the nonprofit’s staff will pack up and move to a temporary headquarters, so its main trail can be raised to stave off sea-level rise.

    The existing headquarters will ultimately be razed, with a new, elevated building rising in its place. The current wooden headquarters was built in 1972 and was originally intended for short-term seasonal use.

    Sea level “is rising fast enough that it’s outpacing the ability of the marshes to keep up,” said Lenore Tedesco, executive director of the Wetlands Institute. “They’re starting to drown.”

    “You can see that even right at the institute, where there are more open-water pockets and mud flats, instead of the grasses,” she added.

    Much of the institute’s 34-acre campus sits on low marsh and has become increasingly at risk due to flooding.

    In 2000, the Salt Marsh Trail flooded twice a year. Now, it is flooding up to 70 times a year, Tedesco said.

    For now, staff will move from the Stone Harbor Boulevard location to the New Jersey Coastal Conservation Center on North Delsea Drive in Cape May Court House.

    All programs have been paused as of Tuesday, but the Wetlands Institute will reopen Nov. 7 at the temporary location.

    The Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor plans to raze its existing building and replace it with a larger, more resilient, expansive structure big enough to house growing levels of research, conservation, and education. This is a rendering of the back of the structure.The Wetlands Institute

    Salt Marsh Trail

    Most of the 31,000 annual visitors to the Wetlands Institute walk the quarter-mile Salt Marsh Trail looking at the bountiful birds and wildlife.

    About half of it and the surrounding ecosystem will be considered unstable low marsh by 2030 if nothing is done. The surrounding marsh sits at about two feet of elevation, while the Salt Marsh Trail, built on an old 1950s road, ranges from three to four feet.

    Tedesco said dredge material from Avalon will be spread on the trail to raise it and surrounding land to create a new high marsh. It will have more vegetation to help buttress the area from storm-driven waves and provide habitat for diamondback terrapins and at-risk coastal birds.

    Tedesco expects trail work to start in October. It will be paid for through a $3 million grant from New Jersey’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Natural Climate Solutions program.

    The work will not affect the existing elevated metal boardwalk, which will remain as is.

    The institute undertook a similar project last year with state and federal officials to save the adjacent Scotch Bonnet Island, which was drowning.

    Racing to save Stone Harbor’s Scotch Bonnet Island before it’s swallowed by rising seas

    About five acres of Scotch Bonnet Island was raised with dredge material to keep it above rising seas.

    The island is situated in Scotch Bonnet Channel, a waterway that cuts through the bay to connect the barrier island to the mainland. The channel has widened by 70 feet since 1970.

    Scientists say sea-level rise in New Jersey is running at twice the global average. They estimate the sea could rise 2 to 5 feet along the coast by 2100.

    New Jersey has 200,000 acres of tidal wetlands, valuable habitat used by shore birds and other wildlife. The Wetlands Institute abuts those tidal wetlands.

    Tedesco said the lessons learned on Scotch Bonnet Island are being used to reimagine the institute’s campus.

    Construction on the Salt Marsh Trail is expected to continue through spring before sensitive wildlife returns.

    File: A snowy egret flies over the salt marsh at the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor where dredged material was used to raise the height of the marsh at Scotch Bonnet Island.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    A new building

    Tedesco said architects and engineers are working with the institute’s board of trustees on a proposed new building.

    Those plans call for both the building and grounds to be elevated, while maintaining the “coastal character” of the current institute.

    She said federal, state, and local permits are needed given the sensitive area.

    The Wetlands Institute is getting construction bids for the new building but does not have a final estimated cost or timeline. Tedesco said the institute is still raising money.

    The new headquarters would be built using sustainable methods, such as mass timber construction that uses engineered wood panels, columns, or beams.

    The facility would have more indoor and outdoor classroom space for educational programs, a new lecture hall, modern labs with twice the space, outdoor decks, an aquarium enlarged by 50%, and new exhibits.

    Tedesco said the institute worked with experts to explore keeping the existing building, which was designed by Malcolm Wells, a mid-20th-century designer famed for his “gentle architecture.”

    The structure was used as a biological research station by Lehigh University from 1972 to 1986. It has been expanded multiple times over decades.

    Tedesco said it became clear that it is not feasible to continue using the building because it is so outdated and cannot be raised. She said the institute has expanded into “world-class” research and the facilities are at capacity.

    “We’re in a 55-year-old wooden building in the marsh that was built to residential standards for seasonal use,” Tedesco said. “But you have to give kudos to the building. Nobody expected that a wooden building in a marsh in 1972 would still be functional today.”

  • This Philadelphia man lost a friend in the 9/11 attacks. He now offers hugs to the world in his friend’s memory

    This Philadelphia man lost a friend in the 9/11 attacks. He now offers hugs to the world in his friend’s memory

    Twenty-five years ago on Sept. 7, David Hale Sylvester hung out with his friend Kevin Bowser in their South Philly neighborhood. They didn’t share a parting hug.

    Four days later, on Sept. 11, Sylvester would wrestle with that moment as he anxiously waited to hear from Bowser, who worked in the World Trade Center complex.

    Bowser perished in the terror attacks on the twin towers that day along with thousands of others.

    For Sylvester, that missed opportunity to embrace his beloved friend one last time pushed him to create a movement of hope and hugs.

    This week, on Friday, as Americans once again gather to remember the victims of 9/11, Sylvester will hold space at the Philadelphia Film Society Center with a Hug Hub, a photo installation featuring strangers embracing each other through tragedy and loss. He will also be there waiting, arms wide open, for anyone who needs a hug.

    “It’s a space where people can come as strangers and leave with a hug,” Sylvester said.

    How a missed embrace became a man’s mission

    As Sylvester mourned his friend, he said he realized he was not alone in his journey of grief.

    “Every American felt vulnerable during that time and wanted to connect in some way,” Sylvester said. “I have never seen a time like that where everybody in the country, no matter the race, no matter if you are a Democrat or Republican, we all just needed to be connected.”

    Carrying that loss and that last missing hug, Sylvester in 2002 mounted his pain on a bicycle and rode through 50 states, hugging strangers in small towns and big cities.

    As the years went by, and despite the pandemic, Sylvester continued his mission, eventually riding his bike through 42 countries, hugging over a million people, he said.

    Through it all, he remembered Bowser — who, despite being 10 years his senior — always made time to teach and mentor him.

    “Kevin helped me with driving lessons, helped me with school, with sports, with everything,” Sylvester said. “Everybody needs a big brother or a big somebody in their life, and he was my big.”

    The last time the pair hung out, Bowser told Sylvester he was “beyond him” and that he was extremely proud of him and the man he had become, Sylvester said. Hearing his friend’s words, Sylvester said that he was overcome with emotions, which prevented him from hugging Bowser one last time.

    “I should have hugged Kevin, but I didn’t, so when I did not have the opportunity to do it anymore, that sort of guided me,” Sylvester said.

    ‘I choose to hug’

    Sylvester has dedicated his life to offering hugs to strangers and loved ones in the hopes that people feel less alone, he said. That feeling further deepened when another friend, Scott, died by suicide in 2022, on the anniversary of Sept. 11.

    “People need to see hope; they need to see goodness in action,” Sylvester said. “Maybe that will stop people from being so violent, maybe that will stop somebody from taking their own life.”

    Through his journeys, Sylvester has collected more than 3,000 pictures; 2,000 of those will be featured on Friday at the Philadelphia Film Society Center along with portraits of Bowser and Scott.

    Around Philly and the world, ‘Big Dave’ makes his way with hugs, high-fives, and smiles

    He said he has no idea how many people will attend the free event, between 8:30 a.m. and noon. He just wants to make sure that those in attendance feel they have company as they commemorate a day that marked a before and after in his life and the life of a nation.

    “We all experience loss, but it’s what you do with that feeling that counts. How do you say thank you to somebody who is not there anymore? Maybe there is another way, but I choose to hug,” he said.

  • Man charged in Blue Route stabbing was wanted for 2022 armed robbery in Delco

    Man charged in Blue Route stabbing was wanted for 2022 armed robbery in Delco

    A man arrested in connection with a stabbing Sunday on the Blue Route in Montgomery County during an altercation with another motorist was wanted for a 2022 armed robbery in Delaware County, court records show.

    Samuel Marquez, 40, of Philadelphia, was taken into custody by Radnor Township police after a brief search Sunday evening that led to the 100 block of East Lancaster Avenue, according to police and court records.

    Pennsylvania State Police were handling the stabbing investigation, Radnor police said.

    “Our thoughts are with the victim and their family,” Radnor police said. No information about the victim was released.

    In 2023, Upper Chichester Township police said Marquez was wanted for a Nov. 11, 2022, armed robbery at a Royal Farms convenience store at 3314 Market St.

    Court records show that Marquez on Tuesday night was being held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility because his bail was denied. Court records also show that a bail amount had been set at about $1 million.

    Villanova University’s campus was briefly under a lockdown Sunday evening as police searched for the stabbing suspect.

    The lockdown was lifted at 6:41 p.m. after a suspect was arrested off campus, according to the university’s alert system. The school issued the lockdown at 6:10 as a “precautionary measure due to the proximity of the search,” the alert said.

    NBC10 reported that Marquez was driving a U-Haul as part of a caravan of vehicles when a dispute arose. Marquez allegedly struck the victim’s vehicle, then got out and started hitting the victim. Marquez then got a knife from his U-Haul and stabbed the victim in the back, NBC10 reported.

    Pennsylvania State Police recovered a knife that was being tested as part of the investigation, NBC10 reported.

  • Cheltenham will pay more than $266,000 to the superintendent who resigned amid football scandal

    Cheltenham will pay more than $266,000 to the superintendent who resigned amid football scandal

    The Cheltenham School District will pay more than $265,000, plus compensation for sick and vacation time, to former Superintendent Brian Scriven, who resigned last month amid outcry over the district’s handling of alleged assaults in a football locker room.

    Under a settlement agreement the Cheltenham school board unanimously approved Tuesday night, Scriven will get $266,884.60 — a little less than the $270,000 annual salary the district had agreed to pay him under a five-year contract that took effect July 1.

    He will also receive payment for “earned but unused vacation leave, sick leave and personal leave,” according to the agreement.

    Asked what the amount of that payment would be, school board president Leah Mulhearn said in a statement earlier Tuesday that Scriven’s “separation agreement and general release follows Pennsylvania Public School Code, and the settlement is standard.”

    “We appreciate Dr. Scriven’s service to Cheltenham schools, and we look forward to the coming year with Dr. Christopher McGinley now in place as interim superintendent,” Mulhearn said.

    Scriven resigned Aug. 6, a week after Montgomery County prosecutors announced charges against four Cheltenham football coaches and six players in connection with two assaults the year before on a teammate in a high school locker room.

    Former Cheltenham superintendent Brian Scriven

    Prosecutors said the players had stomped on and poked a broomstick toward the buttocks of their 15-year-old teammate during the August and September 2025 assaults, while coaches later instructed the teen not to tell his parents what had happened.

    But prosecutors also faulted the district, describing its investigation into the incidents — one of which was filmed and circulated in the school community — as flawed from the start. The district, which canceled last year’s football season in October, also came under fire from other parents with safety concerns, including at Cheltenham Elementary School, where parents said the district had failed to adequately respond to assaults by students.

    Scriven, a 1983 Cheltenham graduate, was tapped as Cheltenham’s superintendent in fall 2021 after working in Baltimore County Public Schools.

    He had received a new five-year contract in December, and the school board had voiced support for his leadership in May.

    In resigning last month, Scriven said that the last year had “tested our community in ways none of us anticipated,” and that he had “come to believe that the district is best served by a fresh start under new leadership.”

    Before the board vote Tuesday, Daniel Schultz, a school board member, said the settlement with Scriven followed “a lot of thought and discussion around what the options were and what the trade-offs were.”

    “A severance agreement is not a performance evaluation,” Schultz said. He called the agreement “necessary to allow our district to move forward, heal and rebuild.”

    The school board last month hired McGinley, a veteran administrator and former Cheltenham superintendent, to serve as interim superintendent this year. It also commissioned an outside lawyer to review its policies and the grand jury’s findings.

    Changes ‘ensuring students are safe’

    In a report at the start of Tuesday’s meeting, McGinley said the district had made “some important changes in practice” as the new school year began, “all focused on ensuring students are safe, supported, and inspired academically.”

    Among other changes, he said the district had been “revising the overall administration of high school athletics,” and training coaches on “new protocols for locker room monitoring.” The district also “enhanced” training for coaches on policies for mandated reporting of suspected child abuse, as well as student discipline, McGinley said.

    Football coaches were not supervising players in the high school locker room last year, according to the grand jury report, which also said that five coaches lacked clearances related to mandated reporting requirements.

    McGinley said the district had also installed new building access management systems, reorganized its reporting and supervision structure for school security personnel, and added a new dean of students position “for enhanced supervision and follow-up.”

    But, McGinley noted, there are “many issues that still require attention.” The outside review of district policies is ongoing, and the district is still working to implement recommendations from the Center for Safe Schools for improving building security, he said.

    Interim Superintendent Chris McGinley listens as speakers address the crowd after a community march at Cheltenham High School Aug. 29, before the new school year began.William Thomas Cain / For The Inquirer

    The proposed settlement agreement with Scriven specifies that the former superintendent would make himself available to consult with the district on legal matters, and would be paid if the time spent exceeds 40 hours. If Scriven is named as a defendant and legal representation is provided by the district, however, he would not be compensated for time spent, the agreement says.

  • SEPTA Paoli/Thorndale suspended again because of wire problems

    SEPTA Paoli/Thorndale suspended again because of wire problems

    Paoli/Thorndale outbound trains from Center City were suspended this morning right before morning rush hour and again Tuesday evening because of wire problems, a SEPTA spokesperson said.

    “We are having significant delays on the Paoli/Thorndale Line due to downed wires near 37th and Mantua. Amtrak is working on it, but we expect the delays will last through the evening,” SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said in a 6:45 p.m. email.

    Service also was disrupted Tuesday morning on both the inbound and outbound Cynwyd Line, but that service has since resumed.

    Amtrak reported at least one train delay earlier in the day.

    Damage to overhead catenary wires at an Amtrak railway junction near the Philadelphia Zoo, which some SEPTA regional rail services like Paoli/Thorndale and Cynwyd share, delayed and suspended some rail service across the region, Busch said earlier on Tuesday.

    An Amtrak spokesperson said crews responded and restored service in both directions by approximately 7:25 a.m.

  • U.S. says it has destroyed 5 Iranian oil tankers after missile attacks on Navy warship

    U.S. says it has destroyed 5 Iranian oil tankers after missile attacks on Navy warship

    WASHINGTON — Iran has launched missiles toward U.S. targets in Jordan, Iranian state-run media said, following the latest American strikes.

    It’s the latest tit-for-tat retaliation after the U.S. military said it destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers following two attacks on a U.S. warship by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard over the past two days.

    U.S. Central Command, when asked about the strikes on the Jordanian airbase, said it had no information to offer.

    The Iranian tankers destroyed in the attack were the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1, and the Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, Central Command said. The U.S. military also destroyed the vessel Derya, which was located near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

    Central Command said the crews of the five vessels were told to abandoned ship before the attacks.

    The strikes come just three days after U.S. forces destroyed three Iranian oil tankers after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards tried to attack a U.S. aircraft carrier and destroyer.

    Iranian state television also reported the U.S. strikes, saying U.S. forces attacked at least three Iranian oil tankers near the southern port of Jask and near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. It said the crews were evacuated.

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will not allow Iran’s attacks to go unanswered.

    “Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships. And for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers. And I think you’ll see that again today,” Rubio told reporters Tuesday when asked about the latest attacks in Iran while on a trip to Colombia.

    Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, warned that such back-and-forth strikes can only risk more retaliation and further impact to the global economy.

    “There is no kinetic solution to the Strait of Hormuz problem,” he said on social media. “Every attempt to impose one only brings Washington and Tehran closer to an escalation that may become increasingly difficult to control.”

    An Iranian state TV reporter in Jask said an Iranian tanker was struck near the coast of Yekbeni, while another explosion was heard in the area whose source and location were not immediately clear.

    State TV later reported that the U.S. military attacked a second tanker near waters off Jask. It said the crews of both vessels were being evacuated by lifeboat toward the Jask coast.

    Separately, state television reported that another Iranian tanker was attacked in Kharg Island anchorage area. It said the crew was safely evacuated shortly after the strike.

    Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy on Tuesday warned crews of oil tankers near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to immediately leave their vessels, saying the ships could be targeted in retaliation for U.S. attacks on Iranian tankers. It accused Kuwait and Bahrain of hosting U.S. forces and assisting in the attacks.

    On Saturday, the U.S. military said it had struck three Iranian oil tankers after Navy warships were targeted with ballistic missiles, warning that it would, “if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.” Iran later said it planned to announce a new “exclusion zone” near the Strait of Hormuz aimed at vessels intending to transit.

    The latest strikes are part of a dual economic and military approach by President Donald Trump as he struggles to bring an end to a more than six-month-old war with Tehran.

    The Trump administration on Tuesday also imposed sanctions on additional elements of Iran’s aviation industry, targeting more than two dozen commercial and private airlines as well as foreign cargo service providers in its new push to isolate Tehran from its remaining trading partners.

    Both the U.S. and Iran are seeking to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz, where about one-fifth of the world’s oil passed before the war began. Rising energy prices are posing political problems for Trump and his Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections. A barrel of international standard Brent crude briefly climbed as high as $99.46 on Tuesday.

    A U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has squeezed the country’s economy by limiting its oil exports, while the American military has been helping a limited number of ships transit on a route through the Strait of Hormuz off Oman. Tehran wants ships to follow a route that it chooses through the strait, which was considered an international waterway before the war.

  • Abington is trying to break its 2028 contract with Flock amid data concerns, police chief says

    Abington is trying to break its 2028 contract with Flock amid data concerns, police chief says

    Abington Township is trying to exit its Flock Safety agreement early for breach of contract over data leaks, Police Chief Patrick Molloy said at a recent meeting, as officials implement a new surveillance system and draft new policies for the replacement system.

    The township board of commissioners approved a contract for Axon cameras at its regular meeting on Aug. 27 that would replace the Flock system, which police say helped solve crimes but were rife with unexpected data security issues.

    The Flock cameras, known as automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, can collect not only plate numbers but also details about vehicles and driving habits. Police can search the footage to track a specific car across time and jurisdictions, which Abington officials say helps to solve missing persons, theft, and other cases.

    The Flock contracts are currently under review at the township solicitor’s office, Molloy said Tuesday. Abington still has a Flock camera turned on in the township, Molloy said, because it is in use for an active investigation.

    Abington is trying to exit its contract with Flock early

    Now the township is exploring ways to exit its remaining Flock contract early, officials said at the meeting. The three-year agreement, which costs $10,500 annually, would otherwise end in 2028.

    A second contract with Flock that cost $9,225 per year for two years expired last month.

    The township’s solicitors did not return requests for comment on the plans.

    Lt. Joe Blei previously indicated that the department’s Flock data were shared in ways Abington police had not expected. While Abington thought the township would retain sole discretion over its data, search logs from Abington police were released via public records requests to a police department in Illinois.

    Flock’s current terms allow customers to cancel if the company “defaults in performance of any material provision of the Agreement” and does not solve the issue within 30 days.

    The new system the township approved last month from Axon keeps data in a server that only the township has access to, officials said at the meeting, and prevents external agencies from duplicating Abington’s data.

    Abington police can access the server via evidence.com, the same website police use to access body-camera footage, officers said.

    Axon logs are also audited by external bodies, and the results of those audits will be made available to the commissioners for review, police said.

    Abington is implementing new policies for surveillance cameras

    The police department is implementing new policies of its own for the automated license plate reader systems, including scheduled audits of officer searches and a 30-day retention period for data that are not part of a criminal investigation.

    The 30-day period is longer than the new default period of seven days that Flock recently adopted, and the 48 hours recommended by the ACLU.

    But Molloy said that his department needs the extra time in order to make sure officers can gather all of the relevant data once a criminal investigation is opened.

    Abington accesses the data only for criminal investigations, and would allow external agencies, such as the federal government, to access Abington’s data only for crimes and not for civil offenses such as immigration violations, officials have said.

    Molloy said after August’s commissioners meeting that the policy also applies to fusion centers like the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center.

    The center, which shares information and intelligence among local police, federal agencies, and private companies, has a broad law enforcement remit, including monitoring social media for what it views as potential domestic terror threats, such as anti-data center sentiment.

    Police at the meeting reiterated that ALPR systems are useful in solving crimes. Abington used the Flock cameras to help solve a string of robberies that officials said involved a theft ring using Wi-Fi jammers and hidden cameras to burglarize 13 homes in Pennsylvania, Molloy said.

    “It’s probably one of the most effective tools that I’ve seen in my whole 30-year career,” Molloy said.

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