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  • South Jersey’s Spencer’s, armed with lava lamps and band tees, plans for a future beyond the mall

    South Jersey’s Spencer’s, armed with lava lamps and band tees, plans for a future beyond the mall

    Pink cheetah-print beer bongs. Fugglers. Studded belts. A fridge full of Red Bull. Band T-shirts and lava lamps galore.

    It’s hard to predict what you’ll spot when you round a corner at Spencer’s, or more specifically, what expletive, hit TV show, or meme will be featured on the next rolling tray. The novelty item retail chain recently moved into a new spot, 1,000 square feet bigger than its last one, in the JCPenney wing of the Cherry Hill Mall.

    In 1963, the South Jersey mall gave Spencer’s its first in-person retail store after 16 years as a mail-order catalog.

    Now, Spencer’s is one of Cherry Hill Mall’s last remaining early tenants, and though the gag gifts have changed over the years, the chain remains alive and well, even as mall culture and the ways people shop change across the country.

    The Cherry Hill location is one of hundreds of Spencer’s stores across the U.S. and Canada. While CEO Steven Silverstein declined to share how much Spencer’s made in 2025, he said the company’s revenue has grown 50% since 2019 and benefited from a spike in shopping interest post-pandemic.

    On a rainy Thursday afternoon in July, the store was mostly quiet. Eddie Frazier of North Philadelphia looked for a new T-shirt. One woman bought a lingerie set, and a grandmother stopped in to browse.

    Alex Williams of Mount Laurel said she and her friends have shopped at Spencer’s for years. Since she recently turned 21, Williams said she likes to hunt for novelty shot glasses. Last time she visited, she bought a mini Playboy-themed tumbler.

    “I just like how comfortable everybody is,” Williams said. “They don’t make you feel weird.”

    Alex Williams of Mt. Laurel shops at Spencer’s in the Cherry Hill Mall on July 9. She says she and her friends have shopped at the store for years. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Silverstein agrees. He has run the parent company of Spencer’s, which also owns Spirit Halloween, since 2003. Spencer’s Spirit Holdings is headquartered in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County, a short drive away from the Shore, and has been since the ‘70s. It counts about 700 employees.

    “We’re a South Jersey-based company,” Silverstein said. “I say that with a lot of pride because I think that we belong here.”

    ‘A rite of passage’

    Max Spencer Adler, a U.S. Army Corps bombardier once imprisoned by Germany during World War II, founded Spencer Gifts in Atlantic County in 1947 with “$200 and an idea.”

    That idea, in alignment with the Spencer’s of today, was a bit outrageous. A catalog from 1956 featured “imitation shrunken heads” ($1, or 2 for $1.49 if you were seeking a deal) and a “magic stump remover” ($1.50), a powder that claims to quickly dissolve tree stumps of any size.

    Giant rubber feet and golf tees (spelled “tease”) in the shape of a woman’s body were also available.

    By 1963, the novelty business had bloomed. Adler sent about 14 million copies of the Spencer’s Christmas catalog across the country and opened his first retail store in Cherry Hill, store #001.

    A plaque in the Cherry Hill Mall marks the store as the very first Spencer’s retail shop, #001. Then called Spencer Gifts, it opened in 1963 in the then-brand-new mall. Now Spencer’s has moved to a bigger storefront.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Since then, Spencer’s physical presence has moved well beyond South Jersey, and teens and young adults have continued to shop for sparkly lava lamps, body jewelry, horror movie dolls, and whatever is trending at the moment. During the July visit, the store featured Dubai chocolate, blind boxes, and plushies from popular TV series.

    “It is a rite of passage,” Silverstein said. “You remember the first time when your mom said, ‘OK, you can go in there, but I’m not going in there with you.’”

    Today the chain has 661 stores across the U.S. and Canada, Silverstein said, a number not dramatically different from previous years. Spencer’s will open 20 stores this year and will likely close the same amount. Its most popular products tend to be its T-shirts, accessories, jewelry, and objects from the sex and wellness section.

    The Cherry Hill location gets about 100 customers on a regular weekday, but more people flood in on weekends and at night, said Danielle Voelkel, the district store manager. Voelkel, who has worked there for 11 years, said sometimes people are hesitant to enter.

    “You don’t always know what you’re coming into the store for, but at the end of the day, there’s something for everyone,” Voelkel said.

    Eddie Frazier of North Philadelphia shops at Spencer’s in the Cherry Hill Mall in early July.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    How Spencer’s survives

    While American mall culture isn’t dead, it has certainly changed, at least in the Philly region. The pandemic turned some malls into ghost towns, and the popularity of online shopping has grown immensely.

    “You could never invent Spencer’s today,” Silverstein said. “It’s just really been that tree that’s been pruned in so many different directions … but somehow works.”

    Spencer’s has found ways to keep moving forward, Silverstein said, by building up in malls that are thriving, such as the Cherry Hill Mall, and reevaluating its place in struggling markets. Spencer’s, like other retailers, has an online store for shoppers who can’t or won’t go in person.

    To stay embedded in the community, employees volunteer at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, and the chain’s anti-cancer campaign, “Boobies Make Me Smile,” has raised $16.5 million since 2008, Silverstein said. In April, the chain launched a sex education tour to Temple University, Stockton University, and Rowan University. Stockton and Rowan students currently make up half the company’s interns.

    Items for sale at Spencer’s in the Cherry Hill Mall include Chucky dolls and a Stitch plushie from the “Lilo & Stitch” Disney movies. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Plus, Spencer’s is no longer just for mall rats.

    The chain recently expanded to strip malls and shopping centers, where Spencer’s can’t rely on the fleeting curiosity of mall walkers for revenue.

    “The power of our brand has to be strong enough to be its own destination. … Can we attract an intentional shopper?” Silverstein said.

    Spencer’s has discovered it can, at least right now.

    The chain has opened 50 non-mall locations, Silverstein said, though it’s unclear how they’re performing financially. There are no strip mall spots in Jersey so far, though Spencer’s intends to open a location at Consumer Square in Mays Landing, Silverstein said, about 10 minutes from its Atlantic County headquarters. And some outlets down the Shore already feature Spencer’s, including Jersey Shore Premium Outlets.

    Despite the move beyond malls, Silverstein said the rumors of mall death are greatly exaggerated. Mall culture will keep pushing Spencer’s forward, so long as the chain keeps coming up with original ideas, whether that’s alien-duck shot glasses or Pennywise lava lamps.

    “Retailing is like being a shark,” Silverstein said. “You constantly have to be moving or you die.”

  • ‘One of the most terrifying sexual assault cases’: Chester County man accused of raping kids, women across region

    ‘One of the most terrifying sexual assault cases’: Chester County man accused of raping kids, women across region

    A handyman who worked in homes across southeastern Pennsylvania raped and sexually assaulted children and unconscious women, and produced a vast collection of photographs and videos documenting his crimes, Chester County prosecutors said Monday.

    David Vincent Rosa, 54, faces more than 300 charges, including rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child, and hundreds of counts tied to creating and disseminating child pornography, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest.

    Rosa, a transient handyman and housepainter whose last known address was in Chester County, used his work to gain entry into homes and prey on the people inside them, investigators said.

    He recorded the attacks, they said, amassing a digital trail of evidence that spans a period of several years.

    “It is one of the most terrifying sexual assault cases that we have come across in some time,” Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said in a news conference Monday.

    Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe holds a news conference on Monday to announce charges against David Vincent Rosa.Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer

    The charges stem largely from two videos investigators discovered on a phone they said belongs to Rosa. In one, a man investigators identified as Rosa filmed himself touching a young girl. A second clip, also of Rosa, they said, depicts the rape of a child.

    But the case has widened beyond those recordings: Stored on Rosa’s devices and in his accounts, de Barrena-Sarobe said, investigators also found videos of him sexually assaulting additional children and women.

    The women “appear to be unconscious” in the videos, de Barrena-Sarobe said, and “they may not know that they have been victimized.”

    The children in the videos appear to be younger than 10 years old, he said. De Barrena-Sarobe declined to say exactly how many victims appear in the recordings, saying only that they showed “multiple” women and children. The videos and images are dated from 2017 to 2024, he said.

    Investigators traced recent logins to a Comcast account in West Whiteland Township, where records indicated Rosa lived, according to the affidavit. They also identified Rosa as the man seen in multiple images, the document said.

    Chester County and West Whitefield Township authorities began investigating Rosa in March, after receiving three dozen cybertips that child sexual abuse materials had been uploaded to Google accounts. The tips — reported by Google and routed through a regional Internet Crimes Against Children task force — involved six email accounts containing hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of girls as young as 2, investigators said.

    In April, authorities searched Rosa’s home, where they found a cell phone with a video matching the materials reported in the cybertips, according to the affidavit.

    Rosa was arrested April 2 and charged with 100 counts of child pornography, court records show.

    He has been held in Chester County Prison since then, unable to post bail, de Barrena-Sarobe said.

    Prosecutors filed hundreds of additional charges last week, after investigators extracted files from Rosa’s phone and interviewed witnesses who identified one of the children.

    More than 1,000 still images captured from the videos were recovered from Rosa’s phone, investigators said, and records provided by Google showed the videos were shared more than 50 times on the company’s chat app.

    Investigators also said in the affidavit that they recognized Rosa’s voice in both videos after speaking with him during his arrest and in a recorded interview.

    Detectives identified the first child victim in early June, after interviewing a woman who identified Rosa and the child from still images, according to the affidavit. The woman told investigators that Rosa had stayed for about a week at a Wind Gap home where she and the child lived in 2022. He was doing painting work at the house, she said.

    She described two incidents that had alarmed the household: Rosa was once discovered in a basement crawl space with the child, she told investigators, and another time, the girl was found in bed with him under a blanket. It was unclear whether anyone had reported either incident to authorities at the time.

    That account matches the pattern investigators now fear extends further. Rosa lived throughout the region and has previous arrests in Philadelphia, Allentown, Malvern, and Saylorsburg, de Barrena-Sarobe said.

    Investigators are asking anyone who hired him — or knows someone who did — over the last 10 years to come forward.

    David Vincent Rosa is pictured in photos shared by Chester County prosecutors on Monday.Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer

    Prosecutors released a series of photographs showing Rosa’s changing appearance over the years, along with an image of a room they are trying to locate: what appears to be an unfinished basement with a bed covered in rust-colored bed linens, where investigators say some of Rosa’s crimes were committed.

    Authorities described Rosa as 5-foot-4 and weighing about 150 pounds.

    Although de Barrena-Sarobe said Rosa is presumed innocent until proven otherwise, he added that “we strongly feel like this was a predator that was out in our region creating and destroying lives.”

    Rosa’s attorney did not return a phone call Monday afternoon.

    Anyone with information is asked to contact the Chester County Detectives at 610-344-6866.

  • Abington is paying the feds to ‘harass’ geese with lasers, pyrotechnics, and boats

    Abington is paying the feds to ‘harass’ geese with lasers, pyrotechnics, and boats

    Like many American suburbs, Abington accidentally spent centuries building a goose paradise. Now, the feds will help the township evict the waterfowl from their ideal habitat.

    Abington Township approved a contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on July 9 for Canada goose abatement in Alverthorpe Park, where airborne birds are attacking people driving golf carts, digging into sand traps, and dropping slippery, bacteria-laden feces onto walking paths and around the playground, township staff said.

    Goose droppings may also be affecting water quality at the park and interfering with fishing, according to the contract.

    Each goose can deposit up to a pound of feces per day, a USDA spokesperson said.

    “It’s a mess,” said Abington’s assistant parks director, Patricia Platt.

    USDA to harass Abington geese 35 times, may kill some to be used as food

    Between this month and June 2027, USDA personnel will conduct “waterfowl harassment” at the park, according to the contract, with “visual deterrents, use of lasers, and remote controlled boats, pyrotechnics, etc.”

    The service will cost about $15,000 for the yearlong contract.

    “Approximately 35 visits of harassment will be conducted throughout the spring and fall seasons,” the contract reads.

    The pyrotechnics mentioned in the contract are typically propane-powered noisemakers to scare the birds, a USDA spokesperson said.

    “It’s not like fireworks,” spokesperson Tanya Espinosa added.

    Lasers can mean green light beams trained on the ground to deter the birds.

    USDA workers start with less intensive goose-scaring methods and then escalate as needed, township and USDA staff said.

    The feds will also throw away goose eggs and, if the geese start molting, euthanize up to 150 birds for people to eat.

    Abington officials have considered other goose abatement tactics in the past. In 2023, the township’s shade tree commission asked whether a planned development across from Alverthorpe could include more shrubs and trees to reduce the goose habitat, but the engineering consultants said the community was adamant about an expansive grass lawn. The town’s 2023 parks plan suggests that closing some of the town’s outdoor ice rinks, which are wet lawns when not frozen, could help reduce goose habitat. The township parks director, Jessica Tholey, did not return calls and emails.

    Canada goose damage has been a problem across Pennsylvania for at least three decades. In 2010, USDA Wildlife Services received more than 400 “technical assistance requests” for goose damage in the state.

    Falls Township in Bucks County began reducing its resident goose population at a public park in 2015, according to its parks director. Falls spends about $17,000 annually for a private company to chase the geese with border collies.

    Honkers plentiful nationwide, Pa. says

    Goose populations have exploded across the United States in recent decades, rebounding from a dangerous low in the early 1900s when open hunting threatened migratory populations, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

    “There probably are more honkers on the continent today than when the Pilgrims landed,” state officials write.

    Canada geese still migrate through the Philadelphia region — a group dubbed the Atlantic population.

    But many local geese are part of a nonmigratory population that is relatively new.

    Pennsylvania had no year-round populations until 1936, when the state game commission released 30 Canada geese with amputated wing joints at a reservoir near Lake Erie.

    The state added to the reservoir population in the 1950s, and by the 1970s, Southeastern Pennsylvania landowners were complaining about geese, according to a 2011 report from a group of government officials and wildlife biologists.

    Nuisance geese settled in Abington over 40 years ago

    The geese, which prefer open fields with short vegetation near water, thrived on the lawns, golf courses, and fake lakes of the Philadelphia suburbs.

    By the 1980s, the geese had reached Alverthorpe Park, where Abington officials considered balloons and plastic swans to deter them.

    A Philadelphia Inquirer article from April 1984 by Laura Quinn details the nuisance goose population in Alverthorpe Park.Deng-Jeng Lee

    But with tens of thousands of them already settled in the Delaware Valley, The Inquirer reported in 1984, the game commission officer for eastern Montgomery County, William Wasserman, was not optimistic: ”What we’ve got right now with Canada geese is probably going to remain the same to the year 2000 and beyond.”

    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 couple celebrated a gender reveal with a dazzling light show at Longwood Gardens

    A couple celebrated a gender reveal with a dazzling light show at Longwood Gardens

    Streams of water shot up and danced at Longwood Gardens during the gender reveal for Danielle Alura’s baby.

    The water flashed blue and pink to the tune of Linkin Park’s “What I’ve Done.” On a downbeat, all of the fountains turned one color and fire burst out.

    “Next thing you know, I’m witnessing blue on my favorite fountains in the entire world,” Alura said.

    It’s a boy.

    The water flashed blue and pink before landing on blue.Courtesy of Danielle Alura

    Alura and her husband, Curt Clemens, had planned the gender reveal as a surprise finale to their wedding reception on June 18. Longwood Gardens ordinarily hosts nighttime illuminated fountain performances at the five-acre Main Fountain Garden in Kennett Square. However, this show was custom-made for the reveal.

    The couple, from Kennett Square, found out they were expecting a baby via surrogacy during their engagement, roughly six months before their wedding. Alura said they were anxious to start a family due to their ages, with Alura being 37 and Clemens 44.

    They had both hoped for a boy.

    “We’re just so, so over the moon about it,” she said.

    In a video posted Saturday that captured the moment the gender was revealed, cheers roared from the crowd as Alura jumped up and down.

    The gender wasn’t a surprise to the couple, though it was for many of their wedding guests.

    Griffin, the baby boy being celebrated, had arrived just two weeks before on May 31. He was three months early — born premature, just as Alura and her husband had been.

    Alura is a singer who was crowned Miss Global USA 2023, while Clemens is a woodworker.

    “We were prepared to have a preemie, and we have extra confidence because we’re walking examples ourselves,” she said.

    Danielle Alura is a singer and her husband, Curt Clemens, is a woodworker.Courtesy of Danielle Alura
  • Men who posed as cops during botched highway robbery will face trial in Chester County

    Men who posed as cops during botched highway robbery will face trial in Chester County

    In a matter of seconds, a highway traffic stop in Tredyffrin Township sent Joel Perez Rodriguez from confusion, to panic, to fear.

    When he saw red-and-blue emergency lights in his rearview mirror, he did what any law-abiding citizen would do, Chester County prosecutors said Thursday: He pulled onto the shoulder of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

    But Assistant District Attorney Monica Szyszkiewicz said the men who approached Perez Rodriguez’s vehicle on March 28 were not police officers — they were criminals, in league with his sister’s uncle, hired to rob Perez Rodriguez of $49,000 his sister had given him an hour earlier at her home in Germantown.

    The botched robbery ended with Perez Rodriguez shot in the chest, as other bullets narrowly missed his wife and 4-year-old son.

    Two of those men, Roberto Morel, 51, and Tuften Green, 31, were held for trial Thursday evening on charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, attempted theft, and related crimes after an hours-long preliminary hearing before District Judge Lauren Holt. Holt dismissed kidnapping charges the men faced, arguing there was a lack of evidence to support them.

    The third suspect, Terrell Adams, 38, waived his hearing, and will also be held for trial.

    Lawyers for Morel and Green told Judge Holt that Szyszkiewicz and Pennsylvania State Police investigators had built their case entirely on circumstantial evidence.

    Morel’s attorney, Timothy Tarpey, said his client did not spend time with Perez Rodriguez during the three days he and his family visited his sister, and asserted he had no knowledge of the money being exchanged.

    But Szyszkiewicz said investigators, using a litany of surveillance footage and cell phone data, had been able to reconstruct the entire plot, which began with the three men meeting up hours before the shooting at a gas station in Germantown. Video from that location, played in court, showed Morel and Green arriving at the same time, in separate vehicles, and discussing their plan, according to Trooper Adam McLaughlin.

    “They conspired to pull the victim over for what other reason than to get the money they had received an hour before,” she said, arguing it was no coincidence that Morel had a clear connection to Perez Rodriguez. “Why else would they do that?”

    Green’s attorney, Brian McCarthy, said despite the voluminous text messages prosecutors had pored over between his client and Morel, neither man made specific mention of a robbery, nor was there any attempt during the car stop to take the money from the car’s backseat.

    Holt was not swayed.

    Another video, taken from a Ring surveillance camera near where Perez Rodriguez’s sister lives showed the three men began following his car moments after he pulled out of her driveway, en route to his home in North Carolina.

    And data pulled from Green’s smartphone showed he was on the phone with Morel throughout the entire chase and subsequent shooting. The call ended, Szyszkiewicz said, when Perez Rodriguez fled the scene.

    His sister owns a bodega in Germantown and had given him the $49,000 to invest in his tobacco business back in North Carolina.

    As the family was driving westbound on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, they were being tailed by a Chevrolet Suburban being driven by Adams, investigators said Thursday, as well as a Honda CRV driven by Morel.

    Text messages revealed Green and Morel had discussed adding emergency lights to the SUV, exchanging pictures of them both before and after they had been attached to the vehicle’s dashboard, according to testimony Thursday.

    Once those lights were activated, Perez Rodriguez pulled over. He assumed, he said Thursday, that the occupants of the car behind him were undercover officers.

    Green and Adams approached his car. Both were dressed in all black, with Adams wearing a hat with “police” sewn into it.

    Right away, Perez Rodriguez said he knew something was wrong with the so-called officers. The way they spoke and carried themselves made him suspicious.

    His suspicions were confirmed when Green, seeing Perez Rodriguez’s wife was trying to dial 911, stuck a handgun into her ribs and tried to grab the phone from her.

    Perez Rodriguez sped away, and Green, according to prosecutors, fired the handgun five times.

    An Army reservist, coincidentally driving by in the aftermath of the shooting, saw Perez Rodriguez had pulled again onto the shoulder, and stopped to help, prosecutors said. She helped stabilize his gunshot wound until medics arrived to take him to Paoli Hospital.

    All three defendants will be arraigned in county court in West Chester later this month.

  • Two measles cases reported in Chester County as officials reveal more data on Pa.’s outbreak

    Two measles cases reported in Chester County as officials reveal more data on Pa.’s outbreak

    Nineteen people have been hospitalized for measles since April in Pennsylvania, state health officials reported in a new online data dashboard launched this week to track the spread of the highly contagious disease.

    Since April, an outbreak centered in Lancaster County has sickened 98 people — about a third of whom were under 18.

    The virus is also circulating in western Chester County, on the border between the Philadelphia area’s suburbs and Lancaster in central Pennsylvania. The county reported two additional cases this week, bringing its total to six since the outbreak began.

    The state has seen 110 cases this year, nearly seven times the caseload in 2025 and the largest case count in three decades. None of the patients sickened this year were fully vaccinated against the disease, state health officials said.

    On the new dashboard, officials also highlighted ongoing vaccination efforts in affected counties, noting that this year state health workers have given out more than 600 doses of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in Lancaster County alone — more than three times the doses administered there in all of 2025.

    Secretary of Health Debra Bogen said in a statement that the measles dashboard launched as part of ongoing efforts to “boost public access to information and provide transparency in our work to protect public health.”

    After The Inquirer and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette earlier this year published analyses on school-level vaccination data that were not readily available to the public, the state committed to publishing that information on its website. The data will be available by August, officials said.

    New cases near Philadelphia

    Lancaster County has been a particular hot spot for measles, with 59 cases reported since April.

    Last month, Chester County became the first in the Philadelphia region to identify measles cases since the current outbreak began.

    As of Thursday, six people in the county had been diagnosed, county officials said. A seventh case was reported earlier this year during a separate outbreak.

    All of the cases in Chester County were identified after patients sought medical care, but none have been hospitalized, said Nancy Sullivan, supervisor of the county’s disease investigation and surveillance program.

    Most of the patients in Chester County contracted measles — which can infect up to 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to the disease — because they lived with another measles patient, Sullivan said.

    “Individuals in the household are incredibly high risk; it’s not surprising to me that most [cases] are household contacts,” Sullivan said.

    The county has not identified cases contracted through “community transmission,” when a person in a public place like a library or supermarket exposes others to the disease.

    Still, physicians working in Lancaster have said they believe the true number of measles cases in Pennsylvania is higher than reported.

    With cases circulating in the western part of Chester County, on the border with Lancaster County, Sullivan also suspects more cases are going unreported.

    “We’re looking for community transmission and trying to stop that as quickly as possible,” she said.

    County officials have encouraged residents to ensure they are up-to-date on measles vaccinations, directing locals to clinics hosted by the state health department.

    If they are not able to attend those, Sullivan said, health workers will point them to Chester County’s own vaccination clinic, or even drive to residents’ homes to vaccinate them.

    The county is also in daily communication with Philadelphia regional health officials, who have been closely monitoring infectious diseases amid a full slate of high-profile summer events in the area.

  • The 5 most Wikipedia-famous local celebs | Inquirer Lower Merion

    The 5 most Wikipedia-famous local celebs | Inquirer Lower Merion

    Hi, Lower Merion! 👋

    A surprising number of celebrities hail from this corner of Montgomery County, but who are the most-searched-for online? We take a look. Also this week, residents are continuing to clean up after Saturday’s storms, police are investigating home burglaries, plus a local teen had a viral moment at the Home Run Derby.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Kylie Kelce tops the list of the most-searched Wikipedia pages of locally born celebrities

    Kylie Kelce is the most searched for celebrity on Wikipedia from Narberth or Lower Merion. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Ever wonder who the region’s most-searched-for locally born celebrities are?

    Kobe Bryant? Of course. Sabrina Carpenter? Obviously. But a fighter pilot born in the early 1900s? Not so much.

    The Inquirer recently dug into the 2025 top five most-searched individuals born in Lower Merion or Narberth, with the tiny borough punching above its weight class.

    Topping the list is Narberth native Kylie Kelce, who gained traction online after her podcast “Not Gonna Lie” launched in late 2024.

    She’s followed by two fellow Narberth natives, one a former Navy fighter pilot and the other a best-selling author. Rounding out the list is an MLB player and the former president of the Cleveland Browns.

    See who made the top five here.

    💡 Community News

    🍽️ On our Plate

    🎳 Things to Do

    🎶 Bryn Mawr Twilight Concerts: There are two shows this weekend. On Friday, get a preview of the upcoming Philadelphia Folk Fest, and on Sunday, hear Trout Fishing in America, an eclectic folk/rock band. ⏰ Friday, July 17, 7 p.m., and Sunday, July 19, 4 p.m. 💵 Free on Friday; $25.88 for adults and $16.56 for kids 12 and under on Sunday 📍 Bryn Mawr Gazebo

    🎞️ To Catch a Thief: See a screening of the 1955 Alfred Hitchcock film starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. ⏰ Sunday, July 19, 4 p.m. 💵 $11.75-$16.25 📍 Bryn Mawr Film Institute

    🎵 Music in the Park: Coca Leaves and Pearls headlines the next concert. ⏰ Wednesday, July 22, 7 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Narberth Park gazebo

    🏡 On the Market

    A bright and airy Merion Station Tudor

    The home has a screened-in porch.Ben Floyd Photography | Courtesy of Kathleen Hartnett/Compass RE

    Built in 1926, this four-bedroom Tudor has undergone a number of updates to blend the past and present. The home features a living room with a stone fireplace, a dining room, a kitchen with quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances, and a screened-in porch. It also has bonus living space on the third floor and a deck out back.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $679,000 | Size: 1,700 SF | Acreage: 0.05

    🗞️ What other Lower Merion 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.

  • Inside the new Ikea at Granite Run | Inquirer Greater Media

    Hi, Greater Media! 👋

    A small-format Ikea is now open at the Promenade at Granite Run. Here’s what you can expect. Also this week, the former president and CEO of Wawa has died, a Task-Mare of Easttown crossover is in the works, plus, Swarthmore has named a new borough manager.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    A small-format Ikea has opened in Granite Run

    Ikea has opened a small-format store at the Promenade at Granite Run.Peter Morrison

    Area residents no longer have to trek to Conshohocken or South Philadelphia to get their Ikea goods. The Swedish furniture brand opened its first Delaware County store last week at the Promenade at Granite Run.

    Unlike its neighboring behemoths, this one is a “plan and order point” concept, where customers can meet with design consultants and order goods, or pick up items they purchased online.

    Here’s what to know about the new location.

    💡 Community News

    • In case you missed it, former Wawa president and CEO Richard D. Wood Jr. died last week at the age of 88. Wood was instrumental in growing the beloved, locally rooted convenience chain into one of the largest privately held companies in the country.
    • Swarthmore council has named a new borough manager, approving former member Scarlett McCahill for the role at its most recent meeting. She will take over for interim borough manager David Unkovic, who has served in the role since the previous manager was terminated earlier this year. In addition, council named Alex Ashcom assistant borough manager.
    • It’s happening! Hit Delco-set HBO shows Task (which just got six Emmy nods) and Mare of Easttown will finally see their two worlds collide in a crossover. Here’s what we know.
    • Nether Providence police are reminding residents to lock their car doors at night and not leave valuables unattended after several reported thefts earlier this week.
    • Delaware County said last week it was continuing to investigate a recent hack into its network and had restored internal services.
    • Students at Cheyney University will see tuition go up 4.3% after a Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education board of governors vote last week.
    • Heads up for drivers: PennDot will be doing overnight conduit and utility cable installations Monday through Thursday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on both sides of I-476 between the Route 1 and Baltimore Pike interchanges. Expect lane closures and potential traffic stoppages. There will also be a lane closure on Bortondale Road and Orange Street between Old Middletown Road and Baltimore Pike tonight from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Starting Monday, Aqua will begin water main replacements on Providence Road between West Rose Valley and Chester Roads, and on Leslie Lane.

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • Looking for an espresso martini? Main Line Today recently rounded up spots to sip the cocktail, including Ariano and Brick & Brew, both in Media.

    🎳 Things to Do

    🎸 Amped Up Concert: Hear Mikeal Anthony Greto perform at this month’s concert. ⏰ Thursday, July 16, 6-8 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Swarthmore amphitheater

    🎶 Rose Tree Summer Festival: The upcoming lineup features performances from the Eric Mintel Quartet tonight, the Lonnie Shields Band tomorrow night, the Upper Darby Shooting Stars Summer Stage on Saturday, and swing band 22 Park Avenue on Saturday. On Wednesday, seven-piece Billy Joel cover group Angry Young Band takes the stage. ⏰ Thursday, July 16-Wednesday, July 22, 7:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Rose Tree Park, Media

    🪕 Tie Dye Music Festival: Try your hand at tie dying, listen to live music, and grab a bite to eat from a food truck at this annual festival. ⏰ Saturday, July 18, 4-8 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Community Arts Center, Wallingford

    ⚽ World Cup Final Watch Party: Catch the action on a big screen on Olive Street. ⏰ Sunday, July 19, 3 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Olive Street, Media

    🍿 Inside Out 2: Catch one of two screenings of the popular Disney Pixar film. ⏰ Monday, July 20, and Wednesday, July 22, 5:30 p.m. 💵 $15 📍 The Media Theatre

    🗞️ What other Greater Media 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.

  • Why the Exton Square Mall pushback is an ‘anomaly’ | Inquirer Chester County

    Hi, Chester County! 👋

    As the battle over Exton Square Mall’s future wages on, we speak with the lawyer fighting for its redevelopment. Also this week, a township and its historical commission are at odds over the future of the Darlington Inn, U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan brings personal experience to her affordability legislation, plus, more measles cases have been identified in the county.

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    Meet the real estate lawyer fighting to convert Exton Square Mall

    Developers want to convert the defunct Exton Square Mall into a mixed-use town center. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    Real estate lawyer Marc Kaplin is feeling “pretty optimistic” about the future of Exton Square Mall, which shuttered at the end of June.

    He’s currently representing the developers looking to transform the largely defunct space into a mixed-used town center, waging a legal battle to get the project going.

    Unlike other similar redevelopments in the region, this one has received pushback, including West Whiteland supervisors’ denial, something he sees as an anomaly given the tax drain vacant sites like this can have.

    The Inquirer’s Brooke Schultz spoke with Kaplin for a Q&A on how his work has shaped major developments in the region.

    📍 Countywide News

    💡 Community News

    • In case you missed it, Westtown Township’s supervisors are looking to remove members of the historical commission as the two groups butt heads over the future of the Darlington Inn. The Inquirer’s Brooke Schultz has the details.
    • Kevin Krebs, the Malvern man who brought guns to a West Chester No Kings protest last year, and was later discovered to have homemade pipe bombs at his house, has been sentenced to over three years in prison.
    • More potential amendments to a proposed 1.5 million-square-foot data center struck a nerve with some East Whiteland Township residents when the developer presented them last week. Here’s what to know.
    • Family members are mourning Sean O’Connor, the 29-year-old who died during storms that swept through the region when he was at Downingtown’s Marsh Creek State Park on July 4. He was “the sweetest man you could ever meet,” his wife, Lucy Troutman, recalled, while O’Connor’s father remembered his kindness and willingness to go out of the way to help others.
    • Students at West Chester University will see tuition go up 4.3% after a Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education board of governors vote last week.
    • Peco has purchased the former Vanguard-leased building at 100 Chesterfield Parkway in Malvern, expanding its real estate footprint in the region.
    • Fans of Berwyn native Brad Ingelsby’s hit HBO shows Task (which just got six Emmy nods) and Mare of Easttown will finally see their two worlds collide in a crossover. Here’s what we know.
    • Downingtown’s borough manager, Jeffrey A. Smith, recently stepped down, but will continue to consult on borough matters. He’s being replaced on an interim basis by Corinne Badman.
    • The Nest, a new holistic health community and retreat space, has opened in Lincoln University.

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • A mother-and-son-owned juice joint is opening in Kennett Square. Located at 148 W. State St., Lupita’s Juice Bar will host a grand opening on Sunday. It will serve fresh-squeezed and blended juices, as well as smoothies, yogurt parfaits, overnight oats, and salads.
    • A new ice cream shop soft launched over the weekend at 503 E. Gay St. in West Chester. Urban Scoop serves up an array of flavors in cups and bubble waffle cones.

    🎳 Things to Do

    🎵 Chill on the Hill: This month’s edition of the East Whiteland concert series features bluegrass artist East Nash Grass, as well as Americana singer/songwriter Jack Blocker. ⏰ Wednesday, July 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Valley Creek Park, Malvern

    🎹 Tredyffrin Township Summer Concert Series: Rick’s Office Band, which plays cover tunes, headlines this week’s show. ⏰ Thursday, July 16, 7 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Wilson Farm Park, Wayne

    🇺🇸 Charles Towne Market: Charlestown Township is celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary with a history-inspired market, complete with period dress, quill writing, and a flag dedication. There will also be food trucks and vendors. ⏰ Saturday, July 18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Brightside Farm, Malvern

    🍦 Ice Cream Social: This family-friendly event includes ice cream, crafts, a photo booth, face painting and more. ⏰ Sunday, July 19, 2-5 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Springton Manor Farm, Glenmoore

    🎡 Kimberton Community Fair: Now in its 97th year, the fair features carnival rides, livestock shows, a beer garden, and more throughout the six-day event. ⏰ Monday, July 20-Sunday, July 25, times vary 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Kimberton Fair Grounds, Phoenixville

    🏡 On the Market

    A four-bedroom Downingtown home with a sun room

    The home has a brick front and sits on a corner lot.Alcove Media | Courtesy of Cory McDonald/Holloway Real Estate Group

    With easy access to the Uwchlan and Struble Trails, this four-bedroom Downingtown home blends the indoors and outdoors. That’s evident in a sun room addition that opens onto a patio and the backyard. Other features include a kitchen with granite countertops and an island, an office, dining and living rooms, and a family room with vaulted ceilings, a skylight, and a fireplace. The primary suite also has its own sitting area and a double vanity. There are open houses Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $850,000 | Size: 3,031 SF | Acreage: 0.8

    🗞️ 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.

  • What archaeologists dug up at Croft Farm | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    What archaeologists dug up at Croft Farm | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Hello, Cherry Hill! 👋

    An analysis of the archaeological dig at Croft Farm is nearly wrapped up. Here’s what the team behind it discovered. Also this week, a longtime Cherry Hill educator is leaving the district to become a superintendent, a former Rite Aid is set to become a gym, plus, the family of a slain veterinarian continues to grapple with his death.

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    Here’s what archaeologists turned up at Croft Farm

    The basement of the Kay-Evans House was excavated as part of the project. Chelsea Carriere

    Hundreds of bones, thousands of ceramic fragments, and items belonging to long-ago members of the Lenni-Lenape Indigenous people are among the artifacts archaeologists unearthed as part of their recent dig at Croft Farm.

    The dig took place around the 18th-century Kay-Evans House, part of which was open to the public in February, and archaeologists are now wrapping up their findings. Those items are helping them better understand the people who lived along the Cooper River centuries ago and how society evolved.

    Some artifacts could even be on public display at the house one day as the township looks for ways to showcase its history.

    The Inquirer’s Sarah Nicell digs into what else archaeologists turned up.

    💡 Community News

    • In case you missed it, Cristian Custodio-Aquino was sentenced to 30 years in prison last week for the murder of beloved Cherry Hill veterinarian Michael Anthony.
    • The former Rite Aid at 1360 Brace Rd. is slated to become a Bunker Fitness Center, as the gym expands from its current location in Blackwood.
    • TruGolf Links opened a flagship location last week at the Plaza at Cherry Hill. It offers six golf simulator bays, in addition to food and drinks.
    • Speeders Car Wash opened last week, taking over the former Route 41 Car Wash at 1507 Kings Highway North.
    • Philadelphia arts-and-crafts studio Deko Deko is expanding to Cherry Hill this summer. The shop offers a range of DIY projects, including hair accessories, keychains, and charm bracelets. The studio hasn’t announced exactly where or when it will open its new outpost.
    • Due to the heat, trash and recycling will be picked up today through Friday starting at 6 a.m.
    • Work on westbound Kresson Road will cause a weekday detour between Cropwell Road and Cooper Run Drive from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Work will also take place between Springdale Road and Middle Acre Lane, causing traffic pattern changes. Elsewhere, work is continuing on Kenilworth Avenue, which will be closed between Route 38 and Helena Avenue from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through Friday. And starting tomorrow, expect roadwork on Springdale Road at the Mount Laurel border from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    • There’s a new assistant rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom. Jacob Lipkin began in the role this month.

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • Looking for great Filipino food? Reyta’s Filipino Cuisine dishes up some of the best in the state, according to NJ.com. The outlet noted the Haddonfield-Berlin Road eatery offers authentic dishes as well as boodle fights served on banana leaves.

    🎳 Things to Do

    🎶 Twilight Music Series: Beach Boys’ cofounder Al Jardine will perform along with The Pet Sounds. ⏰ Thursday, July 16, 8-11 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Cooper River Park Jack Curtis Stadium

    💫 Music Under the Stars: Party band 80’s Revolution will perform. There will also be food trucks and a beer garden. ⏰ Tuesday, July 21, 7 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Barclay Farmstead

    🍑 The Peach Truck Tour: The roving peach truck will make a stop at the mall to sell boxes of the fruit. ⏰ Wednesday, July 22, 4:30-6 p.m. 💵 $15-$120 📍 Cherry Hill Mall

    🏡 On the Market

    A four-bedroom home with a cozy family room

    The home has a covered front porch and a two-car garage.John Marie/Steven Edwards Photography | Courtesy of Susan Grimm/Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

    Located in the Old Orchard neighborhood, this four-bedroom home has undergone a number of recent updates, including fresh paint, refinished hardwood floors, a newer roof, and refreshed bathrooms. The home has living and dining rooms, an eat-in kitchen, and a family room with vaulted ceilings, skylights, and a fireplace. Outside, a deck overlooks the backyard.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $515,000 | Size: 2,102 SF | Acreage: 0.25

    🗞️ 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.