West Chester Weekly News Roundup: Apr. 24, 2026

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It’s Friday, April 24, 2026: Six years ago, Chester County’s Coroner’s Office lost its national accreditation largely due to the state of its facilities. Despite years of pleading, little has been done to bring them back into compliance. This week, we take a peek at the current situation (it’s not great) and chat with the current Coroner about recently funded plans to upgrade operations. “I believe that how a community treats its dead… is a reflection of its humanity,” said former Coroner Christina VandPol in a recent interview.  

Also, the West Chester Film Festival turns 20. We have everything you need to know about this weekend’s festivities. West Chester Area School District is moving away from a single classroom teacher for all fourth and fifth graders. I talk with Director of Elementary Education Sarah Missett about what that will look like, a West Chester 20-something puts her relationship through the small screen test on Netflix’s Temptation Island, and United Sports has been sold to an out-of-state entity. Wonder what that’s going to mean for league fees? 

And that’s just the half of it… Who’s ready? Let’s catch up.    

State of Decay: Chester County Coroner’s Facilities are Failing

On Oct. 6, 2020, then-Coroner Dr. Christina VandePol made a plea to the Chester County Commissioners: upgrade the morgue. “I have to assure you, the Chester County coroner facilities are not only not the best, but may be among the worst in the state,” she said at a virtual commissioners meeting. That was five years ago. Today, the operations remain very much as they did at the time of that testimony. 

This situation was first brought to our attention last month, when West Goshen correspondent Margie Swart traveled to the Government Service Building to cover the law enforcement response to the murder of Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Timothy O'Connor. Behind the main building on Westtown Road, two state troopers stood vigil overnight beside a maintenance garage, while Corporal O’Connor’s body awaited transport to Chester County Hospital. 

“The quiet watch was a powerful gesture of respect. But the actual location of the watch came as a surprise,” said Margie. Six years ago, that maintenance garage was retrofitted with a temporary body cooler and freezer, and has since served as the county’s morgue. 

The Warnings.

Sexual assault reported on WCU campus. West Chester University Police are investigating a sexual assault that took place in a student housing facility between late Thursday night and early Friday morning. Police report the victim knew their attacker. This incident was first reported by 6ABC.

Self-proclaimed vigilante sentenced after bringing the hammer of justice down on a West Chester man. In May of 2024, Ahmad Al-Azzam posed as a delivery driver and broke into the home of a 73-year-old West Chester man he met in an online chat room. Once inside, he beat the man and tortured him with a hammer, claiming, without evidence, that his victim was a pedophile. Ahmad now faces 8.5 to 17 years in prison. “This case involved the victimization of a resident in his home, the place he should have felt safest,” said West Chester Police Chief Joshua Lee. You can read more about the sentencing hearing and this bizarre case here.

This is a lesson. This is only a lesson. Last week, West Goshen Police held a mock crash simulation at West Chester East High School. With the help of several students, the officers staged a parking lot crash involving an impaired driver. Students watched as police officers secured the scene, assessed the crash, determined its cause, and administered sobriety tests. After the reenactment, students meet in the gym for an assembly. The annual ritual is meant to raise awareness of the potential impacts of impaired driving ahead of prom season. 

Plan your alternates. Installation of the Gay St. bollards has been completed at Church St. and the west side of High St. Construction has now moved to the east side of High St. and Matlack St. Gay St. will be closed from Matlack to High until the work is complete. Why not just close during work hours? According to Downtown West Chester Executive Director John O’Brien, the work area is too big to cover with steel plates or asphalt. Thus, the closure will be 24/7 until it is completed. Just how long will that take? If the other two installations were indicators, give workers at least three weeks to finish this half of the project. 

Hello.

Say hello to film festival weekend. For the last 20 years, much like Tribeca and Park City, UT, West Chester has been able to enjoy the distinction of being a city with its own film festival.

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Goodbye.

The West Chester Area School District is getting ready to bid farewell to single-classroom teachers for some elementary students. In an email sent to parents last week, Dr. Sara Missett, Director of Elementary Education, shared that the district will move to a departmentalized instructional model for all fourth- and fifth-grade students beginning next year. The decision came after reviewing the results of a pilot program hosted this year at East Goshen, Fern Hill, and Starkweather elementary schools. 

The Accolades.

Once a year, the Chester County Art Association hosts an art exhibit representing the county’s best high school artists. This year, artists representing more than 22 schools and 500 works of art participated in the program. Three winners were named in each of nine media, including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, collage, and more. 

The winners were selected for their skill in handling the medium, interpreting the event’s theme, creativity, originality, and artistic skill demonstrated. In addition to the medium awards, the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) announced the three winners of the Congressional Art Competition. These students will have their artwork displayed either at the U.S. Capital (first place) or at one of Rep. Chrissy Houlahan’s home offices. 

This year, five West Chester students brought home awards. Congratulations to all the winners and participants. Some truly inspiring artwork was on display last week. 

Rustin:

• First Place in Painting: Aleah Kwiatkowski (Grade 11)

Henderson: 

• First Place in Collage: Faith Carrier (Grade 12)

• Second Place in Collage: Caroline Dolan (Grade 11)

• Second Place in Sculpture: Maya Ward (Grade 11)

East: 

• Third Place Congressional Art Competition: Andrew Grunza 

Dream of your own art honors? If you have a particularly nice shot of a spring bloom, it could be good for a five-person membership to Longwood Gardens and family gathering bragging rights. County Lines Magazine is hosting its annual Chester County in Bloom photo contest and it’s open to all nonprofessional (they check) Chester County-based photographers. Finalists will be published in the June issue of the magazine. Deadline for submission is May 3.

Other things we are celebrating this week. 

Smarty pants. Two West Chester students have turned impressive PSAT scores into dollars for college through the National Merit Scholar corporate sponsorship program. According to a recent Patch article, Dinith Halambage from East High School was awarded a scholarship from Johnson and Johnson while Unionville senior Anne Zhu nabbed the United Services Automobile Association prize. Dinith plans to study anesthesiology in college, Anne, public health. 1.6 million students take the PSATs each year. 700 won corporate scholarship. In honor of the PSAT and this week’s PSSAs, I’ll let you do the math.

First Team All-Area Boys Basketball. With only seven spots to give, it’s not an easy team to make. So high fives this week to AJ Stewart. The Westtown junior chipped in 14 points per game and helped to lead the Moose to the PAISSA semifinals. WCASD did have a player named to the second team and several honorable mentions. You can see all selections here. 

Jackson Lamb. The Rustin senior is the Golden Knights' new Lacrosse scoring leader. He broke the record previously held by Marek Seaman, class of ’23. “Jackson is an incredible leader on our team and an exceptional teammate who would rather see young guys get reps rather than pumping up his own stats late in games,” Rustin Lax shared on Instagram. An impressive 11-point outing on Tuesday against a previously unbeaten Bishop Shanahan team already has Jackson 10 points ahead on the leaderboard. That number is only likely to grow as there are still six games left in the season. With Tuesday’s win, Rustin is now 8–0 in the conference and 11–1 overall. You can read more about the game here. 

Second-place finishes in your first year back. “West Chester University’s boxing club ended its National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) Championships run with a breakthrough performance,” reporter Sophie Stair wrote for the WCU Quad. West Chester University junior boxer Max Zampirri made it clear to the collegiate boxing world that WCU is back with a second-place finish in the club’s first national final in decades. You can read the full story here.

56 dog years. All the Dogs is celebrating eight years on Church St this weekend. Stop by Saturday and Sunday to spin for a surprise discount and toast eight years more, with anniversary cookies from GiggyBites Bakery. 

Most clicked. Well, cheers to Dr. Roemmele! The link to his Science on Tap program was the most-viewed in last week’s newsletter. Their last meetup of the year will take place in May. Here’s that link again, for anyone who may be interested.

Pay it Forward.

The West Chester Green Team would like you to celebrate Earth Day with them this weekend. The afternoon’s festivities begin with a march to the Historic Courthouse at 2 p.m. Participants will meet at WC Friends (415 N. High St.) and walk together as a group to the courthouse. Prizes will be given for the most creative signs and hats.

After the march, there will be a Wellness Fair at the United Methodist Church where you can learn about acupuncture, healthy eating, and tai chi. Then at 5 p.m. a Power Dinner will honor local environmental leaders. A $20/donation is suggested for the dinner. 

Other ways to give back this week: 

Help support a little resource pantry. Don’t think they are used? Think again. Don’t believe me here is a testimonial from Passport Rotary.Their’s is located at 501 E Miner St. and while it looks good now, it turns over fast. Can’t make it down? Order off their Amazon Wish List and they’ll bring the items down for you.

Tell SEPTA what you really think. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) and SEPTA need Chester County residents and transit riders to participate in a focus group. Selected participants will receive a $150 stipend upon completion of a 2-hour focus group session. If you are interested in participating contact Shoshana Akins, Manager of Public Participation at DVRPC. Her email is [email protected]. 

Keep rounding up. This year, the WCASD received $41,000 from GIANT through their Feeding School Kids initiative. But while, the check came from GIANT, the results were largely thanks to you. “Every time you rounded up at the register, you helped support students facing food insecurity and expand access to meals across our schools,” WCASD explained in a Facebook post.

The Freakin’ Weekend.

What are you up to this weekend? Oh, what I wouldn’t give to sit in a park and paint! Sadly our weekends of kid carting are once again in full swing, but it’s not all exhaust fumes. We are planning to squeeze in the Green Team’s Earth Day dinner on Saturday and the aforementioned Coffee & Cartoons on Sunday.

If you are around this weekend, there is a lot going on. In addition to the WCFF and Earth Day, Everhart Park is hosting its annual park clean up on Saturday starting at 9 a.m., the Running Home 5K is taking place downtown, the Walk for Paws 5K is taking place at West Goshen Park, and the Festival of Colors is taking place at East Goshen Park. Also on Saturday, the West Goshen Police are hosting their annual Skate-A-Rama event at Ice Line. This is a free event but registration is required. And if that wasn’t enough, it’s also WCU Alumni Weekend. If you are heading out, make those reservations and check them twice.

Have an event you want to share? Let us know about it here.

Finally, a very special thank you to this week’s Community Sponsor, PetCare Group. Insured, bonded, and in business for 22 years, PetCare Group has an experienced team of care providers for in-home pet sitting, dog walking, and dog training every day of the year – including weekends, holidays, and overnights. Forgot to cancel the mail? Need someone to water the plants? They’ll take care of those too (no extra cost). Check out their website to learn more.

View a list of all our amazing Community Sponsors here.

Business leaders: Want exclusive access to this amazing community? Of course, you do. There are only three spots an issue so each one gets a lot of attention, and from what I hear, responses. Placements are filled first come- first served. Send me an email if you are interested.

Mark Your Calendars:

Apr. 24 – 26 – WCU Alumni Weekend, various. Lots of events for you, WCU alumni, including a Banana night celebration at Levante, a Maker’s Market and a pub crawl through town.

Apr. 24 – Yoga Storytime, West Chester Public Library, 10:30 – 11 a.m. Ages 2 – 6. Registration required.

Apr. 24 – Ladies Night Out! Dance Cardio Party, Windish Studios, 4 W. Prescott Aly, doors open at 6 p.m., event starts at 6:30 p.m. Get ready to sweat and laugh with your besties at the ultimate dance cardio bash! Stick around after for lite bites. All levels welcome! A portion of proceeds will be donated to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Tickets: $20

Apr. 25 – Everhart Park Spring Clean Up, Everhart Park, 9 a.m. – noon. Meet at the Children’s Cottage near the children’s entrance and playground off W. Union St. Bring gloves and wear comfortable shoes.

Apr. 25 – Running Home 5K/1 M walk, Downtown West Chester, 9 a.m. Race supports North Star of Chester County. Registration: $30 for the run; $25 for the walk.

Apr. 25 – Festival of Colors 2026, East Goshen Park, 10 a.m. Dress in all white and get ready to dance through the rainbow. All colors are natural and safe. Food will be available for purchase. Tickets are required for this event.  

Apr. 25 – Walk for Paws and 5K run, West Goshen Community Park, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This popular event includes a 5k color run, live music, kid fun zone, pet costume contest, yoga with puppies, food trucks, and more. Full access: $35; Run registration: $30; Kids: $20. All proceeds go to support the Greater Brandywine SPCA.

Apr. 25 – 2026 Skate-A-Rama, Ice Line, 11 a.m. to 12:30 or 1 to 2:30 p.m. This is a free community event sponsored by the West Goshen Police Department. It is open to all elementary and middle school students, their parents and teachers. Rentals and snacks also provided. Registration required.

Apr. 25 – Our Power, Our Planet Earth Day March, Meet at West Chester Friends, 2 p.m. Prize given for the most creative sign. This event is sponsored by the West Chester Green Team.

Apr. 25 – Earth Day Wellness Fair, United Methodist Church, 2- 4 p.m. This event is sponsored by the West Chester Green Team.Apr. 25 – Earth Day Power Dinner, United Methodist Church, 5 p.m. Join an evening of presentations, awards, international foods, and sweets. Suggested dinner donation $20 for adults and $5 for youth. Register for the dinner here. This event is sponsored by the West Chester Green Team.

Apr. 26 – May 3 – 1st Annual Lego Building Contest, Monkey Fish Toys. Join MFT for their 1st Annual Lego Building Contest. Creations must be original, no bigger than 1 sq ft, designed and built by kids (categories for 3-5, 6-8, and 9-13), and dropped off at the store by May 3. The winner from each age group will receive a $50 MFT gift card.

Apr. 26 – Beat Ben Fun Run, East Goshen Park, 12 p.m. Children can focus on fitness and fun as they try to outpace founding father Ben Franklin!

Apr. 27 – Chair Yoga, West Chester Public Library, 10 -10:45 a.m. Chair yoga is an all-inclusive practice that uses a chair as a supportive tool in modified yoga poses. Registration recommended. Walk-ins welcome as long as space allows. 

Apr. 27 – Girls Riding Together (GRiT) Mountain Bike Camp, Pocopson Elementary School, 5 – 7 p.m. This free camp is open to girls grades 5-11 and takes place over three sessions on Apr. 27, May 5, and May 13.  No experience is needed, and bikes can be provided if needed.

Apr 28 – Teen/Tween Tuesday: Planting Outside the Library, West Chester Public Library, 4:30 – 6 p.m. Open to ages 11 – 18. Registration required. 

Apr. 29 – How the Body Works, West Chester Public Library, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. This 10-week program exploring how the body works is open to kids ages 8 to 13. This is session 9 – Germs & Immunity. Registration is required for each class and opens a week before.

Apr. 30 – 2026 Town Tours Kick-Off, Chester County Historic Courthouse, Doors open at 5 p.m. tour starts at 5:30 p.m. Downtown walking tours will follow and focus on everything from Lenape lands, Quaker farmsteads, the Turk’s Head Tavern, the American Revolution, our county seat, religion, education, people, business, and architecture, plus contemporary events and lifestyles. Music by the Lenape Brass.

May

May 1 – Gay Street Open Air Market opens for the season

May 1 – Spring Gallery Walk, Downtown West Chester, 4 -8 p.m. This self-guided art tour celebrates the thriving community of artists and galleries that make greater West Chester their home. Multiple galleries combine with additional “one-night-only” show hosts to showcase some great local Chester County artists. This is a free event.

May 2 – West Chester Growers Market, corner of Church and Chestnut, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

May 2 – Borough Stroll, Downtown West Chester, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Join for a self-guided shopping stroll through West Chester Borough during the first Open Air Market weekend. Ticketed guests will receive a passport guide with discounts or perks at 10 participating locations. Tickets: $15 in advance; $20/day of.  Meet at Rose’s Little Donuts at 22 N. Darlington St. 

That’s it. Stay safe, stay happy, and thanks to everyone who helped make this week’s issue possible. I’ll see you next week!

This newsletter has been edited by Victoria Rose, Flickering Words: Copy editing. Substantive editing. Proofreading. Content writing. Technical editing. Contact her at [email protected] or @VictoriaRoseEdits to learn more.

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