Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 158, No. 17
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
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Major issues addressed at Avon Grove School Board meeting Parents raise concerns about the district’s response to a recent school safety incident; the school board discusses the budget for 2024-2025 By Colleen Cochran Contributing Writer The Avon Grove School Board meeting held on April 25 began with a statement read by Bonnie Wolff, school board president, concerning the Avon Grove School District’s response to a recent school safety incident. Parents and community
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viewers of the meeting only learned through that board statement that a school incident had occurred, but they did not learn the specifics of the event. The nature of the incident was later brought to light during the public comment period, which occurred at the end of the meeting. The statement informed the community that the Avon Grove School District
is “constrained by state and federal student and child privacy laws from providing public details on any possible charges or investigation status by the state police.” It also relayed that the wellbeing of the community is a priority, assistance would be offered to students who were distressed, and that the district is working to refine communication procedures.
During the public comment period, one parent described the incident, saying that on April 14, a school counselor learned that two 14-year-old middle school students had devised a student hit list. On April 12, that list came to the attention of school administrators via email. The parent said that, according to local news, the
Community celebrates success of book gift program for children
Pennsylvania State Police were not informed about the hit list until April 16, and that it was only after the police reached out to the school administration that administrators sent a message out to Avon Grove Middle School families and the community. She said, “The school was put on notice about the threats against students almost a week before any
action was taken to protect our children.” Another parent who spoke, a father of a daughter who attends the middle school, said it was his daughter, not the school, that informed him on April 16 that she learned her name was on that list. He said, “The school district’s lack of communication Continued on Page 2A
FROM OUR LENS ‘Be prepared’
Kennett Run
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Lori Cushman of the Justamere Foundation presents a check from the foundation to Arts Holding Hands and Hearts, Inc. Executive Director Jan Michener, as part of its support for the Chester County Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The event, held on April 24 at the Kennett Library, also recognized the work of more than 40 non-profit agencies who assist children and families throughout the county. Trout Rodeo success…..1B
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Bill currently in Pa. House and Pa. Senate to expand Dolly Parton Imagination Library statewide By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
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Representatives from more than 40 area non-profit organizations joined with elected officials at “Spring Forward Together,” a celebration of the county’s commitment to families and children that was held at the Melton Terrace at the Kennett Library on April 24.
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Sponsored by the library and Arts Holding Hands and Hearts, Inc. (AHHAH), the event celebrated the continuing impact of the Chester County Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The program, first begun in the City of Coatesville in 2021 and operated by AHHAH, has since expanded throughout the county and has to date provided more than 8,000 regis-
Man arrested for double murder in East Marlborough Township A 76-year-old man is under arrest after allegedly shooting his wife and adult daughter during a dispute in a home on Wiltshire Drive in East Marlborough Township early in the evening of April 25. The Chester County District Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop J Avondale Barracks, announced the arrest of Roger Hanks, 76. He faces charges of two counts of murder of the first degree and other related charges. Magisterial District Judge Albert Iacocca arraigned the defendant on Friday, and Hanks is being held at the Chester County Prison without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 8. According to the criminal complaint filed by the Pennsylvania State Police, troopers were dispatched to a residence following the report of a shooting. When police arrived, Hanks was directed out of his house through the garage and then
arrested. Inside the home, troopers found two unresponsive victims with gunshot wounds laying on the ground. Emergency life-saving measures were administered, but they were unsuccessful. District Attorney Christopher L. de BarrenaSarobe said, “The defendant senselessly shot and killed his family because of a basic dispute. It is unfathomable that anyone would react this way. I want to thank the Pennsylvania State Police, who acted quickly and arrested the defendant after being dispatched to the scene.” Chief Deputy District Attorney Michelle Frei is the assigned prosecutor. Law enforcement officials said that tt appears to be an isolated incident and the police do not believe there was a threat to the general public. Those who have information about this incident are asked to contact the Pennsylvania State Police Avondale at 610-268-2022.
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Jacob Sharp, a member of Boy Scout Troop 62 and a junior at Avon Grove High School, was acknowledged at the April 22 New Garden Township Board of Supervisors meeting for his Eagle Scout project involving the installation of three informational kiosks that are now placed throughout New Garden Park and in front of the Township Building. The kiosks were completed in June of 2023 and are used by staff to offer details about the park’s trails, wildlife, historical landmarks, safety guidelines, and rules and regulations. Jacob is pictured with his mother, Beth.
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Mushroom Festival awards more than $100,000 to local organizations during grant presentation The evening also included the announcement of the Randy Lieberman Scholarship Grant The Kennett Mushroom Festival continued its long tradition of giving back to the community last Wednesday night when more than $100,000 in funding was announced during the annual grant presentation. Gale Ferranto, the volunteer Mushroom Festival Coordinator, reminded everyone that the guiding principle of the Mushroom Festival is to give back to the community. Ferranto is the owner of Buona Foods, and she said that the grant presentation is always a highlight for the event’s Photo courtesy the Mushroom Festival organizers and volunteers Lindsay Yates (left), the president of the Unionville because the organizations Community Fair, with Stone Lieberman and Avery Lieberman Eaton during the announcement of the that receive the grants Randy Lieberman Scholarship Grant.
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