Letter: In support of Rongaus for Court of Common Pleas

To The Editor, On November 7, 2023, Chester County voters will elect five judges to serve on the Court of Common Pleas, the county’s trial court that hears criminal prosecutions and civil cases — that include contract disputes, personal injury claims, divorce, custody, and local government appeals. Such a critical position demands, not only a keen knowledge of the law, but also judicial temperament...

Moms for Liberty reveal who they really are

By Rich Heiland, Columnist, The TimesMoms for Liberty drops the veil on “non-political” it once wore – it’s bringing Trump and others to Philly this month to headline its national meeting This is not just a national story – Pennsylvania is near the top of Mom’s national membership list and it’s spawned numerous subgroups around the greater Philly area that have as their goal the dumbing...

While far-right, big-money school board candidates struggled in the primary, it was just a rehearsal for Nov.

By Rich Heiland, Columnist, The Times SOME QUICK REFLECTIONS…..on our recent primary elections… Schools…The billionaires who poured money into area school board races to try to turn public education into a straight, white Christian Nationalist brain-washing experience ought to be a bit disappointed. Granted, this was only a primary and the real test will come in November, but Tuesday’s results...

Democrats: there are a lot of Republicans on your primary ballot, know what to look for

By Rich Heiland, Columnist, The Times It’s going to be critical for Democratic voters to take their “cheat sheets” into the polling place and be absolutely sure the candidates they vote for really are Democrats. If you are concerned about far righters taking over school boards, county elections, boroughs and towns, you need to understand the law suits the far-righters file start in our Common...

Some local school board candidates are not what they seem

Editor’s Note: Rich Heiland is a veteran, award-winning news reporter, editor and columnist. We were alerted to Rich’s column on local education and felt it deserved wider distribution beyond his personal Website. With his permission, we present this column — with hopes that Rich’s work will appear here semi-regularly. By Rich Heiland, Special to the Times I was told this was...

Democrats, Republicans announce party endorsements

The Democratic Committee and Chester County as well as the Republican Committee of Chester County held their annual nominating conventions this past week, endorsing a number of candidates for the May primary. Democrats announced a number of endorsements. Chairwoman Charlotte Valyo stressed the importance of the endorsement process, especially given cross-filing Republicans expected on the May...

Rivera announces run for Chesco Court of Common Pleas bench

Leonard Rivera Leonard Rivera, Latino, trial lawyer from Kennett Square, is among the top candidates vying for five open seats on the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. In this tight race, Rivera stands out as the most experienced litigator currently running for County Judge and the only candidate with a master’s degree in Trial Advocacy. His breadth and depth of legal accomplishments and thousands...

Barrena-Sarobe announces run for DA

Chris de Barrena-Sarobe Chris de Barrena-Sarobe, a career prosecutor and Democrat, has launched his campaign to be Chester County’s next District Attorney. “Chester County is a special place with a deep history and a brighter future. I want to be our next District Attorney to keep Chester County a safe and just place where families and businesses can thrive.” Chris is a graduate of UC Berkeley...

Roe announces run for County Commissioner

Eric Roe announces his campaign for County Commissioner, Saturday in West Chester. On the steps of the historic Chester County Courthouse, former State Representative Eric Roe formally announced his campaign for County Commissioner to a crowd of supporters on Saturday. “Chester County needs leaders who will be champions for open space preservation, civility, and integrity,” said Roe, 35, of West...

DA Ryan announces run for Court of Common Pleas

Deb Ryan After dedicating her entire career to public service, Chester County District Attorney, Deb Ryan, announces her candidacy for judge in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. “Serving as the Chester County District Attorney has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” Ryan said. “Since taking office, I have been dedicated to the mission of keeping our communities safe...