Chesco

J. Curtis Joyner, the Chester County assistant district attorney whose appointment as a Common Pleas Court judge was held up for political reasons last year, won unanimous confirmation from the state Senate yesterday. Joyner, 38, a Republican, will become the first black judge in Chester County history. A West Chester resident, Joyner was nominated Oct. 13 to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of President Judge John E. Stively. "I'm glad it's over," Joyner said last night by telephone.

Part of a former dairy farm in West Vincent Township is to be preserved as open space, the French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust announced Thursday. Longtime township resident Theodora Heathcote and her four children donated a conservation easement on 36 acres of what was once a 170-acre family dairy operation, said a news release. The scenic property, which is still leased for crop farming, sits at the intersection of two unpaved roads and features a spring-fed pond, adjacent wetlands and about 2 1/2 acres of woodland, the release said.

The Chester County commissioners have settled two lawsuits filed by former employees that will cost taxpayers nearly $93,000. The commissioners unanimously approved the settlements on Tuesday without discussion as part of their weekly finance agenda. "We took the action recommended by our solicitor in both cases," said Commissioners Chairman Colin Hanna. He declined further comment. Cynthia Gates, a former caseworker in the Department of Children, Youth and Families, will be paid $20,715 to settle her claim of improper discharge from her job. Gates, a civil service employee, could not be reached for comment.

An unidentified Chester County man died yesterday in an early morning fire that destroyed the Highland Township home where he was staying. Trooper Richard O'Brien of the state police at Embreeville said authorities were still investigating the cause of a 3 a.m. blaze that destroyed the house in the 300 block of Martin Road. "By the time a neighbor spotted the fire and called the fire company, (the house) was completely gone," said Mary Griest, who owns the land with her husband, Harry.

The Chester County all-stars advanced to the semifinals of the Carpenter Cup Classic yesterday by beating the Catholic League, 10-5, at Penn's Meiklejohn Stadium. Chester County will face the Jersey Shore all-stars, who advanced by winning yesterday's second game, 6-2, against Suburban One National/Bicentennial. Chester scored five runs in the seventh inning, which was highlighted by a two-run double by Spring-Ford's Rick Gehman. Jersey Shore used sound pitching to win its game.

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER Four kittens were found dead - three mutilated - in a Chester County yard, officials said. "There were three different criminal acts on the kittens," said Rich Britton, Chester County SPCA spokesperson. "One was cut in half, one bludgeoned, and one disemboweled. " The cause of death of the fourth kitten was inconclusive. A necropsy was scheduled, Britton said. The kittens, between four and eight weeks old, had been killed within the last two weeks.

Grace H. Henkels DeCaro, 79, a longtime resident of West Chester who was known for her interest in Chester County history, died of cardiac arrest Saturday at Barclay Friends Hall, where she had lived for the last year. She had lived in West Chester since 1967. She and her husband, Thomas F. DeCaro Sr., a retired Lincoln University professor with whom she shared an interest in local history and collecting Chester County art and antiques, had been married for 48 years. Mrs. DeCaro was born and raised in Philadelphia and graduated from Frankford High School in 1944.

The Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry is planning a morning workshop March 3 for employers who want to know more about their rights and obligations under Pennsylvania's new workers'-compensation law. The program at the West Chester Holiday Inn will include discussion of guidelines for employee notification, new forms, insurance fraud, and medical standards for determining disability. The program should help employers save money by fully understanding the new law, said Robert Powelson, president of the chamber.

Willow Grove Bancorp Inc. said yesterday that it was buying Chester Valley Bancorp Inc. in a transaction valued at $152.5 million, to form what they say will be the fifth-largest bank based in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Willow Grove, which is based in Maple Glen, goes into the transaction with $975.6 million in assets, while Chester Valley, of Downingtown, has $645 million in assets. Donna M. Coughey, current president of Chester Valley, will become the new bank's president and chief executive officer.

Vince Spina, secretary of the Greater Philadelphia Bowling Association, called it an oddity. Judy Fitzcharles, manager of the Phoenix Lanes, called it "one for the book. " It was indeed a rare occasion on Feb. 22, as three bowlers in the Chester County Majors each rolled 300 games on adjacent lanes. Charley Ferguson of the Huddecheck Roofing team rolled his 300 on lanes 3 and 4 in the first game. Gary Simmons, the league president who rolls for Moore Wallpaper, got his in the second game on lanes 5 and 6. Mark Chiapetta, of Liberty Fire Co., shot his on lanes 7 and 8 in the third game.

An AR-15 rifle - with a big boost from a controversy - has helped the Chester County Sheriff's Department raise more than $20,000 for its K9 unit. But the man who won the rifle in a raffle said it is unlikely a single shot will ever be fired from his prize. Mike Ivey, who has owned an auto-repair shop in West Chester for 27 years, said he entered the raffle after hearing about it on a TV news program. And he's so proud of his prize that he plans to frame it and hang it on his wall, right next to his winning ticket.

Three Chester County men already charged with a Coatesville murder have been indicted by a grand jury in a strategy aimed at preventing witness intimidation, officials said Wednesday. Taking advantage of a recent change in state law, District Attorney Tom Hogan said he opted for a grand-jury proceeding rather than have witnesses appear at a preliminary hearing. Hogan said a "stop snitching" culture, particularly well-entrenched in Coatesville, sometimes discourages witnesses from taking the stand.

An overnight fire has claimed the life of a Chester County resident. A North Coventry police officer on foot patrol noticed flames coming from a house in the 100 block of Mount Zion Ave. just before 4 a.m. Multiple fire companies arrived and extinguished the blaze at the single family home quickly, said Police Chief Robert Schurr. Police are not releasing details about the victim pending notification of next of kin, Schurr said. Most of the damage to the home was caused by smoke and heat, Schurr said.

A raffle to raise money for the Chester County sheriff's K-9 unit ordinarily would qualify as the working definition of a low-profile event, but not this time. That's because one of the prizes this year, an AR-15 rifle, has been at the center of a national controversy. Law-enforcement officials identified an AR-15 as the primary weapon used in the shootings in Newtown, Conn., that killed 26 students and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December. Sheriff Carolyn Bunny Welsh said the rifle was one of several weapons donated last year to the charity raffle by "a private individual" at a dinner for hunters and law enforcement personnel.

The Chester County motorcyclist who was critically injured in a collision with a truck operated by an alleged drunken driver Friday night has died, police said Monday. Liam Crowley, 24, of Chesterbrook, died at Paoli Hospital at 7:40 p.m. Sunday, police said. Crowley was driving north on Route 202 near Stanton Avenue at 10:28 p.m. when a Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by Robert Elwood Landis, 49, made a left turn in front of him. Crowley, who was wearing a helmet, struck the passenger side of the truck, police said.

A 24-year-old motorcyclist was hospitalized in critical condition after a crash Friday night with a pickup truck driven by a West Chester man with a history of drunken-driving convictions, police said. Robert Elwood Landis, 49, was charged with driving under the influence, driving without a license, and related offenses after the accident, which occurred about 10:30 p.m. near Route 202 and Stanton Avenue, in Westtown Township. Police said Liam Crowley, of Chesterbrook, Tredyffrin Township, who was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, remained in critical condition Saturday.

When a judge finally dismissed the charges against Forrest Solomon, investigators said, the citation in the electronic case docket bore the user name of a different judge - RARNOLD, which belonged to Rita Arnold, a district judge in Chester County. Forrest Solomon is her son, and officials allege the dismissal culminated an elaborate effort by Arnold to hide a citation against him for an offense that would have violated his probation. Arnold resigned Tuesday after her arrest on charges of tampering with records and obstruction, the state Attorney General's Office said.

A driver is reported dead in a crash Thursday morning involving a box truck and tractor trailer on the Route 30 bypass in Valley Township, Chester County. TV news helicopter video from the scene showed the cab of the Ryder box truck was destroyed after apparently running into the rear of the tractor trailer about 11 a.m. near Airport Road. The name of the victim has not been released, and an investigation is under way.

Ten alleged heroin dealers operating in Chester County have been arrested following a yearlong police operation, the District Attorney's office announced Monday. The arrests targeted activity in Phoenixville, East Pikeland, West Goshen, New Garden, Avondale and other locations. In Phoenixville, the investigation started after the parents of a 22-year-old women found her dead from an overdose. Police were able to identify the man who allegedly sold her the drugs as Joseph McIntosh, 31, of Philadelphia.

Chester County District Attorney Thomas P. Hogan announced Thursday that his office would seek the death penalty against Shakeem L. Carter in the Feb. 12 slaying of Kevin Allen Jr., 17, in a North Coventry Township apartment. Carter, 20, of Norristown, was arrested Feb. 27 and charged with murder, abuse of corpse, robbery of $350, arson, and related offenses. The District Attorney's Office said Allen was stabbed 20 times in the head, back and neck, and his throat was slit and his body was set on fire.