Chesco

Since word recently got out about the availability of low-interest agriculture loans in Chester County, the county Development Council has had a stream of inquiries, according to executive director Gary Smith. Chester County farmers who want to make the transition from leasing to owning ground, or who want to buy land from family members, can get low-interest loans of up to $250,000 through the program, administered through the council. It is designed to help new farmers get financing and assist children in farm families who want to continue in agriculture, said Smith.

There was no championship to celebrate, but Chester County's Jen Beaver and Kelly Coker enjoyed their Carpenter Cup Classic softball experience. "It was a lot of fun," said Beaver, a junior third baseman from Owen J. Roberts. "One of the best things was teaming up with girls that I normally compete against during the year. I made some new friends. " Coker, who played third base for Downingtown West, relished the opportunity to display her skills in an atmosphere more relaxed than a traditional showcase.

As vice president of Chester County operations for Delaware County Community College, Mary Jo Boyer has overseen the growth the college has enjoyed in Chester County in the last several years. And that growth is increasing. "This spring there was a 50 percent increase in the number of students enrolled at the Exton center, compared to spring of 2000, when there was a 20 percent increase," Boyer said. DCCC has 24,000 students, and of those, 4,000 are from Chester County, most of whom attend DCCC's main campus in Media, Boyer said.

A 68-year-old Coatesville man told detectives that he had been downloading child pornography on his computer for 10 years and knew that doing so was illegal, authorities said Thursday. The Chester County District Attorney's Office said John M. McMullen was charged last week with 100 counts of child pornography possession and related offenses. McMullen admitting sharing videos depicting child pornography on the Internet, the complaint said. McMullen was arraigned Tuesday and released on $250,000 bail to await a preliminary hearing on Oct. 17, authorities said.

A Chester County man in his 50s was fatally shot in his home Monday night, authorities said. The shooting was reported about 7 p.m. in the 200 block of Seltzer Avenue in Caln Township, a county dispatcher said. Police were unavailable Monday night to confirm reports from neighbors about what happened. - Robert Moran

A first grader at Pickering Valley Elementary School in Chester County was seriously injured Wednesday afternoon when he was hit by a school bus in Upper Uwchlan Township, Downingtown Area School District officials said. The boy, 6, whose name was not immediately released, was taken to A.I. DuPont Children's Hospital in Delaware. The bus was operated by the Wolfington Body Co., which contracts with the Downingtown district, the district said. Police and emergency workers cared for the children remaining on the bus until their parents arrived.

EASTON, Pa. - Police say a Chester County man was injured when a truck ran into the cherry-picker he was working in, knocking him out of its bucket. Jesse Scott Leslie, 47, of Honey Brook, was hospitalized, but his condition was not released. The accident happened shortly before noon Friday, when another truck crashed into the cherry-picker near Palmer Park Mall. - AP

Aqua America Inc., Bryn Mawr, said it spent $20 million for improvements to its largest water-treatment plant, in Schuylkill Township, Chester County. The upgrades include a floodwall designed to protect against a once-in-100-years flood, and installation of energy-efficient raw water intake facilities. The plant serves customers in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties.    - Paul Schweizer

NEW LONDON - The National Weather Service says a weak tornado was to blame for damage in a far western suburb of Philadelphia. The EF0 tornado brought winds and heavy rain to New London, Chester County, on Monday afternoon. One family's car was tossed from the driveway into the backyard and several trees were damaged. No injuries were reported. The Weather Service estimated the maximum wind speed at 70 m.p.h.