Good morning, West Chester.

Safe Harbor of Chester County will host a gratitude breakfast and open house on May 1 from 8:30 a.m.—10 a.m. at 20 N.

Matlack Street in West Chester to celebrate National Volunteer Week and honor its volunteers, while inviting community members, supporters, and prospective volunteers to tour the facility and learn about its programs for those facing homelessness.

Baldwin’s Book Barn in West Chester is a 25,000-square-foot bookstore with five floors and over 300,000 books that offer a wide range of genres for local readers.

Manager Carol Pfaff-Rauch, who began buying and selling books there in the 1990s, took charge in 2019.

Nathalia Moraes do Nascimento, an Assistant Professor of Software Engineering at Penn State Great Valley, has been named one of the 2025 VISTA NextGen Superstars.

She will be honored on May 8 at the Penn State Great Valley Conference Center as part of the awards celebration.

Chester County Planning Commission will hold the 2025 Sustainability Summit and Expo at West Chester University on Saturday, May 17, starting at 10:15 a.m. with sessions on sustainable energy and landscaping, over 40 vendors, an electric vehicle showcase, a native plant giveaway, and a free lunch—designed to support local environmental efforts.

A West Chester University student was detained by ICE and their whereabouts remain unknown as students and faculty report a rise in immigration enforcement actions statewide—similar to incidents affecting other local universities, while the university has not commented.

SEPTA released a budget plan on April 10 that calls for 45% service cuts, a 21.5% fare rise, a hiring freeze, a 9 p.m. rail curfew starting July 1, 32 bus routes ending, and 16 routes shortened.

Local officials and university leaders warned that these changes will hurt students and commuters and that further cuts in 2026 may reduce safe and affordable travel options—threatening the community's mobility.

John Hay Pennsylvania Distance Festival

5-9:59 p.m. — B. Reed Henderson High School — Registration fee applies — A spirited race festival welcoming all runners from kids to Olympians.