Honoring Smith

In 1976, the same year that the United States celebrated its Bicentennial, Gary W. Smith joined the Chester County Economic Development Council. Within two years, he was named CEO of the organization, and in that role his job was to expand the Chester County Economic Development Council’s role as an economic development engine.

The numbers tell quite a story about how much the Chester County Economic Development Council has expanded under Smith’s leadership. During his tenure, the council has secured over $275 million in external funding for more than 420 projects ranging from regional economic revitalization and industry partnerships to workforce development. The organization helped to create over 175,000 new jobs and assisted in retaining more than 190,000 existing jobs, and brokered more than $13.5 billion in commercial financing loans. 

Now, here we are 50 years later, and the United States is about to celebrate its 250th anniversary, and Smith is receiving another accolade for his long and distinguished career at the Chester County Economic Development Council. On May 28, Smith will be the 2026 inductee into the development council’s Chester County Hall of Fame, when business, civic, community and legislative leaders from across the region will gather to celebrate Smith and his tremendous impact on the economic growth and vibrancy of the county and region. It is a well-deserved honor.

Invest in what you value

This newspaper, of course, has come out in favor of efforts by the U.S. Congress to pass the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act and other bipartisan legislation aimed at helping newspapers and news organizations. Federal legislation has fallen short of final adoption several times thus far, but now state lawmakers here in Pennsylvania are considering legislation that would strengthen local journalism through fellowships and grants to news outlets. State Rep. Chris Rabb introduced legislation that will create and fund a Pennsylvania Civic Information Consortium (CIC), which will distribute public dollars in the form of grants to local newsrooms and organizations focused on filling the most critical information gaps facing Pennsylvanians. The CIC, modeled after a successful bipartisan New Jersey program that has distributed over $10 million in public funds for local news, will be an independent body outside of the state government to ensure editorial independence, protect against government interference, and allow it to raise private philanthropic dollars from local, state, and national foundations. 

Rabb has also introduced legislation to establish a state fellowship program for local news, placing early-career journalists in community newsrooms across the state to strengthen reporting capacity where it’s needed most. This fellowship program has been successfully piloted in California, New Mexico, and Washington State recently, and has placed reporters on the ground in communities that have seen local coverage eliminated in the past two decades.

You have to invest in what you value, and efforts to save local journalism should be supported.

‘Bell-to-Bell’ bill would give students a much-needed break

The Pennsylvania Senate recently passed the bipartisan “Bell-to-Bell” bill that would establish statewide standards to restrict the use of cell phones by students during the school day. The State Senate’s vote took place just hours after Gov. Josh Shapiro renewed his support for the legislation during his annual budget address on Feb. 3. Proponents of the bill say that restricting the use of cell phones by students will create a better and safer learning environment for students.

This bipartisan legislation under consideration would prohibit students in public schools from using or possessing a cell phone during the school day. Students would be required to secure their phones in a way that prevents access until the end of the day, with exceptions for certain emergency and medical needs approved by local school officials.

We could all use a break from our cell phones, especially students who are still growing and developing. Pennsylvania should join the ranks of the more than 30 states that restrict cell phone use in schools and approve the “Bell-to-Bell” bill.