🐝 Pollinator Garden Event | 🎓 New CASD Superintendent | 🚨 Husband Arrested and more

In Today’s Edition of Downingtown Local Pulse…

☀️ Downingtown PA Weather

🐝 Volunteers Needed for May 17 Pollinator Garden Planting in Downingtown

🐦‍⬛ Birdwatchers Invited to Explore Springton Manor’s Nesting Season

🎓 Anthony Rybarczyk Named Superintendent of Coatesville Schools

🚨 Husband Arrested in Cold Case Disappearance

🚨 Police Investigating Armed Confrontation After Road Rage Report

🗓️ Upcoming Local Events

🏡 Just Listed Real Estate Listings

🔎 Support Local Downingtown Businesses

Volunteers Needed for May 17 Pollinator Garden Planting in Downingtown

DOWNINGTOWN, PA — Residents of Downingtown are invited to participate in the creation of a pollinator garden at Johnsontown Park on Saturday, May 17. The event, running from 9 a.m. to noon, will involve planting more than 900 native plants and several shrubs, along with installing a woodchip path. Designed by Mark Eberhardt of MSE Landscape Associates, the garden will include species such as butterfly milkweed, New York ironweed, and swamp rose mallow.

Organized with support from the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society and the Xerces Society, the project is also backed by Downingtown Borough and local public works. Volunteers are asked to bring tools and dress appropriately for the work. A follow-up planting day is scheduled for May 31. Organizers say the garden will serve not only as a pollinator habitat but also as a space for the community to engage with native landscaping and ecological stewardship.

Birdwatchers Invited to Explore Springton Manor’s Nesting Season

GLENMOORE, PA — Springton Manor Farm will host a guided bird walk this Saturday, led by Doug Wentzel of Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center and presented by the Friends of Springton Manor Farm in collaboration with Echo Dell Nature Conservancy. As spring migration gives way to nesting season, attendees will have the chance to observe a wide range of bird species across the farm’s meadows, forests, and historic barn area.

Known for its ecological diversity, the farm provides ideal conditions for spotting everything from sparrows darting through tall grass to hawks gliding above the treetops. With limited spots available, organizers encourage early registration to join this immersive experience in local birdlife and seasonal change.

Anthony Rybarczyk Named Superintendent of Coatesville Schools

COATESVILLE, PA — The Coatesville Area School District has named Anthony P. Rybarczyk as its next superintendent, following his service as interim and assistant superintendent. A veteran educator with experience in school leadership across several Pennsylvania districts, Rybarczyk enters the role with a comprehensive agenda focused on student achievement, school culture, and community engagement.

Rybarczyk emphasized the importance of creating equitable learning environments and outlined plans to support restorative practices, curriculum enhancements, and improvements in alternative education. With the district facing high property taxes and the ongoing challenge of student attrition to charter schools, he called for a renewed commitment to transparency, budget efficiency, and communication with families.

After Eight Years, Husband Arrested in Cold Case Disappearance

WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County prosecutors have filed murder charges against Allen Jay Gould, eight years after the disappearance of his wife, Anna Bronislawa Maciejewska. Authorities allege that Gould killed Maciejewska in 2017 before she could travel to Poland with their young son, then took steps to make it appear she was still alive by impersonating her through texts and emails.

Investigators say Maciejewska had been preparing for divorce and had already packed for her trip when she vanished. An extensive affidavit from Pennsylvania State Police outlines digital evidence, including phone activity, vehicle data, and financial silence, that authorities argue strongly suggests she was killed by Gould and that he worked to conceal her death.

Despite reporting her missing on April 12, 2017, Gould allegedly ceased cooperating with police soon after, retained a criminal defense attorney, searched the internet for articles on strangulation, and acquired a second cell phone.

Although Maciejewska’s body has never been recovered, police say the forensic and circumstantial evidence presents a clear narrative of murder. Gould is now being held without bail and is scheduled for a preliminary court hearing on May 27. Officials said the arrest brings long-awaited closure to Maciejewska’s family in Poland, who had spent years seeking the truth.

Police Investigating Armed Confrontation After Road Rage Report

UWCHLAN TWP — Uwchlan Township Police are investigating a road rage incident that took place Tuesday morning on West Devon Drive. According to authorities, a man followed a local resident to their home after an altercation on the road, where he confronted them using aggressive language and issued threats. During the encounter, police say the man displayed a knife before leaving the scene.

The confrontation occurred just after 8 a.m., and officers were dispatched shortly after receiving the report. The suspect has since been identified, though his name has not been made public. Investigators are reviewing evidence and seeking any additional witnesses to the incident.

Police have shared a digital image of the individual and are urging anyone with information to contact Detective Sergeant James Hall at 610-363-6947 Ext. 138. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The incident remains under active investigation.

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