City-owned cell phones for police officers went silent for a period of time Monday. The "temporarily out of service" message raised concerns and questions. See a related news article here.

The Embreeville state police station is now under new leadership. Lt. Douglas O'Connor returned as station commander roughly a week ago to replace Brian Naylor, who retired in March. Learn more about O'Connor here.

The Delaware Valley Association of Professional Police Officials presented six officers with the 2007 Legion of Excellence Award on Saturday at The Desmond Hotel in East Whiteland.

West Chester detective Sgt. Louis DeShullo was honored for his work on the Christian Oliveras homicide investigation. Oliveras was killed last summer. Four county men have been charged with the crime.

The other officers honored were: Det. Mark Kelly, Bensalem PD, Bucks County; Officer Charles Peterson, Upper Darby PD, Delaware County; Officers Adam Dunning and Darin Daley, Horsham PD, Montgomery County; and Officer Richard DeCoatesworth, Philadephia Police Department.

The following is the complete statement sent to the Daily Local News by the family of Avondale State Trooper Kenton E. Iwaniec. Kenton Iwaniec, 24, of Lancaster and formerly of western Pennsylvania, died on March 28 from injuries caused in a March 27 car crash.

I’ll never forget the day Kenton was born. He waited 31 days past his due date to be born on his deceased Grandfather Iwaniec’s birthday. When they placed him in my arms he looked into my eyes and my first thought was, “this baby is much older and wiser than he should be.” Born on a Sunday, as the saying goes, he was fair and wise and good and gay. This reflects Kenton’s kind heart, desire to serve, and happy disposition. I recall the day Kenton was baptized. It was a cold winter day and yet when the priest anointed him with water, a light came through the window and shined right on Kenton. I knew then he was God’s child and I remember telling his father “This baby boy is special.” I was right; Kenton was God’s child; a giving person, a loving person, a caring person, and a good person.

~ Debby Iwaniec

Kenton was the type of son you wanted to carry on the family name. His heart was compassionate, his mind was quick, and he had a sense of humor that was one of a kind. Kenton loved his friends, family, God, and Country. In a few simple words, Kenton lived to serve. He was born with a rare fire, he knew there was something bigger than himself and he was willing to give his life to protect it. Although short, the time we had with Kenton was a blessing and a true gift.

We will never forget the day Kenton came into this world, the day he stood proudly as he was sworn in as a Pennsylvania State Trooper, and the day we laid our only son and brother to rest. If a funeral could be described as beautiful and perfect, Kenton’s was. We are eternally grateful to all those who helped create the honorable tribute which represented the way Kenton lived his life. We knew that Kenton was smiling down on the 4th of April. On that day over 160 State Troopers waited unwavering in the rain to pay Kenton their last respects, construction workers stood in the streets saluting as Kenton passed, friends and family remembered the good times, and although Kenton never knew some of them, men and women of the utmost honor and dignity gathered to celebrate the life of a good man.

We are grateful for all the love and support from the Pennsylvania State Police. Communities should feel great comfort knowing they are in competent hands. Please support our "Soldiers of the Law” and respect the lives and rights of others.

A special thank you goes to the Delaware State Police, the staff of Christiana Hospital , and the Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home for their assistance during those initial days.

To the Avondale community, your immediate response and helping hands are deeply appreciated. Whether it was responding to the accident, providing food to the Avondale Barracks, making a financial contribution, or keeping us in your thoughts and prayers, we are forever grateful.

Our family extends a sincere thank you to Scott Caruso the director of Galone-Caruso Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant . His outstanding efforts and warm heart made this most difficult time bearable.

Thank you to friends, family, neighbors, and strangers who walked in off the street to mourn with and comfort our family. Your thoughts, prayers, gentle words, warm embraces, and kind memories of Kenton continue to help us make it through these hard times. The flowers, home cooked food, and donations were overwhelming and let us know that there were people all over the world sharing our pain.

And to Father Robert Byrnes, a friend and mentor to Kenton, the homily delivered during the funeral services was heartfelt and a great tribute to our fallen hero.

Although Kenton’s passion, stories, smile, and memories will live with us forever…something will always be missing. Our family will never be the same. On March 28, 2008 we were forced to start a new life without Kenton. It is a life that will always be filled with a strange sense of loneliness; it is a life that will never be as good as the one we once knew. There will be an empty place at the dinner table and in our hearts. To an outsider, the Iwaniec family will now appear as five, but we know that isn’t right, we should be six. A father won’t be able to hunt with his best friend, a mother won’t be able to cook her son his favorite meal, three sisters won’t be able to take another picture of just “the kids,” and a fiancée won’t be able to marry the man she loves. However, faith holds us to the belief Kenton is in a better place and in that, we find comfort.
We have lost our son, our brother, our fiancé, our grandson, our nephew, our cousin, our friend and our protector. We pray the number of families stripped of a loved one as a result of drunk driving, will decrease. No one should have to experience this pain.

Sincerely,
Ken, Debby, Acacia, Michael, Sashonna, Theron, Ashley, and Julie

See today's Daily Local News for details on the separation agreement between former Police Superintendent Richard Harkness and Tredyffrin Township.

It should be noted that a message was left for Harkness the day before the article ran to make him aware that the article would be running and to extend the opportunity for him to comment in any way he could about his exit. The call has not been returned.

Kristina M. Quercetti, 40, of Landenberg surrendered to state police Tuesday and opted to go straight to prison after police charged her with homicide by vehicle while under the influence.

According to police, Quercetti was driving over 70 mph while intoxicated and without her headlights on when she crashed into 24-year-old Trooper Kenton E. Iwaniec's personal car March 27. Iwaniec died from his injuries the next day.

For comments from Quercetti, her attorney and First District Attorney Patrick Carmody see this DLN article. To read the affidavit, click here: Quercetti_Affidavit.pdf

Apparently $3.45 a gallon got to one local guy. Now he faces charges for allegedly stealing $70 in gas. See the state police report here: stolengas.pdf

For those who want to know what all the chatter is about -- see Tuesday's edition of the Daily Local News for the latest on the South Coatesville police chief's run for East Fallowfield township supervisor. Chief Lew Wilson will be on the ballot tomorrow as a Republican for a three-year term.

Check out the state police warning here:
Hoax.pdf

It appeared charges were going to be filed this week against the woman who was reportedly intoxicated when her car crashed into a state trooper's private vehicle. However, it now does not appear that will happen. Sources say homicide and related charges will likely be filed next week, when blood alcohol content results are expected to return.

Trooper Kenton E. Iwaniec, 24, died last month after the car crash. He lived in Lancaster and is a native of western Pennsylvania.

The state police issued some tips to help you avoid becoming a victim to spring-time scams. Check them out here: AvoidSpringScams.pdf

North Coventry police are investigating after a woman strolling down the street was allegedly hit in the back by a piece of fruit launched from a car.

Check out the police report here: FruitAssault.pdf

East Vincent resident Susan McLaren was presented with the Community Stewardship Award by the Center for Resolution on March 27 for her work with the Northern Chester County Youth Aid Panel.

The Northern Chester County Youth Aid Panel is an alternative program for first-time juvenile offenders in West Vincent, East Vincent, East Pikeland, Schuylkill and Spring City. The panel includes volunteers from the participating communities.

The panel meets on a regular basis to review juvenile cases referred to it by local police departments. The Center for Resolution oversees Youth Aid Panels in Chester and Delaware counties.