I was psyched when Darrell Clarke introduced a proposal to tax vacant properties in the wake of the building collapse tragedy, but now Clarke is backtracking on the best part of the bill, which would...

It’s that time of year again, when Lower Merion Township officials start talking trash fees.

(Cross-posted from Logan Valley Blues) Pennsylvania Constitution Article III, Sec. 14 The General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public...

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Check out Haverford-Havertown's open houses here.

Best resources for Haverford Real Estate:

Century 21 Alliance

Lewis R. Rodin & Associates

Prudential Fox & Roach Realtors

Hunter Reed and Company Real Estate Services

Long & Foster

Wagner Real Estate

RE/MAX

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Check out the Ardmore area's open houses here.

Best resources for Ardmore-Merion-Wynnewood Real Estate:

Federal Realty Investment Trust

Egan Real Estate

Mahoney Realty Group

Merion Realty Partners

Main Line Executive Management

Gladwyne Elementary School was briefly put under lockdown on Wednesday afternoon after Lower Merion police determined that the subject of an arrest warrant was nearby, district spokesman Doug Young told Patch.

Young said the school received a call from police at about 1:20 p.m., informing them that there was a "person of interest" in the Gladwyne area.

According to Lower Merion public information officer Tom Walsh, Philadelphia Police had been tracking the subject's cellphone and determined that the person were likely within 1,700 meters—about a mile—of the school. Philadelphia Police then contacted Lower Merion Police.

Lockdown of the school began at 1:30 p.m., at which point police searched Gladwyne Elementary and ultimately cleared it. According to Walsh, this was done out of an abundance of caution: authorities did not believe the individual had particular interest in the elementary school.

The lockdown ended, according to Young, at approximately 2:15 p.m., and students and staff were allowed to move around the building under normal operating procedures. Walsh added that the exterior doors of the school will remain locked until dismissal, and Lower Merion Police will stay at the school until the students leave.

Walsh said the warrant was for a domestic offense, and Lower Merion Police are assisting Philadelphia Police in their search for the subject.

Lower Merion police arrested and charged three men this week in connection with a series of recent burglaries in the township, the department announced on Wednesday.

According to court documents, Clarence Sabre Glenn, 22, Eric Delmar Johnson, 37, and Tyrell Nasir Singleton, 22, all of Philadelphia, face multiple felony courts of burglary, receiving stolen property, trespassing, and other charges, with potentially more to come as police continue their investigation.

About 1:36 p.m. Monday, police said, a resident called about a suspicious vehicle on the 400 block of Warick Road. The car, a gold Mercury Marquis, had been implicated in previous burglaries in the township.

Police located the Marquis along with a second car, a gold Buick Regal. Based on the Mercury’s history, police took the driver into custody and established an area perimeter. Police say the responding officers also discovered a house had been burglarized on the same block. Later that day, officers were alerted to a second burglary on the 1200 block of Wyngate Road in Wynnewood.

As officers searched the area, several residents reported seeing men fleeing through yards. Police soon arrested two men—the second and third defendants, according to the department.

A subsequent search of the Marquis and the Regal turned up items that had been stolen from the Wyngate Road and Warick Road homes, police said.

According to court documents, Glenn, Johnson, and Singleton were charged and confined to Montgomery County Prison when they were unable to post $75,000 bail. All three men have preliminary hearings scheduled for June 25.

Police are not releasing photos of the men at this time, as the investigation is still ongoing. 

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus once said of Merion Golf Club, "Acre for acre, it may be the best test of golf in the world." The reigning U.S. Open champion doesn't disagree.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Webb Simpson, who won the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, praised Merion, where he played in the U.S. Amateur eight years ago.

"When I played in '05, I instantly fell in love with this golf course," he said. "I grew up on a short golf course and I felt like too many courses nowadays come with a standard 75, 7,600 yards and Merion is so different. We all know it’s short, but it’s still as hard as other courses."

He added that the course's unique nature will make this year's Open as entertaining for fans as it will be challenging for players.

"Merion is going to be fun for the viewers, the players and the fans, for you guys, because you go out and you play well, you shoot a good number. Whereas you go out and you don’t play well you can shoot a really high number."

He emphasized that the rich history of the course is not lost on him. 

"The first time I came here was 2004, before the U.S. Am. I came with my dad and a couple of guys. It was November, the weather was bad. We sat in the clubhouse with one of the long‑time members, he was kind of our host. He was telling us the history of the club, Hogan’s shot on 18, the story behind that, a story within the story."

"I love history, I love learn about past events. And so that part of – that’s why I think I love Augusta so much, because there’s so much history and you walk certain holes and you know things have happened here. A lot of us golfers are like that, where we just really appreciate what’s happened here in the past. And how Merion’s considered an old style golf course, under 7,000 yards, but yet we’re still having a U.S. Open here in 2013."

"I think it’s pretty remarkable for them."

The Daily Salvo for June 12, 2013 - "Pooch Smooch"
While hosting the Tony Awards, television star Neil Patrick Harris recently French-kissed a dog. From: The Daily Salvo Views: 8 0 ratings Time: 01:01 More in News & Politics

The U.S. Open's RED lot parking at Rose Tree Park in Media has been closed to general spectators since Monday afternoon and will remain closed for the remainder of the golf tournament, the United States Golf Association (USGA) announced Wednesday night.

U.S. Open spectators driving will be now be directed from Rose Tree Park to alternate nearby parking at Granite Run Mall, about 2.9 miles away, according to the USGA.

Road signs marked RED Lot will be in place to direct spectators to the new parking location.

The Rose Tree Park lot has has been closed due to heavy rains since Monday afternoon which caused the fields to become saturated and left many vehicles stuck in the mud.

Heavy rain is again predicted for Thursday.

“With a variable weather forecast in store for Thursday, we continue to take proactive measures to ensure the safety and convenience of spectators driving to and from the U.S. Open Championship,” said Reg Jones, senior director of operations for the USGA. “We continue to emphasize that there are plenty of convenient public transportation options to get U.S. Open fans to and from the championship, and we encourage fans to take advantage of these options wherever possible.”

U.S. Open spectators can also utilize the PPL Park (BLUE Lot) in Chester, where complimentary shuttle buses will transport spectators to and from Merion Golf Club and will run continuously from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day, according to the USGA.

Increasing Public Transit Burden

Spectators are also encouraged to use one of the two transportation options provided by SEPTA, using the Regional Rail and the Norristown High Speed Line as described below, according to USGA:

• Regional Rail: Take the Paoli/Thorndale Regional Rail Line to the Rosemont Station. Customers using other SEPTA Regional Rail Lines can transfer to the Paoli Line at the 30th Street, Suburban or Market East Stations. Complimentary shuttle bus transportation to and from Rosemont Station and Merion Golf Club will be provided and should take approximately 10 minutes, depending upon traffic. Spectators requiring an accessible station should take the Paoli/Thorndale Line to Radnor Station.
• Norristown High Speed Line: Take the Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL) to the Ardmore Avenue Station. Customers can connect to the NHSL at the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby, Pa., or the Norristown Transportation Center in Norristown, Pa. The Ardmore Avenue Station is within walking distance of a championship admission gate.

Visit SEPTA at www.septa.org for complete schedule, fare and station location information, or call Customer Service at (215) 580-7800.

For more information on the 2013 U.S. Open and for regular transportation updates, visit www.usopen.com.

Will this closing impact your trip to the U.S. Open? Tell us in the comments below.

This map contains information about yard, garage and estate sales posted by users of Ardmore-Merion-Wynnewood Patch, Bryn Mawr-Gladwyne Patch and Narberth-Bala Cynwyd Patch.

Look for this article to appear on Patch every week with an updated roster of sales, to help you plan your local bargain-hunting.

Add your sale to the map here. Please consider also posting your sale to Ardmore-Merion-Wynnewood Patch's events calendar.

Adult donor lungs were found for Sarah Murnaghan, the 10-year-old who has end-stage Cystic Fibrosis and fought to be placed on the adult transplant list.

Sarah received her transplant Wednesday at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

The transplant was "very, very successful," Sarah's aunt Sharin Ruddock told the media in a press conference Wednesday evening.

Sarah has been on both the adult and pediatric lung transplant list for months however because of her age and organ transplant policy, she would only receive adult donor lungs after all adult candidates, regardless of how sick they are, had the opportunity to accept them.

Last week, a federal judge ruled that Sarah could be temporarily added to the adult list, regardless of her age, for a lung transplant after her parents filed suit.

See updates on Sarah's surgery here on Marple Newtown Patch.

Starting in 2008, the state’s share of education spending was supposed to keep increasing, and the local property tax share was supposed to keep shrinking. Via KSEC, that is not what happened:...

Police are investigating an early morning fire at the YMCA facility under construction in Havertown.

According to Philly.com, "Smoke was discovered coming from a pile of debris around 4 a.m. in the concrete pool area that is still under construction, police said."

The article continued: "The smoldering refuse could have been the result of vandalism or a improperly discarded cigarette, police said. There was no damage. The site is locked but there are small holes in the fence, Chief Carmine Pettine said."

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I could write a 2000-word blog post explaining why Scott Ott is too far out on the nutty right wing to be Lehigh County Executive, but this story really tells you everything you need to know. First,...

The Daily Numbers: 10 billion dollar contract for Boeing in Ridley to produce more Chinook and V-22 helicopters.

800 million dollars in savings for taxpayers because of the deals, according to Rep. Pat Meehan.

41 jobs still being eliminated at the plant.

1-3 inches of rain expected to deluge the region again tomorrow, just in time for the 1st day of actual competition at the U.S. Open at Merion.

0 parking again today at the Rose Tree Park lot for the Open. They are hoping to be able to reopen tomorrow, weather permitting.

267 grads who picked up diplomas from Sun Valley High School last night.

1963, the Sun Valley class from 50 years ago that was honored last night.

490 graduates from Ridley High School.

3 men facing drug charges after a sting operation in Upper Darby.

2 vehicles, 1 garage crushed by a large tree that came down in Aldan.

500,000 dollars that will be paid by Keystone Sports, parent company of the Philadelphia Union, to the city of Chester to settle dispute over parking at PPL Park.

1,500 ripped off from a man at an Upper Darby car wash by a grifter.

5 story fall that was fatal to 18-month-old toddler in Philly.

28.3 billion dollar state budge that is still awaiting action in the Pa. House.

4 straight losses for the Phils, who fell 3-2 last night in Minnesota.

2 runs on 7 hits over 6 innings for Cole Hamels, who did not get the loss.

7 hits, all the Phils could muster against the Twins.

2-1 edge for the surprising San Antonio Spurs, who beat LeBron James and the Heat again last night in the NBA Finals.

Call me a Phanatic: A look at the ups and downs of being a Philadelphia sports fan.Raise your hand if you're worried about the forecast for tomorrow's first round of the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club. That includes all you USGA guys.

I Don’t Get It: They probably could have done a better job of letting people know that Rose Tree Park lot was going to be closed yesterday. When I went past a little after 9 yesterday morning headed for West Chester, there was a line all the way down to the Bypass. There was a sign before the exit telling them to go to PPL Park, but that was after people had already passed the Blue Route exit.

Today’s Upper: Kudos to Sun Valley High, where last night they started a new tradition of honoring the class from 50 years before. Last night the Class of 1963 walked with the Class of 2013. Nice.

Quote Box: “Don't blink." - Dr. Paul Cass, Class of 1963, to this year's graduates from Sun Valley High School.

If Democrats want to take back the House of Representatives in 2014, the path to a majority runs through Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District. In 2012, incumbent Congressman Mark Critz lost to...

On the eve of the U.S. Open kicking off for real tomorrow at Merion Golf Club, we'll head to Haverford tonight for a special preview edition of our live-stream 'Live From the Newsroom' show.

We'll be setting up shop at the Lamplighter Tavern, and have assembled a glittering list of pundits to talk about Merion, the Open and of course the weather!

Lamplighter owner Jack Quinn will join us, along with several local business owners who will talk about the economic advantages of having the golf world arrive at your doorstep.

Meanwhile, our lead golf writers for the tournament, Tom McNichol and Neil Geoghegan, will offer their insights on the tournament, what effect the weather is likely to have, and some predictions.

If you have a prediction you'd like to get on the record or another question you'd like us to ask, email it to me at editor@delcotimes.com. Then tune in tonight at 7 for our live chat on DelcoTimes.com.

Fore!

One more reminder: No parking again today at Rose Tree Park

The good news for people trying to get to Merion Golf Club for for the U.S. Open is that the second off-site parking lot at Rose Tree Park is expected to reopen tomorrow.

Unfortunately, that won't help much today. Rose Tree remains closed. You have to drive down to PPL Park in Chester and then take the bus back to Merion. And it's suggested you get there early. Yesterday the PPL Park lot was packed.

Your best bet remains SEPTA. Drive to 69th Street and then take the Norristown Hi-Speed Line, which has a stop almost right at the country club. Regional rail also will get you there.

The plan now is for Rose Tree to reopen tomorrow. But the problem with that is that heavy rain is expected to move back into the region tomorrow. The reason they stopped parking at Rose Tree is because most of the cars are parking in the fields, not on the paved surface of the lot. Those fields have been turned to a sea of mud by traffic and cars. The fear is that a lot of cars would not be able to get out of all that slop. They might end up shutting down again tomorrow if the monsoons move in again.

Stay tuned right here to DelcoTimes.com for all the latest updates on parking and commuting right through the weekend as the golf world comes to Delco.

The Phillies are all wet. So, unfortunately, is Merion Golf Club. At least it was Monday.  And while today looks to be glorious, there is an ominous forecast for tomorrow, the first day of play at the U.S. Open.

First, the Phillies. Don't look now, but they might be cooked. They lost again last night in Minnesota. Thats four straight losses.

Our lead sports columnist, Jack McCaffery, wrote a column yesterday in which he urged Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. to back up the truck and blow this team up. Jack believes the time has come. The Phillies should be sellers. And that includes Cole Hamels and Dom Brown. Yep, that's what he wrote. It certainly got tongues wagging in the region. Jack took some serious heat from some media outlets. That's what makes him the best sports columnist in the region. He has something to say.

Speaking of heat, it's about to get turned up at Merion, for a couple of reasons. Heavy rain turned the place into a quagmire on Monday. I'd like to see an over-under on the number of shoes ruined by people slopping through the muck.

Today promises to be glorious. That's not the problem, tomorrow is. Thursday is the first day of the tournament. And the forecast is not good.

There is no truth to the rumor that some players are considering building an ark. But it's a pretty good bet that venerable Merion is going to get wet. Real wet. There is a flood watch already in effect for the entire region through Thurday night.

The USGA and Merion gurus continue to say that the course drains extremely well. It better, it is about to be put to the test.

The National Weather Service says storms will rumble across the region during the day on Thursday, including every golfer's worst nightmare, thunder and lightning. It's actually supposed to start raining later tonight, and then be on and off tomorrow, with a chance for some downpours. The forecast is for 1-3 inches of rain.

Two-time Open champion Ernie Els has already indicated the Merion has been weakened, or better stated "softened," by Monday's heavy rain. Thursday's precipitation will only make that more of an issue.

The fear is that the rain will strip Merion of its best defense, those hard, fast fairways that are very tough to hold as balls roll into the brutal rough, and the lightning fast, tricky, undulating greens. The course already does not play as long as most Open courses. Some experts believe if players can simply fire away and stick the ball in the fairways and greens, Merion will be at the mercy of the best golfers in the world.

They always say that the usually brutal U.S. Open layouts are not designed to embarrass the world's best golfers, but instead identify them.

Now there is some fear that Merion will not be able to to that.

Our lead golf writer, Tom McNichol, has his eyes on the skies at Merion. You can check out his column here.

The national media also is chiming in.

If there's a silver lining here, it's that once we make it through Thursday, the weekend forecast looks great. But by then, as Els points out, will Merion be too soft to fight back?

We're about to find out.