Briefs are concise reports on what’s happening around the county. This morning:

Mighty Manatees Concert to Honor Memory of Phoenixville’s Jeffrey Allan Jones

Beloved by all people who knew him, Jeffrey Allan Jones died at the young age of 20 from brain cancer in 1989. During the following year, the Jeffrey Allan Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund at Phoenixville High was founded by his friends through a fundraising memorial concert featuring the regional band Mighty Manatees, Jim Femino and Grateful Dead tribute band Living Earth.

Over 25 years later a sequel to the concert will be held on December 29th. The concert by the Manatees, who will also be celebrating their 30th year, will be preceded by the screening of the film by Jones’ best friend, Brian Miksis, “Life Is Fair.” The film features footage of Jeffrey and interviews with people who remember him.

“I thought, maybe there is a story in this,” said Miksis. “I love telling stories. It made perfect sense that this would be the one I would tell.”

Pennsylvania 43rd on the List of Most Charitable States

Holidays are usually considered the perfect time to help those in need, be it through donating or volunteering, and according to this year’s World Giving Index, the U.S. is the second most generous country in the world.

Nearly 95 percent of U.S. households donate to charities, with each giving an average of $2,974 annually. Last year, Americans gave over $358 billion, with nearly 72% of that coming from individuals.

WalletHub decided to determine the most charitable states in the nation using the twelve month data starting from September 2013 and taking into account eight key metrics which included volunteer rates, the percentage of adjusted gross income that was donated, and the growth in charitable giving from 2006 to 2012.

The three most philanthropic states in the U.S. according to the data are Idaho, Maryland, and Utah, with Pennsylvania coming in at 43rd place.

For the detailed breakdown and the full list see here.

Support Groups Offered by Chester County Church for People in Need

Registration is underway for the variety of Care Monday classes offered by the Calvary Fellowship of Downingtown starting on January 11th, to assist in a multitude of different assistance areas.

Classes include GriefShare for individuals seeking support with grief due to the death of a loved one, DivorceCare for separation or divorce, Parents of Prodigals for people dealing with prodigal children, Job-Seekers for unemployment and underemployment and financial issues, as well as several prayer groups.

The non-denominational classes and discussion groups will be held in the rear entrance education wing of the church, located at 95 West Devon Drive at Route 113 in Exton/Lionville from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

For additional information visit www.cfdowningtown.com/caremondays, or contact Pastor VanArsdale at bvanarsdale@cfdowningtown.com or (610) 363-7171 x2154.

Comprehensive Appropriations Measure Passed by the House

On December 18th, the U. S. House of Representatives passed the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which is legislation that will provide discretionary funding for the federal government through to the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2016.  

The legislation was supported by Congressman Ryan Costello, who issued a press release stating that while there were some items he did not like, and it was also missing some items that he would have liked to have seen included, overall the good outweighed the bad.

“Passage of this legislation is yet another step towards building a pro-growth economy for families and businesses in my district, and above all, it keeps our government operating and at work for the American people,” commented Costello.