Yo, Philly in the News

• The popular Delaware Canal towpath, which runs parallel to the Delaware River from Easton to Bristol, has sustained an estimated $30 million worth of damage due to flooding in recent years, damage which has left large portions of the path impassable. Restoration of the path, funded mostly by federal and partially by state money, will begin in the summer, transforming it into a more flood-resistant path made of stone and seeded topsoil.
• WHYY's local radio segment "What are we thinking" has been picked up for national distribution to public radio stations. Philly's takin' over, yo.
• Local restaurateur Susanna Foo has avoided a trial for that incident where she allegedly assaulted a parking authority officer over an illegally parked van by promising to do 50 hours of community service, which will take the form of free cooking lessons to the poor. She'll also be on probation for six months.
• If you're following the continuing saga of that Eakins painting that Thomas Jefferson University is trying to sell, the latest is that the work has been nominated by Mayor Street for designation as a "historic object." Which sounds nice, but nobody seems to know exactly how it will affect the sale of the painting. Stay tuned...
• After another bloody weekend full of gunfire, state and local officials have announced a new plan for stopping the violence: the creation of special investigate units to scour high-crime neighborhoods for illegal guns.
• $22.3 million in cuts have been approved to the Philly school district's budget - but that means there are about $51 million more that still need to be made to make up for the $73.3 million deficit.

Image Credit: Flickr user red mantid