Yo, Philly in the News

• Senators Arlen Specter and Robert Casey Jr. held a joint hearing on Mentoring and Community Based Solutions to Delinquency and Youth Violence in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center on Monday. The Inquirer article talks about the hearing in general and how the community leaders there decided mentoring is indeed a good short-term solution for preventing crime. Meanwhile, the Daily News article focuses on what school district head Paul Vallas had to say at the hearing, which was mainly that school-based programs are starting to work, but need to be expanded, and transitional schools should be considered.
• On February 11th, the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library on 7th between Market and Chestnut was flooded when a sprinkler pipe burst. It was the third flood of the library since last summer. Thankfully this one didn't damage any books, like the last two, but it will force the library to close for about a month.
• The Philadelphia Cross City Campaign for School Reform, a coalition of student and education groups, are giving a survey to all the mayoral candidates, which they can answer in writing, and in person at a forum on April 12th. The survey is a way of making education more of an issue in the campaign, and asks how the candidates would deal with various problems with the Philly school system.
• Speaking of the mayoral candidates, another one has joined the television ad race - Dwight Evans. Meanwhile, Fattah has proposed a new tax plan designed to make it easier for new businesses to move into the city, and more of the rather questionable way that Brady collected campaign funds is coming out.
• That guy who stole the school bus and led police on a rollicking low-speed chase through the city a few days ago has been arrested and charged with various offenses. It's also come out that he has a long history of vehicle theft, going back to 1999.

Image Credit: Flickr user Mozzer