Yo, Philly in the News

• The New Philadelphia City Hall Tour Office and Visitor Center officially opened on Wednesday with a little ceremony and everything. But as it turns out, the tour of City Hall is so much cooler now, that it's also no longer free; adults pay $10 for the full two-hour tour of the building, and $5 to go up in the Observation Tower. (Via HughE)
• In vaguely similar news, the Silk City diner reopened last night.
• As threatened, the Council "voted unanimously yesterday to ban underground sewage tanks within 1,500 feet of homes in the 10th and Sixth Council Districts in Northeast Philadelphia," thus upsetting a plan to install just such a tank near Poquessing Creek to help with overflow during heavy downpours. Assuming Mayor Street signs it, of course.
• The men alleged to have plotted to attack Fort Dix pleaded not guilty yesterday. Their trial should begin in early October.
• There was a lot of talk about campaign contributions and money spent during the mayoral primary earlier this year, but as it turns out, the guy who won was not the one who spent the most money. Tom Knox spent the most - $20 million, which worked out to $161 per vote - whereas winner Nutter spent only $43 per vote.
• The City Council bowed to pressure from Cardinal Justin Rigali and rescinded their (mostly meaningless) proclamation that Philadelphia is a "pro-choice city." Lame!

Image Credit: Flickr user eddidit