Yo, Philly in the News

• Rendell is now supporting the idea, spearheaded by outgoing Philadelphia School Reform Commission Chairman James Nevels, of trying to bring a major league soccer franchise to the city of Chester.
• While the court battle still rages over whether SEPTA will be able to eliminate transfers or not, Rendell and Fumo announced Tuesday that all seventh-through-12th graders who live more than 1 1/2 miles from their schools will ride for free with a new weekly transit pass. Students who live closer to their schools will pay a reduced rate of $14.45 for the new pass.
• Eight firefighters who lost their lives fighting a fire at a South Philadelphia oil refinery in 1975 were honored yesterday with a ceremony and bronze plaques installed at the Fireman's Hall Museum on Second Street near Race.
• Wealthy real estate developer Angelo Tsakopoulos is trying to coax Drexel University into creating a western campus, north of Sacramento in California. The area is lacking in such institutions and Tsakopoulos says, "We need sharp minds to keep things going, to do research, so our people will live better."
• The three tiger cubs at the Philadelphia Zoo will have their debut before the public later today.
• A blunt and even vaguely menacing e-mail sent to Bucks County Republicans has surfaced and could affect the race for control of the county courthouse. Predictably, Democrats are using it as an example of Republican evil, and Republicans are disavowing the message.

Image Credit: Flickr user dougward