Yo, Philly in the News

• This is pretty hilarious: State Representatives were pulling prints from 1838 and 1850 off the walls of the Independence Seaport Museum yesterday to prove that the Foxwoods Casino site used to be under the water of the Delaware River, which would mean that the land would be under the state's control today, and that transferring the "riparian rights" to said land would require the approval of the General Assembly - a General Assembly which has turned against gambling in recent months. It's the latest and possibly strangest of the last ditch efforts to stop casinos from getting into Philadelphia.
• About 12:45 AM yesterday morning, cops pulled over a car in the 6000 block of Master Street in West Philadelphia because the vehicle had a light out. The driver - Kevin Fletcher, 44 - was incoherent, officers smelled alcohol, and there appeared to be narcotics in the car. When they tried to get Fletcher out of the vehicle, he drove off, leading police on a chase through Delaware County and into Chester County. The chase finally ended on Baltimore Pike in Marlborough Township when the police made use of a spiked device to flatten the tires on the car. Fletcher was charged with aggravated assault on an officer, driving under the influence, and related offenses.
• Philadelphia Phillie Jimmy Rollins was honored in a short ceremony at City Hall yesterday for his accomplishments both on and off the field. Mayor Street praised him as a role model for children, and he was given a written proclamation from the city and a commemorative Liberty Bell.
• At least two community groups are strongly opposing a proposal to cover large swaths of the Inquirer-Daily News Building, at 400 N. Broad St., with advertising for The Bee Movie. This would include "wall wraps" and a 50-foot inflatable bee dangling from the upper floors. The Zoning Board has delayed ruling on the matter until Tuesday in the hopes that in the meantime the community groups can meet and work out their differences with Philadelphia Media Holdings (the company that publishes the papers, and that's requesting permission for the ads). For our part, we think a 50-foot inflatable bee sounds very subtle and tasteful.

Image Credit: Flickr user jquiz