Yo, Philly in the News

• Yesterday, local Jewish leaders criticized a poll performed by the Republican Jewish Coalition that targeted 750 Jewish voters in swing states, including 150 in Pennsylvania. It sounds like the thing was a push poll that was attempting to convince voters that Obama is pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel.
• Authorities issued a warrant yesterday for Dorien Oberlton's arrest in the case of Tuesday's vicious beating of Eric Derrickson in an underground subway concourse. Several witnesses came forward to identify Oberlton, who apparently had a long-standing grudge against Derrickson for supposedly stealing his girl.
• A judge ruled yesterday that Thomas Scantling, the West Oak Lane man accused of attacking a subway passenger with a hammer on September 4th, is mentally ill and not competent to be tried.
• An unknown number of suspects opened fire near the corner of Ithan and Walnut streets in West Philly at around 8PM last night, putting two unidentified men and one juvenile into the hospital in stable condition. No motive or suspects have been reported.
• Yesterday during Council's first session in three months, City Councilman W. Wilson Goode Jr.'s chief legislative aide, Latrice Bryant, held up a series of hand-made signs accusing Fox 29 News and its reporter Jeff Cole of being racist. Meanwhile, Cole said he had videos of Bryant attending to personal business while she logged in as working at her City Hall office. The videos include Goode and Bryant entering his home with a case of beer and Bryant leaving on another day at 11:30AM, looking as if she might have spent the night there. Um... wow. What an odd, sordid story.
• The Daily News asks whether school-related beatings are becoming a pattern.
• Philabundance, the area's largest hunger-relief agency, says the tough economy and a drop in food donations of as much as 20 percent over the last year will force them to stop providing milk to 18 after-school and day-care agencies serving 1,045 children.
• Some local road and lane closures, traffic restrictions, and checkpoints.
• There was a brief story the other day about an off-duty SEPTA cop being involved in a shooting; now some of the details are coming out. The officer shot and killed a neighbor Wednesday night in Perkiomen, and he's claiming self-defense. The victim had a long arrest record.
• Striking teachers in Montgomery County's Souderton Area School District will be back in their classrooms tomorrow, as they've come to an agreement to enter into non-binding arbitration.
• The Inquirer covers the 2008 Liberty Medal ceremony that took place at the National Constitution Center last night, honoring former Soviet leader Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev.
• Top state Republicans are calling on the Rendell administration to enforce a little-known, decades-old law which bans political clothing from polling places. Which means you wouldn't be able to wear your Obama shirt when you head out to vote on November 4th.

Image Credit: Flickr user b a r t