Yo, Philly in the News

• Latrice Bryant apologized yesterday for flashing signs during a City Council meeting that accused of Fox 29 of racism. Specifically, she compared Jeff Cole, a white reporter for Fox 29, to the Ku Klux Klan. “I think I just lost it,” Bryant told NBC10’s Harry Hairston.
• Amid confusion and a shortage of volunteers, United Neighbors of Whitman Park, a Camden community center that offered summer and after-school programs among other services, has closed. Some volunteers grew too old to help out, some passed away, and others moved. The space was purchased from the city of Camden for $1 ten years ago, but now has $1,400 in liens on it.
• Yesterday, a lawyer for the National Rifle Association told a state appeals court that Philadelphia has no authority to implement an assault-weapons ban. C. Scott Shields, the NRA’s representation, said that the city simply is not permitted to regulate firearms and that such regulation deals with constitutional rights.
• The president of the Philadelphia Home and School Council has been charged with embezzling $60,000 from a fund he oversaw. Greg Wade was arrested Monday and was charged with theft by unlawful taking, forgery, unlawful use of a computer and passing bad checks. The Council is a non-profit group and unites parents with public schools throughout the city. Wade is not employed by the School District of Philadelphia.
• Charlie Manuel was snubbed by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America through a vote that awarded the Chicago Cubs’ Lou Pinella the distinction of National League Manager of the Year. Pinella received 15 of 32 first place votes, nearly doubling Manuel’s eight. Pinealla’s 103 total points were well above the 67 that Charlie Manuel received. Joe Maddon, the manager of the World Series Runners Up, was awarded the American League award.

Image Credit: Flickr user Florian Dreyer