You are browsing the News category
May 30, 2008
"Five men were indicted in New Jersey yesterday on charges of illegally selling guns bought in Bucks County sporting goods stores to buyers in Trenton." Philadelphia Police Officers Sheldon Fitzgerald and Howard Hill III, both five-year veterans who worked in the 25th District in North Philadelphia, were charged with aggravated assault and other offenses for allegedly beating up a graffiti prankster in August 2007. Now police authorities have reopened another Internal Affairs investigation into...
Continue Reading "Yo, Philly in the News"
| 
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
email this
add to facebook
add to del.icio.us
May 29, 2008
As promised, yesterday Mayor Nutter announced his plan to combat homelessness. Click through for the details. The 14-year-old Lansdowne boy accused of stabbing his older brother to death over a video game has admitted to voluntary manslaughter. The judge will determine his sentence at a hearing on June 5th; he faces a maximum of seven years of supervision until he reaches age 21. The polo team from the acclaimed equestrian program on Chamounix Drive in...
Continue Reading "Yo, Philly in the News"May 28, 2008
Soaring gas prices are leading to increased ridership on local public transportation services like SEPTA, which just passed a $1.1 billion budget for 2009 that includes major upgrades to handle all those new riders. Because of course, fuel costs are increasing for SEPTA, too. The Philadelphia chapter of the Boy Scouts sued the city in federal court late Friday to prevent being evicted from its city-owned headquarters or being charged $200,000 a year in rent....
Continue Reading "Yo, Philly in the News"May 27, 2008
"The jury in the second murder trial of Wilfredo Santiago in the execution-style slaying of Police Officer Thomas Trench in 1985 will resume deliberations today." "Pennsylvania is taking steps to make gifted education available to more students, but that has done little to quell long-standing tension between parents and school districts over how the state's brightest are educated." Some more road closures for you poor motorists: the left lane on southbound I-95 approaching Bartram Avenue...
Continue Reading "Yo, Philly in the News"May 23, 2008
The big Michael Nutter news this week was, of course, the approval of his $4 billion budget. So it's time for the city to literally put its money where its mouth is. Is Michael ignoring the social problems posed by the digital divide by declining to use city funds to save Philly WiFi? The Michael lovefest continues, as the Democratic Leadership Council named Michael its New Dem of the Week. Congrats, Michael! In part due...
Continue Reading "Nutter? I Don't Even Know 'er!"Advertisement: Phillyist Continues Below!
May 23, 2008
Philadelphia police were questioning Leroy Townsend, 53, about possible narcotics violations on May 18 when an officer noticed red dye on his pants and then recognized him (from wanted photos broadcast on television) as a serial bank robber believed to be responsible for five Center City heists. He was, of course, arrested. A group calling itself the Keystone State Skinheads has taken credit for a series of racist posters put up in Port Richmond...
Continue Reading "Yo, Philly in the News"May 22, 2008
Proofreading Philly tries to capture typos, wordos, and all other kinds of grammatical mistakes that we see around the city. But we need your help! Email photos to us from your computer or your phone, and show the city that you care about good grammar. Phillyist reader Christopher sent us this 6abc.com story from last Friday, reminding us that: "According to dictionary.com—a breech is a ... um ... butt." So unless the hacker also mooned...
Continue Reading "Proofreading Philly"
Hey, Greensgrow, a North Philly urban farm, got profiled in a New York Times article! Go them! (Via Dexter) A plan made public yesterday reveals the city prisons commissioner's strategies to reduce prison overcrowding, fight recidivism, and improve prison-staff morale. Meanwhile, an as yet unreleased study of the Philadelphia prison system reveals that recidivism has less to do with prison overcrowding than first-time offenders. "A member of the Eagles Pep Band will be walking 90...
Continue Reading "Yo, Philly in the News"May 21, 2008
Today, from 9AM through 5PM, Media Mobilizing Project and local broadband activists are urging Philadelphians to call Mayor Michael Nutter to demand that the city step in to save the Wireless Philadelphia network. If you want to give it a shot, the numbers are (215) 686-3000 or (215) 686-2250. The Delaware River Port Authority is conducting two public meetings about its planned efforts to ease congestion on the Philadelphia side of the Ben Franklin Bridge....
Continue Reading "Yo, Philly in the News"May 20, 2008
Yesterday Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey fired four police officers and disciplined four others for taking part in the infamous videotaped beating of three shooting suspects. "Students from four Philadelphia-area high schools are meeting at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia today, with other students videoconferencing from as far away as Louisiana, to discuss issues in the presidential election and create a student agenda for the candidates." As promised, Governor Rendell announced the highest...
Continue Reading "Yo, Philly in the News"May 19, 2008
The Daily News points out that while the Philadelphia School District is looking for ways to balance its budget, the organization might want to consider cutting the abnormally high salaries of its legal counsel. "Jury selection is expected to begin today in the 19-year-old murder of a North Philadelphia black man in what has been labeled a 'racial killing.'" "The Esherick House, a rare private residence designed by revered 20th-century architect Louis Kahn and tucked...
Continue Reading "Yo, Philly in the News"May 16, 2008
Michael's been in office for a little over four months now, which apparently means it's time to start fund-raising for his reelection campaign. Michael appointed former Daily News columnist Mark Alan Hughes as the city's "sustainability director," charged with overseeing environmental initiatives. Michael's proposed budget easily cruised through a City Council committee, clearing the way for approval by the whole Council, which should come next week. Some people are accusing Michael of inappropriately excusing the...
Continue Reading "Nutter? I Don't Even Know 'er!"
"Lane closures are scheduled this weekend on northbound and southbound Interstate 95 near the Betsy Ross Bridge (Exit 26) for bridge deck repairs." Click through for the details. The three men whose arrest and beating was captured on video by a news helicopter have their preliminary hearing scheduled for this morning. They're accused of taking part in a May 5 shooting that wounded three people in Feltonville. Meanwhile, police officials have changed their account...
Continue Reading "Yo, Philly in the News"May 15, 2008
The Inquirer takes a look at local folks and aid organizations trying to send help to China in the wake of the earthquake. All U.S. and Pennsylvania flags at state facilities will be flown at half-staff today for Peace Officers Memorial Day. And since it was Governor Rendell who gave the order there shouldn't be any complaints... "The Philadelphia Orchestra leaves Monday for a three-week tour of China, Japan and Korea." Eric DeShawn Floyd...
Continue Reading "Yo, Philly in the News"May 14, 2008
This guy, again. (It's yesterday's weather, in case that changes anything for you, wardrobe-wise.) Is anyone else disturbed by his green-screen desk?...
Continue Reading "Bupkus!"Advertisement: Phillyist Continues Below!
May 14, 2008
Say goodbye to Wireless Philadelphia. EarthLink is giving up and pulling the plug next month. There's just no money in it for them. That Jocelyn Kirsch. She seems to be getting up to more trouble out there in California. It appears she made a fake 911 call and got her stepfather arrested. The latest update in the Marvin Harrison-related shooting case is that... there isn't any update. Although actually, this article does offer more details...
Continue Reading "Yo, Philly in the News"May 13, 2008
The fourth annual commuter competition sponsored by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia started this morning at 8AM. Three commuters race from 45th and Spruce to City Hall, one on a bike, one in a car, and one in a bus. The BCGP is obviously expecting the cyclist to win, thus proving that two wheels are better than four. Philly's own Bonnie and Clyde are the "poster children for identity theft," according to Federal authorities....
Continue Reading "Yo, Philly in the News"May 12, 2008
...here's a video of it. Oh, and in case you're wondering... ...yes, we really did just Rickroll you....
Continue Reading "In Case You Missed Saturday's Anonymous Scientology Protest..."
We previously posted about SEPTA's celebration this past weekend of the 100th anniversary of service for 69th Street Terminal and the Route 100 Norristown High Speed Line. What we didn't realize is that SEPTA was more than a year late with its celebration. Fresh news on the Bonnie and Clyde front! We know you're excited. Looks like Jocelyn Kirsch is nearing a federal plea deal. Prison time is still likely, however, given the scope of...
Continue Reading "Yo, Philly in the News"May 9, 2008
It seems like all of the news this week surrounded the death of Philadelphia police sergeant Stephen Liczbinski. So it's only fitting—albeit sadly so—that this week's Asshole of the Week be tied into that story as well. As you've certainly read by now, in the wake of Liczbinski's death, Michael Nutter requested that all the flags in the city be lowered to half-staff. We've come to be familiar with, and even accept, this kind of...
Continue Reading "Asshole of the Week"Phillyist is thinking about running for mayor after hearing about all the swag Michael got during his campaign last year. Of course, Michael also had to give up his job and had no other source of income for the year, and we's gots bills to pay, so maybe running for a high office isn't a great idea for us. Michael opined that there was no connection between last Saturday's slaying of Philadelphia police sergeant Stephen...
Continue Reading "Nutter? I Don't Even Know 'er!"