Phillyist Framed Returns!
Hey Man, Can't We All Just Get Along?
Playlist Rewind: AFI at the Factory
Yo, Philly in the News
Whole Hog Is All Heart
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The Philadelphia School District is suffering from a high number of teacher vacancies, which experts say points to systemic problems in the hiring process.
Hey, it's Columbus Day! The Daily News covers a local Columbus Day Parade, and let's us know what's open and what's closed today.
29-year-old Anthony Derubeis of Upper Darby decided to barbecue some books on his grill yesterday morning. When firefighters arrived, he started throwing stuff at them, like plates and full water bottles. Then he went inside and refused to come out, and eventually ended up getting into a fight with police, who subdued him. "We feel the guy may have some mental-health issues that have to be dealt with," said the Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood Sr. No kidding!
The nationwide Million Father March—which consists of fathers taking their children to school, participating in home and school events, and signing a pledge of nonviolence—kicks off locally this Sunday night.
Some lucky schmuck bought the winning Powerball ticket last week at the Turkey Hill Minit Mart in Willow Street, PA, just south of Lancaster. This Phillyist can sadly report that it wasn't him. But whoever it was will be revealed at 10 this morning.
Leonard Luchko, a computer technician and former aide of Senator Vincent Fumo, is accused of illegally destroying years' worth of state Senate computer records, apparently in an attempt to hide the data from the FBI during its investigation into Fumo. Luchko will plead guilty on Monday, marking the first plea in the corruption case against Fumo. The terms of the plea agreement have not yet been specified. In other corruption case news, "City Councilman Jack Kelly's top aide, his campaign treasurer, and his two top political contributors pleaded not guilty to federal fraud and conspiracy charges yesterday and were released on $10,000 bail."
Charter schools in the city of Chester seem to be successful, but the school district is having a hard time coping with the drain they put on available resources. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia School Reform Commission will hold the first of two scheduled public hearings today on the proposed closing of two troubled city charter schools.
"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."
Chelsea Clinton was at Penn yesterday, stumping for her Mom, and said we should expect to see her and her family a lot in the near future. Which sounds like a threat to us. Beware, Philadelphians! They're coming! Watch the skies! Keep watching the skies! (BTW, in a related story, voter interest is surging in Pennsylvania suburbs.)
Insiders say Barack Obama is the favorite to win the endorsement of the Philadelphia Building Trades Council, which would represent a striking break with Governor Rendell and Mayor Nutter, who are supporting Hillary Clinton. The trades council, which includes 37 locals of building and construction trade unions, was scheduled to meet this morning in Northeast Philadelphia to decide the issue.
Delaware River Port Authority officials announced yesterday that a $4 million network of cameras with "intelligent" software will be installed along the PATCO rail line and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge starting in April and scheduled to finish up by the end of the year. The cameras are designed to detect intruders or unusual activity in stations, parking lots, platforms and along the rail line.
23-year-old Chante Wright, as part of a deal to cut her boyfriend's jail sentence, agreed to testify in a murder case. It was a dangerous move, and her testimony was crucial, so "she became the first state witness in Philadelphia to enter the federal witness-protection program." She was given a new identity and moved to Florida. Unfortunately, she defied authorities and returned to Philadelphia to visit her gravely ill grandmother. She was killed early Saturday, only seven hours after coming back to the city.
The Delaware River Port Authority plans on spending $25 million on inspections and paint jobs on its bridges between Philadelphia and South Jersey. Public meetings will probably begin in March to discuss the possibility of raising bridge tolls to pay for the work. Tolls could rise as much as $2; the alternative is to raise tolls a smaller amount each year based on inflation.
The Daily News takes a look at the aftermath of the body parts scandal and how it has affected relatives of the deceased.
Nominations are being accepted now for the Citadel Heart of Learning Awards, which honor the best educators in Chester County. Anyone can submit a nomination online at www.citadelheartoflearning.com between October 1st and December 31st.
This is a pretty clever idea: primary-care clinics in retail stores. They're called MinuteClinics, and four will be opening today in CVS stores in Northeast Philadelphia, Lansdale and Rosemont. Clinics like these are apparently a hot new trend and have been popping up all over the country in the last few years. They typically "treat minor problems, take no appointments, and are staffed by nurse practitioners."
Praxis released their preliminary recommendations on how to redevelop the face of the Delaware River at a community meeting yesterday. They suggest a public park every 200 feet, biking and jogging trails, restaurants, rowhomes, and shopping. (Via Jill)
"Sherwood Forest" - which is actually "the concourse below 15th Street linking Suburban Station with tunnels to City Hall, the Municipal Services Building, and the Broad Street Subway" - is not always the most pleasant place to be. As the Inquirer puts it: "in August, when Philly's temperature and humidity soar, the pungent odor of urine-soaked concrete is unforgettable." That's why the Center City District, a privately funded organization created to improve cleanliness, safety and the quality of life downtown, has taken it upon itself to give the place a daily scrubbing from now on.
In vaguely similar news, the Silk City diner reopened last night.
In yet more local school news, the faculty and staff at the Community College of Philadelphia went on strike yesterday morning, as threatened, when an agreement could not be reached on their new contract.
A Northeast Philadelphia boy imitating a stunt from the latest Jackass movie threw himself out a second-story window and landed on his head. He was in critical condition as of Wednesday.
Results tagged “northeastphiladelphia”
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There are really few circumstances in which violent crime is justified. I mean, if you are Samuel L. Jackson and trying to avenge the assault against your young daughter, and know the racist jury will acquit the accused and clearly guilty man so you decide to take justice into your own hands... then, you get the A Time to Kill exception. Otherwise, you're probably just an asshole.
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This happened long before this Phillyist moved to the area, but it's no less interesting for it.
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The kids at my high school pulled some pretty elaborate pranks back in the day. The most memorable was the kidnapping of Manny, Moe, and Jack from the neighborhood Pep Boys and their subsequent erection on the roof of the library building at our school. But never, never, never did anyone let livestock loose in the hallways, like these intrepid Northeast Philadelphia High School students did.
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The "10,000 men: A Call to Action" campaign will get started in earnest on Saturday when they put the first 200 men on the streets. It'll be a field exercise for squad leaders, and apparently they'll also be doing a door-to-door campaign to alert neighbors of the effort. Then they'll be patrolling in South Philadelphia next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evening. John Lewis, the suspect in the murder of police officer Chuck Cassidy, was...
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A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets.
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UPDATE: Fixed a typo; it's Associated Alumni, not Associate Alumni. Thanks, Debbie.
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