Dorrell Shaw, 26, who was wanted for questioning in the recent series of sexual assaults in Frankford, turned himself in to police yesterday. But authorities warn the case is by no means closed; Shaw was in prison during the first of the assaults, and it's quite possible he was not responsible for any of them. The rebuilding of the Market-Frankford El, a project that is now $300 million over budget and two years behind schedule,......

Yesterday a Delaware County trade-school instructor mistakenly left his 14-month-old grandson in the backseat of his sweltering car in the Lawrence Park Shopping Center while he went to work for several hours in Broomall. Apparently he typically picks the child up in the morning and takes him to day care, but yesterday he forgot the boy was with him, and only realized his mistake when he came back in the afternoon to get something out......

Mid-January means Martin Luther King Day, which means it’s time to live that dream of yours (or perhaps just a resolution) and volunteer in our fine city. The 13th Annual MLK National Day of Service will be celebrated this weekend around the region. The day grew out of national legislation aiming to create a day of citizen action in honor of Dr. King’s work. It’s still growing, as more and more folks decide to put......

The Inquirer takes another look at the troubling recent increase, both locally and nationally, in the shooting of police. Mayor Nutter, in his first speech outside the city since the election, as the keynote speaker at the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry's annual dinner, got a standing ovation before and after, and urged Southeastern Pennsylvania to come together and work as one to achieve greatness. Police are still investigating gunshots fired shortly before......

527 groups, "nicknamed for the section of the tax code that authorizes them.... can raise as much as they want as long as they do not coordinate their efforts with a candidate." However, two such groups - Working People for Truth and the Economic Justice Coalition for Truth - have sprung up which seem to have been created for no other reason than to attack Tom Knox. One of them has strong connections to......

Girl Scout Cookie selling sure has changed since Phillyist was in the Girl Scouts (Brownies, actually) back in the day. Used to be that you'd get all of your cookie-selling paraphernalia, wait and wait until the official start day, get up as early as your parents would let you harass the neighbors, and try to beat all of the other neighborhood scouts to the houses where you knew they were going to buy more than......

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is almost upon us, and with it unique opportunities to volunteer in the community. As promised, we give you the 12th Annual Martin Luther King Day of Service. The day grew out of national legislation aiming to create a day of citizen action in honor of Dr. King’s work. And it grew, and grew, and grew. Philly’s celebration is the largest in the nation and we're gearing up for record......

How about a couple of heartwarming holiday stories, huh? The Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Red Cross is throwing its eighth annual Children's Holiday Party at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel tonight. About 500 children who have lost their homes in various disasters will get to have fun and act like kids, and their parents will get to relax and enjoy it. Also, recently the students from Central Bucks West High School organized their Washington Project......

Dear SEPTA Management: Please stop pissing the union negotiators off. We’re sure you think you’ve got a point, too. You want your paid vacations and great insurance plans and paid sick days and ginormous raises. You look down on the plebs who drive the busses and trolleys. And the plebs who ride them. But we can’t all be in the white-collar, middle-management, Passat-powered, ivory towers that you’re in. Many people in this city actually rely......

Republican PA state legislators intend to file suit against Governor Ed Rendell later this week, attempting to limit Big Ed's line item veto power. Their beef? Governor Rendell dared to remove language from the state budget denying the use public money for birth control, family planning counseling or other services at clinics that also provide abortions or abortion counseling through the Department of Public Welfare. Considering the vast majority of clinics that offer family planning......