Phila. Councilmembers Weigh Changes To City's Marijuana Laws
Councilman James Kenney notes that there were 4,200 arrests last year in Philadelphia involving people with small amounts of pot.
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Councilman James Kenney notes that there were 4,200 arrests last year in Philadelphia involving people with small amounts of pot.
Members of labor unions representing various groups of Philadelphia municipal workers marched around City Hall both before and after Mayor Nutter's budget address, to push their concerns.
Nutter boasted that his $4+ billion spending plan includes no tax increases, but he warned that something must be done to meet the school district's latest request for an additional $75 million in city funding.
Darrell Clarke has decided to call a special election to fill the vacancy created by the departure of former at-large councilman Bill Green, now chair of the School Reform Commission.
Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez proposes upping the school district's share from 55 percent to 60 percent, which she says would shift about $53 million per year from the city to the schools without raising taxes.
Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter has sent a letter to the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee expressing interest in hosting the party's 2016 national convention.
But members of Philadelphia City Council found no easy answers.
Shane Creamer (left), of the city's Board of Ethics, backed the limit. Ellen Kaplan of the watchdog group Committee of 70 (right), thinks it should be lower.
Now, when Philadelphia police stop an undocumented immigrant for even a minor offense, officers will enter the person's information into a database shared with federal immigration authorities.
The sponsor of the plan, Councilman-at-large David Oh, noted that state elected officials and those from other cities face no such provision, so eliminating it here levels the playing field for city officials.
Amid the growing debate over possible health risks posed by electronic cigarettes, a Philadelphia lawmaker is proposing banning their sale to minors in the city.
Councilman Jim Kenney suggested that the renovation of Love Park include a section for skateboarders, who once flocked there from around the world.
The mayor had proposed selling the garage beneath Love Park and then using city money to renovate the park itself. Council president Clarke proposed turning much of the park over to new restaurants, with money from those leases paying for the renovation.
A group of Fairmount Park advocates says that Council president Darrell Clarke's plan to put restaurants in Love Park would turn that famed site into "a food court."
City councilman Jim Kenney has a long list of concerns about how the Streets Department uses salt during snowstorms. Topping the list is whether road salt poses serious health hazards to dogs or small children.
"We understand that (Streets Department) resources are taxed," said city councilwoman Cindy Bass, "but there were some areas that really seemed to be not touched at all -- some areas in West Mt. Airy, some areas in Chestnut Hill."
City councilman jim Kenney says Mayor Nutter's efforts to crack down on residents who've been ignoring the so-called "School Tax" tax have gone too far.
Councilman Wilson Goode said the Nutter administration has been abusing its ability to grant waivers to the law that requires city contractors pay workers at least 1½ times the federal minimum wage.
"We need the BRT right now," Councilman Mark Squilla says. "We need them to have these hearings. We need them to make sure they're fair and as soon as possible."
The increasing popularity of the website Airbnb.com, which hooks travelers up with people who are renting out rooms, is drawing the attention of Philadelphia City Council.
Philadelphia police and local utilities are planning a public awareness campaign to warn residents of scammers who try to enter homes posing as utility workers.
Council president Darrell Clarke, who also represents the district where the tower will be located, says there will be meetings for residents to voice concerns.
Congressman Bob Brady, who heads Philadelphia's Democratic party, says a line has already formed of people vying for Bill Green's at-large seat.
Having a doctor's appointment over the Internet, via Skype or similar services, may be more common in a few years, according to local health care experts who testified today at a City Council hearing on the future of telemedicine.
Richard North III was sentenced to three years' probation. He has already paid restitution of more than $62,000 and written a letter of apology to Councilman Bobby Henon.
With their fathers in mind, two female therapists founded Black Men Heal to help change the perception about caring for your mental health.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, King Charles III's younger brother, has been arrested over suspected misconduct in public office after revelations in the Epstein files.
Fog, low clouds and light rain will be around again Thursday morning in the Philadelphia region, and temps will be above freezing throughout much of the area.
A vigil was held Wednesday night in Northeast Philadelphia to honor Temple University Police Sergeant Christopher Fitzgerald.
William Ingram will sit behind bars for more than three decades for the 2024 murder of his mother inside their Bucks County home.
With their fathers in mind, two female therapists founded Black Men Heal to help change the perception about caring for your mental health.
The Diocese of Camden has agreed to a $180-million settlement resolving decades of sex abuse claims made against former priests.
A judge has ordered the Trump administration to return the slavery exhibits that were removed from the President's House Site in Philadelphia by Friday.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, King Charles III's younger brother, has been arrested over suspected misconduct in public office after revelations in the Epstein files.
Fog, low clouds and light rain will be around again Thursday morning in the Philadelphia region, and temps will be above freezing throughout much of the area.
With their fathers in mind, two female therapists founded Black Men Heal to help change the perception about caring for your mental health.
A vigil was held Wednesday night in Northeast Philadelphia to honor Temple University Police Sergeant Christopher Fitzgerald.
William Ingram will sit behind bars for more than three decades for the 2024 murder of his mother inside their Bucks County home.
A teenager who died in a crash during a police chase over the weekend on Route 422 in Limerick Township was identified Wednesday.
Student-athletes at Villanova are giving back to young boys through a mentorship program with Radnor Middle School.
The Diocese of Camden has agreed to a $180-million settlement resolving decades of sex abuse claims made against former priests.
Morey's Piers dismantled the Giant Wheel last fall and sent its center hub to the Navy Yard in Philadelphia to be repaired.
Sick and dying geese at Alcyon Lake in Pitman, New Jersey, had presumed cases of bird flu, officials said in a news release.
The Diocese of Camden has agreed to pay $180 million in a settlement to more than 300 survivors who were sexually abused by clergy members.
New Jersey's acting attorney general won't ask the state Supreme Court to review the dismissal of racketeering charges against Democratic power broker George E. Norcross III and those charged alongside him.
The long-ago first husband of first lady Jill Biden pleaded not guilty to charges that he killed his current wife in Delaware.
A fire that broke out at a wastewater treatment facility in Wilmington, Delaware, is under control after an explosion early Tuesday morning.
Ice is still impacting bodies of water around the Philadelphia area after a long stretch of cold temperatures.
Two firefighters and two residents were taken to the hospital after a house fire in Wilmington on Sunday, officials said.
Power companies across the Philadelphia region and Lehigh Valley are reporting some outages Saturday while high wind alerts are in effect.
With their fathers in mind, two female therapists founded Black Men Heal to help change the perception about caring for your mental health.
Sick and dying geese at Alcyon Lake in Pitman, New Jersey, had presumed cases of bird flu, officials said in a news release.
A Code Orange alert is in effect Wednesday, Feb. 18, for all of southeastern Pennsylvania due to poor air quality levels around the region.
A nationwide shortage of estrogen patches used for hormone replacement therapy has prompted many women to look for alternatives for treating symptoms of menopause.
Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia is the country's oldest hospital and will become a museum for the nation's 250th birthday in 2026.
Move over, Wawa, "there's a new player in town." Customers shed light on Pennsylvania's heated rivalry as Sheetz opened its first store in Montgomery County.
Former Sheetz president and CEO Steve Sheetz has died at age 77, the Altoona-based company announced on Monday.
The post-Christmas return rush was underway at shops and malls across the Philadelphia area.
With product return fraud on the rise, an emerging company is using AI to help spot issues.
Here are mall opening and closing hours for the Christmas and Christmas Eve holidays around the Philly region.
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Philadelphia has reopened following emergency repairs, according to the city.
A stretch of Spruce Street in Philadelphia's University City section is closed until further notice because of a water main break.
Police and fire crews are once again responding to the scene of a train fire that broke out Thursday.
More than 100 speed bumps near Philadelphia schools were installed improperly, a new report says.
The Downingtown Interchange on the Pennsylvania Turnpike reopened Wednesday night after a canopy over the toll booths collapsed.
Joel Embiid reported soreness in his right shin over the All-Star break and will miss the 76ers' game against Atlanta on Thursday night.
Mikaela Shiffrin, the most decorated skier of all time, last won a medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
The Eagles' main headquarters in South Philadelphia has a new name: the Jefferson Health Training Complex.
Their respective semifinal wins on Monday set up a seventh gold-medal showdown between Team USA and Canada later this week.
Anthony Edwards won the Most Valuable Player award while leading his "Stars" team past their fellow Americans on the "Stripes" team 47-21 to win the final of the NBA All-Star Game.
Bruce Springsteen is bringing the Land of Hope and Dreams tour to Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on May 8.
J. Cole's "The Fall-Off Tour" will stop at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia in July.
Robert Duvall was in such classics as "The Godfather," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "M*A*S*H," "The Great Santini" and "Tender Mercies."
"Dawson's Creek" and "Varsity Blues" star James Van Der Beek has died at 48 years old.
The Pennsylvania Film Office has awarded $34 million for production on Season 3 of "Tires" and the fifth and final season of "Mayor of Kingstown."
Ukee Washington reports.
Natasha Brown reports.
Natasha Brown reports.
Natasha Brown reports.
Ukee Washington reports.
Middle school students in Philadelphia got the opportunity to do hands-on learning during the school district's five-day career and technical camp.
With her Girl Talk mentoring program, one Philadelphia teen turned her camp days into a safe space to discuss social issues young girls face every day.
Recent high school graduate Sylvain Farrell says his temporary position at a local clinic is the pathway to a full-time career.
A Philadelphia student won an award from NFL Films for his documentary on bringing back sports teams at his Kensington school.
A group of East Norriton eighth graders took what started as an Earth Day project and made a whole initiative.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, whose company owns Facebook and Instagram, faced tough questions in a trial about youth social media addiction when he took the witness stand Wednesday.
Wawa is recalling certain chocolate milk and cookies and cream milk products distributed in the Philadelphia area, warning that the products could contain soft plastic pieces that could pose a choking hazard. Josh Sidorowicz has this and other top headlines in your Digital Brief, plus a weather update from Meteorologist Kate Bilo.
Philly Pride 365 says the theme of this year's Pride March and Festival is "Pride is Power" and shared some key events culminating in the June 7 Philly Pride March and Festival.
We've issued a NEXT Weather Alert for Friday morning as heavy rain will fall during your commute and could cause ponding and localized flooding. Before then, patchy fog is clearing out before a cloudy Thursday. We're also continuing to watch a weather maker arriving Sunday, though it's still too early to tell if it's bringing us significant snowfall. Meteorologist Kate Bilo has the forecast.
Massive sinkholes large enough to swallow a dump truck have residents in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, under a state of emergency. Several houses were deemed unsafe because of the sinkhole risk, forcing multiple families out of their homes.