Hello, diligent readers of The Inquirer Morning Newsletter.

First: Homicides in Chester have declined, and people point to several possible factors.

Then: Retracing the repatriation of lost Native American children who suffered at a boarding school in Pennsylvania more than 140 years ago.

And: It was a stormy night in region, with multiple reports of tornadoes and several buildings damaged in Bucks County.

— Olayemi Falodun (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Prior to 2021, Chester, like many places across the nation, suffered from heightened gun violence. But in the last year, the Delaware County city has experienced a dramatic drop in homicides and fatal shootings.

Homicides in Chester plunged 63% this year compared with 2020, with fatal shootings dropping down 43%, according to police statistics.

So, what’s been the catalyst behind this shift?

District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer and his staff don’t single out any one thing, but they and community activists believe personalized and community-focused antiviolence initiatives are making a difference.

Reporter Vinny Vella unlocks one of the key strategies the 35,000-member community of Chester is using to change how residents and outsiders view the lone city in the county.

It’s taken 142 years to return the remains of Native American children at the Carlisle Barracks cemetery to their indigenous roots, long after they were led away and forced to assimilate in boarding schools.

The Carlisle Indian Industrial School was the first government-backed off-reservation boarding school, housing more than 8,000 students from 1879 to 1918. But its mission destroyed the future of many children, while leaving a South Dakota community feeling incomplete.

Charles Fox captures the long-deserved homecoming.

Feast your eyes on the basic building blocks of life in the city. Thanks for sharing.

Tag your Instagram posts with #OurPhilly, and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature here and give you a shout-out.

🌆 Enjoy Philly in a different way this weekend, by exploring these possibilities.

🤤 Check out the best whoopie pies in the Philly area, and let your taste buds dig into a classic.

🎒 Here are some useful tips to help your kids cope mentally, as they head back to in-person learning.

🐶 You and your pup can whet your appetites with some drinks here during the dog days of summer.

“Years from now, we will look at her brave stand as a defining moment of a pivotal time for human civilization, a quest to find new forms of happiness outside of a system so oppressive that it has given most of us ‘the twisties,’” columnist Will Bunch writes about how Simone Biles’ abrupt withdrawal at the Tokyo Games changes how we look at mental health and what defines work.

Want to get paid for picking up the litter in Philadelphia? Well, there’s an app for that. Terrill Haigler, also known as YaFavTrashman, has a free and public app called Glitter that lets residents report trash in their neighborhood. It also pays cleaners who register for that service.