Years without consistent heat | Morning Newsletter
And how unpaved roads affect fish
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Expect a warm-up to your week. We’ll be in the low-40s today, with highs in the 40s and 50s this week.
Today we’re looking at a serious fear — and danger — for renters: no consistent heat overnight.
And we venture outside the city to see how an unpaved road can have drastic effects on fishing streams in Pennsylvania.
— Kerith Gabriel (@sprtswtr, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Until late last year at the New Horizons Apartment Complex in West Philadelphia, having consistent heat during the winter was a perennial problem. Renters Ezra Nepon and ToniVictoria Lambert, seen above, discussed the conditions. Some residents have had to resort to using space heaters and bundle in coats and blankets. Another resident was said to have even turned on an oven for warmth.
It was a space heater that caused last month’s deadly apartment fire in the Bronx.
It’s the type of dangerous alternative that becomes a roll of the dice for residents, increasing the risk of fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. Residents, many of who can’t afford to move, often don’t know what to do. Additionally, residents say:
🤭 They’re not sure their concerns merit filing a complaint,
🤭 They don’t want to strain relationships with their landlords, or
🤭 They don’t know how to get help.
Our reporter Ximena Conde shines a light on the resources available for renters to ensure they aren’t left out in the cold.
What you should know today
Police arrested two teens in connection with a series of carjackings.
The city’s original safety plan for Washington Avenue has been scrapped.
A federal judge is expected to decide a case on universal masking in the Perkiomen Valley School District.
Flyers captain Claude Giroux was named the MVP of this weekend’s NHL All-Star Game.
What’s next for a former aluminum plant in Pennsauken that closed late last year.
And a Philly lawyer and former city solicitor says new high school admissions criteria will make equity issues at Philly’s elite schools worse.
Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
You might not know it, but driving on unpaved roads is actually one of the worst things we do to nearby waterways and streams.
On the ideal gravel road, rainfall disperses evenly across the surface, like a sheet of water, filtering through more land before it reaches a stream. But unmaintained or “orphaned” roads that receive little care often sink or become deeply rutted, forming small bogs.
When it rains, those rutted roads can funnel water — collecting sediment, trash, and other pollutants such as pesticides, oils, and fertilizer — into an erosive torrent that rushes into a creek. That sheer volume of water can wash away stone and rock beds that fish and other aquatic life need.
In Pennsylvania, there are more than 20,000 miles of unpaved roads, the most in Bradford County on the New York state border, with close to 1,600 miles.
Our reporter Jason Nark delivers this look at efforts to reduce pollution to Pennsylvania’s waterways.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
Books chronicling Black history in America have had a home for more than 60 years at this Philly shop that opened its doors in 1959 as the city’s first Black-owned bookstore. Today’s question: Do you know the name? Find the answer here.
a. Bobbie’s Books
b. Black and Nobel
c. Hakim’s Books
What we’re…
🤦 Wondering: Who are these people trying to book Airbnb party houses in Philly during a pandemic?
👶 Witnessing: No reason to fit in, now it’s all about standing out. Welcome to the age of the unique baby name.
🗞️ Plugging: Today’s copy of The Inquirer’s e-edition, for those who still like the look of their day’s news in print. Free for subscribers.
Photo of the day
Here’s hoping your week gets off to a great start. I’ll catch you tomorrow. ✌️