A school bus driver shortage is leaving kids stranded | Morning Newsletter

Good Sunday morning, everybody. This is your Sunday edition of The Inquirer Morning Newsletter, with all the news you need to get ready for the new week.

On Monday, kids in Philly will be taking the bus to get to school. Well, some of them. There’s a bus driver shortage in the city that’s forcing some students to miss school or even leaving some stranded. “It’s a crisis. This is supposed to be a right. It’s had a massive impact on families,” said Kristi Littell, CEO of Wissahickon Charter School, where most students should receive bus rides to school.

— Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Saturday was the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The entire country was affected by that day, including the Philly region. Here’s a look at ceremonies that happened to commemorate the day this year and also some memories from 2001.

Each week we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face along the way. This week we chat with reporter Amy Rosenberg about her work covering the Jersey Shore.

Why do you cover the Jersey Shore? What drew you to living there and reporting on it?

I moved from Philly in July 1995 when my spouse got a job here, and I was about to go on maternity leave. My editor said, fine, but what are you going to do in five years? It was a good question. But living here has grown on me. It was an excellent place to raise my daughters, both graduates of Atlantic City High, and an amazing place to be a reporter. Always so much to write about.

What are you keeping an eye on in your coverage in the coming weeks?

Miss America is turning 100 and celebrating … not in Atlantic City. But many are feeling nostalgic. And we’ll have to take stock of another weird summer.

What are some stories that published recently that you’re proud of?

I wrote about the changing character of Wildwood this summer, and the closing of its oldest bar, the Shamrock, and I was truly surprised how popular a story it was. People really cared. I also tasted a slice of pizza from every place on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

What’s a Shore gem that not many may already know about?

So much in Atlantic City is amazing. There’s the new Vegans Are Us restaurant I just wrote about. And an amazing Mexican restaurant, El Taquate, that Craig Laban wrote about, which is on the same Atlantic Avenue block as a new Sri Lanken restaurant. Nearby is Setaara, a French-Afghan restaurant. At the north end, they are extending the Boardwalk so that you can ride your bike to Gardner’s Basin, a true gem with the best breakfast in Atlantic City at Gilchrist, the Fish Heads food truck and the Back Bay Alehouse. It’s just beautiful up there.

What are some things you do in your free time? What are you looking forward to this year?

September is the nicest time of the year here. Water’s warm, summer people are mostly gone, dogs are allowed on the beach, and there’s room to run again on the boardwalk.

Email Amy Rosenberg at arosenberg@inquirer.com and follow her on Twitter at @amysrosenberg.

Hurricane Larry hovered off the coast and brought some big waves to the Jersey Shore this week. Thanks for sharing!

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!

Hurricane Ida left the Schuylkill River Trail underwater, and while floodwaters have been drained, some sections are still impassable. The area’s most popular running and cycling trail stretches for 75-miles through Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Montgomery, Chester, and Berks counties. Trail conditions are continually evolving, but you can check which parts are open or closed right here.