With each new sheriff, same old problems | Morning Newsletter
And, clearing homeless from the airport.
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The Morning Newsletter
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Howdy, friends, and welcome to the first day of spring. It might only be Tuesday, and a chilly and cloudy one at that, but there’s a tasty bright side: Rita’s is observing the season’s start by handing out free 6-ounce cups of wooder ice.
Our top story today comes from reporters Ryan Briggs and William Bender, and looks into the history of Philly’s scandal-plagued Sheriff’s Office.
Also, Mayor Parker and the Philadelphia police are working to clear people experiencing homelessness from the Philly airport.
Let’s dive in.
— Tommy Rowan (@tommyrowan, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Created by William Penn in 1682, the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office has been a source of controversy since at least the mid-19th century under both Democrats and Republicans.
And some of the scandals of yore are strikingly similar to those of modern times.
Attempts to dismantle the office stretch back nearly a century as well. But officials in Philadelphia and Harrisburg have never mustered the political will to get it done.
A similar dynamic persists today, with city officials reluctant to address ongoing issues in the office.
Reporters Ryan Briggs and William Bender looked back at the centuries-old problems plaguing the controversial office.
Over two weeks in late February and early in March, the city took steps to clear people experiencing homelessness from the Philadelphia Airport, where a growing number have been gathering.
🔴 The Philadelphia Police Department was deployed and the Office of Homeless Services provided emergency shelter to those who were displaced.
🔴 A tally of how many people were removed was not available at the time of publication.
🔴 Police did not make any arrests but did issue 14 code violations, according to a city spokesperson.
The efforts come as Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration and the airport look for an outreach organization to “reduce the presence of homeless individuals” at the airport.
Ariana Perez-Castells has the full report.
What you should know today
A toddler’s body, found severely decomposed inside a duffel bag in a small alleyway in Mantua, could be that of 4-year-old Damari Carter. Carter, police say, was beaten to death by his mother and her boyfriend before his remains were discarded in a trash bag nearly four months ago — but never found.
Twenty-five-year-old Taylor Daniel — one of three people killed in Falls Township, Bucks County, over the weekend — died like she lived, relatives said: protecting her family.
Prosecutors will not seek a new trial against C.J. Rice, a South Philadelphia man convicted of attempted murder in 2013, essentially exonerating him. The case garnered national attention when CNN anchor Jake Tapper, a Philly native, published an article in The Atlantic calling Rice’s initial defense “dangerously incompetent.” Tapper learned of the case from his father, a local physician, who had treated Rice for gunshot wounds in the days before the shooting.
The trial of two people accused of killing an Elkins Park woman in front of her 11-year-old son at a Dunkin’ drive-thru last spring began Monday with prosecutors describing how a bitter love triangle inspired a murder-for-hire plot.
It’s conventional wisdom in City Hall that mayors are expected to use their first budgets — when their popularity is highest and their influence greatest — to push City Council to do something big. So did Mayor Parker waste political capital with her first budget proposal?
Phat Geez, a local rapper and Meek Mill collaborator whose real name is Derrick Gant, was shot and killed Sunday night.
A onetime NFL hopeful from Philadelphia was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for a robbery that resulted in the death of a Georgia convenience store clerk.
The $10 million dredge of Wildwood’s back bays, which will make navigation easier and safer, is half finished. Will boaters find clear sailing by Memorial Day?
Old Pine Community Center and Puentes de Salud, a nonprofit promoting health and wellness for Philly’s Latino immigrant population, celebrated the fourth anniversary of their partnership to deliver free groceries for immigrant families in Philadelphia.
The grass at Rittenhouse Square, which took an extra trampling during the pandemic as folks sought to escape outside, will be dug up and and restored over the next four years as part of a $500,000 renovation.
Developer Mohamed “Mo” Rushdy, whose appointment four months ago to the Philly Land Bank stirred controversy over questions of potential conflicts of interest, submitted his resignation to Parker’s administration.
Local soccer fans had their hopes dashed after learning that Lionel Messi won’t play for Argentina against El Salvador at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday because of a hamstring strain he recently suffered with his MLS team, Inter Miami.
🧠 Trivia time
Philadelphia’s park system was ranked 32nd out of the country’s 100 most-populated cities, according to the Trust for Public Land. The city counts 576 parks within its limits. Which park is the newest?
A) Sister Cities Park
B) Logan Circle’s Winter Street Greenway
C) South Philadelphia High School Park
D) Spruce Street Harbor Park
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we're...
⚾ Quizzing: The Phillies will have a different pitcher starting on opening day this year, the team’s 16th since 1990. How many Phillies pitchers can you name? Take our quiz and find out.
🎻 Lamenting: Manayunk’s Grape Room, a beloved bar and live music venue that for years spotlighted local musical talent, is shutting down.
🍽️ Bookmarking: Sharon Thompson-Schill, world-renowned Penn neuroscientist and one of the most prolific diners in Philly, often eats with friends but also relishes dining solo. Here are her picks for the best restaurants to eat alone in Philly.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: This store is selling an inaccurate and bizarre Philadelphia map puzzle that repurposes a years-old stock graphic made by an illustrator based in Ukraine.
BIO LEE VFW
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Elizabeth Burdett who correctly guessed Monday’s answer: Jeffrey Yass.
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