☀️ Philly pulls solar power | Morning Newsletter
And what’s next for Johnny Doc
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The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Good morning, Philly!
Sunday just might be the warmest day so far this year, with partly sunny skies and a toasty high around 81. It’s safe to say we’ve reached the end of snow season. No measurable snow has ever fallen after April 27 in Philly. The Inquirer’s Tony Wood answers what some are asking: What happened to those snow forecasts that ranged from 18 to 30 inches?
In our main story, we’re taking a trip out to some farmland near Gettysburg to see where Philadelphia is now pulling power from for its city-owned buildings. And up ahead, we’ll look at what comes next for former labor leader Johnny Doc after a judge declared a mistrial in his extortion trial.
— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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A project that first emerged under then-Mayor Jim Kenney in 2018 is finally producing power for Philadelphia-owned buildings.
Catch up quick: Kenney announced the plan with a goal of supplying energy by 2020 or 2021 as part of a strategy to combat climate change. It was part of the city’s goal to power 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, but supply chain issues caused by the pandemic and other events delayed the plan.
Where the power comes from: The array (the collection of solar panels) sprawls across 700 Pennsylvania acres in Straban Township, Adams County.
Philly is under contract to purchase 70-megawatts of power annually from the array. Now up and running since late March, it’s expected to provide up to 25% of power consumed by municipal buildings, including:
🏛️ City Hall
🛩️ Philadelphia International Airport
🚰 The Water Department
City officials, including Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, will host a celebration of the project’s completion on Tuesday.
Get a closer look at the power producer and learn how the city-owned buildings get power from the panels.
What you should know today
More than 24 hours after the University of Pennsylvania’s interim president ordered pro-Palestinian protesters who set up an encampment to disband ‘immediately,’ citing legal and university violations, they and their tents remained on campus late Saturday night. It’s not clear what action the university might take against the protesters, or when.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker took her first budget proposal on the road Saturday, opening a series of town hall events to tout her spending plan and introduce her administration to the city.
A jury has awarded $16 million to a Philadelphia man whose murder conviction was overturned after he spent 25 years on death row — the largest wrongful conviction payout in city history.
Philadelphia police have released the names of two officers and the 23-year-old man they shot in East Mount Airy last weekend as they responded to a reported domestic dispute.
Brian Kent, a prominent attorney for sexual abuse victims, has left his Center City firm after the leak of a confidential complaint from a former client that accuses the prominent lawyer of engaging in a sexual relationship with a client.
An arbitrator has ruled that the city must reinstate Ryan Pownall to his former job as a Philadelphia police officer — 1½ years after a judge dismissed criminal charges, including third-degree murder, that were filed against Pownall for the on-duty 2017 shooting death of David Jones.
The NFL draft is over. The Eagles made eight trades and drafted nine players, with Jeremiah Trotter Jr. highlighting Day 3. Here’s a roundup.
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Nathalie Stutzmann led her last program as principal guest conductor. It was a mixed success.
Strap on your skates, Delco — an outdoor roller rink is coming to Morton this summer.
Couch Cafe, Philly’s hottest supper club, is moving to Queen Village later this year, taking over the Neighborhood Ramen space.
John Dougherty’s federal extortion trial, the third felony trial in as many years for the former labor leader, ended in a mistrial late Thursday.
What happened? Jurors declared they were hopelessly deadlocked and unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
What was the split among the jurors? It’s unclear. The judge did not poll the jury on the reason for its deadlock or to determine how they were split.
What comes next? Dougherty will face sentencing next for his earlier bribery and embezzlement convictions — and the likelihood of a significant prison term.
Go deeper with a full analysis from reporters Oona Goodin-Smith and Jeremy Roebuck, and be sure to sign up for the free newsletter series that goes beyond the headlines throughout the trials.
❓Pop quiz
A Philadelphia surgeon helped which New Jersey singer get his voice back?
A) Jon Bon Jovi
B) Bruce Springsteen
C) Donald Fagen
D) Frankie Valli
Think you know? Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Philly’s oldest-operating bar 🍺
CLING SLIM
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Lauryn White who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Opera Philadelphia. The local cultural institution just named Anthony Roth Costanzo as its new president. He’s been called the “the Mariah Carey of opera.”
Photo of the day
🎶 Today’s Sunday track goes like this: “Watch out, the world’s behind you / There’s always someone around you who will call.” All credits to a reader, Enmicado Mig, who recommended we listen to this song every Sunday morning with the following note: “¡Los oídos serán agradecidos!” (The ears will be grateful!)
👋🏽 Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Inquirer. Enjoy your day and take care.