Briefly... CITY/REGION

School group cites guv, Evans

Gov. Rendell and state Rep. Dwight Evans have been singled out by the Alliance for School Choice for their efforts to better education. Rendell was named state executive of the year and Evans state legislator of the year for backing the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program, which helps low-income students attend private schools. The alliance is a national nonprofit group that promotes scholarship tax-credit programs and education reform.

Budget day for the SRC

The School Reform Commission is scheduled today to adopt its $2.3 billion 2008-09 operating budget. The school district's governing body has yet to disclose how it plans to balance the spending plan, which contained a deficit of $38.9 million when it was presented to City Council late last month. To save $4.2 million, commission members have said they plan to change the eligibility requirement for middle- and high-school students to receive free SEPTA service. Students would have to live 2 miles from school instead of 1.5 miles.

Controller eyes pensions

Mayor Nutter's proposal to borrow up to $3.5 billion to invest in the city's pension system is getting some extra scrutiny from city Controller Alan Butkovitz. Butkovitz sponsored a resolution adopted by the pension board yesterday requiring its experts to develop projections on how the proposal would work

if the stock market performs poorly.

Chester slaying probed

The shooting death of a Chester man Friday night in the entranceway of his parents' home at the William Penn Housing Development, 5th Street near Kerlin, was ruled a homicide by the Medical Examiner's Office yesterday. Melvin Rasheed Barrett, 27, was found with a gunshot wound to the head about 11 p.m. Friday. An investigation continues, police said.

2 men wounded in car

One man remains in critical condition following a double shooting in Chester Monday night. Police said two unidentified men were in a car at 9th Street and McDowell Avenue when they were approached by two masked assailants, who opened fire about 11:25 p.m., police said. One victim, 39, who was shot in the back, was listed in critical condition at Crozer-Chester Medical Center. His companion, 30, shot in the leg, was in stable condition at the hospital.

Group to own soccer stadium

The County Council voted yesterday to create a five-person authority that will own the $115 million major league soccer stadium to be built on the Chester waterfront. The authority will lease the stadium to Keystone Sports and Entertainment LLC, owners of the expansion team, which joins the league in 2010. *

- Staff and wire reports