Briefly...

Man shot dead in Olney

A 61-year-old man was shot dead about 6:30 last night on Chew Avenue near 4th Street in Olney. Police said the victim, whose name was not immediately released, died shortly after at Albert Einstein Medical Center. Police said robbery may have been a motive in the slaying. No arrests were made. Tipsters can call 215-686-TIPS.

2 men sought in slaying

Homicide detectives are searching for two men who fatally shot a young man inside a North Philly bar Thursday night. Amado Lopez, 21, was wounded several times shortly after 9 p.m. inside the pub, on Lehigh Avenue near 3rd Street. Lopez, of Roosevelt Boulevard near B Street, died shortly after at Temple University Hospital. Investigators said they knew of no motive for the slaying. Tipsters can call 215-686-3334 or -3335.

$ for cops' education

The sour economy has left most folks clutching their wallets more tightly. But not music-industry pioneer Kal Rudman and his wife, Lucille.

The philanthropists yesterday gave the Philadelphia Police Department $10,000, which will allow more than 20 officers to take criminal-justice classes at the Community College of Philadelphia.

Health-care talks here

U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., will be in Philadelphia next weekend to discuss his proposal for a national health-insurance program that would create a nonprofit universal health-care system.

The meetings will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Thomas Jefferson University, Connelly Auditorium, Hamilton Building, 11th and Locusts streets, and at 1 p.m. at the Penn Newman Center, 3720 Chestnut St.

Teen admits killing parents

A South Jersey teen has pleaded guilty to setting a fire that destroyed his house and killed his parents.

Jason Henry of Glassboro entered the plea yesterday in state Superior Court in Woodbury. In exchange for his plea to two counts of aggravated manslaughter, prosecutors will recommend that he receive a 20-year sentence on each count.

Henry was 16 when he set the fire in February 2007. His mother, Michelle Henry, 39, and father, Stephen Edwards, 41, died of burn injuries.

Arson suspect to face trial

A federal magistrate yesterday found there was probable cause to detain a West Chester man for trial on charges that he tried to torch a Thorndale diner on Jan. 25 by setting fire to its men's bathroom.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Wolf said Mark Gilliam was a "fireman wannabe" with an obsessive interest in fires. But Gilliam's attorney, Richard Meanix, questioned whether his client should even be in federal court and said the government's argument for probable cause was based on two witnesses who were not reliable. The fire was among a rash of recent arsons in Chester County. *

- Staff and wire reports