Briefly... CITY/REGION

Not a dog, a raccoon

A decomposing animal found hanging in a tree in a Bridesburg park earlier this week wasn't a dog as first reported - it was a raccoon.

The Pennsylvania SPCA had initially suspected someone had hanged the animal. But further examination determined the raccoon was deceased before it was placed in the tree.

The SPCA is still investigating whether the animal's death was a result of cruelty.

Trolley, truck collide

Several passengers were injured last night when a SEPTA Route 66 trolley collided with a tractor-trailer in Holmesburg. The accident happened at about 5:40 p.m. on Frankford Avenue and Welsh Road.

Andrew Busch, a SEPTA spokesman, said four passengers who were aboard the trolley reported injuries and were transported from the scene.

Fire officials said two passengers were taken to Aria-Torresdale Hospital and two were taken to Nazareth Hospital with minor injuries.

NBC educating Philly

NBC's "Education Nation On-The-Road" is making its third and final stop in Philadelphia tomorrow, and will begin a nearly weeklong series of town hall discussions on issues students, parents and teachers and others face concerning education in the region.

Discussions are being hosted at the National Constitution Center and the Franklin Institute throughout the week. An interactive exhibit will open Monday at the National Constitution Center focusing on educating students on the skills they'll need to be successful in the work force.

Jail for Iranian biz man

An Iranian businessman was sentenced yesterday to 33 months in prison for conducting illegal transactions with Iran between 2002 and 2005.

Mohammad Reza Vaghari, 43, lived in Broomall when he exported banned goods to Iran that could be used for military purposes. Along with sophisticated lab equipment, laptops and fuel cells, Vaghari also shipped less menacing goods, namely "male enhancement" tablets, prosecutors said.

Vaghari, who had been eligible for a 78-to-97-month prison sentence, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Jan E. Duboise to serve three years of supervised release and pay a $400 special assessment.

Gas-drilling improvements

Pennsylvania's environmental regulators believe that companies drilling in the huge Marcellus Shale natural-gas formation have largely stopped taking salty, chemically tainted wastewater to riverside treatment plants that are ill-equipped to remove all the pollutants, an official said yesterday.

Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Katy Gresh said the agency's staff has confirmed that the flow of millions of gallons of wastewater has dwindled to possibly just a handful of truck deliveries in the past two weeks.

- Staff and wire reports