HOT NEWS: YEADON BOROUGH MAYOR ROHAN HEPKINS AT WAR WITH WILLIAM PENN SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER UNCONTROLLED RAISING TAXES.

Mayor Nutter: ‘The Children Of Philadelphia Are Being Educationally Abused’

Mayor Nutter: ‘The Children Of Philadelphia Are Being Educationally Abused’

 

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The future of Philadelphia schools is getting tangled in state politics.
The mayor says Governor Corbett is using Philadelphia children as pawns to get other state issues approved.

But the question remains, will Philadelphia schools get adequate funding?

As the School Reform Commission meets for the last time this school year, the future lies in the hands of lawmakers in Harrisburg, who have until midnight to decide that fate, as the state Senate votes on a $29.1 billion budget.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

UPDATE: Teen Pulled From Creek In Juniata Park Dies

UPDATE: Teen Pulled From Creek In Juniata Park Dies

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Philadelphia Police say a 15-year-old boy who was pulled from a creek in Juniata Park has died.

The incident was reported around 5:45 p.m. Monday near Romona and Wyoming Avenue.
According to police, a 15-year-old boy was swept underwater.  He was pulled out of the creek by police under the bridge.

Authorities say the teen was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. by medics.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Philadelphia Schools Face More Cuts If State Lawmakers Can’t Agree On Funding

Philadelphia Schools Face More Cuts If State Lawmakers Can’t Agree On Funding

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — As lawmakers facing a midnight budget deadline lock horns, the Philadelphia School District is likely to adopt a budget Monday night without knowing how much revenue it will be getting from the state.

Amid reports that House Republicans are demanding that Philadelphia Democrats vote for state pension reform in return for a cigarette tax authorization to fund Philly schools, Mayor Michael Nutter angrily blasted legislators.

“The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has a constitutional responsibility to fund education efficiently and thoroughly in this state,” Nutter said. “And the children of Philadelphia are being educationally abused by the behavior and activity that we are now seeing in Harrisburg.”

 For full story go to: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Bodies of missing Israeli teens found in West Bank

Bodies of missing Israeli teens found in West Bank

This undated image released by the Israel Defense Forces shows a combination of three photos of Israeli teens Eyal Yifrah, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Fraenkel, a 16-year-old with dual Israeli-American citizenship, who disappeared while hitchhiking home near the West Bank city of Hebron late at night on June 12, 2014 and were never heard from again. The Israeli military found the bodies of the three missing teenagers on Monday, June 30, 2014, just over two weeks after they were abducted in the West Bank, allegedly by Hamas militants. The grisly discovery culminated a feverish search that led to Israel's largest ground operation in the Palestinian territory in nearly a decade and raised fears of renewed fighting with Hamas.

ERUSALEM (AP) -- The Israeli military found the bodies of three missing teenagers on Monday, just over two weeks after they were abducted in the West Bank, allegedly by Hamas militants - a grisly discovery that culminated a feverish search that led to Israel's largest ground operation in the Palestinian territory in nearly a decade and raised fears of renewed fighting with Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed tough action as he convened an emergency meeting of his Security Cabinet.

"Hamas is responsible, and Hamas will pay," the Israeli leader said in a statement, adding the teenagers "were kidnapped and murdered in cold blood by human animals." In Washington, President Barack Obama urged restraint.

Eyal Yifrah, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Fraenkel, a 16-year-old with dual Israeli-American citizenship, disappeared June 12 while hitchhiking home from the Jewish seminaries where they were studying near the West Bank city of Hebron. Despite the dangers, hitchhiking is common among Israelis traveling in and out of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a military spokesman, said the bodies were found "under a pile of rocks" near the village of Halhul, just north of Hebron.

Binyamin Proper, who was among the civilian volunteers who found the bodies, told Channel 2 TV that a member of the search party "saw something suspicious on the ground, plants that looked out of place, moved them and moved some rocks and then found the bodies. We realized it was them and we called the army."

Shortly after the abductions, Israel accused Hamas of being responsible and launched a frantic manhunt throughout the West Bank, arresting nearly 400 Hamas militants. Last week, Israel identified two well-known Hamas operatives as the chief suspects. The two men remained on the run late Monday.

The search for the teens captured the nation's attention. The Israeli media delivered round-the-clock updates, and the mothers of the three teens became high-profile figures as they campaigned for their sons' return. At one point, the women addressed the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva to draw attention to their plight. Israelis held daily prayer vigils, including mass gatherings attended by tens of thousands of people at the Western Wall, the holiest prayer site in Judaism, and in a downtown square in Tel Aviv.

News of their deaths prompted an outpouring of grief among Israelis. Friends and neighbors rushed to the homes of the families in the Israeli towns of Nof Ayalon and Elad, and the West Bank settlement of Talmon, while supporters lit memorial candles and prayed. Large crowds gathered in Tel Aviv's central Rabin Square, and at the West Bank junction where the youths were abducted, singing songs and lighting candles shaped in the names of the youths or the Jewish Star of David.

"All of Israel bows its head today," said President Shimon Peres.

Thousands of Israelis have died in wars and militant attacks over the years, and Israel has grappled with the kidnappings of soldiers by militant groups in the past. But the ages of the victims, and the fact that they were not armed, seemed to strike a raw nerve. With Israeli soldiers ordered not to hitchhike, security officials have long feared that civilians in the West Bank could make easy targets for kidnappers.

Hamas frequently encourages its members to try to kidnap Israelis, believing hostages could be used to win the release of militants detained in Israeli prisons. Tensions had also been high since the shooting deaths in May of two Palestinian teens during a stone-throwing clash with Israeli security forces.

Netanyahu was huddling with his Security Cabinet, a group of senior government ministers, late Monday debating a response. But Israel's options could be limited.

After a two-week crackdown on Hamas in the West Bank, few major targets remain in the West Bank. Hamas had already been weakened by seven years of pressure by Israel and the forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Israeli troops seemed to find very little during the latest crackdown.

Israel could turn its attention toward the Gaza Strip, where Hamas is the main power. Israel has already been battling a wave of rocket fire from Gaza that erupted in response to its West Bank operation, and it could step up the intensity of its reprisals.

Israel has not publicly provided much evidence proving Hamas involvement, and it is not clear whether the kidnappers received orders from higher-ups or acted on their own. The group praised the kidnappings, but never claimed responsibility.

In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri warned Israel against any broad offensive. Gaza militants possess thousands of rockets, and would almost certainly unleash heavy barrages at Israel if Israel attacks.

"Netanyahu should know that threats don't scare Hamas, and if he wages a war on Gaza, the gates of hell will open on him," he said.

Netanyahu's spokesman, Mark Regev, said Israel would step up its calls for Abbas to dissolve the unity government he recently formed with the backing of Hamas.

Abbas has condemned the kidnappings, and his forces coordinated closely with Israel during the search for 

the teens. But he has so far refused Israeli calls to end the unity government, which ended a seven-year rift with Hamas. The Palestinian president called an urgent meeting of the Palestinian leadership on Tuesday to discuss the events, his spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh said.

Abdallah Abdallah, an adviser to Abbas, said the Palestinians regretted the loss of life.

"We want peace to be created in this part of the world so no mother or no family will be bereaved for the loss of their beloved ones, Palestinian or Israeli," he said.

Abbas says his new Cabinet is committed to his political program seeking peace with Israel. Hamas is not part of his government, but has lent its backing from the outside.

The unity deal ostensibly ended seven years of Hamas rule in Gaza. But the militant group remains in firm control of the seaside territory.

In Washington, Obama condemned the killings and sent his "deepest and heartfelt condolences" to the families of the youths. "As a father, I cannot imagine the indescribable pain that the parents of these teenage boys are experiencing," he said. He also urged "all parties" to refrain from steps that could further destabilize the situation.

Pope Francis, who in May visited the region, shared in the teens' families "unspeakable pain," said the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi. In a statement, Lombardi said the "abominable and unacceptable" crime was a grave obstacle to peace and that Francis was praying that God "inspires all thoughts of compassion and peace."

Lifeguards Pull 5-Year-Old To Safety After Near-drowning At Flourtown Pool

Lifeguards Pull 5-Year-Old To Safety After Near-drowning At Flourtown Pool

 

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Managers at the Flourtown Summer Day Camp, adjoining the Flourtown Swim Club in Montgomery County, are praising their lifeguards with taking fast action to help a 5-year-old swimmer who, they say, was “in distress” around 2 p.m. in the camp’s four-foot deep pool.

As police and ambulance units were notified, guards immediately jumped in and pulled the frightened swimmer to safety, pool managers and an eyewitness said.

Eyewitness Susan Keightly says the child was not submerged and was alert and talking as guards removed him from the pool. Managers say he was then taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital to be checked out as a precaution.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Eli Wallach, veteran character actor, dies at 98

Eli Wallach, veteran character actor, dies at 98

FILE - This Feb. 27, 2011 file photo shows actor Eli Wallach at the 83rd Academy Awards in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Wallach, the raspy-voiced character actor who starred in dozens of movies and Broadway plays over a remarkable and enduring career died Monday, June 23, 2014 of natural causes. He was 98.

NEW YORK (AP) -- As a masterful character actor and early product of postwar, Method-style theater, Eli Wallach wore countless faces, disappearing into them all. But he was always propelled - in acting and in life - by a mischievousness and an abiding playfulness that made him a tireless performer, an enduring family man, and, of course, one immortal scoundrel.

"I never lost my appetite for acting," Wallach wrote in his 2005 memoir "The Good, The Bad, and Me," named after his most famous film. "I feel like a magician."

Wallach died Tuesday evening from natural causes after 98 years of life, 66 years of marriage and some 100 films, including several he made in his 90s. His son, Peter Wallach, confirmed his passing Wednesday.

The versatile, raspy-voiced actor was a mainstay of Tennessee Williams' plays (he won a Tony Award for "The Rose Tattoo" in 1951) and an original member of the Actors Studio in the early days of Method acting. 

But the most notable credit in his prolific career was "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," in which he played the rascally Mexican outlaw Tuco.

As the "Ugly" of the title, he stole Sergio Leone's 1966 spaghetti Western from "The Good" (Clint Eastwood) with lines like: "When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk."

"Everywhere I go, someone will recognize me from `The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' and start whistling the theme song," he said in a 2003 interview, referring to Ennio Morricone's famous score. "I can feel when it's going to happen."

Wallach never won an Oscar, but he was given an honorary Academy Award in 2010, hailed as the "quintessential chameleon."

"I've played more bandits, thieves, killers, warlords, molesters and Mafiosi that you could shake a stick at," Wallach said, accepting the award from Eastwood. Wallach's personal life, he added, was more placid and law-abiding: He loved collecting antique clocks, watching tennis and telling stories.

Upon hearing of Wallach's death, Eastwood remembered the actor as "a wonderful guy and a wonderful actor. I have fond memories of us working together on `The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.'"

Wallach also starred in the steamy "Baby Doll" (1956), "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), "The Misfits" (1961) and "The Godfather III" (1990), in which he played a murderous mobster who dies after eating poisoned cannoli.

Wallach and his wife, Anne Jackson, were a formidable duo on the stage, starring in a series of plays, including George Bernard Shaw's "Major Barbara" in 1956 and a hugely successful run of "Luv" in the mid-1960s. Their partnership was epic by Hollywood acting-couple standards. They played a married couple together as recently as 2003 on the NBC medical drama "ER."

"Although I limp in life as a result of my two hip operations, whenever I go onstage with Anne, the lights give my body a lift and I prance onto the stage and dance off," Wallach wrote in his memoir. "I feel I can play a 16-year-old if the author calls for that. Which is why I prefer live acting to film - I come alive with the lights."

Wallach met Jackson (also an Actors Studio charter member) while they were appearing off-Broadway in Williams' "This Property Is Condemned." They married in 1948 and had three children, Peter, who became a film animator, and two daughters, Roberta and Katherine, both of whom followed their parents into acting.

Wallach was also great uncle to the New York Times film critic A.O. Scott, an ironic relation, in a way, for an actor who once said: "Having the critics praise you is like having the hangman say you've got a pretty neck."

But his great nephew nevertheless celebrated him, once writing: "With Eli, there is an impish, sly quality, not a self-conscious winking, exactly, but a palpable relish at the sheer fun of acting."

Wallach was born in Brooklyn on Dec. 7, 1915, the son of an immigrant candy store owner. Other family members were doctors, lawyers and teachers, but Wallach instead went into acting (he compared it to joining the Foreign Legion). His drama training was interrupted by World War II service in the Army medical corps, in which he earned the rank of captain.

Wallach's stage career eventually took off, thanks in large part to his success in Williams productions. He appeared in "The Rose Tattoo," then "Camino Real" and later had a long run in "Teahouse of the August Moon."

The Broadway League said Wednesday it would dim its lights Friday for Wallace, "a storyteller in the most specific yet subtle ways."

Wallach didn't slow down in his later years. He played a store owner in 2003's "Mystic River," directed by Eastwood, and had parts in the 2006 romantic comedy "The Holiday" in 2006 and Oliver Stone's "Money Never Sleeps" in 2010.

"I don't act to live," he said accepting his honorary Oscar. "I live to act."

 

6 NJ Public Employees Charged With Stealing Thousands From Free Lunch Program

6 NJ Public Employees Charged With Stealing Thousands From Free Lunch Program

TRENTON, NJ (CBS) – Six public employees have been charged with stealing from the free and reduced price school lunch program.

The six employees, who are all women, are accused of filing fake applications for their children. Four of them are from the Philadelphia area.

Some of the six are accused of filing false applications for as many as six school years, resulting in up to $4,000 of free breakfasts and lunches their children were not entitled to.

According to police, the following are facing charges:
1. Nona Daily, 45, of Pennsauken, a teacher’s aide in the Camden School District, allegedly filed false applications for five school years beginning with 2009-2010 and continuing through the current school year, which resulted in her two children receiving $4,016 in free breakfasts and lunches to which they were not entitled. Daily reported only her income in the applications, failing to report that her husband, who is a member of the household, earned between $63,000 and $73,000 in each of those years as an employee of New Jersey Transit. Daily earned between $18,000 and $22,000 annually.

For full story go to: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Musicians Play Pop-Up Shows Throughout Philadelphia To Celebrate World Music Day

Musicians Play Pop-Up Shows Throughout Philadelphia To Celebrate World Music Day

 

Musician Marcel Gordon shares a special moment with a handful of people at 10th and Kimball Streets in South Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Musicians in more than 110 countries were jamming for World Music Day on Saturday. Artists in Philadelphia kicked off summer with free performances all over the city to celebrate.

Some of the shows were organized and others were spontaneous. Musician Marcel Gordon shared a special moment with a handful of people at 10th and Kimball Streets in South Philadelphia.

“It’s like worship. It’s celebration,” he said. “It’s getting something out of you that you need to get out of you, and you feel relieved almost, once you get it out.”

For full story go to:   http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

On June 10 2014 Philadelphia Fight welcomed Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness as keynote speaker at the annual Beyond the Walls: Prison Health Care & Reentry Summit at the Pennsylvania Convention Center as part of Aids Education Month in Philadelphia, Pa.

Sale of University City High School To Drexel U. is Completed

Sale of University City High School To Drexel U. is Completed

University City High School

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The deal is done.  The School District of Philadelphia has finalized the sale of University City High School to Drexel University.

Drexel paid $25 million for the school building, which the district closed last June.

The district will net $21.1 milion from the deal, cash that’s needed to pay bills by the end of the month, says district spokesman Fernando Gallard.

“This is money that we were already counting on, and we wanted to see this sale happen as quickly as possible,” he said today.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Presidential Emergency Board Schedules Hearings In SEPTA Labor Dispute

Presidential Emergency Board Schedules Hearings In SEPTA Labor Dispute

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The short-lived SEPTA strike is over and Regional rail trains are moving again, but the labor dispute involving the transit agency and the unions representing 400 engineers and electricians is far from over.

SEPTA announced Sunday that hearings will take place next week before an emergency board, established by President Barrack Obama.

The three-person panel of veteran mediators will hear from both sides and try to bring them together.

The Presidential Emergency Board scheduled for the week of June 23rd. SEPTA will offer their side, and the two unions involved will do the same.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Toy Gun Prompts Lockdown Of Radnor School

Toy Gun Prompts Lockdown Of Radnor School

RADNOR, Pa. (CBS) – Radnor police say horseplay with a toy gun led to a lockdown at Radnor High School Tuesday afternoon, but they say there were no injuries and not even any safety issues.

Spokesman Chris Flanagan says police responded to a report of a gun in a vehicle in the 500 block of Lancaster Avenue, very close to the high school. They say school officials heard the radio call and locked the school down as a precaution.

He says officers quickly found the vehicle but that the “gun” was a toy. He declined to identify the people involved but said it was part of a prank involving the high school. He says one person was cited for disorderly conduct.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

EXCLUSIVE: Rescuers Who Found Building Collapse Survivor After 13 Hours Speak For First Time

EXCLUSIVE: Rescuers Who Found Building Collapse Survivor After 13 Hours Speak For First Time

 

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Speaking for the first time, in an exclusive interview with CBS 3’s Walt Hunter, two heroes who found life beneath tons of debris at the Center City building collapse that killed 6 and injured 13 one year ago talk about the hours of searching with their teams – and their incredible elation – when they were able to pull 52-year-old Mariya Plekan alive from the rubble.

Philadelphia Fire Department John O’Neill, working with a team of fire department rescuers, along with Tom Brown, a FEMA search team specialist and his dog, Phoenix, told of the moments when they first discovered Plekan alive.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

It's Roger Robbie and Snack Attack Steaks at the Philadelphia Front Page News

Lewis Katz’s Generosity Helped Change Lives

Lewis Katz’s Generosity Helped Change Lives

CAMDEN, N.J., (CBS) – Lewis Katz was much more than a businessman.
He was a philanthropist who cared deeply about those he helped.

Eyewitness News reporter Steve Patterson tells us how his generosity helped change lives.
“Having three daughters in college at the same time was quite difficult financially for our family,” said Jay Hunt.

Nearly 20 years ago, then Willingsboro Detective Jay Hunt said a prayer he’ll never forget.

For full story go to: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/