Philadelphia: Local News from The Enquirer

To save money, learn better, college students say yes to summer school
Summer school isn’t new. But college students have found a new motivation to go: Save money. “In the past, it was, ‘No way, I’ve been in class for 15 weeks, two semesters, I want a break,’ ” said Danyelle Thurman, the head of advising for Rutgers-Camden’s arts and sciences school. “Now . . . the cost of college is increasing, they’re trying to get out in a timely manner and not prolong things.”

Wizard World Comic Con draws thousands of ‘big nerds’
Maddi Levine, 15, has been attending comic-book conventions since she was 10, but Wizard World Comic Con Philadelphia was her biggest one yet. Dressed as Marvel Comics’ Black Widow and eager to get an autograph from Captain America star Chris Evans, she said her favorite part of the festivities was the sense of community.

Police pull body from Delaware River
Body is pulled from Delaware in South Philadelphia Philadelphia police pulled a body from the Delaware River in South Philadelphia just before 7 p.m. Saturday, near the 4500 block of South Broad Street, close to where the river meets the Schuylkill.

In N.J., that plastic bag could cost you a nickel
Paper or plastic? New Jersey lawmakers could answer that typical checkout question for consumers under a bill that aims to curb plastic-bag use statewide.

Arcane legal issue could keep Bridgegate list secret
On one level, the legal fight over access to the names of unindicted accomplices in the George Washington Bridge lane-closure case pits the public’s First Amendment rights against privacy interests of individuals who haven’t been charged with a crime.

Devon Horse Show chairman charged with public intoxication
The chairman of the Devon Horse Show was charged last week with public drunkenness. Wayne Grafton, 67, of Unionville, Chester County, was charged with the summary offense by the Tredyffrin Township Police Department.

Marie M. DeWilliams, 108, garment presser, optimist
Marie M. DeWilliams, 108, of West Philadelphia, a former household worker and garment presser whose life revolved around faith and family, died Wednesday, May 25, of cardiac arrest at Simpson House on Belmont Avenue.

At Rosemont College, generations spend a weekend remembering
When Sheila O’Callaghan was growing up in the 1950s and ’60s in North Jersey, the somewhat older members of the Crowther side of the family seized her imagination.

Roots Picnic kicks off summer music season
It was an action-packed ninth annual Roots Picnic at the Festival Pier on Saturday. Shortly after the show kicked off at noon, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, drummer for the Philadelphia hip-hop and Tonight Show house band, made news by announcing that the Picnic will be adding a New York date this fall. On Facebook, he teased New Yorkers that the until-now Philly-only fest will be coming to “a park near you.” (No specifics yet.)

Cristo Rey: New model for college-prep success?
Taylor McHenry took a chance on a new private Catholic high school in North Philadelphia for low-income students that would combine work-study and rigorous academics to provide a jump start on college.

Feds probe rent for Philly DA Seth Williams’ ex-wife
A real estate investor and campaign contributor to District Attorney Seth Williams’ past political campaigns says Williams asked him, “as a favor,” to rent his ex-wife a house at a below-market rate three year ago.

Fund-raiser started for teacher found dead in Chesco pond
The preschool teacher found dead and chained to a cinder block in a Chester County pond this week had started a new job in April.

Mother serious, daughter critical after N.E. Philly fire
A woman who was injured in a rowhouse fire was recovering Friday at Temple University Hospital while her 5-year-old daughter was fighting for her life at a hospital.

Bucks pharmacist shoots, kills masked gunman during stickup
Kenneth Lee spotted the shotgun-toting man in the frightening Halloween mask in the parking lot of the drug store via security cameras.

60+ people arrested in N. Wildwood over Memorial Day Weekend
The North Wildwood Police Department on Friday announced that 64 people were arrested over the Memorial Day weekend. Those arrested from May 27 through Monday included 24 Philadelphia and 20 South Jersey residents.

Star swimmer claims Malvern Prep didn’t stop coach’s sexual harassment
A former star swimmer at Malvern Preparatory School has sued it for alleged negligence, accusing officials and employees at the Main Line boys’ school of failing to stop a guidance counselor and swimming coach who harassed him sexually for more than a year.

Musician gets 25 years for role in drug ring
Andrew K. Davis, a Jamaican recording artist known as “Flippa Mafia” and “Flippa Moggela,” was sentenced Friday to 25 years in a New Jersey state prison on drug charges, including his role in an international drug ring that shipped cocaine from California to New Jersey, the state Attorney General’s Office said.

Bucks pharmacist shoots, kills masked gunman during stickup
Kenneth Lee spotted the shotgun-toting man in the frightening Halloween mask in the parking lot of the drug store via security cameras.

LGBT festival returns to suburban Chesco
Rachel Stevenson knew well that the encounter could have gone either way. A man had stopped her on the street. He wanted to know: Are you the one organizing an LGBT pride festival? Yes, she said. She thought of the fliers that disappear from her Phoenixville neighborhood every day. She waited.

Paul J. Englebert, painting contractor
A Funeral Mass will be held Saturday, June 4, for Paul J. Englebert of Wayne, a painting contractor, who died Thursday, April 28, from congestive heart failure in a long-term care facility in Fort Myers, Fla.

Chestnut Hill College, facing a deficit, averts layoffs with salary cuts
Chestnut Hill College, facing a deficit, averted layoffs this week with salary cuts, reduced work schedules, and canceled raises for the 2016-17 academic year.

South Jersey contest winner: The dragon who teaches tolerance
King Firemarth is falling down a cliff. The drop is long, and the king is certain of his death until a friendly dragon scoops him up and deposits him safely on level ground.

Numerous road closures on Sunday for Philly’s Cycling Classic
As cyclists gear up for Sunday’s Philadelphia International Cycling Classic, the professional bike race that features the Manayunk Wall, the city is preparing motorists for road closures for the event.

Fattah’s finances under microscope as prosecutors’ case nears end
Drawing toward the end of their case against U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, federal prosecutors focused Thursday on tracing the congressman’s financial transactions – including an instance when they alleged he paid his city wage taxes with money received as a bribe.

Temple trustee’s $5M gift to endow law school scholarships
Temple University trustee Leonard Barrack and his wife, Lynne, have donated $5 million to the university to be used for law school scholarships, Temple announced Thursday.

Ride hailing may yet provide windfall for city school district
Philadelphia schools may yet benefit from legalization of ride hailing in the city. A bill introduced Thursday in Harrisburg by Democratic State Sen. Vincent Hughes would guarantee money for the cash-starved Philadelphia School District if ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft begin paying fees, taxes, and penalties through regula

Council considers taxing diet soda, too
Mayor Kenney wants a tax on sugary drinks, but City Council is considering adding diet soda to the mix, according to a memo obtained by the Inquirer that is being circulated among Council members.

Penn State: Sandusky settlements should stay sealed
Pennsylvania State University has opposed a move by a coalition of media organizations – including the Inquirer, the Daily News, and philly.com – to unseal court records surrounding settlements it paid to end claims by accusers of Jerry Sandusky.

Clarke against proposed real estate tax amendment bill
Philadelphia City Council President Darrell L. Clarke told a panel of state lawmakers Thursday that he opposed a bill that would amend the state constitution to allow Philadelphia to impose different tax rates on commercial and residential real estate.

Critics: a transfer tax hike would slow home sales
The region’s real estate agents are pushing back on a proposed increase in the real estate transfer tax that, though only a fraction of a percent, they say would stymie home sales.

A day of ‘civic hacking’ in Camden
Hopeworks ‘N Camden, the nonprofit development group that trains young men and women in tech skills, is collaborating with the White House this weekend to create an interactive map that will illustrate some future plans for the city, as well as information about health services.

Rep. John Lewis named recipient of 2016 Liberty Medal
U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a sharecropper’s son who helped lead the 1965 “Bloody Sunday” march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., will receive this year’s Liberty Medal, the National Constitution Center announced Thursday.

On a Brewerytown block, disbelief over hoops star’s arrest
He was a high-flying, quick-slashing basketball star, a blue-chip prospect once dubbed “the Prince of North Philly.” Rysheed Jordan, a 6-foot-4 point guard who in his senior year at Vaux High School in 2013 was named player of the year by both the Inquirer and the Daily News, had dreams of the NBA. And after playing two years at St. John’s University in New York City, those dreams didn’t seem out of reach.

Jail for woman who plundered famous photo prints
A York County woman was sentenced to 9 to 23 months in prison Thursday for a mass art theft from the award-winning Chester County photographer who snapped National Geographic’s famous Afghan Girl portrait.

In Deptford, election day is reminder of unsolved murder
As the 10-year anniversary of a primary election day murder in Gloucester County approaches, investigators have put out a yearly call for information to help solve the homicide.

NAACP pulls plug on Law-Norcross debate
Five days before Tuesday’s primary, a debate in the hotly contested First Congressional District race was abruptly canceled. The Gloucester County NAACP, the debate’s organizer, said in a statement that a brewing dispute with Democratic candidate Alex Law and his campaign prompted the civil rights organization to halt Thursday’s scheduled debate.

Channeling Trump, GOP candidate seeks to ‘Make South Jersey Great Again’
He wants to build a wall along the border with Mexico. He inveighs against trade deficits that are “killing us.” His campaign slogan? “Make South Jersey Great Again.”

Chester arts charter to build showcase school
In the eight years since its founding by the director of a popular children’s chorus, the Chester Charter School for the Arts has hit an academic high note as the top-performing school in Delaware County’s poorest community.

Body found in Chesco pond ID’d as teacher, 24
The body of a woman found Monday attached to a cinder block in a popular Chester County swimming hole was identified Thursday as that of a 24-year-old teacher, described as “outgoing and sociable.”