Good morning. Saturday’s forecast calls for clouds, a chance of showers, and a high of 58.
We spring forward this weekend, an occasion that some look forward to, and others dread. Before clocks change, Tony Wood gathered some figures for our consideration, and explains why the sun may be setting on year-round daylight saving.
What’s the polite approach to trim a neighbor’s tree? Our group chat weighs a reader’s dilemma.
But first up, there’s news about grocery store closures, a Philadelphia “wine fight” playing out in court, and our report card for this week in news.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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What you should know today
- Philadelphia City Council next month will consider legislation to place some limits on immigration enforcement in the city and is planning a daylong hearing to parse the proposals.
- A fire at Savita Naturals in Logan Township, N.J., was extinguished late Thursday, marking a step forward in the investigation into the massive explosion that rocked the region. Three employees remain in critical condition.
- The mother of the 20-year-old man killed during a shooting at Lincoln University’s homecoming last October has sued the school and others, alleging that Lincoln prioritized the “college experience” over safety.
- Grocery Outlet bargain market is closing dozens of stores nationwide, including eight in the Philadelphia area.
- Philly’s oldest wine school says it’s under threat from a competitor’s cyberbullying that’s confusing customers and trying to erase its existence from the internet. An Instagram name was just the start.
- A Philadelphia court ruled that a state law barring those with convictions from working as private unarmed security guards is unconstitutional.
- Girl Scouts recently sold cookies at a South Jersey marijuana dispensary. The organization is not happy about it.
- Philadelphia Museum of Art director and CEO Daniel H. Weiss has hired a longtime associate to be the museum’s new executive vice president and chief financial and operating officer.
- The ingredients in a “milky white” substance that leaked into a Chester County creek last week are toxic to aquatic life, killing fish, eels, and worms, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said.
- Swarthmore Borough manager Sean Halbom was terminated after just six months, the latest in a string of short employment stints he has held in recent years.
- Chon Tong Thai Kitchen, one of Chinatown’s most promising Thai restaurants, abruptly closed late last month. And just a year after appearing on a Gordon Ramsay show, the owners of an Upper Darby restaurant are reportedly closing and selling the building.
- From the city’s DNC charm campaign to free museum nights and a crime-fighting pup, catch up on the good, bad, and weird from recent stories out of our region.
Drama-free tree trims
A reader asked: My neighbor and I don’t get along. A tree from her yard is starting to brush up against my house. I know I’m allowed to trim it, but how do I go about doing it without starting another feud?
To help, Inquirer editor Evan Weiss called up features columnist Elizabeth Wellington and life and culture reporter Abigail Covington. They debated the most neighborly approaches, and questioned the end goal — for instance, are we snipping for purely aesthetic purposes, or is this foliage causing quality-of-life issues?
“Having an actively angry neighbor is more unpleasant than a tree branch dangling in your yard,” Abigail said.
Along with considering a brazen clip in broad daylight vs. going incognito, the group also brought up a good point: Pennsylvania law allows you to trim shrubs that cross your property line, but there are some fine print details to know.
Read along for my colleagues’ full verdict. And if you’re looking for advice (or just want to share your thoughts), we’re all ears. Send us an email here.
One viewpoint
In this week’s Shackamaxon, Inquirer columnist Daniel Pearson unpacks the role historic districts play in preserving Philly’s history, as well as the city’s incoming fiscal windfall.
He also covers an “unproductive conversation” about public transit in Harrisburg.
“When it comes to SEPTA, Harrisburg Republicans don’t know what they’re talking about,” Pearson writes.
Read along for his Pearson perspectives.
📍 Find the location
Where can you catch this reflective view? Our weekly game puts your knowledge of Philly places to the test. Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Eagles offensive tackle
ADAMANT JAILOR
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Ginny Katsourides, who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Stoop Pigeon. The women’s sports hub and cafe from Watch Party PHL has a new location with plans to open in June.
We were there
When will this enormous snow pile at PATCO’s Haddonfield station melt? The transit agency is taking bets, with plans to award a $20 Freedom Card to winning guessers.
Staff photographer Tom Gralish stopped by to check on where the mountain stands. He aptly described the scene: “Kind of like watching a glacier move … or watching grass grow … or watching paint dry … or rewinding a VHS tape.”
Somewhere on the internet in Philly
In response to the Sixers’ survey question about how they can improve a fan’s game experience, this Philadelphian kept it simple.
Over on Facebook, a feel-good story has brought Fishtown together to rave about Ekta Indian Cuisine on Girard.
Christine Flowers is living her best life in Old City.
And one @thrashertv’s latest viral reels captures the reality of driving through a “fresh winter pothole” in the city. My favorite comment: “in england, they drive on the left. in philly, we drive on what’s left.”
👋🏽 Thanks for reading. Have a good day, and I’ll catch up with you again tomorrow.
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