Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes

Author: Henry Savage

  • Philly rapper Armani White criticizes TMZ coverage of his arrest

    Philly rapper Armani White criticizes TMZ coverage of his arrest

    Philly-raised rapper Armani White is pushing back on the media coverage of his arrest earlier this month.

    White, 29, born Enoch Armani Tolbert, was arrested for disorderly conduct on Oct. 12 after police found the artist and members of his tour bus filming a music video on I-75 in Newport, Ky.

    TMZ covered the arrest, releasing Tolbert’s mug shot and police bodycam footage of the arrest, as well as remarking on the nature of his hair in the mug shot.

    “My father didn’t raise me to be a criminal. My grandfather didn’t raise me to be a criminal. The only reason why I smiled in that mug shot is because I refuse to let anybody paint a picture of me as a criminal on TV, on the internet, anywhere,” White said to a packed crowd in Birmingham, Ala., last weekend.

    Armani White performs during the NFC Championship show as the Eagles face the Commanders Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia.

    Tolbert was in Kentucky as part of a nationwide tour alongside Grammy-award-winning singer T-Pain when his tour bus stopped on the interstate to film a music video. White did not respond to a request for comment.

    According to a police citation, the police were called to the highway after reports of people running on the road. When they arrived, police reportedly found White dancing on the concrete median of the interstate.

    White grew to international fame in 2022 after his bass-bumping, Neptunes-sampled track “BILLIE EILISH” birthed a viral TikTok challenge reaching millions. White later joined the track’s namesake, Billie Eilish, the 23-year-old Grammy and Oscar award-winning singer, to perform the song together in 2023.

    Rapping since the 2010s, White grew an underground following before joining the lineup of Jay-Z’s Made In America festival in 2018, which he had been attending as a fan before hitting the stage. Earlier this year, White performed his first NFL halftime show during the NFC championship, with the Philadelphia Eagles against the Washington Commanders.

    White released his debut album, Keep In Touch, in 2019, followed by the EP, Things We Lost in the Fire, referring to a house fire in which White lost family members at a young age.

    This week, he released a music video for the single, “MOUNT PLEASANT.,” a teaser for what’s to come on the release of his next album on Oct. 31.

  • Cherry Hill’s new PGA Tour Superstore is set to open. Here is a look inside.

    Cherry Hill’s new PGA Tour Superstore is set to open. Here is a look inside.

    Clearing a golf ball past the 250-yard mark into the sunlit fairway of California’s Titleist Performance Institute is getting easier for a whole lot of people in the region.

    All they have to do is stop by the virtual golf simulators at Cherry Hill’s PGA Tour Superstore. The Georgia-based chain is opening store No. 80 in South Jersey. It already has an outlet in the Metroplex Mall in Plymouth Meeting, and is looking to expand to Ocean Township, N.J., soon.

    The company has undergone a significant growth spurt in the last six years with new brick-and-mortar locations and a 200% jump in e-commerce, a company spokesperson said.

    The sprawling 40,000-square-foot superstore in Cherry Hill will open at 9 a.m. Saturday with $30,000 worth of giveaways, including a full set of iron golf clubs to the first two customers.

    It will house dozens of aisles of the latest golf clubs, balls, apparel, and other gear, among six practice and play hitting bays, virtual golf simulation stations, and an expert club fitting area. Store sales manager Lexi Humbert, a golfer of 16 years, said she added 10 yards to her drive after a new club head suggestion.

    Store general manager Lisa-Jo Donnelly reacts as she sinks a putt on the practice green at the PGA Superstore.

    The real draw is the golf simulation bay, where customers can cycle through world-famous golf courses projected onto a screen, and drive balls nearly 100 mph into them, receiving analytics on each swing.

    The putting green is lined with the most popular putters from classics like Taylor Made Spiders and Scotty Cameron Phantoms to the fresh lineup of L.A.B. brand putters. Golfers can explore clubs and then test them out in the golf simulation bays, or get hands-on fittings with the experts. Regripping and repair services are available, too.

    Golf, historically associated with wealthier, white men, is a growing sport — especially “off-course golf.” It was made popular by TopGolf — a trend PGA Tour Superstore hopes to capitalize on with recurring Saturday events, inviting youth groups (like First Tee) in for lessons, and providing a social space for those looking to get some swings in outside of the green.

    “The average golfer is now down to their early 40s‚” said the store’s general manager, Lisa-Jo Donnelly. The goal is to create a space that will become part of the Cherry Hill golfing community, within a region that is home to 70 courses and a local high school team that likes bringing home trophies, she said.

    The store has an expansive women’s and juniors’ sections. Humbert, who said she has been to golf stores all over the country, said the selections will be refreshing for many, as stores tend to skimp on women’s and junior equipment.

    “When I go to other stores, I already know that I’m not going to have nearly the selection that I need. I always get frustrated,” Humbert said. “The biggest thing for me is for those just wanting to get into golf and see a PGA shirt at other places for $150, whereas here you can go into the back of the store and find something for $20 to $30.”

    Store sales manager Lexi Humbert reacts after a great drive on a virtual golf simulation at the PGA Superstore.

    Saturday’s opening day is likely to lure hundreds to the store for giveaways, but they may have to contend with the dozens of people who will camp out for days to be first.

    “These opening giveaways are so popular that we had, for quite a few openings, the same person in the front of the line. He was traveling around the country and getting there first,” Donnelly said.

    The store will provide campers with pizza on Friday night and coffee and Krispy Kreme doughnuts on Saturday. The new PGA Tour Superstore CEO, Troy Rice, and Cherry Hill Mayor David Fleisher will also be in attendance Saturday, alongside members of the township council.

    📅 Opening Oct. 25, at 9 a.m.📍2232 N.J. Route 70, Suite C, Cherry Hill Township, N.J. 08002, 🕒 Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 🌐 pgatoursuperstore.com

  • Gov. Josh Shapiro will release a memoir in 2026

    Gov. Josh Shapiro will release a memoir in 2026

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will release a memoir next year detailing his career and personal life, including when a man firebombed the governor’s mansion while Shapiro and his family slept inside and his place on the short list for Kamala Harris’ vice president.

    On Tuesday, Harper — an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing — announced the release of Shapiro’s forthcoming memoir, Where We Keep the Light: Stories From a Life of Service, which will hit shelves on Jan. 27, 2026.

    Shapiro is the latest potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender to announce a book deal, another step in building and defining a national profile.

    Shapiro, 52, has worked in some level of government for his entire career: on Capitol Hill as a staffer, in Montgomery County as a commissioner, and in Harrisburg as a state representative, attorney general, and now governor. He has noted that he has never lost an election, going back to his election as student body president his freshman year at the University of Rochester. Along the way, elected officials have whispered about his talents as a politician, orator, and rumored presidential ambitions.

    Josh Shapiro’s rise wasn’t accidental. Just ask those who helped him get here — or felt betrayed along the way

    The Montgomery County native has become a key player in the national Democratic Party, touting a brand as a governor of a split legislature in the most sought-after swing state. His administration’s motto is “Get Stuff Done,” which he defines as bringing Democrats and Republicans together to accomplish long-delayed reforms, or restarting residents’ trust by improving their interactions with state government. (Pennsylvania still has not finished its state budget, which was due July 1, as legislators from the Democratic-controlled House and GOP-controlled Senate cannot agree on how much they should spend this fiscal year and causing school districts, counties, and nonprofits to take out significant loans to continue offering services during the 113-day budget impasse.)

    Shapiro’s rise through the Democratic Party ranks skyrocketed last year, when he became a front-runner for vice president during Harris’ whirlwind, 107-day presidential campaign, in which she ultimately chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Harris also released a book this year, which includes stories from her interview with Shapiro for the role.

    ‘Overly ambitious’: New book about the 2024 election details why Kamala Harris passed over Gov. Josh Shapiro for VP
    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago.

    While book deals are often signifiers for officials hoping to take another step up in government, Shapiro still faces reelection next year. He will likely face Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a Republican who has already captured the state GOP’s endorsement. Garrity is a retired U.S. Army colonel, and has focused some of her criticisms of Shapiro thus far on his presumed eye for higher office. However, Shapiro still maintains a high approval rating in Pennsylvania, a state President Donald Trump won last year.

    Shapiro’s memoir will also detail the arson attack on the governor’s mansion, in which, just hours after Passover earlier this year, Cody Balmer set the home ablaze with incendiary devices. Balmer pleaded guilty last week to attempted murder.

    The arson at Gov. Josh Shapiro’s mansion erupted within minutes. The impact lingers.

    Shapiro, who was born in Kansas City, Mo., before moving to Montgomery County, has credited his upbringing by his parents — his father a pediatrician, and his mother an educator — as laying the foundation for his life in public service. Shapiro has four children and is married to his high school sweetheart, Lori. He and his family still live in Abington Township and split their time between their family home and the governor’s mansion in Harrisburg.