To deal with the snow, the city has deployed roughly 1,000 workers and 800 pieces of snow-removal equipment, and instituted programs to break up ice at crosswalks and streets in residential neighborhoods, among other efforts. But to some Inquirer readers, the solution has been right in front of us all along.
“I know we used to toss snow into the river,” one reader wrote via Curious Philly, The Inquirer’s forum for questions on all things local. “What happens to it now?”
In the past, the city has dumped snow into the Delaware River and the Schuylkill on various occasions. But in recent decades, that practice has been used rarely — if at all — primarily over environmental concerns. Here is what we know:
An old practice
Newspaper archives show references to dumping snow in the Delaware and Schuylkill dating back at least to the late 19th century — during a storm colloquially known as the “Great Arctic Outbreak of 1899.” That storm dumped 19 inches of snow on Philadelphia around Valentine’s Day.
In the aftermath, the city sought permission from its Board of Port Wardens to dump snow in the rivers surrounding Philadelphia, but there were concerns over the “considerable amount of dirt” that would be thrown into the water.
The practice was utilized in the winter of 1909, when 21 inches of snow fell. Initially, snow was dumped into the rivers at three points, but officials later expanded approved dumping sites to be “at any point and from any wharf” along either river.
“It was contended that this was perfectly proper, since snow is not refuse, but will readily melt after it is thrown into the water,” The Inquirer reported at the time.
Article from Jan 10, 1996 Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
The blizzard of ’96
Perhaps the most well-known modern use of Philadelphia’s rivers as a snow dump came in 1996, when a debilitating 30.7 inches of snow fell in early January. The city was left with few options, and got a permit from state environmental officials to dump snow in the rivers, Inquirer reports from the time indicate.
Within days, roughly 500 tons of snow were dumped into the rivers, and that total would grow into the thousands. Famously, city trucks were spotted dumping snow into the Schuylkill from the Market Street Bridge — until being asked to stop by the U.S. Coast Guard.
“We did advise the city to stop dumping snow into the Schuylkill. Our concern was the accumulation of ice in the river,” a Coast Guard spokesperson said at the time. The piles of snow in the river ran the risk of forming dams that could cause flooding.
The piles became so severe they had to be beaten back down. By mid-January, one Inquirer report noted, wrecking balls were sent in to break up at least one mountain of snow that threatened to clog the Schuylkill.
Article from Feb 22, 2003 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
An ‘option of last resort’
The city again in 2003 dumped snow into Philadelphia’s rivers, this time in an attempt to mitigate the impacts from a February storm that left about 19 inches of the white stuff. This time, though, city officials seemed to at least feel bad about it, calling it an “option of last resort.”
For this storm, roughly 400,000 pounds of snow was dumped into the Schuylkill. But along with it went road salt, antifreeze, trash, and other pollutants, prompting concerns from regional environmental groups. That pollution, they said, could harm marine life and devastate the riverbanks.
“All the stuff that’s on the road surface goes into the water,” Delaware Riverkeeper Network head Maya van Rossum told The Inquirer that year. “This is not the appropriate way to deal with the snow. There are plenty of places on the land to put it.”
The dumping, Streets Commissioner Clarena Tolson said, was limited. And the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said it asked the city to only dump “virgin snow” into the rivers.
“We’re going to take some of that down to the Navy Yard. We will not dump in the river,” Tolson said. “There are environmental concerns with placing snow in the river. The snow accumulates pollutants and salt, and dumping it in the river would be a very extreme measure.”
The Center for Environmental Policy at the Academy of Natural Sciences applauded the Nutter administration’s decision, writing in a letter to The Inquirer that the move would “prevent serious environmental damages to the river.”
“Urban precipitation, including snow, acquires a witch’s brew of contaminants such as oil, grease, litter, road salt, and lawn fertilizer,” director Roland Wall wrote. “We salute the city for making a commonsense decision that will protect one of Philadelphia’s natural treasures.”
A pedestrian walks past a large pile of snow and ice along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway days after a fierce winter storm dropped up to 9 inches of snow and sleet, with freezing temperatures leaving large banks of ice and snow on streets and sidewalks in Philadelphia, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026.
So what do we do now?
On Wednesday, Carlton Williams, the city’s director of clean and green initiatives, said the city does not dump snow in Philadelphia’s rivers, as that practice is “not an EPA standard.” Instead, the city has gravitated toward removing the snow from city streets and placing it at 37 snow dump sites around Philadelphia.
The city did not respond to a request for comment regarding those dump sites’ locations. Some of them contain mounds of snow up to 12 feet high that stretch for blocks, Williams said Wednesday. Officials also brought in a snow-melting machine from Chicago.
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection guidelines, meanwhile, recommend municipalities push snow at least 100 feet away from surface waters, where it will be able to melt with less environmental impact.
“Dumping of snow directly into a stream carries with it the shock of loading de-icing chemicals and anti-skid agents,” the agency said in a recent recommendations document. “Allowing a natural melt provides a slow release of the water, dilutes the chemicals, and provides filtration of the solids through the soil.”
Think you know your news? There’s only one way to find out. Welcome back to our weekly News Quiz — a quick way to see if your reading habits are sinking in and to put your local news knowledge to the test.
Question 1 of 10
Former Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams' tenure imploded as he was prosecuted on federal corruption charges nearly a decade ago. What is he up to now?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The role’s expectations are modest. Williams offers spiritual counseling and religious programming to the 600 or so prisoners held at Riverside Correctional Facility. It is part-time and pays about $21 per hour.
Question 2 of 10
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this week, indicating six more weeks of winter are yet to come. That clairvoyant groundhog calls this famed Pennsylvania place home:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The weather-predicting groundhog saw his shadow Monday outside his hole at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney. If you believe such things, that means the entire country — including our snow-covered section of the Northeast — can expect below-average temperatures for the next six weeks.
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Question 3 of 10
Formerly known as Lou Turk's, Delaware County’s lone strip club is changing its name, but keeping its highly anticipated flower sale. What holiday marks the occasion?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The annual Mother’s Day and Easter flower sales outside of the strip club will remain intact, despite the name change to The Carousel Delco. You wouldn’t want to tell your mom you bought her flowers at the Acme, would you?
Question 4 of 10
One South Philly restaurant has a popular cocktail that mimics a beloved style of soup. The soup is:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Chef Thanh Nguyen’s signature pho cocktail at Gabriella’s Vietnam is a many-layered marvel. It’s not like drinking pho broth spiked with vodka. A tiny squirt of Sriracha muddled with fresh culantro and ginger adds a soft orange hue.
Question 5 of 10
After weeks of uncertainty over their potential retirement, which Eagles staff member ultimately decided to return for another season with the team?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Fangio’s decision to stay brings some stability to an Eagles coaching staff that is already in the process of undergoing change. Hours before Fangio's return was official, Stoutland announced that he would be leaving his post as the Eagles offensive line coach after 13 years.
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This Mount Airy ice cream shop previously said it was closing for good, but will be sticking around after all:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Founder Danielle Jowdy announced in December 2024 that she planned to end her 14-year run at the end of 2025. But Liz Yee, a pastry chef at the nearby Catering by Design who also creates desserts for Doho restaurant, also in Mount Airy, plans to reopen Zsa’s on Saturday, Ice Cream for Breakfast Day.
Question 7 of 10
A few months ago, the Philadelphia Art Museum took up its new moniker. But now, it's changing again. The new (?) name is:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The PhAM acronym used in marketing materials will be dropped, and the museum will once again refer to itself in shorthand as the PMA as many Philadelphians long have. Why the retreat? In short, the new name was widely disliked.
Question 8 of 10
This boxing great's former home in Cherry Hill is once again on the market with an asking price of $1.9 million:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
About 300 people have been tasked with manually breaking up ice at crosswalks and streets in residential neighborhoods in Philadelphia following the region's recent stubborn snowfall. What are they called?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Mayor Cherelle. L Parker said that the city has tapped into its Future Track Program for snow-removal efforts. The trainees are typically at-risk young adults who are not enrolled in higher education and are unemployed. They get job experience, as well as other services, and they help in beautification projects. In the snow cleanup, Parker said, the trainees cleared more than 1,600 ADA ramps.
Question 10 of 10
Anonymous hackers claimed that a recent data breach compromised data for 1.2 million students, donors, and alumni at the University of Pennsylvania. But the school now says this many people were impacted:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The school hired cybersecurity specialists to help investigate the Oct. 31 breach, which accessed systems related to development and alumni activities. A Penn source confirmed Tuesday that fewer than 10 people received notifications that their personal information had been affected.
Your Results
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There’s one reason to believe this year’s budget could see a faster resolution: 2026 is an election year.
// Timestamp 02/03/26 4:26pm
SEPTA not considering imminent service cuts, fare increases as long-term funding remains unresolved
SEPTA officials are sketching out their own budget plans but already know it’s not going to look or sound like last year’s “doomsday” scenario.
“We won’t be talking about deep service cuts and fare increases and layoffs and all the things that were discussed then,” SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said in an interview Tuesday following Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget address.
Last August, the transit agency implemented service cuts of 20%, including the elimination of some bus routes, and raised fares by 21.5% after the legislature failed to pass new money for transit operations.
House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery) said that the latest use of capital funds for mass transit operations deferred the issue for two years, so the General Assembly can agree on a long-term revenue stream to increase state support for public transit in Pennsylvania’s metropolitan areas and beyond.
“The governor bailed out the legislature again on the issue of transit last year and got us a two-year bridge, which will have us dealing with this issue immediately after the next election,” Bradford said in a Harrisburg press conference.
SEPTA officials said they will be able to continue robust service through July 1, 2027 because of the converted capital money.
The maneuver allowed SEPTA to quickly restore the 2025 service cuts; it came as the agency faced a judge’s order to do so.
Longer term, Shapiro proposed to increase the share of the state sales and use tax devoted to mass transit subsidies by 1.75% for five years. But it wouldn’t take effect until fiscal year 2008, raising an additional $319.6 million in the first year to help strapped public transportation systems.
It’s the same proposal as last year’s, though projected to generate more because of growth in sales-tax revenue.
Democrats are pushing to hold Senate GOP lawmakers accountable at the ballot box in November for their failure to find a long-term revenue source last year.
“Now the people are going to have their say on this,” Bradford said. “Do you support this type of obstruction? Do you support staying in the way of funding mass transit systems in this commonwealth? I think the answer is decidedly not.”
To be fair, both parties proved unable to reach a compromise but the sticking point was in the Senate, controlled by Republicans.
Democrats hope the issue will help them flip the state Senate and give them a trifecta of control in the state House, Senate and governor’s mansion.
For his part, Sauer said the governor’s renewed funding proposal and his rhetorical support in the address will help.
“The fact that we’re still in the conversation is important,” he said. “That’s the most I can hope for at this stage.”
Senate Republicans pan Shapiro’s budget proposal as overspending
Senate Republicans were quick to pan Shapiro’s budget proposal as overspending that would harm the state’s economic outlook in the long term.
In a press conference responding to the budget address Tuesday, Republican leaders said the governor’s proposed spending increases relied on revenue streams that may not be approved by the legislature while perpetuating a structural deficit that would dip into the state’s Rainy Day Fund.
“We’re going to do everything we can to protect the taxpayer and make sure that the dollars that are allocated are wisely used,” Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) said. “We have to make sure we’re, again, stretching every taxpayer dollar we can and bringing the cost of government down as much as possible.”
Sen. Scott Martin (R., Lancaster), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, called the spending “mind-boggling.”
Shapiro’s budget assumes that more than $1 billion in new revenue will come from legalization of recreational marijuana and regulation and taxation of skill games. Pittman did not commit to moving either forward in the state Senate this year.
Democratic leaders, however, lauded Shapiro’s budget, insisting that Republicans would be forced to support it or come up with an alternative if they wanted to retain their slim majority in the state Senate.
“I would argue the polls indicate that we have a very popular governor. They tried to obstruct him and his numbers only got more popular,” House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery) said. “My suggestion is it would be the political imperative, regardless of the policy implications, that they start working with this governor to pass things.”
Asked whether his caucus disagreed with any part of Shapiro’s budget, or were disappointed to see any items left out, Bradford said no.
Gov. Josh Shapiro proposes $53.2 billion state budget focusing on affordability, development, and raising Pennsylvania’s minimum wage
Gov. Josh Shapiro make his annual budget proposal in the state House chamber in Harrisburg Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Pa. House Speaker Joanna McClinton (left) and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis (right) are seated behind him.
HARRISBURG — Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday unveiled a $53.2 billion state budget proposal with a focus on affordability and attracting development in Pennsylvania, in what — if approved by the state’s divided legislature — would be a 6.2% increase over last year’s budget.
Shapiro’s $53.2 billion pitch is likely setting him up for another fight during the election year with Senate Republicans, who control the chamber and have promised fiscal restraint as their top priority and are unlikely to approve a major spending increase. Shapiro’s budget proposal would spend $4.6 billion more than the state is projected to bring in in the 2026-27 fiscal year, requiring the state to pull most of new spending from Pennsylvania’s Rainy Day Fund that currently tops more than $7 billion.
Shapiro on Tuesday said he wants to avoid another lengthy stalled budget, which forced schools, counties and nonprofits to take out billions in loans to stay afloat during the four-month-long impasse.
He invited leaders of all four caucuses — Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans, House Democrats, and House Republicans — to meet on Wednesday to start budget talks much sooner than prior years. They all agreed to attend, he added.
“We all recognize it took too long last year and that had real impacts on Pennsylvanians, but we learned some valuable lessons through that process,” Shapiro said in his address lasting an hour and 24 minutes. “We learned that we all need to be at the table, and that we all need to be at the table sooner.”
Shapiro takes aim at grid operator PJM, utility companies for high rates
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro had sharp words for PJM, the region’s independent electric grid operator, during his budget address Tuesday, saying it has “moved too slow to supply new power,” helping lead to high energy rates to consumers.
Shapiro and advocates have long criticized the way PJM holds auctions that impact the rates consumers pay to energy providers. On Tuesday, he called for a continued cap on rates of wholesale electricity payments to power plant owners.
But Shapiro, calling PJM “just one part of the problem,” also took aim at utility companies, saying they have “too little public accountability or transparency.”
“That’s going to change,” Shapiro said.
According to the governor, only about 20% of the amount people pay on utility bills comes from energy use.
“Another big chunk comes from fees and costs that your local utility company charges to get electricity to your home,” Shapiro said. “Utilities companies in Pennsylvania make billions of dollars every year, while at the same time, they’ve increased the cost for consumers.”
Shapiro said major utility providers, such as PECO have agreed to take four steps to rein in costs. PECO serves 2,100 square miles in Southeastern Pennsylvania and provides electricity to up to 1.7 million customers.
The steps are:
End so-called “black box” settlements, which are confidential negotiated agreements between utility companies and regulators that determine rate changes, and agree to set prices transparently.
Enact “common sense reforms” to ban “deceptive contracts.”
Eliminate “jump fees” utilities charge low-income Pennsylvanians to have their services reconnected “something that literally can be done with the press of a button.”
Work to extend protections for low-income and vulnerable residents from shut-offs while managing unpaid bills.
In an apparent effort to dodge a repeat of last year’s five month (135 day) budget impasse, Shapiro announced he would be meeting with legislative leaders on Wednesday to begin budget talks.
Shapiro said he had invited the leaders of all four caucus in the House and Senate to his office and each had accepted.
“We all recognize it took too long last year — and that had real impacts on Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro said. “But we learned some valuable lessons through that process.”
The impasse resulted in temporary cuts to social services, schools and counties across the state as budget talks stretched on into November and state dollars stopped flowing.
This played out in Pennsylvania alongside a federal government shutdown that threatened critical food assistance dollars. But Shapiro said the final deal showed progress.
“At a time when dysfunction and chaos reigns elsewhere, Pennsylvania is showing that we can be a model for steady progress when we come together, treat others with respect, and find ways to extend a helping hand to our neighbors,” he said.
Shapiro calls for renter protections including a statewide cap on rental application fees
Shapiro also used his budget address to call for protections for households that either rent their homes or rent the land their homes sit on.
He called for a statewide cap on rental application fees, “limiting them to the actual cost of screening, and prohibiting landlords from charging fees before a prospective tenant can view a property.”
Philadelphia City Council members last year passed legislation that prohibits rental property owners from charging rental application fees of more than $50 or the cost of running a background and/or credit check, whichever is less. And landlords are banned from charging application fees unless they are used to cover the cost of these checks.
City Councilmember Rue Landau, who introduced the legislation, said some renters had been paying $100 or more per application, which adds up when tenants apply to multiple properties.
Shapiro also called for protections for owners of manufactured homes, which are single-family dwellings often built off-site and placed on a lot. These households own their homes, but many of them rent the land their homes sit on.
Manufactured homes represent one of the most affordable forms of homeownership. But homeowners are often left vulnerable, because they have no other option than to pay increased rent costs if they want to keep the homes they own. Manufactured-home communities are increasingly being bought by private equity companies and other institutional investors, and rent hikes tend to follow.
Across Pennsylvania, 56,000 households live in these communities, Shapiro said. He asked lawmakers to limit the rent increases that landowners can charge.
Last year, New Jersey enacted a law that limits annual rent increases to 3.5% for these lots. Landlords who want higher increases must ask the state’s Department of Community Affairs for permission.
“Last year, we all – all of us – identified a problem that we don’t have enough childcare workers, and that’s because we don’t pay them enough,” said Shapiro.
“We showed them the respect that they deserve,” said Shapiro.
On Tuesday Shapiro proposed increasing the recruitment and retention bonus from $450 to $630 as he noted the program has seen overwhelming demand.
“That’s more money in the pockets of our childcare workers, and more available child care for Pennsylvania families. It’s a win, win,” he said.
Staffing shortages plague the childcare sector in Pennsylvania and nationally, and the need for workers is expected to continue to grow. Employees who work as care providers are some of the lowest paid workers, earning on average roughly $30,000 annually in Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester and Bucks Counties.
And when parents can’t find adequate childcare, the Pennsylvania economy takes a hit, the Inquirer has reported. The state loses out on $6.65 billion annually when parents have to call out of work or lose their job due to childcare issues.
Shapiro renews calls for lawmakers to legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania
Shapiro renewed his calls for the state General Assembly to legalize recreational, also known as adult-use, marijuana as a way to drive needed revenue in the commonwealth.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures 24 states, including Pennsylvania’s neighbors in Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Ohio, have legalized adult use marijuana. Pennsylvania is among 14 states that allow marijuana for medicinal purposes only.
The governor’s budget proposal calls for a 20% tax on marijuana products sold with sales beginning on January 1 of next year. According to budget documents from his office that tax would provide Pennsylvania with $729 million in revenue in its first year.
The figure is nearly $200 million more than Shapiro’s administration projected for revenues from legalization when he made the same proposal in last year’s budget.
A Shapiro administration official credited the increased projection as a result of increased interest among marijuana companies who would want to come to Pennsylvania and purchase licenses.
Approving recreational use of cannabis will be an uphill battle for Shapiro with a split legislature. Even as the federal government moves towards rescheduling marijuana and opening the door to more research, Senate Republicans have been reluctant to legalize the drug in the commonwealth.
If Pennsylvania doesn’t take action to build and preserve more housing, it will be short 185,000 homes by 2035, Shapiro said during his budget address. He called for the construction of more homes and the reform of local land-use laws to allow for more housing and lower housing costs.
Shapiro’s budget would create a $1 billion fund, supported by the issuing of bonds, to pay for a range of infrastructure projects. He called the fund “a major investment in building new housing.”
“We need hundreds of thousands of new homes,” Shapiro said. “This is how we build them.”
He also noted that local land-use laws vary across Pennsylvania’s 2,560 municipalities. He called for the state to create a catalog of local zoning rules and to help local governments reform ordinances to allow for more housing.
Shapiro called for local governments to allow for the construction of more homes near mass transit, streamline the construction of mixed-use development, and allow accessory dwelling units – such as in-law suites, garage apartments, and backyard cottages.
Most Pennsylvania municipalities ban the building of accessory dwelling units or make building them difficult.
The day before Gov. Shapiro’s budget address, a group of lawmakers in the state House announced a bipartisan package of bills meant to make homes more affordable. The two bills that have been introduced so far would allow for more housing density.
One would allow accessory dwelling units – such as in-law suites, garage apartments, and backyard cottages – in areas zoned for single-family housing. Property owners would have the right to build ADUs without asking their local government for a special exception, but municipalities would still be allowed to make “reasonable” restrictions, state Rep. John Inglis (D., Allegheny) said at a news conference Monday.
ADUs are “a simple way to add affordable housing without changing the character of our neighborhoods, and we can’t afford to keep blocking these solutions,” Inglis said.
Another bill would promote the construction of duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes in certain areas that are zoned for single-family housing. It would require larger municipalities to allow these types of multifamily housing “while still allowing local governments to reject certain projects that might not be viable in their communities,” Inglis said.
Pennsylvania isn’t building enough housing, and that lack of supply is hiking prices for homeowners and renters, the Pew Charitable Trusts said in a report released last year.
Pennsylvania is one of the states that has allowed the least amount of housing to be built. It ranked 44th for the share of homes approved to be built from 2017 to 2023, according to the nonpartisan, nonprofit research and public policy organization.
Pew researchers cited restrictive local land-use laws as a cause and recommended the loosening of zoning rules.
“The bottom line is the best way to bring high rents and housing costs down is to build more housing and to build more varied types of housing,” Seva Rodnyansky, a manager in Pew’s housing policy initiative, told The Inquirer last year.
Shapiro urges GOP lawmakers to pass statute of limitations reforms for child sex abuse victims
After years of advocating for statute of limitations reform to allow a window for child sex abuse victims to sue their abusers, Shapiro placed the blame for the policy’s lack of movement at the feet of Senate Republicans in Tuesday’s address.
“Stop cowering to the special interests, like insurance companies and lobbyists for the Catholic Church,” Shapiro said to Senate Republicans as Republicans in the chamber booed.
The governor has pushed for the window since his time as Attorney General when, in 2018, his office released a grand jury report on clergy abuse in the state that called for the window among other reforms.
The policy passed the General Assembly as a constitutional amendment in 2020 but failed to reach voters’ ballots due to an administrative error from Gov. Tom Wolf’s Department of State.
Ever since, the policy has stalled as Senate Republicans have sought to tie it to constitutional amendments relating to voter identification and other GOP priorities.
The governor, who has faced criticism from some survivors for not being a strong enough advocate for reform enough since becoming governor, made an impassioned plea to Senate Republicans, urging them to “stop trying justice for abused kids to your pet political projects.”
“It is shameful that this hasn’t gotten done here in Pennsylvania when almost 30 other states have followed our grand jury report and passed it in their legislatures,” Shapiro said. “Pass statute of limitations reform this year — and give survivors of sexual abuse the chance to confront their abusers in court.”
‘Stop delaying’: Shapiro again asks legislators to raise the state minimum wage
On Tuesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro once again asked legislators to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage.
“I am calling on the General Assembly to stop delaying and put a minimum wage bill on my desk, and I will sign it,” he said to audible cheers.
Some in the crowd chanted “raise the minimum wage” as he brought up the issue. Shapiro responded to the chant, noting that 25 senators stood to applaud raising the minimum wage, including two Republicans: Sen. Joe Picozzi (R., Philadelphia) and Sen. Devlin Robinson (R., Allegheny).
Since taking office as governor, Shapiro has backed raising the minimum wage at every annual state budget address.
Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is the federal minimum of $7.25, which was set in 2009. Neighboring states all have higher minimum wages. In January, New Jersey’s minimum wage increased by $0.43 to $15.92 – making it more than double that of Pennsylvania’s.
“Our minimum wage in Pennsylvania has been stuck at $7.25 for the last 16 years. In that time, every single one of our neighboring states has raised the wage for their workers,” he said.
Shapiro noted Tuesday that raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour would save the state $300 million on entitlement programs like Medicaid.
“If you aren’t going to do this because it’s the right thing to do, or because it would let more families put food on the table for their kids, then do it because it’s going to save us $300 million, shrink our entitlement budget by growing our workforce and putting more money back in workers’ pockets,” he said.
In order to cover their basic needs, an adult living in Pennsylvania needs to earn $22.91 an hour, according to a living wage calculator developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Only 2% of hourly wage earners in Pennsylvania earn the minimum wage or less, according to a report from the state’s Department of Labor and Industry based on 2022 data.
Shapiro calls for faster licensing for social workers and other professionals
Shapiro, who has touted himself as a good for business governor and last year worked with Republicans to approve building permitting reform, asked lawmakers to help him move that work forward in reducing licensing time for Pennsylvania professionals.
He called on the General assembly to approve reforms allowing social workers to be licensed in conjunction with graduate school, helping to address a shortage in the state, and he called for lower wait times for other professionals like barbers and pharmacists.
“We’ve put ourselves at a competitive disadvantage by incentivizing workers to go to another state,” he said.
Shapiro proposes adding $5 million to Pa.’s student teacher stipend program
As Pennsylvania continues to struggle with teacher shortages, Shapiro proposed adding another $5 million to the state’s student teacher stipend program — bringing the program up to $35 million.
Growing the program, which provides $10,000 to student teachers completing their required placements, will “ensure there are more well-trained teachers,” Shapiro said. He called out a teacher from Susquehanna Township, Hallie Sill, who he said had told him how the stipend program that launched in 2024 had helped her land a job after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh.
“Let’s increase our commitment to this initiative that we know works,” Shapiro said.
Budget would add $18 million in funding for career and technical education
The governor wants to increase funding for career and technical education in the state by $18 million, bringing up total funding for these initiatives to $200 million.
He noted that career and technical education, apprenticeship and vocational technical program funding has increased 50% since he took office.
“We’ve registered 231 new pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships, and more than 39,000 of our fellow Pennsylvanians have participated in an apprenticeship during my time as your governor in fields ranging from welding to nursing to dairy herd management,” said Shapiro. “Those investments are making a meaningful difference, and they’re creating pathways of opportunity.”
He highlighted that some workers in the state lack a high school degree.
“We can’t lose sight of the fact that there are literally hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians who could be added to the workforce if we take care to give them the tools they need to succeed,“ said Shapiro. “Take the 614,000 Pennsylvania adults who don’t have a high school degree, for example. That’s a ton of untapped potential.”
Shapiro introduces ‘GRID’ plan for the rise of massive data centers
Saying the U.S. is in a race to dominate artificial intelligence, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced a new plan he says will protect consumers against rising energy costs associated with data centers, while also easing a path for tech companies to build.
The Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) plan would make data center developers either bring their own power generation or pay for any new generation they’ll need, “not saddling homeowners with added costs because of their development.”
Shapiro said too many data center proposals have been “shrouded in secrecy” but that they are crucial to the U.S.
“The United States is locked in a battle for AI supremacy against China. Look, I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather the future be controlled by the United States of America and not Communist China,” Shapiro said.
Components of the plan include:
Commit to “strict transparency standards.”
Engage communities.
Hire and train local workers from Pennsylvania.
Enter into community benefit agreements.
In return, developers would be “speed and certainty” in getting permits, as well as qualifying for tax credits.
“I know everyone … wants to see our economy grow and create more jobs and more opportunity,” Shapiro said. “But I also recognize this is unchartered territory, so let’s come together, codify these principles and take advantage of this opportunity.”
Shapiro proposes ensuring access to recess for Pennsylvania students
The governor made another proposal for Pennsylvania schools: ensuring they have recess.
“Recess, to me, isn’t just an extra block on the schedule. I would argue it’s just as critical as learning math and science and English,” Shapiro said.
He said he had directed the Pennsylvania State Board of Education to develop recommendations to “guarantee recess for our students.”
“Students need to spend less time focused on their phones and more time focused on learning, on talking to their friends face to face, and on developing the critical skills that they will need later in life,” said Shapiro, who drew sustained applause for the proposal. (“If applause could vote, we’d have this whole thing done already,” the governor quipped.)
He told lawmakers: “I know there are bills in both chambers to do this — I urge you respectfully to come together and send a bill to my desk.”
Some proposals garner unanimous standing ovations from lawmakers
Shapiro’s budget address is a workout for Democratic lawmakers, as they stand up, clap, repeat for each of his ideas.
As Shapiro mentioned mass transit — which he is proposing a long-term funding stream to begin in 2027 — all Democrats quickly shot up to applaud. Only one Republican lawmaker, Sen. Joe Picozzi (R., Philadelphia) stood to celebrate the mention.
As Shapiro talked about new standards he plans to implement for new data centers in Pennsylvania, a handful of other Republicans also stood to applaud.
Two popular proposals that garnered unanimous standing ovations: mentions of first responders and Shapiro’s pitch for restricting children’s access to dangerous AI chatbots.
Shapiro joked at one point, as he has in prior years, that Republicans should applaud his federal response fund because it will help safeguard money Pennsylvanians deserve. This brought a laugh from Democrats, but no reaction from Republicans.
Shapiro calls for limitations on AI to protect children and seniors
Shapiro called for a litany of limits on artificial intelligence as the emerging technology presents new risks to children and seniors across the commonwealth.
In recent months AI developers have faced calls for regulation nationwide and lawsuits from parents who say their children’s relationship with chatbots drove them to self harm.
Even as Shapiro advocated for making Pennsylvania a hub for AI, he said safeguards needed to be established.
He called for age verification and parental consent for chat bots, requirements that companies direct mentions of self harm or violence from children to the correct authorities and periodic reminders from AI chatbots that they are not human.
Furthermore, he called for prohibiting AI chatbots from producing sexually explicit or violent content involving children.
“This space is evolving rapidly. We need to act quickly to protect our kids,” Shapiro said.
In addition to for calling for the General Assembly to pass legislation imposing those limits, Shapiro said he had directed state agencies to explore legal avenues to hold app developers accountable.
Shapiro touts list of achievements as governor: ‘We’re solving problems and getting stuff done’
In his fourth budget address, and final before he stands for reelection in November, Shapiro touted a laundry list of his administration’s accomplishments – from funding of education, to investments in the state’s economy to reducing violent crime across the state.
“We’re solving problems and getting stuff done to improve people’s lives,” Shapiro said, referencing his campaign’s slogan “get sh*t done.”
The list of accomplishments closely mirrored the stump speech the governor gave to supporters in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia last month as he formally launched his reelection campaign and his talking points as he hit the cable news circuit on his book tour last month.
Likely to face State Treasurer Stacey Garrity in the general election next year the centrist Democrat has focused on the idea that he, as governor, can accomplish things for Pennsylvanians regardless of party affiliation.
He will retain that focus throughout his budget address, and throughout the next year as he campaigns for reelection while raising his national profile ahead of a possible 2028 presidential run.
Proposal includes $565 million funding increase to raise poor schools to ‘adequately’ funded levels
Gov. Shapiro is sticking to the state’s plan for remedying constitutional underfunding of its public schools — proposing another $565 million increase to raise poor schools to “adequately” funded levels, and reimburse high-taxing districts.
The governor’s proposed budget also includes a $50 million increase in basic education funding to be distributed to all K-12 schools and a $50 million increase in special education funding.
And it takes another step to curb payments from school districts by $75 million to cyber charter schools, after funding changes last year that were projected to save districts $175 million. While school districts have long accused charters of draining their budget, the cyber schools have vigorously protested proposals to scale back their payments, arguing their students will be hurt.
State mass transit funding fight could be postponed until 2027
Gov. Josh Shapiro is ready to postpone until 2027 a likely fight over a longer-term enhancement of state mass transit funding, citing the temporary cash infusion the administration arranged last year to bail out SEPTA.
“We believe that they are stabilized for two years,” said a Shapiro administration official on Tuesday, adding that they are happy to discuss the issue sooner if the General Assembly is willing.
The money, spread over two fiscal years, allowed SEPTA to reverse 20% service cuts it had imposed last year amid a $213 million deficit. It also was to carry the transit agency through the coming budget year. Shapiro’s proposed spending plan and annual address Tuesday kicked off the negotiations process.
Yet the governor did put on record his preferred stable funding solution for mass transit, which looks just like the one lawmakers spurned last year.
The spending plan would increase the share of the sales and use tax devoted to mass transit subsidies by 1.75%, raising an additional $319.6 million yearly to help strapped local and regional public transportation systems, according to budget documents.
But the proposal would not take effect until July 1, 2027, the start of the fiscal year that will run through June 2028.
“I bought us two years — but we have to keep working at this, because this isn’t a problem we can ignore,” Shapiro said Tuesday. “Mass transit helps drive our economy — this is an issue of economic competitiveness. You know I’m competitive as hell — and I want to win.”
State lawmakers share bipartisan hugs ahead of Shapiro’s budget address
The joint session of the Pennsylvania House and Senate was called to order, and as the group of state lawmakers awaited the arrival of Gov. Josh Shapiro to the chamber to deliver his $53.2 billion budget proposal.
Up until Shapiro’s arrival, attendees gave bipartisan, bicameral hugs to lawmakers from their opposing chamber. Several legislators reunited with their former colleagues who had returned to Harrisburg on Tuesday in their current roles as mayors or executives across the state, including Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, who previously served in the state House for 11 years.
Seated nearby to Shapiro’s left is state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, alongside the other GOP row officers Auditor General Tim DeFoor and Attorney General Dave Sunday. Garrity is likely to challenge Shapiro in November’s midterm election as the state GOP- endorsed candidate for governor.
Shapiro has delivered some lengthy speeches in past years during his first term, running for more than an hour to lay out his priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.
Shapiro’s budget would allot $30 million in performance-based funding for Temple, Penn State and Pitt
Gov. Shapiro’s budget once again proposes to allot money for performance-based funding for Temple, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Pittsburgh.
The budget includes $30 million for the effort, half of what Shapiro proposed last year, according to a source close to the process. When the current budget was passed, however, it included no money for performance-based funding this year.
Whether the initiative will gain legislative support in the new budget year is unclear.
The three universities currently receive about $551 million in state funding.
The new performance measures that would determine how the $30 million is allotted include graduation rates, affordability, and enrollment of low-income students and those pursuing degrees in wide-ranging occupations deemed critical for the state. The criteria were developed last year by a bipartisan council of legislative leaders and the acting secretary of education.
The universities in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, meanwhile, would be flat-funded for a second consecutive year under the budget, according to the source.
West Chester, East Stroudsburg, Kutztown, Millersville, Slippery Rock, Shippensburg, Commonwealth, Pennsylvania West and Indiana received the same basic funding this year that they did last year. That was the first time since 2021-22 that the schools did not receive an increase.
Cheyney also got the same basic funding, but the historically Black college got a special $5 million earmark “to develop and implement an enhanced transfer and workforce development initiative in partnership with a community college.”
The state’s community colleges also would be flat-funded under the governor’s proposal.
PJM Interconnection — the region’s dominant electric grid operator — is poised to play a central role in that expansion, as the independent organization has been shoved into the national spotlight and subjected to mounting pressure over the past year.
In many ways, PJM may be one of the most consequential Philly‑area institutions that most residents have barely heard of, even though their electricity supply and monthly bills hinge on its decisions.
The organization has faced escalating scrutiny nationwide and across the region because of its position as the country’s largest independent grid operator and the challenges tied to surging energy demand.
But what is PJM and why is everyone always so mad at it?
Shapiro will pitch $100 million reserve in the event Trump cuts federal funds for Pennsylvania
Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to propose a new $100 million fund to use as a reserve in the event President Donald Trump’s administration opts to withhold federal funds from Pennsylvania.
Shapiro will pitch the new Federal Response Fund on Tuesday, when he delivers his fourth budget address before a joint session of the state General Assembly.
While Shapiro’s budget pitch will outline how he believes the state should spend $53.3 billion in state revenue and reserves, it is only a piece of Pennsylvania’s annual spending. In the 2025-26 budget, the state was projected to receive $53.1 billion in additional funds from the federal government, or 40% of the state’s total annual spending.
Shapiro has repeatedly said the state cannot backfill the federal cuts by the Trump administration and Congress to Medicaid, health subsidies, food assistance, and more, as these cuts total billions in federal funds. The proposed fund would not try to replace this money, but would be available if the Trump administration chooses to withhold federal fund as it did multiple times last year.
Shapiro is expected to note in his address the 19 times he sued or joined lawsuits against the Trump administration for failing to release federal funds, such as $18 million set aside for state-level Homeland Security funding or $2 billion for environmental and energy projects already appropriated by Congress during former President Joe Biden’s tenure.
Shapiro frequently sued Trump during his first administration while he was Pennsylvania’s attorney general, and has chosen to continue to legally challenge him in his capacity as the state’s governor on numerous occasions.
In his new memoir Where We Keep the Light, which was released last week, Shapiro gave a window into how he decided to join lawsuits as attorney general, noting the many times he beat the Trump administration in court because “we were rooted in the law, not politics.”
“But while I had profound differences with [Trump], and I didn’t like the way he talked, and I certainly didn’t like the values and viewpoints he espoused, I only sued his administration when I believed that he was actually violating the law,” Shapiro wrote.
One reason the budget could get resolved faster than last year
There is one bright spot for the schools, counties and nonprofits that rely on state funding and which last year had to wait more than four months for the money when lawmakers couldn’t agree: It’s an election year.
Election years often result in quicker budget resolutions, as lawmakers and officials want to secure money for their districts before they go home to campaign for reelection.
In 2018, when former Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf was up for reelection, he signed the state budget on June 23 — a week ahead of the July 1 deadline.
This year, Gov. Josh Shapiro is up for reelection, likely to face a November challenge from State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the state-GOP endorsed candidate. And many other state lawmakers are in the same boat.
All 203 seats in the state House and half the 50 seats in the state Senate are on the ballot in November. Several lawmakers have announced they will not seek reelection, allowing for competitive elections to fill the vacancies.
Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed to generate an additional $1.5 billion over five years to subsidize public transit operations by increasing its share of state sales tax income.
Senate Republicans, in the majority in the chamber, opposed using the sales tax, though the rate would not have increased.
They preferred a new source for the state’s transit aid rather than a broad-based levy, and said SEPTA was mismanaged, citing high-profile crimes, rampant fare evasion, and spending decisions.
Hopes were raised of a deal to use money from a new tax on games of “skill,” slot-like machines that are currently untaxed or regulated — the proverbial magical money pot that would make raising cash painless. It had featured in several budget cycles but again did not come together amid clashing opinions among GOP lawmakers.
When the state budget passed in December, there was no new transit money in it.
In November, the administration also sent $220 million in emergency money in November for repairs to the ailing Regional Rail fleet and the trolley tunnel.
SEPTA officials and transit advocates say they are unsure what’s coming this time around, if anything.
One thing is clear in advance: A Pennsylvania budget process ain’t Schoolhouse Rock, so hang on.
Shapiro could promote effort to ban cell phones from Pa. schools today
Gov. Josh Shapiro is backing a proposal to ban cell phones from Pennsylvania classrooms, joining a growing chorus of parents, teachers, and officials seeking to curb school disruptions and detach kids from addictive devices.
“It’s time for us to get distractions out of the classroom and create a healthier environment in our schools,” Shapiro said in a post on X on Thursday.
He called on Pennsylvania lawmakers to pass a bill that would require schools to ban the use of cell phones during the school day, “from the time they start class until the time they leave for home.”
The endorsement from the Democratic governor — who could promote the issue during his budget address Tuesday — comes as school cell phone bans have increasingly become the norm: 31 states have restrictions of some kind on phones, including 23 states with “bell-to-bell” bans barring the use of phones the entire school day, according to Education Week.
Housing, affordability, and new revenue: What we’re watching for in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget address
HARRISBURG — Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday is expected to propose a $53.2 billion state budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, just three months after settling a bitter, 135-day budget impasse that forced schools, counties, and nonprofits to take out loans to stay afloat.
Shapiro, a first-term Democrat running for reelection this year and potentially poised for higher office, will deliver his fourth annual budget address before a joint session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, where he plans to pitch an expansive $1 billion housing and infrastructure plan to incentivize new housing development with an overall focus on affordability in the state.
And as in years past, Shapiro is expected to again propose new revenue streams to fill a more than $5 billion deficit, such as the legalization and taxation of adult-use cannabis, as Pennsylvania is again expected to spend more than it brings in tax revenues.
The destruction spanned multiple blocks, spreading wreckage across a debris field that stretched for more than a quarter mile near Roosevelt Mall on Cottman Avenue. The resulting damages totaled in the millions of dollars, and many area residents were left displaced and traumatized.
Now, on its first grim anniversary, the crash’s effects still loom large — not only in the memories of those directly impacted by the crash, but in the local and regional psyche.
With that in mind, city officials plan to hold a memorial observance to honor its victims. The event, slated to start at 5 p.m. at Engine 71 Fire Station — just blocks from where the crash occurred — will include a bell ceremony and wreath-laying. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and other elected officials will speak.
As city officials said at the time, the crash was among the most significant black swan tragedies in Philadelphia’s history. And, in many ways, the neighborhood is still recovering. Here is what you need to know:
Eight killed, dozens injured
At 6:06 p.m., a Learjet 55 operated by a Mexican medical transport company known as Jet Rescue Air Ambulance took off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri on its way back to Mexico. Less than a minute later, after making it 1,650 feet into the air, it went nose down about 3.5 miles away from the airport, slamming into the ground near Bustleton and Cottman Avenues at a 45-degree angle at more than 270 mph.
Map of where a small jet crashed near Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia on Jan. 31.
The crash tore an 8-foot deep crater into the earth and created a massive fireball that illuminated the neighborhood. The impact spread devastation across a 1,410-foot-long-by-840-foot-wide tract, damaging homes, vehicles, and businesses, and scattering human remains amid the debris field.
All six people aboard the aircraft were killed — among them Valentina Guzmán Murillo, 11, and her mother, Lizeth Murillo Osuna, 31. The pair were on their way home after Valentina had received four months of treatment for a spinal condition at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia, with her doctors celebrating her recovery only hours before.
Also killed were captain Alan Montoya Perales, 46; copilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, 43; doctor Raul Meza Arredondo, 41; and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, 41. On the ground, Steven Dreuitt Jr., 37, died as a result of the crash, as did his fiancée, Dominique Goods Burke, 34, who succumbed months later to injuries she suffered that night.
At least 24 other people were injured, with victims ranging in age from 4 to 85. Many suffered severe burns, smoke inhalation, and skull fractures, including 9-year-old Ramesses Dreuitt Vazquez, the young son of Dreuitt, who suffered burns over 90% of his body and spent nearly a year in the hospital before being released.
‘All hands on deck’
Ryan Tian, 23, of Delaware County, captured an explosion at a parking lot at Cottman and Bustleton Avenues Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. It was later discovered a medical transport plane bound for Mexico took off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport and crash soon after on Cottman.
The emergency response was massive, involving about 400 firefighters, police officers, and other first responders. Investigators later found that more than 300 properties had been impacted in some way.
The incident, Parker said the night of the crash, was an “all hands on deck” situation. Eyewitnesses and emergency responders described the ensuing chaos as resembling a war zone or feeling like a movie.
“This is a huge area,” Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said of the crash site. “Nothing in that area will ever be normal again.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro and other officials also toured the devastated area. Ultimately, despite the damage the crash wrought, Shapiro’s office found that the impacts were too limited to ask President Donald Trump‘s administration for a federal disaster declaration, leaving the city and state to lead recovery efforts.
Investigation reveals little
An investigator walks by a burned out car on Cottman Avenue Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Philadelphia. A medical jet with six people on board crashed Friday evening near the Roosevelt Mall in Northeast Philadelphia scattering debris throughout the streets, and setting multiple homes and cars ablaze in a devastating scene
The investigation was led by the National Transportation Safety Board, which early on noted that the crashed craft made no distress calls and had only brief, routine communications with the Northeast Philadelphia Airport control tower after takeoff.
That left the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder — or “black box” — as a key investigatory element. Days later, searchers found the unit at the bottom of the crater the craft had carved into the earth, but it was largely useless.
The recorder, the NTSB said, had “likely not been recording audio for several years,” and contained no clues as to what may have caused the crash. No official cause for the crash has yet been announced.
Reviews of the craft’s flight records, however, found that it had been used extensively in the months and weeks leading up to the crash. In the five days before the disaster, it had flown 12 flights covering 9,400 miles, and in its final year before it was destroyed, the aircraft had 163 takeoffs.
Fallout continues
Homes in the Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood across from the Roosevelt Mall where a plane crashed on nearby Cottman Avenue. More than a dozen properties were severely damaged by flying debris and fire. The home that the Gomez family rented on Calvert Street caught fire after a plane engine slammed into their roof. Photographed Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
In June, five months after the crash, more than a dozen local residents and business owners told The Inquirer they were still grappling with unrepaired property damage and catching up on bills from lost incomes or extra expenses.
The city had marshaled significant resources, including opening sites offering mental health services and financial aid, and steering roughly $264,000 in grants to small businesses. The One Philly Fund, which was launched to serve as the city’s signature relief effort, however, only attracted some $35,000 in donations, falling woefully short of its desired impact.
Meanwhile, insurance claims were expected to exceed $10 million, and the city itself sought claims for property damage and personnel costs eclipsing $2.5 million. The medical jet company’s insurer, El Águila Compania de Seguros, hoped to consolidate all claims under a single court case, and compel a federal judge to divvy up the funds, which it said were “unlikely to be sufficient to resolve all claims.”
Later in the year, lawsuits against the medical jet company were filed.
A silver lining
Caseem Wongus, 26, is meeting Ramesses R. Dreuitt Vasquez, 10, for the first time after saving him from the fire from the jet crash at the beginning of the year, in Germantown, Pa., on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.
Despite the trauma and devastation the crash brought to Philadelphia, at the end of 2025, there was at least some good news. Ramesses Dreuitt Vazquez, a boy who was severely injured in the crash, was released from the hospital, just in time for the holidays.
Vazquez, who turned 10 in October, had endured almost a full year in the hospital, undergoing more than 40 surgeries, including multiple skin grafts, and the amputation of fingers and ears. He spent months in physical therapy relearning how to get out of bed, walk, and climb stairs.
But about a week before Christmas, he made it out. And while noting that Ramesses faced a challenging road ahead, the boy’s grandmother, Alberta “Amira” Brown, expressed happiness with his recovery.
“It’s the best thing ever that he’ll be home for the holidays,” Brown told The Inquirer. “He is truly happy to be coming home.”
The storm that hit Philadelphia Sunday brought with it 9.3 inches of snow for the city proper — the most we’ve seen at one time in a decade. And while that really sells the wintery vibe — especially when combined with the bitter cold we’re experiencing — cleanup efforts are ongoing.
Highways and public transportation in the region are largely restored, but some city streets remain packed with snow and ice. City school buildings Wednesday were in their third day of snow-related closures. And we might even be looking at more snow to come.
Here is what you need to know:
Roads (mostly) cleared
PennDot’s vehicle and speed restrictions have been lifted on all interstates and major highways across the Philadelphia region, as were those on state roads in New Jersey. But street plowing in the city remains a work in progress.
Residents from around the city told The Inquirer many side streets and some secondary streets remained coated in several inches of snow and ice, making traveling on them difficult or impossible. Data from PlowPHL, a service that tracks plow movement, indicated Tuesday that roughly a quarter of city streets had not received any snow treatment since the storm.
Parking enforcement resumes
The Philadelphia Parking Authority reopened its offices Wednesday, and began on-street parking enforcement for safety violations including parking in bus zones and in front of fire hydrants. The 24-hour $5 emergency garage parking rate was also rescinded, with PPA garages returning to their usual rates, the authority said.
Public transit resuming
SEPTA on Monday restored all of its subway, trolley, and suburban trolley services, and as of Wednesday was running Regional Rail lines on their normal weekday schedules. Bus service, SEPTA notes online, is largely operational, though several routes remain suspended due to road conditions.
Among the suspended buses Wednesday were routes 3, 5, 40, 41, and 115, according to the agency’s alerts page. The suspended routes, SEPTA indicated, would be restored “once it is safe to do so.”
PATCO, meanwhile, returned to its normal weekday schedule Tuesday.
Airport operational
Philadelphia International Airport experienced hundreds of flight cancellations and delays due to the storm, but remained open despite the inclement weather, Parker said at a news conference this week.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, the airport had experienced about 87 delays and 57 cancellations, according to flight data tracking website FlightAware. On Monday, the day after the storm, there were 326 delays and 290 cancelations, followed by 255 delays and 156 cancelations Tuesday, FlightAware indicated.
Archdiocesan high schools and city parochial schools will also go back to in-person classes Thursday.
Students and staff who arrive late to class due to weather-related issued would not have their lateness counted against them, Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. said.
This week’s disruption to the usual school schedule had begun taking its toll on some parents. Outside the city, many suburban districts had already reopened by Wednesday.
More snow possible
Post-storm, the Philadelphia region faces frigid temperatures that are expected to remain well below freezing until at least Feb. 4. Highs were expected to top out around the teens, and lows consistently in the single digits — along with wind chills reaching down into the negatives.
And then, of course, there is the potential for more snow this weekend.
Forecasters said Wednesday that it remained unclear exactly what we should expect, but a major coastal storm is likely to appear during the weekend. Early computer models indicated that the system would remain far offshore enough to spare the Philadelphia area from major snowfall, but accumulation predictions remain in flux.
After having experienced its heaviest snowfall in about a decade, the Philadelphia region now faces frigid temperatures that are expected to barely squeak out of the teens until next week. And all while dealing with cleanup from the 9.3 inches of snow that blanketed the city, a task made more complicated by minimal natural melting due to the cold — plus monitoring another potential winter storm for this coming weekend.
But don’t panic just yet. Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly say it’s too early to tell whether mean old Jack Frost will set his sights on us once again in the coming days, and what level of snowfall we could see if he does.
“There will likely be a system somewhere off the Eastern Seaboard over the weekend,” said weather service meteorologist Joe DeSilva. “But it’s very uncertain at this point.”
Besides, we’ve got enough to worry about already.
It won’t just be cold in the Philadelphia area this week — it will be dangerously so. On Tuesday, temperatures generally stretched only into the low or mid 20s, a good five to 10 degrees lower than what we saw Monday, the weather service said. Lows, meanwhile, stuck stubbornly in the single digits, with wind chills making it feel like zero or below.
That cold, it seems, will refuse to budge until next week. As we move through the final week of January, temps are expected to continue to nosedive, the weather service said.
Daytime highs throughout the week are expected to top out in the mid- or upper teens in the Philadelphia region, with some spots seeing the off chance of making it into the 20s. Lows are likely to stick in the single digits through Friday. As the weather service put it in a Tuesday afternoon update, this is “bone-chilling” cold that has the potential not only to stress the energy grid — as New Jersey and Philadelphia officials alluded to Monday — but also to cause frostbite and hypothermia.
Philadelphia, in fact, has the grim potential of hitting zero degrees for the first time in 32 years sometime in the coming days. We haven’t seen zero at the Philadelphia International Airport since Jan. 19, 1994, but that mercifully long streak could be broken Thursday or Friday, when temperatures are expected to go as low as 2 or 3 degrees, DeSilva said.
“We still have three nights before we get there, so lots could change between now and then,” he added.
A pedestrian walks through a snow-covered parking lot at Ninth and Arch Streets in Center City Philadelphia, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
These lows arrive as Philadelphia continues to dig out from last weekend’s winter storm, which resulted in a days-long snow emergency in the city that was only lifted Tuesday amid closures for city offices, courts, and schools. Despite a full-court press by the Philadelphia Streets Department, many smaller streets remained unplowed, and the cold weather threatened to institute a deep freeze that could complicate the cleanup, officials have said.
Unfortunately, no break is imminent. Temperatures are not expected to get above freezing until the early or middle part of next week, and even then perhaps barely so. In its Tuesday afternoon forecast, the weather service called the length and magnitude of the arctic air mass descending upon the area “exceedingly rare” and urged caution. Normal low temperatures for Monday’s date, for example, stand at about 25 degrees.
“We are running 15 to 20 degrees below average,” DeSilva said.
And then there is the possibility of even more snow amid our extended bout of cold — though as of Tuesday afternoon, it remained just that. The weather service noted that it remained unclear where precipitation could fall, and in what amounts, though early models indicated that the storm could spare much of the area away from the coast. Still, DeSilva said, it remained too early Tuesday to tell what to expect.
“If lows track further off the coast, we could see less impact here, but if they’re closer, we may have some moderate impacts,” DeSilva said.
Exact snowfall projections for the weekend’s impending storm are still taking shape, but by Friday afternoon, this much was clear:
There’s likely to be a lot of it.
Forecasts have predicted as much as 18 inches of snow in the city. A snow emergency has been declared, and already, Philadelphia schools have canceled classes on Monday — which means there should be ample time to get outside and enjoy the area’s bounty of prime sledding locales.
With the possibility of the city’s first double-digit snowfall in a decade, the region figures to be a sledder’s haven, with hills in all shapes and sizes.
Temperatures are expected to dip dangerously low beginning Friday night — so be sure to take precautions before heading out.
In the meantime, we’ve rounded up a few of the area’s best sledding spots to help you make the most of the coming snowfall.
The Art Museum’s “Rocky” steps are probably the most famous sledding spot in all of Philadelphia. Flying down solid concrete can be a bit dangerous — so take caution — but there should be plenty of snow on the ground by the time things taper off. And remember, there are some hills around back to hit, as well as a set of (less famous) steps.
Not far from the Art Museum, you’ll find East Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill, known typically for the Federal-style mansion that stands there. During snowstorms, however, it transitions into a prime sledding spot for kids of all ages, thanks to steep hillsides that are begging for a run. Like others on the list, though, it can get crowded, so be prepared to wait your turn.
Chestnut Hill locals know this spot as a landmark thanks to the 125-foot water tower, but it also happens to be among the neighborhood’s best sledding hills. That’s thanks to a wide variety of hills that make it a great choice for gaggles of kids with varying sledding experience, so feel free to bring the family out and stake your claim.
Aisha Mershani, back right, assists her daughter Zara, 5, front right, and their friend Rachit, 7, back center, as they sled at the Clark Park Bowl, in Philadelphia, Monday, January 6, 2025.
Take a trip to West Philly’s Clark Park, where you’ll find a “bowl” — one of the park’s best-known features — that offers some more moderate slopes for young, budding sledders, or folks just looking for a milder run. As a bonus, it’s a pretty roomy area, so feel free to take a break from the slopes and find a spot to get in on other winter activities, like building snowmen or making snow angels.
Sure, Burholme Park is home to the historic Robert W. Ryerss Museum and Library, but it also happens to be one of Northeast Philadelphia’s best sledding spots once the powder begins to stick. Here, you’ll find a large, expansive hill that serves as the park’s main draw for thrill-seeking sledders, but there are a few smaller, less intense options, too.
Jason Chestnut (left) rides a swing with his son Caleb Chestnut, 10, at the snow filled Anna C. Verna Playground at FDR Park in South Philadelphia on Thursday, January 23, 2025.
This might not be the adrenaline junky’s first choice, but there is plenty of space to ramble in this South Philly park. Plus, you’ll also find some options in nearby Packer Park (the so-called “Bridge Hill” at Broad and Packer is one favorite, but it’s near traffic, so be careful).
With about 50 acres of land, there’s no shortage of hills to choose from, and the scenery is tough to beat. Located in Southwest Philly, Bartram’s Garden might be best known for its historic botanical garden and fantastic skyline views of the city — but add sledding to the list come winter. If you’re planning on driving, the gates on 54th and 56th streets open at sunrise and close at sunset, though exact hours can vary.
You typically can’t go wrong when it comes to sledding and college campuses. On Hawk Hill, the university’s 125-acre main campus, you’ll find plenty of acceptable terrain upon which to relieve the winter doldrums and escape the stresses of student life.
At more than 1,700 acres, Newtown’s Tyler State Park is big. It also happens to be essentially one giant downhill slope that brings out the crowds when a good snow comes. Some favorite spots, according to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, are located just below the Upper Plantation Picnic Area parking lot, and west of the park’s covered bridge — so plan accordingly.
Located in Quakertown, Nockamixon State Park is home to all kinds of winter activities, ranging from ice fishing to cross-country skiing. It’s also a great sledding spot, particularly if you head to the area above the park’s marina. DCNR suggests parking in lot 13 for easy access. However, the Nockamixon’s hunting season is open, so be mindful not to enter hunting areas.
If you feel like the other spots on the list haven’t given you room to let loose on the slopes, this Downingtown park just might — it has around seven acres of sledding hills to check out. To get there, the DCNR recommends heading to the picnic area at the East Launch. Depending on when you go, check to see if Marsh Creek’s hunting season is open to avoid those areas.
For a more relaxing day of sledding, head to Media’s Rose Tree County Park. There, you’ll find 120 acres of gentle, rolling slopes that are perfect for novice sledders. If you want something a little more exciting, Ridley Creek State Park — located a couple miles from Rose Tree Park — has great options by its park office.
Yes, Valley Forge is a fantastic historical landmark, having served as the location for George Washington’s winter encampment in 1777 and 1778. But it’s also a great place to get some sledding done for the whole family. The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board has a few recommendations, including hills near the Memorial Arch and statue of Anthony Wayne.
Megan Solleder (front) appears to enjoy sledding for the first time with sister Alyssa Solleder at Frank Donio Memorial Park in Winslow in 2007. They were there with their mother.
At about 50 acres, this Sicklerville park isn’t huge, but it is a favorite sledding spot among locals when a good winter snow hits. Take the walking path to easily find plenty of hills to choose from, and get sledding.
In the warmer months, this Mount Laurel park is known for its small fishing lake and nature trail — but come winter, it’s a hot spot for South Jersey locals looking for some good sledding. Head there to find the park’s designated sledding hill, which is near the parking lot, and features a long slope that’s on the gentler side of things, making it great for youngsters.
Back in the late 1800s, this spot was part of a coastal defense system on the Delaware River. These days, it’s a favorite winter sledding spot for folks in Salem County. It’s not for the faint of heart, though, as the hills and embankments can get a little steep for inexperienced sledders — but they are good for picking up some serious speed.
The city’s famed Rocky statue has been cleared for installation atop the Philadelphia Art Museum’s iconic steps later this year following an Art Commission vote Wednesday. Four commissioners voted to approve the move, while one disapproved and one abstained.
With final approval granted, Creative Philadelphia, the city’s office for the creative sector, can move forward with its recently proposed plan to once again place the statue in one of the city’s most prominent locations. Since 2006, the statue has sat at the base of the museum’s steps, attracting an estimated 4 million visitors per year, agency officials have said.
“I think people come not because they’re told to — they come because it already belongs to them, and that kind of cultural legitimacy cannot be manufactured,” said commissioner Rebecca Segall at Wednesday’s meeting. “And by that measure, I believe it’s one of Philadelphia’s most meaningful monuments, and I believe we should just get him out of the bushes and put him up top.”
Now, Philly’s original Rocky statue — commissioned by Sylvester Stallone for 1982’s Rocky III and used in the film — will do just that sometime in the fall, per Creative Philadelphia’s plan. Its move to the top of the steps will come following its exhibition in “Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments,” an Art Museum program slated to run from April to August that will see the statue displayed inside the museum building for the first time.
Sylvester Stallone’s “second casting” of the Rocky statue version atop the museum steps Jan. 7, 2026. It will return to the actor’s collection once the original statue is relocated.
Another statue will be installed at the bottom of the Art Museum’s steps, though what statue that will be has not yet been determined. Last month, chief cultural officer Valerie V. Gay said the spot would not be filled with another Rocky statue, leaving Philadelphia with sculptures of the Italian Stallion at both the top of the Art Museum steps, and in Terminal A-West of Philadelphia International Airport.
As part of the original statue’s installation in the fall, Creative Philadelphia plans to develop a shuttle service for visitors with mobility limitations that will take passengers from the bottom of the steps to the top. The service, referred to as the “Rocky Shuttle,” will be run by the Philadelphia Visitor Center, and will operate similarly to the Philly Phlash bus service, which arrives at 15-minute intervals, Creative Philadelphia officials said.
Additionally, the statue will be placed on a pedestal roughly 14 feet back from the edge of the top step, next to where a small installation depicting Rocky’s shoe prints is currently embedded in the museum’s stone walkway, Marguerite Anglin, the city’s public art director, said Wednesday. The project has a budget of $150,000 to $250,000, though final costs were not available, she added. In its proposal last month, Creative Philadelphia indicated the project would cost about $150,000.
Wednesday’s vote came following about an hour of discussion, during which some Art Commission members raised concerns over whether moving the statue would strengthen the relationship Philadelphians have with art or increase attendance at the museum. Commissioner Pepón Osorio said many visitors have indicated they were coming to see the statue because it represents Rocky, and not because it is a work of art.
“I don’t think that people see it as a work of art,” he said. “People see it as an iconic structure.”
Debate over the statue’s merits has been going on since before it first arrived in town for the filming of Rocky III in 1981. In 1980, local artist and then-Art Commission member Joseph Brown referred to the statue as “unnecessarily strident,” and indicated the Rocky franchise didn’t lend any particular cachet to Philadelphia’s cultural standing. Inquirer columnist Tom Fox, meanwhile, in 1982 called the statue a “monument to schlock, chutzpah, and mediocrity.”
Public opinion has also been divided. In a September Inquirer poll, 46% of respondents said no Rocky statue belongs at the top of the steps, but the one at the bottom should stay. Roughly 20% said the city should not have a Rocky statue at all.
Now, however, with the installation plan approved, it appears the debate can continue with Rocky once again atop the Art Museum’s steps. As part of approval, Creative Philadelphia agreed to undertake community engagement efforts examining the public’s interpretation of the statue.
“This really isn’t, for us, about getting the statue up there and then we move on,” Gay said. “This really opens the door to how public art can be used in civic discourse, in the ethos of our city right now, to think about both contemporary [times] and the past, as well as how we think about the future.”
Tourists pose with the original Rocky statue in July 2022. The statue will move to the top of the steps in the fall.
The Philadelphia Art Commission on Wednesday is slated to vote on a plan that, if approved, would affix the original statue — commissioned by Sylvester Stallone for 1982’s Rocky III — at the top of the museum’s East entrance steps later this year. Recently proposed by Creative Philadelphia, the city’s office for the creative sector, the move stands to place the iconic statue in one of the city’s most prominent locations for the umpteenth time since it arrived here more than 40 years ago.
In fact, Philly’s original Rocky statue has been shuttled back and forth between the museum and the stadium complex in South Philly — another site that was pitched as its permanent home — at least six times, according to Inquirer and Daily News reports. But since 2006, it has sat at the base of the museum’s famed stair set, its most permanent location to date.
Somehow, though, it always seems to end up overlooking the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from on high, however temporarily. And every so often, debate over the statue seems to reignite, regardless of where the statue sits — a cycle that has been repeating itself since the dawn of the 1980s.
Here is how The Inquirer and Daily News covered the early days of Philly’s famed Rocky statue:
Article from Dec 11, 1980 Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
An ‘unnecessarily strident’ monument
The statue’s roots can be traced back to December 1980, when Stallone proposed the temporary installation of his own bronze visage atop the museum steps for the filming of Rocky III. From the start, the star proposed giving the statue to the city following filming as a “way of reaching the common man and perhaps beginning an interest in fine art,” production manager Jim Brubaker told the Daily News.
In Budapest, you don’t always see generals and politicians,” Brubaker said. “You see working men with picks and shovels and that relates to the working class.”
That month, Brubaker and sculptor A. Thomas Schomberg presented a model of the proposed statue to the Art Commission, the Fairmount Park Commission, and the museum’s board. The commission voted 6-2 in favor of letting the statue stay at the museum for the duration of filming, with the two “no” votes indicating that they didn’t want the statue near the museum ever, for any reason, The Inquirer reported.
“There is a difference between size and greatness,” said local artist and commission member Joseph Brown. “This is unnecessarily strident. I appreciated Rocky, but I don’t think it put our museum and our city on the map.”
Article from May 9, 1981 Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
Rocky arrives
The Rocky statue that Philly knows today officially arrived on May 8, 1981, and was unveiled in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum that afternoon — three hours later than expected because the truck that was carrying it got stuck in traffic on the way from West Philly, according to a Daily News report.
The plan was for the statue to return to California following filming, but Stallone himself was already admittedly embarrassed by the controversy that had quickly cropped up.
“I’m sorry that got blown out of proportion,” Stallone said, according to a Daily News report. “It’s essentially a prop for the movie. I really don’t want to ruffle anyone’s feathers.”
After a few days, the Rocky statue was dismantled with the conclusion of filming, and was set to be on its way back to the Golden State. City Representative Dick Doran, however, urged Stallone to reconsider the statue’s relocation, noting that it could be relocated to the Spectrum in South Philly, or placed outside the Philadelphia Tourist Center on JFK Plaza.
Article from May 25, 1982 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
Philly’s ‘Rocky III’ premiere
In May 1982, Rocky III made its premiere in Philadelphia with a screening at the Sameric Theater at 19th and Chestnut in a star-studded affair that began with a reception at the Art Museum in which Stallone himself presented the Rocky statue to Philadelphia, almost exactly a year to the day that it first arrived in town. It was, The Inquirer reported, a 300th birthday gift to the city.
On May 24, 1982, the statue was officially unveiled to the city, with Stallone himself pulling the cord on a canvas cover to reveal the sculpture at the top of the museum’s steps as the Lincoln High School band played the Rocky theme, The Inquirer reported. Stallone had “done more for this city than anyone since Benjamin Franklin,” said Doran, then the city’s commerce director.
“I owe everything to the city of Philadelphia,” Stallone said at the unveiling. “If you could cut up the character of Rocky into a million pieces, each of you would be a part of it.”
Article from May 24, 1982 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
‘Schlock, chutzpah, and mediocrity’
Though the statue was displayed prominently, it was not exactly well-received. The Daily News’ Kitty Caparella, for example, called it “only a movie prop.”
Inquirer columnist Tom Fox, meanwhile, called the statue a “monument to schlock, chutzpah, and mediocrity.” Art Commission member Joe Brown, a local painter, meanwhile, told Fox the statue “violates the spirit of the museum and its environment,” and that the city would be better served by the creation of a statue depicting Tug McGraw, Pete Rose, or Dr. J instead.
Still, a museum spokesperson said, attendance had increased since the statue’s installation, though they believed it was because of a new exhibit featuring the work of artist Thomas Eakins. Those arriving at the museum to see Rocky, the spokesperson told the Daily News, “don’t even come inside.”
Article from Aug 3, 1982 Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
Goodbye, Rocky
Though the statue was only supposed to initially be installed at the Art Museum through mid-July 1982, it remained there through early August that year, Daily News reports from the time indicate. In fact, it wasn’t moved to the Spectrum until Aug. 3, 1982.
At the time, no one was willing to foot a reported $25,000 bill to get the statue to the Spectrum, and the issue was only settled after negotiations led to splitting the cost between the Spectrum and distributor United Artists, according to a Daily News report from the time. The city, a Commerce Department staffer told The Inquirer, flatly refused to pay.
But on a hot day, the statue’s run atop the Art Museum’s steps came to an end. Despite encountering difficulties with removal due to the concrete base upon which it had been installed, workers were ultimately able to send the statue on its way to the Spectrum — the spot where it would largely remain until it saw a high-profile move back to the Art Museum for the filming of Rocky V.
“People are going to miss him,” said onlooker Marcy Landesburg, of Wyncote, amid the statue’s 1982 removal. “They’re having a hard time dislodging him. He doesn’t want to go.”
After more than 40 years behind bars, reputed former Black Mafia leader Lonnie Dawson has been freed from prison, ending a decades-long legal drama that includes state and federal convictions for crimes, including drug trafficking and murder.
Dawson’s release, though weeks old, went viral on social media in recent days thanks to video clips appearing to show his first moments as a newly free man. The widely shared video shows a man exiting the gates of a prison and immediately kneeling on a sidewalk in prayer.
Dawson, also known as Abdul Salim, was freed from SCI Smithfield in Huntingdon County on Dec. 22 following a successful petition under the Pennsylvania Post Conviction Relief Act, his attorney, David B. Mischak, told The Inquirer. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections confirmed Dawson’s release date, noting that he had been held in that state prison for three months before he was freed. The bulk of his incarceration, however, was served in federal prison.
“Mr. Dawson has spent the majority of his adult life behind bars,” Mischak said in a statement posted to his law firm’s website. “After more than 40 years of incarceration, Lonnie Dawson is grateful for the opportunity to live out his remaining years with dignity and peace.”
Dawson’s path to release was a long and circuitous one that stretches back to a 1975 murder of which he was twice convicted at the state level — and sentenced to life. In the 1980s, federal convictions on drug distribution and related charges followed, leading to a staggering 134-year federal sentence. Here is how The Inquirer and Daily News covered it:
Article from Aug 10, 1982 Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
The murder of Herschell Williams
In November 1975, a purported drug dealer and Black Mafia member named Herschell Williams — also known as the “Jolly Green Giant” due to his 6-foot-6 frame — was gunned down near his Mount Airy home. Shortly after the murder, Dawson, along with fellow reputed Black Mafia members Roy Hoskins and Joseph Rhone, were arrested in connection with the slaying while driving on the Schuylkill Expressway, reports from the time indicate.
Investigators later linked Williams’ murder to a dispute over cocaine, and authorities alleged that Hoskins and Rhone carried out the shooting while Dawson, whom they said ordered the killing, served as the getaway driver, The Inquirer and Daily News reported. Several months later, both Dawson and Hoskins were convicted of murder in separate cases and sentenced to life in prison, while Rhone, who jumped bail following his arrest, remained a fugitive.
The convictions stuck until July 1978, when the state Supreme Court ordered new trials due to legal errors during the initial proceedings. Following their arrests, both men had been questioned by then-Detective Michael Chitwood, and Dawson’s conviction was overturned in part because his attorney was not allowed to cross-examine Chitwood. Dawson alleged Chitwood had fabricated a confession used during the trial, according to Inquirer reports.
The retrial, however, did not work out in either man’s favor. Dawson, for his part, was again convicted in August 1982 and later sentenced to life for a second time, despite having maintained at trial that he was busy giving one of his children a haircut about 20 blocks away at the time Williams was killed, according to Inquirer and Daily News reports.
Article from Dec 14, 1982 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
A federal conviction
As Dawson awaited retrial in the Williams case, more legal issues were added to his docket. In April 1982, an FBI affidavit alleged that Dawson and Hoskins quickly took over the Black Mafia after the state Supreme Court overturned their convictions, and revealed that both had been investigated over the past year by federal authorities.
That, however, only came to light after Dawson, Hoskins, and several others were arrested following a high-speed car chase on I-95 in which a car was riddled with bullets in an apparent attempt to kill a federal informant, Inquirer and Daily News reports from the time indicate.
The informant, Lawrence D. Simons, who said he was a member of the Black Mafia, was unharmed in the chase, which concluded after his would-be killers crashed their vehicle into a tree, the Daily News reported.
Federal grand jury indictments followed, with Dawson and his alleged cohorts facing a lengthy list of charges, including obstruction of justice, conspiracy, drug, and gun counts. Authorities alleged Dawson was the Black Mafia’s leader, and said the group was linked to drug trafficking throughout Philadelphia and Delaware County, The Inquirer reported.
After a three-week trial, Dawson was found guilty on a number of counts, and sentenced to a 134-year prison sentence and $230,000 in fines — though a later appeal dropped that sentence to 65 years and $100,000. Hoskins faced a similarly stiff penalty.
U.S. District Judge Louis C. Bechtle in his ruling referred to both men as “major drug manufacturers” who were a “danger to the community.” The sentences, the Daily News reported at the time, were the harshest ever imposed by a federal judge in the Philadelphia area for drug trafficking.
Dawson in court denied he was involved in a major drug ring and called the charges “a bunch of malarkey,” the Daily News reported.
Article from Dec 21, 1984 Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
‘Ain’t calling too many shots now’
While Dawson was imprisoned in the early 1980s, a report from the Daily News alleged that he remained in control of drug sales in Philadelphia — particularly in North Philadelphia, Germantown, and Mount Airy. An unnamed FBI source told the People Paper that despite Dawson being jailed, his drug trafficking activity did not slow down, and said he regularly met with organized crime figures to orchestrate sales.
The Daily News later reported that Dawson was placed in administrative segregation in prison. The move, an unnamed associate told the paper, diminished Dawson’s alleged stature in the drug trade, and as a result, he “ain’t calling too many shots now.”
In late 1984, Dawson responded to the Daily News’ reporting directly in a letter to the paper in which he denied controlling drug sales anywhere. While in prison, he said, he had never met with organized crime figures to discuss drug manufacturing or sales, and said claims were floated by reporters “in hope of getting some type of promotion and/or attention.”
“Why must I be the sacrificial lamb?” Dawson wrote. “Why?”
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