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  • A Guide to the 2026 Philadelphia Mummers Parade

    A Guide to the 2026 Philadelphia Mummers Parade

    This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Philadelphia Mummers Parade, that colorful, boisterous procession that has come to define New Year’s Day in the city.

    The festivities kick off at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1, as more than 10,000 performers take to the streets for a daylong celebration USA Today readers recently hailed as the nation’s best holiday parade.

    From parking to road closures to how to go about watching, here’s everything you need to know ahead of time.

    Kasey McCullough kisses her son Finn, 5, after his appearance with Bill McIntyre’s Shooting Stars during their performance in the Fancy Brigade Finale at the Convention Center Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, part of the Philadelphia Mummers New Year’s Day parade. Their theme is “Legends of the Secret Scrolls.” Finn’s dad, Jim McCullough also performed, his 40th year with the Mummers. They are from Washington Twp.Washington Township, N.J.

    Mummers Parade route

    The mile-and-a-half route begins at City Hall, before heading south down Broad Street to Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia.

    How to watch the 2026 Mummers Parade

    Watch the Mummers Parade in person

    The parade is free to attend. Those hoping for a more intimate experience, however, have a few options:

    • Reserved bleacher seats located near the judging stand just west of City Hall are available for $25 at visitphilly.com.
    • Additionally, tickets to the Fancy Brigade Finale — held at 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. inside the Convention Center — range from $28 to $43. Tickets are available at visitphilly.com or during business hours at the Independence Visitor Center.

    Watch the Mummers Parade from home

    The parade will be broadcast from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on:

    Members of the Saints wench brigade step to the judges’ stand during the 124th Mummers Parade on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

    What is the Mummers Parade?

    In short, it’s the longest continuously running folk parade in the country. Some 10,000 elaborately dressed performers take part in the celebration each year, part of dozens of groups spread across several divisions.

    • Fancies: Painted faces and elaborate costumes.
    • Comics: Satirical comedy skits aimed at public figures, institutions, and current events.
    • Wench Brigades: Known for traditional Mummers costumes, including dresses, bloomers, and bonnets.
    • Fancy Brigades: Theatrical performances. (The Fancy Brigade Finale takes place on New Year’s Day with a pair of ticketed performances at the Convention Center at 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.)
    • String Bands: Marching musicians playing an assortment of string and reed instruments.

    Mummers Parade performers

    Fancy Division

    • Golden Sunrise

    Wench Brigade Division

    • Froggy Carr
    • Pirates
    • Americans
    • Cara Liom
    • MGK
    • O’Malley
    • Oregon
    • Saints
    • Riverfront
    • Bryson
    • Comic Division

    Mother Club: Landi Comics NYA

    • Philadelphia Pranking Authority
    • Mayfair Mummers
    • Barrels Brigade
    • The Jacks

    Mother Club: Rich Porco’s Murray Comic Club

    • Holy Rollers NYB
    • Vaudevillains NYB
    • Trama NYB
    • Wild Rovers NYB
    • Mollywoppers NYB
    • Merry Makers NYB
    • Misfits NYB
    • Fitzwater NYB
    • Funny Bonez NYB
    • Top Hat NYB
    • Fiasco NYB
    • Golden Slipper NYB
    • B. Love Strutters
    • Madhatters NYB
    • Tankie’s Angels NYB
    • The Leftovers NYB
    • Finnegan NYB

    Mother Club: Goodtimers NYA

    • SouthSide Shooters NYA
    • Jokers Wild NYB
    • Hog Island NYA
    • Pinelands Mummers NYB
    • Happy Tappers NYB
    • Two Street Stompers NYB
    • Gormley NYB
    • Jesters NYB
    • Lobster Club NYB
    • South Philly Strutters NYB
    • Jolly Jolly Comics NYB

    String Band Division

    • Duffy String Band
    • Durning String Band
    • Quaker City String Band
    • Fralinger String Band
    • Uptown String Band
    • Avalon String Band
    • South Philadelphia String Band
    • Aqua String Band
    • Greater Kensington String Band
    • Woodland String Band
    • Polish American String Band
    • Ferko String Band
    • Hegeman String Band
    • Jersey String Band
    Members of Froggy Carr chant as they strut to Market Street during the 124th Philadelphia Mummers Parade on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

    Mummers Parade-day hacks

    Navigating the heavily attended event can require a bit of planning, with entire Reddit threads devoted to parade-day tips — including the best places to park and how to access elusive public restrooms throughout the day.

    A few things to keep in mind: The parade is accessible through SEPTA Regional Rail, bus, subway, and trolley lines. And though parking is free because of the holiday, it’s expected to be scarce.

    While the heart of the action takes place near City Hall and Dilworth Park, performance areas will also be located along the parade route — at Broad Street at Sansom, Pine, and Carpenter Streets.

    Starting at 11 a.m., meanwhile, parade attendees can gather at the staging area for the string bands to watch the performers prepare. (The staging areas are located at Market Street between 17th and 21st Streets and JFK Boulevard between 17th and 20th Streets.)

    Also good to remember? Dress warm, bring a lawn chair (they’re permitted), and pace yourself — it has the potential to be a very long day.

    Ferko String Band tenor sax players Renee Duffy of Deptford (left) and Tom Garrity of Berlin take a break from the parade as they ride in the bands truck on South Broad Street during the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

    Mummers Parade road closures and parking restrictions

    Friday, Dec. 26, 2025

    No parking from 6 p.m. on Dec. 26 through 6 p.m. on Jan. 2, on the east curb lane of 15th Street from JFK Boulevard to South Penn Square.

    Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025

    No parking from 6 p.m. on Dec. 27 through 7 a.m. on Jan. 2, on the west side of 15th Street from Arch Street to Ranstead Street. Street and sidewalk vendors will also not be permitted to park in this area.

    Monday, Dec. 29, 2025

    15th Street will be closed to southbound traffic at JFK Boulevard. Closure begins at 8 a.m. on Dec. 29 and runs through 7 a.m. Jan. 2.

    Market Street eastbound will be closed to traffic at 16th Street from 8 a.m. on Dec. 29 through 7 a.m. on Jan. 2.

    Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025

    No parking on the following streets from 4 a.m. on Dec. 30 through 6 p.m. on Jan. 1:

    •  Market Street from 15th Street to 21st Street (both sides)
    • JFK Boulevard from Juniper Street to 20th Street (both sides)

    15th Street will be closed to southbound traffic at JFK Boulevard. Closure begins at 7 a.m. on Dec. 30 and runs through 7 a.m. Jan. 2.

    Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025

    Market Street will be closed to vehicle traffic from 15th Street to 21st Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 31. Market Street will reopen at 3 p.m. and traffic will be permitted to travel eastbound on Market Street to 15th Street and continue southbound on 15th Street.

    Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026

    The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic beginning at 3 a.m. on Jan. 1 through the parade’s conclusion:

    • 15th Street from Arch Street to Chestnut Street
    • Market Street from 15th Street to 21st Street

    These streets will be closed to vehicle traffic beginning at 6 a.m. on Jan. 1 through the conclusion of the parade:

    • Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 16th Street to 20th Street
    • North Broad Street from Cherry Street to JFK Boulevard
    • 16th Street from Chestnut Street to Race Street
    • 17th Street from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Ludlow Street
    • 18th Street from Ludlow Street to Race Street
    • 19th Street from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Chestnut Street
    • 1500 block of Ranstead Street
    • 1300 block of Carpenter Street
    • 1000 block of South 13th Street
    • Chestnut Street from 15th Street to 18th Street (north side)
    • Cherry Street from 15th Street to 17th Street
    • Arch Street from 15th Street to 17th Street
    • Washington Avenue from 12th Street to 18th Street

    Broad Street will be closed to vehicle traffic from South Penn Square to Washington Avenue on Thursday, Jan. 1, beginning at 7 a.m. through the conclusion of the parade.

    Vehicle traffic will not be permitted to cross Broad Street during the parade.

    Additional Parking Restrictions

    No parking from 2 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1 (on both sides of street unless otherwise noted):

    • Broad Street from Cherry Street to Ellsworth Street
    • Juniper Street from JFK Boulevard to East Penn Square
    • South/East Penn Square from 15th Street to Juniper Street
    • Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 16th Street to 20th Street
    • Logan Circle (north side)
    • 16th Street from Chestnut Street to Race Street
    • 17th Street from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Ludlow Street
    • 18th Street from Ludlow Street to Race Street
    • 19th Street from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Chestnut Street
    • 1500 block of Ranstead Street
    • 1300 block of Carpenter Street
    • 1000 block of South 13th Street
    • Chestnut Street from 15th Street to 18th Street (north side)
    • Cherry Street from 15th Street to 17th Street
    • Arch Street from 15th Street to 17th Street
    • Washington Avenue from 12th Street to 18th Street

    SEPTA detours

    SEPTA hasn’t updated their schedule for the parade yet, but bus detours, alerts, and information can be found on SEPTA’s website.

    A brief history of the Mummers Parade

    What began in 1901 as a way to corral the city’s annual New Year’s debauchery has transformed into one of its most beloved traditions.

    Inspired by traditions brought to Philly by Swedish, Finnish, Irish, German, English, and African immigrants, the annual event has grown to feature thousands of costumed performers competing in a colorful, unique, and family-friendly daylong affair.

    Despite past funding issues and occasional controversy, the Mummers Parade today stands as one of the city’s quintessential events, celebrated by locals and embraced by Philly royalty; former Eagle Jason Kelce memorably donned a traditional Mummers outfit for the team’s Super Bowl parade in 2018, and actor Kevin Bacon, along with brother Michael, has helped fundraise for the event.

  • A 2-year-old girl was beaten to death in South Philadelphia, police say. Her mother’s boyfriend is under arrest.

    A 2-year-old girl was beaten to death in South Philadelphia, police say. Her mother’s boyfriend is under arrest.

    A 2-year-old girl was beaten to death in South Philadelphia last week, authorities say, and three people have been charged in connection with the crime.

    The girl, Key’Monnie Bean, may have been subjected to abuse before the fatal beating on Dec. 8, Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski said at a news conference Thursday.

    “There are indications this was an ongoing situation this little girl had to endure,” she said.

    That night, police were called to a home in the 2100 block of South Beechwood Street for a report of an unresponsive child. When officers arrived, they found the girl lying on the floor of the basement, police said. She was not breathing, and bruises covered her body, Toczylowski said.

    Efforts to revive the child were unsuccessful, said Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore. She was pronounced dead shortly before 10 p.m. at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

    Prosecutors are still awaiting a medical examiner’s report, Toczylowski said, but preliminary evidence suggests the child may have been beaten with objects and her airway restricted, causing suffocation. Her death has been ruled a homicide.

    Sean Hernandez, also known as Raafi Gorham, the boyfriend of the toddler’s mother, was arrested Wednesday and charged with murder, police said. Gorham, 21, lives at the house where the girl was found, Toczylowski said.

    Gorham’s cousin, Anthony Lowrie, 21, and Alycia McNeill, 20, were also arrested Wednesday and charged with obstruction and lying to police, Toczylowski said. Lowrie is additionally charged with giving police a fake identification. Toczylowski said the two provided conflicting and false accounts of what occurred that evening. Both live in West Passyunk.

    “Everyone in that house was very reluctant” to speak with police, she said, though someone in the house had called 911.

    Key’Monnie’s mother was home at the time of the alleged beating, Toczylowski said, but has not been charged in the incident.

    The girl’s father, TaShaun Walls, declined to comment Thursday, citing his grief.

    In a public Facebook post, Walls wrote: “I love you so much [and] miss you so much already just wish I would has been there faster but I’ll never forget you.”

  • Two Philly men accused of ‘fraud tourism’ in a Minnesota scandal that has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump

    Two Philly men accused of ‘fraud tourism’ in a Minnesota scandal that has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump

    Two Philadelphia men are facing federal charges in Minnesota after authorities said the men had learned of the state’s lax controls around a government-funded housing program, then traveled there to learn how to exploit it — the latest development in a long-running fraud scandal that has enveloped Minnesota and drawn the ire of President Donald Trump.

    Anthony Waddell Jefferson, 37, and Lester Brown, 53, were accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $3.5 million in government proceeds — funds that should have gone to Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services Program, prosecutors said, but were instead diverted to two companies the men oversaw in Philadelphia.

    Jefferson and Brown “came [to Minnesota] not to enjoy our lakes, our beautiful summers, or our warm people,” Joseph H. Thompson, Minnesota’s first assistant U.S. attorney, said Thursday. “They came here because they knew and understood that Minnesota was a place where taxpayer money could be taken with little risk and few consequences.”

    Jefferson and Brown each face one count of wire fraud and were charged by information, prosecutors said, which typically means a defendant intends to plead guilty.

    Court records for their cases were not immediately available, and it was not clear if either man had retained an attorney.

    Thompson cast their case as a novel twist in a scandal that he said was “swamping Minnesota” and had likely bilked taxpayers out of hundreds of millions of dollars intended for daycares, hunger programs, autism support, and other endeavors.

    The state had become such a magnet for fraudsters, Thompson said, that Jefferson and Brown had effectively performed “fraud tourism,” visiting the state purely to learn how to take advantage of its reputation for having programs that were ripe for abuse.

    The broader issues over the state’s lax disbursements have burst into national view in recent months as Trump and other Republicans have taken interest in the situation. Trump on social media called Minnesota a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” and, because many of those charged have ties to Minneapolis’ Somali community, said “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great state.”

    Republicans have also blamed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee — for allowing the situation to unfold on his watch. And right-wing groups have questioned whether some funds were being disbursed to terrorist groups in Somalia or elsewhere in Africa.

    Thompson said Thursday that he did not believe that was being done at a large scale, but that the exploitation of the programs was troubling and a phenomenon that had become uniquely common in Minnesota.

    Fraud scandals targeting government programs date back at least a decade in that state. But they received renewed attention in 2022, when the FBI raided the offices of Feeding Our Future, a food relief nonprofit that had rapidly expanded through pandemic relief efforts.

    Investigators later pointed to about $250 million in federal funding the group had received as part of the Department of Human Services’ Child Nutrition Program, some of which had allegedly been funneled into fraudulent claims for the Medicaid-backed meals program.

    Prosecutors did not have evidence to show exactly how much they said had been misspent, but said last month 78 people had been charged in connection with the scheme, which they called one of the largest pandemic-related frauds in the country.

    The Feeding Our Future investigation is just one of several schemes that have been fueling discourse over Minnesota’s government disbursements. The discussion has taken a dark turn in recent weeks, as Trump used the situation to insult Walz with a slur for people with intellectual disabilities, and to lash out at Somali immigrants, saying, “I don’t want them in our country.” During a speech in Pennsylvania this month, he called Somalia “about the worst country in the world.”

    As for the Philadelphia defendants, prosecutors said the men created two companies — Chozen Runner LLC and Retsel Real Estate LLC — in order to submit “fake and inflated bills” for housing services that were never provided. The program they ripped off was intended to create housing for people with disabilities or substance abuse issues, prosecutors said.

    Jefferson and Brown “repeatedly flew together from Philadelphia to Minneapolis,” purportedly to recruit beneficiaries for their LLCs from Section 8 housing or shelters, prosecutors said. But Jefferson and his employees created fake paperwork, sometimes listing bogus employees, to dupe insurance companies into reimbursing them.

    In all, prosecutors said, they submitted $3.5 million worth of claims for services they said they provided to 230 people.

    Thompson said the men and their companies had virtually no connections to Minnesota other than viewing the state housing funds as “easy money.”

    Jefferson, a Brewerytown resident according to voter registration data, describes himself in social media profiles and an online biography as a serial entrepreneur — selling a line of perfumes, working as a gospel musician, while also serving as the CEO of “The Housing Guys,” a group that says it provides housing stabilization services. In a photo posted to social media last summer, Jefferson was pictured being presented with an honorary citation from City Council President Kenyatta Johnson.

    Contacted Thursday by an Inquirer reporter, Jefferson hung up.

    He was pursued earlier this year in Philadelphia courts over a $103,000 federal tax lien.

    Brown formed Retsel — “Lester” spelled backward — in 2021, according to Pennsylvania corporate documents, using a mailing address in the West Oak Lane neighborhood.

    Attempts to reach Brown for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.

  • Craig Kellem, celebrated talent agent, TV producer, and ‘comedic genius,’ has died at 82

    Craig Kellem, celebrated talent agent, TV producer, and ‘comedic genius,’ has died at 82

    Craig Kellem, 82, of Philadelphia, former talent agent, celebrated TV producer, show developer, writer, longtime script consultant, author, and “comedic genius,” died Monday, Nov. 24, of complications from dementia at Saunders House assisted living in Wynnewood.

    Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Kellem moved to New York as a teenager and, at 22, burst onto the entertainment scene in 1965 as a talent scout and agent for what was then called Creative Management Associates. He rose to vice president of the company’s TV Department and, over the next 30 years, served as director of development for late night, syndication, and daytime TV at 20th Century Fox Television, vice president of comedy development at Universal Television, and executive vice president of the Arthur Co. at Universal Studios.

    He worked with fellow TV producer Lorne Michaels at Above Average Productions in the 1970s and was a popular associate producer for the first season of Saturday Night Live in 1975 and ’76. He was quoted in several books about that chaotic first season, and his death was noted in the show’s closing credits on Dec. 6.

    At Universal Studios, he created and produced FBI: The Untold Stories in 1991. At Universal Television in the 1980s, he developed nearly a dozen shows that aired, including Charles in Charge and Domestic Life in 1984. In 1980, he developed Roadshow for 20th Century Fox Television.

    Mr. Kellem worked for years in New York and Los Angeles.

    “He had a lot of energy and ideas,” said his wife, Vivienne. “He had a creative spirit.”

    His producing, creating, developing, and writing credits on IMDb.com also include The Munsters Today, The New Adam-12, Dragnet, and What a Dummy. He produced TV films and specials, and worked on productions with Eric Idle, Gladys Knight, Sammy Davis Jr., and the Beach Boys.

    In 1998, he and his daughter, Judy Hammett, cofounded Hollywoodscript.com and, until his retirement in 2021, he consulted for writers and edited and critiqued screenplays. In 2018, they coauthored Get It On the Page: Top Script Consultants Show You How.

    “He loved working with writers,” his daughter said. “He was super creative. It was part of his essence.”

    Mr. Kellem enjoyed time with his daughter Joelle (left) and his wife Vivienne.

    As an agent in the 1960s and ’70s, Mr. Kellem represented George Carlin, Lily Tomlin, and other entertainers. His eye for talent, dramatic timing, and sense of humor were legendary.

    “My dad’s humor opened hearts, tore down walls, and allowed people to connect with each other’s humanity, vulnerability, and spirit,” said his daughter Joelle. His daughter Judy said: “He was a comedic genius.”

    His wife said: “He was a fascinating, funny, loving, and sensitive man.”

    Craig Charles Kellem was born Jan. 24, 1943. He grew up with a brother and two sisters in West Mount Airy, played with pals in nearby Carpenter’s Woods, and bought candy in the corner store at Carpenter Lane and Greene Street.

    Mr. Kellem and his son, Sean.

    “Craig was like a father to me,” said his brother, Jim. “He helped guide my children and was always there for the whole family.”

    He graduated from high school in New York and moved up to senior positions at Creative Management Associates after starting in the mailroom. He married in his 20s and had a daughter, Judy.

    After a divorce, he met Vivienne Cohen in London in 1977, and they married in 1980, and had a son, Sean, and a daughter, Joelle. He and his wife lived in California, Washington, New Hampshire, and New Jersey before moving to Fairmount in 2017.

    Mr. Kellem enjoyed movies, walking, and daily workouts at the gym. He volunteered at shelters, helped underserved teens, and routinely carried dog treats in his car in case he encountered a stray in need. “That’s the kind of man Craig was,“ his wife said.

    Mr. Kellem and his daughter Judy operated their own writing consultation business together for years.

    His son, Sean, said: “My dad’s personality was big, and he was deeply compassionate toward other human beings.” His daughter Joelle said: “He was an open, sensitive, warm, and passionate human being who believed deeply in the work of bettering oneself and taking care of others.”

    His daughter Judy said: “They don’t make people like my dad.”

    In addition to his wife, children, and brother, Mr. Kellem is survived by four grandchildren and other relatives. Two sisters died earlier.

    Private services are to be held later.

    Donations in his name may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 399 Market St., No. 250, Philadelphia, Pa. 19106; and Main Line Heath HomeCare and Hospice, 240 N. Radnor Chester Rd., Suite 100, Wayne, Pa. 19087.

    Mr. Kellem enjoyed daily workouts at the gym.
  • Temple pledges to boost police patrol officers by 58% over five years following staffing study

    Temple pledges to boost police patrol officers by 58% over five years following staffing study

    Temple University plans to increase its patrol officer ranks by 58% over five years after a study assessing staffing levels showed the school was below the middle tier of a framework that rates law enforcement agencies.

    The university currently has 77 sworn officers — 50 of them patrol officers — and president John Fry pledged to add 29 patrol officers, one detective, six sergeants, and one lieutenant. That would increase the overall number of sworn officers to 114.

    Temple president John Fry said safety was his first priority. Now he plans to increase patrol officers by 58% over five years.

    No target has been set for how many officers will be hired per year, but those discussions are underway, said Fry, who named public safety a top priority when he started in November 2024.

    Temple president targets safety, neighborhood improvements and fundraising for early attention in his tenure

    The university’s declaration comes amid a particularly difficult time for police hiring, with departments nationally — including the Philadelphia Police Department — continuing to face shortages. Temple has been working for several years to attract more officers, including increasing salaries and benefits, adding signing and retention bonuses and higher contributions to retirement accounts, and hiring an associate director to focus solely on hiring, recruitment, retention, and training. The department also moved to 12-hour shifts to give officers more days off.

    Yet, the number of sworn officers has decreased from 81 in March 2024 to the current 77, despite additional hires being made, including four new officers from the Temple University Municipal Police Academy in October.

    As new semester gets underway, Temple cites drop in crime alongside new crime-fighting measures

    “We must, and we will, deploy ever more compelling and creative incentives to make Temple’s Department of Public Safety a destination employer for law enforcement in our region,” Fry said. “Our plan is to look closely at what we are doing in the areas of recruitment and retention over the next several months and see what improvements can be made.”

    Amid recent shootings, Temple hires former Philly Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey to conduct campus safety audit

    Temple plans to hire former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey’s 21CP Solutions company to assist, including with how best to recruit and retain more officers, Fry said. The university had hired Ramsey to assess safety following the shooting death of student Samuel Collington in November 2021 and has implemented almost all of the 68 recommendations from his report released in April 2023.

    The staffing study was one of the final recommendations that Temple had to complete.

    Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey speaks at a press conference on the Temple safety audit his firm completed in April 2023.

    New bike patrol officers

    In addition, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel has committed to providing six bike patrol officers and a sergeant assigned to Temple, beginning Jan. 5. That’s up from the current four officers and supervisor, who were not always the same personnel.

    “The ability to have relationships and collaborations … will be better because it’ll be a consistent group,” said Jennifer Griffin, Temple’s vice president for public safety.

    “The ability to have relationships and collaborations … will be better because it’ll be a consistent group,” Jennifer Griffin, vice president for public safety at Temple University, said about the city’s six bike patrol officers that will be dedicated to Temple.

    Members of the Temple University Police Association, the officers union, have complained for years of inadequate staffing. In a social media post about a year ago, the union said the department had lost more than 50 officers since 2022.

    But Andrew Lanetti, president of the union, said he is pleased with the direction outlined by Fry.

    “From our talks here in the past few days, I am happy with where we’re going in the future,“ he said. ”I believe this is going to be a very positive experience and it’s going to help our community a lot.”

    University and union officials already have been discussing ways to recruit and retain more officers, and a more positive working relationship between the union and the university could help move the needle on hiring and retention.

    “We’re going to work together and our goal is all the same,” Griffin said. “We want a safer Temple and a safer community.”

    Budget woes

    The move also comes as the university attempts to close a budget deficit, made worse this fall when the school missed enrollment projections for its main campus that translated to about $10 million in lost revenue.

    “It will be a challenge,” Fry said of the new police officer hiring, “but it’s a priority, so we will meet that challenge.“

    He said money for the new staffing will be built into the university’s five-year budget plan.

    Temple last February hired safety and security consulting companies Healy+ and COSECURE, ancillary businesses of the Cozen O’Connor law firm, to conduct the staffing study. They used a tiered framework “to assess the capacity and effectiveness of law enforcement agencies,” Temple said. The university declined to release the full report, citing its proprietary information.

    “Temple is positioned below the middle tier of the framework, meaning the department is presently staffed to meet the essential public safety and emergency response needs of our community,” Fry said. “However, additional personnel would allow the department to organize and coordinate its activities to focus on additional proactive and community engagement activities that would position it higher in the consultant’s framework.”

    With the additional police officers that Temple plans to hire, the school would rise from just below the third of five tiers in the consultant’s rating system to the second tier, Fry said. The second tier, he said, connotes “higher levels of proactive enforcement, more presence, more mitigation strategies, and then more outreach, more community engagement.”

    Public safety is extremely important as the university plans to release its strategic plan and campus development plan early next year and as Fry seeks to spur economic development along the Broad Street corridor, from Temple’s new Terra Hall location in Center City to the health campus in North Philadelphia.

    Temple plans to fill the gap left by UArts with their new Center City campus

    “There’s going be a campus development plan, which clearly is going to put more activity on this campus, which means we’re going to have to support our police,” Fry said.

    Potential investors, he said, are watching.

    “When they’re about to commit significant investment, they want to know the area is safe,” he said.

    ‘Hold ourselves accountable’

    Former Temple president Jason Wingard pledged to increase the police force by 50% the month that Collington was killed, and those numbers never materialized. In fact, the number of officers dropped.

    Fry said what is different this time is that he has specified the exact numbers that will be added over a distinct time frame.

    “This is not something we’re just sort of speculating about,” he said. “This is based on a professional study. … We’ll be able to hold ourselves accountable.”

    The university already has made a host of changes that were recommended by Ramsey in the 2023 report. They include more foot patrols and security cameras and increased technology in the communications center.

    The university in 2024 touted a decrease in aggravated assaults, robberies, and thefts in its patrol zone. Despite improvements, Temple has continued to face safety challenges in its North Philadelphia neighborhood, including large groups of juveniles that sometimes gather on or near campus — a challenge in other areas of the city, too.

    And a student was shot and killed by another student near off-campus housing in February.

    Temple’s been part of several high-profile crime incidents recently. President John Fry is getting high marks for communication.

    Griffin said she stands behind the efforts to grow the department and make further improvements in training and operations.

    “I truly believe it will help position us as one of the highest-performing university police departments in the country,” Griffin said.

    Fry said once the university reaches its five-year hiring target, it will reevaluate its needs and figure out next steps.

  • What’s open and closed on Christmas Day in the Philly area: Grocery stores, liquor stores, trash pickup, and more

    What’s open and closed on Christmas Day in the Philly area: Grocery stores, liquor stores, trash pickup, and more

    Christmas Day is Thursday this year, and with it comes a wave of closures across the Philadelphia region. If you’re planning last-minute errands or outings, knowing what’s open, and what’s not, will save you time and frustration.

    Trash and recycling collection will be impacted, with pickups running one day behind schedule all week.

    From city services and grocery stores to pharmacies and big-box retailers, here’s your guide to navigating holiday hours in Philadelphia.

    City government offices

    ❌ City of Philadelphia government offices will be closed Dec. 25.

    Free Library of Philadelphia

    ❌ The Free Library will be closed Dec. 25.

    Food sites

    ✅ / ❌ Holidays may impact hours of operation. Visit phila.gov/food to view specific site schedules and call ahead before visiting.

    Trash collection

    ❌ No trash and recycling collections on Christmas Day. Collections will be picked up one day behind the regular schedule all week. To find your trash and recycling collection day, go to phila.gov.

    Grocery stores

    Acme Markets

    ❌ Acme will be closed Christmas Day.

    Aldi

    ❌ Aldi will be closed Christmas Day.

    Giant Food Stores

    ❌ Closed Christmas Day.

    Reading Terminal Market

    ❌ Closed Christmas Day.

    South Philly Food Co-op

    ✅ Open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Christmas Day.

    Sprouts Farmers Market

    ❌ Closed Christmas Day.

    Trader Joe’s

    ❌ Closed Christmas Day.

    Whole Foods

    ❌ Closed Christmas Day.

    Wegmans

    ❌ Closed Christmas Day.

    ShopRite

    ❌ Closed Christmas Day.

    Liquor stores

    Fine Wine & Good Spirits

    ❌ Closed Christmas Day.

    Mail and packages

    U.S. Postal Service

    ❌ On Christmas Day, local post offices will be closed and there will be no regular mail delivery.

    UPS, FedEx, and DHL

    ❌ UPS, FedEx, and DHL will be closed Christmas Day. There will be no delivery or pickup services either, except for critical services.

    Banks

    ❌ Most, if not all, banks including TD Bank, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Chase Bank, and PNC Bank will be closed on Christmas Day.

    Pharmacies

    CVS

    ✅ CVS locations will operate on modified business hours for Christmas Day with most open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call ahead to your local store before visiting or view hours at cvs.com/store-locator/landing.

    Walgreens

    ✅ Walgreens locations will be open but hours have not been announced — check your local store at walgreens.com/storelocator.

    Shopping malls

    ❌ The Shops at Liberty Place, the Fashion District, Franklin Mall, King of Prussia Mall, and Cherry Hill Mall will be closed Dec. 25.

    Big-box retailers

    You won’t be able to shop at these big-box or specialty retailers on Christmas:

    Target

    ❌ Target will be closed Dec. 25.

    Walmart

    ❌ Walmart will be closed Dec. 25.

    Home Depot

    ❌ Home Depot will be closed Dec. 25.

    Lowe’s

    ❌ Lowe’s will be closed Dec. 25.

    Costco

    ❌ Costco will be closed Dec. 25.

    IKEA

    ❌ IKEA will be closed Dec. 25.

    Dollar Tree

    ❌ Dollar Tree will be closed Dec. 25.

    Family Dollar

    ❌ Family Dollar will be closed Dec. 25.

    Sam’s Club

    ❌ Sam’s Club will be closed Dec. 25.

  • A hidden alley could become a key walking path in Old City for 2026

    A hidden alley could become a key walking path in Old City for 2026

    Tourists arriving in Philadelphia next year may find it easier and far more inviting to stroll through what is now a tucked-away stretch of Old City.

    On Wednesday, the city launched construction on what officials call the Commerce Connector, a pedestrian path designed to guide visitors from the Independence Visitor Center to Carpenters Hall along a brick‑lined walkway adorned with seating and ornamental plantings, while bypassing a congested area.

    The city has allocated $2.7 million toward the project.

    The project is spearheaded by the nonprofit Independence Historical Trust in collaboration with the city; Old City Green, a neighborhood beautification group; and Old City District, a business support organization.

    Bill Marrazzo, chair of Independence Historical Trust, called the connector “an important step forward.”

    “The Commerce Connector enhances the visitor journey between some of Philadelphia’s most treasured sites while also improving everyday walkability for residents and workers,” he said in a statement.

    A rendering of a new connector pathway planned in Old City.

    The bigger picture

    The connector is part of a larger effort by the city and nonprofits, led by Independence Historical Trust, to craft a broader vision for the city’s historical area. Some will be complete by the Semiquincentennial, and others might not.

    More bikes and pedestrians, fewer cars: A $100M rethink of Philly’s historical district

    That vision, which could take $100 million to implement, calls for more walkable and bike-friendly streets, new plazas, additional green spaces, and easier navigation to cultivate a sense of cohesiveness they say is lacking.

    The Historical Philadelphia Vision Framework plan aims to create ways for people to “wayfind” easy-to-follow, less car-centric routes through Independence National Historical Park, Old City, and other historic or local neighborhoods.

    The current redo of Market Street in Old City, now under construction, is part of that. It will include a new Tamanend Plaza at Second and Market Streets, and a “road diet” to accommodate bike lanes. Workers were busy Thursday putting down blocks for the new plaza.

    Work is also underway by the National Park Service at the Declaration House at Seventh and Market Streets, where Thomas Jefferson stayed while he wrote the famed document, and at the Benjamin Franklin Museum off Chestnut Street, both part of Independence National Historical Park. Also, the 25,000-square-foot, Greek Revival-style First Bank of the United States is undergoing $27 million in work, timed to reopen as a new park attraction for the Semiquincentennial.

    What’s the route?

    The roughly 2,000-foot-long Commerce Street foot path will lead travelers from the edge of the visitor center’s lawn at Fifth Street, east across Market Street, and onto Commerce Street, now an unmarked alley that runs parallel to Market Street. From there, they will continue east before turning right onto another alley, which leads to Market Street.

    A 2024 view of Commerce Street, an alley that starts on Fifth Street, midway between Arch and Market Streets. Commerce Street would become a way to connect Independence Visitor Center with Carpenters Hall under a plan led by Independence Historical Trust.

    After crossing Market, they will cut through Franklin Court, cross Chestnut Street, and arrive at Carpenters Hall.

    Once at the hall, visitors can branch out into the wider Independence National Historical Park and other notable areas.

    Officials emphasize that the connector will deliver a mostly traffic‑free passage to Carpenters Hall in time for an anticipated surge in tourism tied to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Carpenters Hall was the site of the first Continental Congress in 1774.

    A rendering of a new connector walking path being built in Old City.
    Commerce Connector pedestrian route through Old City.

    Other enhancements

    Officials say existing paving, benches, lighting, and plantings are all in poor condition.

    The redesigned corridor will get new furnishings, better lighting for security, ornamental trees and bushes, and other enhancements to make it more inviting. It would include a “gathering area” and new entrances.

    To slow traffic for pedestrians, a speed bump mid-block on Fifth Street would connect Independence Visitor Center and the alley. Another mid-block bump on Fourth Street would help pedestrians cross Market Street to Franklin Court.

    Fourth Street would get a bike lane.

    New signs would note area history.

    The path would also help connect people to Christ Church Burial Ground, Commodore Uriah Phillips Levy Park, and the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center.

    Construction is expected to be complete before July Fourth, ahead of the nation’s Semiquincentennial.

    Carpenters Hall.

    “The Commerce Connector reflects our commitment to making Old City safer and easier to navigate for everyone,” said City Councilmember Mark Squilla, who helped secure funding.

    Job Itzkowitz, executive director of Old City District, said the connector “strengthens the backbone of Old City by transforming an underused passageway into a vibrant, welcoming public space” that will make it easier for residents and tourists to move between iconic city sites.

    Old City Green launched the early planning efforts for the corridor and will continue to help maintain the path.

    “By introducing new plantings, shade, and thoughtfully designed landscape elements, we’re creating a greener and more accessible environment for everyone who walks through this historic neighborhood,” said Joe Schiavo, vice president of Old City Green.

  • Temple announces voluntary retirement program for faculty amid budget crunch

    Temple announces voluntary retirement program for faculty amid budget crunch

    Temple University will offer a voluntary retirement program for faculty, the school announced Wednesday.

    The move comes as the university attempts to close a budget deficit that stood at $27 million earlier this year but that worsened when the school did not meet projected enrollment targets for its main campus — which president John Fry had said translated to $10 million less in revenue.

    “It is important for us to explore strategies that will allow the university to make meaningful changes, as this is key to optimizing the budget and improving our financial results moving forward,” Fry and interim provost David Boardman said in a message to the campus community.

    Temple misses enrollment projection; main campus student population slides again

    The university did not say how many faculty it hopes will take the offer, but those who are 62 years and older and have at least 10 continuous years of experience are eligible. They must be tenured, tenure-track, or appointed as non-tenure-track under a contract that expires after June 30.

    Temple did not immediately provide the number of eligible faculty.

    The move also will allow the university to hire new tenure-track faculty over time, Fry and Boardman said.

    Fry said the university would fund the program with federal COVID-19 stimulus funds that came in a onetime tax credit reimbursement to businesses that kept employees during that period. Temple last offered faculty a voluntary retirement program in 2023.

    Pennsylvania State University last year offered buyouts to its faculty and staff on its Commonwealth campuses as it made plans to close seven of those campuses. More than 380 employees — 21% of those eligible — took the buyout in June 2024.

    Temple’s former enrollment head gets job at Rutgers

    A new interim head of enrollment

    Also on Wednesday, Temple announced it had tapped Rob Reddy, formerly the vice president for enrollment management at St. Louis University, to serve as interim vice provost for enrollment management. He will begin Jan. 1

    Reddy replaces Jose Aviles, who left Temple last month for a new enrollment job at Rutgers University. He has three decades of experience in admissions, financial aid, and veterans’ relations, Boardman said in an announcement to the campus community.

    “Rob comes to us with deep experience in the field and a reputation for taking on challenging assignments,” Boardman said.

    He previously served as assistant vice chancellor of enrollment management and dean of student financial services at Northeastern University.

    The university intends to launch a search for a new enrollment leader in the spring, Boardman said.

  • Teddy Einstein, a West Philly mathematician, was about to hit his stride. Then he was killed while riding his bike.

    Teddy Einstein, a West Philly mathematician, was about to hit his stride. Then he was killed while riding his bike.

    Eduard “Teddy” Einstein, a beloved professor and mathematician, was biking home from a haircut when a driver killed him earlier this month.

    Einstein, 38, was struck and killed by the 18-year-old driver on Dec. 3 while riding his bicycle on Providence Road in Upper Darby. No charges have been filed in Einstein’s death, according to Upper Darby police, but an investigation is continuing, and police said the driver cooperated with police at the scene of the crash.

    The West Philadelphia husband and father of two young children, Charlie and Lorcan, was known for his sharp wit, encouraging students, and scouring cities for the most interesting, and spiciest, foods. Einstein was, above all else, dedicated to his family.

    “He didn’t need much more than me and the boys. It was like he was my home, and I was his,” Einstein’s wife, Ruth Fahey, 45, said. ”That’s kind of how we agreed that we would move around the country together as a family, and it was wonderfully freeing.”

    Teddy Einstein (left) reading a book to his son while the family cat plays with his arm. Einstein was a devoted husband and father who covered the lion’s share of storytelling and bedtime, but especially cooking, as he was an avid chef who liked trying new recipes, his wife Ruth Fahey said. Einstein was killed on Dec. 3, 2025, while riding his bike in a bike lane when he was hit by a driver on Providence Road in Upper Darby, Pa.

    Born in Santa Monica, Calif., Einstein graduated from Harvard-Westlake School before receiving a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Pomona College, a master’s in mathematics from University of California, Santa Barbara, and his Ph.D. from Cornell University. He would go on to hold postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Chicago and the University of Pittsburgh, where he taught, and most recently completed a three-year teaching term at Swarthmore College.

    “He loved mathematics and wrote a first-rate thesis,” said Einstein’s Ph.D. adviser, Jason Manning. “Many mathematicians, even those who write a good thesis, don’t do much after graduate school. But Teddy’s work really accelerated during his postdoc at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and he was doing even more exciting work when he passed.”

    His colleagues describe a mathematician working at, to put it simply, the intersection of algebra and geometry. Building on the work of mathematicians before him, including modern geometric breakthroughs in years past, Einstein studied abstract 3D shapes that cannot be visually represented in the real world. Work like that of Einstein and others contributes to a tool chest of solutions that scientists can use to study physics, neuroscience, and more.

    “It is a terrible loss, especially to his family,” Manning said. “But also to his part of the mathematics community.”

    Teddy Einstein (right) holds his second-born, Lorcan, soon after he was born.

    As his term at Swarthmore ended earlier this year, Einstein had been working on research that was seven years in the making, Fahey said. This would help springboard him into the next chapter of his career.

    Fahey said the day he was killed, Einstein was biking back from a fresh haircut to impress his potential new employers at Florida Gulf Coast University.

    Mr. Einstein’s work ethic matched his appetite for camaraderie. He fed grad students out of his tiny Cornell kitchen and hosted a weekly trivia night. That is where he met Fahey. “He just loved to entertain with food,” she said.

    Every week, he cooked for Fahey and the boys, from his prized favorites of Korean short ribs and fried chicken to testing out falafel recipes. A keg of home-brewed beer was always in the house so that Einstein could share his creations with friends. Fahey said his most recent yeast yield is still waiting to be processed.

    Maddie Adams-Miller, who took Einstein’s math classes in her freshman year at Swarthmore, said her funny and wise math teacher never wanted to see a student fail.

    “I loved talking to my friends from high school and telling them I had ‘Professor Einstein’ for math. Teddy always wore funny T-shirts to class and made a lot of jokes,” said Adams-Miller, now a senior. “When I was taking his course, I was struggling with my confidence and was not performing my best academically. Teddy reached out to me to offer support and genuinely wanted me to succeed in his class.”

    Teddy Einstein (left) holds his eldest son, Charlie, while he walks down a flight of steps wearing the usual safety gear that he wore while riding his bike. The precautions Einstein took to bike safely weren’t enough to stop a driver from crashing into him on Providence Road in Upper Darby earlier this month, leaving his wife, Ruth Fahey, and their two sons without a father.

    An avid cyclist who biked everywhere and advocated for safer streets, Einstein was killed doing one of the activities he loved most. Philly Bike Action, an advocacy organization that Einstein and his wife frequented and his friend Jacob Russell organizes for, shared that he was hit by the driver while riding in an unprotected bike lane and wearing a helmet and high-visibility clothing.

    “But there will never be a helmet strong enough or a clothing bright enough to make up for dangerous infrastructure. All Philadelphians deserve the freedom to travel without fear of tragedy,” the group said in a statement.

    Russell believes safety improvements will not come solely from attempting to change laws or behavior, but rather by changing the road infrastructure, so that even “when mistakes happen, there aren’t tragedies,” he said.

    A screenshot, dated July 2024, from Google Maps showing the intersection where Teddy Einstein was killed on Dec. 3, 2025, in Upper Darby, Pa.

    Providence Road, where Einstein was hit and where he biked weekly, is considered a dangerous road by local planning commissions, appearing on the Regional High Injury Network map as a thoroughfare where multiple people have died or been seriously injured in vehicle, pedestrian, or bicycle crashes. Delaware County is currently in the process of onboarding most of its townships onto a “Vision Zero” plan to end all traffic fatalities by 2050 — similar to Philadelphia’s own Vision Zero.

    The Delaware County Planning Commission said the county does not own the roads, which are overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation or specific municipalities; however, officials are “actively working to obtain additional funding for further safety improvements, and are continuing to work with our partners in our 49 municipalities on either our Vision Zero plan or to help them develop their own,” said Delco spokesperson Michael Connolly.

    Fahey said she won’t rest until Providence Road’s lack of safety is addressed and will continue campaigning for safety improvements in Philadelphia.

    A GoFundMe has been set up for Fahey to help fund efforts to protect Einstein’s legacy as a teacher and advocate, as well as to invest in campaigns to make streets safer, with an emphasis on the road where Einstein was killed. It has already raised more than $60,000.

    In addition to his wife and children, Einstein is survived by his parents, K. Alice Chang and Thomas Einstein, and siblings, Michael Einstein and Lily Einstein. The family encouraged people to donate to Fahey’s GoFundMe to honor Einstein’s legacy.

  • A former corrections officer pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a prisoner at Philly’s Federal Detention Center

    A former corrections officer pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a prisoner at Philly’s Federal Detention Center

    A former corrections officer at Philadelphia’s Federal Detention Center pleaded guilty Wednesday to sexually assaulting a female prisoner inside her cell last year — a violent attack that occurred while the victim was in protective custody because of ongoing mental health issues, prosecutors said.

    Michael Jefferson, 43, said little as he entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Joshua D. Wolson. He is scheduled to be sentenced in April and faces a maximum penalty of life behind bars.

    Jefferson was charged earlier this year with crimes including aggravated sexual abuse and deprivation of rights for attacking a prisoner inside the detention center on the 700 block of Arch Street on July 6, 2024.

    Prosecutors said Jefferson entered the woman’s cell, where she had been sleeping; placed his hands on her shoulders and told her not to say anything; then pinned her down and sexually assaulted her.

    The victim reported the assault to other guards the next morning, once Jefferson’s shift was over, prosecutors said. Evidence supported her account of having been sexually abused, prosecutors said, and showed she had been physically injured during the attack.

    The victim, who was not identified in court documents, later sued Jefferson, describing the attack as a rape and saying it occurred while she was housed in isolation and on suicide watch.

    Her lawyers have accused the Bureau of Prisons of failing to protect her from Jefferson, in part because they said another officer either ignored the assault or was improperly absent from his post when it occurred.

    The detention center can house up to 950 prisoners, most of whom are either awaiting federal trial or serving short sentences after being convicted.