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  • The theft of hundreds of remains from Mount Moriah Cemetery raises a question no one can seem to answer: How did this happen?

    The theft of hundreds of remains from Mount Moriah Cemetery raises a question no one can seem to answer: How did this happen?

    Past a marble monument for a Civil War hero, down a grass path where toppled headstones disappear into ivy and weeds and faded miniature American flags droop, lies the underground vault of James Campbell, who died in 1913 and whose remains may have been among the dozens stolen in one of the largest grave desecration cases ever uncovered in Pennsylvania.

    Jonathan Christian Gerlach, who was charged with more than 500 offenses earlier this month and is being held in jail in lieu of $1 million bail, is accused of methodically breaking into burial vaults and mausoleums at Mount Moriah Cemetery, prying open caskets and removing human remains from Campbell’s burial ground and at least 25 other sites across the sprawling Philadelphia and Yeadon Borough cemetery.

    Inside Campbell’s vault, where his family members were also entombed 12 feet beneath the cemetery’s surface as early as 1872, investigators said they found three broken caskets, crumbled marble, and a discarded pry bar. Six sets of human remains, they said, were missing.

    Authorities allege that Gerlach moved through the cemetery repeatedly, at all hours, accessing sealed burial sites and removing dozens of remains over several weeks without being detected. Large sections of the cemetery, overgrown and rarely monitored, offered long stretches of isolation — conditions investigators say Gerlach may have exploited. And as law enforcement continues to sort through the evidence, local officials and cemetery advocates are pressing for changes to prevent this from happening again.

    “We were too slow to move,” said Yeadon Mayor Rohan Hepkins. “Nobody thought such a dastardly act — such an inhumane and incomprehensible act — was possible.”

    Hepkins last week joined state and local officials to discuss what can be done to protect the burial grounds, where an estimated 180,000 people are buried.

    He and others expressed cautious resolve that the cemetery could be secured well enough to prevent another violation of this scale.

    “I wish I could tell loved ones that I’m not critically concerned, but I am,” said State Sen. Anthony Williams, who represents the district where Mount Moriah Cemetery is located and was one of the officials who gathered to discuss preventive measures. “But I don’t know that Mount Moriah will ever be restored to the condition that they buried their loved ones in.”

    Mount Moriah Cemetery, a historic landmark abandoned by its last owner and under court receivership, has long been plagued by neglect and limited oversight.

    Investigators say Gerlach’s crimes unfolded over the course of months, starting in the fall and ending on the night of Jan. 6, when Yeadon detectives arrested the Pennsylvania man as he attempted to leave the cemetery.

    License plate readers and cell phone towers place Gerlach near or inside the cemetery during both daylight and darkness. On Christmas Eve, for example, the technologies captured Gerlach’s vehicle or phone at least three times between 12:28 a.m. and 12:54 p.m., court records show.

    The day before, on Dec. 23, a Yeadon investigator working the case saw scratch marks on the heavy stone slab sealing the underground Zeigler family vault, as if, a detective wrote in an affidavit of probable cause for Gerlach’s arrest, it had been “marked” as a target. When the detective returned on Dec. 26, the stone had been broken and nine sets of human remains stolen.

    Yeadon police, who investigated the crimes alongside other authorities, have since been inundated with hundreds of calls and emails from anguished family members seeking answers, Chief Henry Giammarcco said.

    Rescuing Mount Moriah

    Mount Moriah Cemetery opened in 1855. Its owners, the Mount Moriah Cemetery Association, abandoned it in 2011, after years of mismanagement. The Friends of Mount Moriah, a volunteer-driven nonprofit, formed that same year with the goal of rescuing the grounds from vandalism, crime, and decay. In 2014, a Philadelphia judge appointed a receivership, the Mount Moriah Cemetery Preservation Corporation, to temporarily manage the cemetery until a permanent owner could be found.

    More than a decade later, no permanent owner has emerged.

    In 2018, the two groups and other stakeholders commissioned an ambitious strategic plan that called for stabilizing the cemetery’s finances, finding a permanent owner, and remaking Mount Moriah into a viable public space. The plan assumed significant investment and long-term stewardship. Neither materialized.

    “There’s no clear revenue stream, and there’s significant infrastructure improvements and capital improvements that are required, on top of maintenance costs,” said Brian Abernathy, who served as chair of the preservation corporation when the plan was created.

    At the time, Abernathy said, “there was a lot of hope and optimism about what we could accomplish with it. But the plan stalled over obstacles that persist today, he said, including enticing an owner when so many costly repairs are needed.

    Under the court order, the corporation — a board composed of officials from Philadelphia and Yeadon, including Hepkins — is responsible for preserving the cemetery but has delegated day-to-day care to Friends of Mount Moriah.

    Over the years, Friends of Mount Moriah made visible gains. Its 12-person board and volunteers hauled away abandoned cars, tires. and trash, righted toppled headstones, and uncovered burial vaults beneath thick vines, brush, and overgrowth.

    “Until this happened,” said John Schmehl Jr., the group’s president, “security was not our first concern.”

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    Yet thieves knew the grounds. Last year, Schmehl said, more than $14,000 worth of lawn equipment — including mowers, weed trimmers, and hand tools — was stolen from the cemetery garage. Friends of Mount Moriah entered the growing season without the equipment needed to keep large sections of the cemetery accessible, he said.

    Now, the group is scrambling to implement security improvements across the cemetery’s more than 100 acres, including repairing dilapidated fencing, launching random patrols, and installing cameras on both the Philadelphia and Yeadon sides of the property. Fencing construction began last week. Schmehl said the group is seeking a private security company to monitor the cameras around the clock.

    Cemetery volunteers dwindle

    The backyard of 60-year-old Robin Pitts’ house overlooks the Springfield Avenue side of Mount Moriah, where her mother, brother, and extended family are buried.

    As a child, Pitts said, she played kickball on an unfenced stretch of the cemetery near where Betsy Ross — the seamstress whose burial helped cement Mount Moriah’s place in American history — rested for more than a century.

    Those memories later drew Pitts to volunteer with Friends of Mount Moriah for nearly two decades, she said. On Saturdays, she said, she grilled hot dogs and hamburgers for volunteers who picked up trash and mowed the grass along Springfield Avenue.

    But during the pandemic, Pitts said, the grounds began to deteriorate beyond what volunteers could manage. “I thought, ‘Enough’s enough. I can’t do this anymore,’” she said. She stopped volunteering.

    Last week, Pitts walked down a path choked with waist-high grass and weeds where she once mowed. She pointed past a tangle of barren hemlock blocking a path to a tree and several headstones — some toppled, others obscured by vines and brush. “We used to clean it all the way past there,” Pitts said. “Now nobody does.”

    A shrinking volunteer base has slowed progress at the cemetery, Schmehl said. Some cleanup events draw just one volunteer. “It’s a struggle, to say the least,” he said, adding that entire sections of the cemetery “have been reclaimed by nature.”

    Picture of dog waste discarded on the grounds of Mount Moriah Cemetery on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.

    The cemetery is now open just two days a week, Saturdays and Sundays.

    The costs of needed improvements are also significant. By Thursday, Friends of Mount Moriah had spent more than $20,000 of its roughly $90,000 annual budget to begin fencing construction and repairs, and secure the mausoleums and vaults that had been desecrated in the recent crimes. Additional donations, Schmehl said, will be needed to sustain the effort.

    As recently as spring 2023, Mount Moriah Cemetery Preservation Corp. held more than $400,000 in its endowment, according to a letter filed in Philadelphia Orphans’ Court. Aubrey Powers, the receivership’s chair, did not respond to questions concerning the receivership’s contributions to the Friends of Mount Moriah or what the corporation will do to help address security or infrastructure needs.

    As a condition of the receivership, the corporation must file semiannual reports to the court. A year ago, the only reference to security was a brief note stating that the receivership “continues to encourage the Philadelphia and Yeadon Police Departments to schedule patrols in and around Mount Moriah Cemetery more frequently to deter criminal activity.”

    Hepkins said increased patrols would be part of a broader strategy to reduce criminal activity and restore oversight to the cemetery. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department said officers patrol the cemetery’s perimeter, not its grounds.

    “There has to be some sort of intervention in order to rectify what’s happened at Mount Moriah,” Abernathy said. “And I just don’t know who’s going to provide that intervention.”

    Whose remains are missing?

    Hepkins on Wednesday climbed a steep hill from a small parking lot off Cobbs Creek Parkway to a cluster of mausoleums that Gerlach is accused of breaking into.

    Yeadon Mayor Rohan Hepkins during a walking tour of Mount Moriah Cemetery, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. Graves at the cemetery were allegedly robbed by Jonathan Christian Gerlach.

    At the family mausoleum of John Hunter, a former president of the Mount Moriah Cemetery Association, authorities allege Gerlach smashed through a sealed cinder-block doorway and shattered the marble floor. He then rappelled 10 feet into the crypt and removed the remains of 15-year-old Martha Hunter, who died in 1869.

    He left behind a length of white rope and a screwdriver, authorities said.

    Just feet away, in the mausoleum of wholesale grocer Jonathan Prichard, Gerlach pulled cinder block from a sealed window and rifled through five of nine caskets inside, investigators allege. The remains of 62-year-old Mary Prichard Steigleman, Prichard’s daughter, are now missing.

    Nearby is the family vault of John McCullough, a Shakespearean actor who died in 1889. Beneath a towering monument etched with a line from Julius Caesar, authorities said they found two caskets disturbed, one tipped onto its side. Both were empty.

    More than a week after Gerlach’s alleged break-in, bricks torn from the vault’s seal lay piled beside the entrance, and a foot-long hole exposed the floor below. Inside, wooden pallets that investigators believe Gerlach used to climb down cluttered the crypt.

    The McCullough family burial tomb at Mount Moriah Cemetery, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. This and several other graves at this cemetery were allegedly broken into by Jonathan Christian Gerlach.

    A short walk away is the cemetery’s naval plot, where rows of identical white headstones mark the graves of more than 2,000 Navy officers. It’s Hepkins’ favorite part of the cemetery, he said.

    Hepkins once hoped to be buried at Mount Moriah, a place he called “godly.” Now, he said, “I have to reconsider. I want my bones held somewhere in sacred perpetuity.”

  • How Penn helped to rescue RHD’s Family Practice health clinics after a nonprofit ownership change

    How Penn helped to rescue RHD’s Family Practice health clinics after a nonprofit ownership change

    A year ago, leaders of Family Practice & Counseling Network feared their health clinic, which has served low-income Philadelphians for more than 30 years, wouldn’t survive past June.

    The clinic was part of Resources for Human Development, a Philadelphia human services agency that a fast-growing Reading nonprofit called Inperium Inc. had acquired in late 2024.

    As a federally qualified health clinic since 1992, the clinic had received an annual federal grant, higher Medicaid rates, and other benefits.

    But federal rules prohibited the clinic from continuing to retain that status and those benefits under a parent company. That meant Family Practice & Counseling Network had two options: close or spin out into a new entity that would reapply to be a federally qualified clinic.

    “We had to figure it out,” the organization’s CEO Emily Nichols said in a recent interview.

    At the time, the organization’s three main locations had 15,000 patients. They are “very underserved, low-income people that deserve good healthcare,” she said.

    Thanks to $9.5 million in financial and operational support from the University of Pennsylvania Health System, a new legal entity took over the clinics in July. They now operate under the tweaked name, Family Practice & Counseling Services Network, and without the federal status.

    “Penn allowed us to survive,” Nichols said.

    Still in a precarious position

    The nonprofit, with its name now abbreviated as FPCSN, remains in a precarious position.

    Because of the corporate change, the $4.2 million annual grant that Family Practice had been receiving through RHD had to be opened up for other applicants under federal law. FPCSN applied but won’t find out until March the result of the competition.

    Natalie Levkovich, CEO of the Health Federation of Philadelphia, a nonprofit that supports community health centers in Southeastern Pennsylvania, expressed confidence that the clinic will regain the funding, which helps cover the cost of caring for people who don’t have insurance.

    “FPCSN is a well-run, well-regarded, well-supported health center that has an established, high-functioning practice in multiple locations,” Levkovich said. The clinic received letters of support from all the other federal clinics in the area, she said.

    In addition to the grant, other key benefits of being a federally qualified health center — the status the clinic had for 33 years — are receiving medical malpractice insurance through the federal government and enhanced Medicare and Medicaid rates.

    A mural in a conference room at Family Practice & Counseling Services Network’s headquarters in Nicetown shows a timeline of the agency’s history since its founding in 1992.

    In return, federally qualified clinics have to accept all patients, including people without insurance. The insurance mix of FPCSN’s patient population is about 60% Medicaid, 20% uninsured, 10% Medicare, and 10% commercial, Nichols said.

    Also, half of a federal clinic’s board members have to be patients at the clinic. FPCSN has three main locations, in Southwest Philadelphia, on the western edge of North Philadelphia, and in the West Poplar neighborhood. Its revenue in fiscal 2025 was $31 million.

    During the past year, 55 FPCSN staff members have left, leaving 140 employees still at the organization, including 16 nurse practitioners who provide the primary care. The departures may have contributed to a decline in the number of patients seen to 13,500 last year, compared to 15,000 the year before, Nichols said.

    Why Penn helped FPCSN

    Federally qualified health centers form the core safety net in Philadelphia and across the nation, said Richard Wender, who chairs Family Medicine and Community Health at Penn, which had a longstanding relationship with RHD’s clinics.

    Under contract, Penn family practice physicians were providing prenatal care to 400 pregnant patients at the clinics that would have closed abruptly at the end of June if Penn hadn’t provided support. “We wanted them to be able to continue to take care of the patients that they were taking care of,” Wender said.

    The money from Penn helped pay startup costs for the new entity and bridged the period until FPCSN was able to secure new contracts with insurance companies.

    Penn also didn’t want the clinic’s patients showing up in its already busy emergency departments for basic care. “That adversely affects their health because it’s not a good place to get preventive care,” he said.

    But it was important to Penn that there was a pathway back to federal clinic status. “We feel as optimistic as we can,” Wender said.

    Wender and Nichols credited Kevin Mahoney, CEO of Penn’s health system, with the preservation of FPCSN’s services for low-income Philadelphians by throwing his full support behind the effort.

    “You have to have a CEO, a leader in your health system, who understands that this is the responsibility of large academic health centers,” Wender said.

  • Love as direct action: Building a new golden age in Philadelphia

    Love as direct action: Building a new golden age in Philadelphia

    As our nation marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we return to the teachings of a leader who understood that justice demands more than good intentions. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I think of love as something strong, and that organizes itself into powerful, direct action.”

    Today, when hatred and division feel increasingly emboldened, that call to organize love is not just inspiring. It is instructive.

    In recent years, many have embraced what is often called “allyship.” Too often, however, it stops there. Statements replace substance. Solidarity appears online, but disappears when issues become uncomfortable or complex.

    Even the language of allyship is revealing. An ally is, by definition, part of a temporary alliance, formed for a specific battle and dissolved when circumstances change. That framework was never meant to sustain lasting relationships.

    If we want to change culture, not just react to crises, we must move beyond allyship to something deeper and more enduring: genuine friendship.

    Friendship lasts beyond the news cycle. It holds through disagreement and discomfort. It requires showing up not only when harm is visible, but when the spotlight is gone. It is the only foundation strong enough to support a multiracial, multifaith movement capable of confronting hatred in all its forms.

    That belief is why we founded the New Golden Age Coalition: to revive and strengthen the historic connection between Black and Jewish communities in Greater Philadelphia. That connection is rooted in shared experiences, from collaboration during the civil rights movement to everyday moments of partnership in neighborhoods, houses of worship, and civic life.

    History does more than inspire us; it reminds us of what is possible when communities refuse to stand apart.

    The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. displays pictures of three civil rights workers murdered in Mississippi in 1964.

    But history alone is not enough. Partnership cannot survive on nostalgia. It must be renewed through action, guided by the kind of love King described: love that acts, love that protects, love that builds.

    And the urgency could not be clearer.

    Here in Philadelphia, racist and antisemitic graffiti was discovered at Roxborough High School. Beyond our city, the danger is stark, as well. In Jackson, Miss., Beth Israel Congregation was set on fire in an antisemitic attack. According to the FBI, the suspect confessed to targeting the historic synagogue because of its “Jewish ties.”

    That same synagogue was bombed by members of the Ku Klux Klan in 1967, which also targeted the rabbi’s home months later because of his support for the civil rights movement. The fire echoes an older Southern terror that sought to intimidate Black and Jewish communities during the civil rights era — a reminder that the work Dr. King led remains unfinished.

    Today’s world can feel overwhelmingly dark. Antisemitism is surging. Anti-Black racism remains deeply entrenched. In a moment like this, our response must be grounded in love strong enough to confront hatred, and courageous enough to be expressed publicly, consistently, and collaboratively.

    The New Golden Age Coalition organizes that love through three core pillars:

    Rebuilding the bridge to beat bigotry

    We are cultivating genuine relationships between Black and Jewish Philadelphians — relationships that allow us to confront antisemitism, racism, and all forms of hate.

    Enhancing security and violence prevention

    Our communities face growing threats from extremism, gun violence, and systemic neglect. We are working together to create safer neighborhoods and protect our most vulnerable.

    Amplifying the social safety net in Greater Philadelphia

    We recognize that poverty, hunger, and instability weaken families and fuel despair. Our coalition is committed to supporting and expanding the institutions that give people hope, dignity, and opportunity.

    On this MLK Day, we choose not to offer feel-good slogans. Instead, we recommit ourselves to the labor of love that King demanded: strong, organized, and directed toward justice.

    This means spending time in one another’s neighborhoods, houses of worship, schools, and community spaces. It requires listening before reacting, staying present when conversations are difficult, and approaching one another with love and compassion. It also means standing up for one another’s causes — not because they are convenient or popular, but because injustice anywhere threatens the dignity of us all.

    This MLK Day, we invite Philadelphians to move closer rather than retreat — to share meals, attend one another’s gatherings, stand together in moments of joy and pain, and build relationships that last beyond crisis. This is love in action. Together, it is how we build a new golden age.

    Philadelphia deserves nothing less.

    Jason Holtzman is the chief of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. Pastor Carl Day is the founder of Culture Changing Christians. Together, they are cofounders of the New Golden Age Coalition.

  • CFP national championship: Here are seven Eagles draft targets to watch as Miami faces Indiana

    CFP national championship: Here are seven Eagles draft targets to watch as Miami faces Indiana

    The college football season will conclude in Miami with the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday night between Indiana and Miami, two teams with several NFL draft prospects to keep a close eye on.

    The top names in this game include Indiana quarterback and potential top overall pick Fernando Mendoza, Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain, a projected top-10 pick, and Miami right tackle Francis Mauigoa, who could be one of the first offensive linemen drafted.

    All three players might be out of the Eagles’ draft range at No. 23 overall, but both rosters are littered with NFL talent. Here are seven prospects the Eagles could target come April:

    NFL draft 2026: Who could the Eagles target with the No. 23 overall pick?

    Carter Smith, OT, Indiana

    Of the prospects remaining in the playoff, it’s possible that no player has done more for his stock than Smith, who hasn’t allowed a pressure or a sack across 48 pass blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. The Indiana left tackle, a three-year starter, consistently gets his hands inside the frame of a pass rusher, latches on, and doesn’t let go.

    Smith‘s running-game blocking has shown flashes of improvement, too. He has the upper-body strength and strain to move defensive linemen off their spot and is a decent enough athlete to kick out players in space.

    Smith has a tendency to lunge against quicker players, and his ability to handle relentless power will be tested in his matchup with Bain. But the offensive tackle has starter-level qualities and could be a long-term option at tackle for the Eagles.

    Miami defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor (left) helped lead the Hurricanes to an upset win at Texas A&M in the first round.

    Akheem Mesidor, edge rusher, Miami

    Older prospects at premium positions aren’t typically valued in the first round, but there may be no edge rusher prospect as deserving to hear his name called in Round 1 as Mesidor, who is having his best season in his sixth year of college football. With strong hand usage and a quick first step, the Miami edge rusher is relentless coming off the edge and can create havoc from multiple spots along the defensive line.

    Mesidor has 19 pressures during Miami’s playoff run alone, according to Pro Football Focus, along with 3½ sacks. He can improve in setting a better edge as a run defender and likely won’t be a player you drop in coverage in the NFL, but Mesidor has game-wrecking ability and can bring instant production to an Eagles pass rushing corps that has uncertainty beyond Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt.

    D’Angelo Ponds, DB, Indiana

    Ponds made the pick heard around the world when he intercepted Oregon’s Dante Moore on the first offensive play of the game in the CFP semifinal. He’s often the smallest player on the field (5-foot-9, 175 pounds) but plays much bigger, and has done so multiple times during Indiana’s undefeated season.

    He has a fearless mindset at cornerback, challenging wide receivers at the line of scrimmage and being disruptive at the catch point. He gives up plenty of size and teams with bigger receivers try to take advantage of it, but he’s sticky in man coverage and has ideal instincts in zone to break on the football.

    He’s a reliable tackler despite his size, having missed just two tackles all season, according to PFF. He won’t be a fit for every NFL team because of his size, but his play-making ability will help him find a long-term role on a defense.

    Keionte Scott, nickel/safety, Miami

    When Scott was out of Miami’s lineup for two games down the season’s stretch, the defense missed his propensity to cause chaos. When he returned in the first round of the CFP against Texas A&M, Scott disrupted screens and was an effective blitzer on third downs.

    Then against Ohio State in the quarterfinal matchup, he jumped a screen and took it 72 yards for a pick-six.

    Although he has allowed 68.5% of passes thrown his way to be completed, he hasn’t surrendered a touchdown. Because he plays with his hair on fire, he takes chances and has missed 15 tackles (21.4% missed tackle rate) according to PFF. But his physicality allows him to play multiple roles in a secondary, which would be valuable for the Eagles’ depth.

    Riley Nowakowski, TE, Indiana

    A quick look at Nowakowski‘s stats won’t show gaudy numbers (30 catches, 370 yards) but his impact as a blocker is invaluable to Indiana’s offense. The tight end and fullback, who spent his first five seasons of college at Wisconsin, is an outstanding run blocker and has shown the ability to block edge defenders one-on-one, insert block linebackers and safeties filling against the run, and block secondary players in space.

    The 6-1, 249-pound prospect won’t make many people miss in the open field but is a reliable option on checkdowns and over the middle of the field. He had zero drops and caught 3 of 6 contested catch attempts this season, according to PFF.

    While he won’t be a top receiving option and stands to be more consistent handling blitzers in pass protection, Nowakowski could be the kind of valuable blocking tight end the Eagles desperately needed in 2025. He also has the flexibility to align at fullback on under-center formations.

    Anez Cooper, OG, Miami

    Cooper has started at right guard for Miami for the last three years and provides a physical presence as a run blocker. The 6-6, 345-pound lineman thrives blocking in close quarters and has powerful hands and grip strength, and has made highlight-reel blocks in space when he can square up second- and third-level players.

    Moving laterally and redirecting on passing downs are not Cooper’s strengths, and he struggles staying square when passing off defensive line stunts. But his run-blocking demeanor will be coveted by teams with gap-scheme running offenses. He has allowed just one sack and 12 pressures in 483 pass blocking snaps, according to PFF, and could provide depth for an Eagles offensive line in need of more players who thrive as downhill blockers.

    Pat Coogan (right) was a critical piece of Heisman Trophy Winner Francisco Mendoza’s success this season.

    Pat Coogan, center, Indiana

    Coogan has garnered praise throughout the playoff, beginning with his Rose Bowl MVP award in Indiana’s CFP quarterfinal win over Alabama, and his film backs it up. The center, who has a rugged play style, does not have the athleticism the Eagles have coveted at the position, but he is a savvy blocker who takes great angles in the running game and anticipates defensive line stunts in pass protection.

    The fifth-year player began his career at Notre Dame, showcasing his versatility by making starts at both guard and center. His lack of foot quickness causes him to overextend against quicker players and he doesn’t always mirror pass rushers well in one-on-one scenarios. Coogan thrives, though, working on double teams up to linebackers and would be a depth option at both guard and center, which would be valuable for the Eagles, who struggled with injuries on their interior line.

  • It may feel like zero in Philly this week, and the ‘wind chill’ has Pennsylvania roots

    It may feel like zero in Philly this week, and the ‘wind chill’ has Pennsylvania roots

    The region evidently is about to migrate from the refrigerator to the freezer this week, with wind-chill levels possibly approaching zero as temperatures fall to the teens and a brisk west wind adds sting.

    “Wind chill” has been a staple of National Weather Service forecasts and media weather reports since 1973.

    (Commercial services, such as AccuWeather Inc., now have their own variants.)

    At different times it has been a subject of contention, confusion, derision, and revision; its popularity, however, endures.

    In terms of alerting the public to potential health hazards, “I think it’s useful,” said Michael DeAngelis, vice chair of emergency medicine at Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine.

    Said Harvey V. Lankford, a retired physician and writer who has done a deeper dive into wind chill than most humans: “It’s a yardstick.

    “The public loves it.”

    But where do those numbers come from, and do they tell us how we really feel?

    The birth of ‘wind chill’

    Gentoo penguins walk at Neko Harbour in Antarctica, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

    Wind chill is a measure of heat loss from the body from the combination of temperature and wind.

    What we know about its effects has a lot to do with former Eagle Scout Paul Siple, the pride of Erie’s Central High School.

    He pursued his quest while accompanying Admiral Richard Byrd on his legendary expeditions to that icy forbidden planet known as Antarctica, where the wind stings “like a knife drawn across the face,” as one of his associates put it. At age 19, Siple had won a highly publicized national competition to join Byrd.

    Siple minted the term wind chill in his 565-page unpublished doctoral dissertation, a copy of which Lankford obtained from Clark University, in Worcester, Mass.

    On a later expedition, Siple, assisted by geologist Charles Passel, conducted experiments measuring how long it took to freeze a container of water under a variety of temperature and wind conditions. Winds obviously accelerated the freezing process.

    Using that data they estimated heat loss from human skin, publishing their findings in a landmark 1945 paper.

    But Lankford said Siple got remarkable results in his more primitive earlier research, which included estimating frostbite thresholds, using a relatively simple formula involving wind speeds and temperatures.

    Siple’s work would become the basis for the wind chill factor that the weather service massaged and began sharing publicly in 1973.

    Frostbite and the wind chill revision

    The wind chill calculations underwent a significant revision a quarter century ago.

    U.S. and Canadian scientists during the 1990s used human subjects to upgrade the index, including establishing new frostbite thresholds.

    Twelve subjects, with sensors inside their cheeks and their faces bare, were subjected to temperatures ranging from 32 to 58 below at three different wind speeds.

    They were monitored for signs of “frostnip,” which precedes frostbite by about a minute.

    For the record, the researchers found that with wind chills of 40 below, frostnip occurs within 15 minutes.

    The weather service said the revised index profited from “advances in science, technology and computer modeling.”

    Yet Siple obviously had been on to something decades earlier, Lankford said.

    In a paper published in 2021 in the journal Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, Lankford and coauthor Leslie R. Fox wrote that some of the modern findings on frostbite thresholds were remarkably similar to what appeared in Siple’s dissertation.

    Lankford said they were not surprised by the similarities: “We were stunned.”

    Staying safe in the cold

    Aside from frostnip and frostbite potential, exposure to frigid temperatures and strong winds poses a variety of other health hazards, DeAngelis said.

    Those conditions can seriously exacerbate certain lung problems.

    For the healthy, he recommends proceeding with caution while exercising. Sweating in the cold — it does happen, just ask runners and hikers — can increase the risk of hypothermia.

    Plus, your brain, heart, kidneys, and other internal organs will be diverting blood flow from muscles and extremities, and that could slow recovery from exertion.

    Or you could just put off that run or bike workout until Thursday, when it may go up to 40 degrees.

  • Curt Cignetti’s path to the CFP national championship included a stop at Temple and lessons from John Chaney

    Curt Cignetti’s path to the CFP national championship included a stop at Temple and lessons from John Chaney

    With a wad of chewing tobacco in his mouth, Curt Cignetti instructed the Temple quarterback to pause the VCR and stop the game tape from rolling. Cignetti, the Owls QB coach in the early 1990s, told the quarterback to hit rewind when he wanted to see something again.

    The path to Monday night’s College Football Playoff national championship has taken Curt Cignetti, 64, all across college football. He worked his way from stops at schools like Indiana University of Pennsylvania and James Madison before becoming the head coach at Indiana, where he authored perhaps the most stunning turnaround in the history of the sport over the last two seasons.

    That winding path came through North Philadelphia for four seasons as he was on Temple’s staff from 1989-92. He was young but he was intense, especially if you arrived late to that cramped office in McGonigle Hall, where a spittoon was always on the desk.

    Curt Cignetti has led Indiana to one of the most stunning turnarounds in the history of the sport.

    “We had some guys who came in like 15 minutes late and he was freaking hot,” said Matt Baker, Temple’s quarterback when Cignetti arrived.

    The Owls practiced on a piece of AstroTurf surrounded by North Philadelphia rowhouses and played Saturdays at an often-empty Veterans Stadium. Cignetti’s office did not have enough chairs for his quarterbacks — “Two of us were laying on the floor,” Dennis Decker said — and the TV didn’t even have a remote. He was a long way from college football glory.

    “The only thing D1 about it was that we were playing D1 opponents,” said former offensive coordinator Don Dobes.

    A basketball school

    The Owls have had more gambling probes in the last 10 seasons than March Madness wins, but Temple was very much a basketball school when Cignetti arrived on North Broad Street in 1989.

    Cignetti was just 28 when he came to Temple on the staff of Jerry Berndt, who was a Hall of Fame coach at Penn in the early 1980s before spending three seasons at Rice. Berndt was winless in his last season at Rice before replacing future Super Bowl champion Bruce Arians, who was fired after the Owls went 7-15 in his final two seasons while basketball dominated the landscape.

    Temple coach John Chaney was at the peak of his coaching career when Cignetti joined Temple football’s staff. Cignetti and other coaches used to watch Chaney’s morning practices to gain “wisdom.”

    John Chaney was at his peak, and the Owls were ranked No. 1 during the 1988 season. Cignetti and the other football coaches often started their mornings watching Chaney run practice before sunrise.

    “We’d get some wisdom before we went out there and practiced in the afternoon,” said Dobes. “You want to talk about a great teacher, a great motivator, the ability to impress upon people the importance of teamwork, and sacrifice, and character. That was John Chaney.”

    Perhaps coaching football at a school where hoops was king was a precursor for what Cignetti did at Indiana, where he made a basketball-crazed campus fall in love with a sport that was often just an excuse to tailgate. The Hoosiers had the worst winning percentage in college football history before they hired Cignetti in November 2023. He took the microphone a few days later at a Hoosiers basketball game and boldly trashed IU’s rivals.

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    “He had a lot of [guts] saying that,” Baker said. “He’s the same guy now that he was back then.”

    Cignetti retooled the Hoosiers through the transfer portal and reached the College Football Playoff last year in his first season. This year, the Hoosiers are 15-0 with a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in Fernando Mendoza, and enter Monday’s title game against Miami as favorites despite not having any five-star recruits. Cignetti was asked in December 2023 how he planned to sell his vision.

    “It’s pretty simple,” the coach said. “I win. Google me.”

    That was the coach the Temple guys remembered, a straight shooter who tended to be a tad quirky.

    “I remember him questioning me after I threw a touchdown pass against Wisconsin,” Baker said. “He’s like, ‘Why’d you throw that?’ I said, ‘What? What do you mean?’ He said, ‘Did you see that?’ I said, ‘Yeah, in the pre-snap I saw he couldn’t cover [George] Deveney. He had a linebacker on him.’ He said, ‘Come on, Matt.’ I’m like, ‘What?’ It was just crazy things like that. We did a lot of good things.”

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    The same guy

    The Owls won one game in Berndt’s first season before winning seven games in 1990 and gaining admission into the Big East. It was a win for a program that qualified for a bowl game that season but didn’t get picked because another school pledged to buy more tickets to the game.

    The success was short-lived. The Owls missed out on local recruits — Dobes said he thought they had an in with Roman Catholic’s Marvin Harrison before he picked Syracuse — and announced their arrival to the Big East by winning three games in their first two seasons. The coaches knew the walls were closing in when they read the newspapers on the way to the airport in November 1992 for a game at No. 1 Miami.

    “The headlines said ‘Berndt is burnt’,” Dobes said.

    Curt Cignetti coached all over in different roles, including head-coaching stints at IUP, Elon, and James Madison.

    The Owls lost that game by 48 points, and when they arrived back in Philly, the coaches were informed that their season finale, just a few days away, would be their last game. They ended the 1992 season by dropping 10 straight.

    “We were all in scramble mode at that point,” Dobes said.

    Cignetti, then just 31 years old, spent the next 14 seasons as an assistant at Pittsburgh and North Carolina State before spending four seasons under Nick Saban at Alabama. He often credits his time with Saban for his success. His first head-coaching gig was at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the school an hour east of Pittsburgh, where his father had been the head coach from 1986 to 2005. Cignetti moved from IUP to Elon before landing at James Madison, where he reached the FCS national championship game and helped the Dukes transition to the FBS before being hired by the other Indiana University.

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    “There’s so many good coaches like him out there who never get a chance,” Dobes said. “He got a chance and made it happen.”

    And there he was on New Year’s Day, beating Alabama by 35 points in the Rose Bowl. Decker, a teacher at Ridley High, told one of his coworkers that Cignetti was his coach 35 years ago. They couldn’t believe it. A few days later, the teacher’s old coach beat Oregon by 34 points to reach the national championship game. He’s the same guy, Decker said. Now, he has a remote control.

    “Whoever was the low man on the totem pole had to stand up there and hit rewind, pause, play,” Decker said. “He was intense, but as a quarterback, you want that. You can’t be passive as a quarterback. He got his point across. He knew how to get his point across in the way he spoke to you. What that does is push yourself to bring the best out of you. You’re not going to be as successful as he is by being quiet and behind the scenes.”

  • Letters to the Editor | Jan. 19, 2026

    Letters to the Editor | Jan. 19, 2026

    Blowing smoke

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in and around our courthouse and city are a blatant abuse of power that undermines due process, destroys community trust, endangers public safety, and is morally abhorrent. If justice matters in Philadelphia, the courthouse must remain a sanctuary from civil immigration enforcement and not a place of fear and intimidation. Sheriff Rochelle Bilal has promised to protect Philadelphians from ICE’s tactics, yet her office claims it lacks the authority to shield people from civil immigration arrests at, or just outside, the courthouse. As the official responsible for courthouse security, the sheriff has both the tools and the obligation to make sure everyone can access justice without fear.

    ICE agents have exploited restricted entrances and carried out violent arrests right outside the courthouse doors. There are also reports of deputies sharing information about courtroom locations with ICE. These actions deter people from exercising their rights and erode trust in the courts. If deputies would intervene during an assault just outside, they must show the same commitment to protecting folks from ICE kidnappings. ICE has no legitimate place in our courts or anywhere in Philadelphia. We must ensure the courthouse remains a true place of justice, dignity, and safety for all, and we must all do what we can to protect our neighbors from this vicious ICE campaign.

    Carrie Rathmann, Philadelphia

    Shiny new thing

    The Inquirer’s Kristen A. Graham reports that Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. has announced the (eventual) opening of two new schools in North Philadelphia based on Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone. This announcement comes as Watlington plans to tell the public which district schools are about to be closed. Huge contradiction here with the impending school closures the public does not want, and a surprise declaration of two new schools to open. The part I find most offensive is Watlington saying: “We’re going to make sure the school is staffed with the very best, most effective principals … We’re going to ensure that these schools are staffed with the very best, most effective teachers.”

    Is he really saying current teachers, staff, and principals are not the best? What would happen if they had the resources to support their students as promised with the two new schools? Mayor Cherelle L. Parker promised year-round schools (as these new ones will be). I must ask: Why hasn’t she created them in already existing schools? Where is the funding coming from, and how long will it last? Who was included in creating this proposal for the new schools? Neither Parker nor Watlington is known for being transparent or engaging in genuine community involvement.

    Karel Kilimnik, Philadelphia

    Imperial march

    Donald Trump has been described as a narcissist, a racist, a despot, a bully, a convicted felon, a demagogue, an oligarch, an intimidator, and a liar. A new term has been added to the list: imperialist. What is the difference between Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and Trump’s threat to invade Greenland? Trump can no longer broker a peace between Russia and the United States. He has lost all credibility. With his actions in Venezuela and threats against Colombia, Cuba, Iran, and especially Greenland, is his plan to destroy NATO and allow Putin to try to dominate Europe? Is he giving Xi Jinping the green light to invade Taiwan? Does Trump envision himself as the supreme ruler of the Western Hemisphere? These questions will have their answers in a short period of time. It took his administration one year to get to this point. What will the next three years bring?

    Richard Zanoni, Edgewater Park

    Masks off

    An American citizen named Renee Nicole Good was shot dead in Minneapolis in what Robert Reich called a “cold-blooded murder.” Her killing was carried out by masked men from a paramilitary organization that is running amok in the streets of America. The last paramilitary organization that ran amok in the United States under the protection of those in power was the Klan. The parallels are unmistakable. Both wear masks, or in the case of the Klan, a robe and hood. They kill innocent people because they are the “enemy within.”

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is an official government organization, while the Klan operated with local and state governments’ blessing. Their violence is fueled by the unaccountability enabled by hiding their faces and the governmental protection racket that covers up their crimes. In the case of ICE, that racket is run by Donald Trump and Kristi Noem. Our nation brought the Klan under control. The first step in controlling ICE is to remove the masks by outlawing them. You can’t hold people accountable unless you know who they are. California passed a no-mask law for law enforcement officers. Pennsylvania must be next.

    Gary Goldman, Newtown

    Iranian strategy

    The recent CBS Evening News interview between anchor Tony Dokoupil and President Donald Trump, conducted on a noisy Ford factory floor, raised more questions than answers about the administration’s approach to Iran. When the president warned he was prepared to take “strong action” if Iran executes protesters, the exchange felt strained and unclear, with Dokoupil struggling to maintain control of the conversation. Although I now live in Florida, my expectations for CBS were shaped decades ago in Philadelphia, where I attended Father Judge and grew up watching the network with my family.

    During the Vietnam War, Walter Cronkite delivered the news with a steadiness and credibility that helped the country navigate one of its most divisive eras. When he ended each broadcast with “That’s the way it is,” we believed him. Today, many viewers watch CBS with a degree of cynicism, and the tone of this interview did little to restore confidence. Communities far from Washington feel the stakes. A TV report here warned that even a single miscalculation between the U.S. and Iran could trigger a wider conflict. A miscalculation is not a strategy. It is a small misunderstanding or hasty reaction that spirals into something no one intended. That’s the way it is.

    Tom Feaster, Tampa, Fla.

    Leaders, not rulers

    Donald Trump is the president and leader of the United States. He was not chosen to be the ruler or dictator of our country. A leader guides his followers on a path that is best for the group. Does anyone think bombing suspected drug boats and killing suspected drug runners, hijacking Venezuelan oil and taking over the country, trying to annex Greenland against the wishes of its people, killing American citizens during immigration raids, and gutting the Affordable Care Act is the right path for America? Many of these actions resemble those taken by Adolf Hitler, Josip Broz Tito, Josef Stalin, and other dictators. Do we want a leader like them?

    Can we stand by while being led by the likes of Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem, Pete Hegseth, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — all underqualified when compared with previous department heads? It’s time to practice the old axiom, “Lead effectively or step aside and let someone else lead.” But who are the followers who have the integrity and intestinal fortitude to speak up? It’s certainly not Republican legislators, who whisper only mild dissent, then cower to scrutiny for fear of losing their jobs. Some Democrats speak up, but their voice is not strong enough. We, the average American citizen, must speak up and be heard. A loud and determined voice must reach our leaders and say, “No! Enough! We will not follow you down this path.”

    Jim McGogney, Marlton

    Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.

  • Dear Abby | Daughter is failing to be a good mother

    DEAR ABBY: I have three daughters with children of their own. Every year, we have a family vacation. My daughter “Monica’s” children, ages 8 and 9, whom I love and see regularly, behave badly. They cuss, yell at adults and show no respect whatsoever.

    We have brought this to Monica’s attention multiple times. She always reacts like we are wrong and says, “I’m not going to beat my kids.” At no time did we imply she should “beat” her kids, just give them a time-out or a scolding. If any of us tell them “Stop, please don’t do that,” they act like victims. It’s so bad that one of my other daughters told us as we were planning a vacation that she will not be going because of Monica’s kids’ behavior.

    Monica accuses us of not liking her kids and being mean. She goes to the school to argue with teachers and the principal if her kids tell her they didn’t get their way. I don’t know what her issue is. Her reasons sound like she is mentally ill. Anything you can recommend?

    — NOT ENABLING IN NEVADA

    DEAR NOT ENABLING: Monica is a terrible parent. A responsible mother would see that her children learn appropriate behavior before they get into serious trouble. Because you cannot help your daughter to see reality, I recommend you stop inviting Monica and her children on these vacations. Their behavior is unacceptable, and their cousins should not be further influenced by their bad example.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: I am a 70-year-old male caring for my 71-year-old wife. She has had health issues for more than 10 years. I own my own business and am the only employee, although my wife does help me with a portion of the business. Dealing with all her health issues, trying to run a business, trying to survive financially and navigating the world today is difficult.

    I am seeking resources or a support group in my area that works with people who care for their family members. We have been to counseling, which helped, but did not help me with all that I feel and have to do. I don’t think my wife could navigate this world on her own. Can you point me in the right direction?

    — RESPONSIBLE IN TEXAS

    DEAR RESPONSIBLE: You are carrying a heavy load. An organization called The Caregiver Action Network (formerly the National Family Caregivers Association) may be what you are seeking. Established in 1992, it works to improve the quality of life for tens of millions of family caregivers, providing education, peer support and resources to family caregivers across the country free of charge. For more information, go to caregiveraction.org or call 855-277-3640.

    ** ** **

    DEAR READERS: Today, we remember the birthday of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who in 1968 was martyred in the cause of civil rights. During a time of insanity, his was a voice of reason when he eloquently preached, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”

  • Horoscopes: Monday, Jan. 19, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). There’s a problem to toy with — not a problem that’s urgent and needs solving, but one you can figure out in joy and playfulness. A relaxed state will do much of the work for you. So many solutions will come to you.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You don’t romanticize less-than-ideal circumstances, nor do you let them define you. These conditions add dimension to your work, your purpose and your life. You’ll use all that happens like the artist you are.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). It’s a day to revisit the rituals that connect you to your values and remind you of who you are and where you come from. That might sound serious and effort-intensive, but it plays out simply: “I do this because it feels good, familiar or fun to me, and here’s why …”

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). You recognize quality quickly. You can point to the best things — the meat of an idea, the cute part of a story, the best characteristics of a person. Today, your instinct to find the best part saves time and elevates outcomes.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Your confidence isn’t about what you have. It’s about knowing you can make something of whatever comes. You trust in your powers of adaptation, which seem to braid together your creativity, resilience and emotional intelligence to orient you toward possibility.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The sky is only blue a fraction of the time. Many carrots are not orange. Many radishes are not red. Not all blue whales are blue. Life comes to you vividly today because you have the open mind to see beyond color and into the possibility.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’re learning for the joy of it. The fact you stumble upon today becomes a bridge to something larger. Curiosity compounds. It’s all casual today, but just wait and see how quickly it grows into an immersive interest.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You embody a cheerful cleverness, like you just cracked a code, and you’ll apply some of this to your relationship with money. Today, you’re centered on value rather than price. Spending becomes intentional. What you choose supports your priorities.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’re in the mood to zoom out and ask a bigger and brighter question. Possibility feels generous today, not abstract. An invitation, an idea or a change of scenery remind you how many choices you really have, and that freedom fuels your optimism.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Steady effort pays off in a satisfying way. You see how far you’ve come because something that once felt heavy now feels manageable. Your competence makes everything easier, and that ease frees you to think creatively about what comes next.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You notice where you don’t quite fit, and instead of adjusting yourself, you adjust the situation. Innovation can happen through small tweaks and original angles — you prove that today. What seems unconventional at first proves effective and very much your style.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). A pause will be necessary to get perspective. If it feels luxurious, let it be. If it’s merely practical, that’s good, too. Just don’t let it feel indulgent because this is necessary. Moments of stillness sharpen judgment and soften interactions. You return refreshed and clear.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 19). This is your Year of Strategic Magic. You’ll wield charm. Your charisma will get you into rooms where decisions are made and you’ll be an important part of the verdict. Confidence radiates from the calm way you take on challenges. More highlights: Relationships deepen. Your political and emotional savvy grows. You’ll achieve academic or financial success. Pisces and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 14, 30, 1 and 37.

  • Horoscopes: Monday, Jan. 26, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). Reinvention is available, and you’re willing to let go of the familiar. Even though certain beliefs about who you are feel safe — because they’re known — you’re brave enough to take a risk and let them go. You’re more than your role — more than your story.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your efforts to listen better give you a competitive edge. Most people don’t value the skill enough to be excellent at it. It takes a calm and open mind to settle into what’s being expressed. People notice and respect your talent.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Finishing what you start is a declaration of your strength. Every completed project, big or small, builds momentum. Your credibility is increasing, and so is your confidence as you honor the commitments that honor you.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). If you don’t know quite what you want, at least you know what you don’t want, which is the best place to start. All that you don’t want is negative space, and you’re the sculptor freeing the figure from everything that is not the figure.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). What appears to be an ordinary encounter has more levels. Others are unstressed because they are naive to the stakes. You’re well aware. Because of your sensitivity, interactions require more of you, but they give you more, too.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You will live as the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche did, by the concept of amor fati, “a love of one’s fate.” Whatever destiny hands over, you’ll polish it until it gleams. You’ll be trusted with treasures of finance and heart.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Any clothing can be attractive on a confident person. However, it’s difficult to feel confident if you don’t like what you’re wearing. Address issues of style. It’s a power move.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You see your loved ones clearly, including their flaws and past mistakes, and you stay loyal. Loyalty shows up as discretion (not broadcasting their failures) and as a conscious choice to emphasize their strengths when you stand by them.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). No one knows what they are doing today. It’s unclear where we’re headed. There’s a general sense of being uninformed; it’s the same for everyone. Dive in and do what you can with what you know, and you’ll soon know more.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It’s easy to want something just because everyone seems to. But those wants, even when fulfilled, are somehow unfulfilling. That’s why you seek deeper knowledge. Ask your true wants to speak a little louder to you.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). A good lawyer does not present all the information he has about his client during the opening statement. And nor do you need to tell your whole story immediately. You already have the attention, so you can be deliberate with your pacing.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). A lot of simple improvements don’t happen because no one thinks to make them happen. But you’re always looking around for opportunities to help. You’ll see what needs fixing and move things in a better, brighter direction.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 26). Welcome to your Year of the Bold Declaration in which you simply say how it’s going to be and watch the world move to make it so. You’ve put the work in, been generous, taken the time to learn excellence, and now you ask the world to do its part. More highlights: exciting sites, tickets and venues, holding hands in solidarity and romance, and physical feats of health and vitality. Sagittarius and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 19, 29, 42, 6 and 4.