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  • A W hotel building contractor is hit with another court judgment, this time for $42.4 million

    A W hotel building contractor is hit with another court judgment, this time for $42.4 million

    One of the largest building contractors in the United States has been hit by another multimillion judgment as a result of the dispute over the W and Element hotels in Center City.

    Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge James Crumlish III ordered California-based Tutor Perini Building Corp. to pay $42.4 million in damages to the subcontractor retained to install the building’s exterior, the Chicago-based Ventana DBS LLC.

    “Throughout the project, Ventana was forced to navigate numerous obstructions and obstacles, stemming from Tutor Perini’s pervasive material breaches of contract,” Crumlish’s ruling read last week.

    Contractor caused construction of the W and Element hotels to go ‘off the rails,’ judge finds

    That judgment comes on top of a $174.7 million judgment Crumlish issued earlier this year for 2,797 days of construction delays to the 51-story building, to be paid to Philadelphia-based Chestlen Development LP.

    A Tutor Perini spokesperson said in April that the firm disagreed with the decision and intended to appeal it.

    The contractor declined to comment on the new developments.

    “This ruling is an important affirmation of the facts and of the principles that govern successful project delivery,” said Bob Clark, executive chairman of Clayco, a real estate development company that is Ventana’s parent company.

    “We are pleased that the Court awarded Ventana $42 million in damages and recognized that Tutor Perini failed to properly coordinate its subcontractors while acting in bad faith by concealing its knowledge of significant concrete defects,” said Clark.

    The judgment is the latest in the fallout from a construction project that Crumlish has said in an earlier ruling went “off the rails” because of Tutor Perini. Five years after the W hotel opened, the litigation is ongoing.

    Tutor Perini was in court again Tuesday for the start of a new trial, this time for the judge to assess how much a concrete subcontractor, Thomas P. Carney Inc. Construction, owes Tutor for botching the job.

    The proceeding had a tense opening as attorneys for Tutor Perini and Carney spent the morning arguing over motions.

    Crumlish, who has previously chastised the parties for their animosity and turning the litigation into a “challenging behemoth,” expressed frustrations at times and ordered everyone to stop talking.

    “I’m getting cranky, I will admit it,” the judge said at one point.

    Disruptive and costly delays

    Tutor Perini retained Ventana in 2015 for $14 million to assist in the design and installation of the building’ exterior and window-wall systems for floors nine to 50.

    But when Ventana moved to install the hotel’s wall-window systems, they immediately noticed a “big problem,” according to the judge’s October memo. In many places, the concrete was not level or did not meet the elevation requirements in the design.

    Tutor Perini denied there was a problem, while quietly attempting to grind the edges of the concrete slabs to address the issue.

    By failing to supervise the concrete pours, Crumlish wrote in the recent ruling, Tutor Perini caused the “inefficient, obstructed, and impaired installation” of the window-wall systems.

    “Ventana repeatedly encountered disruptive and costly delays due to Tutor’s lack of coordination while attempting to install its window wall systems,” the judge’s memo said.

    Tutor Perini, for example, didn’t clear debris left by other subcontractors, the judge said, to allow the Ventana team to transport the window-wall components.

    Judge orders contractor to pay $175 million for the W hotel’s construction going ‘off the rails’

    And while Tutor’s consultants confirmed the problem was the concrete pour, the company rejected Ventana’s delay notices and stopped paying the contractor.

    Crumlish ordered Tutor to pay Ventana the $7.5 million unpaid subcontractor balance, $7.3 million in labor inefficiency costs, and $2.4 million unpaid change order requests, and $18 million in other costs.

    The company is also on the hook for $7.1 million in attorney’s fees, expert witness fees, and litigation costs, bringing the total judgment to $42.4 million.

    The W hotel opened in 2021 at 15th and Chestnut Streets, three years after its intended opening date, and it still cannot be fully occupied because some window vents are inoperable.

    The project was developed by Brook Lenfest, son of former Inquirer owner H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest, whose foundation continues to own the newspaper.

    Editor’s note: This article has been updated with a statement from the subcontractor Ventana’s parent company.

  • 7 heat-related deaths have been reported in Philadelphia this month, 8 for the year

    7 heat-related deaths have been reported in Philadelphia this month, 8 for the year

    Philadelphia so far has confirmed seven heat-related deaths in the last week, bringing the seasonal total to eight, the city health department reported Tuesday.

    And officials in the Garden State are investigating 29 “suspected” heat-related deaths, most of them in the central and northern parts of the state, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Health Department said..

    Four deaths were reported on Monday, and three additional fatalities Tuesday, said James Garrow, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, with an eighth earlier in the season.

    No details were available about the victims, including their ages and when and where the deaths occurred.

    The possible New Jersey heat-related deaths would have occurred during the record three-day hot spell that ended on July Fourth, the state said.

    In Philadelphia, temperatures on those three days hit 101 degrees or higher, the first time that had happened in the period of record dating to 1873, the National Weather Service said.

    It also was only the third time that they officially reached triple digits on three straight days.

    In New Jersey, the suspected victims ranged in age from the mid-30s to the 80s, said health department spokesperson Dalya Ewais. She added, however, that death toll numbers “are still unconfirmed,” pending forensic examinations.

    In the last decade Philadelphia has averaged but five deaths annually, a dramatic drop from the deadly summers of the 1990s.

    In 1993, Philadelphia recorded 118 heat-related deaths — compared with 50 in the 10-year period that began in 2017. The eight reported so far are the most since the eight of 2022, according to health department records.

    The shock of the 1993 death toll in Philly — which foreshadowed Chicago’s 1995 disaster, and Europe’s in 2003 — led to the creation of the city’s heat-response system, recalled David L. Cohen, who was chief of staff under former Mayor Ed Rendell.

    Federal officials have lauded the program as a model for other cities. It includes setting up cooling centers, encouraging people to look in on neighbors, and having the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging set up a heat hotline.

    A study published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorology Society in 2025 credited the program with saving 270 lives from 1995 through 1998.

    If the forecast holds, the city can give the program a rest at least through the week. No highs of even 90 degrees are expected through Monday.

  • Hackers stole private information of more than 50,000 clients from a Philly-based law firm, lawsuits say

    Hackers stole private information of more than 50,000 clients from a Philly-based law firm, lawsuits say

    Cybercriminals duped a Blank Rome attorney into sharing the personal information of 57,554 former and current clients, two federal lawsuits filed Monday say.

    The firm, which is headquartered in Philadelphia and has 15 other offices nationwide, notified impacted clients a month after the incident, according to the complaints.

    The two nearly identical proposed class-action lawsuits, filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by former Blank Rome clients from California, accuse the firm of negligence, breach of contract, and violation of consumer protection laws, among other claims.

    Blank Rome failed to use industry standards for cybersecurity and to comply with safeguards mandated by a federal medical privacy law, according to the complaints. It also didn’t appropriately train staff to identify these types of cyber schemes, the suits said.

    The lawsuits asks a judge to certify the class action on behalf of all people impacted by the breach, award them damages, and order action to ensure their identities are protected.

    “The exposure of one’s Private Information to cybercriminals is a bell that cannot be unrung,” the suits say. “Before this data breach, its current, former, and prospective clients’ Private Information was exactly that — private. Not anymore.”

    The incident was limited to one attorney and the firm’s network was never breached, a Blank Rome spokesperson said.

    “We are committed to protecting our clients’ information and maintaining the trust they place in us,” the firm’s statement said. “We believe the lawsuit has no merit and will aggressively defend against it.”

    The firm disputed that all people impacted were clients, but did not say who else was impacted.

    The attorney who filed the two lawsuits did not respond to a request for comment.

    Class-action lawsuits following cybersecurity breaches have become increasingly common. Earlier this year, Comcast agreed to pay $117.5 million to settle two dozen suits over a 2023 data breach, and the University of Pennsylvania was sued multiple times over an October breach that impacted fewer than 10 people.

    They are also lucrative for class attorneys who can pocket as much as a third of the settlement’s amount.

    The Blank Rome data breach took place on May 21 after an “unauthorized third party” posing as a member of the firm’s IT department instructed a Blank Rome attorney to upload files to an external Google Drive, according to a notice of breach attached to the complaint.

    Clients began receiving notice on June 26, the suits say.

    The firm identified the breach within two hours, deleted all the files on the drive, and opened an investigation, the notice said. Blank Rome also notified law enforcement.

    The notice was sent to clients whose information, which included names and Social Security numbers, was stolen. Clients’ addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, and medical and health insurance information were also potentially obtained by the hackers, the notice said.

    Blank Rome provided complimentary credit monitoring to impacted clients, the notices said, and has taken internal steps “mitigating similar risk,” including by working with cybersecurity professionals.

    “We are notifying you of this incident and want to assure you that we take it seriously,” the firm’s notice said.

  • Noel Acciari is going from a hated Penguin to a (hopefully?) beloved Flyer. He said he’s excited to join a team on the rise.

    Noel Acciari is going from a hated Penguin to a (hopefully?) beloved Flyer. He said he’s excited to join a team on the rise.

    Noel Acciari has gotten a few text messages and calls since July 1.

    They came from friends, family, and a few other people, all saying the same thing: “You fit the Flyer mold.”

    That was why the Flyers targeted the unrestricted free agent who checked a lot of boxes, including “experience, playoff experience, the hardness, the fourth-line role, face-offs, the leadership,” according to general manager Danny Brière.

    The veteran forward inked a two-year deal that carries a $2.8 million average annual value. Acciari, 34, is now heading east on I-76 after spending three seasons in Pittsburgh.

    “Choosing Philly was an easy decision,” he said during a Zoom news conference on Tuesday. “Seeing how their momentum was after the break, and it’s a young team, to be able to do what they did was pretty special to watch and play against, and I just wanted to be a part of that.”

    The Flyers’ Trevor Zegras and then-Penguins forward Noel Acciari tangle during a game on Oct. 28, 2025.

    The forward was on the Penguins team that lost in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Flyers. Brière noted that it was difficult for the Flyers to play against Acciari, who brings a physical, defensive game with high-end prowess on the penalty kill, similar to what Garnet Hathaway did for three seasons before he was traded to the Florida Panthers right before the draft.

    Acciari is a natural center who has played a lot of wing, including in Pittsburgh. He combined with Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte to make up one of the league’s top fourth lines. This past season, he had 13 goals, 25 points, won 52% of his faceoffs, and had an impressive plus-14 rating in 67 games.

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    He posted one assist in the six playoff games against Philly — Brière said it was because of the Flyers’ stingy defense — but dominated in the face-off circle, winning 61% of his draws.

    His prowess in the dot will help bolster a team that has not re-signed Luke Glendening, who won 57.2% of his faceoffs with the Flyers. Glendening, a late-season addition, was the team’s only right-handed centerman, and now Acciari holds that title. Across all 82 games last season, the Flyers collectively won only 49.5% of faceoffs; they improved against the Penguins in the playoffs but were worse against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.

    “If it’s not on a score sheet, I want to help out the team in any way possible, whether it’s blocking a shot, winning a faceoff, or throwing a big hit,” said Acciari. “All the little things that helped me throughout my career, and I’d love to bring [them] on over to Philly.”

    Noel Acciari (right) had 13 goals, 25 points, and an impressive plus-14 rating in 67 games last season for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

    A veteran of 585 career games with the Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Penguins, Acciari has amassed 81 goals and 144 points. One of the biggest draws for him was the Flyers’ locker room. He says he saw how tight the team is, the excitement they had, and how much fun they were having, and he wanted to be a part of it.

    He also knows a few Flyers. He played with Owen Tippett in Florida and Joseph Woll in Toronto and overlapped with Dan Vladař in the Boston organization. He also worked with Flyers assistant coach Todd Reirden in Pittsburgh.

    There’s also his interaction during the regular season with Trevor Zegras. The two were part of a melee that saw both players tossed after Acciari wasn’t too happy with the Flyers forward for knocking off his helmet. So while Acciari has spoken to the guys he knows, has he chatted yet with Zegras?

    “I have not talked to Trevor yet, but I bet that will come soon enough,” he said after grinning when Zegras’ name was brought up. “But, you know, it’s all water under the bridge. Have a good laugh at it now. He does what he needs to do on the ice to get under guys’ skin, and he does a good job, and he’s effective at it.”

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    He’s excited to now be on the same side as Zegras — and Philadelphia’s fans.

    “Just being a part of that Pennsylvania rivalry, I got to experience it on the other side, which was a lot of fun,” he said. “And just seeing how passionate the fans are, which is unbelievable, and to be able to experience it with their cheering for you this time. I’m so excited for, and I’m glad to have them on my side now because they are very passionate, and they’re all up in your face.

    “It’s fun to play against, but at the same time, I’m happy I get to play on the same side.”

  • Patti LaBelle to sing anthem at MLB All-Star Game; Jennifer Hudson, Boyz II Men, and Miles Teller also to perform

    Patti LaBelle to sing anthem at MLB All-Star Game; Jennifer Hudson, Boyz II Men, and Miles Teller also to perform

    Major League Baseball is pulling out all the stops for next week’s All-Star Game — including employing some of Philadelphia’s own to get the party started.

    On Tuesday, MLB announced the slate of entertainment for its midsummer classic at Citizens Bank Park (July 14, 8 p.m., Fox29). Philly native and “Godmother of Soul” Patti LaBelle will perform the national anthem, while EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson is slated to sing “America the Beautiful.” Philadelphia R&B group Boyz II Men and Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller, a Downingtown native, also headline the game’s entertainers.

    “As we gather to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, Philadelphia is the perfect stage to bring this milestone to life,” MLB chief marketing officer Uzma Rawn Dowler said in a statement. “… This lineup captures the unique energy of the city while honoring how baseball has been a part of the American spirit for 250 years.”

    LaBelle will be accompanied by the Military District of Washington Joint Chorus and West Point Band for her rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” LaBelle, 82, was born in Southwest Philadelphia, attended Bartram High School, and resides in Villanova. In 2019, the city honored the two-time Grammy winner by renaming a block of Broad Street between Spruce and Locust “Patti LaBelle Way.”

    “I’m a Philadelphia girl,” LaBalle told The Inquirer in February. “It’s laid back, comfortable. … How I like it.”

    Everything you need to know about the MLB All-Star Game coming to Philly

    Hudson also will have some backup and will perform “America the Beautiful” alongside the Philly Pops and the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. In 2022, Hudson, then 40, became the third-youngest person, and youngest woman, to have won each of entertainment’s biggest awards — an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. The Chicago native is the only All-Star performer who does not boast direct Philadelphia ties, but she is no stranger to playing in the city — just last month, her tour with Josh Groban stopped at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Most notably, the “Spotlight” singer headlined the Wawa Welcome America Festival in 2019.

    It is unclear if Boyz II Men will be diving into its extensive discography during its performance. After the fifth inning, the group will provide the soundtrack to the league’s Stand Up To Cancer placard moment — in which fans will hold up signs for their loved ones who have been affected by cancer. MLB first started the tradition in Philadelphia during the 2009 World Series.

    Miles Teller, the only nonmusician on the list, will be lending his voice to a “stirring tribute of baseball’s impact on American life,” according to MLB. The task is fitting for the actor, who has made his Phillies fandom known over the years. During the 2022 World Series, in which the Phillies fell to the Houston Astros in six games, Teller was a mainstay at Citizens Bank Park. He told The Inquirer he had befriended Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola and then-first baseman Rhys Hoskins. The Whiplash actor even texts with play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy.

    “It’s a pretty big year,” Teller said in 2022. “Top Gun. Also, I turned 35, which feels like a number. [I] hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time. And the Phillies, man. I’ve always lived and died with the Phillies, dude. That’s always been the most important thing to me.”

  • Trump-promoted Freedom Fuel gas stations are opening around Philly. Here’s what we know.

    Trump-promoted Freedom Fuel gas stations are opening around Philly. Here’s what we know.

    Philadelphia-area drivers can now fill up their tanks with less-expensive gasoline promoted by President Donald Trump’s administration, but details on the entire enterprise remain scarce.

    The White House on Tuesday announced the opening of the first Freedom Fuel gas station in Upper Dublin Township, at a former Sunoco station.

    In the undated video, drivers happily filled their tanks for $3.47 a gallon, which the White House said was to honor “our 47th President.” That’s cheaper than the least-expensive gas at nearby stations, according to prices posted by GasBuddy.

    The Freedom Fuel station in Dresher is near a McDonald’s and across the street from a shopping plaza. But what sets it apart from other nearby gas stations is the assortment of American flags planted across its footprint — and the cheaper gas.

    While a nearby Citgo station, about five minutes away, prices regular gas at $3.79 a gallon, and a Gulf offers it at $3.85, Freedom Fuel offers it at $3.47 a gallon.

    For many patrons stopping by Tuesday afternoon, the branding was new — and secondary to savings.

    The Freedom Fuel Network gas station at 1400 Dreshertown Road in Dresher.

    Jessiah Brice, 25, said the Freedom Fuel station was convenient because it is near her job. She had noticed the new branding after the July Fourth holiday and had no idea what it was about, but she welcomed the idea regardless of the affiliation with Trump.

    “Gas should be cheaper,” she said. “My only issue is: How is it $3.47 here and $5 by me?”

    Another gas buyer, who declined to give her name out of privacy concerns, said she had heard of Trump’s efforts to bring cheaper gas to people but had not connected it to her local gas station.

    “What’s not to love?” said another patron, before driving away with a full tank.

    Seyer Hamidi, 36, stumbled upon the station after picking up his car, which he likes to fill up with premium gas, from the mechanic. He, too, welcomed the idea.

    “Gas is going to be high whether you’re a Republican or Democrat,” the Republican said, noting the cheaper gas was a step in the right direction.

    A lot remains unclear, including the names of the participating businesses and how they are able to sell gasoline cheaper than nearby competitors.

    A White House spokesperson confirmed that a website for the Freedom Fuel Network, which showed 25 locations across the Philadelphia region and South Jersey, was accurate. The White House did not confirm that all 25 locations are open and did not provide information about the company.

    The list includes stations in Elmwood Park, Bustleton, and Hunting Park, but it was unclear if every location on the Freedom Fuel website was open.

    A White House spokesperson said the Freedom Fuel Network was a private company and not a government program, adding that the company was not purchasing gasoline at a discount and that the administration has not provided funding. The spokesperson said the business was simply making gas more affordable for drivers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey but did not elaborate.

    The company behind the Freedom Fuel Network did not respond to a request for comment.

    The fuel pumps at the Freedom Fuel Network gas station at 1400 Dreshertown Road in Dresher.

    Beyond that, not much information was available beyond the White House social media post and a statement made by Trump, who wrote on his Truth Social account last week that a “very smart retailer” located throughout the Northeast was “stepping up” to offer a discount at the pump.

    Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, crunched the numbers and said there was no profitable way for Freedom Fuel stations to sell gas so cheaply.

    “Stations selling at this price, it’s not sustainable,” De Haan said. “Generally, when losses happen, somebody’s got to pay for it.”

    De Haan had no insight on who owns the stations or what deals they might have made to purchase gas, but did confirm many of the stations exist in GasBuddy’s database, though the names were “vastly different.”

    Gas prices have been dropping in recent weeks after peaking in May. Prices soared after the United States attacked Iran and the Strait of Hormuz — a key shipping lane — was shut down.

    The average cost of a gallon of gas in Philadelphia on Tuesday was $3.95, according to AAA. That was up nearly 20% from this time last year, when the cost of a gallon of gas averaged $3.31.

  • A new Sprouts Farmers Market is opening in South Jersey this summer

    A new Sprouts Farmers Market is opening in South Jersey this summer

    Another Sprouts Farmers Market is coming soon to South Jersey.

    The Sprouts in Washington Township is set to open Aug. 28, the company announced Tuesday in a statement.

    The 23,000-square-foot organic grocery store is under construction on Egg Harbor Road in Sewell, with an attached 6,400-square-foot storefront for lease, according to marketing materials for the new development.

    Sprouts plans to bring on about 90 full- and part-time employees, with hiring events scheduled next week for Tuesday and Wednesday at the Double Tree by Hilton in Cherry Hill.

    This Sprouts in South Philadelphia opened in 2018.

    The Washington Township location will be the Phoenix-based chain’s fourth in South Jersey. The grocer, which specializes in organic, gluten-free, and plant-based products, also has stores in Haddon Township, Marlton, and West Deptford.

    Across the river, the company operates four Philadelphia locations, including Roosevelt Mall in the Northeast and the new Rivermark complex in Northern Liberties, as well as two Montgomery County stores in Upper Dublin and Montgomeryville.

    Never-opened Amazon Fresh in Havertown set to become a Sprouts Farmers Market

    The chain has a location under construction in Limerick, and recently signed a lease for the never-opened Amazon Fresh in Havertown, with a Sprouts opening expected early next year.

    While some other chain grocery stores have closed locally, and some consumers have cut back due to higher prices, Sprouts is expanding, with a goal to open 40 stores nationwide by the end of 2026, according to a recent earnings report.

    Sprouts executives said on the earnings call that they are also taking steps to improve affordability, including store promotions like $5 Sushi Wednesday and price reductions on increasingly expensive items like coffee.

  • A Chester couple will face a county judge on murder charges in the death of their 2-year-old son

    A Chester couple will face a county judge on murder charges in the death of their 2-year-old son

    Cynthia Robinson and Frank Walton Sr. won back custody of their son, Frank Jr., in May 2025, Delaware County prosecutors said Tuesday.

    Six months later, the 2-year-old was dead, and the bruises and cuts that covered his young body told the story of the abuse he had been dealt in the weeks leading up to his killing, according to First Assistant District Attorney Kristin Kemp.

    Robinson, 37, and Walton, 57, were held for trial on charges of murder, conspiracy, and related crimes after an hours-long preliminary hearing before District Judge Dawn L. Vann.

    An autopsy revealed that Frank died in November from a laceration to his liver that caused significant internal bleeding, as well as bleeding in his brain that a forensic examiner said Tuesday was caused by either blunt trauma or severely shaking the boy.

    Those injuries, Kemp said, were caused by Robinson, who has a documented history of abusing all four of her children, and who had been seen beating and striking Frank whenever he cried at the couple’s house in Chester.

    Kemp said though Robinson dealt the fatal injuries, Walton was just as culpable — he waited to call 911 until the boy had died, despite seeing his condition worsen in the hours after the beating.

    Walton also agreed to lie to police and attempt to blame his son’s injuries on his then-3-year-old daughter, whom Robinson claimed had pushed the boy down the stairs, Kemp said. The girl, according to testimony Tuesday, had spent the entire day with Walton and had not been home.

    A Chesco couple cared more for drugs than their young son, judge says before sending them to prison for decades

    “They were afraid of law enforcement and investigators seeing that every aspect of that child had been abused,” Kemp said. “Only one thing could’ve happened with that baby, and that was his death.”

    Robinson’s attorney, Michael Dugan, said that there was no evidence his client had intended to kill her son.

    “At the end of the day, who calls 911? Mom. Who does CPR? Mom,” Dugan said. “I don’t think either one of these parents knew this child was dying, and when they knew his extreme condition, they called for help.”

    Walton’s attorney, Wana Saadzoi, asserted that the charges against him should be dropped — he had never been seen abusing his son, and the mortal injuries took place when he was out working.

    “He couldn’t have prevented it from happening if he wasn’t present,” she said. “This was a tragic failure that he was unable to appreciate the seriousness of his injuries.”

    But Kemp doubted that theory of the case, saying Walton was well aware of Robinson’s history of child abuse and should have done more to protect the toddler.

    “As a parent, you don’t get to bury your head in the sand,” she said. “You have an affirmative duty to intervene and save your child.”

    Frank was born prematurely, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his parents’ arrests, and tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl. He was placed in foster care as a result, but was returned to his parents in May 2025.

    Robinson’s half brother, Jason Weldon, testified Tuesday that he saw her carry Frank down the stairs by his T-shirt and drop him onto his back from about waist height hours before the boy died.

    He said he saw Robinson slap Frank and forcibly cover his mouth when he cried, and heard her say she was going to “beat this little [expletive].”

    Weldon testified that he threatened to report Robinson to county officials, but that she begged him not to because she did not want the boy to be taken away again.

    A Delco man was sentenced to decades in prison for his role in the fatal beating of an 18-month-old girl

    He said he told Walton about the abuse and that he needed to protect his kids.

    “If I would’ve known [Frank Jr. would be killed], I would’ve done something about it,” Weldon said.

    Weldon said he woke up on the night Frank died to see Robinson frantically performing CPR on the boy. And he was in the room when she told police that her daughter had pushed Frank down the stairs, he said, but he “didn’t think it went down that way.”

    An autopsy revealed that the injuries the boy sustained, especially the laceration to his liver, required force only an adult could apply, according to testimony Tuesday.

  • Point Breeze’s Keith Haring mural could be added to the city’s Register of Historic Places

    Point Breeze’s Keith Haring mural could be added to the city’s Register of Historic Places

    Keith Haring’s We the Youth is already a Philadelphia landmark, but what if the city made that designation official?

    The Point Breeze mural, the only collaborative Haring mural that still hangs in its original location, is being proposed to be added to Philadelphia’s Register of Historic Places, which would make it an officially designated and protected landmark.

    Haring was born in Reading, raised in Kutztown, and died in New York City in 1990, at age 31, from AIDS-related complications.

    “Keith Haring was an extremely important artist who tragically died fairly young,” Alexander Till, a historic preservation planner at the City of Philadelphia, said to WHYY in a statement. “This nomination gives us an opportunity to preserve this piece of his work and his legacy in Philadelphia.”

    Keith Haring, who died in 1990, with his painted carousel. MUST CREDIT: Sabina Sarnitz/Luna Luna/Keith Haring Foundation/Artestar

    We the Youth, according to Till, who made the nomination, fits Criteria A and E for designation, stating that it “has significant character, interest or value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the city … or is associated with the life of a person significant in the past.” Plus, it “is the work of a designer … whose work has significantly influenced the historical, architectural, economic, social, or cultural development of the city.”

    The South Philly mural has stood at the corner of 22nd and Ellsworth Streets for nearly four decades. It was painted in 1987 to commemorate the U.S. bicentennial, and intentionally placed in a less-mainstream neighborhood.

    Defined by its colorful dancing characters, We the Youth was painted in collaboration with a group of Philadelphia students, through a partnership with the nonprofits CityKids NYC and Brandywine Workshop.

    “Philly is very proud to have a Keith Haring mural and especially one embedded in the community that was done in such a collaborative manner,” Jane Golden, founder and executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, said last month. “We get nothing but positive response and excitement when people learn there is a Haring mural in our city.”

    In 2013, Golden and her Mural Arts team undertook a massive restoration of the Haring mural.

    “As the local caretaker of the Haring mural, we are committed to helping ensure this mural stays at its original location for generations to come,” she said.

    “We the Youth” is a Keith Haring mural painted in 1987 on the exterior of a rowhouse at 22nd and Ellsworth Streets.

    Murals, especially outdoor ones, are notoriously difficult to get put on the city’s Historic Places Register. They can only be nominated as an “object,” defined under city preservation laws as “a material thing of functional, aesthetic, cultural, historic, or scientific value that may be, by nature or design, movable but yet related to a specific setting or environment.”

    Out of 21 objects designated since 1971, only four were murals or mural collections: The Dream Garden inside the Curtis Center, the New Deal-era murals inside the Family Court building, Angelic Exaltation of St. Joseph into Heaven inside Old City’s Old St. Joseph’s Church, and Iron Plantation Near Southwark inside the Southwark Station Post Office in South Philly.

    If approved, We the Youth would be the first designated mural in over four years, and the first outdoor one in the city’s history.

    Some preservationists have reservations with such a designation.

    “The nomination raises broader policy questions about how to evaluate murals under the city’s historic preservation rules,” Paul Steinke, executive director of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, said in a statement. “Murals are often created as public art on blank walls. Getting designated can have lasting effects on property, new construction, and neighborhood revitalization.”

    The owner of a historic property in Philadelphia is obligated to keep the property in good repair and obtain approval from the Historical Commission before making any changes to the site, according to the city’s website.

    The mural stands at 2147 Ellsworth St., on the facade of a three-bedroom rowhouse that is available for rent, per an OCF Realty listing. A potential historic designation will not affect the larger property and will be restricted to the mural and the wall it is painted on.

    The building’s owner, listed as “2147 Ellsworth LLC” in city records, will be required to maintain the structural integrity of the wall and commit to set obligations, with Mural Arts making any necessary restorations to the mural itself.

    The owner would not be allowed to remove or alter the appearance of the mural without the Historic Commission’s review, “just as the owners of historic properties are not allowed to perform exterior alterations to their properties without review,” a representative from the commission said.

    OCF Realty did not immediately respond to further queries around the building’s ownership.

    “We believe it is essential for the Historical Commission to consider both the importance of this specific work and the precedent it may set for future mural nominations,” Steinke said.

    The Philadelphia Historical Commission’s Committee on Historic Designation will discuss Till’s proposal at its July 22 meeting. The nomination would have to be approved by the entire commission for We the Youth to be added to the register.

  • Bryce Harper pays tribute to SEPTA with debut of new line of Under Armour cleats

    Bryce Harper pays tribute to SEPTA with debut of new line of Under Armour cleats

    Bryce Harper is not shy about showing love to the Philadelphia area, and his latest cleats are no exception.

    On Tuesday, Under Amour released the UA Harper 11, the Phillies star’s 11th signature cleat with the company. And the first colorway, named “All Lines Lead Home,” is inspired by SEPTA and its colorful map, symbolizing the “many paths players, fans, and visitors take to reach the city,” the brand wrote in a release.

    The low-top cleats feature a knit sock collar and a metallic silver base with streaks of color across it to symbolize SEPTA’s different routes. The colors include orange (for the Broad Street Line), blue (Market/Frankford Line), red (PATCO), light green (trolleys), and purple (Norristown High Speed Line). There also is a replica of the SEPTA map on the cleat’s tongue. The bottom of the cleat spikes are half red and half blue, similar to the SEPTA logo, and the tongue pull loop has Philly’s “215″ area code on it.

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    “Inspired by the Philly lines that bring fans together on game day and the player at the center of it all — the UA Harper 11 brings crazy new traction and signature Bryce attitude,” Under Armour wrote under the listing of Harper’s cleat on its website.

    Harper’s “All Lines Lead Home” cleats also will be part of a Yard Icon collection at Under Armour and release in the five colorways representing Philly’s transit lines.

    In addition to new cleats for Harper (right), Under Armour also released new “All Lines” colorways for its UA Yard Icon cleats, featuring fellow big-league stars (from left) Konnor Griffin, Juan Soto, Gunnar Henderson, Freddie Freeman, and Bobby Witt Jr.

    The “All Lines Lead Home” cleats — which can be preordered for $140 (shipping is expected later this month, according to the website) — are the latest cleat collaboration from Harper that pays tribute to the region. Earlier this year, Harper released the “Mad House” colorway of his Under Armour Harper 10s, which referenced the Jersey Shore. In the past, he’s also paid homage to Wawa with his “Gottahava Harper” PE cleats, which were released during HoagieFest two years ago. And, of course, he’s continued his love affair with the Phillie Phanatic, rocking fuzzy Harper 3s inspired by the mascot’s colors last year.

    Harper and Under Armour reached a contract extension in January, and the arrival of a new signature cleat shows the company’s commitment to keeping him as the face of its baseball endeavors. The Phillies’ first baseman has been with Under Amour since 2011.

    The release of Harper’s new footwear also coincides with next week’s MLB All-Star Game, in which the former MVP will participate for the ninth time in his career, and third time as a Phillie. The brand also announced it “will bring Harper’s cleats to life” through a fan experience at 1190 Market St. during All-Star week, which starts Saturday.

    So as the baseball world prepares to descend on Philly for the midsummer classic, it appears Harper’s new cleats are correct: all routes do indeed lead to the Bank.

    Phillies fans will see a familiar face on TV covering the MLB draft