Abington School District wants feedback on design plans for a middle school set to open as early as 2029.
The new school, designed to house 2,200 students, will be built on existing district land. The current building, meanwhile, is slated for demolition, and sports fields will be rebuilt in a $285 million project that taxpayers approved in a rare, successful referendum last May.
The plan, as seen ina June presentation, includes more parking spaces, layouts for easier monitoring of classrooms and bathrooms, a class “pod” design, and flexible room sizes.
Abington has extended the deadline for a community survey on the plan to July 10, district spokesperson Allie Artur said. The district will use the feedback to further refine the design.
Abington School District shared design plans for a new middle school set to open as soon as 2029.
Design for new Abington middle school
The academic areas of the school would be divided into sets of classrooms and bathrooms to give students a home base within the larger building, said Ryan Murphy, a project manager from ICS, the facility planning consulting firm leading the design effort.
Those classrooms would have windows that allow adults to look in from the hallway, but are too high to distract students sitting at desks.
The planned bathrooms would have fully private stalls, with shared sink areas equipped with cameras.
Several classrooms, along with the cafeteria and auditorium, would have partition options for changing the room sizes.
Initial renderings for Abington’s new middle school show pods of classrooms and bathrooms organized around a central cafeteria, shown in peach.
New middle school adds parking, moves sports
The design adds 79 more parking spaces than the current middle school has, Murphy said. The plans also retain a track around the football field.
The new school is to be built on the current site of the tennis courts beside the district administration building.
While some athletic spaces, including the soccer fields, won’t be touched during construction, the tennis courts won’t be rebuilt until the old school is demolished during the 2029–2030 school year, according to the project timeline.
The district is working with the township on a plan to use Alverthorpe Park and other venues for tennis in the meantime, Artur said.
The new building would also give spectators access to bathrooms during games, while keeping the rest of the school blocked off.
Initial renderings for Abington’s middle school project show the planned site of the new building and athletic spaces.
Abington takes feedback on school design
Murphy emphasized during the June presentation that the renderings are not the final product, as the district continues to seek feedback on the project.
A district survey last winter found that residents wanted a safe, inclusive, and cost-effective middle school filled with natural light.
The new survey on the initial building renderings asks residents for feedback on specific design elements, including safety features, the pickup and drop-off line, and parking.
Residents had to approve the extra spending for the demolition and construction project, which will eventually cost the average taxpayer about $54 per month.
The successful 2025 referendum — unusual in Pennsylvania — drew 17,579 voters and passed by a 411-vote margin.
Opponents of the project argued that $285 million is too steep, and called for a slower process to allow residents more input in the renovation and construction options.
Advocates said renovating the existing building would cost an estimated $206 million anyway, and that needed repairs alone would cost around $100 million and require debt.
A tax calculator that allows property owners to estimate how much the project will add to their bill has been viewed more than 27,000 times, according to the website.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Fireworks rise, shortly after midnight, from behind the Art Museum during the New Year’s Eve concert and fireworks display, at the Oval on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. The event, featuring LL COOL J, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Adam Blackstone, hard rockers Dorothy, and Technician The DJ was a first for the City of Philadelphia and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.
As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, Philadelphia and the surrounding region are packed with celebrations, concerts, and fireworks displays.
Arts intern Morgan Ritter rounded up the best places to watch fireworks across Philadelphia, the suburbs, South Jersey, and the Shore, while I have everything you need to know before heading to the city’s free July 4 concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
This year’s One Philly: Unity Concert for America features Christina Aguilera, Jill Scott, Will Smith, Meek Mill, The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Seal, and more before the city’s official fireworks spectacular.
The interior of the First Bank of the United States is pictured on Monday, June 29, 2026 in Philadelphia. The bank reopens this week following a $27 million restoration project.
💸 Cha-ching!: Before the New York Stock Exchange was established, Philadelphia was the financial capital of the nation. This week, you can explore that history with the reopening of the First Bank of the United States. It’s open to the public for the first time in 50 years.
🖼️ A revolutionary time: Stop by the Museum of the American Revolution for guided gallery tours, reenactment performances, printmaking demos, and other fun activities through Sunday.
🎸 The sounds of freedom: Imagine Benjamin Franklin fronting a rock revolution. That’s the premise of The Sound of America, an electrifying musical that features 23 original songs, a walking tour, and a special remote cameo by Sir Roger Daltrey.
The biggest America 250 events from now through Independence Day
Members of the The Mattatuck Drum Band participate in the Salute to America Independence Day Parade, at Independence Hall, in Philadelphia, on the 4th of July, 2019. JESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer
The city has already been buzzing with activity this summer, and it’s about to get even busier for America’s 250th birthday.
Mr. Edison, the new restaurant at the Bellevue from Jeffrey Chodorow, in Philadelphia, June 23, 2026.
📽️ Latino film on display: A celebration of Latino filmmakers and creatives continues through Sunday, as part of the annual Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival. The event, now in its 15th year, includes a lineup of feature films, documentaries, shorts, online series, and more visual projects.
🎭 Dear, theater lovers: Sunday is your last chance to catch the six-time Tony Award winner, Dear Evan Hansen, at Arden Theater. Grab tickets while they last, or miss out on this emotional story about an anxious high schooler forced to confront a harrowing lie.
🍸 New restaurant opening at the Bellevue: Thomas Edison designed the original lighting inside the Bellevue, so it’s only fitting that the hotel’s newest culinary offering honors the inventor. The newly opened supper club-inspired restaurant, Mr. Edison, is worth exploring.
🥊 Philly’s true heavyweight champion: While fictional boxer Rocky Balboa has three statues in his honor, Philadelphia’s true undisputed heavyweight champion is finally getting his just due. A 12-foot bronze statue of boxing legend Joe Frazier was unveiled at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Staffer picks
Here’s a list of the best concerts happening this week.
Christina Aguilera performs “Cuando Me De la Gana” at the 23rd annual Latin Grammy Awards at the Mandalay Bay Michelob Ultra Arena on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
🎸 Thursday: Just before the July 4 weekend festivities kick into full gear, Old City will host the Red, White & Blue Music Series that includes 28 local bands and groups spread across 11 museums.
🎷 Friday: Saxophonist Ikechi Onyenaka will lead the Friday Night Jazz Series at Spruce Street Harbor Park.
🎤 Saturday: The One Philly: United Concert for America will be a star-studded affair, featuring performances from Christina Aguilera, Jill Scott, Will Smith, Meek Mill and other notable stars.
🎸 Sunday: Paul Simon is bringing his “A Quiet Celebration” tour to the TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann to close out the celebratory weekend.
❓Pop quiz
What year did the first Independence Day celebration take place in Philadelphia?
a) July 4, 1776?
b) July 4, 1777?
c) July 4, 1780?
d) July 4, 1781?
Here’s the answer to last week’s question: When did the Lit Brothers building first open? Answer:1871
Ask Earl anything
I’m starting something new for the newsletter, and I want your participation.
Many of you have questions about each week’s listings, and others about Philly’s arts, culture, and entertainment scene.
I have you covered. Have a question? Email me for a chance to have it answered in an upcoming newsletter.
Alright, folks! That’s all for this week’s edition of Things to Do. And if you couldn’t tell, it’s a celebratory moment — not only for the city, but for the nation. Enjoy this historical moment to the fullest.
Pope Leo XIV will accept the National Constitution Center’s Liberty Medal on Friday, delivering remarks live from the Vatican that will be broadcast inside the Sixth and Arch building.
The U.S.-born pontiff’s speech is a major addition to Philadelphia’s already extensive lineup of activities and events on the eve of the United States’ 250th birthday on July Fourth.
His speech will be particularly anticipated in Philadelphia given the Semiquincentennial and Leo’s deepties to the Philly area.
The Catholic leader has garnered attention for clashing with President Donald Trump’s administration, which will be further exemplified by his visit with migrants on Independence Day.
His award acceptance speech also comes just two days after traditionalist Catholics in Switzerland defied him by consecrating bishops without his consent, which Leo called “a sin of extreme gravity,” the Associated Press reported.
His Friday remarks were initially going to be broadcast on Independence Mall but it was moved inside due to extreme heat.
Here’s what to know ahead of his Liberty Medal speech.
What are Pope Leo’s connections to the Philly area?
Not only is he the first U.S.-born pope, but he has connections to the Philly area — despite being from Chicago.
Leo graduated from Villanova University in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He received an honorary doctorate of humanities in 2014 from the Augustinian university.
Those who knew him at the time described him as a Midwesterner with a sense of humor who was tuned in to global issues like immigration and poverty — and like anyone who goes to Villanova, a big basketball fan. He worked part-time at St. Denis Catholic Church in Havertown as part of the cemetery maintenance crew during his studies.
In May, he passed along a surprise commencement message tothis year’s graduates. In that message, he fittingly referenced America’s 250th anniversary.
“May the graduates of 2026 always be faithful to the guiding light that has been so important for these 250 years,” Leo said.
This video screen grab shows Pope Leo XIV wearing a Villanova hat given to him during a meeting with an Italian heritage group.
Last month, a delegation from Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center met with Leo at the Vatican to present him with the medal. They would have been remiss to forget to celebrate his Philly connections.
So they brought him a few local goodies: a bundle of Villanova swag, a replica of George Washington’s Acts of Congress, and, best of all, a Wawa tote bag filled with Tastykakes.
Vince Stango, interim president and CEO of the Constitution Center, said the visit had “a real Philadelphia vibe that was unmistakable.”
What’s the Liberty Medal?
The Liberty Medal has been presented by the nonpartisan National Constitution Center since 2006, offering the esteemed prize to individuals and organizations who “strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.”
In Leo’s case, he’s receiving the award because of his work in promoting religious liberty.
Previous recipients of the award include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the late U.S. Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.), and the late civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D., Ga.).
How do I watch?
The National Constitution Center is streaming the ceremony live onits YouTube channel at 10:45 a.m. NBC10 will also broadcast the awards.
Tickets to the event were previously made available to the public and other invited guests.
What’s going on with the pope and Trump?
Trump invited the pontiff to visit the United States on July Fourth to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country. He declined.
Instead, the pope will spend Independence Day visiting Lampedusa, an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea located between Tunisia, Malta, and Sicily. It‘s a major entry point for migrants seeking refuge in Europe from North Africa. It’s one of the deadliest migration paths in the world, Reuters reported.
Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, visited the island in 2013.
Francis, who was close with Leo, also clashed with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on issues like immigration, and that tension has continued under the new pontiff.
The pope said in November that the United States has been treating migrants “in a way that is extremely disrespectful” under the Trump administration. A month prior, he suggested that the United States’ treatment of immigrants is “inhumane.”
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, said this week on Fox News that he finds the Vatican’s immigration views “troubling,” saying that “mass migration has victims.”
Trump has not held back on his criticism of the pope, calling him “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” in an April social media rant. He faced condemnation from Catholics — who have found themselves taking a side between the pope and the president — after sharing a now-deleted image of himself presented as Jesus.
It will be telling whether Leo leans into his disagreements with the Trump administration, whether directly or indirectly, during his speech on Friday.
Susquehanna Investment Group, the Bala Cynwyd investment and trading firm that has made cofounder Jeff Yass the richest man in Pennsylvania, on Monday persuaded a federal judge in New York to freeze accounts of up to 100 options traders, who the firm contends used inside information to book illegal profits of over $100 million, largely at Susquehanna’s expense.
The firm won the temporary injunction even though Susquehanna acknowledged it didn’t know the names of any of the alleged inside traders. It hopes the freeze will force them into the open.
Susquehanna’s lawsuit, accusing them of illegal insider trading and unjust enrichment, identifies each as “John Doe” and asks the court to order the traders to pay back their illegal profits, plus expenses.
“The timing, size, type and pattern of their trading, and the lack of any plausible alternative explanation” for some 200,000 “short-dated put options” are “powerful evidence” of the scheme, according to Susquehanna’s June 29 complaint. The company alleges that someone traded illegally on inside information about the Chinese government’s planned May 22 crackdown on international trading platforms.
At the firm’s request, Judge Arun Subramanian of U.S. District Court in Manhattan signed an order that day freezing the unknown traders’ profits from suspiciously successful bets that the valuations of two online trading firms would shortly crash:
Futu Holdings Ltd. (which trades under the share symbol FUTU), a Hong Kong-based, Nasdaq-listed online brokerage
UP Fintech Holdings Ltd. (TIGR), the Singapore-based, Nasdaq-listed owner of New York-based TradeUp Securities, another electronic trading platform.
The preliminary injunction stopped the unknown traders from cashing out Futu and UP Fintech options held in their accounts at brokerages associated with both of the firms and with Interactive Brokers Group Inc., billionaire online-trading pioneer Thomas Peterffy’s Connecticut-based trading platform. The brokerages themselves were not accused of wrongdoing.
The traders will have a chance to ask the court to release their assets at a hearing July 10 in New York, after posting $100,000 in advance — effectively identifying themselves as defendants in Susquehanna’s suit. The court order also authorizes Susquehanna to subpoena broker records in an effort to learn their identities.
According to Susquehanna’s complaint, the traders, operating through their brokerage accounts, bought $12 million worth of low-cost options in Futu and UP Fintech, betting the stocks would decline in the days before China announced stern penalties on brokers accused of illegally moving cash to foreign markets.
The purchases were many times the usual volume of Futu and UP Fintech options trades and accounted for most of the trades in those options during that period, according to the suit.
Futu and UP Fintech announced on the day of the crackdown that they were, in fact, facing enforcement actions by China regulators, with proposed multimillion-dollar penalties.
That news sent each stock crashing more than 30%, according to the lawsuit — a loss for shareholders and for other options traders who were betting the stocks would rise, but enriching the unknown traders who had bet on a drop.
In all, the news boosted the value of the unknown traders’ investments by more than $100 million, according to the suit.
More than $70 million of the profit was made on options purchased from Susquehanna, the suit says.
The options purchases were so closely coordinated, their expiration dates so soon after May 22, that the trades “suggest inside knowledge” of the crackdown, the suit contends.
Susquehanna suggested two possible groups of insiders, who either “tipped” favored traders to buy the options, or illegally traded on the inside information themselves:
Futu and UP Fintech staff “who had knowledge of discussions with Chinese securities regulators” or
Corrupt Chinese securities regulators who knew in advance of their agency’s own enforcement actions.
Acting on such insider information is illegal under Chinese and U.S. law, according to the lawsuit, and adding the scale of the profits makes this “one of the largest documented cases of insider trading in recent memory.”
Susquehanna asked for a jury trial, the return of $71.4 million it lost to the traders, plus costs and other payments.
Susquehanna is one of the biggest U.S. “proprietary trading” firms that buy and sell securities, mostly using their partners’ funds.
Under Yass, it has also been a pioneering, long-term investor in China-based digital companies. That includes large positions in TikTok owner ByteDance.
Because of the fraught U.S.-China relationship and concerns by Congress members of both parties about TikTok’s influence over U.S. consumers, President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials have mulled potential restrictions on TikTok’s ownership and operations, and Susquehanna and other investors in that business have been obliged to engage with them. Yass is a prolific political donor.
Susquehanna has reinvested profits from its large, lucrative trading operations into more than 350 China-based tech, retail, and industrial companies. Some of them have prospered, and for many more profits have been elusive.
The firm also has funds that invest in U.S., European, and Israeli private and public companies, and in South and Southeast Asian companies.
Wednesday’s trade between the 76ers and the Boston Celtics has left many puzzled. In exchange for Paul George, two first-round, and two second-round draft picks, the Sixers received Jaylen Brown from the Celtics.
Still, despite the struggle to make sense of how the trade unfolded, people had a lot of thoughts.
Here is how the national experts are grading the George-Brown trade …
ESPN
Sixers: A-
With guards like Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe and a center like Joel Embiid, ESPN wrote that Brown could be the fit that the Sixers needed, but that’s also not guaranteed.
“As a pure talent play, trading this package for Brown should have been an incredibly easy decision for the 76ers’ new front office,” Zach Kram wrote. “They’re swapping a declining role player for an All-NBA star who’s six years younger and still at his peak, and they’re not giving up close to all the draft capital they could have in the process.”
As for the other end of the trade, there was no wondering how George would fit. No matter what, ESPN wrote that it was a bad move on the Celtics’ part. The only alternative ESPN considered was if the Celtics would package the picks they received in the deal for another star.
“Swapping Brown for George makes the Celtics worse. It clearly makes them worse. Crucially, it lowers their playoff ceiling,” Kram wrote.
The Athletic
Sixers: A
The Athletic predicts that swapping George for Brown will be a big difference-maker for the Sixers and their position in the Eastern Conference, especially considering George’s previous season, 25-game suspension and all, compared to Brown, who had one of his best individual seasons.
“The Sixers can now roll out a perimeter attack of Maxey, Brown and Edgecombe, which is going to be nearly impossible for teams to match up against,” Zach Harper wrote. “On the nights Embiid is available and active, they could be one of the best teams in the East. On the nights when Embiid is struggling or unable to play, they’ll still be fine.”
The Celtics’ part in this trade, the Athletic said, feels like a panic move in reaction to the tension Brown seemed to be feeling following the discussions about his role in a possible trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“The Celtics’ decision to go with George instead of Brown is a massive downgrade. He has a much more alarming injury history, and he’s simply not as good,” Harper wrote.
Even when Sixers center Joel Embiid (21) is out, adding someone like Jaylen Brown offers a boost.
CBS Sports
Sixers: A+
When ranking the worst contracts in the NBA in March, the now-36-year-old George’s deal was No. 4. Moving off that contract and adding Brown is a win-win in CBS’s eyes.
“For all of these years, we’ve talked about the possibility of Brown getting traded so he could lead his own team,” Sam Quinn wrote. “On the 76ers, there will be nights in which he’s the leading scorer and there will be nights in which he finishes fourth. To get a reliable, in-his-prime All-Star for two picks and what we’ve been treating as one of the NBA’s worst contracts is an outright steal.”
Celtics: D-
For the Celtics, CBS Sports considered how Brown’s contract no longer worked for the team, but still, George’s contract doesn’t seem to make sense for them, either.
“The theory of trading Brown in the first place, unless there was unresolvable tension behind the scenes, seemingly related to his contract,” Quinn wrote. “Both he and Tatum are making supermax money. Having two players make 35% of the salary cap every year puts an almost impossible strain on your depth.”
Yahoo! Sports minced no words in declaring that Philly got the better player in the deal, while also dumping a worse contract. There are, however, concerns with Brown’s fit with the Sixers.
“Brown isn’t necessarily a strong outside shooter, which is a necessity alongside Maxey and, in particular, Embiid,” Morten Stig Jensen wrote.
“Overall, though, Philly takes a step forward here with a pretty durable 29-year-old coming off an outstanding season.”
Celtics: B
Yahoo! Sports had a much more optimistic spin than most other experts when it came to Boston and the dimensions of the trade.
“George, 36, might have health issues, but when he does play, his shooting capabilities align perfectly with the values of head coach Joe Mazzulla, which shouldn’t be undervalued,” Stig Jensen wrote.
At 36 years old, forward Paul George could be more open to a complementary role with the Celtics.
Bleacher Report
Sixers: A
Like the rest of the experts, Bleacher Report gave the Sixers high marks on acquiring Brown, with a focus on how he can fit with Embiid.
“This is a big swing for a team that can compete for a conference finals berth if Joel Embiid is healthy in the playoffs,” the Bleacher Report NBA staff wrote. “And having an innings eater like Brown should make it easier to be very gentle with Embiid’s regular-season minutes.”
Celtics: A
The difference, however, between Bleacher Report and other outlets came in its viewing of the trade from Boston’s perspective, seeing their return as equal to what they traded away.
“For the Celtics, things had clearly gotten untenable between Brown and the organization,” Bleacher Report wrote. “And getting multiple first-rounders for him, considering how widely accepted his future departure was, is good value.
“Plus, though he’s entering his age-36 season, George can still be helpful in a complementary role next to Jayson Tatum (and will be more willing to be in that role).”
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said Thursday that he hasn’t spoken to Zack Wheeler about his postgame comments from the night before.
But he also isn’t bothered that Wheeler was upset. Wheeler was direct about his frustration at being removed from his start against the Pirates on Wednesday after 4⅔ innings with an 8-3 lead, leaving two runners on base for Kyle Backhus. The righty was at 104 pitches on a hot day, matching a season high, but said he felt he had earned the chance to finish the fifth inning.
Since he departed with two outs in the fifth, he was ineligible to get credit for what ultimately was a 10-6 win.
“I don’t think he wants to talk to me yet. Maybe he’ll settle down, and we’ll talk a bit later,” Mattingly said pregame Thursday. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to him yet. I mean, it really doesn’t bother me at all that he’s upset. I think the great ones never want to come out of the game, and he’s no different.”
Mattingly compared managing Wheeler to managing the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, who he said similarly never wanted to be taken out. In this situation, his justification for removing Wheeler in that moment was to protect the rotation as a whole.
Zack Wheeler gave up four runs against the Pirates and was pulled from the game with two outs in the fifth inning on Wednesday.
“Our rotation is obviously a great rotation, but the depth of it is not filled with four Paul Skenes down in the minor leagues ready to pop in and fill the spot,” Mattingly said. “So my job is to make sure that this guy stays available through the course of the season, and we’ve got a long way to go. So I really don’t mind guys being upset, that’s what the greats do, but I still have to make decisions for the whole club.”
Mattingly was concerned that the next batter, Pirates center fielder Jake Mangum, would work a long at-bat, driving up Wheeler’s pitch count even further. Pittsburgh had already fouled off 20 of Wheeler’s pitches on Wednesday.
Backhus took over and hit Magnum with a pitch. He also hit the next batter to force in a run charged to Wheeler.
Mattingly said the fact that Wheeler was one out away from becoming eligible for his ninth win of the season did not factor into his decision. Wheeler, whose ERA crept up to 2.36 after Wednesday’s start, has been forthright about his ambition to win a Cy Young Award.
“I think more about the situation that we’re in as a club. I think it probably helps that nowadays wins aren’t really a big thing anymore,” Mattingly said. “It used to be that you’d let that guy try to finish it. And in a different time, you may be letting the guy throw 130 [pitches], but that’s not the time we’re in. That’s not the situation that we’re in right now.”
Phillies manager Don Mattingly said of Zack Wheeler: “I really don’t mind guys being upset, that’s what the greats do, but I still have to make decisions for the whole club.”
Mattingly added that he doesn’t expect this frustration to linger. When things cool off, he wants to discuss the move with Wheeler, but it also won’t change how he manages.
“I want to know his feelings on it, and all that stuff, but I’m still making the decision based on the club and the team and moving forward, where we want to go,” Mattingly said. “So I don’t mind him hearing my side of it. I don’t mind hearing his side of it, and, again, just have to deal with being mad about it or doesn’t like it. I understand it, but I still have to do what I have to do.”
Extra bases
Brad Keller (right forearm tendinitis) is scheduled to start a rehab assignment Friday with triple-A Lehigh Valley in Rochester, N.Y. … Following Friday’s off day, Jesús Luzardo (6-4, 3.88 ERA) is scheduled to start the series opener against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
Jahylin Melchur, 21, is wanted in connection with two homicides and the shooting near the large North Philadelphia park, according to police.
He is accused of killing 45-year-old Martin Higgins in the park on June 20. Officers found Higgins on the bleachers of the baseball field around 10 p.m. that evening suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Less than a week later, police said, Melchur shot and killed 29-year-old Sharef Holman not far from where Higgins was killed.
Officers responded there on June 26 just before 11 p.m. and found Holman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds near the basketball courts. He was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he died a short time later.
And on May 29, investigators said, Melchur shot a 55-year-old man in Juniata Park, about two miles from the recreation center. The victim told police Melchur had attempted to rob him before shooting him in the elbow and torso.
Police are seeking the public’s help in finding Melchur, who they say is considered armed and dangerous and whose image, captured on surveillance footage at a Broad Street Line station, was circulated widely last week in an effort to locate him.
Law enforcement sources said the victims were found partially clothed, and that they were looking into whether they had met the suspect through a dating app.
Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore declined to address that aspect of the investigation in a news conference last week and said police were looking into whether the incidents were related to robberies.
Who were the victims?
Sharef Holman’s loved ones said the 29-year-old lived a life of faith and compassion, and that he was the life of any party he attended.
His mother, Danielle, said her son was beloved on both sides of his large family.
“He was tall in stature, and the children in our family loved to climb him,” she said. “The reason why I start there is because Sharef had a heart for the youth.”
Sharef Holman, a 29-year-old man who was shot and killed near the Hunting Park Recreation Center in June.
Holman, who was born in Philadelphia and graduated from Samuel Fels High School in Crescentville, loved playing the saxophone and dancing, his mother said. He excelled in his school’s musical theater program, and once played Ebenezer Scrooge, the lead role in A Christmas Carol.
He had most recently worked at The Belvedere nursing home in Chester, where he assisted residents with recreational programs, and he tutored schoolchildren with the Greenhouse Project, a nearby Christian nonprofit.
For a time, his mother said, Holman struggled with drug addiction, and she remembers the pride she felt when he graduated from a rehab program two years ago.
“He had been fighting addiction for some years, and this last one was the one where he was the most successful,” she said, adding that her son’s progress allowed him to get an apartment of his own.
Danielle Holman said she and her family are planning a celebration of her son’s life this weekend. As they prepare to honor and remember him, she said, they hope police will find and bring their son’s killer to justice.
The family of Martin Higgins, who was shot and killed days before Holman, declined to be interviewed as they deal with their loss.
Higgins, 45, was a graduate of Temple University’s business school and worked as an inspector for the city’s Community Life Improvement Program, according to his obituary.
He had a “kind heart, generous spirit, and unwavering support for those he loved,” the obituary said, and he “was the person who showed up when someone needed him, always making time for family and friends no matter what was going on in his own life.”
Police ask that anyone with information about Melchur contact the homicide unit at 215-686-3334 or submit an anonymous tip by calling 215-686-TIPS (8477).
Philadelphia-based restaurateur Stephen Starr and his company, Starr Restaurants, settled with the National Labor Relations Board in May over union-busting allegations at his D.C. steakhouse St. Anselm, according to a copy of the settlement agreement obtained by the Inquirer.
The move is the latest in a lengthy dispute between Starr Restaurants and D.C. union Unite Here Local 25 at St. Anselm, where staffers voted 51 to 42 in favor ofunionizing in February 2025. Now more than 16 months later, Starr restaurants has yet to recognize the union, with more pending litigation leaving St. Anselm workers in limbo.
Reached on May 25, the settlement resolves a set of unfair labor practice (ULP) allegations that Local 25 filed with the NLRB on behalf of St. Anselm employees in June 2025. They alleged that Starr and a St. Anselm supervisor made promises of improved benefits for workers who voted against the union and directly coerced employees with false information. In one instance, they alleged, Starr interrogated a host about her involvement with Local 25 during a one-on-one conversation.
Starr “made a lot of promises about sick pay, about vacation pay,” Ana Reyes, a St. Anselm line cook, previously told the Inquirer, recalling a meeting the restaurateur had with staff during the union drive.
After an investigation, the NLRB’s general counsel found merit in the accusations that Starr Restaurants had violated the National Labor Relations Act, and it pursued charges against the company.
The settlement is not an admittance of wrongdoing and is similar to the standard penalty Starr Restaurants could have received had the case played out fully, according to James M. Cooney, a Rutgers University labor and employment law professor.
St. Anselm, Stephen Starr’s D.C. steakhouse.
The agreement requires Starr Restaurants to post a notice in St. Anselm for 60 days stating that the company will not:
“Threaten you that it would be futile” to unionize,
Solicit complaints and “imply that we will fix them” in order to discourage union support,
Give new or better wages and benefits to discourage unionizing,
Or “promise to pay you for previously unpaid leave” to dissuade workers from supporting a union.
The settlement “allows us to move on and get back to the business of delivering amazing hospitality to our guests,” a spokesperson for St. Anselm said in a statement. “We have vigorously denied, and continue to deny, all allegations listed in the original complaint, and are fully complying with the terms of the settlement while making no admission of violation.”
A delegation of workers pose in front Stephen Starr’s D.C. steakhouse St. Anselm before delivering their union petition in Feb. 2025.
That case remains open, and a hearing was held in mid-June where the NLRB heard testimony from witnesses on both sides. Unite Here Local 25, which represents more than 7,500 hospitality workers, is optimistic that settlement will open up a path to union recognition.
“We feel vindicated,” said Paul Schwalb, Local 25’s executive secretary-treasurer. “It’s the same board that’s going to oversee [the unionization case], and we are quite confident — because we did actually follow labor law — that at the end of the day this unit will be certified, and all the objections that Stephen Starr and his many lawyers have filed will be thrown out because they are not true.”
Legalese that ‘meant nothing’
The battle between Starr Restaurants and Local 25 began last January, when the union began to organize at three of Starr’s seven D.C restaurants: Pastis, a French bistro; the Parc-inspired Le Diplomate; and St. Anselm, an upscale steakhouse.
The efforts — which coincided with union drives at two other high-profile D.C restaurants — stood to add 500 members to Local 25. St. Anselm was the only one that voted to unionize. (Local 25 lost the union election at Pastis, and Le Diplomate’s has been suspended indefinitely.)
A picket line outside of Stephen Starr’s D.C. restaurant Le Diplomate, led by Unite Here Local 25 after Starr Restaurants challenged a unionization vote at St. Anselm.
Almost immediately, relations soured between Starr Restaurants and Local 25. The restaurant group hired anti-union consultants to meet with St. Anselm staff, Washingtonian magazine reported, while other employees told food publication Eater that Local 25 organizers were ambushing them at their homes to sign cards indicating they wanted a union vote.
Local 25 also called for an ongoing boycott of Starr’s D.C. restaurants — including those where no union efforts were taking place. Top Democrats such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes, and Sen. Chuck Schumer signed on.
Legally, the settlement doesn’t state that Starr Restaurants broke any laws or affirm any of the union’s allegations. In practice, however, Cooney said that workers and employees might have a different interpretation.
Posting a notice “doesn’t sound very intimidating on its face, but employers will sometimes fight tooth and nail over the wording” or try to hide them, said Cooney. “Looking at it from the viewpoint of the common worker, if they see that notice … I think they would see it as an indication that a company violated the law.”
Starr Restaurants posted the notice required by the settlement inside St. Anselm on June 16 and also emailed a copy to staff.
Greg Varney (left) and Ana Reyes, both with Unite Here Local 25, outside Starr headquarters at 134 Market St. in July 2025.
When St. Anselm server Abigail Dunki-Jacobs received the email, it felt like “a bunch of legalese … that meant nothing,” she told The Inquirer. Dunki-Jacobs, who voted against the union, said she hasn’t heard much chatter among her colleagues after it was posted.
“It just feels like a list of facts to me,” she said. “Nobody even really gives a shit about it.”
Delays upon delays
Local 25 organizers and employees who voted for the union also find the settlement meaningless.
Starr Restaurants “didn’t have to admit to doing anything wrong with the statement they made,” said Ellery Grimm, a member of support staff at St. Anselm who helped organize the union drive. “We’ll be vindicated when we have our contract.”
St. Anselm’s union election case has sat unresolved with the NLRB for nearly a year and half, which Cooney said was abnormal. The agency tends to prioritize certifying election results over unfair labor practice allegations.
The NLRB has been beleaguered by delays for more than year, first from the firing of a board member that left the agency unable to issue rulings, and then from a government shutdown that furloughed employees.
The delays have caused at least one St. Anselm employee to quit. Bridget Killburn, a baker at the steakhouse, left in April after more than three years at the restaurant. She now works at a bakery in Maryland that she said offered higher pay and more time off — two things she hoped the union would’ve won by now.
A chef in the kitchen at Le Diplomate, one of Stephen Starr’s three D.C. restaurants that Unite Here Local 25 attempted to unionize.
“I’m someone who wants a very stable job with good pay, good benefits. At this rate, it felt like I was never going to get those things so I needed to try and find a workplace who would allow me to have them,” Killburn said.
Schwalb acknowledged that Local 25 hasn’t done any public campaigning at St. Anselm in months, and has abandoned the union drives at Starr’s other restaurants until all litigation is resolved.
“Rome and the restaurant union — neither one will be built in a day,” he said.
Delaware County is investigating a hack of its network after “unauthorized activity” interfered with systems in late June, disrupting county services.
The countygovernment is “in the process of restoring network access,” according to a statement, and internet and phone service has been restored.
“The County responded to these attempts by taking the proactive but necessary step of shutting down our network to continue to protect sensitive information and critical systems while following industry best practices in response to the intrusion attempts,” the county said.
The scale of the latest hack remains unclear, but the county said in its statement that since the 2020 incident, it has “established critical protections and followed industry recommendations about how to best secure its network assets, and those protections have proven valuable in recent days.”
The public first became aware of disruptions last Friday, when Delaware County Council posted on social media that there was a “network outage” at the Government Center Complex in Media.
Delco also said it plans to reestablish network access, services, and work with cybersecurity experts.
“All our offices remain open and ready to continue serving our residents, and we appreciate the efforts of our staff and departments to find alternate ways to perform their duties throughout this period of network interruption,” the county said.
The delays and detours in services have become frustrating for residents who may have to reschedule appointments with departments like the Register of Wills or at the courthouse.
6ABC reported earlier this week that residents were not able to complete routine procedures at the courthouse, like filing a motion, and that cases were being taken out of order.
Check your change: You might have one of the U.S. Mint’s special-edition coins celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday.
For one year only, circulating nickels, dimes, quarters, and half-dollars will feature new historical designs. Part of the U.S. Mint’s Semiquincentennial program, many of the coins entered circulation at the beginning of the year.
“The program is the most significant redesign of the nation’s circulating coins in the past century,” said Jill Westeyn, acting chief of public affairs at the U.S. Mint. “These coins commemorate 250 years of American Liberty by reflecting our country’s founding principles and honoring our nation’s history.”
What’s on the coins
The quarter is a star of the program, boasting five different designs that highlight pivotal moments in American history.
The Mayflower Compact, signed in 1620 as one of the New World’s earliest documents establishing self-government, inspired one of the quarter’s designs, which features the iconic ship.
Motifs from the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, and the U.S. Constitution appear on three of the other quarters. Images include Philadelphia landmarks like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.
The fifth quarter honors President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Meant to highlight the Civil War-era speech’s commitment to equality, the quarter depicts Lincoln on one side and clasped hands on the other.
The quarters are scheduled for circulation in separate intervals throughout the year. So far, the Mayflower Compact Quarter, the Revolutionary War Quarter, and the Declaration of Independence Quarter have been released. The remaining two designs will enter circulation later in the year.
The dime and half-dollar feature Liberty, an American allegorical figure of a mythical goddess. The dime includes her cap, a symbol of freedom in ancient Rome, and the half-dollar depicts Liberty gazing to her right, meant to convey looking toward the future.
The nickel may look familiar with its portrait of President Thomas Jefferson, but an addition of the dual date, “1776 ~ 2026,” updates the coin for the anniversary.
A collectible penny with the dual date is alsoavailable for purchase in annual sets sold on the mint’s website. The mint discontinued the copper cent in 2025 because it cost more to produce than it’s worth.
The bipartisan Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee had reportedly proposed designs for the 250th that will not see the light of day, including coins that would have commemorated the end of slavery, the women’s suffrage movement, and the civil rights movement. But Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, tasked with making the final design choices, did not pick any of those.
Other coins
President Donald Trump’s 24-karat gold coins, which feature his portrait and were also intended to highlight the country’s 250th anniversary, are not among the program. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts voted unanimously to approve the design in March, but the coins are not slated for production until after July 4.
The U.S. Mint has approximately 1,400 employees across four production facilities (one of which is in Philadelphia), a bullion depository, and its headquarters in Washington, D.C. It produced 8 billion coins during fiscal year 2025, per the organization’s annual report.
