CHICAGO ― It’s 760 miles to Chicago from Philly. Despite playing Monday night, the Flyers had a full tank. It was dark, and by the end, they were wearing sunglasses because things are looking bright.
The Flyers defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1, giving them a two-game winning streak heading into the NHL’s holiday break. It is the Flyers’ third win in five games and fifth in December.
And they now sit two points back of the Metropolitan Division’s top team, the Carolina Hurricanes. Add in that they have the sixth-best points percentage in the NHL (.625), and things are looking good 36 games in.
But the win may have come with a cost. Forward Denver Barkey did not return for the third period. He was called for boarding and was hit hard in the ensuing scrum behind the Blackhawks’ net. According to coach Rick Tocchet, “He got hit from behind on that penalty. Just get reevaluated from the doctors.”
Defenseman Travis Sanheim, the Flyers’ top minute muncher, was clipped by Alex Vlasic in the third period. Per Tocchet, he did not play the final 12 minutes, 33 seconds, as he was pulled by the NHL’s concussion spotters. “I think he’s fine, though,” Tocchet said.
Travis Konecny gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead with, fittingly, his 11th goal of the season 10:17 into the first period.
After the Flyers killed off a tripping penalty on Trevor Zegras, he stayed on the ice, and Konency tried to find him as Zegras tried to get open near the right post. Zegras was covered by Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser so it didn’t connect, but he stayed with it and picked up the puck behind the net.
Skating untouched, Zegras carried the puck around the net and curled before finding Konecny. The alternate captain evaded detection before cutting to the net to receive the pass.
Zegras has 13 points in 12 games in December and 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 36 games this season. The New York native is riding a career-high nine-game point streak, with five goals and six assists.
Konecny wasn’t done collecting points, and in the second period, he helped the Flyers double their total with a power-play goal off Noah Cates’ stick.
Handed a gift when the Blackhawks got called for too many men in the second period, the Flyers’ five-man unit of Konecny, Zegras, Cates, Bobby Brink, and Jamie Drysdale hopped onto the ice after the other unit got a chance. Set up in the offensive zone, they worked it around the perimeter, going from Zegras on the right flank to Brink at the point to Drysdale on the left flank.
Konecny, with Drysdale in his spot, glided down to the left post and received the puck from his defenseman. The forward turned his back net-front, drawing in Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy, giving him the ability to send a no-look pass under his lifted right leg to Cates in front.
Despite having Vlasic all over him, Cates banged in the puck for his ninth of the year and second power-play goal of the season. His career high on the man advantage is three, set in 2022-23. Cates is riding a four-game point streak (two goals, two assists) while the assist was the 300th of Konency’s career in 682 games.
Konecny now has 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 36 games this season. In December, he has six goals and 14 points — spearheaded by four multipoint games — across 12 games.
Flyers left wing Noah Cates, shown on Dec. 11 against Las Vegas, scored his second power-play goal of the season against the Blackhawks.
Through two periods, Sam Ersson allowed one goal on 14 shots, with Natural Stat Trick noting that he faced just one high-danger shot. For the most part, he saw the puck well — the goal by Chicago’s Ryan Donato from the high slot during four-on-four action looked like it was screened by up to three members of the Flyers — and played his angles.
Ersson didn’t face his first shot of the night until 7:57 into the opening frame, making a glove save on Ilya Mikheyev. He later stopped a Murphy slap shot and robbed Donato on a two-on-one that also saw the Boston native try to bury the rebound.
In the second period, the Swedish netminder moved well to make a save on a Matt Grzelcyk point shot with Oliver Moore standing in front. He stopped Donato from the right circle and then again when he went to the front of the net and tipped a shot.
And in the third period, with the Flyers up by one, he made a nifty glove save on a wide-open shot by Louis Crevier. Ersson made 20 saves on 21 shots for his best save percentage (.952) of the season. He snapped a four-game losing streak — losing two in a shootout — to earn his sixth win of the season.
Breakaways
Carl Grundström scored an empty-netter to seal the win. … Defenseman Noah Juulsen and forwards Nic Deslauriers and Garnet Hathaway were healthy scratches. … Drysdale has two points on the power play this season, coming in the past three games.
Up next
After the NHL’s three-day holiday break, the Flyers return to the ice on Saturday for a practice in Seattle before taking on the Kraken on Sunday (8 p.m., NBCSP, NHLN).
Sonia Lewis endured the worst year of her life when she was a senior in high school — her mother almost died and Lewis had to step up to take care of her family.
But the principal and teachers at her Philadelphia high school lifted her up, helped her get to college, and Lewis took care of the rest — multiple advanced degrees, a thriving career, a national profile.
As Lewis racked up accomplishments, it was always in the back of her mind to return the favor to her school, somehow.
“For me, who I am today is really a huge part is Bodine High School,” she said.
Bodine High School for International Affairs senior students cheer after learning former student, Dr. Sonia Lewis, donated $16,200 to cover senior school fees on Friday, December 19, 2025. Dr. Lewis is giving back after the Northern Liberties high school helped her during a difficult time, while she was a student 20-yrs-ago.
So on a December day, Lewis walked into the auditorium of the Philadelphia School District magnet school with a surprise — the largest donation ever given to the nonprofit that supports Bodine. She gave $16,200 to cover the bulk of every senior’s class dues — funds that most students struggle to pay.
Aaliyah Bolden, a Bodine 12th grader, was jubilant after the announcement.
“I’m just so grateful,” Bolden said. “Coming from an underrepresented community and having financial hardships, this just makes a big difference to me.”
‘Can you work with me?’
Lewis was a standout student at Bodine, an international affairs high school in Northern Liberties. She was class president, active in student government, a strong student in the Class of 2005, a leader.
She was raised by her single mother and grandmother, both Philadelphia teachers, told from a very young age that she was college-bound.
But when Lewis was 16, her priorities shifted, out of necessity. Her mother was gravely ill with bacterial meningitis and other complications. Her grandmother had just beaten cancer, but it fell to Lewis to advocate for her mother, to take her to appointments, to navigate the healthcare system on her behalf. She worked three jobs to help bridge financial gaps.
School just could not be at the top of her priority list.
Dr. Sonia Lewis takes a seat before speaking to Bodine High School for International Affairs senior students on Friday, December 19, 2025. Dr. Lewis gifted $16,200 for the 2026 senior class, to cover senior school fees. Dr. Lewis is giving back after the Northern Liberties high school helped her during a difficult time, while she was a student 20-yrs-ago.
“I had to tell my high school, ‘These are my circumstances. I’m going to have to leave school to make some of these appointments,’” Lewis said. “I was just really clear with everyone at Bodine about what I needed, and I said, ‘Can you work with me?’”
They did. But some deadlines are firm, and Lewis missed the federal student-aid loan deadline because her mother had just gotten out of a coma, had cognitive issues, and was unable to gather the necessary information or complete the form.
“I had to become the mom,” Lewis said. “I would have to ask her, ‘Did you brush your teeth today?’ Nobody was thinking of the FAFSA.”
As students’ college acceptances were rolling in, Bodine’s principal noticed that there were none for Lewis. The principal asked her what was happening.
Lewis’ grandmother contemplated taking out a mortgage on her house to send her to college, but Lewis was too practical for that.
“I told the principal, ‘We don’t have any money. We missed the deadline,’” she said. “There was no money coming in from my mom. We had my grandmother’s retirement, but that wasn’t enough.”
Lewis figured she would work for a year, saving money and filling out the FAFSA form for the next cycle. But Karen P. Hill, the principal, just shook her head.
A busybody for good
The principal’s plan became evident at Bodine’s senior awards ceremony, Lewis remembers, when “they just kept calling my name” as prizes were announced.
At the end of the evening, Lewis walked off with an envelope full of checks totaling $16,000 — enough to allow her to enroll at Bloomsburg University and pay her first year’s tuition.
Once she got to Bloomsburg, Lewis continued to grind, working multiple jobs, earning scholarships, making connections. Then, after she earned her bachelor’s degree, Lewis moved on to working in higher education, spending time at Peirce College and elsewhere as an academic coach and in admissions.
She earned her master’s degree, and eventually her doctorate. Now, she’s “the Student Loan Doctor”; Lewis believes her 13-employee company is the first Black woman-owned student loan repayment firm in the United States.
Dr. Sonia Lewis stands with the Bodine High School for International Affairs mascot Amby during a a senior class assembly on Friday, December 19, 2025. Dr. Lewis gifted $16,200 for the 2026 senior class, to cover senior school fees. Dr. Lewis is giving back after the Northern Liberties high school helped her during a difficult time, while she was a student 20-yrs-ago.
Lewis coaches clients to create plans to pay off their student loan debt — through repayment, loan consolidation and forgiveness, and more. She’s a sought-after expert, quoted in national publications, offering free weekly classes, growing her business by the year. She has 150,000 followers on Instagram.
Lewis is allergic to sitting still. Her nickname in her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, was “Busybody.” She has channeled that for good — the Student Loan Doctor has now served over 50,000 clients since 2016, helping get an estimated $55 million in student loans forgiven.
The business is hard work, but a joy for Lewis, who gets to know she makes a direct impact on her clients’ lives — like the surgeon who had $997,000 in loans, including loans that were in arrears.
“He didn’t know what to do,” Lewis said. “He got his loans forgiven. He wound up paying us like $300. We’re very affordable.”
The hardest worker
A few days before winter break, Lewis entered the Bodine auditorium with a massive smile on her face.
Her gift — hatched after Lewis presented a $1,000 scholarship to a Bodine graduate in the spring, then decided to go much bigger — was a surprise for the students, who knew only that a successful alum was visiting.
David Brown, the Bodine principal, reminded the students gathered in the auditorium that the small school was a special place.
“Our leaders don’t just leave with diplomas,” Brown said. “They leave with a global perspective.”
Then Marty Moyers, a Bodine teacher and president of the Friends of Bodine, a nonprofit that raises money for the school, presented Lewis: “Her journey has been a great one, and it started right here in this building,” Moyers said.
Bodine High School for International Affairs senior students cheer after learning former student, Dr. Sonia Lewis, donated $16,200 to cover senior school fees on Friday, December 19, 2025. Dr. Lewis is giving back after the Northern Liberties high school helped her during a difficult time, while she was a student 20-yrs-ago.
When he announced Lewis’ plan, there was stunned silence at first. Then, wild applause broke out. Students’ faces were jubilant.
Remember this, Lewis told them: She didn’t have a 4.0 grade-point average. But she showed up in every way possible.
“Even in my professional life as a super-successful entrepreneur, I’m not the best, but I’m a really hard worker,” Lewis said. “You guys got that. That’s the discipline and the spirit you want to have about yourselves as you’re leaving Bodine and you’re going into college, or you’re going into the workforce or entrepreneurship.”
De’Anna Drummond, a senior, is deep into her applying-for-scholarships-and-worrying-about-paying-for-college season. Class dues were another stress to think about, but she was delighted at the news that they are mostly covered, thanks to Lewis.
“Any donation is appreciated,” Drummond said. “It all adds up — senior trip, senior brunch, yearbook, everything.”
Bolden, Drummond’s friend, nodded.
“And someday,” Bolden said, “we should also give back when we can.”
Two people were killed and more than a dozen were injured after a possible gas explosion rocked a Bucks County nursing home Tuesday, triggering a widespread emergency response and dramatic rescues and causing destruction that Gov. Josh Shapiro described as “quite catastrophic.”
Just before 2:20 p.m., an explosion and fire were reported at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center — formerly known as Silver Lake Healthcare Center and Silver Lake Nursing Home — at 905 Tower Rd. in Bristol Township, Bristol Fire Chief Kevin Dippolito said at a news conference with Shapiro and other officials Tuesday night.
Bristol Police Chief CJ Winik said during an update Wednesday morning that two women — one resident and one employee — had died. Nineteen people remained hospitalized, he said, including one person in critical condition.
As of Wednesday, he said, all residents and employees of the facility had been accounted for.
Emergency responders who rushed to the scene Tuesday found a major structural collapse, with parts of the first floor falling into the basement and people trapped, Dippolito said. Firefighters immediately went into rescue mode.
“They pulled many residents out of the building via windows, doors, stuck in stairwells, stuck in elevator shafts,” Dippolito said.
The people rescued from the building were handed off to police officers who “came from every direction, and I believe every municipality around here,” Dippolito said.
“There was one police officer who literally threw two people over his shoulders and ran with people to help,” the fire chief said.
Gov. Josh Shapiro comments on the explosion at Bristol Health & Rehab Center, at Lower Bucks Hospital on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Bristol, Pa.
Many people were injured, but the number was unknown early Tuesday night, Dippolito said. Two people were rescued from the collapsed area in the basement.
At one point, Dippolito said, there was a heavy odor of gas and the firefighters evacuated the building. Within 15 to 30 seconds, there was another explosion and fire, he said.
“There’s still a lot of unanswered questions,” Shapiro said.
Peco crews responded shortly after 2 p.m. to reports of a gas odor, a spokesperson for the utility said.
“While crews were on site, an explosion occurred at the facility,” Peco spokesperson Greg Smore said.
“Peco crews shut off natural gas and electric service to the facility to ensure the safety of first responders and local residents,” Smore said.
After the blast, a patient bleeding from his head was wandering the campus saying to himself how he had repeatedly told staff of a gas smell that lingered throughout the day, said a passerby who did not wish to be identified. The man was eventually treated and transported from the site, the passerby said.
First responders work the scene of an explosion and fire at Bristol Health & Rehab Center, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Bristol, Pa.
The nursing home said in a Facebook post: “Emergency crews are responding to the incident here at Bristol Health & Rehab. We are currently working with local emergency authorities.”
As of 2024, the facility housed 162 residents — more than 75% of whom were 60 years or older — and had 129 full- and part-time staff members, records show.
The facility was recently acquired by Saber Healthcare Group and rebranded as Bristol Health & Rehab Center, which announced the new ownership and name in a Facebook post this month.
At the news conference, Shapiro noted the change of ownership.
“The Department of Health at the state level conducted a visit here on Dec. 10, and there was a plan put in place in order for these new facility owners to upgrade the standards at this facility. That work will obviously continue with the new owners to ensure that they do what is necessary to keep residents safe,” Shapiro said.
In an emailed statement Tuesday night, Saber Healthcare Group confirmed that workers at the nursing home “reported a gas smell to PECO. PECO personnel were on site investigating the matter prior to the explosion.”
Saber Healthcare Group thanked the first responders: “We are forever grateful for their bravery and support in protecting our staff and residents.”
The statement added: “Just 23 days ago, Saber Healthcare Group became affiliated with Bristol Health and Rehab Center — formerly Silver Lake Nursing Home. We have worked to improve and fix prior issues, and we will continue that work in the wake of this tragedy.”
The former owner, CommuniCare Health Services, a privately run for-profit nursing home operator based in Cincinnati, took over operations at the nursing home in 2021. The company manages more than 80 healthcare centers across five states.
The nursing home had been cited for unsafe living conditions, including the absence of a fire safety plan and adequate extinguishers, according to state inspection records.
First responders work the scene of an explosion and fire at Bristol Health & Rehab Center, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Bristol, Pa.
During an Oct. 29 site visit, Pennsylvania Department of Health inspectors flagged the facility for failing to provide a floor map showing fire exits, fire barriers, and smoke barriers.
Officials also found the facility “failed to maintain portable fire extinguishers” on all floors. The state ordered corrections by Nov. 30.
It remained unclear whether those fixes were made before the blast, or whether the deficiencies affected residents’ ability to escape on Tuesday.
Other fire safety deficiencies have been documented. A 2024 inspection report found the nursing home hallways were not equipped to handle heavy smoke.
“The facility failed to ensure corridor doors were maintained to resist the passage of smoke, affecting two of four smoke compartments,” inspectors wrote.
Federal inspectors have cited the facility for deficient healthcare and management, issuing dozens of violations for substandard care. The most recent inspection, in March, indicated the center had failed to maintain proper infection prevention among residents and inadequately maintained medical records, among other problems.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the facility a one-star rating — far below the national average — based on recent inspections. The nursing home’s operators were fined more than $418,000 in penalties in 2024, records show.
First responders work the scene of an explosion and fire at Bristol Health & Rehab Center, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Bristol, Pa.
In a statement, a spokesperson for CommuniCare Health Services, the former owner, said: “Our hearts go out to all those affected by the incident at the Bristol nursing home facility, formerly known as Silver Lake Nursing Home. We want to extend our deepest sympathies to the residents, families, and staff impacted, and are keeping all of them in our thoughts during this difficult time.”
The statement continued: “While we are not affiliated in any way or operate the facility, and it is no longer part of our organization, we recognize the severity of this incident and the profound impact it is having on the community. We are monitoring the situation closely and our thoughts remain with everyone impacted by this tragedy.”
Federal records indicate the building had an automatic sprinkler system.
The facility, composed of low-slung brick buildings, sits on a two-acre campus in Lower Bucks County. As of 2024, the facility housed 162 residents, more than 75% of whom were 60 years or older, according to the most recent inspection records.
The facility had 129 full- and part-time staff members as of 2024, records show.
On Tuesday evening, the smell of smoke and the sound of sirens from ambulances and fire trucks pierced the blocks surrounding the facility hours after the explosion led to a mass evacuation of nursing home patients.
Kim Wilford, 60, was visiting family for the holidays roughly two blocks from the facility when she felt the house shake, as though something had fallen on the roof.
Bristol Health & Rehab Center
When Wilford and relatives realized the explosion came from the nursing home, where her 87-year-old mother lives, they rushed to the campus and were met with chaos.
“It was something out of a Die Hard movie,” said Deanna Rice-Bass, 59, one of Wilford’s relatives, who recognized local nurses, not affiliated with the nursing home, evacuating people.
Patients were being wheeled out of the facility, but in some cases they were simply placed on mats outside, Wilford said.
First responders were instructing the able-bodied to take those with non-life-threatening injuries to nearby Lower Bucks Hospital.
Wilford panicked as she saw the outside of her mother’s room.
“Her window was blown out,” she said. “Naturally I freaked out.”
Wilford would later find her mother among the crowd of evacuees cleared to go to Lower Bucks Hospital.
“She said she and her roommate were lifted from their beds and back down,” said Wilford, adding she had never had issues with the nursing home before.
A reunification center was established at Truman High School, officials said.
Langhorne Police Chief Kevin Burns said about 35 families came in and filled out forms with their loved ones identifying information along with details such as their room number.
Greg Wolnomiejski, 59, spent Tuesday night trying to find out what happened to his 86-year-old father, who has been a resident at the nursing home since 2021.
Wolnomiejski, who lives in Florida, finally got a call from a police officer that his father was transported to Lower Bucks Hospital, but the officer had no other information.
“I know he’s alive,” Wolnomiejski said in a phone interview. “That’s all the information I have so far.”
Wolnomiejski said he had no complaints or concerns about the nursing home, which he visited on Saturday with his wife as part of a holiday trip to see his father.
“There was nothing that led me to suspect it was going to blow up in a couple days,” he said.
Staff writer William Bender contributed to this article.
Those things stood out in Tuesday’s 114-106 setback to the Brooklyn Nets at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Winless with star trio
The Sixers (16-12) know much of their success ultimately will depend on how they play when Embiid, George, and Maxey are available.
Well, let’s say they have a lot of work to do.
Tuesday’s loss dropped the Sixers to 0-3 this season in games in which all three play. They suffered a 142-134 double-overtime home loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 30. And the Sixers lost, 112-108, at home to the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 7.
The team was missing several rotation players because of illness and injury. The Nets (9-19) also have won two straight and six of nine games. However, with their best three players, the Sixers were expected to beat Brooklyn.
Sixers forward Paul George scores two of his 19 points on Tuesday night.
So what’s the next step to a victory?
“We all just got to figure out how to find rhythm, playing off one another,” George said.
But early Tuesday, the Sixers lacked ball movement. It was a game in which Embiid and George tried to get themselves going. Meanwhile, Maxey was a bystander, despite entering the game as the league’s third-leading scorer at 31.7 points.
He was scoreless on 0-for-1 shooting in the first quarter and finished with 13 points. He missed 11 of 14 shots — including all five of his three-pointers. Maxey also finished with three rebounds, two assists, four steals, and four turnovers.
Afterward, Maxey said he didn’t get into rhythm.
But was only getting one shot attempt in the first quarter a result of that? Or was that a matter of trying to get others involved?
“I feel like I was trying to make the right play,” he said. “But I got to stay aggressive.”
Embiid had 27 points on 8-for-13 shooting along with six rebounds, four assists, three turnovers, and two blocks. George had 19 points on 5-for-14 shooting to go with four rebounds, two assists, four steals, three turnovers, and two blocks.
As a team, the Sixers shot 40.7% — including making just 7 of 27 three-pointers. They also committed 17 turnovers.
“Just being stagnant,” George said of what led to the Sixers’ struggles. “We got stagnant, loss of rhythm, team-wise. And we just played slow. I think our pace was a little slow, which, give them credit. They were making shots, which made it tough to get out, and play, and run fast.”
Embiid scare
Embiid went back to the locker room after falling to the court 25 seconds into the second half after being fouled by Terance Mann. It initially appeared that Embiid turned his ankle. However, he reached down and grabbed his right knee.
The 7-foot-2, 280-pounder returned with 6 minutes, 49 seconds remaining in the quarter. Embiid has already missed 16 games this season because of injuries to both knees. The Sixers had to be elated that this wasn’t serious.
Embiid returned to the bench midway through the quarter with both of his knees wrapped.
“Just hyperextended it,” Embiid said. “Went to the locker room, checked it out, and we’ll see how I feel.”
Before the injury, he was off to a solid start, with 19 first-half points on 7-for-10 shooting.
Embiid had missed the previous two games because of an illness and right knee injury management.
“It’s all right,” he said of his hyperextension. “We’ll see how it feels. Obviously, when you’re hurt, it’s kinda hard to judge, so we’ll see how it feels tomorrow.”
Sixers center Joel Embiid (left) attempts a layup against the Nets. He scored 27 points.
Gordon is still a sharpshooter
Gordon, who turns 37 on Christmas Day, has had a solid NBA career. But now in his 18th season, the shooting guard rarely plays because the Sixers have younger, more athletic guards in Maxey (25), VJ Edgecombe (20), Quentin Grimes (25), and Jared McCain (21).
While he’s not as mobile as before, Father Time has not impacted Gordon’s shooting. He shot 61.5% from the field and 62.5% on three-pointers in his first five appearances of the season.
He made his sixth appearance on Tuesday with Edgecombe and Grimes sidelined by an illness.
And Gordon again had a solid shooting night.
He finished with a season-high 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting. He made his first three shots.
The Indianapolis native entered the game with 3:56 left in the first quarter. He made a layup at the 3:00 mark. Then he drained a three-pointer to tie the score at 27 with 16 seconds left in the frame. He hit his third shot attempt, a three-pointer that gave the Sixers a five-point cushion, 1:28 into the second quarter.
He added a three-pointer in the final second of the third quarter.
“I’m going to be ready for whatever opportunity comes,” Gordon said. “I played in this league for a long time. I can still move. I can still shoot. I can still create my own shot. I don’t know, maybe we will see when the times get harder, play against tougher teams, or whatnot.
“But I know we got a lot of young guys that we need to continue to play and whatnot. I’ll just be ready when it’s my time because I know I can fit in and gel with these guys and keep the floor open for these guys. As you can see, whether I play, miss 10 games and don’t play, come in, you know, I’m still going to be ready to go.”
A need to get healthy
Before the game, the Sixers were excited to have Embiid, Maxey, and George together on the floor.
But they didn’t like the fact that several of their key rotation players were sidelined.
Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) have been out for several weeks. Dominick Barlow also missed Tuesday’s game because of illness.
With Edgecombe and Barlow sidelined, the Sixers started McCain and Jabari Walker alongside Embiid, George, and Maxey.
Grimes and Barlow initially were listed as questionable on Monday evening’s initial injury report. The team announced Tuesday morning that Edgecombe also was questionable. Moments later, they canceled the morning shootaround.
But the team has been dealing with illness for a couple of weeks.
Paul George (left) and Tyrese Maxey celebrate after George made a shot against the Nets on Tuesday night.
Maxey missed the Sixers’ games against the Indiana Pacers (Dec. 12) and Hawks (Dec. 14) with an illness. Embiid sat out both games of Friday and Saturday’s back-to-back against the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks with an illness and right knee injury management.
“It has kind of gone for a bit,” coach Nick Nurse said. “It probably started with Tyrese, but that would seem to be an isolated case, and now it’s kind of making its way a little bit, obviously. The guys that weren’t feeling great yesterday didn’t report to practice. This morning, when we didn’t see much improvement and added another to the list, we postponed shootaround, as you guys well know. You probably would have been here this morning. Just keeping the guys away until we can bring them to the game.”
Michael Porter Jr. (center) is defended by Paul George during Tuesday night’s game.
The Sixers can only hope Edgecombe, Grimes, and Barlow are back when they embark on their five-game road trip against the Chicago Bulls (Friday), Oklahoma City Thunder (Sunday), Memphis Grizzlies (Dec. 30), Dallas Mavericks (Jan. 1), and New York Knicks (Jan. 3).
With the trio out, Justin Edwards was the sixth man. Gordon was the seventh man, and Kyle Lowry was the ninth. This was the fifth game for the 39-year-old Lowry, who’s in his 20th NBA season.
“You know what we missed? We missed three athletes,” Nurse said. “Other than Tyrese, that’s our speed, right there. We got Q, explosive. Barlow, athlete. VJ, athlete that we [depend on]. We missed all three of them. And it kind of made it hard for Tyrese to not … have other guy [Edgecombe] out there to crack into the paint a little bit and do some of the things that VJ does for sure.”
This was a bad loss to a team over which the Sixers had averaged 18-point victories in their first two meetings.
“They were definitely missed,” George said. “Their energy, their extra plays. Those guys have a great feel for the game and just understanding where to be the defensive mindset. So they were for sure missed.
“But, you know, this is a very winnable game with [the Nets also being] down [players.] So you can’t make excuses that they weren’t there.”
“I’m like, hmm,” Davis said Tuesday. “That’s very selfish of me.”
His initial reaction might have seemed selfish to Davis, but it was also relatable. Every player aspires to be the best. Davis, who is finally hitting his stride in Year 4, is no different from his high-achieving counterparts.
But the Pro Bowl is an individual accolade within a team sport. Davis said he doesn’t need the external validation to know he’s a star player — all he needs is to keep working and supporting his teammates.
“Selfishly, you want to get all the accolades, you want to be the best, you want to be considered one of the top guys in the league,” the defensive tackle said. “But at the end of the day, when you take a step back and you play selflessly, I’m satisfied. I’m more than satisfied, because I know I’m adding and I’m contributing and I’m being a force and I’m being dominant, and I can sleep at night with that.”
Davis ought to be well-rested. The No. 13 pick in the 2022 draft out of Georgia is having the best season of his career, even if he doesn’t have the gaudy sack stats to curry favor with the fans, coaches, and fellow NFL players who make up the Pro Bowl voting pool. Davis is playing a career-high 62% of the defensive snaps as he evolves into the every-down pass rusher that the Eagles had hoped he would become when they drafted him.
Even Vic Fangio, the Eagles defensive coordinator known for his brief responses, used Davis’ case to call for an overhaul of the Pro Bowl voting process.
“He should have, for sure,” Fangio said about whether Davis should have made the team. “I think they need to form a committee for the Pro Bowl. Get a couple retired coaches, couple retired personnel guys, couple retired players that will take pride in it and they name it, not all … everybody and their mother’s got a vote.”
Jordan Davis has been instrumental in the defense’s success this season.
Saturday’s win over the Washington Commanders typified the success Davis has had this season. He was a force against the run, posting six stops, including two tackles for losses and two for no gain.
The Commanders learned the hard way what happens when one player is tasked with blocking Davis. On three of his four tackles for losses or no gain, Davis beat a solo block. On the other, he penetrated the backfield on a stunt.
Davis is the mountain at the center of the Eagles’ operation on defense. According to linebacker Zack Baun, the 25-year-old defensive tackle makes the whole operation go.
“I feel like everything we do is built around him,” Baun said. “First, stopping the run. He’s able to two-gap. If he’s single-blocked, he’s getting off and making the play every time. He played a terrific game last week, by the way. Just such a big part of this defense.”
Davis is worthy of earning a spot on the Pro Bowl roster, Baun said.
“He’s definitely playing at that level,” said Baun, a 2025 Pro Bowler himself. “It’s definitely recognized by us, the linebackers, the DBs, everyone in this building. If you talk to him, he doesn’t really care about Pro Bowl or All-Pro. I’m sure he would like to have that honor. But he just wants to see the team succeed. Pro Bowls and All-Pros come with it.”
Zack Baun (left) has seen the growth and impact of Jordan Davis firsthand.
Perhaps Davis hid his initial dismay from his teammates. But the fourth-year defensive tackle concurred that his focus is on the immediate future for the 2025 Eagles, an accomplishment that Pro Bowlers on teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention can’t claim.
“We’ve got more things that we’re fighting for,” Davis said. “We’ve got bigger and better things. We’ve got fish to fry. We’re actually going to the playoffs. I know there’s a couple Pro Bowlers on there that’s not going to the playoffs. So, not a diss at them, but it’s just an opportunity for us to grow and get better, and we’re going to be playing our best ball in a couple weeks. So we just have to get ready for that.”
Davis is eager for more. As he looked up at the digital clock affixed to the wall of the locker room in the NovaCare Complex, Davis noted at 4:54 p.m. that he would stay in the facility for another four hours, long after the conclusion of practice.
He takes pride in the after-hours work. His growth this season has been fueled by the extra time poured into perfecting his craft, not necessarily the promise of an award.
“I spend a lot of time here because I want to get better,” Davis said. “I want to be the best I can be. I don’t think I would be at this point in my career, I wouldn’t be at this point in this season, if I didn’t spend that extra time getting better.”
Davis sees his investment paying off. His teammates and coaches feel his impact. It’s only a matter of time before the greater NFL ecosystem notices it, too.
ATLANTIC CITY — Elected officials, religious leaders, and community activists gathered Tuesday in City Hall to condemn recent “aggressive” and “appalling” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the resort town.
“The reason I’m here is because just last week, our community was attacked,” said Alexander Mendoza, a community organizer with advocacy group El Pueblo Unido of Atlantic City. “Fathers, friends, family members, hardworking people were taken away from us by an inhumane system called ICE.”
El Pueblo has been highlighting recent ICE activity in Atlantic City on its social media, including a car stop on Dec. 12 that led to the detainment of two men, one of whom subsequently missed the birth of his daughter earlier this week after being taken to Delaney Hall. The group called the car stop illegal and said the Mexican Consulate is working to provide the man with legal help.
“He and his partner had just moved into a new apartment and were ready to begin a new chapter in their lives,” Mendoza said. “That morning changed everything. He was taken by ICE and is now being held at Delaney Hall.”
Mendoza said this and other recent activity, including ICE agents establishing a base of operations at the city’s Bader Field, the former municipal airport, have left community members fearful and officials alarmed and outraged.
“There’s a lot of hysteria, a lot of fear in our community, rightly so,” said Cristian Moreno-Rodriguez, executive director of El Pueblo. There were rumors this week that businesses, particularly laundromats, would be targeted this week in Atlantic City and Pleasantville, he said.
“We strategically placed ourselves throughout different traffic hubs where our community is, our immigrant working-class community,” he said.
Moreno-Rodriguez said his organization has tracked some of the same ICE vehicles conducting activity in Bridgeton, Cumberland County.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding activity in the area.
El Pueblo has been educating community members of their rights and training volunteers to document and respond to reported ICE activity. He said the response time in Pleasantville is about two minutes; in Atlantic City, it’s 4 to 5 minutes.
Atlantic County is home to about 12,000 undocumented immigrants. Moreno-Rodriguez said the volunteers include non-Hispanic allies and young Latinos, “children who are standing up for their parents and neighbors.”
City Council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz said the council adopted a resolution last week condemning the ICE activity, which he said had made his constituents wary of leaving their homes without carrying documentation of their citizenship. He said police had not been informed about the raids or the use of Bader Field.
Moreno-Rodriguez said the city is about 33% Latino or Hispanic, and about 29% immigrant, with most Spanish-speaking immigrants coming from Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and smaller numbers from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Nearby Pleasantville is about 50% Hispanic and has a sizable Haitian population, he said.
Both Moreno-Rodriguez and Shabazz called on businesses, which employ many immigrants, to support their workers. Moreno-Rodriguez said one man who self-deported after being picked up by ICE had worked for one of Atlantic City’s iconic bread bakeries.
“If you go into any of the small businesses of Atlantic City, they are powered by immigrant labor,” Moreno-Rodriguez said. “And we want to put out a call to action to all the business owners of Atlantic City that if you employ immigrants, please be there for them when they are detained. Please be there for them after they’ve given you hours of labor, years of blood, sweat, and tears to your business.”
From left, advocacy group El Pueblo Unido of Atlantic City rapid responders Karen Pelaez-Moreno and Christopher Arellano, executive director Cristian Moreno-Rodriguez, Atlantic City Councilman Kaleem Shabazz, and El Pueblo board president Irvin Moreno-Rodriguez, who was recently appointed a Pleasantville School Board member. The group and elected officials held a press conference Dec. 23, 2025 to condemn recent ICE activity.
Also attending the news conference were the Rev. Collins Days, an Atlantic County commissioner, and religious leaders Imam Amin Muhammad of Atlantic City’s Masjid Muhammad mosque, Cantor Jackie Menaker of Ventnor’s Shirat Hayam synagogue, and the synagogue’s president, Joe Rodgers, a criminal defense attorney.
“I am appalled at what’s been happening in our community by ICE,” Days said. “We stand together because an attack on one group is an attack on all groups.”
“When we see the harms of our government, we are obligated to speak out,” Muhammad said. “We need engagement in the political process to make a change.”
Mendoza said activists believed the targeted raids of last week were “the beginning of a large raid on our community … a major escalation.”
“When we drove down Iowa Avenue, we saw an ICE agent and a Border Patrol agent questioning a woman, attempting to extract information in order to detain her,” he said. “When the agents noticed us, they allowed the woman to walk away.”
One of the agents claimed to be looking for a fugitive, he said.
Activists followed the man to Bader Field, where they saw a transport van and eight other vehicles. “That’s when we knew this wasn’t a small operation,” he said. “As soon as the agents realized they were being watched, they left quickly and quietly. It just took two Latino organizers standing by, holding cameras, for ICE to retreat from Atlantic City. ICE operates in the shadows. When people know their rights and when there is accountability, they scatter.”
CHICAGO ― Garnet Hathaway’s path to the NHL wasn’t a typical one.
He called it a “roundabout way” to The Inquirer two years ago, during his first season with the Flyers. The kid from Maine was signed as a free agent by the Calgary Flames organization in 2014 after playing four years at Brown University, and has agitated, banged, and fought his way to 639 NHL games.
But now he’s facing a new battle: Hathaway has been a healthy scratch for the past two games and will sit out a third in a row on Tuesday.
Before this spell, the last time Hathaway watched from the press box when healthy was Feb. 23, 2023, when the Washington Capitals held him out for trade-related reasons. He was traded that day to the Boston Bruins.
“It’s an opportunity to look at my own game. Find out what I can be doing better to help the team more,” he said while sitting in the Flyers’ locker room at Xfinity Mobile Arena after the team’s morning skate on Monday.
“I don’t want to put a reset word on it. I think it’s an opportunity, and there’s two ways I can take it, and I want to use it positively. I want to use it to be more impactful and help us win more games.”
To say it’s been a difficult season for Hathaway would be an understatement, as he has no points and is a minus-8 in 33 games. But Hathaway, 34, knows his game isn’t judged by how many goals or points he has. After all, he only has 75 goals and 160 points in his NHL career.
What he brings is an unwavering commitment to the team — whether it’s throwing his body in front of high-velocity slap shots or being a leader in the room — and effectiveness on the penalty kill, which he prides himself on.
“I know when I’m successful and how to be successful. So I think, rather than talking about the things that haven’t worked [this season], it’s talking about things that I need to do to be successful,” he said.
“I play my best when we get the puck below the other hashmarks, when we hold possession, when we create chaos with the other defensemen, make them turn, create physicality, and really just have the puck in their end.”
Chaos is a good way to put it. Hathaway is a grinder. He’s a throwback to guys like Dave Schultz, who may not have the flashy goals or the high point totals but play a critical role on and off the ice.
After scoring 10 goals last season, Garnet Hathaway hasn’t found the net this season.
Since his NHL debut on Feb. 29, 2016, for the Flames, he is third in NHL hits (2,046) behind former Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas (2,442) and current San Jose Sharks forward Ryan Reaves (2,131). For the record, Gudas has played 35 more games than Hathaway and averages almost seven more minutes a game.
Hathaway ranks ninth in penalty minutes (705) in that time frame, but more importantly, he is also ninth in penalties drawn (275). The nine guys above him include some of the game’s top agitators — Nazem Kadri, Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand, Tom Wilson, and Brady Tkachuk — and the best players who draw all the attention — Connor McDavid, David Pastrňák, and Nathan MacKinnon.
“When he plays fast, he’s really good, and I think sometimes that line’s played a little bit slow, puck possession-wise, and I think that has affected him. … He knows he has to play better,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “But I also think we have to put him in a situation where he’s playing a faster game; I think that’s when he’s at his best.
“… It’s tough for guys like that. He’s a predictable guy. He’s got to know where the puck’s going. That’s when he’s at an effectiveness, right? He’s a good F1, a good forechecker getting in there, and then obviously, a PK guy when he’s on. So I think, he’s frustrated in his game, but he knows what he’s got to do.”
According to Natural Stat Trick, when Hathaway is on the ice at five-on-five this season, the Flyers have 43.24% of the shot attempts and have been outscored 10-2. It’s not the lowest Corsi For percentage of his career — that came in his 25 games with the Boston Bruins — but it is the second lowest. And it’s his second-lowest expected goal share at 41.87 and lowest scoring chances for percentage of his career (39.18%).
The interesting thing is that Hathaway’s individual shot attempts have dropped considerably. He is at less than one per game (30 in 33 games), when he averaged 1.90 shot attempts per game across his first 606 career games.
But he is right there with his hitting (tied for eighth in the NHL with 117) and drawing penalties (16th in the league with 2.31 penalties drawn/60).
“A lot of what we talk [about] is predictability,” said Hathaway, speaking about himself and the coaching staff. “I strive on predictability. I think for me, I need to get below the hashmarks in the other zone, and the fastest way we can get there, the least time we can spend on our zone.
“That’s what I look back in my career and highlight when — points or not — I’m being a contributor to a successful team. It’s moving fast through the zone and possession, but keeping the game in that end each and every shift, the majority of the time, rather than it flip-flopping or being a little too short for the time you need. “
In a statement on social media, the St. Joseph’s men’s basketball team announced Tuesday that Deuce Jones II is no longer a member of the squad.
“St. Joseph’s thanks Deuce for his effort this season and wishes him success in the next chapter of his career,” the statement read.
A sophomore, Jones missed the last two games because of what was called an “illness” against Delaware State and then “personal” reasons against Coastal Carolina. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged a team-high 15.8 points, starting in eight of the 10 games he played in. St. Joe’s lost to Coastal Carolina, 68-62, on Monday without Jones and four other players.
This offseason, Jones transferred to St. Joe’s from Big 5 and Atlantic 10 rival La Salle. As an Explorer, Jones averaged 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds, making 39.7% of his shots from the field. The Trenton native was the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and was a seven-time Rookie of the Week.
The Hawks, who saw their former coach Billy Lange leave the program weeks before the start of the season, are off to a 7-5 start with one game remaining before Atlantic 10 play under new head coach Steve Donahue.
Jones reposted the team’s statement in an Instagram story with two shrugging emojis. He has since deleted the story and replaced it with posts featuring his St. Joe’s teammates, including captions such as “THWND [The Hawk Will Never Die]” and “My bruddas 4L.”
Deuce Jones has splashed his IG story this afternoon with Saint Joseph’s photos, including these two: pic.twitter.com/7wv5rh4M67
At least two people died in an explosion and fire at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center in Bucks County on Tuesday afternoon.
Several people remained unaccounted for Tuesday evening, officials said, and multiple people were injured. The total number of injured was not clear, as patients were sent to multiple hospitals.
Residents of the facility were evacuated by emergency responders, bystanders, and staff.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. Peco said it had responded to the scene for reports of a gas odor shortly before the explosion occurred.
The facility was previously known as the Silver Lake Healthcare Center, but was recently acquired by Saber Healthcare Group and rebranded.
// Timestamp 12/23/25 8:53pm
Recap: 2 dead, multiple people injured after explosion and fire at nursing home in Bucks County
At least two people were killed and multiple people injured after a possible gas explosion rocked a Bucks County nursing home Tuesday, triggering a widespread emergency response and dramatic rescues and causing destruction that Gov. Josh Shapiro described as “quite catastrophic.”
Just before 2:20 p.m., an explosion and fire were reported at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center — formerly known as Silver Lake Healthcare Center and Silver Lake Nursing Home — at 905 Tower Rd. in Bristol Township, Bristol Fire Chief Kevin Dippolito said at a news conference with Shapiro and other officials Tuesday night.
Emergency responders found a major structural collapse, with parts of the first floor falling into the basement and people trapped, Dippolito said. Firefighters immediately went into rescue mode.
“They pulled many residents out of the building via windows, doors, stuck in stairwells, stuck in elevator shafts,” Dippolito said.
The people rescued from the building were handed off to police officers who “came from every direction, and I believe every municipality around here,” Dippolito said.
“There was one police officer who literally threw two people over his shoulders and ran with people to help,” the fire chief said.
Majority of families have been connected with loved ones, police chief says
The ebb and flow of families seeking information about loved ones who’d been at Bristol Health & Rehab Center slowed to a trickle at Truman High School by 8:30 p.m.
The Levittown high school had been serving as a reunification center for families.
Langhorne Chief of Police Kevin Burns said about 35 families came in and filled out forms with their loved ones’ identifying information along with details such as their room number.
An officer would then relay that information to another officer stationed at Lower Bucks Hospital who would then find the person.
Burns said it took some time but the majority of the families were connected with their loved ones.
The reunification center will likely close this evening, he said.
Operations at the site of the explosion also slowed with many emergency vehicles leaving as excavation equipment stayed behind and police continued to block the perimeter.
// Timestamp 12/23/25 8:11pm
State officials repeatedly cited Bristol nursing home over fire safety deficiencies
The Bristol nursing home rocked by an explosion and fire on Tuesday had been repeatedly cited for unsafe living conditions, including the absence of a fire safety plan and adequate extinguishers, according to state inspection records.
During an Oct. 29 site visit, Pennsylvania Department of Health inspectors flagged Silver Lake Healthcare Center — now operating as Bristol Health & Rehab Center — for failing to provide a floor map showing fire exits, fire barriers, and smoke barriers.
Officials also found the facility “failed to maintain portable fire extinguishers” on all floors. The state ordered corrections by Nov. 30.
It remained unclear Tuesday whether those fixes were made before the blast, or whether the deficiencies affected residents’ ability to escape after an explosion leveled a portion of the building at 2:19 p.m.
Bristol Township Fire Chief Kevin Dippolito said Tuesday that a second explosion — and subsequent fire — erupted at the nursing home while firefighters attempted to rescue people.
Other fire safety deficiencies have been documented for years. A 2024 inspection report found the nursing home hallways were not equipped to handle heavy smoke.
“The facility failed to ensure corridor doors were maintained to resist the passage of smoke, affecting two of four smoke compartments,” inspectors wrote.
State and federal officials have also repeatedly cited the facility for substandard medical care.
Ownership of the nursing home has shifted among for-profit operators in recent years. CommuniCare, an Ohio-based company, acquired Silver Lake in 2021. Earlier this month, Saber Healthcare Group took over and rebranded the facility as Bristol Health & Rehab Center.
Saber manages 140 assisted living facilities across six states. At a Tuesday night news conference, Gov. Josh Shapiro said the health department visited the facility again on Dec. 10. New owners agreed to make more fixes, though the governor did not provide details.
“There was a plan in place in order for these new facility owners to upgrade the standards,” Shapiro said. “That work will obviously continue.”
2 people dead, multiple hurt, and some maybe missing as rescue effort continues
Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks about the explosion at Bristol Health & Rehab Center.
Two people were killed, several others were injured, and as many as five people were unaccounted for after an explosion at a Bucks County nursing home, where officials continued a search-and-rescue operation into Tuesday evening.
The deceased have not been identified.
Gov. Josh Shapiro said investigators were still working to determine what caused the explosion and to locate anyone who may be missing, urging the public to remain patient as crews work to identify victims.
The total number of injured residents remains unclear because victims were transported to multiple hospitals. Bucks County officials said up to five people were unaccounted for, though Shapiro cautioned that the figures are preliminary and could change as the investigation continues overnight.
“There are still a lot of unanswered questions,” Shapiro said at a news conference Tuesday night. “You’ll have to bear with us as we work to confirm who was injured and who may be missing.”
First responders arrived at a harrowing scene shortly after the 2:19 p.m. explosion. Part of the brick nursing home had collapsed, and residents were streaming out of the burning facility.
Firefighters pulled people from windows, doors, stairwells, and elevator shafts. While crews searched through the rubble, a second explosion erupted inside the building, helping officials identify the source of the gas fueling the fire.
“[They] were literally carrying the patients,” said Bristol Township Fire Chief Kevin Dippolito. “There was one police officer who literally threw two people over his shoulders and ran” them to get medical help.
Photos from the Bucks County nursing home explosion
// Timestamp 12/23/25 6:33pm
Shapiro heading to explosion scene
I'm on my way to the scene of the explosion at Silver Lake Nursing Home in Bucks County to receive a briefing and meet with the brave first responders and law enforcement on the ground.
To the Bristol community: I’ve got your back, and I’ll be with you soon. https://t.co/RZHS95YJYE
Peco crews were responding to gas odor when explosion happened
Peco said Tuesday evening that its crews had responded “shortly after 2 p.m.” to reports of a gas odor at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center on Tower Road — minutes before an explosion rocked the nursing home.
“While crews were on site, an explosion occurred at the facility,” Peco spokesperson Greg Smore said in an emailed statement. “Peco crews shut off natural gas and electric service to the facility to ensure the safety of first responders and local residents.”
Bucks County emergency management officials said they received the report of an explosion at approximately 2:17 p.m., according to the Associated Press.
Shortly after the blast, a patient bleeding from his head was wandering the campus saying to himself how he’d repeatedly told staff of a gas smell that lingered throughout the day, said a passerby who did not wish to give their name.
The man, they said, was eventually treated and transported from the site.
Timely investigations key in reconstructing explosion events
Investigators and workers at the scene of the Barclay Friends Senior Living Community on North Franklin Street in West Chester.
Daniel Purtell, whose law firm, McEldrew Purtell, represented the families of two victims in the 2017 Barclay Friends senior living complex fire in West Chester, said there are several possible causes of a fire in a nursing home, including those involving medical equipment, combustible gases and utilities.
He said preserving evidence at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center — and obtaining witness interviews before memories fade — will be key to reconstructing what happened.
“The timely investigation in cases like this is absolutely imperative,” Purtell said. “Was it electrical? Were there fuel sources? Were there sparks? Was there ongoing work in the facility? What in the facility is combustible?”
Purtell, whose firm has already received a call about the Bristol explosion from a possible witness, said he has noticed a trend toward cost cutting among for-profit operators of nursing homes.
“What you see in the for-profits is everything is scrutinized from a corporate perspective and everything is cost-benefit,” he said.
Purtell said the Bristol investigation should look closely at whether the facility’s fire prevention and suppression systems were adequate and functioning.
Relative describes feeling house shake, seeing windows blown out
The smell of smoke and sirens of both ambulances and fire trucks pierced the blocks surrounding the Bristol Health & Rehab Center hours after an explosion led to a mass evacuation of nursing home patients.
Kim Wilford, 60, was visiting family for the holidays, roughly two blocks from the facility when she felt the house shake, as though something had fallen on the roof.
When Wilford and relatives realized the explosion came from the nursing home, they rushed to the campus, where they were met with chaos.
“It was something out of a Die Hard movie,” said Deanna Rice-Bass, 59, one of Wilford’s relatives who recognized local nurses, not affiliated with the nursing home, evacuating people.
Patients were being wheeled out of the facility, but in some cases they were simply placed on mats outside, said Wilford.
First responders were instructing the able-bodied to take those with non-life-threatening injuries to nearby Lower Bucks Hospital.
Wilford panicked as she saw the outside of her mother’s room.
“Her window was blown out,” she said. “Naturally I freaked out.”
Wilford would later find her 87-year-old mother among the crowd of evacuees cleared to go to Lower Bucks Hospital.
“She said she and her roommate were lifted from their beds and back down,” said Wilford, adding she’d never had issues with the nursing home before.
Authorities said there were injuries, but had yet to say whether there were any fatalities.
Bristol Township Police Lt. Sean Cosgrove said there were injuries, but that he wasn’t aware of any critical injuries.
“A lot of the details at this point are still unknown,” he told reporters at the scene.
Residents had been evacuated by emergency responders, bystanders and staff, he said.
— Associated Press
// Timestamp 12/23/25 4:44pm
Nursing home has been repeatedly cited, federal records show, and recently changed ownership
First responders work the scene of an explosion and fire at Bristol Health & Rehab Center, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Bristol, Pa.
Federal records indicate the building had an automatic sprinkler system.
The 174-bed facility, comprised of low-slung brick buildings, sits on a two-acre campus in Lower Bucks County. As of 2024, Silver Lake housed 162 residents, more than 75% of whom were 60 years or older, according to the most recent inspection records. The facility had 129 full- and part-time staff members as of 2024, records show.
CommuniCare Health Services, a privately run for-profit nursing home operator based in Cincinnati, took over operations at Silver Lake in 2021. The facility was recently acquired by Saber Healthcare Group, and rebranded as Bristol Health & Rehab Center. Operators announced the new ownership and name in a Facebook post this month.
Federal inspectors have repeatedly cited Silver Lake for deficient healthcare and management in recent years, issuing dozens of violations for substandard care. The most recent inspection, in March, indicated the center had failed to maintain proper infection prevention among residents and inadequately maintained medical records, among other problems.
The Department of Health & Human Services awarded the facility a one-star rating — far below the national average — based on recent inspections. Silver Lake’s operators were fined more than $418,000 in penalties in 2024, records show.
In 2023, inspectors wrote that management “failed to ensure a clean, homelike environment” for residents on both floors of the two-story facility. They saw dirty floors, paint peeling off the walls, and holes punctured in bathroom doors.
‘Car after car after car was a fire truck or ambulance from all over the city’
State Rep. Tina Davis, whose district includes the center, said she got near the scene in her car but did not want to interfere.
“I saw smoke and I saw car after car after car was a fire truck or ambulance from all over the city, from all over,” Davis said.
She said there was talk of using a nearby school as a temporary evacuation area.
Jim Morgan, president of the Bristol Township School Board, said district buses will be taking people from the emergency scene at the nursing home to a reunification center at Truman High School. He said officials were working on setting up beds and providing water and other needs to residents. As of 4 p.m. no one had showed up at the school, Morgan said.
“It’s just so sad — it’s that hopeful time of year. This is just something that is sad for everybody and the families and the workers that are there. I hope there’s positive results from this. We don’t know at this point,” Davis said.
— Associated Press
// Timestamp 12/23/25 4:09pm
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick urges residents to avoid the area
U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who represents the area, said on social media that he had been briefed on reports of an explosion at the nursing home.
“My team and I are in direct communication with local officials and emergency responders, and we are closely monitoring developments as authorities work to secure the scene and care for those affected. We will continue to stay engaged and share updates as more verified information becomes available,” Fitzpatrick said.
“For everyone’s safety, I urge you to please avoid the area. Please also join me in praying for the safety of the residents of the nursing home, the dedicated staff who care for them, and our brave first responders who rushed to the scene and ran toward danger without hesitation,” Fitzpatrick said.
I have been briefed on reports of an explosion at Silver Lake Nursing Home in Bristol Township.
My team and I are in direct communication with local officials and emergency responders, and we are closely monitoring developments as authorities work to secure the scene and care…
Emergency responders reported multiple injuries after an explosion rocked a nursing home Tuesday afternoon in Bristol Township in Bucks County.
Firefighters and police responded to the explosion and fire at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center, formerly known as Silver Lake Healthcare Center, at 905 Tower Rd.
It was not immediately known how many people were injured.
Firefighters from neighboring Pennsylvania counties and from New Jersey have responded to the scene.
Jalen Carter’s three-week hiatus while recovering from a pair of shoulder procedures may soon come to an end.
The 24-year-old defensive tackle returned to practice Tuesday ahead of Sunday’s penultimate regular-season game against the Buffalo Bills. Before practice, Vic Fangio said the team is “hopeful” that Carter will be available to play.
The coordinator also noted that he’s going “full steam ahead” with the starting defense against the Bills, even though the Eagles have clinched the NFC East and could be locked into the No. 3 seed if the Seattle Seahawks and the Chicago Bears win their respective games on Sunday.
Carter hasn’t played since the Black Friday loss to the Bears. The following week, he underwent procedures on his shoulders, but he did not go on injured reserve and was considered week to week. Carter had been dealing with a shoulder injury since training camp and had played through the pain.
The Eagles’ defensive front has fared well in Carter’s absence. Fangio’s group has mustered a league-high 13 sacks in the last three games without Carter. The Eagles have limited opposing rushing attacks to 4.0 yards per carry, which is tied for the fifth-lowest clip in the NFL.
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter tries to work past two Detroit Lions blockers on Nov. 16.
To bolster the interior defensive line, Brandon Graham has kicked inside, registering three sacks in his last two games. Jordan Davis has been dominant against the run (16 run stops in the last three weeks, according to Next Gen Stats). Byron Young is also playing a higher volume of snaps and making the most of them, posting 2½ sacks in his last three games.
Still, the Eagles will welcome back a healthy Carter. Davis said the interior defensive line is even deeper now that Carter is nearing a return.
“It’s just another force on the line that can go out there and ball out,” Davis said Tuesday. “We’re just excited to have him. Hopefully, he just goes out there and has the game of his life. Really just want him to be healthy. Because he’s a dominant force when he’s healthy, when he’s out there and he’s balling, he’s playing.”
Even though Carter experienced a dip in production as a result of his injuries (two sacks in 10 games), he was named to his second Pro Bowl on Tuesday. He is listed as the lone Eagles starter on the initial NFC roster.
If Carter is cleared to play this week, he could use the final two games of the regular season to ramp up ahead of the playoffs. In Week 18 against the New York Giants last year, tight end Dallas Goedert returned to action following a knee injury while the other starters rested.
“Every situation’s a little bit different, every injury’s a little bit different, every guy’s a little bit different,” coach Nick Sirianni said Monday. “So you do think about your past situations and when you’ve been through those things before, but you’re trying to do and trying to make the best decision for each guy and everyone’s just a little bit different. Just always trying to do what’s best for the guy and their health first and foremost.”
While Carter returned to practice, Nakobe Dean (hamstring) and Landon Dickerson were sidelined. Lane Johnson (foot) was not present.
Jalen Carter (right) with fellow defensive tackle Jordan Davis late in the victory against the Packers at Lambeau Field.
