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  • Aidan Miller and Justin Crawford are in the Phillies’ plans for 2026 — and have the locker placement to prove it

    Aidan Miller and Justin Crawford are in the Phillies’ plans for 2026 — and have the locker placement to prove it

    CLEARWATER, Fla. — For years, a tucked-away corner of the Phillies’ spring-training clubhouse has belonged to the stars. And because the roster hasn’t changed much since 2022, neither have the nameplates above the lockers.

    KYLE SCHWARBER #12

    J.T. REALMUTO #10

    AIDAN MILLER #81

    BRYCE HARPER #3

    TREA TURNER #7

    Wait, take two steps back.

    Are they better? Are their top two stars still elite? Nine questions for the Phillies as spring training opens

    Schwarber did a double take almost as soon as he walked through the door here Wednesday, even before Realmuto pointed it out. Left fielder Brandon Marsh stopped Miller in the hallway and said, “Man, you got a good little locker spot there.”

    “They’ve all kind of made little comments here and there about it,” said Miller, the top prospect who now occupies the space once reserved for Nick Castellanos, the disgruntled $20 million right fielder who no longer has a locker (a photo of him was removed from a hallway in the clubhouse, too) because he will be traded or released by the weekend. “I was surprised seeing it myself.”

    Miller shouldn’t be surprised. Nobody should.

    Never mind that he is 21, the second-youngest player among 68 in camp. Or that he dressed at a temporary locker on the other side of the room last spring and lived with his parents 20 miles north of the Phillies’ complex.

    Miller is in the Phillies’ plans — and sooner than later. So, it isn’t a coincidence, according to manager Rob Thomson, that he and fellow top prospect Justin Crawford (No. 80 in your spring-training program) are taking up residence on Millionaires’ Row.

    “We upgraded a little bit,” Crawford said, laughing.

    In 2026, after back-to-back divisional-round knockouts, the Phillies will still be led by Harper & Friends, few of whom have aged out of their prime. But they also aren’t getting younger.

    As it is, the Phillies are trying to become only the 10th team in baseball history to make the playoffs with four players age 33 or older getting at least 500 plate appearances. If new right fielder Adolis García joins Harper, Turner, Schwarber, and Realmuto, the Phillies would be only the third team to make the playoffs with five. It hasn’t happened since the 2007 New York Yankees.

    The Phillies’ Zack Wheeler was given one of his ribs after surgery. Now he’s working to ‘do my thing’ once again.

    So, the Phillies must get younger if they’re going to prop open the proverbial window to contend long beyond this year. And that’s where Crawford, Miller, and 22-year-old pitcher Andrew Painter come in — and why they may be the three most important players in camp.

    “Crawford and Miller and Andrew, we know they’re all very talented,” said Zack Wheeler, at 35 the dean of the starting rotation. “It’s good to have those guys around. You can’t have everybody under big contracts. You’ve got to have some young guys. We have a good locker room to accept those guys. They can ask any of these guys questions, and they’ll definitely help out.”

    That’s the idea.

    Crawford, 22, is the presumptive opening-day center fielder after batting .300 at every level of the minors. He might’ve gotten called up last August if the Phillies didn’t trade for Harrison Bader at the deadline. His time is most certainly now.

    “I’ll say it feels a little different,” said Crawford, who would be the youngest outfielder on a Phillies opening-day roster since Greg Luzinski and Mike Anderson in 1973. “Last year was kind of the excitement of being in big-league camp for the first time. This, I feel a little bit more laid-back and just ready to get to work and compete. Excited to see what happens.”

    Crawford insists he isn’t taking anything for granted. His dad, four-time All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford, wouldn’t allow it. Neither would his godfather, Junior Spivey, who played five seasons in the majors, or personal hitting coach Mike Easler, who had a 14-year major-league career.

    The Phillies are sticking with a veteran core in 2026. But this time the kids have to play too.

    And then there are Crawford’s new neighbors in the high-rent district of the clubhouse.

    “I came in and still it was a little surreal,” Crawford said despite getting a heads-up from a teammate of where his locker was located. “It was like, ‘Wow,’ from being over there [on the other side of the room] last year. So, it’s pretty cool and definitely a good, nice moment.”

    The Phillies did this in 2023 with Painter. They gave him a locker alongside Wheeler and around the corner from Aaron Nola and a chance to compete for a spot in the rotation as a 19-year-old. But he suffered a torn ligament in his right elbow, had surgery, and missed two seasons.

    Painter has a good chance of making the team out of camp in part because Wheeler will be behind the other pitchers as he comes back from thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition in which a vein is compressed between the collarbone and rib cage. Wheeler had a rib removed in September.

    But Painter isn’t merely a placeholder. The Phillies remain bullish on his future even after he struggled last season in triple A. Many rival evaluators “cut him some slack,” as one NL scout said, after the two-year absence and believe he still has top-of-the-rotation potential.

    Right-hander Andrew Painter has a chance to be in the Phillies’ season-opening starting rotation.

    And if Crawford and Painter are ticketed for the opening-day roster, Miller may not be far behind. It isn’t only the placement of his locker. As camp opened for pitchers and catchers, Thomson confirmed that Miller will get reps at third base, in addition to his natural shortstop, a spot occupied by Turner.

    It won’t be the first time. Miller played third base at J.W. Mitchell High School, up the road from here in Trinity, Fla., before the Phillies drafted him in the first round in 2023. This spring will be about “relearning” the position, he said, notably the footwork and the hops.

    “I just want to get there [to the majors],” Miller said. “I don’t care where it is in the field. As long as I’m there, I’m cool.”

    Ranking the Phillies’ top 10 prospects: Key question, 2026 outlook for each

    If Crawford, Painter, and Miller can get there, the Phillies will have threaded the needle of replenishing the roster while also contending. It’s a tricky balance.

    Thomson was a coach with the Yankees in 2017 when they successfully blended youth (Aaron Judge, Gary Sánchez, Greg Bird, Jordan Montgomery, and Luis Severino) with a veteran core en route to 91 wins and Game 7 of the AL Championship Series.

    “I think there’s some similarities there,” Thomson said. “If you want to have a really healthy organization for a sustainable future, you have to be able to infuse some youth along the way.”

    And it starts, symbolically, with a couple of kids lockering alongside the stars for six weeks in February and March.

  • Montgomery County’s top officials are divided on ICE and potential Trump administration funding cuts, but they say they’ll ‘put politics aside’

    Montgomery County’s top officials are divided on ICE and potential Trump administration funding cuts, but they say they’ll ‘put politics aside’

    It was a portrait of amicable disagreement.

    Talking to reporters gathered at the front of an auditorium at Montgomery County Community College, the collar county’s top officials engaged in a friendly back-and-forth about something local leaders have had to pay unprecedented attention to since last year: how to handle any future federal funding cuts under President Donald Trump.

    Within the last year, counties have navigated uncertainty surrounding reductions in funding under the Trump administration. In Montgomery County, those cuts have jeopardized key resources for public health, higher education, and homeless services.

    “Naturally, our teams are following what’s coming out of [the Department of Housing and Urban Development], what’s happening with SNAP. We’re trying to anticipate,” said Jamila Winder, a Democrat and the chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.

    Community needs “that arise from the cuts to SNAP and the cuts to Medicaid are significant,” said vice chair Neil Makhija, a Democrat.

    Tom DiBello, the board’s lone Republican, had a different view.

    “Well, we also have to maybe look at what those reductions are, why those reductions are occurring … and I know this is where we divide,” he said.

    Crossing the aisle has become rare in the rancorous national political environment. But at Montgomery County Community College on Wednesday, the commissioners emphasized at their annual State of the County address that they are striving for cooperation to be their norm, even as lawmakers in Harrisburg and Washington struggle to work together.

    The commissioners have navigated their own tense moments in recent months, particularly related to immigration.

    “Look, there are definitely things that we disagree on as a team, but what’s most important is that we’re able to fund the services that we provide to people in Montgomery County,” Winder told reporters.

    Montgomery County commissioners and row officers stand on stage during introductions.

    Wednesday’s address featured the commissioners reflecting on the county’s accomplishments in 2025 and outlining their goals for the year ahead to an audience of constituents and officials. Those include opening shelters for people experiencing homelessness, determining how to best integrate artificial intelligence in county services, and cutting red tape for residents trying to access local services.

    And it was also sprinkled with displays of camaraderie despite political differences, such as the commissioners touting 2026’s bipartisan budget as the first in nearly a decade or DiBello going in for a hug after turning the microphone over to Winder for her closing remarks.

    “If there’s one thing I want you to take away from today, it’s this: Under our collective leadership as commissioners, this board will continue to put politics aside to do what’s best for our communities,” Winder said at the address, of which the theme was “collaboration.”

    But their interactions have not always fit the cordial image presented Wednesday.

    During a board of commissioners meeting in July, Winder accused DiBello of lacking empathy after 14 people were taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in West Norriton.

    Winder and Makhija called for ICE agents to be held accountable, while DiBello encouraged respect for law enforcement and denounced the incorporation of politics into the meeting.

    “People are being terrorized by masked ICE agents in Montgomery County, that’s what we’re saying. And if you can’t be empathetic to that, that’s disconcerting,” Winder said at the time.

    Thomas DiBello, the lone Republican commissioner, walks to the podium for remarks during the Montgomery County’s 2026 State of County event in Blue Bell. At right is Jamila H. Winder, the board’s Democratic chair.

    “No matter what, we should be respecting our law enforcement agencies until they break the law,” DiBello responded.

    On Wednesday, immigration-related disagreements lingered when Makhija told reporters about his opposition to ICE buying warehouses in Pennsylvania, including in Berks County, that may be used to detain people.

    “Again we divide, because I will support the rule of law,” DiBello said on immigration enforcement. ”I stand with law enforcement, and if people want changes, they need to go to Washington and ask and promote those changes.”

  • Cherry Hill is considering additions at two schools to ease overcrowding instead of redrawing school boundaries

    Cherry Hill is considering additions at two schools to ease overcrowding instead of redrawing school boundaries

    The Cherry Hill School District has decided against redrawing its elementary school maps to redistribute students and ease overcrowding.

    Instead, the school board will consider adding additions to the two schools with the highest anticipated growth — Clara Barton Elementary and Rosa International Middle School — and continuing to monitor enrollment at four other elementary schools.

    The decision was announced Tuesday night when the district presented a highly anticipated report on rebalancing school enrollment. The South Jersey school system had been considering adjusting the boundaries assigned to each of its 12 elementary schools to handle an anticipated increase in students — a move that sparked opposition from some parents.

    The recommendation is “a huge win,” said Bruck Lascio, whose children attend Barton. “We’ll take their proposal.”

    Five Cherry Hill elementary schools will be overcrowded by 2028. The district is considering how to redistribute students.

    What does the recommendation involve?

    “The administration is not recommending boundary adjustments at this time,” said George Guy, director of elementary education.

    Guy said both schools now potentially slated for expansion are expected to have a severe shortage of seats by the 2028-29 school year. Clara Barton would be 69 seats short, and Rosa Middle 51 seats, he said.

    The additions, if approved by the school board, would be ready for the start of the 2028-29 school year, Guy said.

    The report also recommends that the district monitor enrollment trends at Horace Mann Elementary, which is also expected to have more students than seats. And it calls for another demographic study in 2026-27 to assess needs at all schools.

    Guy left open the possibility that Mann could also get an addition to ease overcrowding. The district also plans to monitor enrollment at Joyce Kilmer, Richard Stockton, and Woodcrest Elementary Schools.

    Why was rebalancing under consideration?

    A demographic study conducted in 2024 showed that five of Cherry Hill’s 12 elementary schools are expected to have a total shortage of 337 seats in the 2028-29 school year, and prompted the school board to look into rebalancing.

    Cherry Hill began the rebalancing project with a possibility of changing the boundaries for students at five of its 12 elementary schools. Some elementary schools are nearing capacity, and a few have surplus seats.

    In developing a recommendation, Guy had to consider parameters set by the board. It was also important to consider transportation and avoid having students spend longer periods of time on buses.

    Board president Gina Winters said the board basically had two choices: shift students where there were available seats or add more capacity to keep students in their neighborhood schools.

    Rosa International Middle School in Cherry Hill.

    Changing the boundaries would have affected 534 children in the district, which enrolls about 11,000 students, Guy said. Clara Barton and James Johnson Elementary Schools would have faced the biggest impact, he said.

    The sprawling 24.5-mile community of nearly 75,000 is divided into elementary school zones. Most students are assigned to a neighborhood school within two miles of where they live.

    The district also dismissed possible relocation of some special education programs to ease overcrowding because that would further stress students and staff, Guy said.

    Guy said creating new English as a second language (ESL) programs at more schools was also considered, but that option was rejected because it would not have adequately addressed the overcrowding.

    Also under consideration was converting the Arthur Lewis administration building to an elementary school, which could accommodate about 200 students.

    How much would the plan cost?

    Guy said the additions are expected to cost between $5 million and $7 million each. The cost would be funded using interest earnings from the district’s $363 million bond referendum approved in 2022, he said.

    According to Guy, the costs would not affect the property tax rate. Winters said there could be additional budget costs in the future to hire additional teachers and administrators.

    How did parents react to the proposal?

    Parents who had lobbied heavily against having their children moved because they like the convenience of neighborhood elementary schools welcomed the recommendations.

    “We love our school,” said Katie Daw, whose children attend Clara Barton in the township’s Erlton section. “This is the best-case scenario.”

    Cherry Hill is expanding its preschool classrooms, hundreds on the waiting list

    Marie Blaker said she had braced for bad news Tuesday. She is part of a Clara Barton group that has organized other parents.

    “We didn’t think it was going to go like this,” Blaker said. “I’m thrilled they listened to us.”

    What’s next?

    The nine-member board did not vote on the recommendations Tuesday night. Winters said the board appeared to support the recommendation.

    Winters said public hearings would be held at Barton and Rosa. A final plan is expected by the summer, at which point the board will vote on the proposal.

    Guy has said officials are not yet examining future enrollment needs at the remaining middle schools and high schools.

    “The reality is that we will be faced with very difficult decisions,” board member Renee Cherfane said.

  • Inside Sixers: Tyrese Maxey’s three-point invite, Paul George suspension plan and more

    Inside Sixers: Tyrese Maxey’s three-point invite, Paul George suspension plan and more

    PORTLAND, Ore. — After the 76ers’ victory at the Phoenix Suns last Saturday, Nick Nurse was still irked about the game they let slip away at the Los Angeles Lakers two nights prior.

    And when the suddenly shorthanded Sixers got blasted by the Portland Trail Blazers Monday, Nurse’s quick evaluation was that his team played “4 ½ really good games.”

    “Quarter here [Monday] that’s really bad, and one quarter in L.A.,” Nurse said late Monday about the 3-2 trip. “But most of it was really good basketball.”

    That was all part of the Sixers’ busy week out west, which overlapped with the trade deadline. The Sixers said goodbye to Jared McCain and Eric Gordon in the middle of the trip. Joel Embiid remained dominant in the three games he played. Tyrese Maxey was invited to the three-point contest at All-Star Saturday.

    Tyrese Maxey leveled up to become an All-Star starter. Play along here to predict what the Sixers guard does next.

    Next, the Sixers have one more game against the rival New York Knicks before the All-Star break.

    “Everybody will get up for [that],” veteran wing Kelly Oubre Jr. said of the Knicks game. “Take care of that one, and we feel good going into the break.”

    First, here are some additional nuggets and observations from the Sixers’ five-game trip.

    Maxey three-point contest

    Tyrese Maxey declined an invitation to compete in the three-point contest at All-Star Weekend in 2024, acknowledging he was “nervous” and wanted to soak up the experience as a first-time All-Star.

    “This year, I definitely wanted to do it, man,” Maxey said Monday morning from Portland. “I wanted to be a part of that night, and I’m going to go out there and try to win.”

    Maxey was announced Sunday as a participant in the event that now headlines All-Star Saturday. He has become one of the league’s most dangerous long-range shooters because of the variety of attempts he can fire off the catch and dribble, and because he has extended his range. He entered Wednesday shooting 37.9% on 8.8 attempts per game this season.

    Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey will participate in the three-point contest at All-Star Weekend.

    Shooting off a rack, however, is quite different than taking a shot in the flow of a game. Maxey said he has a little experience in such competitions in high school and while at Kentucky, and might spend some time practicing off the rack Tuesday night. And Sixers player development coach Toure’ Murry has told Maxey since the beginning of the season that he has “got something for me” as far as strategy with where to place the “money” balls worth extra points.

    Maxey has fond memories of watching former Golden State Warriors “Splash Brothers” Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson get hot in the three-point contest. Former winners Damian Lillard and Devin Booker are also in this year’s field.

    And now, Maxey is far from nervous to join them.

    “Everything from that weekend and being a part of it is special,” Maxey said. “It’s a blessing, and I’m not going to take any of it for granted.”

    Plan for Paul George

    As the Sixers walked into Santa Monica Prep for their first shootaround of this trip, Paul George was among those in attendance. George’s personal trainer also has continued to travel with the team.

    George still has 19 games remaining in his 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. But he is permitted to remain around the team for practices and shootarounds.

    “The organization’s equipped in any way to provide him whatever he needs,” said Nurse, alluding that George has at least partially attributed his positive drug test to mental health struggles. “ … We want to keep him as engaged on the basketball side.”

    Paul George is suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy

    Oubre, who is now tasked with making up for some of George’s production on both ends of the floor, expressed support for his teammate during this time.

    “My first thought was just praying for him,” Oubre said upon hearing the news of George’s suspension. “Obviously, that’s tough, man, especially when you talk about mental health, because that’s the unseen. You see us physically, but you don’t know what’s going on in our head and in our lives.”

    Edgecombe’s bounceback

    VJ Edgecombe said his 1-of-11 shooting dud on Feb. 2 at the Los Angeles Clippers was easy to mentally flush. But Nurse took things a step further, immediately calling the Sixers’ first couple of plays for Edgecombe in the following night’s matchup at Golden State.

    That ignited the rookie guard’s 25-point outburst on 11-of-20 shooting, a significant lift as the Warriors’ defense relentlessly swarmed Maxey.

    “Just to say, ‘We’re going to VJ,’” Nurse said “ … I didn’t know it was going to be that good. But I figured he’d be ready to go, and we just wanted to let him know we believe in him.”

    Consider that another example of the immense — and rare — confidence Edgecombe has instantly instilled in his coach and teammates. And Edgecombe feels that reciprocated.

    https://www.inquirer.com/sports/sixers-trade-deadline-buyout-market-khris-middleton-lonzo-ball-chris-boucher-haywood-highsmith-20260209.html#loaded

    “Once your teammates have trust in you, I feel like you can just go out there and just go hoop,” Edgecombe said. “ … You don’t have to worry about if they care if you’re missing. It’s a team game. They know I’m going to make the right plays. They just have a ton of faith in me.”

    That performance also arrived in his second matchup against mentor and former Bahamian teammate Buddy Hield, whom Edgecombe playfully talked trash to after taking him off the dribble for a score. Edgecombe also jawed with fellow Bahamian teammate Deandre Ayton during Thursday’s loss to the Lakers, and said goodbye to Eric Gordon when the Sixers traded him at the deadline.

    Nurse credited Gordon with helping foster Edgecombe’s poise as an immediate impact rookie.

    “That type of steadiness and calmness that Eric kind of always has,” Nurse said, “I think was valuable to VJ. He probably picked some of that up.”

    Bona’s hands

    Adem Bona nabbed a steal against the Warriors, and had a wide-open court in front of him. The reserve center methodically dribbled and threw down the dunk, prompting a more-excited-than-usual reaction from the Sixers’ bench for a fairly routine transition bucket.

    “It’s kind of a joke from the previous game [against the Clippers],” Bona said, “where I was running too fast and I fumbled the ball. I was taking my time this time. I was a little slower. … I was super slow.”

    Sixers center Adem Bona has worked diligently to be able to catch passes on the move.

    Bona’s hands have warranted critique since taking on a more important role as the backup center, whether Joel Embiid or Andre Drummond starts the game. He regularly drills those fundamentals, including before games while working with assistant coach TJ DiLeo on moving up and down the court while dribbling between his legs and behind his back.

    Evidence that this is still a work in progress: He mishandled an alley-oop catch during Saturday’s victory at the Phoenix Suns.

    Tardy in San Francisco

    Even NBA travel parties can get caught in San Francisco traffic. Especially while immersed in Super Bowl week hubbub before the big game played in nearby Santa Clara.

    The Sixers’ team buses were more than an hour late to the Chase Center last Tuesday, throwing off pregame routines for players who are creatures of habit. Nurse secretly hoped players would ditch those warm-ups entirely, because “I’m not that big of a believer” in expending that energy on the second night of a back-to-back.

    Nurse, meanwhile, used the additional bus time to flip on some film that he planned to watch in his office. And it caused him to expedite a series of meetings with various coaches that typically begin about two hours before tipoff.

    “They’re just review, review, review,” Nurse said, “one last time before we take the test.”

    Barlow’s conversion

    Three days after Dominick Barlow totaled 26 points and 16 rebounds against the Clippers, he was rewarded with the Sixers converting his two-way contract to a standard deal.

    The move was somewhat anticlimactic, given his impact this season as a rebounder, cutter and all-around hustle role player. And his postgame comments about the conversion were somewhat subdued, given that they occurred after the Sixers had surrendered a 14-point lead against the Lakers.

    Sixers convert Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal

    Yet all of that also demonstrates how much Barlow has thrived as a late signee with the Sixers, in a situation where he feels his skills are “valued and appreciated.” This career season comes after Barlow spent his first three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks, where he made a combined five starts and never averaged more than 14.6 minutes in those appearances.

    “I feel that energy here,” Barlow said, “ … I’m just having so much fun being out there with everybody.”

    Beauchamp makes his debut

    Perhaps the one positive of the Trail Blazers’ drubbing of the Sixers Monday? MarJon Beauchamp got his first NBA minutes of the season, totaling 10 points, four rebounds, and four assists.

    Even better: That performance occurred in the arena closest to Beauchamp’s roots that the Sixers will travel all season. The 25-year-old was born in Yakima, Wash., and went to high school in Seattle before joining G League Ignite and getting drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2022.

    Nurse said he was impressed with Beauchamp’s quickness and aggressiveness to push the ball off rebounds. The coach also did not notice any glaring mistakes within the Sixers’ schemes or Beauchamp’s individual assignments. After suiting up for three NBA teams last season, Beauchamp said he was focused on playing with confidence in his first extended minutes at this level in an estimated 18 months.

    “I just tried to be assertive, not think too much, and just play hard,” Beauchamp said after the game.

    Added Oubre: “He did a really good job of picking up on everything, so that goes to show that he’s been studying and putting in the work and staying ready, just giving him confidence and making sure that he feels like we’re all together, he’s in this with us and not just visiting.”

    Beauchamp flashed that confidence when he tried to uncork a dunk on Portland rookie Yang Hansen, who stands 7-foot-1. Beauchamp said he attempted such a feat when he was signed to a training camp deal with the Trail Blazers this past fall, but that in-game attempt was “probably the closest I’ve been” to throwing it down.

    “I wanted that dunk so bad,” Beauchamp said. “Next time, though.”

    Quotable

    Oubre on reaching the All-Star break: “We have a blank canvas on the season, and we want to create a masterpiece at the end. We’re still painting.”

  • A Center City steakhouse is the unlikely home of a viral ‘Girl Dinner’ offering

    A Center City steakhouse is the unlikely home of a viral ‘Girl Dinner’ offering

    Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse in Center City, with its large round tables, soaring ceilings, and big screens flashing sports games above the bar, regularly attracts many large groups of men.

    And yet, the establishment has recently gone viral, mainly among women, thanks to a bar menu item entitled “Shucked, Fried, Tossed, and Stirred.” A video of 24-year-old Philly native and influencer Hannah Sparkevicius dubbing the $39 combination — which encompasses a cocktail, half a dozen oysters, truffle fries, and a small Caesar salad — “girl dinner” currently has over 100,000 views.

    @hannahhnotmontanaa

    My first time trying an oyster! I love finding good food deals in the city and this one is fire 🦪 🍸 @Jamie Wolf #philly #philadelphia #phillytiktok #phillyfoodie

    ♬ original sound – HANNAH SPARKS –

    Sparkevicius posts regularly about beauty trends, going out to eat in Philly, and great deals. The Shucked, Fried, Tossed, and Stirred menu item fits the bill, standing out on a menu that otherwise features $20 cocktails and half a dozen oysters for $25. (The sampler debuted on the bar and lounge menus at all 15 Del Frisco’s Double Eagle locations last October.)

    “Girl dinner” is a social media trend that took feeds by storm two years ago and it hasn’t waned since. Why? Because girl dinners have always existed. The trend simply put a name to casual, pulled-together meals that might not make sense on a restaurant menu. (You don’t have to be a girl to partake in girl dinner.)

    Sparkevicius’ video has inspired legions of social media users tagging one another in her comments section, suggesting future Del Frisco’s outings. It also spurred similar posts on others, like one from the Instagram account Who What When Where Philly — which actually prompted me to gather my own girl group and head to Del Frisco’s.

    My three girl friends and I made our way to Del Frisco’s 15th and Chestnut location, an ornate, cavernous 1922 lair that was formerly a First Pennsylvania Bank. We elbowed our way past several groups of bachelor parties, snagged seats at the bar, and ordered our bar specials.

    “For me, fries and salad means girl dinner,” said one of my companions. “It’s yin and yang. You have your vegetable, which is healthy and refreshing, and your fries, which are warm, salty, and comforting… If all I eat is a salad, then there’s inadequate satiation. Fries balance out that craving.”

    Jojo Goodwin and Bonnary Lek at Del Frisco’s on Feb. 7, enjoying what has been recast as “Girl Dinner”: Caesar salad, French fries, oysters, and martinis.

    Our server, Bradley, put exceptional care into taking our orders for martinis and didn’t bat an eye when we requested multiple orders of Shucked, Fried, Tossed, and Stirred: “So that will be four girl dinners for the table?”

    When he returned, he carefully arranged the oyster towers (cradling East Coast Blue Points) balanced on top of a plate holding fries, romaine Caesars, and ramekins of ketchup and extra Caesar dressing. Bradley walked around the table cracking fresh black pepper over each mini salad.

    Sitting by the kitchen, I watched one girl dinner after another emerge through its double swinging doors. Bradley reported that a dozen other guests had also ordered the same special and called it “girl dinner.”

    “Since the video went live, we’ve seen a noticeable increase in guests visiting specifically to request the bar special,” said Sawan Thakkar, vice president of operations for Del Frisco’s in Philly. They’ve also seen a “significant rise in new guests ordering it.”

    And how does Del Frisco’s feel about their bar special being renamed?

    “We love it,” said Thakkar. “We’re happy to embrace the name.”

  • Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering starting slowly at spring training because of hamstring strain

    Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering starting slowly at spring training because of hamstring strain

    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Orion Kerkering will start spring training a little behind schedule after suffering a mild hamstring strain.

    The Phillies right-hander felt the strain during his last bullpen session before spring training officially started on Wednesday, and the Phillies will be cautious with the reliever, manager Rob Thomson said.

    “He’s still playing catch, and so hopefully get a little flat ground work here in the next little bit,” Thomson said.

    Phillies closer Jhoan Duran throws during the first day of workouts Wednesday in Clearwater, Fla.

    Other injuries and delays

    Relief pitcher Michael Mercado has a right shoulder impingement and will be shut down from throwing for another week, the team said. Mercado made three major league appearances last season for the Phillies and had a 4.59 ERA in 42 games with triple-A Lehigh Valley.

    The Phillies’ Zack Wheeler was given one of his ribs after surgery. Now he’s working to ‘do my thing’ once again.

    Daniel Robert, 31, had a “cardiovascular event” last fall, and next week he will undergo stress testing in Atlanta. He appeared in 15 games for the Phillies as a reliever last season, pitching to a 4.15 ERA. Both Mercado and Robert were non-tendered by the Phillies this offseason but later were re-signed to minor league deals.

    Nonroster invitee catcher Mark Kolozsvary had ACL surgery last year, and is able to catch and throw but not run.

    Catcher René Pinto, also a nonroster invitee, is not in camp because of visa issues coming from Venezuela.

  • The Phillies’ Zack Wheeler was given one of his ribs after surgery. Now he’s working to ‘do my thing’ once again.

    The Phillies’ Zack Wheeler was given one of his ribs after surgery. Now he’s working to ‘do my thing’ once again.

    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Inside a closet at Zack Wheeler’s house, preserved and tucked inside a protective case, is one of his ribs.

    The Phillies pitcher’s first rib was removed as part of the surgery he underwent in September to treat venous thoracic outlet syndrome. The rib is taken out to relieve compression of the subclavian vein.

    It’s common for patients who undergo that type of surgery to receive their rib afterward, though it can be weeks or months later. But Wheeler’s doctor hand-delivered his.

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    “He was like, ‘I wanted to give it to you personally,’” Wheeler said from his typical corner locker at BayCare Ballpark. “So he just walked in and gave it to me in a bag. It was pretty gross.”

    Wheeler, making his first public comments since his TOS diagnosis, had just finished a recovery day on Wednesday, on the first official day of Phillies camp for pitchers and catchers.

    “It’s not something that you expect to happen in your life or your career,” Wheeler said. “You might expect to have a shoulder or elbow [injury] throughout your career. The blood clot thing is something that’s kind of rare and you don’t expect to have. So when you get told that, it’s just something you just have to sort of sit back and think about for a second.”

    Zack Wheeler said a blood clot is “not something that you expect to happen in your life or your career.”

    Wheeler had first experienced heaviness near his right shoulder following a start on Aug. 15 in Washington, and Nationals team doctors identified an upper extremity blood clot.

    He underwent a thrombolysis procedure to remove the clot, and multiple specialists afterward diagnosed him with venous TOS, which ended his 2025 season.

    “After the surgery, you battle the tightness and the soreness and stuff like that,” Wheeler said. “The first week was really tough after it, soreness-wise, obviously. … Now, I feel pretty much normal.”

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    Wheeler spent the winter in Philadelphia, where he worked with Phillies trainer Paul Buchheit on getting back his range of motion and strength. Manager Rob Thomson said earlier this week that it is doubtful Wheeler will be ready for opening day on March 26, but that he shouldn’t be “too far beyond that.”

    Wheeler has been encouraged by his progress, but he isn’t looking that far ahead. Instead, he’s focused on taking things day by day and checking off each box as it comes.

    The next step is building up his arm strength. He is throwing at a maximum distance of 90 feet four times a week, which soon will be extended to 105 feet. Then, it’s flat-ground drills, which are the final step before Wheeler can get on a mound.

    Zack Wheeler says he never considered the possibility that he might not pitch again after surgery for a blood clot in his upper right arm.

    “I just kind of do what they tell me, ask what I got for the week, and kind of just go about it that way,” Wheeler said. “I try not to get my hopes up one way or the other, and that’s kind of how I’ve always been. Just take it as it comes and just do the work that I’m needing to be done that week.”

    Throughout this process, Wheeler, 35, said he never considered the possibility that he might not pitch again.

    “I think that any athlete, you have surgery, you’re optimistic about it,” he said. “You always had that good mindset where you come back and be the same performer as you were. So that’s kind of my mindset the whole time. I’m moving back to where I was, and I think that’s the right mindset to have.”

    The next time he does step on the mound, he’s expecting to be the same Wheeler, even if he is one rib lighter.

    “Hopefully,” Wheeler said, “I can get back out there and do my thing.”

  • A former Philly lawyer who tried to get a cell phone to an accused gang leader in jail was sentenced to probation

    A former Philly lawyer who tried to get a cell phone to an accused gang leader in jail was sentenced to probation

    A former criminal defense attorney was sentenced Wednesday to two years’ probation for smuggling contraband — including Suboxone and a cell phone — into Philadelphia’s Federal Detention Center last year in an apparent attempt to placate a purported gang leader.

    Paul DiMaio of Turnersville apologized for his actions during a sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge John R. Padova, saying: “I absolutely should’ve known better.”

    DiMaio said his behavior was an ill-conceived response to a variety of pressures he was feeling at the time — including learning of a cancer diagnosis for his wife, and being afraid that the inmate who wanted the prohibited items was an accused murderer who had also been charged with attempting to arrange contract killings from jail.

    “This is not me,” DiMaio said. “I think it was, for lack of a better term, a perfect storm.”

    Padova said that 90 days of DiMaio’s probationary sentence must be served at a halfway house or similar reentry facility.

    DiMaio was indicted last year after prosecutors said he went to the detention center in February 2025 with two accordion-style folders, one of which contained a cell phone, a charging cord, strips of Suboxone, and 240 loose cigarettes.

    The materials — which inmates are not allowed to possess — were not discovered by guards overseeing entrants to the jail that day, prosecutors said. But surveillance footage later showed DiMaio taking the two folders to a visiting room, where he met with a prisoner who was associated with another inmate, Jahlil Williams, who prosecutors say was the intended recipient of the contraband.

    Williams — also known as “25th Street Bill” or “Kill Bill” — was awaiting trial for a variety of violent crimes in a sprawling racketeering case. DiMaio said he was afraid that Williams, the purported leader of the Omerta street gang, was upset over a monetary dispute involving a previous legal case, and that Williams might seek to harm him if he didn’t go along with the smuggling plot.

    “I panicked,” DiMaio said, “and I made just a horrible decision.”

    While in the visiting room at the detention center, prosecutors said, DiMaio gave Williams’ associate — who has not been charged in the case — the folder containing the prohibited items, and that man was supposed to give the materials to Williams.

    But a guard searched the folder before the prisoner got back to his cellblock and found the prohibited items inside. After an FBI investigation, DiMaio was charged with crimes including providing contraband to an inmate and aiding and abetting.

    Williams was charged as well, as were his sister Jada and his mother, Tanya Culver, who were accused of participating in the conspiracy. They are all still awaiting trial.

    DiMaio pleaded guilty last fall to providing contraband and making a false statement.

    He surrendered his law license voluntarily shortly after he was charged, he said in court. He has since been seeking to find other ways to pay his family’s bills, but said the loss of his career and his wife’s ongoing health challenges have left the couple “financially ruined.”

    Padova, the judge, told DiMaio he was involved in “serious conduct” but added: “This is the first day of the rest of your life.”

    “We’ve given you the opportunity to make the best of it,” Padova said.

  • Montco officials condemn ICE’s ‘brutality’ after federal agents arrest a man near Norristown

    Montco officials condemn ICE’s ‘brutality’ after federal agents arrest a man near Norristown

    Montgomery County elected officials forcefully condemned a Monday ICE arrest in which agents broke down a family’s front door, lambasting officers for what the leaders described as needless cruelty.

    “We are here for one reason, to say that this kind of brutality is completely unacceptable,” said State Sen. Art Haywood, a Democrat who represents parts of Montgomery County and Philadelphia, during a news conference Tuesday in Norristown.

    Neighbors watched in Lower Providence on Monday as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement action turned into an hours-long siege, with the street blocked off and more than a dozen government vehicles outside a home in an effort to take one man into custody.

    The local leaders’ comments came amid a national debate over President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda, following violent operations in Minnesota in which federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens last month.

    “ICE agents, if you can hear me, do not follow these cruel orders that violate the basic dignity that we all recognize, and for all immigrants who are terrified … we stand with you,” Haywood said.

    ICE officials in Philadelphia did not respond to a request for comment.

    Montgomery County has become a hot spot for ICE activity, and the Norristown area has come under particular scrutiny, with about one-third of the population identifying as Latino. In July, in one of its most high-profile operations in the Philadelphia region, ICE arrested 14 people at a food market near Norristown, about two miles north of the home where Monday’s arrest took place.

    Rachel Rutter, an attorney and the executive director of Project Libertad, was at the scene of the arrest Monday.

    She said it appeared the man was going to work when agents attempted to stop his car, and the vehicles tapped. Each blamed the other, she added. The man, who was not immediately identified, subsequently went inside the home at Ridge Pike and North Barry Avenue in Lower Providence Township.

    By about 10 a.m., agents had arrived and moved into positions around the property. Videos showed the road blocked off with yellow police tape.

    Some agents approached the house, Rutter said, and at least one could be seen waving at someone who was filming from inside. Rutter said family members told her federal agents later obtained a warrant and subsequently broke through the door to arrest the man.

    The Department of Homeland Security statement said Wednesday that ICE was conducting a targeted operation to arrest Jose Manuel Cordova Lopez, a Mexican national who overstayed his visa after it expired in 2021 and who in 2025 was charged with driving under the influence.

    To try to evade arrest, DHS said, he “weaponized his vehicle” and rammed an ICE vehicle, then fled into his house and refused to come out. ICE subsequently obtained a criminal warrant and arrested him, the agency said.

    On Tuesday, elected officials said they were especially concerned with the manner in which Monday’s arrest was carried out.

    Janine Darby, a Lower Providence Township supervisor, described seeing at least 20 unmarked vehicles, some with Uber stickers, along with agents from ICE and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. She added that an ambulance was called for a family member in the house who had been “punched in the face.”

    “Inside the home, what I saw was devastating,” Darby said. “Children crying, a family in shock, and a home destroyed after agents broke down the door.”

    State Sen. Katie Muth (D., Montgomery) said that ICE arrests make communities less safe and less trusting of law enforcement.

    “You allow this kind of unlawful behavior without due process to happen to one person, it can happen to anyone,” Muth said.

    Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija, a Democrat and vice chair of the board, said Tuesday that “it’s incredibly important that we continue to show that we are taking steps to protect every resident’s rights.”

    Immigration activists have repeatedly called for Montgomery County officials to adopt a formal ordinance or resolution to officially become a “welcoming county.”

    The Democratic-led board of commissioners has not done so, citing limits to its power and concern about creating a false sense of security for immigrants. Last year, county officials approved a policy limiting communication between county employees and ICE and said they would not honor prison-detainer requests without a signed judicial warrant, and the commissioners confirmed that the county will not participate in ICE’s 287(g) program, which authorizes local governments to assist in immigration enforcement.

    Local stakeholders have called for all 62 municipalities in the county to enact their own welcoming provisions to limit cooperation with ICE. As of early December, six of them had done so.

    State Rep. Greg Scott (D., Montgomery) said community advocacy is crucial, adding that residents witnessing and recording ICE activity are documenting “reality.”

    “Keep on recording, keep that spare battery pack in your pocket,” he said. “Keep it in your car, keep your phones charged. We got to keep recording to hold people accountable.”

  • Philly is warming up after a historic cold snap, as locals break out short sleeves and plan vacations

    Philly is warming up after a historic cold snap, as locals break out short sleeves and plan vacations

    Punxsutawney Phil may have seen his shadow, but Phillies pitchers and catchers are reporting in at the Clearwater spring training facility, and that means one thing: Warmer weather is arriving in Philadelphia.

    After the biggest snowfall in a decade and an Arctic freeze that locked in the snowpack with a tenacity rarely experienced in the region, Philadelphians can now be seen walking the streets in short sleeves, eating lunch outside, and preparing for spring staples like the Cherry Blossom Festival.

    It was only in the 40s in Philly Wednesday, but after what felt like a never-ending cold front, it might as well have been summer.

    “I can’t wait to take walks again,” said Jenny Rojas, a Korean major at the University of Pennsylvania. She and classmate Justin Lo were strolling through campus in 40-degree weather like it was a breath of fresh air after weeks of below-freezing temperatures.

    “I’m from Michigan, so this snow isn’t that bad, but the temperatures were freezing. We just stayed inside,” said Lo, a Penn economics major.

    As Philadelphians bustled through Penn’s campus, an assortment of short-sleeve T-shirts, skirts, and shorts was sported by many. Some folks’ lack of coats didn’t stop Lo and Rojas from bundling up still. And while the temperature is getting reasonable, Philadelphians are still traversing treacherously slippery sidewalks and 3-foot snow piles blocking walkways.

    The remnants are going to be slow to vanish with overnight lows below freezing, but the snowpack is decidedly showing its age and is on the run.

    The ice covering the Schuylkill River is melting on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pa. The high on Wednesday was 46 degrees.

    Temperatures are due to cool down some Thursday and Friday with highs in the 30s, but the 40s are due back on the weekend.

    For some, like Penn administrative assistant Sheria Crawley, it was just a relief, and a surprise, to be able to finally say, “Thank God it’s 30 degrees out.” Crawley, who has lived in the city for years, said the snowstorm of 2026 is one of the worst she’s seen, not giving residents a reprieve from the cold.

    “It was brutal because we’re used to getting snow and then a warm-up right after that takes the snow away. This year, we couldn’t catch a break,” she said.

    The thing she can’t wait for most this spring is to see the “last vestige” of snow finally melt. Crawley said she would be excited then, but the severity of this storm would stick with her for years.

    “I feel like there’s going to be a mass exodus from the city to all the classic vacation spots nearby so that we can just recover from that storm,” she said.

    A cyclist travels on the Schuylkill River Trail along Kelly Drive on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pa. The high on Wednesday was 46 degrees.

    Eirini Antonopoulou felt like a phoenix rising from the ashes after weeks cooped up inside without the sunshine.

    “Since the previous weeks have been so gloomy, I’ve been feeling kind of down,” the Penn freshman said. “It’s gorgeous out today. We have more sunlight now, so I feel more optimistic.”

    Antonopoulou’s classmate, Tyrus Roney, said he was happy to see city life returning to normal, with people stopping to chat and not bundled up, rushing to their destinations.

    “It’s just it’s so much more vibrant with people outside interacting with each other,” Roney said. “Now we just have to take care of this dirty snow on the side of the road.”

    On another day, perhaps we would mention that the region has an outside chance of seeing some fresh snow late in the weekend. That can wait; as long as it chooses.