News One » Philadelphia

Philly Mayor Tells Parents “Dont Act Like Idiots And A-Holes”

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:31:29 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — After a shooting that left three teenagers dead, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter had harsh words for parents of young people in his city, telling them not to act like “idiots and a-holes.”

Nutter was angry that the three teenage shooting victims, who were between the ages of 14 and 16, were out a a Tuesday night looking for a fight on the night that they were shot.

CBS Philadelphia reports:

“Seven young people, somewhere between 14 and 16 years old, on a Tuesday night, a school night, are out in a car going to somewhere to have a fight with some other teenager. That is completely insane, it is irresponsible. Parents have to know where their children are and what they are doing,” the mayor said.

“Their little butts should have either been in bed, getting ready for bed, or doing some homework,” Nutter added. “Not out in a car, not in some other neighborhood, and not up to this kind of nonsense. I’m not your mom and I’m not your dad. We cannot completely legislate, or by policy, make people responsible for their children.”

Trapped! 13-Year-Old Locked In School For Nine Hours

TheGrio — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:45:57 +0000

A 13-year-old Philadelphia boy was locked in his school for 9 hours as his parents frantically searched for him.

David Fields says he tried to exit the Roosevelt Middle School from a side stairwell to avoid bullies, but realized he was trapped when he approached the locked door.

Angela Johnson, David’s mother, said the family tried to get into the school to look for David but were turned away by janitors who said they weren’t allowed to look around.

VIDEO:

Read more at theGrio.com

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Wife Of “House Of Horrors” Doctor Admits To Illegal Abortions

Associated Press — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:11:43 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — The wife of a Philadelphia doctor has admitted performing illegal abortions at a filthy clinic that authorities describe as a “house of horrors.”

Court documents indicate Pearl Gosnell pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges including performing two late-term abortions.

Gosnell is the wife of Kermit Gosnell, who is charged in the deaths of seven babies and a woman who died of a painkiller overdose.

Authorities say babies born alive were killed at the west Philadelphia clinic by having their spinal cords severed with scissors.

Besides the Gosnells, eight others were also charged in the case. Several have already pleaded guilty.

The lawyers in the case are under a gag order.

13-Year-Old Girl Distributed Sleeping Pills At Philly School

NewsOne Staff — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:27:50 +0000

Philadelphia police say a 13-year-old girl gave fellow students prescription sleeping pills.

Seven seventh graders were transported to St. Christopher’s Hospital after a teacher noticed they appeared tired and called 911.

According to the CBSPhilly.com, the children who had taken pills were so woozy that they had to be assisted out of the school. HAZMAT crews and fire officials responded at first, thinking an environmental cause was responsible for sickening them.

Philly Rapper Tommy Hill Shot, Killed In Robbery Attempt

The Grio — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:58:33 +0000

A Philadelphia rapper was shot and killed last Friday in East Mount Airy in what police believe was an attempted robbery, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

John Wilson, better known as rapper Tommy Hill, was talking to the manager of a bar he left without paying when he was approached by three men around 1:30 a.m. on Friday.

According to reports, one of the suspects aimed his weapon at Wilson while the others grabbed him, pushed him to the ground and began rooting through his pockets.

Wilson was later found with wounds to the chest and lower body. He was rushed to a local hospital where he died from his injuries Sunday morning, police say.

Allhiphop reports that back in 2004, Wilson cooperated with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office in a case against a trio of North Philadelphia drug dealers accused of running a high level drug organization in which they stockpiled weapons of mass destruction.

Network Aimed At Black Audience Debuts In Philly

Associated Press — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:18:53 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — The nation’s first free broadcast network aimed at African-American audiences is now on the air in Philadelphia, the nation’s fourth-largest media market.

Atlanta-based Bounce TV is an over-the-air free channel supported by sponsors and geared toward black viewers ages 25 to 54. Unlike cable channels, Bounce is carried on the broadcast digital signals of local television stations.

It went live Thursday on Lenfest Broadcasting’s WMCN-TV in Philadelphia

Bounce TV executives include Martin Luther King III and former Atlanta mayor and U.N. ambassador Andrew Young. They say the new network’s targeted demographic is vastly underserved and hungers for positive programming that speaks to them.

Since launching in a handful of markets Sept. 26, the network has made deals with broadcasters in more than two dozen cities.

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Police In LA, Philly Raid Occupy Camps

Associated Press — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:01:08 +0000

LOS ANGELES — Police in Los Angeles and Philadelphia stormed Occupy Wall Street encampments under darkness Wednesday to arrest or drive out some of the longest-lasting protesters since crackdowns ended similar occupations across the country.

Dozens of officers in riot gear flooded down the steps of Los Angeles City Hall just after midnight and started dismantling the two-month-old camp two days after a deadline passed for campers to leave the park. Officers in helmets and wielding batons and guns with rubber bullets converged on the park from all directions with military precision and began making arrests after several orders were given to leave.

The raid in Los Angeles came after demonstrators with the movement in Philadelphia marched through the streets after being evicted from their site. About 40 protesters were arrested after refusing to clear a street several blocks northeast of City Hall, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey. They were lined up in cuffs and loaded on to buses by officers. Six others were arrested earlier after remaining on a street police that police tried to clear.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa raised public safety and health concerns in announcing plans for the eviction last week, while Philadelphia officials said protesters must clear their site to make room for a $50 million renovation project.

Defiant Los Angeles campers who were chanting slogans as the officers surrounded the park, booed when an unlawful assembly was declared, paving the way for officers to begin arresting those who didn’t leave.

In the first moments of the raid, officers tore down a tent and tackled a tattooed man with a camera on City Hall steps and wrestled him to the ground. Someone yelled “police brutality.”

Teams of four or five officers moved through the crowd making arrests one at a time, cuffing the hands of protesters with white plastic zip-ties. A circle of protesters sat with arms locked, many looking calm and smiling.

Opamago Cascini, 29, said the night had been a blast and he was willing to get arrested.

“It’s easy to talk the talk, but you gotta walk the walk,” Cascini said.

At least two dozen people had been arrested in the first two hours and police said they planned to arrest the 75 people remaining in the park. Police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said one person was arrested for violence against a police officer, but Smith couldn’t provide details.

Police used a cherry picker to pluck five men from trees. Two others were in a tree house – one wore a crown and another taunted police with an American flag.

In Philadelphia, police began pulling down tents at about 1:20 a.m. EST after giving demonstrators three warnings that they would have to leave, which nearly all of the protestors followed. Dozens of demonstrators then began marching through the streets and continued through the night.

Ramsey said breaking up the camp in the early-morning hours helped minimize any disruption to businesses and traffic.

“We acknowledge the fact that we are going to have to leave this space …. but in another sense this has been our home for almost two months and no one wants to see their home taken away from them,” Philadelphia protestor Bri Barton, 22, said before police began clearing out the camp.

“Whether or not we have this space or work in the city is nowhere near done,” she said.

The eviction overall appeared to have been carried out without any significant scuffles or violence.

Demonstrators and city officials in both Los Angeles and Philadelphia were hoping any confrontation would be nonviolent, unlike evictions at similar camps around the country that sometimes involved pepper spray and tear gas. The movement against economic disparity and perceived corporate greed began with Occupy Wall Street in Manhattan two months ago.

About 1,200 Los Angeles officers staged for hours outside Dodger Stadium before the raid. They were warned that demonstrators might throw everything from concrete and gravel to human feces at them.

“Please put your face masks down and watch each other’s back,” a supervisor told them. “Now go to work.”

Before police arrived in large numbers, protesters were upbeat and the mood was almost festive. A protester in a Santa Claus hat danced in the street. A woman showed off the reindeer antlers she had mounted on her gas mask.

Some were smoking pot, some were carrying gas masks, others wore hoodies and had bandanas around their faces. Some protesters carried lit candles and held signs saying “Defend Occupy LA.”

Fireworks exploded in the sky at one point. Later, as helicopters hovered above, someone blew “The Star Spangled Banner” on a horn.

As officers first surrounded the camp, hundreds of protesters chanted, “The people united will never be defeated.”

Campers planning to defend the camp and hold their ground barricaded entrances to the park with trash cans.

The police operation was planned at night because downtown is mostly vacant, with offices closed, fewer pedestrians and less traffic, but a spokesman said it could make officers more vulnerable.

“It’s more difficult for us to see things, to see booby traps,” Lt. Andy Neiman, told pool reporters. “Operating in the dark is never an advantage.”

Neiman said the force was prepared to deal with demonstrators holed up in the camp or those who had climbed up trees in the small park.

Gia Trimble, member of the Occupy LA media team, said a lot of people committed to the cause would stay and risk arrest.

“This is a monumental night for Los Angeles,” Trimble said. “We’re going to do what we can to protect the camp.”

In their anticipation of an eviction, the Los Angeles protesters designated medics designated with red crosses taped on clothing. Some protesters had gas masks.

Organizers at the camp packed up computer and technical equipment from the media tent.

Two men who constructed an elaborate tree house lashed bamboo sticks together with twine to push away any ladder police might use to evict them.

Police said they would be able to remove the tree climbers.

Members of the National Lawyers guild had legal observers on hand for an eviction.

4th Graders In West Philadephia Charged With Attempted Rape

NewsOne Staff — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:00:38 +0000

A shocking turn of events has turned the City of Brotherly Love upside down. The Huffington Post is reporting that several 4th grade boys tried to rape a younger boy at school:

“The victim was an 8-year-old male classmate, whom the three allegedly attacked in a bathroom at West Philadelphia’s Bryant Elementary School.”

The community is in a state of complete shock. The mother of the boy who was attacked was simply quoted as saying:

“I felt helpless,” the victim’s mother told WPVI. “It took him almost 7 hours to try to tell me what happened.”

How do we explain acts of violence like this to ourselves, let alone our children? Is this a situation of broken families, broken school systems or is American society falling apart? Please post your thoughts below. See the full story at The Huffington Post.

Philly Calm But 4 Arrested In LA After Occupy Eviction Deadlines

Associated Press — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:26:08 +0000

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wall Street protest encampments were largely intact in Los Angeles and Philadelphia on Monday, hours after deadlines for demonstrators to clear out passed without the acrimony that marked forced evictions in other cities.

Brotherly Love! The Roots To Be Honored With Mural In Philly

Associated Press — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:49:34 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia is showing some brotherly love to hometown band The Roots.

Officials announced Monday that the Grammy-winning hip-hop group will be the subject of a mural in the city. The eight-month project will include a storefront art studio and arts education programs for students.

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter formed The Roots in 1987 after meeting at Philadelphia’s High School for Creative and Performing Arts. They are the house band for “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” on NBC.

The city’s Mural Arts Program is soliciting proposals for the design at www.muralarts.org. The mural is planned for a funky shopping area known as South Street and is expected to be unveiled next summer.

It will be one of more than 3,500 murals across the city.

Sick! Tortured Teen Held For Decade By Dungeon Keeper

NewsOne Staff — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:45:33 +0000

Police rescued eight children from a Philadelphia home where four mentally handicapped adults were found chained in a cellar, according to Newser.com.

The kids ranged in age from a 2-year-old to a 19-year-old girl, who had been snatched 10 years ago, and tortured so horribly it “makes you want to cry,” said the police commissioner.

Beatrice Weston, who was locked in a closet when police discovered the adults in the cellar, was taken from her mother’s home at the age of 8 by her aunt Linda Weston following a family feud, said investigators. The girl had pellet-gun scars, burn marks, open wounds on her head and badly healed broken bones, reports ABC News.

Shoot And Score! Will, Jada Now Part Owners Of Philadelphia 76ers

Associated Press — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:33:42 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — In the end, the scene looked straight out of an ultimate Broadway encore. One and two owners on the stage turned into seven, eight, nine, all single file and holding enough personalized 76ers jerseys to fill a few racks at the merchandise store.

All that was missing was a bow.

The Philadelphia 76ers are under new management — lots and lots of management, that even includes a dose of Hollywood star power.

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New York-based leveraged buyout specialist Joshua Harris and the rest of his ownership group completed the deal to buy the Sixers from Comcast-Spectacor and wasted little time Tuesday making a splash on their first day in power.

Ed Stefanski is out as general manager and team president Rod Thorn will assume greater day-to-day control in running the franchise.

Doug Collins will not only remain the coach, but was asked to stand at the Palestra and publicly heaped with praise from his new bosses.

Among the lengthy list of new owners and investors include co-managing owner David Blitzer, former NBA player agent and Sacramento Kings executive Jason Levien, GSI Commerace CEO Michael Rubin, real estate investors, film producers, and Hollywood power couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.

The 76ers were valued this year by Forbes at $330 million, 17th in the NBA, and have a television deal with cable station Comcast SportsNet through 2029. Harris bought the group for a reported $280 million.

The Sixers lag well behind the Phillies, Eagles and Flyers — even Villanova — in interest and attendance. Collins led a rebirth on the court last season, leading them to 41 victories and a competitive, five-game playoff series loss against Eastern Conference champion Miami. Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Jodie Meeks, and Thaddeus Young form a promising core, with veterans Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala also in the mix.

The new owners understand they have to win back the fan base as much as they have to win games.

Aron sounded like he was straight out of a late-night infomercial with his passionate pitch: Ticket prices are sliced, diced, and julienned! Harris could have been featured in Us Weekly magazine: NBA owners, just like US!

“I’ve been a 76ers fans since college,” Harris said. “Philadelphia is like a second home to me.”

Yes, a second home. Harris intends to run the Sixers (“my night job”) from New York — though he can surely afford the Acela.

He said he wouldn’t hesitate to pay a luxury tax, if it’s included in the new collective bargaining agreement

Before the lockout, the Sixers would have had about $55 million in payroll committed to next season, led by Brand’s $17 million and Iguodala’s $13.5 million. The Sixers spent the summer in trade talks involving Iguodala — plans that have been put on hold because of the lockout.

Harris, Blitzer and his group are buying the team with the NBA in the midst of a lockout. The first two weeks of the regular season have already been canceled.

“We’re trying to move along as if everything is as it normally is,” Thorn said. “You have to get ready scouting wise.”

Once they return, it’s possible A-list actor and rapper Smith could be in the stands and, ahem, Getting Iggy With It. Smith, who was not available for comment, is a Philadelphia native who attended Overbrook High School.

Turner posted on Twitter, “think it’s dope that the fresh prince is one of our new owners. Maybe willow can perform at halftime.”

Harris said a mutual connection was made once Smith expressed interested.

How about Smith’s 76ers vs. Jay-Z’s New Jersey Nets in the first Rapper’s Delight game?

The start of the season seems well down the road.

On Tuesday, it was all about the optimism and bright-eyed enthusiasm of a new era in Sixers history.

“We will be active, long-term owners,” Harris said.

Nabbed! 4th Arrest Made In Philly Kidnapping, Basement Case

Associated Press — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:27:06 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia police say they have made a fourth arrest in a horrific case in which four mentally disabled people were found locked up in a basement, allegedly so their captors could cash their Social Security checks.

Officer Christine O’Brien, a department spokeswoman, says a daughter of alleged ringleader Linda Weston was arrested early Wednesday.

O’Brien says detectives had been interviewing the daughter about the case and she was put under arrest around 3:45 a.m.

Police are not releasing her name, but say she will face similar charges as the other three arrested.

The 51-year-old Weston was charged Monday with kidnapping, false imprisonment and other offenses after her landlord stumbled on the four adults, all weak and malnourished, in a dank, foul-smelling boiler room over the weekend.

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Four Mentally Disabled Adults Found Chained In Boiler Room

TheGrio — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:15:00 +0000

Four malnourished mentally disabled adults were found chained to a boiler in a Philadelphia, PA basement.

The room they were found in was too small for an adult to stand up straight and also reeked of waste from the buckets they used to relieve themselves, police said Sunday.

Three people were arrested Linda Ann Weston, 51, and Thomas Gregory, 47, both of the 2500 block of N 29th Street and 49-year-old Eddie Wright who is homeless.

Officers were investigating a report of squatters in a building on the 4700 block of Longshore Avenue Saturday when they found three men and a woman in a 15-by-15-foot room behind a steel door that was chained shut.

What?! Man Steals $10,000 Worth Of Merchandise From K-Mart

TheGrio — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:28:41 +0000

Police are searching for a man who they say stole $10,000 worth of merchandise from a Philadelphia K-Mart.

The man allegedly disabled the alarm and stole video game systems, laptops and televisions before fleeing in an unknown direction.

VIDEO:

Philadelphia To Host 16th Anniversary Of Million Man March

NewsOne Staff — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:21:34 +0000

The 16th anniversary of the Million Man March will be held in Philadelphia on the weekend of Oct. 7-9.
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Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan will commemorate the occasion by giving a keynote address. The effort will focus on hunger, street violence and political accountability, BET.com reports.

“This commemoration couldn’t come at a better time,” says Minister Rodney Mohammad, a member of The Greater Philadelphia Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and the media liaison to Minister Louis Farrakhan, head of the Nation of Islam, who created the Million Man March in 1995.

Philly Cop Accused Of Raping Woman Inside A Police Car

TheGrio — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:30:42 +0000

A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania woman says that a police officer sexually assaulted her in his squad car, after offering her a ride home.

The woman who was described as being in her 30s, says Keith Corley II, 27, dropped her off at a nearby train station after the attack.

TheGrio.com reports:

Investigators gathered DNA from the police car and issued a search warrant for Corley’s home, sources told NBC10′s Monique Braxton

Philadelphia Mayor Extends Flash Mob Curfew

Johan Thomas — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:34:25 +0000

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has extended the city’s juvenile curfew, the mayor’s office announced Tuesday.

The curfew, which has been in effect since Aug.12, was instituted in response to a string of mob attacks by young people who gathered using text messages and social media to alert one another.

The 9 p.m. curfew is in effect for all minors under 18 in Center City and University City.

“Minors who are caught breaking curfew will be sent home, brought home or transported to a police station where their parents will be contacted. Minors may be issued a citation with a $100 to $300 fine for a first offense,” the city said in a news release.

Suicide? Recent College Grad Found Dead; Left Apology Note

TheGrio — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:28:02 +0000

The body of a recent Temple University graduate who was reported missing Friday was found in the Delaware River in New Jersey Monday morning, police say.

Roswell Friend, the 22-year-old who was a member of Temple’s track team, was found dead by the New Jersey State Police marine unit in the Delaware River in Riverton, reports the Philadelphia Daily News.

The Baltimore Sun reported Friend wrote, “Sorry guys” on a note board in his house and posted “I’m sorry everyone” on his Facebook page before he disappeared.

Stop The Violence! Six Shot At Philadelphia Basketball Game

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:12:33 +0000

PHILADELPHIA _ Six spectators were shot at a basketball game in Philadelphia.

The shooting occurred at the Kingsessing Recreation Center’s outdoor basketball courts shortly before 9PM.

According to police reports, two men got into a shootout and injured five men and one women who were all innocent bystanders.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

During halftime, a man entered the area near the intersection of Chester Avenue and 49th Street and became involved in a gun battle with another man, said Lt. John Walker of Southwest Detectives. All victims were adults, and one was a woman.

Man Killed After Ex Offers $1000 To Kill Him On Facebook

Associated Press — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:58:00 +0000

PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia man was gunned down hours after a judge upheld felony charges against his ex-girlfriend, who was accused of offering $1,000 on Facebook for someone to kill him. But with the teenager who allegedly took the bait already in custody, investigators said Tuesday they aren’t sure why the man was killed.

Corey White, 22, was shot once in the chest Monday night on a West Philadelphia street, authorities said.

Homicide investigators said White got into an argument with the occupants of a brown car and a man got out of the vehicle and shot him.

“There are a couple of other theories out there,” Capt. James White said.

A few hours earlier, a municipal judge had approved charges including murder solicitation against White’s girlfriend, 20-year-old London Eley of Philadelphia, and murder conspiracy and weapons charges against 18-year-old Timothy Bynum of suburban Darby.

“I will pay somebody a stack to kill my baby father,” Eley wrote in a post this spring, according to a police affidavit.

“Say no more … what he look like … where he be at … need that stack 1st,” Bynum wrote back, police said.

A “stack” is $1,000, investigators said.

Eley’s attorney said at Monday’s hearing that his client was merely venting about an argument she’d had with her ex-boyfriend and had no intention of following through.

“When you do it on a computer, you are putting it out there for the whole world to see and memorializing it,” defense attorney Gerald Stein said. “Unfortunately, it sort of magnifies the anger.”

Prosecutors countered by saying Eley wasn’t joking about the hit in the original post.

Bynum’s lawyer, Lopez Thompson, said Tuesday that Bynum’s family is devastated about White’s death. Thompson insisted his client had no intention of killing White when he responded to the Facebook message and had nothing to do with White’s shooting.

The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported White’s death.

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Philly Mayor Chides Black Parents Over Teen Mobs

Associated Press — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:50:14 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — The painful images and graphic stories of repeated violent assaults and vandalism by mobs of black teenagers had gotten to be too much for Mayor Michael Nutter.

As an elected official and a “proud black man” in the nation’s fifth-largest city, Nutter felt he had to go a step beyond ordering a law enforcement crackdown.

So he channeled the spirit of another straight-talking Philadelphian: Bill Cosby. Nutter took to the pulpit at his church last weekend and gave an impassioned, old-fashioned talking-to directed at the swarms of teens who have been using social networks to arrange violent sprees downtown, injuring victims and damaging property. Moreover, he called out parents for not doing a better job raising their children.

“You’ve damaged yourself, you’ve damaged another person, you’ve damaged your peers and, quite honestly, you’ve damaged your own race,” Nutter said at Mount Carmel Baptist Church.

The 54-year-old mayor, married with a teenage daughter and a grown son, called out absentee fathers and neglectful parents. He did not mince words, saying they need to be more than just a “sperm donor” or a “human ATM.”

“That’s part of the problem in our community,” Nutter told the congregation. “Let me speak plainer: That’s part of the problem in the black community. … We have too many men making too many babies they don’t want to take care of and then we end up dealing with your children.”

It’s a version of the tough-love message Cosby and others have telegraphed for years.

“I am a proud black man in this country,” Nutter said in an interview with The Associated Press. “It was a message that needed to be said. It needed to be said at this time. … People have had enough of this nonsense, black and white.”

At a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People gathering in 2004, Cosby chided the black community in a speech commemorating the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the legal case that toppled segregated education.

“These people marched and were hit in the face with rocks to get an education and now we’ve got these knuckleheads walking around,” Cosby said then.

“I can’t even talk the way these people talk, `Why you ain’t,’ `Where you is’ … and I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk,” the entertainer said.

Nutter’s words also harkened back to a 2008 Father’s Day speech by then-presidential candidate Barack Obama.

“If we are honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that what too many fathers also are is missing – missing from too many lives and too many homes,” Obama told a church in Chicago. “They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men.”

Now, it’s Nutter taking up the mantra.

Some feel his message was needed. Others say he’s airing private community matters now that crime is sprouting downtown, near businesses and popular tourist attractions in a sprawling city with many other sections already plagued by persistent gun violence.

Bill Anderson, a talk show host on the black radio station WURD-AM, estimated that about 60 percent of callers commenting on Nutter’s address supported him. But quite a few, Anderson said, believe Nutter simply doesn’t have the community standing to make such strong remarks.

“The perception is that he is not necessarily a `community guy. … He has been perceived as more of a business guy,” Anderson said, noting that he didn’t have a problem with the comments himself.

Anderson cited concerns among the black community, such as Nutter’s perceived focus on the city’s downtown over other neighborhoods, a newly enforced curfew for teens and Nutter’s endorsement of “stop-and-frisk” searches, a tactic police credit with reducing crime but that some feel unfairly targets minorities.

Annette John-Hall, a black columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote this week that the mayor crossed a line when he said, “You’ve damaged your own race.”

“We can deal with the public tongue-lashing, even if his intended targets were nowhere to be found among the law-abiding churchgoers in their Sunday best,” John-Hall wrote. She went on to say, “But what really bothered me was when Nutter fired the age-old salvo that has historically evoked head-hanging shame among black folks.”

Nutter said things that needed to be said, according to J. Whyatt Mondesire, president of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP.

“It’s like Cosby did. It’s like the president did when he was running for office,” Mondesire said. “Something is wrong in many African-American homes, and we’ve got to come to grips with it.”

Some have questioned Nutter’s support among blacks at the polls, where he has fared better in white wards. Black politicians have taken shots as well.

At a mayoral debate in 2007, U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, who is black, challenged his fellow candidate Nutter on the issue of race, suggesting Nutter has to “remind himself he’s an African-American.” Last year, former Mayor John F. Street, Nutter’s predecessor and longtime political adversary, told a newspaper that Nutter was “not a black mayor … just a mayor with dark skin.” Nutter called Street’s remarks “ignorant.”

Race has again risen to the foreground for Nutter in the wake of the mob assaults.

In one attack last month, a man ended up in the hospital with broken teeth and a wired jaw after a group of teenagers attacked him downtown. Hours later, a crowd of young people assaulted four other men. The city plans to increase legal sanctions for parents whose children participate in the attacks. Nutter has also said strict enforcement of a curfew will continue and more programs at youth centers will be offered.

For his part, the mayor said he felt he had no choice but to go to the pulpit Sunday, regardless of the reaction.

“This is about personal responsibility,” he told the AP. “We have to be very straightforward.”

Philadelphia’s first black district attorney, Seth Williams, also lauded the mayor for using his position as one of the city’s most visible leaders to confront a public problem.

“What he was saying was perfectly accurate. People need to hear that,” Williams said. “Call it for what it is.”

50 Teens Arrested In Philly Curfew Crackdown

Associated Press — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 01:47:20 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — About 50 teenagers were arrested for violating a newly enforced curfew for minors aimed at cracking down on mobs of young people responsible for random attacks on people as well as property damage, police in Philadelphia said Saturday.

The arrests began about 9 p.m. Friday downtown and on South Street, a 10-block strip of bars, restaurants and stores on the edge of downtown that has long been a hangout for teens and 20-somethings, said police spokeswoman Officer Tanya Little.

Mayor Michael Nutter announced last week a curfew of 9 p.m. for those under 18 on Fridays and Saturdays downtown and in nearby University City, home to the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University.

A first arrest could mean a fine of $100 to $300 , and parents could be fined up to $500 for successive violations by their children. In other parts of the city, the curfew remains 10 p.m. for those under 13 and midnight for those under 18.

Other measures in the crackdown included increased enforcement, a campaign to get business leaders to register their security cameras with the police department and extended hours for about 20 youth centers in the city.

In one mob attack last month, a man ended up in the hospital with broken teeth and a wired jaw after a group of teenagers attacked him downtown. Hours later, a crowd of young people assaulted four other men. An 11-year-old boy was among the four young people arrested in the case.

Nutter took the pulpit of his own West Philadelphia church last weekend to call out teenagers involved in violent mobs that have left several people injured in recent weeks and said parents need to get more involved in their children’s lives.

“You’ve damaged yourself, you’ve damaged another person, you’ve damaged your peers and, quite honestly, you’ve damaged your own race,” said the mayor, who is black. He also called out absentee fathers and neglectful parents of teens involved in the attacks, many of whom are African-American.

Philly Reaches Settlement In ‘Stop And Frisk’ Suit

Philly Mayor Says Flash Mobbing Teens Are “Damaging The Race”

Associated Press — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 20:39:59 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — Mayor Michael Nutter called out teenagers involved in violent mobs that have left several people injured in recent weeks and said parents need to get more involved in their children’s lives. Then he backed up his words with action – implementing a weekend curfew in two sections of the city.

Nutter took the pulpit Sunday at his own church, Mount Carmel Baptist Church, and condemned the acts of the marauding bands of youths.

“You’ve damaged yourself, you’ve damaged another person, you’ve damaged your peers and, quite honestly, you’ve damaged your own race,” Nutter said. “You damaged your own race.”

VIDEO:

The mayor was then joined by a phalanx of law enforcement authorities at a noon press conference where he said the early curfew would go into effect in Center City and University city on Friday and Saturday nights. Anyone under age 18 must be off the street by 9 p.m. in those sections.

The mayor also indicated the city would keep 20 recreation centers open until 10 p.m. on those two nights.

The mayor, who is black, in his Sunday comments called out absentee fathers and neglectful parents of teens involved in the attacks, many of whom are African-American. He said parents need to be more involved and not just a “human ATM” dispensing cash but no discipline.

“That’s part of the problem in our community,” he said. “Let me speak plainer: That’s part of the problem in the black community … We have too many men making too many babies they don’t want to take care of and then we end up dealing with your children.”

Nutter said the city plans to increase legal sanctions for parents whose children participate in the attacks. He said that strict enforcement of the citywide curfew will continue and more programs at youth centers and help for parents will be offered.

The mayor said the overwhelming majority the city’s young people were good but “there are some really bad ones,” he said.

“They’re lawless. They act with ignorance. They don’t care about anybody else, and their behavior is outrageous,” he said. “Well, we’re not going to tolerate that.”

Nutter preached to a congregation that largely shared his beliefs but said he hoped its members would spread his message citywide.

“He might be preaching to the choir,” said church member Carol Lee, 59, of Upper Darby, “but I hope his message gets out.”

Vigilantism Discouraged In Philly Strangler Search

Former Philly Mayor Questions Current Mayor’s “Blackness”

Gunmen Shoot Up Philadelphia Bus With Assault Rifles

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:31:46 +0000

PHILADELPHIA-Two men are charged with shooting at a Philadelphia bus after a woman asked them to shoot a passenger for criticizing her for hitting her child.

Fox News reports:

Chapman then made a phone call directing brothers, Karon and Raheen Patterson, to fire at the passenger when the bus arrived at her stop, prosecutors say.

Video taken from inside the bus shows other passengers, including a mother and her 4-year-old son, running for cover as bullets fly through the windows, MyFoxPhilly.com reports. It also shows an elderly woman who appears confused. The 80-year-old is seen dropping to the floor of the bus just moments before a bullet flies overhead.

Philadelphia Eagle Player Has Seizure At Training Camp

Associated Press — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 20:57:02 +0000

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Eagles defensive tackle Mike Patterson likely will stay overnight at a hospital after suffering a seizure at training camp at Lehigh University, trainer Rick Burkholder said Wednesday.

Patterson dropped to the ground between plays during a morning practice, and the player began violently shaking. He was immediately tended to by Burkholder and his staff, with assistance from rookie offensive lineman Danny Watkins, a trained firefighter.

Burkholder said the 6-foot-1, 300-pound Patterson was undergoing further tests at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

“Chances are really good we’re going to keep him in overnight for observation,” Burkholder said. “He’s there with his wife. The only thing that we’ve really ruled out, he didn’t have any bleeding in his brain or anything like that. The bleeding that some of you saw was that he bit his tongue, they’ve confirmed that, and they’re running more tests on him right now.

“But he’s very stable. He wants to come back to training camp, but he’s over there being observed, but that’s pretty normal for somebody who has a seizure. Standard protocol says keep him in overnight to watch him and keep some monitors on him and whatnot.”

Patterson’s agent JR Ricket said in a statement that the player is “in no pain and doing well.”

“We are very grateful for everyone’s prayers and support,” he added. “Mike will be back at practice as soon as the doctors clear him.”

Burkholder said the seizure lasted about four minutes, and Patterson lost consciousness at one point as he was on the ground.

As players kneeled nearby, holding hands and praying, an ambulance arrived and Patterson was placed on a stretcher and lifted into the ambulance.

The linemen resumed practice after about 15 minutes. The skill position players did 7-on-7 drills on another field while Patterson was down.

“We were all on edge a little bit and Rick just kind of calmed the situation down,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said. “One thing I think he did a phenomenal job with was evaluating it, evaluating the situation in a calm way.”

It was a cool day at camp. Temperatures were in the high 70s when the players took the field for their morning session.

Patterson, 28, was the Eagles’ first-round pick out of Southern California in 2005. He’s started 84 games and played in 95, the most of anybody on the current roster.

Burkholder said there’s no timetable for Patterson’s return.

“We’ll turn that over to the neurologists and those people who are absolute experts,” he said. “It’s not like hamstring strains. We don’t see tons of seizures in our sport, so that’s why I have a whole team of physicians, and Lehigh Valley Hospital has a great neuro department, so we’re allowing them to handle the case now and then we’ll get him to see our docs down at the Pennsylvania Hospital eventually.”

McMinnville HS Football Team Hospitalized After Brutal Workouts

Inner-City Philly Girls Inspired By Women’s World Cup

Gerren Keith Gaynor — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:05:47 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Women’s Soccer team’s World Cup finals appearance did not only inspire the nation, it inspired an inner-city girls team in the heart of Philadelphia.

The Anderson Monarchs gathered on a couch, relishing in the sports spectacle, stimulated by the team’s profound showmanship.

The predominantly African-American team is coached by Walter Stewart, who started the all-girls team in 1998 in the Marian Anderson Recreation Center in South Philadelphia.

Despite the girls’ ardor for soccer, the team has little to no funding, and practice on a borrowed, desolate patch of field that is oftentimes littered with trash and drug paraphernalia. Many of the young girls reside in dangerous neighborhoods and have little access to safe, after-school activities.

CNN Reports:

“They deal with the challenges of inner-city living for black girls, and soccer isn’t that popular socially,” said Jafi Barnes, assistant coach. “We deal with racism, social pressures, but it does teach them about life and brings them closer together.”

The Monarchs aren’t just about soccer. Grades are just as important as picking up ball-handling skills — or more so.

“The idea is to get to college. You can’t play and you can’t attend a Division I school without having the grades,” Barnes said. “This is about a lifestyle change.”

D.C. And Philly Schools Investigated For Cheating On Tests

NewsOne Staff — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:32:43 +0000

WASHINGTON — After Atlanta schools, teachers and principals were investigated for cheating on standardized tests, schools in Washington D.C. and Philadelphia are now being investigated as well.

The Huffington Post reports:

On Friday, The Philadelphia Public School Notebook, a blog on Philadelphia’s education system, reported that the state had provided it with a 2009 forensics investigation that flagged 60 statewide schools with suspicious results on standardized state exams.

Also on Friday, Washington, D.C., released its latest crop of test scores, showing a general positive trend. A district official revealed the day before that the U.S. Department of Education had joined in the investigation of unlikely scoring patterns and alleged cheating incidents between 2008 and 2010. The probe began in March after USA Today investigated patterns of erasing students’ incorrect answers.

The revelations come weeks after Andrés Alonso, CEO of Baltimore’s schools, announced that evidence of cheating had been found at two elementary schools over the last two years, and after Arne Duncan sent a letter to all state education commissioners across the country stressing the importance of test integrity.

Read The Whole Story At The Huffington Post

Atlanta Schools Replace 4 Superintendents Amid Scandal

Philly Saves Millions Lessening Charges For Weed Possession

Johan Thomas — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:23:40 +0000

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams estimates that the city has saved an estimated $2 million since his office decided to prosecute certain marijuana possession cases as a summary offense, rather than misdemeanors.

Williams instituted the Small Amount of Marijuana (SAM) program in June 2010, which allows offenders with less than 30 grams of marijuana topay $200 for a 3-hour class on drug abuse.

Prior to the SAM program, offenders faced 30 days’ probation or jail time and a $500 fine.

“We were spending thousands of dollars for when someone possessed $10 or $15 worth of weed,” Williams said of the way marijuana cases were prosecuted when he was elected. “It just didn’t make any sense.”

Stop The Violence! 32 People Shot During 1 Weekend In Philly

Samuel Aleshinloye, Assoc Editor — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:07:24 +0000

Five people were fatally shot, and 27 others were wounded this past weekend in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in a rash of violence that Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey described as a “blatant disregard for human life.”

There were a total of 9 incidents of gunfire, including one incident where a gunman targeted random patrons inside a bar.

“They were all patrons inside, laughing , joking , dancing just having a really good time and this is tragic that this individual just fires randomly into the bar,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey is now worried that this weekend’s violence will spark retaliation.

“You have to take a look at what’s going on in many of our communities. Its a very serious problem we have to address.”

Philly Reaches Settlement In “Stop And Frisk” Suit

Associated Press — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:11:07 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — A court-appointed monitor will oversee the use of “stop and frisk” searches by city police, a high-profile part of the mayor’s efforts to combat violent crime, according to a settlement agreement announced Tuesday.

Authorities also will take additional steps to make sure the stops are only made when there is reasonable suspicion of criminal conduct.

The settlement stems from a federal lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in November alleging that the searches were violating the rights of blacks and Latinos who had done nothing wrong. The ACLU sued on behalf of eight men – including a state lawmaker – it says were subjected to illegal searches since the city started using “stop and frisk,” a controversial element of Mayor Michael Nutter’s 2007 mayoral campaign.

As part of the agreement, the city denies wrongdoing and denies claims made by the plaintiffs.

The city agrees to provide the plaintiffs with documentation of stops made during certain periods between 2006 and 2010. By January 1, it will enter reports into an online database, according to the agreement.

The city also agreed to review training on the searches and make sure that “stop and frisk” is only used when an officer has “reasonable suspicion” of criminal wrongdoing.

In the lawsuit, the ACLU cited city data showing that 253,333 pedestrians were stopped in 2009, compared with 102,319 in 2005. More than 70 percent of the people stopped were black and only 8.4 percent of the total stops led to an arrest, the ACLU said.

The use of “stop and frisk” searches has been a focal point of Nutter’s campaign to slow violent crime, which is down since he took office in 2008. Both Nutter and police Commissioner Charles Ramsey are black.

Michael Vick Surprises Philly Students With $5,000 Scholarships

Associated Press — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:32:27 +0000

PHILADELPHIA – In the minutes before giving his first commencement speech, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick professed to be more nervous than before a football game.

He had nothing to worry about. A lovingly raucous crowd of several hundred cheered Vick throughout his remarks Friday to graduates of the alternative Camelot high schools at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.

The fact that he surprised a pair of students with $5,000 college scholarships didn’t hurt either. The theme of redemption proved to be the heart of the connection between the ex-con NFL superstar and the 450 graduates. Camelot’s six campuses in Philadelphia serve about 1,800 students with emotional, disciplinary or academic problems.

In speeches during Friday’s ceremony and in a private meeting with Vick before the big event, several graduates spoke of rebounding from previous troubles or poor choices to earn a diploma with the second chance they were given at Camelot.

Radames Quinones, 17, who met with Vick, said he ran with a gang, ditched class, assaulted someone and got kicked out of several schools before finding a home at Camelot’s Shallcross Academy in northeast Philadelphia. He hopes to attend culinary school in the fall.

“It was like a family I never had,” Quinones said of the Shallcross staff. “They treat you like their own kids.”

Vick, of course, is the poster child for second chances. The former Atlanta Falcon has rebuilt his career with the Eagles after serving 18 months in prison on dogfighting charges. And the Hampton, Va., native is rebuilding his image by speaking regularly against animal cruelty to schools and community groups.

“I had all the fame and fortune; I thought I was unstoppable,” Vick told the students. But after his conviction, he said, “I lost my freedom, I lost my money, I lost my family.”

He challenged the students to make thoughtful decisions, pursue their goals and make the most of their second chances.

“I stand before you today a changed man,” Vick said. “Use me as an example at how to become an instrument of change … you can do it as well.”

Vick then announced that grads Monique Joseph and Rickey Savage would each be receiving a scholarship. Joseph plans to attend Penn State in the fall while Savage will go to Virginia Union University in Richmond, Va.

Neither the students nor their families — not even school staff — knew they would be receiving the funds, said Camelot CEO Todd Bock.

“I heard a little bit about it yesterday, but I had no idea how generous he was going to be to our students,” Bock said after the ceremony. “I think our kids, our schools and our story really resonated with him.”

Savage, 19, said he is grateful to Vick for the financial aid, which will help him study business technology, and for the motivational speech.

Savage said his own second chance came five years ago after being arrested for robbery and assault. A stern talking-to from a judge made him realize he was on a dead-end path, he said.

“Michael Vick, really, he put everything in perspective,” Savage said. “He said it’s not your journey, it’s your destination.”

Vick spokesman Andrew Stroth said the scholarship recipients were chosen based on academic achievement, attendance and participation in student government. He said Vick plans to give out the $5,000 awards annually.

Philadelphia Teens Redefine The Term ‘High School Drop Out’

Gerren Keith Gaynor — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:12:57 +0000

PHILADELPHIA- A group of Philadelphia students are redefining the term “high school drop out” and calling themselves high school “push outs.”

Members of the “Yes Philly Program,” which helps students receive their GED, created a documentary to address the stereotypes that come with not finishing high school.

“The word dropout comes with so many negative stereotypes. So we decided to start over and kind of define ourselves,” said Mary Simmons, a member of the Yes Program.

Taylor Frome, the executive director of Yes Philly, created the program 11 years ago in response to the 50 percent dropout rate in Philadelphia.

“What I saw was they had huge potential, that they were smart and that if you gave them right opportunity they could really turn their life around and be an asset,” Frome said.

Lawyer Allegedly Steals $1.7M From Philly Children’s Hospital

Charles Dixon — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 16:58:51 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — Roosevelt Hairston Jr., an attorney for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, was arrested for allegedly stealing $1.7 million from the hospital over the course of 12 years.

NBC reports:

The charges — mail fraud, money laundering, and filing a fake tax return — stem from the “financial irregularities” found during an internal investigation according to a CHOP news release.

According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Hairston forged invoices and created fake companies to launder money.

As part of the scheme, Hairston stole the identity of an old friend, creating a fake email to validate the invoices.

A private yacht with a captain was among the luxuries purchased with stolen money.

4 White Teachers Claim School Said They Were Unfit To Teach Blacks

Associated Press — Tue, 17 May 2011 21:49:30 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — Four white Philadelphia teachers filed federal race-bias lawsuits that accuse a black principal of creating a hostile work environment and suggesting they were unfit to teach black children.

The teachers work at a predominantly black elementary school that has a recent history of racial tension. Their lawsuits say that a former principal had them read an article that said “white teachers do not have the ability to teach African-American students.”

The teachers also allege that the principal, Charles Ray III, and others undermined their work by reprimanding them, randomly changing their room assignments and letting black teachers ignore rules that their white counterparts had to follow. Ray also retaliated when they filed union grievances, they said.

“Charles Ray III consistently stated that he had a relationship with top school officials indicating that his conduct was part of an approved policy or was part of a pattern of practices sanctioned and supported by `higher authority,’” the suits allege.

The teachers – Nicole Boyd, Debra McKibben Marenbach, Colleen Yarnell and Marta Ciccimaro – filed the lawsuits last week, demanding more than $150,000 each. Courthouse News Service first reported on the complaints Tuesday.

The school district had no immediate comment, spokeswoman Shana Kemp told The Associated Press.

Kemp said she was not immediately authorized to say if Ray still works for the district. A message left at a possible home number for him was not immediately returned.

Racial tensions among staff at Thomas Mifflin Elementary School have simmered before.

A white principal left about four years ago amid a chorus of complaints from black parents. One mother testified at a City Council meeting in December 2007 that she had heard the administrator say Muslim students looked like “flying nuns,” according to news reports.

In April 2008, vandals defaced a mural on the side of the school with anti-Semitic graffiti.

Ray arrived that fall, and lasted only for the 2008-09 school year, the lawsuit said.

The surrounding East Falls neighborhood is largely white and, in some sections, wealthy. Residents include former Gov. Ed Rendell and former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter. But many white families in the area send their children to private schools.

Mifflin currently has about 270 students, 86 percent of them black and 85 percent of them poor, according to school district data.

The defendants include the local teachers union and a supervising teacher whom Ray allegedly ordered to go through personnel files and investigate their home and personal lives.

Lawyers for the teachers did not immediately return calls for comment.

High School Hoops Star Busted In Bronx Robbery

Lost It All? Rapper Cassidy Arrested As Suspect In Murder Case

NewsOne Staff — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:00:59 +0000

NEW JERSEY — Rapper Cassidy was arrested this past weekend in Hackensack New Jersey for a probation violation and is a suspect in a murder, say authorities.

The artist, whose real name is Barry Reese, was arrested on a “high-risk” warrant.

Cassidy is currently suspected in one murder and two attempted murders in Philadelphia.

Authorities claim that the rapper was shocked when he was arrested.

Boxer Bernard Hopkins: Donovan McNabb Is A House-Negro

NewsOne Staff — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:05:13 +0000

PHILADELPHIA– Boxer Bernard Hopkins hinted to a reporter that he felt Donovan McNabb is a “house-negro” or uncle tom during a Philadelphia Daily news interview.

“Why do you think McNabb felt he was betrayed? Because McNabb is the guy in the house, while everybody else is on the field. He’s the one who got the extra coat. The extra servings. ‘You’re our boy,’ ” Hopkins said, patting a reporter on the back in illustration. “He thought he was one of them.”

Student Urges Minorities Not To Attend UPenn After Racism

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:17:11 +0000

PHILADELPHIA-Christopher Abreu a student at the Ivy League School, University Of Pennsylvania has written an article urging minorities not to attend his school after a racist incident. The Pennsylvania caller reports:

“I’m looking for fried chicken,” he continued. “You look like someone who knows where you can get fried chicken.”

I needed to remove myself from this situation. I said, “Look, try Wawa if you’re hungry. I’m going now.”

He walked back to his friend and yelled, “I’m gonna go get some fried chicken! This nigger just told me where it’s at!”

In retrospect, being called a “nigger” was the short-term sting. It made me more self-conscious about what white people think of me here — just some black guy who got here because of some affirmative action.

Read The Whole Story

Club Shuts Down Black Ivy League Alumni Party For Fear Of “Local Gangbangers”

Where Are The Black Players? MLB Now Less Than 10 Percent Black

NewsOne Staff — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:32:15 +0000

NEW YORK — The percentage of black players in the major leagues dropped again on Opening Day this year even as the sport again received a top overall grade for racial diversity.

Baseball’s grade for gender hiring declined slightly, according to the annual study released Thursday by Richard Lapchick’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports at the University of Central Florida.

Baseball received an A for racial diversity in hiring, the same grade as last year, and a B-minus for gender, down from a B. Its overall grade remained a B-plus.

“Jackie Robinson’s dream was to see more African-Americans playing, coaching and in the front office,” Lapchick said. “While this year there has been a slight decrease in the grade for racial and gender hiring practices, there has been a long-term consistent and dramatic increase in the role of people of color and women regarding who runs the game.”

The percentage of black players dropped to 8.5 percent on Opening Day this year, down from 10 percent at the start of last season and its lowest level since 2007. The percentage of Latino players dropped from 28.4 percent to 27 percent — baseball’s lowest since 1999′s 26 percent.

“This has been a concern of Major League Baseball and leaders in the African-American community,” Lapchick said. “However, the 38.3 percent of players who are people of color also make the playing fields look more like America with its large Latino population.”

While Major League Baseball’s central office received an A-plus for racial diversity and an A-minus for gender diversity, the 30 clubs fared more poorly.

The number of black and Latino managers dropped from 10 at the start of the 2010 season to six, and the percentage of black and Latino coaches dropped from 31 to 29 percent. No blacks were team chief executives or presidents and only Houston Astros president of business Pam Gardner fell into that category.

Black and Latino general managers dropped from five to four, and at the team vice president level percentages declined for blacks (9.8 percent last year) and women (18.2 percent). For the VP level, teams received a C to C-plus for racial diversity and an F for gender diversity.

“MLB has made great strides with diversity in who runs the game, and today is one of the best in sports.” Lapchick said. “However, there is clearly room for improvement, especially regarding hiring more women into professional positions.”

11-Year-Old Becomes Hero By Saving Senior Citizens From Fire

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:47:23 +0000

PHILADELPHIA-Mahlon Graham, a 5th grader from Philadelphia has been named a hero for alerting authorities about a fire that trapped several senior citizens. The Fire Commissioner in Philadelphia has already called him a hero.

View more videos at: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com.

8-Year-Old Dies Trying To Save Baby Brother From Fire