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Philly councilmember’s federal bribery trial ends this week
With everything else going on right now in Philadelphia, it’s easy to miss that a sitting elected official is on trial for federal bribery charges
- Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson’s retrial, necessary after a hung jury when the case was first tried, wraps up this week. He has maintained innocence, and if found not guilty, is expected to run for reelection.
Several of his constituents say they’d vote for him again, BP intern Clifton Jackson reports — even if they think he’s guilty of the charges.
Etsy sellers have the Phillies merch you’ve been looking for
Phillies gear is selling out everywhere fast, which is unsurprising considering the team hadn’t been to the playoffs in a decade before this year’s magical run.
- Etsy to the rescue! From t-shirts to crewnecks, and keychains and stickers, there are dozens of options for clothes or trinkets that show pride in the Phils as they make their World Series appearance.
Asha Prihar looked through the selection and found the local entrepreneurs offering fun Fightins swag.
Procrastinator’s Guide to the November election in Philly
The midterm elections are upon us, and the Billy Penn Procrastinator’s Guide is here to help. Scroll through this cheat sheet to all the candidates and charter change questions, then bookmark it for easy access when you complete your mail ballot or head to the polls on Nov. 8.
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
- The Krasner impeachment process has officially begun, but the formal resolution to impeach did not come from the panel convened for that purpose — it was introduced by a Northeast Philly state rep. [Billy Penn]
- Two years after the fatal police shooting of West Philly resident Walter Wallace Jr., the PPD is falling behind on its promise to equip the entire force with tasers. [Axios/BP 2020]
- Turns out the west side of Washington Avenue will get some traffic calming measures — speed cushions and hardened center lines — after protests stopped improvements planned for a decade. [Inquirer$/Billy Penn]
- One year after Hurricane Ida damaged the space, the East Falls Post Office’s reopening is still delayed with no firm end date for renovations. [WHYY]
- Christmas Village will return to Love Park and Dilworth Park on Nov. 24 with revamped vendor stalls and a focus on entrepreneurs of color. [NBC10]
- “Adult entertainment” company CamSoda says it’s sending 55-gallon drums of lube to Philadelphia to help the city with a potential pole-greasing next week (it’s official protocol, after all). Sound familiar? Yep, another adult entertainment company pulled this stunt in 2018. [Liberty Line/Billy Penn/Mashable]
The story you didn’t read
? Highlighting good BP articles few people clicked on ?
- Meet Shakia Williams, the Southwest Philly native whose new Hatboro winery Cyrenity Sips could make her the first Black woman in Pennsylvania to run a tasting room.
MAYOR WATCH
CHOP’s new Center for Advanced Behavioral Healthcare has its grand opening today at the former Provident Mutual Building at 46th and Market, and Mayor Kenney will be there (10 a.m.). He then hops across town to Fairhill to tour the Laundry Cafe’s “Playful Learning” space with Chelsea Clinton of the Clinton Foundation (10:45 a.m.).
Midday sees the mayor at Engine 37 in Chestnut Hill to cut the ribbon on renovations for the historic fire company (12 p.m.), and evening takes him to the annual AmeriCorps launch event to welcome 200 new members who’ll work in Philly this year (4:30 p.m.).
ON THE CALENDAR
⚰️ Get spooky with “Ghosts in the Hood,” an eerie performance from Opera on Tap at the Hood Cemetery in Germantown, with onsite tours before and Attic Brewing bevs to sip on after. Tix are $35. [5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29]
? Callowhill’s Trestle Inn is getting into the holiday with the “Trestle Chainsaw Massacre Halloween Dance Party,” which is exactly what it sounds like. There’ll be a DJ, plus go-go dancers and drink specials. Tix are $15. (10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29).
? What’s it like to be adopted into and grow up with a Philly family, then travel back to your native Korea? That’s the subject of a new show at the Adrienne Theatre in West Philly. Tickets are $15. (7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4)
