100 gallons of oil spill into water at Philadelphia Navy Yard
It’s still unclear exactly what caused about 100 gallons of oil to spill yesterday morning into the water at the Philly Navy Yard. The incident drew response from local fire crews and the U.S. Coast Guard, and there were conflicting reports about whether the fuel leaked from a pump or from a tanker that was filled over capacity.
Either way, officials say the spill has been “contained.” What does that mean, and what’s next? Fallon Roth runs down everything we know.
North Philly restaurant returns after disastrous fire
Mercy Mosquera thought it was all over. As the Tierra Colombiana co-owner watched an early July fire spread through the North Philadelphia restaurant she’d opened 34 years ago, she was convinced their time had come. News outlets reported the calamity with similar dire predictions — but happily, they were all wrong.
With the help of the Latino community, Nigel Thompson reports for BP, Tierra Colombiana reopened less than a week after the blaze. (En español aquí.)
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
• Gov. Shapiro signed Pa.’s main $45.5B budget into law, releasing funds to counties and school districts throughout the commonwealth, but about a billion dollars is still in limbo, awaiting further legislative action. [AP/Spotlight PA]
• Some online city services were disrupted yesterday — not because of a cyber attack, officials stressed, citing instead a planned upgrade that ran into a technical snag. [Phila Gov]
• After a process filled with controversy, the city yesterday revealed the five possible designs for Philly’s permanent Harriet Tubman statue. You have until Sept. 1 to vote for your favorite. [Billy Penn/OACCE]
• Remember the surprise Tiffany windows discovered at a West Philly church and sold for $200k? Fulton Bank, which holds the building’s mortgage, says the profits should be theirs. [CBS3/Inquirer$]
• Every Saturday through Sept. 2, the Barnes Foundation will host a dance performance inside its exhibition of Black sculptor William Edmondson’s work. [Vogue]
• Longtime Philly chef David Ansill — known for his cooking at Pif, Bar Ferdinand, and his series of marijuana infused pop-ups — is fighting stage 4 cancer, and his daughter is raising money for medical bills. [BP 2017/GoFundMe]
MAYOR WATCH
Nothing in public for Mayor Kenney today, but he’ll likely be watching closely to see if the U.S. Supreme Court takes up a case challenging new federal restrictions on ghost guns. Philadelphia recently sued two manufacturers who make parts used to construct these untraceable, semi-DIY firearms.
ON THE CALENDAR
🍹 Billy Penn event: This month’s BP Quizzo trivia night lands at the Divine Lorraine in partnership with the North Broad Renaissance. Look for lots of happy hour specials, and prizes for the winners. Space is limited, so RSVP today. (6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24)
🍲 Chef Diana Widjojo, formerly of Hardena, brings her Rice & Sambal pop-up to Dankbaar on East Passyunk, with an $85 prix-fixe menu that’s also available in vegan form. (Reservations available Aug. 4-26)
🌼 The team behind Honeysuckle Projects joins the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia at Grant Blvd. in West Philly to host a free mixer and conversation on wage equity, entrepreneurship, and pathways to sustaining Black wealth. (5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8)
📖 Billy Penn is proud to headline the inaugural Philly Story Fest, joining journalists from media outlets around Philadelphia to tell the city’s best stories on stage at the Bok. Early bird tix are $17. (7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5)
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