Philadelphia All Local

The KYW Newsradio All-Local: Thursday, April 24, 2025 (morning edition) - Crews in Ocean County, NJ, have the Jones Road wildfire 50% contained as the blaze has consumed more than 13,000 acres. ... Philadelphia Police officers shot during an hours-long standoff six years ago took the stand yesterday in the trial against Maurice Hill, the man accused of barricading himself inside a home in the city's Nicetown neighborhood. ... Philadelphia City Council got its long-awaited chance to explore the details of Mayor Cherelle Parker's HOME initiative for 30,000 new housing units. ... The Philadelphia School District is preparing to return a Native American human skull discovered at Central High School in 2021.

The KYW Newsradio All-Local on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 (evening edition):

Part of the Garden State Parkway is closed and fire officials have issued mandatory evacuations in Ocean Township, New Jersey, as a wildfire has grown to encompass 85-hundred acres. Only 10 percent is contained. The fire is threatening 13-hundred structures and officials say about three-thousand residents have been evacuated. Multiple shelters have been established, including Southern Regional High School, which is open to evacuees with pets. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. "It was like speaking to your grandfather." That's how one local priest remembers the late Pope Francis. KYW Newsradio's Vik Raghupathi reports. Emotional testimony yesterday from a Philadelphia police officer shot in the head six years ago in the Nicetown neighborhood during an hours-long standoff that injured five other cops. KYW Newsradio's crime and justice reporter Kristen Johanson is following the trial of the shooter. New Jersey US Senator Andy Kim met with Camden residents today who were briefly displaced by a scrap yard fire earlier this year. They told him it doesn't feel like anyone cares about their health or safety. KYW Newsradio South Jersey reporter Mike Dougherty was there.

The parent company of Crozer Health says it has run out of options, and is planning to move forward with the closure of two hospitals in Delaware County. ... New report from the Pew Trust shows Philadelphia's population growing, with the job market rowing faster than the rest of the country. But the report also finds that federal funding cuts and other challenges could put those gains at risk. ... Budget hearings continue in Trenton with the NJ Department of Education Commissioner answering questions from lawmakers about next year's spending proposals. ... Studies find that Black people are more likely to need an organ transplant because of health disparities, but less likely to be organ donors out of fear.

With no more money or credit left, and no buyer to be found, the parent company of two Delaware county hospitals has decided to shutter the facilities as soon as possible. A plan to start the closure process is expected to be worked out in bankruptcy court this week. KYW's John McDevitt reports .... Catholics from all over attended a special afternoon mass at the cathedral basilica in remembrance of Pope Francis. KYW's Shara Dae Howard was there.. Temple public safety officials and Philly police are partnering to find suspects connected to a chaotic weekend of assaults and robberies near temple’s campus. KYW's Vik Raghupathi has details: opening statements are expected this morning in the trial of a man accused of shooting six Philadelphia police officers during a barricade nearly six years ago in the city’s nicetown neighborhood. As KYW's Crime and Justice Reporter Kristen Johanson tells us, several prosecutors are on the witness list… Philadelphia mayor Cherelle parker is sharing with city council a detailed breakdown of how she would fund her home initiative, to provide 30-thousand units of affordable housing. KYW’s City Hall Bureau Chief Pat Loeb reports…

Despite the efforts to keep two Delaware County Hospitals open.....the parent company of Crozer Health System has decided to close the hospitals for good. Thousands are expected to lose their jobs. And as KYW Newsradio's John McDevitt reports...a Bankruptcy hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. ... Mourners from all over attended a special afternoon Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter and Paul in remembrance of Pope Francis. ... While SEPTA seeks more green from Harrisburg, it’s working to make its bus fleet greener. ... Organizers are getting ready for Philly Black Pride, the annual weekend celebration honoring the local LGBTQ+ community of color. As KYW’s Sunny Morgan explains, the celebrations include a flag-raising ceremony and an empowerment summit.

The KYW Newsradio All Local on Monday, April 21, 2025 (midday edition): Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Perez will lead a special service at the Cathedral Basilica for Pope Francis. .... KYW Newsradio takes a look back to when Pope Francis spent two days in Philadelphia 10 years ago for the World Meeting of Families. ... A local organization hopes to continue its reading program for at-risk children as federal funding cuts take hold. ... The American Red Cross is actively recruiting local volunteers to be at the ready for disasters of all sizes.

Temple University administrators say a group of kids gathered near campus and became rowdy, resulting in at least three injuries and multiple arrest. KYW's Vik Raghupathi has details, Dozens of people are killed in drunk driving crashes every day in the U.S. and that number grows higher every year activist want victims and their families to know they have rights. KYW's Conner Barkon has more... This election may not have a Governor or President on the ballot - but seats that may have a greater impact on your life : Judges. KYW's Crime and Justice Reporter Kristen Johanson examines why it's important to go to the polls, to decide who's on the bench.

On this Easter Sunday... Christians around the world remembering the resurrection of Jesus Christ. KYW Newsradio's Shara Dae Howard spoke with parishioners at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter & Paul on the Parkway in Center City.

The KYW Newsradio All-Local on Saturday, Apr. 19, 2025 (afternoon edition): For the first time, we’re hearing the 911 call made by the man accused of firebombing the governors mansion with the Shapiro family inside. One Phillies player had a big surprise for a group of local ball players making memories of their own every Sunday night. Run or walk, or just come for the day of fun to help save animals' lives at an event planned this month at a West Chester Park. And an 'udderly' lost cow was peacefully apprehended this morning after police and residents in one New Jersey community worked together.

The KYW Newsradio All-Local on Saturday, Apr. 19, 2025 (morning edition): Dauphin County officials have released the audio of the 911 call made by alleged arsonist Cody Balmer after a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the dining room of Governor Josh Shapiro's mansion last weekend. Balmer begins the minute-and-thirteen-second call by saying he wants to apologize, but does not say for what. Instead, he gives a sort of brief manifesto... He goes on to say Shapiro should "get his eyes off of" Balmer's daughters, though it's not clear what he may be talking about Seemingly referring to the war in Gaza, he says he's "tired of offering extensions of peace." And he tries to justify his violence to the operator... He promises to confess to everything, then hangs up. He turned himself in to a Pennsylvania State Trooper shortly after the call. He tells the operator that he "wishes no harm on anybody" (as he put it) but that Governor Shapiro is doing harm to everyone. He ends the call by promising to turn himself in... Balmer denied to the judge in his case that he has mental illness, though his mother says he does, and had gone off his meds. His public defender says his hearing to determine competency to stand trial will be continued. With Easter just two days away, it was a busy day at Christopher’s Chocolates in Newtown Square. It was a big night at Citizen’s Bank Park, not just because the Phils took on division rivals the Marlins. One Phillies player had a big surprise for a group of local ball players making memories of their own every Sunday night. Run or walk, or just come for the day of fun to help save animals' lives at an event planned this month at a West Chester Park.

The KYW Newsradio All-Local on Friday, April 18, 2025 (Evening edition): There's a new fee for electric vehicles in Pennsylvania to help maintain roads and bridges. Sheetz is looking to continue its push into Wawa territory. Auto theft in Darby Township is on the rise. Many companies and organizations have rolled back their Diversity Equity and Inclusion commitments fearing a withholding of federal funds or political or economic backlash. And next week the best high school, college and professional athletes from around the world will descend in Philadelphia for the Penn Relays.

The KYW Newsradio All-Local on Friday, April 18, 2025 (afternoon edition): - A woman was killed in a hit-and-run crash in the Northeast late last night and police are searching for the driver and the car. - State police say speed was a factor in a deadly crash on I-95 in Delaware County last night. - Governor Josh Shapiro sat down with ABC's George Stephanopoulos for an interview, his first since the governor's mansion was firebombed over the weekend. - A peacock was found roaming the streets of North Philly. - And Camden has reached a $6.7-million settlement with the scrap yard that went up in flames in February.

A Philadelphia man sentenced to up to 45 years in prison today (Thursday) by a Montgomery County judge on charges the man ran one of the largest gun trafficking rings in the county’s history. Governor Shapiro and his family served lunch to firefighters in Harrisburg this/(Thursday) afternoon and thanked them for their response to the arson attack on the Governor's residence. As college students wrap up the year and prepare to move out of their off campus housing, Temple University is expanding its TU Move program to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Runners from around the world are gearing up for this year’s Penn Relay Carnival, set to happen next weekend. Organizers at UPenn say the storied track-and-field event saw more than 20,000 athletes entering to compete.

Governor Josh Shapiro and his family made a lunch time visit to Harrisburg Bureau of Fire Station One to thank the firefighters who responded to the arson attack at the governor's residence. ... The ousted president of Community College of Philadelphia says he still doesn't know why the school's board placed him on immediate leave last week. ... A Philadelphia man will spend at least a decade in prison after pleading guilty Thursday (today) to charges he sexually assaulted two women late last year in the city’s Point Breeze neighborhood. ... A scrap yard company in Camden is paying the city $6.7-million as part of a settlement from a massive fire in February.

Philadelphia Police identified the 77-year-old Uber driver who was killed in a double shooting Wednesday morning. ... A man and woman were attacked in their home in the City's Southwest. A group of people forced their way in the house along 55th and Woodland in Kingsessing. ... The Montgomery County SPCA is looking after a dog and five pups that were mistreated and abandoned behind a shopping center in Wyncote. ... A herd of 25 cows is back home at a Bucks County farm after escaping and roaming the streets of Doylestown.

The KYW Newsradio All-Local: Thursday, April 17, 2025 (Morning Edition) -- The man who authorities say firebombed Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's official residence in Harrisburg was motivated by what he claims were the Governor's plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people. ... Millville, NJ, residents are demanding answers after a fire last week killed two young sisters and displaced nearly two dozen people. ... Free concerts are coming back to Camden County. Ruben Studdard and Joan Osborne are among dozens of acts playing at three venues this spring and summer.

The man accused of deliberately setting fire to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's Harrisburg residence targeted the governor based on perceived injustices to the Palestinian people. That's according to search warrants released by Pennsylvania State Police. .... A repeat sex offender is behind bars on charges he sexually abused a teenaged girl while he was out on bail. .... Pennsauken police have identified the pedestrian struck and killed last week in a hit and run. They're asking for the public's help in finding the driver. .... We told you about it last week. Now it's happening. The Philadelphia Parking Authority has started issuing warnings from automated cameras to drivers parked in bus lanes. .... A popular water gun game played by high school students this time of year is causing safety concerns.

The KYW Newsradio All-Local on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 (midday edition): A 77-year-old ride-share driver was killed and his passenger was critically injured in a shooting outside a Center City hookah lounge early Wednesday morning. ... A drought that began last summer in the region remains in a moderate to severe drought in many areas, especially across South Jersey. The USDA is offering emergency loans. ... Many homebuyers are so focused on buying a house that they are compromising on what matters to them, according to a new Bankrate survey. .... People in Camden got free laundry and a health check-up during National Laundry Day.

The man accused of killing a young Children's Hospital of Philadelphia doctor last summer while he was driving drunk pleaded guilty to all of the charges he faced. As KYW Newsradio's crime and justice reporter Kristen Johanson tells us, his attorney says he's taken responsibility since the beginning. Demonstrators gathered outside City Hall yesterday to show their support for Ukraine after Russia killed nearly three dozen people in an attack on Palm Sunday. KYW Newsradio's Vik Raghupathi was there. Philadelphia City Councilmembers are concerned about small businesses that will suddenly have to pay new taxes under Mayor Cherelle Parker's budget proposal. Members asked pointed questions about that during today's commerce department budget hearing, as KYW Newsradio's City Hall Bureau Chief Pat Loeb reports. Students at Discovery Charter School got a special surprise in celebration of Jackie Robinson day at the Philadelphia Stars Negro League Memorial Park in Parkside. KYW Newsradio's Shara Dae Howard was there.