Ronald Hives, 7, saw his mother shot to death Saturday morning. He does not remember hearing the shots ring out in rapid succession outside the family’s Bartram Village apartment in Southwest Philadelphia. But he remembers the blood on her body and the blood splattered on the wall. He also remembers the last words the suspect — his father — called out to him as young Ronald and his mother, Ruth Angel Hayes, tried to flee the third-floor dwelling in the 2700 block of 56th Street. “Go to your grandma’s house. I am going to kill your mom.” INQUIRER: Jesus […]
SMELLS LIKE JOURNALISM: Inky Puts Boots On The Ground In King Of Prussia, Gets The Backstory Of Penn Professor & Wife’s Deadly Domestic Nightmare
By Kathy Boccella Inquirer Staff Writer In recent years, Ellen slipped deeper into her problems and away from her friends. By early 2004, she rarely left the house or returned phone calls. In March of that year, she still hadn’t taken down her Christmas tree. The house was so cluttered it was hard to get past the front door. “Things were bad,” Pedlow said. Her friend sought counseling, Pedlow said, but she claimed that antidepressants aggravated her chronic colitis. Five months ago, Ellen finally consulted a lawyer and rented a place in King of Prussia for $1,550 a month. She […]
VOTE FOR VETS Tells Specter Talk Is Cheap
By KYW’s Mike DeNardo An Iraq veterans’ group is launching an ad campaign urging some Republican senators — including Pennsylvania’s Arlen Specter — to support a resolution condemning a troop buildup in Iraq. “I cannot support sending additional troops to Iraq.” That’s Sen. Arlen Specter on Sunday’s “Face the Nation,” on CBS. But Jon Soltz, chair of the group called Votevets.org wants more. His group wants Specter to vote for a resolution condemning the buildup: “Arlen Specter is willing to say that he’s concerned about the president’s policies of escalation. But we don’t need talk, we need a vote.” Votevets […]
CRUEL INTENTIONS: Penn Animal Researchers Are #1!
A research watchdog group is calling the University of Pennsylvania the most prolific lawbreaker in the country for violating the Animal Welfare Act. The group is called “SAEN,” or Stop Animal Exploitation Now. Executive director Michael Budkie says his group analyzed inspection reports from the US Department of Agriculture for 2005 and found the University of Pennsylvania had the highest number of violations for problems involving lab animals: “During a nine-month period, the University of Pennsylvania violated the Animal Welfare Act 77 times, which is about twice a week.” Budkie says in comparison, the #2 violator had 27 violations. According […]
GAYBO: The Prince Charles Cockring & Hip-Hop Homos
BY TOMMY ZANE This week, Philadelphia was treated to a visit from Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, in honor of the 150th Anniversary of The Academy of Music. Camilla wore a $25 million necklace made of diamonds and rubies, and hell — why not? Surely a $20 million necklace of sapphires and emeralds would have been just too understated for such an event. My also sources report that Charles wore his $40 million cockring with matching ben-wa balls, and Camilla fingered the crack of the Liberty Bell. Christ, I know these people are royalty, but […]
BEST IN SHOW: Viva La Dork Revolution!
Nerds://A Musical Software Satire began previews at the Philadelphia Theatre Company on January 25th and will open on January 31st for a run through February 25th.[…] Nerds “is an outrageous epic take on the parallel stories of technology pioneers Bill GatesandSteve Jobs as they blaze a path from garage inventors to warring titans of the computer revolution!,” press notes state. “From the invention of the floppy disk and the mouse to the present-day phenomenon of instant messaging and podcasting, Nerds hilariously celebrates the birth of computer technology and the two pop-culture icons that made it possible, with a rollicking original […]
DEVIL IN DELCO: It Just Gets Worse, If That’s Possible
By John Shiffman Inquirer Staff Writer A Drexel Hill woman charged last week with helping a Delaware County man tape pornographic movies of children also engaged in sex with at least one child, a prosecutor said yesterday. The new accusation against Dorothy Prawdzik, 43, alleges that she engaged in a sexual encounter that also involved a 39-year-old man and a young girl. “The victim was approximately 10 years old at the time … when she was forced to participate in those sex acts,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle T. Rotella said in a court filing yesterday. The 39-year-old man is John […]
GUNCRAZY: We’re Number One! We’re Number One!
The Washington-based Violence Policy Center reported yesterday that Pennsylvania leads the nation in the per capita rate of black homicide victims – ahead of the next closest states, Louisiana, Indiana, California and Missouri. The figures are based on an analysis of 2004 FBI crime statistics, the first study to rank states based on their black homicide rates, said the center’s statement. The center’s executive director noted that the survey looked at statewide data, and he was reluctant to speculate on Philadelphia’s role. In 2004, the city registered 330 murders – the number rose sharply to 406 last year – and […]
SPORTS: Arthur Ashe Center Wins ‘Best In Show’
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education in Philadelphia has been selected as Public Facility/Organization of the Year by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) and its national and international affiliates, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The announcement was made today by Dennis Van der Meer, President and Founder of Professional Tennis Registry. […] “This honor belongs to all those who dreamed of a Youth Tennis Center where kids could train and rise to their potential, not only as tennis players but as solid human beings,” said AAYTE Board Chairman […]
BREAKING: BARBARO PUT DOWN
NEWSDAY: Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, whose valiant battle for survival after shattering his right-hind leg in the early stages of the May 20 Preakness brought international attention unprecedented emotional support, was euthanized early today at the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center, where he had been hospitalized for more than eight months. DAILY NEWS: After winning the Kentucky Derby by the largest margin in 60 years, that elusive Triple Crown seemed there for Barbaro’s taking. Then, 2 weeks later, barely 200 yards into the Preakness at Pimlico, it was over, as the colt’s right hind leg was left dangling, a […]
THIS JUST IN: Philebrity Still A Bag Of Dicks
With friends like this, who needs enemas? From the Department of Faint Praise comes this typically backhanded compliment from our old dear friend, Joey Sweeney. We took the liberty of fucking with it in the pursuit of humor. Ah, feels like old times: Phawker Produces First (Sort Of) Readable Post, Nabs Interview With Jose Swilton CITIZEN MOM REPORTS: The scariest guy on the Internet plops down next to me on a banquette. He’s sporting a head of pink hair, a dark T-shirt-and-jacket combo, skinny jeans and moon boots ? an ensemble that probably nobody else could pull off. He looks […]
GAMBLOR: Shamed Slot Shack Changes Mind, Decides To Play By The Rules And Payout $102,000 To Winner
After days of unwelcome national media attention, PhiladelphiaPark Casino Saturday night paid the disputed $102,000 that a Feasterville slots player said he had coming to him. But Stephen Wilkinson, 56, a retired carpenter, said the jackpot was in his hand for “about two minutes.” His wife of 25 years, Nancy, grabbed the check for safekeeping. “We haven’t decided what we’re going to do with it,” he said. Wilkinson, a regular but small-time bettor, said that his son Sean, 23, had asked for help in paying off his 2002 Dodge Ram truck but that the family would take its time in […]
EXCLUSIVE: Inky Re-Hires Laid-Off Sports Columnist
Phawker has learned that Inquirer sports columnist David Aldridge, one of the people axed from the paper’s roster in two rounds of layoffs earlier this month, is now BACK on the job. He will resume his columnist duties for the next Villanova game. Aldridge, who is African American, was NOT one of the signers of a letter sent to the Inquirer ownership from the National Association of Black Journalists pointing out that a disproportionate percentage of the employees laid off were minorities. Owner Brian Tierney responded through spokesman Jay Devine that the company’s hands were tied by the seniority provision […]