Yesterday’s City Council budget hearings on SEPTA did not, at the outset, promise much in the way of fireworks. This reporter tweeted suggested questions of a sort that never materialized: (One example: why is it that El operators often fail…

Evan M. Lopez Kromer didn’t win in his bid to be Philly’s “Last Sheriff” (he had proposed to dissolve the office if elected). But he did get inspired to co-author a book about it. City Paper: What about last May’s…

This morning, the U.S. Attorney’s Eastern District office announced charges against Robert Coyle, Sr. — the Philly slumlord who built an empire of run-down houses in Kensington and Port Richmond and, according to accounts collected by the Daily News and…

The story of the Jan. 23 murder of Reyna Aguirre-Alonso — the story, that is, as it was told to the public — began as simply as any in a city that sees upwards of 300 murders a year. A…

In Council today, 6th District Councilman Boby Henon introduced a resolution honoring union boss John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty for his upcoming role as Grand Marshall of the 2012 Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day parade. Hall Monitor, in fact, tweeted this information…

  McPherson Square, known to locals by the affectionate nickname of “Needle Park,” should be looking a little more inviting come spring. The park, which houses the still-busting McPherson Square branch of the Philadelphia Free Library, has seen better days.…

On Jan. 2, as legions of Two Street revelers snored off the New Year, Fifth District Councilman Darrell Clarke took the stage at the Academy of Music to acknowledge his formal anointment as the new president of Philadelphia’s City Council.…

A judge today denied a motion by Lakewood, NJ officials to evict more than 60 people living in a wooded camp that is Township property. Township officials initially tried to make the case that the situation was akin to the…

Last week, Hall Monitor noted that corporations appeared to have donated to several local political campaigns — even though state law explicitly forbids corporations to donate to political campaigns. In a state that imposes no limits — nope, none —…