Philadelphia All Local

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.

The man accused of killing a Children's Hospital of Philadelphia doctor last year as she rode her bike near Rittenhouse Square has pleaded guilty to all the charges against him. .... Charges will NOT be dismissed against Sean Higgins in the drunk driving accident that killed hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew last summer. The judge ruling Tuesday that prosecutors presented enough evidence to proceed with the case. .... Doctors treating New Jersey Congressman Donald Norcross say his condition has gotten worse. Norcross is in intensive care at Cooper Hospital. He is being treated for a gallbladder infection that his doctors now say has progressed to sepsis. .... City Council’s education chair says the school district is making progress in reducing the times that teachers under investigation spend in so-called “rubber rooms.” .... The School District of Philadelphia is launching a pilot program designed to deter dangerous driving and strengthen student safety.

The KYW Newsradio All-Local on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 (midday edition): The man accused of setting fire to the governor's mansion in Harrisburg admitted to the attack. He was arraigned and denied bail. ... Abington Township Police were justified in using deadly force last month. That’s what a Montgomery County DA’s Office investigation determined after police shot and killed a man while responding to a report of gunshots in a home. ... Thirteen people have died in state and county prison facilities so far this year in Pennsylvania. Advocates are calling for reforms. .... The Philadelphia Housing Authority plans to add 7,000 new units, increasing its portfolio of affordable housing by more than half.

The suspect in the arson at the governor's mansion in Harrisburg turns himself in and admitted to the attack... 38 year old Cody Balmer is arraigned and denied bail. Governor Shapiro and his family are okay after evacuating. Balmer now faces eight counts, including attempted homicide, terrorism, and arson. KYW Newsradio's crime and justice reporter Kristen Johanson has more. Swarthmore College in Delaware County is mourning the deaths of multiple graduates after a small plane crash in New York this weekend. KYW Newsradio's Vik Raghupathi has the details. The Philadelphia Housing Authority unveiled a plan to acquire seven-thousand new units, rehab its existing inventory, and convert all of it to the section=eight voucher payment system. KYW Newsradio's City Hall Bureau Chief Pat Loeb reports. Hundreds of local runners will be lacing up their sneakers for a good cause. Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation is hosting its 21st annual 'Sandy Sprint to Raise Funding for Ovarian Cancer Research.' KYW Newsradio's Shara Dae Howard reports it all goes down on April 26th.

The KYW Newsradio All-Local on Monday, April 14, 2025 (midday edition): He said he hated Gov. Josh Shapiro and would have beaten him with a hammer if he came across him. That's what police say the man accused of setting fire to the governor's mansion told them. ... The Portal art installation will move to its new home at City Hall today. ... Banning solitary confinement for kids and expanding diversion programs are part of a push to reform Pennsylvania's juvenile justice system.

Authorities in Harrisburg have a man in custody in connection with a suspected arson at the Governor's residence early Sunday morning. KYW's Vik Raghupathi has the story from the state capital: Hundreds of car enthusiasts made their way to Wayne, Pennsylvania Sunday morning for the main line cars and coffee show. KYW's Shara Dae Howard was there... Philly is home to a lot of first and those planning America's 250th birthday bash next year in Philadelphia want to highlight that. KYW's John McDevitt reports...

The KYW Newsradio All-Local - Sunday, April 13, 2025 (Evening Edition) State police arrest a man in connection to the suspected arson at Governor Shapiro's Harrisburg residence. A run-down Cheltenham house is actually the childhood home of hall of famer Reggie Jackson, and it's set to be demolished later this month. The Main Line Cars & Coffee show welcomed hundreds of car enthusiasts in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

The KYW Newsradio All-Local on Sunday Apr. 13, 2025 (morning edition): The tenants at the notorious Brith Sholom apartments in West Philadelphia needed the city to step in and protect them from a dispassionate landlord last year. Now, Philadelphia city council will consider a package of bills to protect renters who are living in other aging apartments. A hidden piece of baseball history faces the axe this month. A run-down Cheltenham house is actually the childhood home of hall of famer Reggie Jackson, and it's set to be demolished later this month. A partnership between two colleges in the region is creating a streamlined path for students perusing a career in accounting.

The KYW Newsradio All-Local on Wednesday, Apr. 12, 2025 (morning edition): Philadelphia health officials are reporting another measles case in the city. They're also warning that some people may have been exposed in local emergency rooms. The Philly Dominican community held a vigil in North Philadelphia, honoring the 221 people lost in the roof collapse of a nightclub in the Dominican Republic earlier this week. Women having full control of their finances is a relatively new phenomenon, and the way they handle it may be different from men. That's why the Women's Opportunity Resource Center in Philadelphia is hosting a loan and grant conference to help them get a better hold on their money, or even grow a small business.

A second case of measles is being reported in Philadelphia. Like the first, it’s not related to outbreak in the western U.S. but KYW’s City Hall bureau chief Pat Loeb reports health officials have issued an alert about potential exposure. .... Crozer-Chester and Taylor hospitals in Delaware County will remain open at least another week. But lawyers for the company that owns the hospitals told a bankruptcy judge yesterday that there is still no permanent solution. .... The top federal prosecutor in New Jersey says she launched an investigation into Governor Phil Murphy and state Attorney General Matt Platkin over the state’s directive to local law enforcement NOT to cooperate with federal agents conducting immigration enforcement. .... Plenty of plans for America’s 250th birthday next year... center on Philadelphia, but the group behind that planning went before state lawmakers to talk about what else will be happening around Pennsylvania.