🗑️ City wants to keep burning trash in Chester

Controversial Trash Contract Set To Renew

The city announced its intent to sign another contract with Reworld, a waste management company criticized for incinerating Philly's trash near residences in Chester, Pa. Activists and some council members have accused the company of environmental racism, as the burning has been linked to pollution and adverse health effects. City Council must approve the four-year contract. [WHYY]

• Related: Council Member Jamie Gauthier has been leading the charge against burning the city's trash in Chester. [🎧City Cast Philly]

Tattooed Mom Forced To Pause Events

The Department of Licenses and Inspections ordered the longstanding South Street bar to stop all live performances and music events. The business says this unexpected move will halt programming like its drag and burlesque nights while it tries to navigate the "expensive next steps for zoning, permits, and licenses." [🔒The Inquirer]

Small Businesses Ask for Help

A change in the city's Business Income and Receipts Tax (BIRT) eliminated an exemption that small businesses utilized for decades. The result? Skyrocketing the payments made by businesses, from $680 million in 2024 to $752 million the next year. Therapists, Uber drivers, and others impacted by this change are now asking for a new law that would exclude one-person businesses from paying BIRT taxes. [Billy Penn]

Former Wawa President and CEO Dies

For 55 years, Richard D. Wood Jr. helmed the business that has fed hoagies to Philadelphians for decades. Wood Jr. continued the legacy of his great-grandfather, George Wood, who started the business in 1902. Beyond his work, Wood Jr. was a philanthropist who focused much of his attention on the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. [NBC10]

Around $6 Million of Drugs Seized

Fifty-eight kilos of cocaine, a gallon of PCP, and 20 kilos of fentanyl were confiscated in a drug bust that spanned multiple neighborhoods. District Attorney Larry Krasner announced yesterday that federal, state, and local officials collaborated on the investigation, giving a special shoutout to a drug-sniffing K-9 named Moose. [6abc]

Saturday brought a series of intense storms to the Philly region. Wind reached speeds up to 70 mph, and microburst storms hit parts of West, Southwest, and South Philly. This left downed trees and power lines, damaged homes, and scattered personal property.

• Officials identified four microbursts. It was not a tornado; a microburst occurs when columns of sinking air inside a thunderstorm hit the ground, then spread in all directions. They can be as wide as 2 ½ miles and cause lots of damage.
• Infrastructure was hit hard. The city is addressing 125 downed wires and more than 300 tree emergencies. Twelve people were displaced in West Philly when part of the roof came off of a Philadelphia Housing Authority Building. There have also been over 100 reports of damaged personal property. The Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park was hit particularly hard, leaving many vendors' booths and products damaged.
• Utilities were impacted. Around 34,000 PECO customers were without power Saturday night. As of Monday afternoon, 902 were still dealing with outages.
• While damage was extensive, only one person was injured in the storm.
• Mayor Parker signed a Declaration of Disaster Emergency on Saturday. This gives the city the ability to speed up recovery efforts. It's working with PECO, SEPTA, the American Red Cross, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, and other partners to clean up the damage.
• Help is here. If your property was impacted by the storm, fill out the city's damage survey. If downed trees are causing a hazard, like blocking a road or affecting a home, call 911. For non-emergency tree issues, call 311. If power lines have been impacted by the weather, PECO can be reached at (800) 841-4141. If you have been displaced by storm-related damage, call 1-800-REDCROSS.