SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL 🍻
#6 | This Week in Review - August 30th, 2025, 7:00pm
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KENYATTA’S LONG MARCH
In a bold five-day, 105-mile trek from Philadelphia to Harrisburg, State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta is demanding urgent action on transit funding. His journey is a direct response to SEPTA’s 20% service reductions that began just before the start of the school year, and driven primarily by a significant $213 million operating deficit that the state legislature has refused to address.
Kenyatta left North Philadelphia on Friday morning, livestreaming his walk and staging rallies at key stops like 69th Street and West Chester. His stop in Lancaster precedes his expected arrival at the Capitol steps on Tuesday for a final press event. He accused Republican legislators of inaction, pointing to a stalled budget and underscoring the real-world burden these cuts place on students, seniors, and workers.
SEPTA’s service overhaul is estimated to impacts tens of thousands of schoolchildren and daily commuters, with longer commutes and reduced accessibility already taking a toll, according to the Associated Press. Meanwhile, a Democratic-backed bill in the state House proposes a $292 million transit funding increase — which would avert up to 50% of planned service cuts, but faces resistance in the GOP-led Senate.
Kenyatta is framing his march as both symbolic and urgent, invoking the legacy of civil rights marches while shining a spotlight on the escalating transit crisis facing everyday Pennsylvanians.
WEST NILE VIRUS DETECTED IN PHILADELPHIA
State health officials reported this week that 12 positive samples of West Nile Virus have been collected in Philadelphia, as well as 15 in Chester County and 11 in Delaware County. Though no one has tested positive for the disease this year, the disease can be extremely hazardous to human health. The West Nile virus has been detected in mosquitos from almost every Pennsylvania county. For greater information on the illness and its prevention, please visit this link.
FRANKFORD HIGH SCHOOL REOPENS AFTER ASBESTOS REMOVAL
After more than two years closed due to asbestos concerns, Frankford High School has reopened following a $29.9 million renovation. The project included asbestos remediation, new air-conditioning units, smartboards, windows, LED lighting, and upgrades to classrooms, the gym, and cafeteria.
School officials praised the reopening as both a safety milestone and an investment in students’ futures. The district has also strengthened its asbestos monitoring program, now requiring inspections every six months to ensure the building remains safe.
HURRICANE ERIN DEPARTS EASTERN SEABOARD
Hurricane Erin has emerged as one of the most powerful and rapidly intensifying storms on record, transforming from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just 24 hours — a phenomenon meteorologists have described as “explosive intensification,” according to CNN. This dramatic escalation caught forecasters off-guard and heightened concerns across the U.S. Northeast and Caribbean.
Although Erin skirted the U.S. coastline — only coming within roughly 200 miles of North Carolina — it unleashed dangerous surf, rip currents, and coastal flooding between Florida and New York. Its sheer size was exceptional; only Hurricane Sandy in 2012 rivaled Erin in terms of storm-force wind diameter.
Experts warn that Erin’s rapid growth reflects a troubling trend fueled by climate change. As sea surface temperatures climb, storms are more likely to intensify quickly, making preparedness a pressing priority for coastal communities.
Despite beach erosion caused by the storm, labor-day vacationers are nonetheless flocking to places like the Jersey Shore to celebrate the holiday.
DAYCARE WORKER CAUGHT ON CAMERA BEATING CHILD
A 50-year-old woman, Nakia Bartley, has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a six-year-old girl inside the Rainbow Daycare & Learning Center on Huntingdon Street. Authorities say Bartley dragged the child into a bathroom and punched her, resulting in a cut lip and a loose tooth.
Surveillance video captured the incident, prompting immediate action from state authorities. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services issued an emergency removal order on August 13th, forcing the daycare to remove all children from the facility.
Bartley faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a child, and corruption of minors. Her attorney stated that Bartley was employed at the daycare at the time but has since been dismissed, noting that the widely shared "10‑15 second" video clip doesn’t reflect the full context under investigation, though they did not elaborate on what context would justify beating a child.
Her preliminary hearing was on August 25, 2025.
LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTER HOLDS CASINO NIGHT FUNDRAISER
Rylie's Rescue, a local volunteer nonprofit dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming dogs in need, is gearing up for its 5th Annual Casino Night Fundraiser.
Event details:
Date & Time: Friday, September 19, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Location: The Farm House Restaurant, 1146 Stump Hall Road, Skippack, PA
Attendees can enjoy a lively evening filled with casino games, great food, and community camaraderie, all to support a meaningful cause. Raffle tickets and silent auction items will be available for purchase via Venmo, PayPal, or cash.
Rylie's Rescue’s mission centers on giving loving homes to dogs that have been abandoned, neglected, or abused, making this fundraiser a vital part of their work.
THIEVES BEAT MEAT (TRUCK)
In the early hours of Friday, a delivery driver for a Texas-based meat supplier fell victim to a brazen theft in South Philadelphia. At approximately 5:45 a.m. on the 2600 block of Penrose Avenue, one truck driver was asleep in his truck when he awoke to the sound of rattling and discovered intruders had forced open his locked rear cargo hold.
Spotting two men and a woman, the unarmed driver watched helplessly as the thieves removed an entire pallet of meat and fled. The driver admitted he usually carries a firearm and stated that its absence may have made all the difference: “I usually pack my pistol with me man. Because if I had packed my pistol you wouldn’t have gotten away man,” he told NBC10 Philadelphia.
Philadelphia police confirmed they are actively investigating the incident. They noted that, so far this year, the city has reported 42 cargo thefts — more than half of which have involved meat, poultry, or seafood products.
The driver, visibly shaken, stated: “I hate for this kind of shit to happen to me. I know it happens to other drivers... this kind of throws your whole day off.”
TEACHERS UNION, SCHOOL DISTRICT SHAKE HANDS OVER NEW DEAL
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has overwhelmingly approved a three-year contract with the School District of Philadelphia, with 70% of union members voting "yes.”
Key highlights of the new agreement include:
3% annual pay raises
A $1,400 one-time bonus, disbursed in October
Five weeks of paid parental leave for all new parents
Expanded bereavement leave, now allowed within 30 calendar days (up from the previous 10 working days)
Union leaders had warned that, without this deal, the union’s approximately 14,000 members could have gone on strike just one week into the school year, risking a grim repeat of the DC-33 strike earlier this year. The contract is set to go into effect on Monday, September 1.
“SEE YOU IN COURT,” JUDGE TELLS SEPTA
A Philadelphia judge granted a temporary injunction today following an emergency hearing, halting further SEPTA service cuts and suspending the planned 21.5% fare increase and other reductions, pending a follow-up hearing on September 4.
The injunction blocks any upcoming route eliminations, service reductions, station closures, or curfews, locking service levels at their current state.
SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said the agency will need about 10 days to comply with the court’s order, likely tapping into its “Service Stabilization Fund” to do so.
The court action follows a lawsuit filed earlier this week by lawyer George Bochetto, who argues SEPTA fabricated its fiscal crisis and imposed cuts that unfairly burden minority communities and poorer residents. The suit has been criticized by transit advocates as a distraction from the debate in the Harrisburg over SEPTA funding.
WATER DEPARTMENT TO UP RATES - AGAIN
The Philadelphia Water Department will raise residential water rates by nearly 10%, or about $8, starting September 1, bringing the average monthly bill to roughly $91. This hike aims to bolster aging infrastructure and prevent issues like water main breaks, sinkholes, and burst pipes. A further increase is expected in September 2026.
SCHOOL SAFETY OFFICER SHOT ELEVEN TIMES OUT OF THE HOSPITAL
School Safety Officer Craig Romanczuk, who miraculously survived being shot 11 times in June while responding to a road-rage incident near Penn’s Landing, was released from rehabilitation and returned home today. He was honored with a touching "clap-out" celebration at Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Center City as fellow officers and staff cheered his recovery
Romanczuk, 68, is a seasoned veteran with nearly 30 years with the Philadelphia Police Department, and almost two decades in the School District’s Office of School Safety. He sustained serious injuries when he stopped to assist someone flagged down during the incident on I‑95; after being shot, he managed to drive a short distance before crashing into a tree.
School safety officials hailed his survival as "nothing short of an absolute miracle," praising his strength and dedication. With a suspect now in custody, Romanczuk faces months of rehabilitation, though he’s already talking about returning to work.
LOCAL CONCERTS, AUGUST 30TH - SEPTEMBER 6TH
Tuesday, September 2
Jerry Cantrell and Sparta (Archer Music Hall, Allentown)
Tawnted (The Fire, Philadelphia)
Blood Tithe Fear the Dark, Concrete Caveman, and Ariadne’s Thread (Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia)
Wednesday, September 3
Benson Boone & Elliot James Reay (Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia)
Duckwrth & Sherwyn (The Foundry, Philadelphia)
Stiff Little Fingers (Underground Arts, Philadelphia)
Jonathan Coulton (City Winery, Philadelphia)
Thursday, September 4
HAIM (TD Pavilion at the Mann, Philadelphia)
Swans and Little Annie (Union Transfer, Philadelphia)
Frankie Cosmos (with Fantasy Of A Broken Heart and Moontype) (Underground Arts, Philadelphia)
Friday, September 5
Sea Wolf (City Winery, Philadelphia)
Saturday, September 6
Men I Trust (with strongboi) (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia)
One Fine Day Festival featuring Sting, Shaggy, O.A.R., Big Freedia, The Original Wailers, Chance Emerson, and more (TD Pavilion at the Mann, Philadelphia)