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  • Eagles lead NFL with eight players on ESPN’s Top 100 list for 2026; Jalen Hurts comes in at No. 97

    Eagles lead NFL with eight players on ESPN’s Top 100 list for 2026; Jalen Hurts comes in at No. 97

    The Eagles have many reasons to believe they have one of the NFL’s most talented rosters, and ESPN offered another one Tuesday.

    The Birds led the NFL with eight players on ESPN’s projected Top 100 players list for the 2026 season. This is the second consecutive year the Eagles have had more players on the list than any other team. The Lions and 49ers followed with six players each.

    The ranking was decided by 12 ESPN NFL analysts and reporters who evaluated players based on their expected performance in the 2026 season, rather than past performance.

    The Eagles’ eight selections are spread across offense and defense, from quarterback and running back to a receiver, two offensive tackles and three defensive players. Find out who made the list below.

    Quinyon Mitchell will have the best 2026 season for an Eagle, per ESPN’s projections. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Quinyon Mitchell, No. 34

    Mitchell was the Eagles’ highest-ranked player, moving up 47 spots from No. 81 last year.

    The third-year cornerback led all NFL cornerbacks in opponent catch rate during the 2025 season at 42.4%. .

    ESPN projects Mitchell to record 54 tackles, 19 passes and three interceptions in 2026.

    Lane Johnson is a top-40 player in what will probably be his final year. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Lane Johnson, No. 40

    The veteran right tackle dropped from No. 12 to No. 40 this year, but ESPN still views Johnson as one of the league’s best offensive linemen.

    Johnson, 36, is entering what he has indicated will probably be his final NFL season. He is a five-time All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion with the Eagles. Johnson is returning from a Lisfranc injury that cost him the final eight games of last season, including the playoffs.

    Jordan Mailata’s (left) production dipped in 2025 but he is still considered an elite lineman. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Jordan Mailata, No. 48

    Mailata also fell from last year, when he was ranked No. 23.

    Still, ESPN considers the Eagles left tackle one of the league’s premier offensive linemen, after being a seventh-round pick for the Eagles in the 2018 draft. Mailata has the third-highest Pro Football Focus grade among offensive tackles since 2022, behind the 49ers’ Trent Williams and Lions’ Penei Sewell.

    Mailata still ranks fifth among offensive tackles in run block win rate of 83.3% since 2020, even though he had a career-low 72.4% rate in 2025.

    Jalen Carter could move back up the Top 100 list with a healthier 2026. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Jalen Carter, No. 58

    After a shoulder injury shortened Carter’s 2025 season, he dropped 40 spots from No. 18.

    The Eagles defensive tackle played just 11 games last season but has the chance to be “one of the most disruptive linemen in the NFL,” according to ESPN. Even though he played in only 11 games, he had four pass rushes that led to forced interceptions.

    He signed a four-year, $152 million extension this offseason and arrived at training camp 10 pounds lighter and healthy.

    Saquon Barkley will look to recapture the magic of his 2024 season after having just 1,140 yards last year.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Saquon Barkley, No. 63

    Barkley dropped significantly in the rankings, moving down 46 spots from No. 17 after his 2025 season did not match his historic first season with the Eagles. After rushing for 2,005 yards in 2024, Barkley finished with 1,140 yards last season. ESPN projects Barkley to rush for 1,285 yards and nine touchdowns on 300 carries in 2026.

    An All-Pro performance in 2025 strengthened Cooper DeJean’s projection for 2026. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Cooper DeJean, No. 71

    DeJean moved up 21 spots from No. 92 after being a 2025 first-team All-Pro. He is expected to have an even more versatile role this season, as the Eagles plan to have him play safety in base and slot in sub packages, keeping him on the field as much as possible.

    ESPN projects he will have 82 tackles, 17 pass deflections, two interceptions and one forced fumble.

    DeVonta Smith has a top-100 projection heading into his first year as a WR1. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    DeVonta Smith, No. 93

    Smith is the new Eagles face on ESPN’s list, making the Top 100 for the first time.

    With A.J. Brown now in New England, Smith enters the season as the team’s clear No. 1 receiver. According to ESPN, a 100-catch season seems possible, as he came close in 2022 with 95 catches for nearly 1,200 yards.

    Smith has won a Heisman Trophy, college football title, and Super Bowl, making him one of five players to accomplish that feat. The others are Tony Dorsett, Marcus Allen, Reggie Bush, and Charles Woodson.

    Jalen Hurts fared better among his fellow players on NFL Network’s Top 100 list than he did on ESPN’s 2026 projections. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Jalen Hurts, No. 97

    Hurts had the steepest drop of any Eagle after falling from No. 38 last year to No. 97 this year.

    His ranking comes after an “up-and-down” 2025 season, according to ESPN. Hurts is preparing for his first year in a new offense under coordinator Sean Mannion, but ESPN notes Hurts has found ways to adapt from adversity in the past.

    He is 57-25 as a starter and has 138 total touchdowns since 2022.

    Hurts also recorded at least 30 combined passing and rushing touchdowns in four consecutive seasons, which is the fourth-longest active streak behind Josh Allen’s six.

    ESPN projects him to throw for 3,779 yards with 24 touchdowns, 438 rushing yards, and nine rushing touchdowns.

    According to NFL Network’s Top 100 list, voted on by the players themselves, Hurts is ranked No. 56, a stark difference from ESPN’s list. In the 2025 season, he threw a career-high 25 touchdowns and rushed for eight more.

  • Wendell K. Daniels Sr., retired Air Force master sergeant and longtime basketball referee, has died at 68

    Wendell K. Daniels Sr., retired Air Force master sergeant and longtime basketball referee, has died at 68

    Wendell K. Daniels Sr., 68, formerly of Philadelphia, retired Air Force master sergeant, former facilities manager at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, mentor, artist, chess wizard, golfer, and basketball player, coach, and referee, died Friday, Aug. 28, of cancer at a hospice center near his home in San Antonio, Texas.

    Born and reared in West Philadelphia, Sgt. Daniels joined the Air Force after graduating from West Philadelphia High School in 1976 and spent 24 years and six months serving at military bases in South Korea, Panama, Hawaii, California, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and elsewhere.

    Before retiring in 2002, he worked in military intelligence at the Pentagon, was stationed at presidential retreat Camp David in Maryland, and took part in the 1989 operation that captured military dictator Manuel Noriega in Panama. He attended leadership programs in the Air Force, rose to master sergeant, and mentored young airmen and junior non-commissioned officers.

    He organized relief efforts after natural disasters and earned military awards and medals. He followed his father, uncle, and older brother into the Air Force by enlisting in 1978.

    “It was his sense of duty,” his daughter, Lyndell Anderson, said. “It was part of his family.”

    When parents die, even the mundane memories comfort their children. Here are their tales, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    A natural athlete — he played baseball, football, and basketball on West Philly playgrounds as a boy — Sgt. Daniels played basketball on Air Force base teams, coached women’s basketball base teams, and, certified as a referee, officiated at base games and college games in Philadelphia and elsewhere. He refereed summer camp games for the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers when he was stationed in Hawaii and smiled in pictures with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Jerry West.

    Sgt. Daniels played golf often and met President Barack Obama (right below) in 2023. Courtesy of the family

    He started drawing and painting in high school, and considered a career as a cartoonist. In 2023, he personally presented a rendering of President Barack Obama to the president at a golf outing.

    He was the best player on his junior high school chess team and later came close to becoming a master. He played golf for years and followed the Eagles and 76ers.

    Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer

    Sgt. Daniels worked as a facilities manager at Langley after leaving the Air Force and settled in San Antonio in 2017. In February, he championed racial equality and more opportunities for Black college basketball officials on a podcast with fellow former college referee Ted Valentine.

    Sgt. Daniels graduated from West Philadelphia High School in 1976 (above) and married Lyndery Webb in 1978 (below). Courtesy of the family

    “He could be outgoing one minute and reflective the next,” his daughter said. “He liked reading and parties.”

    Wendell Kennedy Daniels was born Aug. 13, 1958. He collected autographs as a boy, played varsity baseball, and was a starting cornerback on the high school football team.

    Why did best-selling author Carol Saline email The Inquirer’s obit writer?

    He met Lyndery Webb after playing football with her brothers in the neighborhood, and they married in 1978 and had a daughter, Lyndell, and a son, Wendell Jr. He and his wife posed for wedding pictures on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and moved from base to base for more than two decades. But only after the children had finished the school year, his wife said.

    Sgt. Daniels officiated Los Angeles Lakers summer games in Hawaii (above) and posed with Kobe Bryant (left below) for a photo. Courtesy of the family

    He stayed in touch with high school friends and was active in West Philadelphia alumni events. “He was the life of the party,” his wife said. “But he was serious about making people happy.”

    In addition to his wife and children, Sgt. Daniels is survived by two sisters, two brothers, and other relatives. A brother died earlier.

    A celebration of his life is to be held later.

    Donations in his name may be made to the American Liver Foundation, Box 299, West Orange, N.J. 07052.

    Sergeant Daniels, left in the top photo, was comfortable with big players on the basketball court and with his small daughter, in the bottom photo, at home. Courtesy of the family
  • 2026 men’s college basketball transfer portal tracker: Latest Big 5 moves, where Philly-area recruits are heading

    2026 men’s college basketball transfer portal tracker: Latest Big 5 moves, where Philly-area recruits are heading

    The college basketball season is officially over, which means it’s time for the transactional period to begin. Welcome to the 2026 transfer portal.

    More than 1,500 men’s basketball players were in the portal in the first 24 hours after it officially opened on April 7. The portal is open for two weeks, but players do not need to make their commitment to a new school during that window. The next few weeks will be filled with salary negotiations during the yearly NCAA free agency process.

    We’ll be tracking it all here, from players moving in and out of — or around — the Big 5 to keeping tabs on Philly-area players at other schools. We’ll also take a look at where some of the top local high school recruits from the Class of 2026 will be playing in the fall.

    Big 5 portal entries

    Here are the players who were at Big 5 schools during the 2025-26 season but have entered the transfer portal.

    Villanova

    • Acaden Lewis (point guard) started for the Wildcats during his freshman year and averaged 12.2 points, 5.3 assists, and 3 rebounds. (Transferring to Miami.)
    • Bryce Lindsay (guard) was a redshirt sophomore and Villanova’s best scorer during its nonconference schedule. (Transferring to Indiana.)
    • Malachi Palmer (forward) was a solid contributor off the bench who started down the stretch after Matt Hodge went down. But Villanova recruited multiple forwards out of the portal. (Transferring to Minnesota.)
    • Chris Jeffrey (guard), a freshman backup point guard who missed time after knee surgery but had promising moments.
    • Braden Pierce (center), a redshirt freshman reserve who followed coach Kevin Willard from Maryland, played 6.5 minutes per game and averaged 1.2 points. (Transferring to College of Charleston.)
    • Zion Stanford (forward/West Catholic graduate) transferred to Villanova from Temple, left the team in March after playing in 10 games. (Transferring to Towson.)
    • Tafara Gapare (forward), a senior, left the program at midseason after playing in just nine games.
    Villanova will have two starters back, but other needs have emerged after multiple portal entries

    Temple

    • Aiden Tobiason (guard) averaged 15.3 points, second on the team, and led the Owls with 39 steals. He’ll have two years of eligibility left. (Transferring to Syracuse.)
    • Babatunde Durodola (forward), a sophomore, started as a freshman and was a key rotational player this season. (Transferring to Ball State.)
    • Jamai Felt (forward) started in 23 games and averaged 4.1 rebounds. (Transferring to Arkansas-Little Rock.)
    • AJ Smith (guard) averaged 7.8 points in eight games and had his season cut short by a shoulder injury.
    • Spencer Mahoney (forward) made 13 appearances as a redshirt sophomore. (Transferring to Denver.)
    • Ayuba Bryant Jr. (forward) appeared in 27 games, averaging 8.1 minutes.
    • Connor Gal (guard/Great Valley High graduate) played 12 minutes across five games and will have one year of eligibility left.
    Dasear Haskins was a key starter for the Hawks this season.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    St. Joseph’s

    • Deuce Jones (guard/La Salle), who led the Hawks in scoring during the first two months of the season, was dismissed from the team in December. (Transferring to Alabama-Birmingham.)
    • Dasear Haskins (guard/Camden High graduate) averaged 11.1 points and started for the Hawks as a redshirt sophomore. (Transferring to Ole Miss.)
    • Anthony Finkley (forward/Roman Catholic graduate), a junior, averaged 19 minutes in 35 games. (Transferring to La Salle.)
    • Kevin Kearney (forward) appeared in 14 games as a redshirt freshman. (Transferring to Manhattan.)
    • Jaden Smith (center) averaged 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in 9.1 minutes after transferring from Fordham. (Transferring to Ball State.)
    • Steven Solano (center), a redshirt freshman, played in eight games. (Transferring to Delaware.)
    • Al Amadou (center/Springside Chestnut Hill Academy graduate) transferred from Marquette and appeared in 11 games. (Transferring to Wisconsin-Milwaukee.)

    Penn

    • Ethan Roberts (forward) has one year of eligibility remaining — the Ivy League prohibits graduate students from playing intercollegiate athletics — and was the Quakers’ leading scorer (16.9 points per game). (Transferring to Notre Dame.)
    • Cam Thrower (guard), a senior who spent four years at Penn, averaged 17 minutes in 27 games. (Transferring to Elon.)
    • Dylan Williams (guard) played in seven of Penn’s first 10 games before the senior missed the rest of the season with an injury. (Transferring to Northwestern)
    • Michelangelo Oberti (center) appeared in 12 games. (Transferring to Boston University)
    • Alex Massung (guard), who averaged 5.6 minutes in 10 games played. (Transferring to Saint Anselm.)
    • Bradyn Foster (forward) saw action in Penn’s season opener.

    Drexel

    • Shane Blakeney (guard) was Drexel’s leading scorer, averaging 14.2 points in 33 games as a junior. (Transferring to South Carolina.)
    • Kevon Vanderhorst (guard) averaged 9.3 points and 2.9 assists while starting all 33 games for the Dragons. (Transferring to Iona.)
    • Villiam Garcia Adsten (guard), a junior, averaged 17.5 minutes in 32 games. (Transferring to Maine.)
    • Horace Simmons Jr. (forward/La Salle College High School graduate) appeared in 13 games.

    La Salle

    • Ashton Walker (guard) started 21 games and averaged 8.2 points as a freshman. (Transferring to Monmouth.)
    • Eric Acker (guard), a junior, appeared in 26 games, starting 10, and averaged 18.9 minutes. (Transferring to Northern Kentucky.)
    • Nas Hart (forward) played in 20 games as a freshman. (Transferring to Quinnipiac.)
    • Edwin Daniel (forward) played 31 games (14.5 minutes) and averaged nearly four points and 3.5 rebounds. (Transferring to Stephen F. Austin.)
    Villanova coach Kevin Willard directs his team against Butler on Feb. 25. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Big 5 portal additions

    These are the players who are transferring to Big 5 schools.

    Drexel

    • Panagiotis Pagonis (forward/New Orleans)
    • LaDricus Pittman (guard/LeMoyne-Owen College)
    • Adrian Petkovic (guard/Germany)
    • David Simonovic (center/Le Mans U21 in France)

    La Salle

    • Trey Moss (guard/George Washington)
    • Vice Zanki (forward/Niagara)
    • Anthony Finkley (forward/St. Joe’s)
    • Jamison Lynam (guard/Arcadia)
    • Kam Burton (guard/Stephen F. Austin)
    • Devin Booker (guard/George Mason/Cristo Rey HS)
    • Eunique Rink (forward/Hampton)

    Penn

    • Sir Mohammed (guard/Notre Dame)
    • Dorian Glogovac (guard/California Institute of Technology)

    St. Joe’s

    • Gavin Marrs (center/Oregon State)
    • Logan Carey (guard/Maine)
    • Don Flamer (forward/Elizabeth City State – Division II)
    • Sean Logan (center/Davidson)
    • Luis Nonfon (forward/Augusta University – Division II)

    Temple

    • Dez White (guard/Oregon State)
    • Dallis Dillard (guard/Indiana University of Pennsylvania)
    • Baboucarr Njie (forward/UTSA)
    • Cam Scott (guard/South Carolina)
    • Jason Drake (guard/Indiana)
    • Jordan Marsh (guard/USC)
    • Sir Isaac Herron (forward/Louisiana Tech)

    Villanova

    Local portal entries

    In addition to the local players in the Big 5 mentioned above, here are some notable players from the Philly area who are on the move:

    • Kevair Kennedy, Merrimack to Wake Forest (guard/Father Judge)
    • Jalil Bethea, Alabama to Pittsburgh (guard/Archbishop Wood)
    • DJ Wagner, Arkansas to Maryland (guard/Camden)
    • Justin Moore, Loyola-Chicago to Hofstra (guard/Drexel, Archbishop Wood)
    • Budd Clark, Seton Hall to Ole Miss (guard/West Catholic)

    Where local 2026 recruits are going to college

    Here’s a look at where some of the area’s top boys’ basketball players are heading off to play in the fall.

    • Sammy Jackson, Virginia Commonwealth (small forward/Roman Catholic)
    • Ethan Johnston, Marquette (shooting guard/Hill School)
    • Xavier Blake, Hofstra (shooting guard/Phelps School)
    • Derrick Morton-Rivera, Temple (shooting guard/Father Judge)
    • Mani Sajid, Towson (shooting guard/Plymouth Whitemarsh)
    • Darnell Lloyd, Boston University (center/Perkiomen School)
    • RJ Smith, La Salle (guard/Roman Catholic)
    • Michael Pereira, Penn (center/Plymouth Whitemarsh)
    • Latief Lorenzano-White, Drexel (guard/Imhotep)

    2026 recruits headed to Big 5 schools

    Villanova

    Penn

    • Isaiah Carroll (small forward/Blair Academy of Warren County)
    • Ethan Lin (point guard/Montgomery High of Somerset County)
    • Michael Pereira (center/Plymouth Whitemarsh)
    • Chase Geremia (guard/Newman School)
    • Finley Billy (forward/Bullis School)
    • Johnny Keenan (guard/St. Thomas More)

    Temple

    La Salle

    • RJ Smith (guard/Roman Catholic)
    • Breylon Webb (guard/Western Reserve Academy)

    Drexel

    • BJ Brown (guard/Sumter)
    • Tre Paulding (forward/Lee’s Summit North)
    • Latief Lorenzano-White (guard/Imhotep)

    St. Joe’s

    • BJ Ranson (guard/Mount St. Joseph)
    • Keoni Sacco (forward/Fork Union Military Academy)
  • Where else can you get your dinosaur fix in the Philly area?

    Where else can you get your dinosaur fix in the Philly area?

    The announcement Tuesday that Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University would be closing its museum doors later this month figures to leave a dino-sized hole in the city’s cultural landscape.

    For years, the two-century-old museum has been a dinosaur enthusiast’s dream. In all, more than 30 species are highlighted in the heralded Dinosaur Hall — many in full skeletal representations. The permanent exhibit boasts a Torosaurus skull, dinosaur eggs, and a touchable T. rex bone fragment.

    There’s still time to visit: The last day open to the public with regular business hours will be Sept. 27. There’s also a “Dinos After Dark” event slated for Sept. 18, complete with a beer garden and pay-as-you-wish pricing.

    For those hoping to get their fossil fix in the future, meanwhile, rest easy: There remain other places in and around Philly with plenty of dinosaur-related programming.

    Life-size depictions of creatures that roamed the area 66 million years ago in the “Dinosaur Coast” prehistoric life dioramas produced by Gary Staab at the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum of Rowan University during a media preview March 5, 2025.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Edelman Fossil Park & Museum

    Located just across the Delaware River in New Jersey — less than 20 miles from downtown Philadelphia — is Rowan University’s Edelman Fossil Park & Museum.

    Opened a year and a half ago, the museum boasts a lineup heavy with dinosaurs and other extinct creatures: There’s fossil teeth from the Cretolamna, an ancient shark that inhabited the state; a hadrosaur egg fossil; and full-scale renderings of dinosaurs from up and down the East Coast.

    “We really feature the dinosaurs and other extinct creatures from New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” said Kenneth Lacovara, paleontologist and EFM’s founding executive director.

    For an additional cost, patrons can also join a fossil hunt at the museum’s 45-foot-deep quarry in Mantua, which over the past century has turned up more than 100,000 fossils.

    🕒 Open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 💵 $29 for ages 13+, $24 for ages 3-12, free for ages 2 and under, 📍 66 Million Mosasaur Way,
Mantua, N.J. 08080, 🌐 efm.org

    North Museum of Nature and Science

    The Lancaster museum’s “Dinosaur Discovery Hall” exhibit seeks to get visitors up close and personal with “the fossils, minerals, and plant species in prehistoric life,” according to the venue website.

    There’s a focus on the T. rex, and in the Paleontology Gallery, you can handle real bones and fossils.

    🕒 Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 💵 $13 for general admission, 📍 400 College Ave., Lancaster, Pa. 17603, 🌐 northmuseum.org

    New Jersey State Museum

    The museum’s ongoing “Written in the Rocks: Fossil Tales of New Jersey” takes visitors more than 3.5 billion years into the past.

    The star of the show might be the Dryptosaurus — reconstructed in life-size form for the first time — but there’s also a life-size cast of a Hadrosaurus foulkii and a Mosasaurus maximus, plus a look at Ice Age creatures.

    🕒 Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍 205 W. State St., Trenton, N.J., 08608, 🌐 nj.gov

    Wagner Free Institute of Science

    In 1891, the Wagner purchased a collection of Camarasaurus bones from the Colorado quarry of Edward Drinker Cope — which Cope’s assistant traveled to Philadelphia to help arrange. Today, the remains are still on display at the museum.

    🕒 Tuesdays through Fridays, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and select Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍 1700 W. Montgomery Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19121, 🌐 wagnerfreeinstitute.org

    Please Touch Museum

    Though Philly’s favorite hands-on museum isn’t currently hosting any fossil-related exhibits, the pint-sized dinosaur lovers in your life might enjoy the upcoming “Dino Day” later this month — a celebration of all things dino.

    Kids can handle fossils, dig for bones, and take part in dinosaur-themed arts and crafts during this one-day event.

    🕒 Sept. 12, 💵 $24 for general admission (discounts available), 📍 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, Pa. 19131, 🌐 pleasetouchmuseum.org

    Montour Preserve Fossil Pit

    There are worse places to go fossil hunting than this roughly 400-million-year-old one-acre site of exposed shale located three hours northwest of Philly.

    Once upon a time, the site was covered by water, and while you probably shouldn’t expect to come away with any velociraptor bones — the most common finds at the site are the fossils of small sea creatures — the site is free to the public, and visitors are welcome to keep any fossils they find.

    🕒 Open daily from dawn to dark, 💵 Free admission, 📍 374 Preserve Road, Danville, Pa. 17821, 🌐 montourpreserve.org

  • Police identify the victim of the Times Square fatal stabbing as a 32-year-old Penn grad

    Police identify the victim of the Times Square fatal stabbing as a 32-year-old Penn grad

    Police have identified the victim killed in a knife-wielding spree in Times Square as a 32-year-old from Chester, N.J.

    Erin Piacenti was a vice president of business at Bank of America based out of Manhattan with a background in law, according to her LinkedIn profile. But before that, she was a singer at Penn.

    As a young girl, Piacenti, whose given name was Guiltinan, attended the private Catholic girls’ school in Morristown, N.J., Villa Walsh Academy. She went on to enroll in the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 2016, and, later, Fordham University for law school in 2021.

    She had deep roots in New Jersey and made lifelong friends through her involvement in the New Jersey Youth Chorus and later, Penn’s Dischord A Cappella group. A spokesperson for the New Jersey Youth Chorus confirmed Piacenti’s involvement but declined to comment further, citing sensitivity and privacy.

    In Dischord, Piacenti was a frequent soloist with an explosive alto range, taking on renditions of big pop and R&B divas, from Ariana Grande to Tina Turner with confidence. Even when she wasn’t soloing, Piacenti often worked on Dischord’s song arrangements, according to credits from past performances.

    Piacenti recently celebrated her second wedding anniversary. The couple — who both attended Fordham law school — married in Manahawkin, N.J., in 2024. Piacenti’s husband could not immediately be reached for comment.

    “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague,” Bank of America told The Inquirer in an emailed statement. “She was ​a valued teammate who will ​be greatly missed. Our hearts go out ⁠to her family and all of ​her loved ones.”

    Piacenti was fatally stabbed by Pamela Cisneros of Queens, who reportedly had a documented history of mental health concerns, but no criminal history, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference.

    Cisneros, 49, was caught on a string of now-viral videos waving around two large knives. Police fatally shot her Monday in the middle of Times Square after they said she injured two people at random: a 68-year-old man exiting the subway and, about 20 seconds later, Piacenti.

    Piacenti was rushed to the hospital with a puncture to her abdomen and was pronounced dead, according to Tisch. The male victim, who has not been publicly named, was separately hospitalized and is recovering, according to police.

    Tisch said that police attempted to negotiate with Cisneros, who held the knives toward officers for “four minutes,” but that she remained hostile and threatened to kill them instead. Responding officers deployed Tasers, but she advanced anyway, police said. Two officers opened fire at Cisneros, who was taken to the hospital where she died.

    Tom Harris, the president of the Times Square Alliance, which represents the area’s businesses, said the stabbings were a “tragedy.”

    “Our hearts go out to the victims and their families at this time,” Harris told the New York Times. “We are thankful that once again the NYPD was swift to act and put themselves in harm’s way to stop the perpetrator before more were injured.”

  • Delaware County is about to get another tool to help manage intense flooding

    Delaware County is about to get another tool to help manage intense flooding

    A new tool may help Delco officials better understand flooding in the county.

    Delaware County recently acquired 70 AWARE flood gauges, which officials say will help track data, improve response to flooding events, and allow the county to better plan for the future as extreme weather events challenge the region’s aging infrastructure.

    Here’s a rundown of what flood gauges do and how they’ll fit into stormwater management in Delco.

    What are flood gauges?

    Flood gauges are tools placed in and around bodies of water that measure water levels — think giant measuring sticks.

    Delaware County’s flood gauges will be placed throughout the county and report data to a public access portal in real time, allowing municipalities and residents to track water levels online.

    Why is the county installing flood gauges?

    Flood risk is growing in Delaware County, Gina Burritt, the county’s planning director, said, as the region’s infrastructure contends with increasingly frequent and intense precipitation events.

    The county is seeing flooding in areas where it used to be rare, Burritt said, and water-proximate areas are becoming more vulnerable to serious storm damage. Flooding is of particular concern in Delco, where much of the land is low-lying and close to the Delaware River and its tributaries.

    “We always kind of say that we’re downstream of everywhere,” Burritt said. “All of the watersheds, they flow to the Delaware River, so we’re at the very bottom of that watershed.”

    Gauges will help the county understand where flood risk is the most acute, said Burritt, informing decision-making for county planners and emergency responders.

    The flood gauges may also eventually provide early warning detection, though Burritt noted that this capability is still being developed.

    Philadelphia installed a similar flood monitoring system earlier this year, with flood sensors and cameras put in nine locations, including Cobbs Creek, Darby Creek, and the Manayunk Canal. Residents can see flood monitoring data on a live portal.

    The creek at Rolling Green Park in Springfield. Delaware County is planning to install 70 flood gauges to measure levels in and around waterways. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Where will the gauges be installed?

    In drafting its Act 167 plan, a state-mandated stormwater management blueprint, the county and consultant Jacobs Engineering have identified 87 potential flood gauge locations.

    The first batch of flood gauges will be installed on county-owned sites like bridges and parks. Once the initial round of gauges are placed, Burritt said her department hopes to work with other landowners, like the state, PennDot, and local municipalities, to place gauges in other key sites.

    Potential locations outlined in the draft plan include Smedley Park, Catania County Park along Little Crum Creek, Sun Village Park, Clayton County Park, and numerous county-owned bridges, according to the county’s draft Act 167 plan.

    Officials have identified 230 “flood problem areas” across the county, 130 of which fall under the “high priority” category. Some of the highest priority flood risk areas in Delaware County include the intersection of 69th Street and Marshall Road in Upper Darby, Brookhaven Memorial Park, and the section of Baltimore Pike that crosses Brandywine Creek at the border of Chester County. The highest priority areas were identified by the frequency and severity of flooding that occurs there, as well as impacts to emergency services, roads, and structures.

    Delco’s Act 167 plan is in preliminary drafting stages, according to the county, and will be further refined, including with feedback from municipalities and the Commonwealth’s Department of Environmental Protection.

    How much did this cost?

    The 70 flood gauges were acquired with a $107,845 Community Development Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and another $224,274 in Pennsylvania Local Share Account grants.

    Installation of the first batch of gauges will cost $95,000, an expenditure coming out of the county’s capital budget. Burritt said the county is in the request for proposal process and does not yet know exactly how many gauges will be installed in the first round.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • ‘Obsolete’ 225-foot-long dam at Tyler State Park in Bucks County will be removed

    ‘Obsolete’ 225-foot-long dam at Tyler State Park in Bucks County will be removed

    A curved dam at Tyler State Park in Bucks County well known to anglers and hikers is coming down.

    Pennsylvania officials will begin removing the Spring Garden Mill Dam, which is 225 feet wide and 9 feet tall, on Sept. 8.

    It will be the second-largest dam ever removed in Pennsylvania. The largest, the Oakland Dam in Susquehanna County, was torn out in 2023.

    The Spring Garden Mill Dam, which spans Neshaminy Creek, no longer serves a purpose, impedes fish, and could present a danger because it can create a powerful current at its base, officials say.

    The Spring Garden Mill, once powered by the dam, still stands in the park near where Route 332 crosses Neshaminy Creek but now houses a community theater.

    The dam’s removal, which has been planned since at least 2023, is expected to take several weeks and is overseen by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and the Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC).

    The Neshaminy Weir Dam near the Boathouse and main parking lot at Tyler State Park will remain.

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    Mike Parker, a spokesperson for PFBC, said dams are being removed across the state to reduce impediments in rivers and to increase public safety.

    “In many cases there was once a function to a dam, whether it was used to impound water, power a mill for stone milling of grain,” Parker said. “But those functions became obsolete.”

    Parker said the budget for the dam’s removal is $1.3 million and is being funded by $750,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and $550,000 from the DCNR.

    Officials say that the park, including the popular Fisherman’s parking lot, will remain open during the removal. But a section of trail along Tyler Park Drive near the dam will be temporarily closed.

    PFBC will temporarily remove and relocate red‑bellied turtles, which are classified as a threatened and endangered species, from the work zone.

    Parker said the dam’s removal will increase safety.

    He said that the low-head dam can create a dangerous condition for paddlers and anglers by creating a “boil” at its base. Boils can cause powerful churning currents sometimes referred to as the “washing machine effect” that traps people under water.

    The removal will also aid fish moving through Neshaminy Creek, Parker said.

    The creek is popular with anglers, but the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued an advisory in 2021 against eating fish from it because of PFAS contamination. As a result, it is no longer stocked.

    Further, officials say the dam does not provide any flood control.

    Tyler State Park spans 1,711 acres with its main entrance in Newtown, about 33 miles north of Center City. Its steep grade is known for its trails and a covered bridge. It is divided by Neshaminy Creek.

    On Memorial Day weekend in May 2025, Alec Campbell, a 38-year-old park resource ranger, was trying to place a buoy in the water when his kayak flipped near the Weir Dam at the park following powerful rains. His body was recovered after several days of search.

  • Naomi Osaka honors fashion ‘trailblazer’ Allen Iverson with U.S. Open outfit

    Naomi Osaka honors fashion ‘trailblazer’ Allen Iverson with U.S. Open outfit

    All of Nike’s tennis kits for the U.S. Open are basketball-inspired, after the New York Knicks’ NBA championship earlier this year. Carlos Alcaraz is wearing a jersey-style top, and the women’s kits prominently feature mesh similar to netting.

    Naomi Osaka paid homage to Sixers icon Allen Iverson with her walk-on outfit for her first-round match at the U.S. Open.

    Osaka, known for taking big swings with her on-court fashion, walked out in a gray dress, covered in news headlines written about her, before taking the hood off to reveal a headband over her braids, her tribute to Iverson’s iconic look.

    “It’s my, I guess, my tribute to Iverson. I really like him a lot,” Osaka said following her first-round victory over Anastasia Zakharova. “I mean, Nike said basketball, so I said, ‘OK, you want basketball, I’ll give you basketball.’”

    In her post-match news conference, Osaka wore an Iverson T-shirt, and also posted the look on social media with the caption “The Answer.”

    The four-time Grand Slam champion and current world No. 14 praised Iverson for being a “trailblazer” in NBA fashion. Iverson’s street style famously was a driving reason then-NBA commissioner David Stern instituted a dress code, mandating players to wear business casual to the arena.

    “I think he’s also someone that I look up to a lot, because he’s … done a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not, but he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress,” Osaka said. “I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports and also just expressing yourself through style, I feel like he’s someone that I look up to in that regard.”

    Osaka said she and Iverson had “zero” communication before she put the look together, but she hoped he would see it. Iverson reposted her tribute on his Instagram with the caption: “Wow what an honor! Big fan, can’t wait to meet you!”

    Osaka’s next match is Wednesday against Kateřina Siniaková.

  • Philly’s school bus drivers, cleaners and maintenance workers have a new contract

    Philly’s school bus drivers, cleaners and maintenance workers have a new contract

    The people who drive Philadelphia School District buses and clean and maintain its buildings have a tentative contract.

    The district and negotiating team from 32BJ SEIU District 1201, which represents 2,000 workers, reached a deal right at the wire: 32BJ’s old contract was set to expired Monday at 11:59 p.m.

    Officials declined to disclose the terms of the deal, but 32BJ was making no secret of its asks. The big one was more money for its workers, who are among the lowest paid in the district.

    Members’ current pay scale ranges from bus attendants, who are paid $30,762 annually under the existing contract, to building engineers, whose pay rate starts at $51,155 and tops out at $77,832. The union’s best-paid employees are building construction workers, whose salary maxes out at $77,832.

    Tradespeople — bricklayers, HVAC mechanics, electrical mechanics, plumbers, and roofers — are paid $62,899 at the top of the pay scale.

    “We went into this looking for an agreement that reflects the hard work, dedication, and importance of our 2000 members covered under this agreement, and we believe this deal does that,” Tim Finucan, 32BJ SEIU state director, said in a statement. “We appreciate the strong relationship we have with the Philadelphia School District, and our shared commitment to providing family-sustaining wages, healthcare, and a ladder of opportunity within the district.”

    Union officials said membership will meet in the next two weeks to learn about and vote on the deal.

    In addition to higher pay, 32BJ was asking for a clearer path to job advancement, and ways to work with the school system to fill vacant jobs. The district often struggles to find qualified engineers and trades workers.

    Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. said in a statement that he was “pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with our 32BJ SEIU Philadelphia school workers that recognizes the essential contributions of these dedicated professionals. Every day, our staff helps to safely transport our students and create the safe, welcoming, and supportive environments our students need to learn and thrive.”

  • Man and woman charged with murder in shooting on I-95 that killed a 21-year-old bystander

    Man and woman charged with murder in shooting on I-95 that killed a 21-year-old bystander

    Aiden Zeallor was only trying to get home the night he was struck and killed by gunfire while driving on I-95 near Port Richmond last year.

    Zeallor, 21, was a bystander, in the wrong place at the wrong time when at least 50 rounds were fired at a nearby vehicle in what investigators said was an attempted targeted killing of another person.

    Now, nearly 18 months after the Levittown native’s death, police have arrested a man and woman they say are responsible.

    Alondra M. Lopez, 28, and Joseph G. Toledo-Gonzalez, 27, face charges of murder, attempted murder, and related crimes in connection with the 2025 shooting.

    Lopez is being held in the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center and Toledo-Gonzalez is being held in the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility. Both were denied bail.

    Zeallor’s mother, Denise Donahue, said the arrests have given her some semblance of closure, even if no development in the case will bring back her son.

    “He was a loving boy that should still be here,” Donahue said. “His life was stolen from him.”

    The curly-haired young man was an avid fisherman and outdoor enthusiast who worked as a technician for his family’s HVAC company and was always surrounded by friends, Donahue said.

    He was also devoted to his family, she said. Not long before Zeallor’s death, he had moved into his grandmother’s house in Northeast Philadelphia to take care of her and so she did not have to live alone.

    Donahue, meanwhile, continues to grieve the loss of her son. She had already experienced the death of Zeallor’s father, in 2009.

    Her life was again forever altered the evening of March 29, 2025, when she learned her son had been shot in the head and torso and was put on life support.

    A photo of Aiden Zeallor.Denise Donahue

    She rushed to the hospital from her home in Wildwood. Zeallor was declared brain-dead and died later that morning.

    Donahue said her son had been out dancing with a friend that evening at a nightclub in Philadelphia.

    The two were heading back to Zeallor’s grandmother’s house and were in the northbound lane of I-95 around 2:30 a.m. in Zeallor’s Ford Mustang when bullets fired from a semiautomatic rifle riddled a nearby Acura, the intended target of the shooting.

    Two stray bullets pierced Zeallor’s windshield as he drove, striking his right eye and under his right arm.

    The driver of the Acura was shot in the leg and was treated at a nearby hospital.

    Court documents offered few details about Lopez and Toledo-Gonzalez’s role in the shooting and do not describe the motive.

    A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Police, which is handling the investigation, did not immediately return a request for comment.

    A preliminary hearing for both defendants is scheduled for Sept. 14 in Municipal Court.

    Donahue said she and relatives plan to attend every court proceeding as they seek justice for Zeallor.

    They are also urging lawmakers to pass “Aiden’s Law,” which would require the installation of surveillance cameras on certain Pennsylvania highways to help investigators identify suspects in violent crimes.

    Meanwhile, the family is comforted knowing that Zeallor helped save four lives through organ donation.

    “We changed other people’s lives that day,” Donahue said. “That makes me proud, as Aiden’s mom.”