TOWANDA, Pa. — Her full name was Cashells Jry Shakira-Red-ET — Shakira to keep it simple — and like her namesake, the big red and white Holstein had 6-foot hips that didn’t lie as she hoofed down Main Street.
Shakira is a showgirl accustomed to winning, one of the few cows that allowed judges to place a floral crown on her head at the Bradford County dairy cow beauty pageant in Towanda on June 20, about 100 years after their last one.
“The most beautiful dairy cow in Bradford County, folks,” said Duane Naugle, Bradford County’s community planner and the day’s emcee.
A heifer is walked down Main St. in front of the County Courthouse in Towanda, Pa., for a cow beauty contest held on Saturday, June 20, 2026.Max Blease / For The Inquirer
Other winners were Skylar, a Lineback heifer, and Camo, a doe-eyed Brown Swiss calf.
“They’re my favorite breed. They’re just so dopey and docile,” Miranda Neville, a dairy farmer out of Warren Center, said of Camo. “I mean, just look at her.”
Bradford County, population 59,600, sits about 175 miles northwest of Philadelphia in North Central Pennsylvania. County officials said they found an old, black-and-white photo of a similar beauty pageant from 1926 in the county courthouse recently.
The 1926 event in Bradford County.Bradford County
The purpose of that contest a century ago, organizers said, was to highlight the county’s bustling dairy industry.
“Getting down to the main idea, it may be stated that the Chamber of Commerce has seized upon this opportunity of giving recognition to the basic industry of Bradford County — dairying,” The Daily Review newspaper wrote in 1926.
Officials figured that old photo was a sign, a good-enough reason to get cows on Main Street as part of the county’s ongoing celebration of America’s 250th. There was also free ice cream, a cow milking contest, and other livestock to pet.
Dixie Joseph leads her heifer down Main Street in Towanda, Pa., for a cow beauty contest in front of the Bradford County courthouse on June 20.Max Blease / For The Inquirer
A lot has changed in dairy over the decades, as dairy farms have shuttered by the thousands, nationwide. In 2025, the USDA reported 23,609 dairy farms across the country, a 70% decrease in just 20 years.
Earlier this year, The Inquirer chronicled the plight of a longtime dairy farm in New Jersey’s most rural county. Owners there were denied a variance to install solar panels and stopped milking shortly after.
“We have been losing money for the last 10 years,” a young farmer there told The Inquirer.
Henry Farley, the mayor of Sayre, Bradford County, said there were 41,311 dairy cows in the county in 1920. That number is down to 10,059 dairy cows today, he said.
“We remain an agricultural county, and dairy is still a big part of it,” he said. “This is still rural America, and this was a great way to showcase that.”
A cow owner glances back in front of a crowd gathered at the Bradford County courthouse for a cow beauty contest in Towanda, Pa., on June 20.Max Blease / For The Inquirer
Top employers in Bradford County include medical facilities, a mill, Walmart, and Cargill, a beef-processing plant in Wyalusing, where most major league baseballs are made from dairy cow hides.
Many of the farmers in Towanda on June 20 owned small farms, which are the hardest to keep afloat. Most of the owners couldn’t depend on dairy as a full-time income and worked other jobs as a result.
Many dairy farms in Bradford County have transitioned to beef, poultry, or swine.
“Well, it’s pretty simple. Dairy prices are down, and beef is up,” said dairy farmer McKenzie Slater.
Neville said she still milks 60 cows at her dairy, Vin-Deb Farms, but it’s not her only source of income. She also works for Bradford County’s conservation district.
Sheyann of Campbell Farm rests on top of her calf, Norma, ahead of Bradford County’s cow beauty contest in Towanda, Pa., on June 20.Max Blease / For The Inquirer
“We all have full-time jobs, too, along with farming,” Neville said. “That’s normal around here.”
Even Shakira, the showgirl, still milks, producing more than 11 gallons per day. She’s just preened and washed a bit more. Her udders hung low on Main Street.
“She’s milking pretty heavy right now,” said owner Hannah Watson, of Columbia Crossroads, Bradford County. “It’s whole milk, straight from the cow.”
A judge scores the cows on their beauty in front of the Bradford County courthouse in Towanda, Pa., on June 20.Max Blease / For The Inquirer
Siddiq Kamara remembers standing side by side with his aunt outside of the Delaware County courthouse and calling for changes in how police are trained after a stray bullet fired by Sharon Hill police officers killedhis cousin Fanta Bility.
Three years later, his office is inside that same building.
Kamara, 30, became the youngest sheriff in Delaware County history when he cruised to victory in November with 63% of the vote. The son of Liberian immigrants, Kamara turned his family’s tragedy into a platform for improving the way community policing is carried out in his home county.
“The people in Delaware County, I’m here to work with them, and my office is going to do that every single day,” he said.
“This is the greatest country in the world. Being 30, being Muslim, being a first-generation immigrant and being the sheriff of one of the biggest counties in Pennsylvania, it’s unheard of. And I don’t take that lightly.”
In his first six months in office, Kamara equipped all of his deputies with body cameras and beefed up recruiting efforts, including open fitness tests throughout the county, to help fill the 35 vacancies he inherited. He’s mandated de-escalation and regular firearms training for his deputies, in memory of his cousin.
Siddiq Kamara (left) stood by his aunt, Tenneh Kromah, in January 2025 as they renamed a park in Sharon Hill after his cousin Fanta Bility.Tom Gralish
Delaware County Council President Monica Taylor said Kamara is bringing a fresh perspective to a row office that often gets overlooked.
“He doesn’t just talk. He does the work,” Taylor said. “That’s what makes him a great public servant. He’s bringing everyone to the table to make these improvements.”
That’s notable for a county sheriff, given the role traditionally, doesn’t require officials to stray too far beyond the county courthouse. But Kamara wants to change that, making sure he and his deputies are a frequent presence in the towns they serve.
That desire comes from Kamara’s own experience. After serving six years in the Army National Guard, Kamara became a police officer in Yeadon. He later took a job in the state Attorney General’s Office, working in various roles including narcotics and the personal protection detail for then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
Kamara’s cultural background and linguistic skills — he speaks African dialects including Mandingo and Fula, as well as French — were called upon by federal investigators as they built their case against Laye Sekou Camara, a Liberian war criminal.
He said he became a police officer because so many people in his community in Upper Darby, drawing on their experiences in their home countries, were distrustful of police.
“We interact with the public every single day, and sometimes these individuals, we’re not getting them at their happiest time. It’s their most vulnerable time, and you have to use empathy,” he said. “So we’ve been sending some of our supervisors to trainings so they can understand the tools when they’re out there in the community and they can teach their fellow colleagues how to de-escalate situations.”
But when Fanta Bility was gunned down in August 2021, Kamara’s professional ambitions changed. The 8-year-old was struck by a stray bullet after three Sharon Hill officers opened fire toward a crowd leaving a high school football game. They were aiming at a car they mistakenly believed was the source of a nearby shooting.
Those officers were later fired and pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment. But Kamara knew something had to change.
“If you understand what happened that day to my cousin, cops, unfortunately, we can’t make mistakes. It costs people’s lives,“ he said. ”And, that day, it cost my cousin’s life, so I wanted to make sure that in my capacity, as the sheriff, our officers are properly trained.”
Siddiq Kamara speaks during a backpack giveaway at Sharon Hill Elementary School in August 2023 held in memory of Fanta Bility.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, a Democrat who sponsored a bill nicknamed “Fanta’s Law” that would require all Delaware County police departments to be accredited and receive annual use-of-force training, has been a mentor and friend to Kamara for years.
“Back then, he was annoying,” Williams joked. “But he learned from my team, and it grew from him just being unapologetically persistent and curious, to him understanding he has a real value.”
From Kamara’s early days of volunteering at political events, it was clear to Williams that he was dedicated to public service. “Fanta’s Law,” Williams said, is their latest collaboration.
“He’s here to improve things, not just here to say ‘I have a title and have a position,’” Williams said. “It’s clear he wants to find out how to use this position to improve the office and also improve the lives of people who don’t even know about the office.”
Kamara, for his part, said he’s thankful for the opportunity to enact change in the county that raised him.
“When you’re in an office, and I teach my deputies this all the time, is that we do the protection part, but we’ll forget sometimes about serving,” he said. “And serving goes a long way.”
The Phillies game wasn’t over yet last month but it was over as Nick Piccone kept the TV on mute like a distraction in the background. The Phils trailed the Nationals by two runs and were down to their last strike with the bases empty in the ninth on June 23. It was over.
But Piccone — just like lots of diehards who accepted a loss but refused to stop watching — didn’t turn it off.
“Just in case,” he said.
And then it happened. The Phillies scored eight runs with two outs, delivering the most unlikely win of the season. It was time for Piccone to work. He’s built a following in recent seasons for being the guy who clips the radio calls of Philly sports highlights and posts them to social media.
First, he had to listen to how Scott Franzke — the Phils’ radio voice on 94.1 WIP — described the action.
“I got goose bumps when I listened to it,” said Piccone, who lives in Delaware County. “And I just knew Phillies fans are going to love this.”
He posted a montage of Franzke’s pitch-perfect calls that night and then watched them go viral. Philadelphia loves its teams but the city has always had a deep relationship with the voices, putting Piccone at the intersection of fandom and the way we enjoy it.
Brandon Marsh’s homer was thrilling, but how much better did Franzke’s narration make it feel?
“You could tell that the fan kind of came out,” Piccone said. “Like, he didn’t think that was going to happen. He had the same reaction that we did, and he’s calling it. He reaches that second level for a regular season game when I’m sure he probably thought this was going to be a loss. You could hear the surprise in his voice.
“If you’re listening live on the radio, you feel that instantly. And even if you’re watching the video, you’re like, ‘Oh my God.’ Having him feel what we feel and hear his voice match what we’re feeling inside, makes it so much better. It makes those moments so much better.”
Phillies radio play-by-play announcer Scott Franzke (left) with TV analyst John Kruk. NBC Sports Philadelphia
Piccone does not get paid to post his videos, but he commits himself every game — “I watch every pitch,” he said — to tracking the calls of the big plays and sharing them on social media. He does the same thing for other teams. It’s how he enjoys the game.
It takes about 10 minutes for Piccone to edit the clip on his computer and post it on social media.
“People would message me from Europe or Asia and say, ‘I’m stationed here’ or ‘I moved here for work, and your videos make me feel like I’m home,’” Piccone said. “When I started doing it, I wasn’t even thinking about that stuff. So when people say that I was able to provide that, I was like, ‘Wow.’ That’s a huge reason why I continue to do it.”
His hustle gives a radio broadcast a new life, allowing Franzke’s words to be heard again and again. Some people want to relive a moment they already enjoyed. Others want to feel closer to home.
“It’s flattering, honestly,” Franzke said. “It’s humbling to know that it resonates enough with someone to know that they’re willing to go through that sort of trouble and effort to spread the word.”
Brandon Marsh watches the ball after hitting a two-run home run against the Washington Nationals on June 23.Jess Rapfogel
From Dolly to Franzke
Franzke was told when he first got into the business to have someone in mind to whom you are broadcasting.
“For me, the general Delaware Valley listener is stuck in traffic on the Schuylkill,” Franzke said.
His voice is the soundtrack of traffic jams, days at the beach, and backyard barbecues. Kids tune their radio to the Phils while they’re putting on their PJs, just like their grandparents used to sneak transistor radios under their pillows. They listen to Franzke on their porch at night and power walk around the neighborhood with his voice in their earbuds.
Radio broadcasters Larry Andersen (left) and Scott Franzke (right) call a Phillies game in 2011.
The Phillies broadcast their first game on the radio in 1936 with a former umpire named Dolly Stark calling the action. He was regarded as the National League’s top ump but quit after the 1935 season when the league balked at his request for a raise from his $9,000 salary.
“A new sports thrill,” said the advertisement for the games that were broadcast on WIP 610. “Seeing the game through the umpire’s eyes! Hearing what he thinks about every play, while that play is being made! And it’s a thrill that will last all summer.”
Stark called games for just one season before he returned to calling balls and strikes. But the game became the perfect radio sport. The pace is slow enough for the broadcaster to share a story and make you comfortable. Yet the action becomes exciting enough for them to build drama and make you feel something.
The umpire was followed by greats who became voices of summer like By Saam, Bill Campbell, Harry Kalas, and Franzke. Richie Ashburn ordered pizzas, Chris Wheeler taught you something, and Larry Andersen admires the umpire. There’s just something about baseball on the radio. It works.
“I think one of the reasons that baseball on the radio still works is because people can consume it passively,” Franzke said. “They’re driving, falling asleep in their beach chair, or doing yard work. They can do other things and be a part of it. A lot of people like the audio wallpaper, if you will. It’s there. It’s around them. They enjoy it passively and do other things in their life. We’re just along for the ride, I guess.”
Piccone’s clips show that Franzke is more than just enjoying the ride. He’s driving the car. It wasn’t a silent clip of Marsh’s homer that went viral last week. It was the clip of Marsh’s homer with the announcer sounding just as stunned as you were that it happened.
Franzke said it’s the moment that “generates the goose bumps,” since he’s just a guy. And it was the guy calling that moment last week that gave Piccone chills.
“It doesn’t matter when it is during the season, September or April, the story of the game takes over,” Piccone said. “I think he tells that story perfectly in his calls. Offense, a great defensive play, a strikeout. That emotion comes through and you know it’s a big moment.”
Nick Piccone says he’s “kind of jealous” of people who grew up listening to baseball games on the radio. “I didn’t even think of consuming sports in that way when I was younger. I’m glad I’m able to do it now.”Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Being that guy
Piccone grew up on the 1993 Phillies and started watching the other teams in 1999 as a freshman at Kingsway High School. He soon was a diehard: devastated when they lost and elated when they won.
“I just consume it,” Piccone said last month. “Like, I’m mad the Phillies lost today.”
But the guy who chops up the audio of every radio broadcast didn’t grow up listening to the radio. He just watched it on TV.
“People who say they were brought up listening to sports on the radio, I’m kind of jealous of them,” Piccone, 40, said. “Because I didn’t even think of consuming sports in that way when I was younger. I’m glad I’m able to do it now.”
“We just have amazing play-by-play guys. You think of the Phillies, you think of Franzke. You think of the Flyers, you think of Tim Saunders. You think of the Sixers, you think of Tom McGinnis. Eagles, Merrill Reese and Mike Quick. They’re synonymous with the teams.”
Piccone planned to do what he does now — clip the radio call and match it to the TV feed — when the Eagles played the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. But his buddy’s Wi-Fi dropped that night, so Piccone closed his laptop and watched the game like a normal fan. And then the Eagles won, and he wished he had the clips.
He made sure to have a stronger connection in 2022 when the Phillies went to the World Series. He clipped every call that October, and his social media following soared.
He sends out Franzke’s call along with the team’s Spanish broadcasters and the opponent’s call. Piccone noticed that the TV calls are the ones usually shared by the teams or networks. The radio guys, he thought, weren’t getting their due.
People soon started messaging him for specific calls or pointing out things he may have missed. He suddenly felt like he had a responsibility. He became that guy.
“It’s fun being known for that,” said Piccone, who writes for Crossing Broad. “I like being that guy.”
The Phillies season likely will end in October again, giving Piccone plenty of moments to share. The goose bumps, he said, usually are felt in the fall when the stakes are higher. But sometimes the broadcaster makes you feel it on a weeknight in June. And that’s why you leave the game on.
“People will say, ‘I heard your call,’” said Franzke, who is not on X, formerly known as Twitter. “And there’s two places they heard it: WIP playing it back or on social media. It’s cool that Nick invests that kind of time. At the end of day, this promotes what we’re doing.”
Philadelphia’s late-night fireworks display was prompted by concerns over safety and a poor long-range weather outlook, city officials said Sunday morning, as work crews were busy cleaning up Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway from the July Fourth celebration.
A massive Liberty Bell display still hung over the stage near the Philadelphia Art Museum, where hours earlier Meek Mill, Will Smith, and backing band the Roots were the last to perform at the One Philly: Unity Concert for America. Gone were the fireworks and revelers, but the white tents, chain-link fencing, and long rows of porta-potties were reminders of a concert that lasted until nearly 2:45 a.m.
It wasn’t supposed to go that long. But a summer storm around 9 p.m. rolled in with intense wind gusts, rain, and lightning, leading the city to evacuate the Parkway.
The city didn’t have an official number, but estimated that “thousands” of concertgoers returned, just after midnight, to get the party started again. So did the performers, with the exception of Christina Aguilera.
Items from last night’s festivities on the Ben Franklin Parkway wait to be picked up in Philadelphia on Sunday, July 5, 2026.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said she trusted the experts and welcomed people back to the concert venue once it was safe.
“I want to thank the Roots and all of their incredible guests for their relentless energy and for delivering an incredibly inspiring performance worthy of America’s 250th birthday,” Parker said in a Sunday news release.
The decision to proceed with the fireworks was made by city experts, led by Managing Director Adam K. Thiel, and the mayor was informed, said Parker spokesperson Joe Grace.
The weather forecast factored into the decision, Grace said. The city will be under a flood watch starting at 2 p.m., and rain and storms are likely over the next 10 days, so postponing the fireworks to another day did not make sense, he said.
“Once fireworks are loaded, they cannot be safely unloaded,” Grace said. “From a safety and operational standpoint, completing the fireworks display was the right decision.”
Some detractors of the late fireworks display turned to online forums to complain about the noise.
“Ok so I wasn’t dreaming. I was actually awakened by an officially sanctioned fireworks display at 2:30 a.m.,” one Reddit user wrote.
Mykola Kosyk of Fairmount said it was disappointing that the city waited until nearly 3 a.m. — far too late for children — for a show that lasted only about 10 minutes.
“It was the worst fireworks display ever,” Kosyk said. He called it a “basic display” that wasn’t on par with the historical significance of the Semiquincentennial.
Kosyk says he collects fireworks memorabilia dating back to the 1800s, and he and his wife travel the state visiting fireworks displays. He said the company putting on the show, Pyrotecnico, is “well-renowned,” and he blamed the city for not planning a better show.
As the smoke from the fireworks show settled around 3 a.m., the city’s Department of Sanitation sent out approximately 100 laborers and 50 trucks to clean up the Ben Franklin Parkway and the surrounding area, the city said in the news release.
By morning, much of the mess was gone. Security magnetometers sat in a pile, ready to be picked up and taken away, while dozens of staff from Imperial Events Services worked to keep runners and curious onlookers out of what was supposed to be a secure area.
“The joggers are mad at us,” said one staffer, as his team found a gap in the fence that allowed people into the closed-off area.
Workers dismantle the stage from last night’s concert along the Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia on Sunday, July 5, 2026.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
One visitor was disappointed that the stage breakdown temporarily blocked the front of the Art Museum.
“We want to see the Rocky steps, but we can’t,” said Angelika Gamez, who flew in from Bogota, Colombia, for the France-Paraguay soccer match Saturday.
Still, Gamez said her visit to Philly was amazing, weather aside.
“It was very hot. In Colombia, we don’t have seasons like this.”
When Jared Adkins gets interested in something, he goes all in. That’s how he ended up learning about distilling, opening Bluebird Distilling in Phoenixville roughly a decade ago. Then, he became infatuated with pizza dough.
It’s led to an expansion of the business: Bluebird Distilling & Dough House, which will open its doors officially on Tuesday.
The $2.2 million renovation adds a whole new component to the cocktail bar, which will now offer a “neo-Neapolitan” — a modern, Americanized take on the classic — pizzeria and restaurant. Changes also haveexpanded the bar itself, added to the dining room, and enhanced the retail and bottle shop.
Adding food was something Adkins, Bluebird’s owner and master distiller, didn’t initially anticipate when they opened the distillery in 2015. But in 2022, he started to get the itch. He considered a full-scale restaurant, and began the early planning for one. But then there was just something about pizza dough that caught his attention.
He signed himself up for pizza school, and spent three days in Washington, D.C., learning from chefs about the art of pizza making.
“There was like a light bulb that went off,” he said. “We’re already doing so much fermenting that just seemed the natural next step to get into dough making.”
Bluebird Distilling founder and master distiller Jared Adkins. The expansion has been a year in the making, a longer consideration for Adkins.Photos courtesy of Ed Newton
As he threw himself into dough-making a few years ago, he connected with pizzaiolo Gregorio Fierro to learn the basics. That helped get his vision off the ground, as he began designing what the kitchen would look like.
DevonMigeot is joining as executive chef to bring the menu to fruition every night. Migeot spent roughly a decade working as sous chef at Philadelphia’s Zahav and Laser Wolf, plus Tresini in Ambler, and as chef du cuisine at Rosalie in Wayne.
Together, they’ll offer pizza made with 100% Petra stone-ground Italian flour, milled from 100% Italian wheat, with no preservatives or additives. The business will have house-baked breads, plus shareable small plates. Offerings will include ricotta gnudi with sweet corn, brown butter, and scallions; meatballs with beef, pork, gravy, and Parmesan; beets and burrata; chicory salad; a snacking plate of meats and cheeses; and more.
The decision to expand into food comes at a particularly salient time, Adkins said. The industry as a whole has been seeing a decrease in people drinking.
“It’s kind of perfect timing that it’s going to fill a niche where maybe people aren’t coming in solely just for drinks anymore as much, but now [we’re] giving another artisan aspect of having pizza, or something that we’re really putting a lot of time in, to craft the best,” he said.
A look at the expanded cocktail bar, part of the distillery’s larger renovation.Photos courtesy of Ed Newton
The distillery will still, of course, honor its roots with its spirits and cocktails. It’ll feature old favorites, such as Bluebird (a vodka, blueberry, lime, and mint mix) and the Phoenixville Old Fashioned.
But new additions will join too. Customers can try the Huntsman, which will feature French cigar bourbon, morel-infused vermouth, tobacco bitters, and stave smoke; or the Rum Ham, a pancetta fat-washed Bluebird dark rum along with burnt pineapple syrup, and tiki bitters; or Off the Vine, a “garden-inspired” martini composed of Juniperus Gin, basil, lemon, agave nectar, Aleppo pepper, and “clarified” tomato.
The renovation also came with some aesthetic changes. In 2015, they led with a steampunk vibe, Adkins said. They refreshed the interior, using a Japanese-style charred wood that resembles the inside of a barrel.
A transformed Bluebird Distilling will open July 7 after a $2.2 million renovation has expanded founder Jared Adkins’ vision. The space adds a new neo-Neapolitan pizzeria and restaurant, plus a reimagined cocktail bar, dining room, and retail and bottle shop.Photos courtesy of Ed Newton
The outside patio is now enclosed, featuring a “huge” rectangular bar, which can seat up to 30 people. Adkins described the bar area as light and airy, where it feels communal and social. It feels more “upper casual” than “too-serious speakeasy.” Surrounded by windows, it feels like you’re sitting on the street, in the middle of the action, he said.
When customers are ready for dinner, they can head back to the lounge, which curates a masculine, Western style.
And the kitchen, where customers get to enjoy watching the whole process unfold, embraces that steampunk essence with barrels hanging from the ceiling.
“I feel like as you walk through the area, you’re getting two or three different experiences all at once,” he said.
The bar was open through renovations, but operating with 50% of the facility for the last seven or so months, and maintaining about 80% of their normal crowds. It took some ingenuity, he said.
As they look at the new chapter, it feels like starting all over again, he said.
“I think it fills a gap on one side for us there, of now we have something else that we can present to our customers for an overall experience,” he said. “That’s what we’re going for the most. We’re giving our cocktail experience, our spirits experience, and now a dough side of it.”
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The house: A 1,150-square-foot townhouse in Southwest Philly with two bedrooms and two bathrooms built in 1925.
The price: Listed for $180,000; purchased for $165,000.
The agent: Kristie Bergey, Coldwell Banker
The ask: Dylan Foglesong felt like he was overpaying for his apartment. He was spending $2,600 a month, plus utilities, for a two-bedroom place in Manayunk, and the money was going toward a place he would never own.
Dylan Foglesong tends to an area he calls the shrine in his home.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
After six months, he paid the fee to break his lease and moved into a house with friends. His rent dropped to $600 a month, and because he was subletting month-to-month, he could leave whenever he wanted. He was saving more than $2,000 a month, and he realized he could put that money toward buying a house.
Foglesong had a simple wish list. As an avid cyclist, he wanted to be near multiple bike paths. He also wanted outdoor space, two usable bedrooms, and a low price. He did not care about central air or polished finishes. “I just wanted a cheap place that worked,” he said.
The search: Foglesong started searching in January,focusing on a small section of Southwest Philadelphia near Bartram’s Garden and the trail network along the Schuylkill. He wanted to remain close to Center City so he could bike to work.
Foglesong uses the rope wall to work out in the studio of his home.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
He saw five houses. The first one was in his ideal location, but the floors were scratched and coming up, the kitchen looked decades out of date, and the upstairs had the cramped three-bedroom layout he wanted to avoid. It would have taken too much work to reach a point where he was not “barfing every morning at how much of an eyesore it was,” he said.
The only other serious contender had a large backyard, a clean basement, and an updated kitchen. But a quarter of the ceiling in one upstairs room appeared to be collapsing because of a leak. The house was listed for about $212,000. Foglesong offered $190,000, figuring he could use the difference to repair the roof, but the seller rejected the offer.
The appeal: The fifth and final house had a great layout. Both rooms upstairs were large. It also recently had “a really thoughtful renovation,” Foglesong said. The updates included a new HVAC system and appliances, while the house also had a finished basement with high ceilings, outdoor space, and an enclosed front porch where he could store his bikes.
Foglesong also liked the location on a quiet side street with little through traffic. “It’s on the kind of street that you wouldn’t drive down unless you lived there or you knew someone who lived there,” Foglesong said. Most of the houses on the block were occupied, which made the neighborhood feel established.
Dylan Foglesong is reflected in a mirror that hangs, next to classic car ads, in the foyer of his home.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
The deal: The house had initially been listed for a little more than $181,000 before the seller lowered the price to $180,000. It had been on the market for roughly five months by the time Foglesong saw it.
He offered $170,000 and asked the seller to contribute 3% toward closing costs. They declined the closing assistance but countered at $165,000. The lower price ended up saving Foglesong the same amount of money, so he accepted.
The inspection was clean, save for one issue with the electrical. When Foglesong called Peco to arrange service, he learned that the house was not legally connected, even though the power was on. An electrical inspection found that the breaker box needed work, and the seller hired an electrician to set it up properly. But Foglesong still could not transfer the service into his name until the seller paid thousands of dollars in outstanding utility balances. The whole thing “seemed a little sus,” Foglesong said, but it worked out.
The money: Foglesong put 3% down, or $4,950. Including his closing costs, he paid about $11,600 out of pocket to buy the $165,000 house. His mortgage rate is 6.25%. Today, his monthly payment, including property taxes, is $1,300.
He already had some savings when he moved in with roommates, but the drop in rent allowed him to build the rest quickly. He estimates that he was saving nearly $3,000 a month. Within 3½ months, he had accumulated enough to cover the down payment and closing costs. “You take that little compromise for a couple of months,” Foglesong said about moving in with friends, “and all of a sudden you have $11,000 in your bank account.”
The move: Foglesong closed in April and moved his belongings from the shared house into a 10-foot U-Haul. Everything fit in one load, and he completed the move over two days without hiring movers or asking friends to help.
He managed it alone because he did not own much heavy furniture. His couch comes apart into sections, and he sleeps on a futon that he could fold and carry over his shoulders. For everything else, he improvised. “You put a blanket on the stairs, slide the furniture down,” Foglesong said. “You figure it out.”
Life after close: At first, buying the house felt less momentous than Foglesong expected. He had imagined “a really grand, movie-montage sequence,” he said, but moving in felt much like any of the other moves he had made during his 10 years in Philadelphia.
But as the weeks passed, the difference between his new home and the others became clearer. He was no longer paying rent for a place that belonged to someone else. He owned the house, and the monthly payment was within his budget. “It’s very grounding to wake up in a place that you can afford,” Fogelson said.
The experience also reinforced his belief that young buyers may need to reconsider what they expect from their first home. “You have to be realistic about what you can access right now,” Foglesong said. “Your first house doesn’t have to be your dream home.”
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct real estate agent Kristie Bergey’s name.
Did you recently buy a home in the Philadelphia area or South Jersey? Share the story of how you did it. Email Inquirer real estate reporters at properties@inquirer.com.
The eve of the United States’ 250th birthday in Philadelphia was less celebration and more chagrin, as oppressive heat left swaths of tourists and revelers in an aimless search of pomp and circumstance.
On Friday, Wawa’s Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade was canceled because of 100-plus-degree temperatures and aperilous heat index. It was one of numerous events called off or shortened this holiday weekend, as the scorching weather has thwarted events across the region, and potential storms could impact more.
The cancellation left scores of sweat-soaked performers, musicians, and historical reenactors in wool garb stranded near Independence Hall and around Center City. There might not have been the sort of “shews, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations” that John Adams prophesied in a July 3, 1776, letter to his wife, but there was still an air of importance — and some impromptu pageantry.
“We won’t be around for the 300th, so we really wanted to come for the 250th,” said war re-enactor Kathy Touzjian, 61. Touzjian and Laurie Pelletier were among a 75-person Massachusetts Army of 1775 troupe, who traveled six hours by bus to be in Friday’s parade.
“At least we still have cheesesteaks,” Touzjian said.
To the pair, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the fledgling country’s split from Great Britain felt different — and not just because of the heat. Now more than ever, Pelletier said, it was important to return to the country’s bedrock: liberty and independence for all.
“Today is still special,” saidPelletier, 60. “It’s a chance to recognize what our ancestors gave us, because the world is falling apart and this brings people together.”
The cancellation didn’t immediately send the performers home; instead, the duo stayed to play the fife, a wooden instrument similar to a piccolo, throughout Old City. As they readied their three-layer historic attire, Touzjian hoped future generations would heed her advice:
“No matter how hot it is, do not cancel the 300th independence parade.”
At Independence National Historical Park, people clamored for respite in the tree-lined periphery, in the sliver of shade by the Liberty Bell, or the air-conditioned Independence Hall. Around noon, the line to see the historic site of the Second Continental Congress snaked through the courtyard. While entries were paused as the building surged to capacity, history buffs dressed in colonial costume gave mini lectures, and a few marooned groups didn’t let the weather dampen their dancing. Indianapolis-based squad Ballet Folklorico Mosaicos performed their routine inspired by an annual carnival in Veracruz, Mexico, while Asian American Dragon & Lion Dance artisans carried a long puppet dragon to the beat of a drum.
“I feel immense pride to be able to show the love for our country,” said Henry Lee, founder and director of Asian American Dragon & Lion Dance.
Asian American Dragon Lion Dance outside Independence Hall today. “I feel immense pride to be able to show the love for our country,” said group founder Henry Lee. pic.twitter.com/2WLv1ErZej
Teens from Sahuarita High School’s band came a long way from their Arizona homes only to not be able to march through Center City. But, director Ben Garland said it taught his 87 students a valuable lesson about being an American: community. Garland praised organizers for making the parade participants feel included in the 250th.
“Most of my students have never even been on a plane before and coming here was their opportunity to see the Wast coast and engage with history they wouldn’t see otherwise,” he said. “For us the trip was worth it for what they have been able to learn and the camaraderie they have built here.”
Across the city, Allison Utain and her husband found a form of patriotism at the Philadelphia Museum of Art no less festive than what they were hoping for in the parade.
“You see a culmination of so many cultures that make the tapestry of what American is,” Utain said, “far from perfect, but it’s great.”
Despite a rocky start, city leaders and tourism officials have postured Philadelphia’s Semiquincentennial celebrations as the country’s defining 250th party. And there’s immense pressure for the city to meet its moment, as commemorative events — from George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate to the Boston Harbor — and the American royal wedding between Pennsylvania’s own Taylor Swift and Eagles-adjacent Travis Kelce compete for the nation’s attention.
Alex Bergstedt and his wife traveled from Idaho to Philadelphia because they “knew Fourth of July would be big.” Nicholas Roth and two friends came from upstate New York to walk where the Founding Fathers were.
Just this week, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker reiterated the gravity of the grandeur: “We won’t get a second chance to do this over again, Philadelphia. We only turn 250 years old once in a lifetime.” The mayor defendedthe city’s July Fourth concert planned for Saturday, amid concerns about the dangerously high temperatures and revelations that the event will cost taxpayers more.
As of late Friday afternoon, the concert was still on. Misting stations and water-refilling stations will be available along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway during the seven-hour billing, featuring acts such as Jill Scott, Christina Aguilera, The Roots, Will Smith, and Freeway, the city said. Officials pleaded with attendees to prepare accordingly.
On the Parkway Friday, it was hot enough to see the shimmering heat on the asphalt. Most people rushed from museums to other scraps of shade, while some poured water down the backs of their necks, and dozens of children and their families streamed through the Swann Memorial Fountain at Logan Circle.
Yet, this isn’t Philadelphia’s first brush with a foiled fete. In 1976, the city’s grand plans for its Bicentennial were dashed — not by weather, but rather unmeetable expectations. The blunder of ‘76 was an unrivaled level of municipal malaise, according to contemporaneous reports.
Visitors to Independence Hall, in Philadelphia, July 3, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
This year,Ron Crofoot traveled to Philadelphia to be with his granddaughter as her marching band was supposed to perform at the parade. He reflected on what it was like to have celebrated the Bicentennial.
“How quickly 50 years go by,” he said. “I won’t see the next — it gets more meaningful as you get older — you come to appreciate the uniqueness of the United States.”
The rupture at the President’s House is just one part of the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign to purge history it says “inappropriately disparage[s] Americans past or living.”
It wasn’t immediately known if federal authorities would attempt to install the panels during this historic weekend.
In a video address, a block north at the National Constitution Center, Pope Leo XIV called for a “recommitment” to the nation’s ideals as he accepted the center’s prestigious Liberty Medal. The first U.S.-born pope has been outspoken about calls for international peace, which have landed him at odds with Trump’s immigration policies and the war with Iran.
“I’ve never seen such patriotism in one place,” said Thad Waites, 81, who traveled from Hattiesburg, Miss., for the Semiquincentennial — and hear from Pope Leo XIV.
Andrew McLaughlin, 68, of West Chester, recently returned from a trip to Chicago.
“I think it brings back pride in the country,” McLaughlin said of the 250th anniversary.
By Friday evening, Philly’s proclivity for wackiness was on full display when a crowd formed on Independence Mall, shouting “one more Ben, one more Ben” as men and women dressed like Benjamin Franklin walked through the plain-clothed masses.
It wasn’t a catwalk, per se, but rather the Franklin stroll. The mob had gathered to find the Founding Father’s best doppelganger.
“You have to make the event you want to see in the world, said organizer Elena Jackendoff, 32, who is a student at Johns Hopkins University. “I wanted to see 250 bald caps.”
Opposite Market Street, thousands gathered to hear Pops on Independence. By the delayed-8 p.m. start time, the temp had fallen to a pleasant 89 degrees and the orchestra played on with featured Broadway star Idina Menzel.
Last year’s Pops concert was cut short by rain. This year, the sky held dark clouds and some flashes of lightning, but the precipitation stayed at bay as Menzel made her appearance to a roaring audience.
“There is something especially fitting about gathering here, surrounded by the places where the nation was born,” said Steven Sims, superintendent of Independence National Historical Park, told spectators stretched out on the lawn.
Music, he said, “has always brought people together.”
Staff writers Peter Dobrin and Nick Vadala contributed to this article.
At the Benjamin Franklin look-alike contest at Independence Hall, which was supposed to end early, the crowd enthusiastically shouted, “One more Ben, one more Ben.” Latecomers — men and women dressed like the famed Founding Father — walked through the crowd to the front.
It wasn’t a catwalk, per se, but the Franklin stroll.
Kiya Burgess, 25, was crowned the victor of the Franklin free-for-all.
Elena Jackendoff, 32, a student at Johns Hopkins University studying public health, organized the event.
“You have to make the event you want to see in the world,” she said.
She organized the lookalike on a lark, making the flyers after her last final exam and pasting them across the city. She expected to see a few of her friends, not hundreds of people.
Many of the Franklins — like Kara Peterschmidt, 25; Kyra Feinauer, 25; and Lauren Zwetzig, 24 — didn’t even have to go out to buy a costume. The friend group had hosted a Constitution-themed housewarming a while back and came dressed in the same white wigs and tops.
Asked about the truest Ben Franklin expression, Peterschmidt said, “It’s definitely a mog.”
One of the contestants shows off their legs.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff PhotographerEach contestant had to say why they were the best Ben Franklin.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff PhotographerGene Backus (left) and Maria D’Agostino (right) of Anchorage, Alaska take a selfie with Ben Franklin (Gabriel Meyer) of Levittown.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff PhotographerContestants pose for the cameras. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff PhotographerContestants are all smiles in the Ben Franklin lookalike contest.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff PhotographerFootwear worn by some of the contestants.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff PhotographerContestants explain why they were the best Ben Franklin.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff PhotographerThe crowd cheers for the contestants.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff PhotographerMitchell Kramer holds up the arm of contest winner Kiya Burgess of Philadelphia.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
The Democratic nominee for a crucial swing seat in Pennsylvania is accusing the Republican incumbent of making categorically false and defamatory statements, the latest move as escalating attack ads circulate in the Bucks County district.
Attorneys representing Bob Harvie sent a cease-and-desist letter to U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a five-term Republican incumbent facing a competitive reelection, and his campaign for a “series of defamatory allegations” that, they say, misleadingly portray Harvie’s role in an FBI investigation.
A lawyer representing Fitzpatrick and his campaign confirmed receipt of the letter but did not respond to additional requests for comment.
The advertisements purport that Harvie, a Bucks County commissioner, is currently under criminal investigation for stealing taxpayer money, assertions his campaign said falsely stem from a federal case that appeared to have quieted after the grand jury met in Philadelphia in 2022. The probe was about problems related to contracts, unions, and a Pennsylvania school district.
Harvie is not and never was under investigation, his lawyers said, nor was he the subject of the federal case, but mailers and television spots continue to blur the lines.
The election fights are ramping up as both men compete to win Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional district in November, and with it, decide fate over which party controls the U.S. House. It’s one of four seats in the commonwealth being targeted by both political parties during the high-stakes midterm elections. Fitzpatrick has represented the area since 2017.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.) speaks to reporters on June 3 after the House passed an Iran war powers resolution.Haiyun Jiang
Harvie’s attorneys sent Fitzpatrick and his campaign the letter Thursday shortly after 5 p.m. and gave the campaign 24 hours to respond.
“Brian Fitzpatrick’s lies are intended to deceive the voters and that’s a disgrace to this district,” Harvie said in a statement.
Further action will depend on whether and how Fitzpatrick and his campaign proceeds, Harvie’s campaign said.
Defending America PAC, a political action committee that supports Fitzpatrick, has also used similar language in social media posts, news releases, and video content that said Harvie is the subject of an FBI investigation. Harvie’s campaign sent Defending America PAC a cease-and-desist letter Thursday, too, around 9 a.m.
In a statement, Chris Pack, president of the PAC, said further legal action from Harvie would be an effort “to chill protected political speech.”
Harvie and several other officials were among those who testified before a grand jury in the probe, which has not been active since 2022, the campaign said. But Harvie and his lawyers in the letter maintain he “is not now and has never been the subject of any criminal investigation” or stealing money from taxpayers to throw himself a party.
Political advertisements, paid for by the Fitzpatrick campaign, suggest otherwise.
In a television spot that has aired on three cable systems that run across the district since June 30, a man is seen asking, “Commissioner Harvie, why did you steal taxpayer money to throw yourself a party” while the words “BOB HARVIE UNDER FBI INVESTIGATION” are displayed on screen. His campaign committee, Brian Fitzpatrick for All of Us, paid for the ads.
The letter also accuses Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent himself, of “actual malice,” which would require proof in court that he made the advertisements with knowledge that the allegations were false or with reckless disregard to whether they were false or not.
When similar charges were made in 2023in a race for county commissioner, Harvie denied the claims as false.
“There comes a line where you cannot straight up lie about folks,” said Dan McCormick, Harvie’s campaign manager.
What other action could be taken?
Harvie’s campaign could file a lawsuit claiming Fitzpatrick has defamed him, but that would involve likely months of subpoenas, depositions, and evidence gathering before the case potentially goes to a judge or jury — a process that could extend past November’s election.
The Federal Election Commission, an independent agency in the U.S. government, oversees federal elections and campaign finance, but defamation is under the jurisdiction of courts, not the commission.
The television stations that have aired the advertisements have also been alerted to the defamation claims, Harvie’s campaign said. The Federal Communications Commission, another independent U.S. agency, monitors communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. However, it also does not investigate or resolve defamation claims.
A competitive U.S. House seat has drawn state and national attention, resources, and lots of dollars.
Fitzpatrick entered April with $7 million already stored in the bank, allowing him to spend early on ads against Harvie — even before the Democrat won his May primary. Some of Fitzpatrick’s money went to attacking Harvie in his race against Lucia Simonelli, a grassroots candidate and climate policy expert.
In total, Fitzpatrick has already spent $2.81 million from Jan. 1, 2025, to April 29, 2026, according to campaign finance reports — with roughly four months left to go before the campaign.During the entire 2024 campaign cycle, he spent $3.47 million.
In addition to the FBI investigation ads, other TV hits and mailers have framed Harvie as a “career politician” who “voted to give himself a raise” and voted to count faulty mail ballots during a U.S. Senate recount, in violation of a state Supreme Court ruling.
Prior to beginning his tenure as commissioner in 2020, Harvie was on the Falls Township Board of Supervisors for 17 years, and spent 12 of those as chair. As chair of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners in 2022, Harvie approved an annual 1% increase in salaries for commissioners and several other local offices.
Fitzpatrick and the National Republican Congressional Committee have placed a joint ad buy starting Tuesday. This type of purchase was made more possible after the Supreme Court case, announced this week, that allows coordinated campaigns and direct campaigns to work more in tandem.
National Democrats have also thrown resources behind him, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has listed Harvie on its “Red to Blue” list as a key seat to flip.
“This is a defining moment in this campaign: After nearly a decade in D.C., Fitzpatrick has been caught with egg on his face by resorting to the very kind of gutter politics that he pretends to stand against,” said DCCC spokesperson Eli Cousin.
For years, I and many others have looked forward to this week in Philadelphia, to be here in the city where our Declaration of Independence was written as our nation marks its 250th anniversary.
But Mother Nature had other plans: She reminded us that we are not as independent as we’d like to think.
Amid a 100-degree-plus heatwave, which was forecasted to continue through Saturday, numerous Seminquincentennial events were canceled. Yet locals and visitors persisted — with that consummate underdog Philadelphia spirit — and found small ways to come together to celebrate our ongoing American experiment.
I first got the feeling things weren’t going to go as planned as I walked the streets while out reporting on the Red, White & Blue To-Do Thursday and noticed something missing — people.
The crowds along the Red, White & Blue To-Do parade route were light and the audiences at WXPN’s music series — which featured 28 musicians playing at 11 historic venues — were even lighter. I was one of a dozen or so people in attendance at the Arch Street Meeting House for a free performance by the legendary poet and recording artist Ursula Rucker.
Students from Dance4Life School of the Arts in Delaware perform during the Red, White, & Blue To-Do Pomp & Parade on Thursday.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer
Not since the pandemic have I seen the sidewalks of Philadelphia as empty as they were Thursday, especially as the hours passed and the Salute to Service concert with Queen Latifah was canceled on Independence Mall.
To the smart alecks on my social media feeds who responded to my observation with comments like “It’s 100 degrees! Of course they are empty you raging soup fork” — I know it was hot, spork, I was out there.
I don’t blame anyone for not going outside in 103 temps, but that doesn’t mean I can’t feel bad for Philly, for those who did brave the heat, and for the visitors who came here to enjoy the festivities.
And I know it must have been heartbreaking for officials to make the call to cancel Friday’s Salute to Independence Parade, which was to be the country’s largest Semiquincentennial parade featuring more than 240 elements and marching bands from across the country.
Floats that were to be in the Salute to Independence Parade are pulled through Old City. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
People planned for years for the 250th. It was supposed to be the biggest week here since Pope Francis’ visit in 2015. We weren’t going to flub this Independence Day celebration up like the Bicentennial; Philly was going to bring it this time.
But this time, it wasn’t our fault. The one factor nobody can control, Mother Nature, decided to control us.
‘Rough and gritty experiences’
In May of 1776 it was so hot in Philadelphia that John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail: “The Affairs of America, are in so critical a State, such great Events are struggling for Birth, that I must not quit this station at this Time. Yet I dread the melting Heats of a Philadelphia Summer, and know not how my frail Constitution will endure it.“
Not only did Adams’ frail constitution endure the heat, which dropped to 76 degrees by July 4, 1776, the other Founding Fathers and the people of this fledgling nation braved far worse to declare this country’s independence and create a new and monumental Constitution. Neither the people nor the product were perfect — and they still aren’t today — but they aspired to be something bigger and better.
The sun sets behind the Philadelphia skyline.STEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer
In Philadelphia, we still believe in things bigger than ourselves. Sure, a large majority of the time it’s the Eagles, but not always.
We believe in each other. I see it everyday in small interactions between strangers. We believe in truth, even when it’s painful. I saw it as volunteers put up handwritten signs Thursday to replace the ones removed at the President’s House. And we believe we are capable of big things. I saw it in the planning of our 250th events.
It wasn’t just officials who were invested in the Semiquincentennial, more than 10,000 Philadelphians volunteered to undergo training and be “Phambassadors” for the 250th events and the World Cup. These may be divisive times, but it was clear we, the people, still wanted to come together.
Even after Friday’s parade was canceled, people persisted and came together in informal gatherings, because that’s what we do. Marching bands, color guards, and dance troupes from across the country held informal pop-up performances at air-conditioned locations across the Historic District and colonial reenactors staged an unscheduled parade near the Liberty Bell.
With the Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade cancelled reenactors muster near Independence Hall.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
Just because Mother Nature decided to show her hand and remind us who’s boss — which she is totally within her right to do (thanks so much for not hitting us with an astroid!) — doesn’t mean it was all for nothing. We still had those small moments with each other, and while they’re not as flashy as the big ones, in the whole of existence, they’re still pretty unlikely and special too.
I had one of those moments during Rucker’s show at the Arch Street Meeting House. It felt like a gift to be part of such a small audience as I listened to her beautifully explore what it means to be a human and a Philadelphian.
Philly legend and poet Ursula Rucker performs with Miles Orion for a crowd of about a dozen people at the Arch Street Meetinghouse Thursday as part of WXPN’s Red, White & Blue To-Do Music Series.
“At the core I love us,” she said. “We show mutual aid. We don’t judge. We have rough and gritty experiences.”
This heat wave — temperatures were forecast to reach 104 Friday and just short of 100 Saturday, with a 60% chance of storms at night — is one of those rough and gritty experiences Philly will get through. The cancellation of events, while disappointing, is about mutual aid and concern, not just for those who would attend the celebrations, but for those who have to work them too.
Instead of cursing Mother Nature for ruining our big birthday party, maybe Philly and the country can take heed and make a new declaration that we’ll become a leader in reducing factors that lead to global warming.
I know, a girl can dream, but respect and deference to the one thing that truly governs us all seems like a pretty self-evident truth.
