🌱 Madame Speaker McClinton + Cemetary Gunfire + Cable Bandit Wanted

Hi all. It's me, Patty-Pat Kozlowski, your host of the Patch newsletter. Keep reading for the most important things happening in town. Today's briefing includes...

• Philadelphia State Representative Johanna McClinton is the new PA House Speaker.
• 30 shots were fired at a funeral in the Magnolia Cemetary
• Police are searching for a man who cut Comcast's cable lines on Super Bowl Sunday.

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But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and warmer. High: 55 Low: 41.

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Here are the top three stories today in Philadelphia:

1. This is HER-STORY! For the first time in Pennsylvania history, an African-American woman is the speaker in the PA House of Representatives. In a vote of 102-99, Democrat McClinton took the gavel. She's a Southwest Philadelphia resident who attended LaSalle and Villanova Law and is a former public defender. (nbcphiladelphia.com)
2. Here's a crazy story, even for Philly. A funeral in Northeast Philadelphia was cut short when 30 rapid fire gunshots rang out, causing mourners to flee. When police arrived on scene, they recovered a weapon and found 30 bullets shot into the ground. There were no injuries and police are still investigating. (nbcphiladelphia.com)
3. Next to Patrick Mahomes, this guy is the second most hated man in Philadelphia on Super Bowl Sunday. Why? About two hours before Super Bowl LVII, power was knocked out for about 17,000 Xfinity customers when a man cut fiber optic cables. Police have a video and image of him and believe he was stealing the cables to sell for scrap metal. (Philadelphia, PA Patch)

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Today in Philadelphia:

• Hamantaschen for Humanity (8:00 AM)
• Membership Committee Meeting - African American Chamber (6:00 PM)
• Parent Education Workshop: Toddler Behavior Q&A Panel Discussion (6:30 PM)
• Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night at El Camino Real Restaurant (7:00 PM)
• Mandell Presents: Brent White Jazz Ensemble - Broken Toy (7:00 PM)
• Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night at Trolley Tap House (8:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• Thanks to a Tik Tok video challenge, owners of Hyundai and Kia vehicles have seen an uptick of their cars being stolen at crazy high rates. And what is worse is that the car thieves stream it to Tik Tok to brag and become viral. Well now police in Philly are giving out specialized locks to try and prevent these car thefts. (CBS Philly)
• This isn't horsin' around. Fox 29's Steve Keeley reported on Twitter that a horse, yes a full grown horse was found abandoned and lying on its side in the courtyard of City Hall in Center City Philadelphia. Strange 9-1-1 call indeed. No worries as police and Philly ACCT came to help but where is the rider? (@FOX29philly https://t.co/rC5UgHhxxc" / Twitter)
• Hey, did you ever smell the sweet aroma of sausage and peppers when you go to Home Depot? Yep, that's Rocco's Italian Sausages — the little huts outside frying up cheesesteaks and sausage sandwiches. Here's a good write up of their history and their expansion into the burbs. (PhillyVoice).

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— Patty-Pat Kozlowski

About me: Patty-Pat Kozlowski has been writing community news and Philly-cenric Op/Eds for over 20 years. A Jill of all trades she's been a stand-up comedian, chef, DJ, newspaper editor, food trucker and Parks Director for Philadelphia Parks & Rec as well as a community relations/legislative aide for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Philadelphia City Council.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Philadelphia Patch newsletter? Contact me at philadelphia@patch.com