Two sides of Larry Mendte go to a judge 
Dr. Jekyll, or - federal prosecutors call him - Mr. Hyde?
Another officer down: Philly has mourned four in 2008
IT WAS MAY 8, the dead of night, when Sgt. Timothy Simpson, clutching handcuffs, walked up to the the home of Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski.
Police: Why was officer's killer free?
By all rights, William Allan Foster should have been in jail on Monday rather than behind the wheel of the car that killed Philadelphia Police Sgt. Timothy Simpson.
Fumo can be shy or aggressive, but he's ethical, ex-girlfriend says
State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo is an ethical man - with a split personality.
In social settings, he would be shy and inept. He was known as the Wizard of Oz because he preferred to operate behind the scenes, using friends as filters. But in political situations, he was a Type-A extrovert eager to charge into any meeting or issue.
FBI agent shot, killed while serving warrant in Pa.
An FBI agent was shot and killed early today as he and at least one other officer were attempting to serve an arrest warrant in Indiana Township. He was identified today as Special Agent Samuel Hicks.
Professor gets 5 to 10 years for killing his wife
Rafael Robb, a former University of Pennsylvania economics professor, was sentenced to 5 to 10 years in prison plus 10 years probation this afternoon for bludgeoning his wife to death in 2006.
$3 million trolley to nowhere on Germantown Avenue
Forget the Bridge to Nowhere. How about the Trolley to Nowhere?
The federal and state governments have just spent about $3 million for new trolley tracks, new trolley wires and new trolley poles along newly reconstructed Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill. But will the iconic green-and-cream trolleys, which were "temporarily" removed from service there in 1992, return?
More than 300 fugitives surrender in Camden
More than 300 fugitives had arrived at a Camden church this morning to clear up minor non-violent legal charges as part of the state's first day of Fugitive Safe Surrender.
Pa. one of most expensive states for college
Getting a college education in Pennsylvania is more expensive than in many other areas of the country, and students generally graduate with higher debt, says a state education report released today.
PA health agency gets new lease on life
Pennsylvania's health-care watchdog agency got a life-extending injection from Gov. Ed Rendell this afternoon.
eHarmony settles with N.J. over same-sex matches
Internet matchmaker eHarmony.com will be required to provide same-sex matching services next year under the terms of a settlement reached today in New Jersey.
Officer killed in grinding car crash
A Philadelphia police officer died last night following a dramatic two-vehicle crash - involving a suspected drunk driver - in the city's Port Richmond section. The unnamed officer is the fourth member of the force to die on the job this year.
Officer in shooting was aiding son, police say
Police yesterday explained a shooting in West Oak Lane on Monday night involving an off-duty police officer: It happened when the officer interrupted a violent street robbery in which his son was the victim.
Boy, 12, accused of attempted sex assault on Phila. teacher
A 12-year-old Philadelphia student has been suspended and faces expulsion after he allegedly attempted to sexually assault a 24-year-old teacher Monday at the Beeber Middle School in the city's Overbrook section.
Boscov hopes to have chain back by Black Friday
WILMINGTON - There were no fewer than 55 men in dark suits seated before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross here yesterday, and 79-year-old Albert R. Boscov would have blended into the monastic monochrome if not for this: He was the only one on the edge of his seat. Literally.
Morning Report: Phillies shared the biggest prize
So the last of the prestigious awards presented by the Baseball Writers' Association went out yesterday, and the World Series champions were nowhere to be found among the honorees.
Bryant guilty on all counts in corruption case
TRENTON - A federal jury today found former state Sen. Wayne Bryant guilty on all counts after about two days of deliberations in his political corruption trial.
S.J. driver dies after crashing into parked dumptruck
A South Jersey woman was killed last night when her car plowed into the rear of a parked dumptruck.
One dead, one critical in Woodbury fire
A fast moving fire ripped through the Woodbury home of a beloved pediatrician and his wife early this morning in Gloucester County.
His skills will be tested in state prison
While waiting to stand trial with his mother and twin brother next year on burglary and conspiracy charges, Taleon Goffney was sentenced yesterday to four to eight years in state prison for a one-man burglary last December.
Defendant is called 'career criminal'
SGT. Timothy Simpson died because a mad-brained heroin fiend plowed into his squad car while careening through Port Richmond with police in pursuit, authorities said yesterday.
Big 3 plead for financial rescue
WASHINGTON - The chief executives of Detroit's Big Three automakers pleaded with lawmakers yesterday for $25 billion in emergency federal loans - arguing that allowing any of them to fall into bankruptcy would trigger a disaster for the industry and the broader economy.
Ex-girlfriend: Party life alien to slay victim
Jason Shephard was a straight-edged Midwesterner who "never" did drugs and was so conservative that he would feel "uncomfortable" around gay men, his ex-girlfriend testified yesterday in Delaware County court.
Skyscraper plans clear hurdle on zoning
The American Commerce Center, a 1,510-foot skyscraper proposed for 18th and Arch streets, cleared its first hurdle yesterday when the City Planning Commission signed off on legislation for necessary zoning changes.
Kimmel weighs renovations
Just months after paying off construction bills dating from its opening seven years ago, the Kimmel Center is undertaking its next act: renovations.
Another Philadelphia officer mourned
Philadelphia Police Sgt. Timothy Simpson was a father of three. He loved a good prank. And he had just been recognized as an outstanding commander in a job that his friends described as his life's calling.
Harry Gross: Stay with broker or not?
Dear Harry: I have dealt with my present stockbroker since I started to buy stocks decades ago. He just called me to tell me that on the first of next month he'll be leaving to go to another firm. Both firms seem to very solid. What do I have to consider before going with him to the new firm? I have done OK with the present firm, and I'm not certain if it was because of him. Please help me through this.
Ex-lover told grand jury in '06 that Fumo was 'ethical'
A former girlfriend of state Sen. Vince Fumo admitted yesterday in testimony at Fumo's federal corruption trial that she had told the grand jury in 2006 that Fumo was "ethical."
Jill Porter: Trial assembly signals Fumo fall from grace?
HE'S SHY and "socially retarded."
He's so inept in purely social situations that "he'd cling to the person he was with."
St. Jerome's mourns again
It's the second memorial service the Rev. Joseph B. Graham has conducted for one of his police parishioners in just over a year.
The lethal streets of Phila. have claimed 5th cop in 13 months
SGT. Timothy Simpson, 46, is the fifth Philadelphia police officer killed in the line of duty in little more than a year.
New Jersey Supreme Court orders school funding fact-finding
If New Jersey wants the state's highest court to approve its new formula for funding its schools, the state needs to show that it is providing sufficient resources for its poorest districts, according to a ruling released yesterday.
Ginkgo doesn’t prevent dementia, study says
The herbal extract Ginkgo biloba is widely touted as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. But a new study indicates that the herb is no better than a placebo.
Annette John-Hall: Open libraries, open minds
The library saved me.
Not to sound too melodramatic, but it's true. There's no telling where I'd be without the Berkeley Public Library, South Berkeley branch.
A 'cohesive story' of 'early life in Philadelphia'
ON OCT. 24, 1781, Col. Tench Tilghman, an aide to George Washington, sailed into Philadelphia to present to the Continental Congress the terms of the British surrender at Yorktown, the last major land battle of the Revolutionary War.
Bloods inmates exploiting N.J. jails
TRENTON - In some ways, the Bloods gang wields more power in Burlington County's Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility than the corrections officers do, according to a former inmate.
Main Line dentist indicted in Shore dumping
A Main Line dentist accused of dumping needles and other medical waste into the ocean near Avalon last August was indicted yesterday on a pollution charge.
At home, sorrow over Bryant's conviction
Yvette Loper has put her hands on the picture of her longtime state senator in the newspaper every morning the last few weeks and offered these words: "God, let good be done."
Bryant verdict political fodder in Trenton
TRENTON - Just a few blocks from the gold-domed Statehouse yesterday, one of Trenton's most powerful figures was called "a disgrace," and his crimes were described as "disgusting."
Dix jurors roll eyes as paintball game is rehashed
Talk of paintball and AK-47s dominated the cross-examination of Mahmoud Omar yesterday as the star prosecution witness finished his 11th day on the witness stand in the Fort Dix terrorism trial.
Wayne Bryant found guilty of bribery
TRENTON - Former State Sen. Wayne R. Bryant, once one of the most powerful politicians in New Jersey, was convicted yesterday on 12 counts of selling his influence for personal gain.
Phila. arts and culture groups brace for cuts
It's been a depressing stretch for arts and cultural groups in Philadelphia. At every meeting where budget cuts come up - and in what meeting don't they? - faces are glum. Sighs are heavy.
Intern died fighting off attempted rape by coworker, jury told
Jason Shephard put up a significant fight for his life as he was strangled from behind, a medical examiner testified yesterday in the trial of William F. Smithson.
Ex-Penn professor to be sentenced for slaying wife
A former University of Pennsylvania economics professor who admitted fatally bludgeoning his wife in December 2006 is scheduled to be sentenced today in Montgomery County Court.
Briefly...
CITY/REGION
2 nabbed in 700G heist
FBI agents and Philadelphia police arrested Jeffrey Prout in Wilmington yesterday afternoon in connection with a South Philadelphia armored-car robbery. Prout, 20, of North Philadelphia, and Harry Jackson, 24, got away with $700,000 from a check-cashing store at Oregon Avenue and Randolph Street on Friday, authorities said.
Pa. dentist indicted in Shore med-waste dumping
Thomas McFarland Jr. isn't taking appointments anymore at his Main Line dental office, but he does have a date with a judge in Cape May County.
Montco GOP committee censures Matthews
The Montgomery County Republican Committee has censured County Commissioners Chairman James R. Matthews, a Republican, for sharing power with Democratic Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffel III, an alliance that prevents the GOP from controlling county government.
Conshohocken approves razing at Riverwalk
Conshohocken has approved plans to rip down the fire-damaged apartment buildings that have been an eyesore on its rejuvenated riverfront for three months.
A $100,000 gift from Penn's president
University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann has donated $100,000 to help fund undergraduate student research, the university announced yesterday.
It's the second gift that Gutmann and her husband, Michael Doyle, have made to the university since she became president in June 2004, bringing their total donation to $250,000.
Democrats choose Pa. House majority leader
HARRISBURG - Stung by corruption allegations, Democrats in the state House of Representatives elected a 46-year-old former small business owner to guide them over the next two years.
