PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – From vacant lot to…dirt factory?

It might not seem like much of an improvement, but the University City District is in the process of transforming a vacant lot at 4308 Market Street into just that. The Dirt Factory, a new compost facility, will take trash from area residents and turn it into high-quality compost by combining it with fallen leaves from city sidewalks.

The factory will feature “Earth Tub” composters–recycled from UPenn’s large-scale composting operation–that can fit more than 3,200 lbs of waste, as well as smaller-scale systems for residential use. Initially, the finished product will be provided solely to community gardens, but eventually, compost will also be supplied to neighborhood gardeners.

And the Dirt Factory doesn’t just stop at dirt—the site will host educational events year-round, including demonstrations and discussions on related topics, and will contain on-site raised bed planters where visitors can view the literal fruits of adding compost to growing gardens.

As for the name: “The Dirt Factory” was selected from more than 86 community submissions. The winners, Stephen Metzger and Carina Giamerese, will take home the grand prize of 6 months of free compost pickup by the Pedal Coop.

Want to know more about the Factory? A grand opening event will be held on the first day of summer, June 20th, from 4 – 6 p.m., where visitors can check out the facility and enjoy live bluegrass and food and drinks from vendors like Little Baby’s Ice Cream, Dock Street Brewing and Four Worlds Bakery.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The prosecution has rested in the landmark clergy abuse case that has rocked the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

After eight weeks of often stunning and sad testimony and thousands of pages of documents, the prosecution has completed its case against Monsignor William Lynn and Father James Brennan.

The prosecution alleges that Lynn endangered children by allowing alleged predator priests, including co-defendant Brennan, to remain in ministry.

But much of the case against Lynn — a kind of background evidence to give the jury a fuller picture — also implicated local church officials to the highest levels in protecting even admitted predator priests, even allegedly destroying documents as part of a coverup.

The defense for Lynn contends that Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua was in charge of priest placements.  The defense for Brennan argues the allegations just aren’t true, that he did not assault the victim who testified in this case.

Read more stories related to the Philadelphia Priest Sex Abuse trial

By Kim Glovas

COLWYN, Pa. (CBS) — A police officer from Colwyn Borough, Delaware County, has been arrested after a tasing incident involving a juvenile a few weeks ago.

The Delaware County District Attorney’s office arrested officer Trevor Parham on charges of simple assault and official oppression after taking a juvenile into custody on April 24th.

Parham put a teenager into a holding cell that night and handcuffed the boy’s hands behind his back. His feet were also shackled and cuffed to the leg of the bench where the boy was sitting.

The affidavit says that when the teen began kicking at the cell, Parham tased him.

Parham admitted to detectives that he also texted a fellow officer saying, “got tased in the cell LOL.”

Parham is now free on $25,000 bond. The investigation is continuing.

By Al Novack, Steve Beck

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Three people were hospitalized after a multi-vehicle crash in Fairmount Park Thursday morning.

The crash happened at about 8:45 a.m. along the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive near Montgomery Drive.

Chopper 3 HD was over the scene of the crash that involved four cars.

Authorities say two females and a male were rushed to the hospital for treatment of multiple injuries. One of the females is said to be in critical condition.

All four cars sustained heavy damage. The cause of the crash remains under police investigation.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — An effort in Philadelphia City Council to let you fight parking tickets without having to show up in person is being tweaked today, in advance of a final vote on the measure later this month.

Councilman Bill Green originally proposed three new ways to fight parking tickets: online, on the phone, or through the mail (see previous story).

But Mayor Nutter’s office wants the telephone hearings taken out.

“The administration has requested that we remove the option of a telephonic hearing,” Green said today.

Officials say live, phoned-in appeals present logistical and manpower hurdles, a view that Green does not dispute.

“There are practical problems with it that are real, which are causing us to look at this other approach.”

His other approach is to allow for telephone appeals only for individuals who are disabled. Anyone else, under the revised plan, would be able to appeal with snail mail or online.

Amendments are being voted on this week, and a final vote could come next week (see previous story).

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Before Hunter Pence became the hero of Tuesday afternoon’s game against the Astros with a walk-off home run in the 10th inning, he was one of the goats. Pence misplayed a ball in right field, contributing to the Houston rally that sent the game into extra innings. Defense has been a bit of an adventure for Pence of late, and he knows it.

“I can’t really explain it, other than a debacle. It’s just been bad,” Pence told 94WIP’s Angelo Cataldi and The WIP Morning Show. “It’s just one of those things, it happens. You can’t explain it at all. I just have to slow down and play my game. I’m going to make some good plays in the outifeld,” he said. “It’s been a debacle, I’m sorry about that Philly.”

Like Tuesday’s game turned around, the Phillies season has started to turn around as well; they’ve won four straight games for the first time this  year. “The thing is to just keep going, keep going. If you look at it like last year, the teams that made the playoffs came out nowhere, some teams at the end there. And that’s really the way it is. It’s not how you start,” Pence said. “I think dealing with this adversity is really going to make us a lot tougher as a team. What really matters is how you handle that adversity at the end of the season.”

Pence said Charlie Manuel’s talk to the team has really been a factor. “Charlie’s speech, everyone kind of looked in the mirror, and come back, and if one guy doesn’t get the job done, somebody picks him up,” he said.

Pence also spoke about the “Let’s Go Eat Food & Fun Fest,” an event featuring food and entertainment, taking place May 31st in Philadelphia. The eventbenefits the Make-A Wish Foundation, Philabundance and Phillies Charities. He also issued a bit of a challenge; “There’s going to be ping-pong, a game that I really love, and everyone seems to be the greatest at, so we’re going to see at this event,” he said. “Ultimately we’re going to raise some money for some charities that I really love. I finally get to be a part of the community in Philly. This is the first time I’ve put on an event like this, and let me tell you, it’s one of the most rewarding things, to help out.”

You can get more information on tickets to the event at this location.

The Celtics captain put in 24 points in Boston’s 101-91 Game 3 victory over the 76ers in Philadelphia, putting his knee injury behind him and getting aggressive when it came to pretty much every aspect of the game.

“Whether I shot the ball well or not, everything I was going to do was being with aggression,” Pierce said.

Aggressive might be an understatement. Pierce was in attack mode early on, even if his shots weren’t falling. Early in the first quarter, he missed four shots from close range, but it was the fact he fought for the three put-backs in the paint that showed he was determined to make a difference after scoring just seven points in Boston’s Game 2 loss.

He continued to go strong to the basket, following up his early misses with two ferocious dunks. Pierce finishing with nine points in the first 12 minutes of the game. He ended up hitting six of his 17 attempts from the floor, but did most of his damage at — and getting to — the free throw line. After just two trips to the charity stripe on Monday, Pierce found his way to the line 14 times in Game 3, scoring 11 of his points at the line.

Special Coverage: NBA Playoffs

He made it known to all of Philly when he was making his way to the line, following each drive to the hoop with an aggressive scream that would make Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart” jealous.

“Everything I was going to do was going to be aggressive because they were really collapsing on me on the down-screens, on my jumpers,” said Pierce. “I just tried to get to the hole and I was able to get to the line; able to get to the rim a number of times. It’s something I have to continue to do.”

“Paul is just a grinder,” head coach Doc Rivers said following the win. “He really is. You look at him at times and you wonder, ‘How is this guy getting open?’ He just has great fundamentals. He never does it with speed. He just knows how to play basketball. He’s a throwback guy, that he knows how to play basketball. We jokingly call him our ‘professional scorer’ and that’s what he is in a lot of ways.”

“[Pierce] played great for us tonight,” said point guard Rajon Rondo, who scored 23 points of his own while dishing out 14 assists. “Paul has been struggling scoring, but he has been doing the intangibles. On those [first-quarter] drives, he didn’t get some calls early in the game and thought they were fouls, so he went out and was aggressive and finished strong.”

Recap: Thunder Go Up 2-0 On Lakers

Pierce had been just 5-for-20 in the series in the first two games, but helped the Celtics send a message as they took a 2-1 series lead. While he only added four assists, he credited the team’s ball movement for getting the offense going.

“Our offense finally came alive,” Pierce said. “We moved the ball. We knew that’s what we were going to have to do to score 100 points.”

“We just wanted to come out and establish who we are as a team,” Pierce said.

They certainly did that. Now they just need to keep it going on Friday night.

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (CBS) — A Montgomery County man, already awaiting trial for stalking a woman and then breaking into her home and stealing some of her most intimate apparel, is under arrest again for “peeping” at the King of Prussia Mall.

Law enforcement authorities say Kornwell Chan had a video camera hidden inside a bag, pointing upward, when he was confronted by mall security on Mother’s Day.

Police say the 37-year-old Dresher, Pa. man used the camera to look up women’s dresses while they were shopping in department stores.

Montgomery Count district attorney Risa Ferman says it’s the kind of crime that undermines someone’s sense of security.

“And a crime like this, where someone invades your space, they invade your private areas and they’re able to somehow get inside of your head and get close to you, is very disconcerting,” she said.

Ferman says Chan was arrested earlier this year for breaking into a home in Springfield Township and stealing a woman’s underwear (see related story).  She says he met that woman while they waited for the train at the Oreland station, but the victim told police the conversations became too personal and she tried to avoid him.

Chan is being held in lieu of $500,000 cash bail on the new charges.

Box Score | Playoffs Schedule

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Kevin Durant scored 22 points and rattled in the go-ahead basket on a baseline runner with 18 seconds left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder scored the final nine points to rally for a 77-75 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night.

Oklahoma City trailed by seven with 2 minutes left before surging back with a series of defensive stops by its stars to take a 2-0 lead.

Game 3 is Friday night in Los Angeles.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum scored 20 points apiece for the Lakers, who came up empty on their last six possessions after Bynum’s hook shot made it 75-68 with 2:09 remaining.

Game 2 Photo Gallery (Photo:Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)

After struggling throughout the second half, the Thunder suddenly came alive after Scott Brooks called timeout following Bynum’s basket that gave Los Angeles its largest lead of the game.

James Harden drove for a layup before Durant used his height advantage to reach up and tip away a pass from Bryant, who he was guarding. Durant ran out for a right-handed dunk at the other end before Russell Westbrook forced another turnover by aggressively challenging an outlet pass to Bryant along the sideline.

Harden made the next stop, blocking Bryant’s jumper on the next Lakers possession and getting a layup in transition off it to cut the deficit to one in the final minute.

Bryant couldn’t connect again, this time on a 3-pointer, to give the Thunder the ball back with the chance to take the lead and Durant was able to make it happen.

Steve Blake missed a 3-pointer from the right side with about 5 seconds left after Metta World Peace couldn’t get the ball to Bryant on the inbounds play. Durant was then fouled with 0.3 seconds left and made his first try before missing the second on purpose – failing to hit the backboard or rim for a violation.

The Lakers got a desperation try but World Peace’s long pass for Bynum was intercepted by Harden.

Westbrook added 15 points for Oklahoma City, which matched its lowest scoring total of the season but still gutted out the win.

Historically, the loss makes a huge difference. Los Angeles is 29-12 when splitting the first two games of a seven-game series and has lost 17 of 19 when falling into a 2-0 hole. The Lakers’ last comeback was in the 2004 West semifinals against San Antonio.

The Thunder have won all nine of their series after leading 2-0, dating back to the franchise’s days in Seattle.

In a game that was nip-and-tuck throughout, the Lakers started inching away early in the fourth quarter while Westbrook was on the bench.

Bryant drilled a jumper from the left wing and Blake followed with a 3-pointer before World Peace hit one of two free throws for a 69-63 advantage with 7:27 remaining – the Lakers’ largest lead to that point.

Westbrook returned then but only provided the briefest of sparks for the struggling Oklahoma City offense, and Bynum’s second straight basket – on a left-handed hook shot at the left block – made it 75-68 with 2:09 to play.

Until that point, Oklahoma City had made only 7 of 27 shots in the second half while committing eight turnovers.

After getting ripped apart by the Thunder’s pick-and-roll attack and giving up 119 points in Game 1, the Lakers made it an emphasis to put up more resistance in the rematch and it showed. Matt Barnes shuffled back and forth around three Nick Collison screens to contest Harden’s jumper and preserve the Lakers’ 22-21 lead after one quarter.

The Lakers’ defense was at its best just after halftime as they got out of a 48-45 deficit by holding Oklahoma City scoreless for the first 4 minutes and allowing just two baskets in the first 8 minutes. But Los Angeles still couldn’t create any sort of a cushion and Westbrook’s wide-open 3-pointer from the left corner – after World Peace airballed a similar shot on the opposite end – had the Thunder back within 57-56 with 3:31 left in the third.

Notes: The NBA on Wednesday fined Devin Ebanks $25,000 for actions related to his Game 1 ejection and Bynum $15,000 for failing to speak to reporters Tuesday. Bynum, who has had recent disciplinary issues within the team, talked at the Lakers’ morning shootaround Wednesday and called it a make up for skipping the previous day. “I think he’s learning. Is he going to be a perfect citizen the rest of his career? I don’t know,” coach Mike Brown said. “He’s bound to make mistakes. I think everybody makes mistakes.” … World Peace has said he supported Scott Brooks to become Sacramento’s coach back in 2007, when Brooks had been an assistant under Eric Musselman. “Little does he know, if I would have got the job, I was going to ask for him to be traded,” Brooks joked. He then called World Peace, or Ron Artest at the time, the third-best two-way player at the time behind Bryant and Kevin Garnett. … Harden caught World Peace with an inadvertent elbow to the face in the first quarter.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Another successful campaign for the West Chester baseball team is set to continue in the NCAA Tournament.  The Golden Rams earned one of the 48-berths in this year’s field by winning the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament.

West Chester will open play in the double-elimination Atlantic Regional on Thursday in West Lawn, PA.  They will take on Shepherd, the champions of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

“It’s certainly an exciting time,” says Golden Rams head coach Jad Prachniak.  “The guys really played well in the PSAC tournament so we’re looking forward to the next tournament.”

West Chester brings a 38-10 record into the tournament and Prachniak says they have proven to be a deep team here in 2012.

“With the format of our regular season, playing back-to-back doubleheaders, you need to have some depth on the mound and positionally you have to hit up and down the line-up.  And I think in the conference tournament, playing six games in four days, we had a lot of pitchers step up and give us key innings in tough spots.  And again the line-up, 1 through 9, the guys really stepped up and had some good at bats throughout the tournament.”

Shepherd is 32-17 and Prachniak says they can really hit the baseball.

“They have one of the best Division II hitters in the country.  They have a guy hitting about .490 with 21 home runs (senior 1B/DH Nathan Minnich).  He’s in the middle, but they also have some guys around him that can also swing it, so that’s going to be a challenge for sure.  We’re going to have to make pitches throughout.”

These two teams met in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, with West Chester winning that game 10-1.  A match-up in the 2006 NCAA Tournament also went to the Golden Rams, 9-5.

Listen to KYW’s Matt Leon’s interview with Jad Prachniak:

You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattleonkyw.

It worked twice, and the Eastern Conference finals are all even, as a result.

David Clarkson scored a tip-in goal off Adam Henrique’s shot 2:31 into the third period to break a tie and lift the Devils to a 3-2 victory over the Rangers that squared the series at one game apiece on Wednesday night.

“It’s a very hard building to play in, and 1-1 sounds much better than down 2-0,” Devils captain Zach Parise said. “We’re happy. We would have liked to have snuck out of here with two wins, but it didn’t happen.

“We’ll take 1-1.”

For the third straight series, the Rangers are wondering what went wrong in Game 2 after they took the opener. They stressed how important it would be to grab a 2-0 lead, which would have been their first two-game edge in this postseason, but didn’t provide the necessary effort to get it done.

New York was riding high after its 3-0 series-opening win on Monday night, but now has relinquished home-ice advantage again.

“You need to improve as a hockey team every game,” said succinct and disappointed coach John Tortorella, who declined to say what areas were deficient.

Game 3 will be Saturday in New Jersey.

Clarkson built off the momentum created by Ryan Carter’s deflected goal late in the second that tied the game, 2-2. Ilya Kovalchuk had given the Devils a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal in the first. Defenseman Bryce Salvador added two assists, and Martin Brodeur stopped 23 saves for his 108th playoff win.

Clarkson has three goals in this postseason, and every one has been a winner, including the clincher against Philadelphia in Game 5 of the second round.

“Mr. Clutch? I don’t know about that,” Clarkson said. “I’m going to skate up and down and finish the checks and just bounce off people. It’s just a great feeling to be able to contribute. To get a tip on that felt pretty good.”

New Jersey had 26 attempted shots blocked in Game 1, five more than they got through to goalie Henrik Lundqvist. The Devils cut the blocks to 16 on Wednesday and managed to get 27 on goal — two more than New York.

“That team blocks so many shots,” Clarkson said. “It’s unbelievable how many. I think we found a way to shoot it and get sticks on it, and definitely that was big for us.”

Marc Staal and Chris Kreider scored power-play goals in the second for the top-seeded Rangers, who received 24 saves by Lundqvist.

New Jersey got even at 2 when Salvador wound up for a shot at the blue line and fired a drive that Carter — with his back to the net — brilliantly deflected past Lundqvist with 1:51 left in the second. Marian Gaborik stood up straight in front of Salvador, but didn’t drop down as many of his teammates have to try to block the shot. For that, he was pinned to the bench by Tortorella, even through New York’s power play in the third.

Gaborik returned to the ice with 8:40 remaining as the Rangers pressed to tie.

The Devils kept the pressure on the Rangers at the start of the third and wiped out the good work the Rangers displayed in the second.

“It was a much different reaction when we went down by a goal than it was in the first game,” Parise said. “We didn’t change the way we played, and I think that was a big difference. We were comfortable with how we were playing.

“All I think they got was really on their power play.”

After spending much of the first trapped in their own end, the Rangers rebounded to erase their early deficit and briefly take the lead thanks to the previously inept power play.

With Alexei Ponikarovsky off for interference, Staal fired a shot that sailed wide of the net and struck the back boards before popping back in front and pinballing into the net off Salvador and Brodeur at 2:23. The goal was originally credited to Derek Stepan, who was in front, but the puck managed to miss him both on the way toward the net and on the bounce back.

“I saw most of the pucks, but the Rangers came out hard,” Brodeur said. “They were around me a lot, and there were some bad bounces. It’s such a tough place to play sometimes here. There are bad bounces, and the boards are terrible.”

Staal nearly netted another moments later when he ripped a drive that Brodeur had to lunge fully to his left to snare with his glove.

Kreider, the rookie from Boston College, scored for the second straight game to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead at 12:19. Anton Stralman let go a shot from above the right circle that ticked Kreider’s stick and fluttered past Brodeur for the rookie’s fourth goal. He had to wait to get it because it was first given to Stralman before being changed during a commercial break.

But that was hardly the longest delay of the night. Before Kreider’s power-play goal, the action was stopped for about eight minutes as arena workers struggled to get the door to the Devils’ penalty box opened. Travis Zajac stood patiently as he waited to have a seat in the box. He even managed to laugh as did New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer and the usually stoic and agitated Tortorella.

Zajac, who first was sent to the Rangers’ box, stayed in New Jersey’s sin bin for only 1:47 before Kreider scored the Rangers’ second power-play goal of the night.

New York registered the first six shots of the period before New Jersey had its first about eight minutes in, but the teams were even at 17 through 40 minutes.

Lundqvist had a bit of glove magic of his own midway through the second when a shot by Anton Volchenkov was deflected by Kovalchuk but tracked and grabbed by Lundqvist.

The Devils got their elusive first goal of the series, and the all-important lead in the game, when Kovalchuk connected on the power play late in the first period.

After Brian Boyle was sent off for slashing Parise, the Devils continued their puck-possession prowess in the Rangers’ end. New Jersey moved the puck all around the zone in search of a clean shot that could get past the diving New York defense and perhaps challenge Lundqvist, who made 21 saves in the series-opening win.

Marek Zidlicky curled with the puck to the center of the blue line and slid a pass down to the left circle to Kovalchuk, who calmly and patiently drifted in and snapped a shot up and under the crossbar in the upper corner of the net for his sixth goal of the playoffs and fourth on the power play.

“We had to keep going to the net, and I think we were doing some good things,” Clarkson said. “We’ve been playing some good hockey and we’ve got to continue to do it. That is a big win for us.”

The Devils didn’t record a shot on goal until 6:01 in when Patrik Elias put a wrist shot in on Lundqvist, but New Jersey finished the first period with an 8-5 edge in shots — despite having six more blocked by the Rangers.

Whether Brodeur was kidding or not about wanting Rangers to be injured by blocking shots, the home team wasn’t deterred from getting in front of drives. New York forward Brandon Prust was doing a bit of a dance in front of the dangerous Kovalchuk, trying to deny any potential drive, even though he was defending without a stick.

“We have to try to get in lanes,” Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said. “Try to limit their time with the puck. If we do that, they are not going to have time to shoot.”

When Kovalchuk finally scored later in the period, he let out a big yell — part celebration and an exclamation of relief — as he skated in front of the glass behind the net.

“We have built some momentum,” Brodeur said. “And now, we have to try to take that into our building, and make our building a tough place to play.”

NOTES: The Rangers were 10 for 61 (16.4 percent) on the power play in the postseason before Wednesday. This marked the second time they netted a man-advantage goal in consecutive games, but the fourth time they scored two in a game. … The Devils returned defenseman Peter Harrold to the lineup and sat rookie Adam Larsson. Harrold replaced Larsson in the lineup late in the season and started the first nine postseason games. Larsson played in the previous five games.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — More upheaval at the Philadelphia Union with the possible departure of the team’s captain, defender Danny Califf, to Chivas USA.

The KYW Philly Soccer Show tries to make sense of it all with KYW’s Greg Orlandini and Philly Soccer Page writers Mike Servedio and Eli Pearlman-Storch.

In part one, we discuss where this leaves the team, both in the leadership department and in the defense.  We also take a look at who the team may get in return.

Also, the Union played one of their best games of the year in the 3-2 loss to the New York Red Bulls, a game that saw the team go down to 10 men with the first-half ejection of Freddy Adu.

Listen to Part 1…

Download Part 1

In part two,  the Union heads to Texas to play an injury-depleted FC Dallas.  With the likely departure of Califf, we look at the probable lineup the Union may play, in defense and offense.   The Union have never won at Dallas.

Listen to Part 2…

Download Part 2

(Philadelphia Fever head coach Stuart Gore.)

In part three, the Philadelphia Fever of the WPSL take the pitch on Sunday in their first-ever game.  The new women’s soccer team will play its opening game at Washington Township High School in New Jersey.

Head coach Stuart Gore (right) talks with us about starting the new team.  He also discusses the roster of young talent he hopes to develop.

Listen to Part 3…

Download Part 3

——-

“Philly Soccer Show” main page

More CBS Philly Sports News

———-

In fact Skechers USA Inc. has agreed to pay $40 million to settle charges by the Federal Trade Commission of deceptive advertising.   The FTC says that the footwear company made unfounded claims that its Shape-ups shoes would help people lose weight and strengthen their butt, leg and stomach muscles.

Kardashian, Burke and other celebrities endorsed the shoes in Skechers ads. The settlement also involves the company’s Resistance Runner, Toners, and Tone-ups shoes as well.

Consumers who bought the shoes since August of 2008 would be eligible for refunds, though it’s not clear how much money they’ll get.  The FTC says that will depend on how many claims are received in the eight-month filing period.

Skechers denied the allegations but said it settled to avoid long litigation.  The said it has received overwhelmingly enthusiastic feedback about the shoes from thousands of customers.

To file a claim visit:   http://www.skecherssettlement.com/

By Steve Beck, Al Novack

COLLINGDALLE, Pa. (CBS) – Three men are in police custody after a standoff in Delaware County early Thursday morning.

The incident began at about 4:30 a.m. when police received a call for shots fired in the 100 block of Chester Pike in Collingdale.

When police arrived, three males – two juveniles and one adult – ran into a home and shut off the lights. Officers knocked on the door, but the suspects refused to come out of the home.

Investigators say at about 6:45 a.m., two of the males surrendered and police entered the home and took the third suspect into custody.

Police conducted a search warrant inside the home after taking the suspects into custody. The three suspects remain in custody pending the outcome of the investigation.

By Jim Melwert

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — When firefighters were called to a home in West Philadelphia Wednesday afternoon, they found more than just a fire.

When the firefighters got into the home near 40th and Poplar Streets, police say they found about 100 marijuana plants, which investigators say could be worth up to $10,000 apiece.

In all, the set-up in the home, they say, could be worth $1-million dollars. It included a ventilation system so neighbors couldn’t smell the plants, and even next-door neighbors say they had no idea.

“It concerns me because I have six-girls here and my son, so to think something like that was going on right next door, that’s really scary,” neighbor Lydia Lugo said.

Police say a piece of insulation caught on fire near an overloaded electrical hook-up. The fire was quickly put out without any injuries.

Police say as firefighters were going into the home, a man was seen running out. Now the hunt is on for that man.

By Steve Beck

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A teen driver was critically injured after being ejected during a one-car crash in Center City early Thursday morning.

The accident happened at about 2:20 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of the Vine Street Expressway near the exit for 8th Street.

According to investigators, 19-year-old Ian Leslie McClelland, of Philadelphia, was traveling at a high rate of speed when his 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor struck a concrete barrier.

After striking the barrier, the car rolled over and McClelland was ejected. McClelland was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital with critical injuries.

The road was closed for over an hour as authorities investigated the crash and crews cleaned up the scene.

 Honeybrook Golf Club is having a Cobra Demo Day today from 2pm to 6pm.  You can climb on that Ricky Fowler bandwagon and sample the stuff that he hits. 

Tee It Up:

A sampling of GolfNow.com’s hot deals this afternoon:  Centerton for $20 and Makefield Highlands for $40.   Tomorrow,  Ed Oliver GC for $23.40 and Cobbs Creek for $34.  Saturday:  Limerick for $39… Brandywine for $50… and Reading for $38.   You can access all those and more by clicking here…

The Golf18 Network’s deals through the weekend include Hickory Valley’s Presidential Course for $30… Skippack for $18… and Wyncote for $47.

 Or Put Your Feet Up and Watch:

Inside Golf is heading to the Poconos this weekend and for several weeks after that.  Harry Donahue previews the visit in a podcast with me here at TeeItUpPhilly.com.

Inside Golf air times on Comcast SportsNet:
Sundays 5:30am & 10am
Mondays 4:30pm
Wednesdays 11am

Harry mentioned the resort at Shawnee.   Much more on that here at TeeItUpPhilly.com, including some video…

PGA Tour: HP Byron Nelson Championship
Thu & Fri:  3pm – 6pm    Golf Channel
Sat & Sun:  3pm – 6pm    CBS

European Tour: Volvo World Match Play Championship
Thu & Fri: 8am – Noon    Golf Channel
Sat: 7am – Noon    Golf Channel
Sun:  6am – Noon   Golf Channel

LPGA Tour: Sybase Match Play Championship
Thu & Fri:  6:30pm – 8:30pm   Golf Channel
Sat:  3pm – 6pm Golf Channel
Sun:  1pm – 2pm and 4pm – 6pm   Golf Channel

Nationwide Tour: BMW Charity Pro-Am
Thu & Fri:  12:30pm – 2:30pm   Golf Channel
Sat:  1pm – 3pm    Golf Channel
Sun:  2pm – 4pm   Golf Channel

—

Click here for more golf blog posts.

—
Ed Abrams anchors mornings on KYW Newsradio, and you can hear his Golf Reports there on Fridays and Saturdays. He has also created a pair of websites:  www.DealTrackerGolf.com, featuring leads on the best golf equipment deals… and www.TeeItUpPhilly.com, with video course tours, audio swing tips and local golf deals

For sponsorship information, call 561-656-2019

You can follow Hunter on Twitter @HunterPence3.

You can like Hunter on Facebook on his Facebook page.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - If you’re on the way to the office and not looking forward to sitting at your desk for the day, how about a chair upgrade?

No matter the temperature at work, some people are always cold or always hot:

“Almost half of all office workers are dissatisfied with the temperature.”

Tarek Makansi, CEO of Tempronics, says his company’s chair can make a difference:

“The user can select heating or cooling and can select the intensity with a knob.”

Like some car seats, there are solid state devices built-in just below the surface to regulate temperature.  Makansi says the plug-in chair eliminates back sweat and chills:

“People say they shift around in their chair much less frequently and can sit for hours without getting up.”

He says the Tempronics chair uses about 60-80 watts on full power.

“Just one weekend of heating or cooling an entire building can cost thousands of dollars. Anyone who has to turn on central heating or cooling for a weekend, or at night when they’re working late, this chair can eliminate the need for that and save money.”

The $1100 price tag might make the boss balk, but Makansi says its productivity boost helps the Tempronics chair pay for itself in a matter of months.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - There’s new information in The Journal Science that soldiers who are exposed to roadside bomb blasts and athletes who have suffered concussions repeatedly over time seem to show the same long lasting changes to brain cells.

This research is ongoing but it clearly shows there is a relationship. Head trauma that doesn’t knock a person unconscious can still kill brain cells and it can damage the architecture of the brain.

This is very important because it could lead to foggy thinking and poor memory. We’ve seen it in soldiers, we’ve seen it in football players, and clearly more research needs to be done looking at concussions, the short term and long term effects.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) – Pennsylvania authorities are advising people not to eat fresh or frozen shellfish from Korea.

The FDA has not issued an official recall, but state Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Samantha Krepps advises Pennsylvanians to discard or return fresh or frozen shellfish products from Korea.

“What we’ve heard so far from the FDA is that the shellfish is coming from polluted waters, and may cause illness. So as a precautionary measure, we want to let consumers in Pennsylvania know that you shouldn’t eat the Korean shellfish, which includes oyster, clams, mussels and scallops.”

But Krepps says that does not include canned shellfish. The state is not aware of any illnesses but anyone has become sick after consuming Korean shellfish is asked to call 1-877-PA-HEALTH.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - While the construction of the Barnes Foundation has been getting most of the local art scene’s attention, its next door neighbor on the Parkway, The Rodin Museum, has been preparing for a midsummer reopening after a lengthy makeover.

“It’s sparkling.”

Rodin Curator Jennifer Thompson beams as she gazes around the mostly refurbished interior of one of Philadelphia’s cultural treasures.

“We’re delighted to sort of reverse some of the changes that have happened over the last couple of years.”

The goal has been to restore the Rodin to what it looked like when it opened in 1929.  The three year project began outside with the restoration of eight bronze sculptures, six of which haven’t been seen there since the early 1960′s.

Art Museum Director and CEO Timothy Rub says the building was intended to serve as a frame for Rodin’s work.

“If you take the sculpture out of the niches, if you take the sculpture out of the arches, out of their relationship with the building something is lost in the process.”

Inside the focus is on original paint colors, wood stains, plaster finishes and wall fabrics. The Rodin is scheduled to reopen in Mid-July.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Mayor Micheal Nutter spoke at the Stoneleigh Foundation symposium on youth violence Wednesday afternoon, announcing the city’s effort to prevent teen mischief this summer.

The Mayor says “Fun, Safe, Philly Summer” will be the City’s effort to get the word out about all of the free summer events and activities for youth throughout Philadelphia.

“Every rec center open, every library open, every park open, every pool open this summer.”

Mayor Nutter says the initiative is set to begin next week, with a goal of ensuring that young people have access to structured programs, as well opportunities for drop in activities. But he says parents need to put their plans in place as soon as possible.

“Parents, right now, not on June 10th, need to start figuring out what’s the summer plan for my kid.”

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, School Reform Commission Member Lorene Cary, who heads the committee on safety, as well as other leaders in Philadelphia’s anti-violence community spoke at the symposium.

“We need an entire community response, a collective response,” Stoneleigh Executive Director Cathy Weiss says. “There’s a lot solutions out there, there are a lot of approaches, but we are not all connected. This is Stoneleigh’s attempt to connect to bring together a broad-based of stakeholders together and create a dialogue among them.”

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A move in City Council to let you fight parking tickets without having to show up in person is being tweaked today in advance of a final vote later this month.

Councilman Bill Green originally proposed three new ways to fight parking tickets: online, on the phone or through the mail.  But the mayor’s office wants telephone hearings taken out.

“The administration has requested that we remove the option of a telephonic hearing.”

Officials say live, phoned-in appeals present logistical and manpower hurdles, a view that Green does not dispute.

“There are practical problems with it that are real, which are causing us to look at this other approach.”

His other approach is to allow for telephone appeals only for individuals who are disabled. Anyone else, under the revised plan, would be able to appeal with snail mail or online.

Amendments are being voted on this week, and a final vote could come next week.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - After two months of testimony and evidence, including evidence yesterday from a secret church archive safe, the prosecution in the clergy abuse case is expected to rest today.

Evidence from inside church safes showed the aptly named secret archives were protected by locks and alarms. Old documents were shredded and discs were electronically wiped clean.

Among the documents that survived is an infamous list of 35 alleged and even admitted predator priests compiled by defendant Monsignor William Lynn, which was later allegedly shredded by other church officials.

The jury has also seen other internal correspondence related to how to better protect the secret archives from civil law authorities. The defense contends Monsignor Lynn, who has pleaded not guilty to endangering children, tried to do the right thing. His lawyers say he compiled the later shredded list, but the puppetmaster, the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, controlled priest placements.

By Jay Lloyd

CAPE MAY, N.J. (CBS) — As a kid, we always went to “the beach,” never “the shore.”

And for us, that meant Coney Island –- along with 6 million of our neighbors, as though Manhattan wasn’t crowded enough.

Not too many years later, boot camp took me to Cape May, NJ, where you could actually see some sand between the people.

It was a revelation.

But even that once pristine strip of paradise has been “discovered” — although, from now until the Memorial Day crowds descend on the shore, Cape May regulars can still find some solitude.

“The sand, the sun, the air, the breeze off the ocean — it’s great,” one beachgoer told me recently.

And you don’t have to wait for summer to let the fun begin.  This weekend in Cape May trumpets a beer-tasting, a giant sidewalk sale, a clamshell-pitching contest, and a wine tour. All without the summertime crowds!

—–

“Jay Lloyd’s Getaway” main page

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — As expected, What to Expect When You’re Expecting fails to exceed expectations.

No surprise there, given that this ensemble comedy has emerged from a non-narrative self-help book.

(2 stars out of 4)

What to Expect When You’re Expecting centers on five interconnected Atlanta couples going through the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of the childbirth process for the first time.

Fitness-show host Cameron Diaz and dancer Matthew Morrison, a team on a celebrity dance show, are surprised to learn that they’re with child.

Author and breastfeeding boutique owner Elizabeth Banks, dealing with fertility issues, and dentist husband Ben Falcone have tried unsuccessfully to conceive for two years and have nearly given up.

Suddenly, results.

But champion race-car driver Dennis Quaid, as the dentist’s competitive dad, and his young wife, Brooklyn Decker, have an announcement of their own to make.

Photographer Jennifer Lopez and ad agency exec Rodrigo Santoro are spouses indulging in adoption of an Ethiopian orphan with widely varying levels of anticipation: she can’t wait, he’s not sure he wants to.

And twentysomething food truck owner Anna Kendrick and colleague and rival Chace Crawford, high school classmates back in the day, learn that their one-night stand has them expecting.

Meanwhile, Chris Rock and Thomas Lennon are part of a “dudes’ group” — a roving pack of stroller-pushing new dads — dishing out advice to nervous fathers-to-be.

Director Kirk Jones’ (Waking Ned Devine, Nanny McPhee, Everybody’s Fine) crowd-pleaser, seemingly designed by committee to amuse and comfort rather than to provoke and stimulate, traffics in predictability and universality in its pursuit of knowing smiles.

The variations-on-a-theme screenplay by Shauna Cross and Heather Hach, based on the best-selling 1984 guidebook of the same name by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel — a pregnancy bible of sorts — includes among its too-many contrived or extraneous subplots a handful of factoids and advice from the book but otherwise shares little with the book other than the title and overall subject.

What the film needs to work is emotional authenticity throughout all three trimesters, rather than the uneven attempts at credibility that its array of characters offer, as the film (ironically) babies the audience by soft-pedaling conflict and complication.

The cast is sufficiently game, with Lopez, Banks, and Kendrick bringing their characters to most persuasive life. And we get past the moments of forced charm well enough.

But the film pays the inevitable price by divvying up screen time among so many principals.  When all is said and done, What to Expect When You’re Expecting boasts about as much depth as a slick commercial aimed at a well-defined demographic.

To say nothing — speaking of which — of the abundant product placement that is perhaps the film’s steadiest and most prominent element.

So we’ll conceive 2 stars out of 4 for the superficial pregnancy comedy, What to Expect When You’re Expecting.

It arrives just as expected, but falls short of the proverbial smooth delivery.

More Bill Wine Movie Reviews

CBS Philly Entertainment News

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — While the opening of the new Barnes museum on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway carries a “wow” factor, the Barnes Foundation’s budget assumes there will be a steady stream of visitors over the year’s, providing at least 250,000 admission fees a year to the foundation’s coffers.

But the number of people admitted will be limited to 150 an hour, with timed purchases, according to Barnes executive director Derek Gillman.

“We don’t want them to be any more crowded in any one room than they were at Merion,” he says.

The Barnes’ business model includes a mix of revenue from admissions, the endowment, and private donations.

But Drexel University history professor Robert Zaller, a longtime opponent of the Barnes’ move from Merion to Museum Row, says it doesn’t add up that the Barnes will derive 60 percent of its annual $14-million budget from paid admissions.

“The American Association of Museums estimates that the average revenue drawn from admissions, concessions, and parking is about 15 to 20 percent,” he tells KYW Newsradio.

Zaller, who believes the Barnes Foundation will have to dip more deeply into endowment income and donations, wonders whether the new Barnes Museum can be financially viable over the long haul, or whether it will be taken over by another, stronger institution.

“My assumption is that the Barnes, under the current business model, must fail,” he says somberly.  “I believe the ultimate beneficiary, and the intended beneficiary all along, will be the Philadelphia Museum of Art.”

Read Part 1: The Galleries

Read Part 2: The Landscaping

Read Part 3:  Contentious History

——

Listen to KYW Newsradio 1060 all week long for more on the new Barnes Museum, opening May 19th on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. 

And listen on Friday, May 18th, as KYW Newsradio broadcasts “Reporters Roundup,” live from the Barnes, 12 noon to 1pm!

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - At one of the most emotionally fraught times in a person’s life – when planning the funeral of a loved one – you’re asked to make decisions that cost thousands of dollars. But you have rights under the law when making those decisions.

J & D Foods, a company that specializes in all products bacon-related including bacon mayonnaise and bacon salt is now introducing a line of bacon coffins. While you’re not actually wrapped in bacon, you can go on to your heavenly abode in a casket decorated like a slab of bacon with the added benefit that no one can tell you that stuff’ll kill ‘ya. And all it costs is $3000. But just so you’re not cowed (I know, wrong animal analogy) at a vulnerable time, the law says that a funeral provider has to give you a price list, cannot refuse or charge you a fee to handle a casket you bought elsewhere, and a provider that offers cremations must make alternative containers available.

Many funeral homes allow you to prepay for funeral expenses, but before you do, ask what you’re paying for – merchandise only or the services too? What happens if the home goes out of business? And can you cancel the contract if you should become a vegetarian. Visit ftc.gov for a full list of funeral laws before it’s too late.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Taking your dog on a daily walk is not only a necessary activity but it should be a pleasant one as well. Unfortunately, you may encounter an obstacle here and there and you should always be prepared for any potential hazards.

First, you should have pocketed treats handy, (where your dog can’t see them, of course!) It becomes quite useful as you teach your dog to sit at the curb to wait for passing traffic and your cue to continue. It can also be useful to help socialize your dog to new people, dogs, events or situations.

You should also always carry a water bottle or a water spray bottle to hydrate both you and your canine companion especially as the temperature rises. It also comes in handy as a safe and humane way to avert potential problems such as to redirect an unleashed dog if a threat arises to you or your dog.

You may also want to carry a second lead in case yours breaks. Sometimes even what seems to be the strongest hook or snap on a leash can become undone or broken unexpectedly. And you don’t want to be caught off guard and risk losing your dog, especially in an unfamiliar area.

If your dog needs a little extra energy depleted on the walk and you can’t devote more than 15 or 20 minutes, then a doggie training backpack may be useful.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - This is the time of year when we begin to focus more on skin cancer. This is one of the most common types of cancer, affecting more than two million Americans each year.

Having light skin, hair, and eyes increases a patient’s risk for skin cancer, as does over-exposure to ultraviolet rays at an early age.

It is important to counsel children, adolescents, and young adults aged 1 to 24 years who have fair skin about skin cancer prevention. The question often comes up about the effectiveness of suntan lotion with high spf. Certainly wearing an spf of thirty or better is helpful but you need to apply it often.

One of the problems with sun block is that people stay out in the sun much longer thinking they will be totally protected. That is a mistake.

Kyle Kendrick pitched six sparkling innings in his first start in 12 days as Philadelphia returned to .500 for the first time since it beat Atlanta 4-0 on May 3. He also singled and scored the tying run in the fifth.

Hunter Pence opened the eighth with a long fly ball off Shawn Camp (2-2) that left fielder Alfonso Soriano caught on the warning track, delighting the Wrigley Field crowd of 38,678. But Ruiz followed with a bit longer drive that reached the bleachers in left for his seventh homer.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

On Tuesday, William R. Cason and Thelda L. Cason were arrested during a traffic stop near the Gateway North Shopping Center in Smyrna. Both suspects were in possession of more than 120 Oxycodone pills and more than $300 in suspected drug money.

Detectives later executed a search warrant as a result of an investigation into the illegal sale of cocaine at the residence in Dover Air Park. During the search, detectives came up with .4 grams of crack cocaine, a .38 caliber revolver and 46 rounds of ammunition.

Both Casons face numerous drug charges and are now incarcerated pending bail.

Whistled for a costly illegal pick late in a Game 2 loss, Garnett crushed the Sixers early and never let them think about a fourth-quarter rally.

Garnett scored 13 of Boston’s 32 points in the second quarter and the Celtics became the first team to win by double digits. Game 1 and Game 2 were each decided by one point.

Rajon Rondo had 23 points and 14 assists. Paul Pierce, playing with a banged-up knee, had 24 points and 12 rebounds.

Game 4 is Friday in Philadelphia.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)