Delaware
Cannon stolen from historic fort along the Delaware River in Philadelphia
Philadelphia police confirmed they are now involved in the search for the cannon valued at around $3,000.
Monday, June 12, 2023 11:35PM
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A cannon was stolen from historic Fort Mifflin sometime in early June, and now Philadelphia police are investigating.
The 300-pound replica signal cannon was taken from its spot on the wall surrounding the fort in South Philadelphia.
“We’re a small nonprofit and this is sort of a sentimental cannon for us,” said Beth Beatty, the executive director of Fort Mifflin.
The working replica was about four feet long and sat on a box on top of a 14-foot-tall wall. So stealing it was no easy feat.
“It had to be removed from this box and then removed down from the top of the wall,” said Beatty. “Then it would have to be moved across the parade ground and loaded into a truck.”
All that happened in early June. Officials don’t have an exact date because the cannon doesn’t sit in a visible area, and the first person to notice it missing thought it was taken down for maintenance.
Philadelphia police confirmed they are now involved in the search for the cannon valued at around $3,000.
“I’m sure they think this is probably their most unique assignment to date,” said Beatty.
Officials at Fort Mifflin searched the entire property and even checked Facebook Marketplace to see if it was for sale. They don’t believe the piece is worth much as scrap because it’s made out of cast iron.
But it does mean a lot to the nonprofit.
“I would suspect this was taken by someone who finds it an appealing curiosity. And maybe it’s in somebody’s yard, in somebody’s living room,” said Beatty.
The cannon does work and it is potentially dangerous. Surveillance video didn’t capture the theft.
Copyright © 2023 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Delaware
Brown v. Board of Education expert discussion set May 17
In celebration of the 70th anniversary of the seminal civil rights ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, the Lewes Public Library will host a discussion about the Delaware aspects of the case at 5 p.m., Friday, May 17, at the library, 111 Adams Ave., Lewes, and online via Zoom.
Expert guests will be Professor Leland Ware and Judge Thomas Ambro. They will be introduced by organizers Chanta Howard Wilkinson, Esq., an expert on diversity, equity, inclusion and justice, and Ronald Collins, a renowned legal scholar and Lewes Public Library distinguished lecturer.
The landmark Brown Supreme Court case combined five cases, one of which was a consolidated case out of Delaware. Ware and Ambro will examine Brown v. Board through a Delaware lens – the schoolchildren plaintiffs, the lawyers, the trial judge, the Supreme Court opinion and the initial hostile response to it in Delaware.
“In some important ways, the past both challenges and inspires us,” said Collins. “On the one hand, we must be mindful of our ancestors’ failings and wrongs. On the other hand, there are those whose creed and courage speak to the higher angels in us. The Delaware story of racial justice is an example of just that.”
Reservations are required. To sign up, go to lewes.lib.de.us or call the library at 302-645-2733. Registrants will be asked to select in-person or virtual attendance.
Ware is the Louis L. Redding Chair for the Study of Law and Public Policy at the University of Delaware. He has co-authored two books and written over 90 articles on various aspects of civil rights law. Ambro is on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He was in private practice in Wilmington from 1976 to 2000 and was nominated to the Court of Appeals by President Bill Clinton in 1999.
“It is especially important that we not only revisit history, but learn from it. To do so, we must engage in meaningful discourse and an exchange of ideas,” said Howard Wilkinson. “It is a privilege to provide space for such a conversation between an esteemed legal scholar and a distinguished jurist.”
Participants are invited to purchase Ware’s book, “Brown v. Board of Education: Caste, Culture and the Constitution,” from Browseabout Books, 133 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach. Books will also be available for purchase and signing at the event.
Delaware
Delaware County emergency services director on leave amid sex discrimination allegations
MEDIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) — Delaware County Director of Emergency Services Tim Boyce has been placed on administrative leave, Action News has learned.
The county says the district attorney’s office is investigating but did not reveal any details.
Attorney Mark Schwartz is representing two women who have come forward against Boyce.
“I think they are happy that he’s been put on leave. Some of them were really fearful of retaliation,” Schwartz told Action News on Tuesday.
Schwartz says one of the women filed an age claim against Boyce over the alleged hiring and treatment of other younger women.
The second woman being represented by Schwartz alleges she was groped by the emergency services leader before she ultimately quit.
We have reached out to Boyce for comment, but we have not heard back.
According to the Delaware County Emergency Services 911 website, Boyce leads a staff of 125 employees and coordinates response efforts for the county’s 65 fire departments, 42 police departments and 31 emergency medical providers.
Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Delaware
10-year-old killed and another child injured after being struck by car in Wilmington, Delaware
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