Nutter talks to Philadelphia principals, Christie faces hearing for helicopter use

Good morning, Feeders, and happy Flag Day! We’ll do a little digging into recent flag sales in honor of the holiday, and we’ve also got more for you on Philadelphia’s soda tax and a principal meet-and-greet with Mayor Michael Nutter.

Today marks another day of soda tax protests in Philadelphia, where City Council must decide how to find the funding the School District has asked for. Tom MacDonald will have more on that and the latest on mortgage foreclosures.

Lizz Fiedler is out to get more details on the operations suspension at Bensalem’s Union Fire Co. Who’s filling the gap, what’s behind the suspension and when can the company expect to operate again?

We’ll catch up with Nutter during his tour of schools today where he’ll talk with principals about the cuts schools are facing. What questions do you have for Nutter?

Susan Phillips is making some calls to find out what Pennsylvania’s Public Health Department has in terms of a plan for the Marcellus Shale drilling, and how the department communicates with the Department of Environmental Protection.

In New Jersey, Phil Gregory is covering two very different hearings: one on Gov. Chris Christie’s use of the state helicopter, and the other on the revision of a Megan’s Law sentence.

How does a community center stay open when the people it was built for aren’t the ones using it anymore? Peter Crimmins will find out what’s behind the impending closure of South Philly’s Stiffel Center.

As Pennsylvania moves closer to regulating cell phone driving laws, Maiken Scott takes a look at other states’ laws and the motives behind their passing.

Here’s what you can read now on our Northwest Philly pages:

How do you top a former ballroom? Philadelphia’s Redevelopment Authority is looking for plans for the former site of the Rivage Grand Ballroom in East Falls, but it’s not the first time proposals have been requested and plans made.

Germantown is fighting a winning battle against vacant properties. We’ve got a multimedia package about the Grow Your Block initiative to replace neglected properties with community gardens.