Portugal Colonial - Philadelphia Roundup: Museum Closure, Phishing Warning and Gun Violence Data

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University said its public museum will close at the end of September, a decision attributed to lasting post-pandemic attendance changes and rising operating costs. The Academy plans to continue scientific research and public education. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office said it was discussing the institution’s long-term future with Drexel, the Academy and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker’s office.

Another Philadelphia cultural item focused on a City Hall exhibition about the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act, or CETA, a federal program that supported employment for artists and academics during the 1970s. Philadelphia artists Blaise Tobia and Virginia Maksymowicz, who participated in CETA arts work in New York City, helped create the exhibition and now coordinate the CETA Arts Legacy Project.

Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, utility executives and cybersecurity specialists warned lawmakers about growing threats to critical infrastructure. Chobani announced a $1.2 billion investment in Pennsylvania that is expected to bring hundreds of jobs to the Lehigh Valley.

Health systems in Philadelphia were also responding to a MyChart Medicare phishing scheme. Pennsylvania Attorney General David Sunday urged residents to be cautious about unsolicited messages offering free products, benefits or rewards. The warning centered on attempts to use familiar health-care branding to obtain personal or financial information.

Temple University reached a five-year agreement with its police union as the university works to recruit and retain officers during a period of reduced recruitment. In Kingsessing, residents marked the reopening of the 148-year-old Francis J. Myers Recreation Center following a $27 million renovation.

The roundup also noted the debut mystery novel of a former producer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The book, titled The Refuge, explores the relationship between people and wilderness.

The weekly gun-violence prevention brief cited new hospital resources on firearm-safety screening and intervention, a Giffords Law Center tracker of gun-industry accountability lawsuits and research associating firearm carrying among high-school students with higher odds of suicide attempts.

Philadelphia recorded 18 shooting victims from Aug. 24 through Aug. 30, including one fatality, compared with 13 victims and two fatalities the week before. Police data listed 120 homicides year to date, 20 percent below the pace at the same point last year and 66 percent below the pace five years earlier.

The city calendar for the week included the Made in Philadelphia Market at Dilworth Park, a Yellow Fever history tour by Christ Church and an Opera on Tap event at Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion. Mayor Parker had no public events listed for Wednesday but issued a statement on the Academy closure and the ongoing talks about its future.

O.Gaspar--PC