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CITY/REGION

Posted: July 08, 2011

Judge bares truth about robe

The case of the missing judicial robe at the Criminal Justice Center was solved yesterday when it turned out that a secretary had mistakenly picked it up.

Municipal Judge Joseph C. Waters - who on Wednesday said that his judicial robe had vanished from a robing room in the CJC - said the whole thing had turned out to be a big misunderstanding.

"One of the judges' secretaries inadvertently picked it up, thinking it belonged to another judge," Waters said. She returned it yesterday morning, meaning that the judge is fully dressed and the case is officially closed.

Bar yanks lobbying lawsuit

The Philadelphia Bar Association yesterday withdrew a lawsuit that sought to get the city's new lobbying law thrown out, or get attorneys exempted.

The group made the move after the city Ethics Board passed a resolution that stated that the law will not be enforced until 30 days after a regulation detailing the rules has been finalized. The earliest that such a regulation could be approved is at the board's next meeting on Aug. 17, which means that the earliest that the lobbying law could go into effect would likely be late September.

Bar Chancellor Rudolph Garcia said that the association will try to work with the Ethics Board on crafting the regulation that will clarify the law, which requires lobbyists to register each year and file public reports on their expenditures.

Archdiocese: Parishes to merge

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has announced two parish mergers effective this month.

Immaculate Conception Parish, at Front and Allen streets, in Fishtown, has merged into St. Michael Parish, 2nd and Jefferson streets, North Philadelphia. Immaculate Conception and St. Michael parishes had already been "twinned," sharing the same pastor since 2000.

Also: St. Casimir Parish, 324 Wharton St., in Pennsport, has merged into St. Andrew Parish, 19th and Wallace streets, in Fairmount. St. Casimir and St. Andrew parishes, which serve the spiritual needs of Lithuanian-speaking Catholics in the Archdiocese, have shared the same pastor since 1998.

Buildings of both Immaculate Conception and St. Casimir will remain open for devotional services.

Runaway cow heading north

After a two-week stopover in quarantine, the cow that took off from an Upper Darby slaughterhouse last month is about to head to greener pastures.

The cow, now named Kayli by her rescuers, will be sent Monday to Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, in Willow, N.Y., "where she will roam free on dozens of acres with cows and other animals," according to a news release.

Kayli escaped from the Madina Live Poultry slaughterhouse on June 18 and drew attention from animal-rights activists who later negotiated with state agriculture officials to allow the cow to be sent to the farm.

Driver in fiery crash ID'd

The woman who was at the wheel of the car that crashed into a home on Berry Road, in Upper Moreland, early Tuesday, triggering a fire that destroyed the house, has been identified as Laura Stevens, 26, of Philadelphia.

She and a passenger, Wayne Foulke, 27, died in the fiery crash shortly after 1:30 a.m. The occupants of the house, James and Jill Cummins, and their three little boys escaped unharmed. Their dog also escaped unharmed.

Stevens and Foulke had attended a fireworks display in Philadelphia. Their car rammed another vehicle before striking the house. The cause of the accident was not known.

- Daily News staff reports

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