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.
