Nine cases of swine flu confirmed in Philadelphia

The CDC confirmed nine cases of swine flu in Philadelphia as of Thursday morning, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Eleven probable cases of swine flu have now been reported in Philadelphia, though the infection has not affected the Penn community.

Thefts from buildings up from last April | Interactive graphic

Thefts from buildings more than doubled compared to April 2008, while incidents of violent crime were down since that time last year. Crimes against property showed little change overall. Building thefts increased sharply from 14 last year to 30 this year.

CDC confirms two Philadelphia swine flu cases

Updated May 8, 6:41 p.m. The CDC has confirmed two cases of swine influenza in Philadelphia. Neither of the two patients became sick enough to be hospitalized, however, and both are recovering, according to the Philadelphia Department of Health. Nine probable cases of swine influenza have now been reported in Philadelphia, though the infection has not affected the Penn community.

Crime log | Interactive map

View April 23-29 in a larger map

Three probable swine flu cases reported in Philadelphia

Updated April 30, 5:41 p.m. Three probable cases of swine influenza have now been reported in Philadelphia. Further testing in those cases -- a two-year-old child, a 46-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man -- must be done to confirm swine flu, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

DPS gears up for summer crime

As many students look forward to leaving Penn for a summer of relaxation, the Division of Public Safety is preparing for what is one of its busiest periods of the year. "It's a fallacy that as the vast majority of the student population leaves, out workload decreases," Captain Joseph Fischer said. "The challenges are in fact even greater over the summer.

St. Joe's meningitis case is unrelated to Penn outbreak

The student hospitalized with a meningococcal infection at St. Joseph's University has been confirmed to have strain B of the infection, the same strain that infected four Penn students in February and March. But according to Penn spokeswoman Lori Doyle, the cases are not related.

St. Joe's student hospitalized for meningitis

A student at St. Joseph's University has been hospitalized with a suspected case of bacterial meningitis, according to Harriet Goodheart, a spokeswoman for the university. The diagnosis has not yet been confirmed, she said. Until it is, health officials will not be able to determine whether the case is linked to the outbreak that hospitalized three Penn students with meningococcal infection earlier this semester.

Drexel says crime has dropped since new police department was formed

Violent crime has dropped significantly since Drexel University unveiled its new police department, according to Drexel's Senior Associate Vice President for Public Safety Domenic Ceccanecchio. After being officially recognized as a law enforcement agency by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office in June 2008, the department has been operational since March 15.

News Brief | Penn affiliate hit by car on Friday night

A 30-year-old man affiliated with the University was hit by a car near 38th and Walnut streets on Friday night, according to Division of Public Safety spokeswoman Stef Cella. Cella was unable to confirm the man's condition, since the investigation is being handled by the Philadelphia Police.

Katherine Rea | Considering characteristics

It'd be pretty awesome to have President Barack Obama speak at Penn. Given his popularity and prestige, I think almost all students and alumni would be honored for him to appear on campus. But apparently not everyone feels the same way, because significant objections have been raised about his invitation to address graduates at the University of Notre Dame next month.

Your Voice | Letters to the Editor

Straightening historical facts To the Editor: I'm assuming others will write in to debunk Emerson Brooking's offensive defense of the Confederate flag and the racism that it has symbolized through the decades ("In defense of Dixie" 4/15/2009). But I was also struck by the line in his piece that read: "Almost 300,000 Southerners fought and died under the flag of the Confederacy, and the resulting Reconstruction altered the course of the South's economic and cultural development, creating a depression that would linger for generations.

College alum creates site to monitor 2010 census

By MATTHEW BURNARD Staff Writer burnard@dailypennsylvanian.com At a time when a cash-strapped media industry lacks the resources to monitor government spending, one recent Penn alum is using new media to fill this role. Stephen Morse, an '07 College alumnus and a former Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, recently founded the Web site mytwocensus.

Art Club frustrated by mysterious squirrel disappearances

Many students may not have had time to notice the appearance of ceramic squirrels along Locust Walk over the past few days since several of them have been disappearing. The project, called "Squirrels on Locust," is coordinated by the Penn Art Club and is the first large-scale student-initiated art installation on campus.

GSE student tapped for Education Department job

Glenn Cummings, a student in the Graduate School of Education's Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management program, was chosen as deputy assistant secretary of education in the Obama administration. Cummings, a former speaker of the house in the Maine House of Representatives, will work in the Office of Vocational and Adult Education on issues related to adult education and literacy, career and technical information and community colleges.

Crime Log | Interactive map

Robbery April 8 - A male student, 20, reported that two unknown suspects approached him on the 100 block of S. 40th Street at about 12:20 a.m., one of whom displayed a knife and forced him to withdraw cash from his bank account at a nearby ATM. Theft April 3 - Stanley Wisocki, 46, unaffiliated with the University and of the 1200 block of Race Street, was arrested at about 8:30 p.

Taxi driver stabs 22-year-old man near campus

A 22-year-old man unaffiliated with the University was stabbed at around 2:15 a.m. Saturday on the 200 block of South 44th Street, according to Philadelphia Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore. Responding to a call, Penn Police found that the complainant had been stabbed in the abdomen by a taxi driver.

Softball | A Wildcat nap after six losses on road

For Penn softball, it feels good to be home. After yet another disappointing weekend, having dropped a pair of doubleheaders in Ithaca, N.Y., to Ivy League South Division-leading Cornell, the Quakers (9-24-1, 4-8 Ivy) will return to Warren Field this afternoon for their final nonconference matchup against Villanova (17-15).

As summer nears, Penn Police urge bike security | Interactive feature

With the summer riding season coming up, Division of Public Safety officials are intent on stamping out bike crime on campus. As a city with a very high student population, Philadelphia has become notorious in recent years as a bike theft hotspot. Bike lock manufacturer Kryptonite publishes a "Top 10 Worst Cities for Bike Theft List" on its blog every year, and Philadelphia is its reigning champion.

DPS intent on stomping out campus bike crime

With the summer riding season coming up, Division of Public Safety officials are intent on stamping out bike crime on campus. As a city with a very high student population, Philadelphia has become notorious in recent years as a bike theft hotspot. Bike lock manufacturer Kryptonite publishes a "Top 10 Worst Cities for Bike Theft List" on its blog every year, and Philadelphia is its reigning champion.