Mayor on park wall-sitting ban: ‘Sit where you want’

PHILADELPHIA >> The mayor of Philadelphia is taking issue with a new rule banning people from sitting on walls in a park in a posh section of the city, saying his attitude is: “Sit where you want.”

The group that manages the Rittenhouse Square park said the ban on sitting on walls near a fountain was imposed Thursday after neighbors complained that the practice led to pot smoking. Jackie Whyte, of Friends of Rittenhouse, a nonprofit group in partnership with the city, said the decision stemmed from “continuous vandalism and marijuana smoking.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that neighbors packed a meeting four months ago comlaining about loitering, homeless people and pot smoking. The walls were specifically cited as attracting large groups who engaged in drug use.

The city decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana in 2014. The walls are popular places to sit at lunchtime, especially in warmer months as benches fill with office workers and area residents. A Facebook group had organized a “Sittenhouse Lunch Time Sit-On” to perch on walls in protest of the ban. The group noted that following Mayor Jim Kenney’s post on Twitter, they will celebrate their success by sitting on the wall during lunch Tuesday.

The Democratic Kenney said on Twitter Saturday night that he was among those “frustrated” about the issue, saying “the government is very large and at times things just get by you.” But he concluded “Sit where you want” — a message accompanied with a “peace sign” emoji.

“Along with my liberal view of park use, please don’t litter, or graffiti the walls or smoke weed so obviously that you scare olds my age,” the mayor said in a second Twitter post that was accompanied by a smiley-face icon.

Identity of woman found shot in garage sought

BRADDOCK, PA. >> Authorities in western Pennsylvania are trying to identify a woman found dead with a gunshot wound in an abandoned garage.

Allegheny County homicide investigators say police in Braddock and first responders were called to the scene shortly before 9 a.m. Saturday.

Officials say the woman as pronounced dead at the scene. They say she appeared to have sustained at least one gunshot wound.

The county medical examiner’s office said the name, age and home municipality of the woman are all pending further investigation, as are the cause and manner of death.

Taxi driver shot 13 times

PHILADELPHIA >> Police are searching for a suspect after a taxi driver was shot 13 times overnight in Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Taxi Cab company says the 56-year-old driver was dispatched to pick up a man in west Philadelphia at about 2 a.m. Sunday, but later called to cancel the job.

About 10 or 15 minutes later, the company received a call that the driver had been shot only blocks from the earlier pickup location.

Arriving police officers found the driver on the ground outside the cab, which had the motor running and the doors open.