🔎 The case of the missing windows | Morning Newsletter
and “Educatin’ with Satan”
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/HFBMGNG2N5BXBETDRTFSEXRWKA.jpg)
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Today should be partly cloudy with a high of 60.
For more than a century, two rose-shaped stained glass windows sat untouched high above the pews at the Hickman Temple A.M.E. in West Philly.
But last year, the church was sold to a new pastor, and he sold the windows for $6,000. Turns out, they were rare Tiffany glass.
Our lead story follows the story of how the discovery unfolded.
If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
When Emmanuel Christian Center purchased the historic church building from Hickman Temple A.M.E, the new pastor, William Brownlee Sr., had a vision to modernize and renovate.
The 15,000-square-foot space was originally built in 1901 for St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, and it had deteriorated over the years.
When an architectural salvager offered to take more than a dozen stained-glass windows and other furnishings off Brownlee’s hands in the fall, the new pastor was happy to make a deal. He sold the whole lot, including the two rose windows, for $6,000.
But those two rose windows were rare Tiffany pieces.
They’re now going to be up for auction on May 18 with an estimated sale price between $150,000 to $250,000 each.
Continue reading to learn how Brownlee is trying to get new stained glass windows.
What you should know today
A Philadelphia judge declared a mistrial in the case of a former city SWAT officer who pepper-sprayed protesters on I-676.
Rutgers faculty voted to ratify new contracts after a week-long strike and nearly a year of negotiations.
Teamsters ended a nearly three-week strike at the Philadelphia region’s largest Coca-Cola distributor.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney voted for Cherelle Parker in the mayoral primary, but emphasized on Monday that he was not endorsing her.
Philadelphia mayoral candidate Helen Gym denounced Main Line billionaire Jeffrey Yass for funding attack ads against her.
Thousands of Philly MUNA fans gathered for the band’s sold-out show on their Life’s So Fun tour at the Met. Their shows have become a place where the city’s queer community can celebrate in a safe space. The experience is so queer-centric that many concertgoers call it “gay church.”
Taylor Swift’s upcoming Northeast Era Tour stops are giving local Etsy sellers a sales boost. We also gathered the best tips from Philly’s Swifties to let you know how to prepare for her local show this weekend.
PPA issued 11,000 tickets for sweet sweeping and bike lane parking violations in the first week of violation.
Remember to use our guide to Philly’s 2023 Democratic primary for mayor, City Council, and more.
It’s pretty fitting that a city named “Hellertown” would be the first to get an after-school Satan Club.
Citing the First Amendment protections, a federal judge ordered the Saucon Valley School District to allow the After School Satan Club, sponsored by The Satanic Temple, to meet on its property.
So far, six students have signed up, and more are expected.
The preliminary injunction that was granted May 1 is the latest development in a months-long, emotionally fraught controversy that saw the club get district approval to meet only to have it rescinded.
Note: New Jersey and Delaware currently don’t have After School Satan Clubs.
Continue reading for a full recap of the controversy.
🧠Trivia time đź§
Matt Pond’s band isn’t called Matt Pond PA anymore.
What’s the band’s new name?
A) The Peculiar Lines
B) The Natural Lines
C) Monotony
D) The Lighthouse
Find out if you know the answer.
What we’re...
👀 Watching: Longtime South Jersey power broker George Norcross said he wants to ease back from politics, but some observers aren’t convinced.
đź“° Reading: A high-stakes Philadelphia City Council race is brewing in Kensington. Gentrification, housing, and the future of the neighborhood are the main issues at play.
🍽️ Anticipating: Our next Reddit AMA in r/PhiladelphiaEats is today at 3:30 p.m. Restaurant critic and drink columnist Craig LaBan will tackle all your questions about his trip to the region of Mexico that has been the primary source of Mexican migration to Philly over the past two decades.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram 🧩
Hint: This used to be a popular spot for skateboarders in Philly
ELKA PROV
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Cheers to Kevin Keene, who correctly guessed Monday’s answer: Kurt Vile. Email us if you know the answer.
Photo of the day
That should have you covered this morning. I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow.