State Senator Christine Tartaglione is “disappointed” with outgoing Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell’s veto of a bill that would extend the requirements of municipalities to provide health coverage for firefighters diagnosed with various cancers.

House bill 1231, dubbed the cancer presumption bill for firefighters, had some bipartisan support, but Rendell, who vetoed two other bills the same day, expressed concern about excessive costs to already burdened local governments. Nearly two dozen Pennsylvania mayors signed a letter urging Rendell to veto the measure, which was introduced by state Rep. Kevin Murphy and backed by Tartaglione, among others.

“I’m very disappointed with our outgoing governor,” she said of Rendell, while addressing just three residents and a handful of executive board members at the Frankford Civic Association meeting inside Aria Health Frankford. “This bill will come back next year.”

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The occupants of a home on the 900-block of Dyre Street are safe today after escaping a fire early Tuesday morning.

A fire broke out in the Northwood home around 2:30 a.m. yesterday, which the owner said may have been caused by a faulty heater. In addition to battling the blaze, firefighters also had to deal with icy streets when water from the fire hose began to freeze.

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By Shannon McDonald

One man is dead following a fire Saturday night near Holme Circle, off of Ashton Road.

Firefighters arrived on the 9400-block of Woodbridge Rd. shortly after 11 p.m. to put out the fire, which caused smoke and water damage in six neighboring homes and displaced eight people before it was under control at 11:50 p.m.

A man’s body was discovered on the second floor, but his identity has not been released. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

By Shannon McDonald

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey visited St. Jerome’s in Holme Circle this morning to thank the 8th graders for their support of the Philadelphia Police Department.

Ramsey shook the students’ hands and gave them certificates of appreciation after he addressed the entire school in the church. The 8th grade class is making pocket rosaries for every Philadelphia police officer, a project that began in November 2007 after Officer Chuck Cassidy of St. Jerome’s parish was killed on duty.

To date, the students have made almost 4,000 rosaries, which leaves them with nearly 3,000 to go before all of the city’s officers have one. Once the project is completed, the students will begin making rosaries for firefighters.

Image courtesy of St. Jerome Parish.