šŸŒ± Man Sentenced For Sending Police Threats + Omicron Peaked

Dan Casarella
Updated ·3 min read

Hey, neighbors! It's me again, Dan Casarella, your host of the Philadelphia Daily.

First, today's weather:

Morning snow, 1-2"; windy. High: 36 Low: 15.

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Here are the top stories in Philadelphia today:

  1. A Massachusetts man has been sentenced to four years in prison in three years of supervised release for sending threatening emails to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. Peter Fratus, 40, of West Dennis, Massachusetts was convicted in September 2021 after a three-day trial. His emails contain racist, offensive, misogynistic, and threatening language. Authorities say Fratus has a history of sending these types of emails. (Philadelphia Patch)

  2. Philadelphia's health department is changing their COVID-19 guidelines for schools, saying that they no longer recommend pauses for in-person learning. They recommend students continue in-person learning unless there are staff absences due to COVID-19 isolation or quarantine. They also are straying from the CDC's five-day isolation period, saying that many school buildings in Philadelphia may not be safe to return in that time frame. (CBS Philly)

  3. According to the Philadelphia Department of Public, health new COVID cases have begun to drop. Cases seem to have peaked around Jan. 9 and they are currently falling as quickly as they rose, with cases down 50% from last week. Hospitalizations are up from last week, however, this follows the trend that hospitalizations and deaths lag behind new cases. (WHYY)

  4. Philadelphia City Council member Maria QuiƱones-SƔnchez is prioritizing fixing Philadelphia public school buildings. The plan is estimated to cost around $5 billion. QuiƱones-SƔnchez introduced a bill on Thursday that introduced legislation to assess this problem. (WHYY)

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Today in Philadelphia:

  • Government Relations At The Alliance of Community Service Providers (11:00 AM)

  • Clobber the Columbus Blue Jackets At Misconduct Tavern (7:00 PM)

  • Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo At Penn Live Arts (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

  • Suspects for Vandalism are wanted in the 6th District (Facebook)

  • Do you have questions about the Broad, Germantown, and Erie public space and traffic safety improvements? Learn more and get involved! (Facebook)

  • Are you striving to create a lasting financial legacy for your family? Join the Office of Black Male Engagement and Philadelphia Department of Commerce for a four-part series on building Black generational wealth throughout #BlackHistoryMonth. Sign up here: bit.ly/BGW2022PHL (Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

ā€” Dan Casarella

About me: Dan Casarella is a writer, podcast producer, and small business development specialist who formerly worked in late-night television. Heā€™s produced many talk segments, including with President Joe Biden, Kobe Bryant, and Chadwick Boseman. Dan studied Media Studies and Production at Temple University. He also enjoys running, painting, and the highs and lows of Philadelphiaā€™s sports teams.

This article originally appeared on the Philadelphia Patch