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The United States of America is set to celebrate it’s 250th birthday next year and Philadelphia will be the epicenter of the celebration. And, on Monday, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker was set to join city officials to discuss what will be happening in the city during the upcoming year-long celebration, along with talking about the city’s plans for the first ever New Year’s Eve concert — featuring LL Cool J — and a fireworks celebration. “Philly, I hope you are ready, because I am ready to ring in the new year rocking the bells right here in our great city of Philadelphia,” she said. In preparing to detail the upcoming events, Parker said that the city will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the county “in a way that only our nation’s birthplace can.” LL Cool J will headline a free concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, and, as detailed by Parker, he will be joined by special guests like the legendary DJ and Philly native DJ Jazzy Jeff, Grammy-Award winning musician Adam Blackstone, and hard rock band Dorothy. Gates will open for the free show at 6 p.m. and the concert is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. that night. A fireworks show will then take place over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at midnight. “We want the city to feel the excitement, and quite frankly the potential of 2026 from the very beginning,” Parker said. She also celebrated the fact that, USA Today readers recently voted the Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia Mummers Parade as the best holiday parade in the country. “Our Mummer’s Parade! Some recognition of a tradition that’s uniquely Philly and proudly community driven,” she said. And, she said, with so much planned for next year to celebrate America’s 250th birthday — from FIFA World Cup events to the MLB All-Star Game and other events — the city will be to focus of attention across the country. With that, Parker said, the city expects an influx of visitors for the celebrations. “Philadelphia is ready for you,” she said. The Philadelphia Police Department will be ready for the upcoming events, as well, said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel. He noted that police expect New Year’s Eve to be “a challenging two days for us.” But, he noted, the police are prepared for the events. “We will have all of our assets out to make sure this event goes safely,” he said, noting that there will be a police presence on the ground, in the air and in the water along the Delaware River during the New Year’s Eve event. For a full list of upcoming events for America’s 250th Anniversary Celebration — including information on FIFA World Cup events, the upcoming MLB All-Star Game and more — visit the city’s website, here. Following the morning announcement, the city details transit, safety and parking plans for New Year’s Eve. Those details are included here. Public Safety For the safety of event attendees and participants, unauthorized sUAS/drone usage is prohibited over crowds by the FAA. If you see a drone at an event, please report it to the nearest police officer with a location and description of the operator. Attendees should never leave bags or other items unattended. In the event of an emergency or to report a suspicious person, activity, or item (backpack, package, container, etc.), notify a police officer immediately or call 9-1-1. Do not try to open, move, cover or touch a suspicious item.  For tips and general information about being prepared and ready at special events, read the Special Event Safety Guide before you attend. Road Closures The road closures are subject to change and this list will be updated accordingly. Below are the street closures for the upcoming New Year’s Eve Concert and Fireworks.   Wednesday, December 31, 2025  The following…

Former Bethlehem City Police officer, Costas Alestas, was sentenced Monday to 10-20 years in state prison after pleading guilty to charges related to the sexual assault of one middle school student and inappropriately recording another. Alestas was assigned to East Hills Middle School when court documents say he sexually assaulted a student multiple times in various locations, including his office at the school. Allegations also surfaced that he took an “upskirt” video of another student and police found that video on his cell phone. On May 1, 2024, the Bethlehem City Police Department was notified of allegations Officer Alestas had inappropriate contact with the female student. He was serving as a school resource officer at the time. Following the report, Alestas was placed on administrative leave, and cell phone records revealed he had engaged in an ongoing sexual relationship with the student, and that he recorded another student without her knowledge. On Monday, he pled guilty to Involuntary Deviate Sexual Assault against a person less than 16-years-old, a first-degree felony and Invasion of Privacy, a third-degree misdemeanor. Along with the prison sentence of 10-20 years, Alestas will be required to register as a sexually violent predator for the rest of his life. Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.

A veteran firefighter was killed in a weekend fire that injured seven others in Upper Darby’s Drexel Hill neighborhood, officials said. The fire started on Saturday, Dec. 20, around 11 a.m., on the second floor of an apartment building along the 3200 block of Township Line Road. One of the residents, Raymond Erwin, told NBC10 that he, his girlfriend, their dog, and a few neighbors — including children — were desperately trying to escape from the second floor but couldn’t see through the thick smoke. “That point we were all kind of panicking, and we just ran back to one of our neighbors’ apartments,” Erwin said. “We closed the door and we went to the deck from there. We just kind of waited to see how they were going to extract us out of here and get us down with the ladders.” Responding firefighters were able to bring the flames under control. The fire caused significant damage to apartments on the second and third floors, officials said. A photo of Tony Rowley. Credit: Lansdowne Fire Company Tony Rowley, 58, was killed in the fire while seven others – including his wife and another firefighter — were injured, officials said. Around 75 people were also displaced. Officials said six of the surviving victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries while a seventh victim was placed in critical condition. A spokesperson for the Lansdowne Fire Company also said Rowley’s wife suffered serious injuries. Rowley was a longtime member of the Lansdowne Fire Company and had also served as Vice President and Ambulance Lieutenant. The spokesperson wrote that Rowley had recently dealt with medical issues. Officials have not yet revealed the cause of the fire. The Red Cross, Salvation Army, Delaware County Emergency Services and other support groups have assisted the displaced residents.

A man and a woman have both been hospitalized, police said, after they were discovered in a North Philadelphia home after both were shot on Monday morning. According to police, officers discovered the pair at about 11:28 a.m. in a property located along the 4100 block of Old York Road in North Philly on Monday. Both victims, officials said, were taken to a nearby hospital. However, police did not immediately detail the extent of the victims’ injuries, nor did they detail what may have led to the shooting. Also, police said, they have not made any arrests in this shooting, they have announced no suspects and no weapons were recovered by investigators at the scene. An investigation into this incident, officials said, is ongoing. This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.