The Daily Numbers -- Feb. 22

The Daily Numbers: 100 drug counts filed against F. Bruce Covington, the so-called “mystery man” linked to a Thornbury murder case. He’s now the target of a new probe tied to sex and drugs.


40 daring Wawa capers in which police believe the perps hacked their way into the stores by cutting a hole in the roof. At least one of the places hit was in Nether Providence. Two suspects are under arrest.


5 more charges filed by Newtown police against a 199-year-old man they believe ran a kiddie theft ring that specialized in ripping off stuff from unlocked cars. They say the teen ran the ring along with his 39-year-old new bride.


7 of 9 fraud charges against T. Milton Street that a federal jury in Philadelphia says they are deadlocked on. A judge has ordered them to continue deliberating.


5 murders in a span of 9 hours on the streets of Philadelphia on Thursday.


1 person charged in connection with a series of graffiti attacks against churches in Bucks County.


26, age of Army 1st Lt. Nathan Raudenbush, of Earl Township, Berks County. He was killed in Iraq.


3, age of boy in York, Pa., who has died of bacterial meningitis.


3 million bucks paid for a record collection of a guy in Pittsburgh. The haul contains more than 3 million albums, singles and CDs.


16 million more bucks US Airways says it is spending on fuel because of a penny per gallon price hike. They are expecting to post a loss in the first quarter.


3 cent spike in gas prices in the Philadelphia region. The average price now stands at $3.08.


3.68 a gallon for diesel fuel prices. That’s a record high.


20 point lead Hillary Clinton had over Barack Obama in Pennsylvania back in January. That now has shrunk to 12 points, according to a new Franklin and Marshall poll.


46 percent of Pennsylvania for Clinton and 46 percent for McCain in a presidential match.


44 percent for McCain, 43 percent for Obama in the same contest.


35 percent of those polls picked the economy as the top issue.


17 percent selected the war in Iraq. That’s down from 26 percent in January.


28 of February, next Thursday, when some people believe Major League Soccer will announce they are awarding its 16th franchise to Chester. The league is not confirming that.


10 million reasons to smile for Ryan Howard after he won his arbitration battle with the Phillies.


7 straight District 1 titles being sought tonight by the Chester Clippers boys basketball team, weather permitting.


3 championship games set for tonight at Villanova. Should they fall victim to the weather, the PIAA will face some nightmarish scheduling problems.


9 straight losses for the Flyers, who fell last night to the Sharks, 3-1.


111,000 bucks, what an accounting firm says it is owed by former Phillie Lenny Dykstra. Maybe he should ask Ryan Howard for a loan.


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Call me a Phanatic: A look at the ups and downs of being a Philadelphia sports fan.
Yes, it is mornings like this that make you yearn for the sounds of balls slapping into warm, soft leather. Can spring be far behind?
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I Don’t Get It: It looks like the mystery is going to linger for another week. Every indication is that Chester will be awarded the next MLS franchise, but nobody wants to say it on the record.


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Today’s Upper: That notwithstanding, it does not appear as if anything has changed. Chester is going to be a major league town.


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Quote Box: “The facts of this new case in Narberth are virtually identical to the facts alleged in the case against William Smithson and identical to the allegations made by William Smithson against F. Bruce Covington.”

-- G. Guy Smith, attorney for Smithson, is seeking to have a gag order in his case dismissed so he can talk to Covington.

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