John Kopp

John Kopp is the Chief Health Reporter/Assistant Editor at PhillyVoice. He joined the newsroom after spending five years reporting for the Delaware County Daily Times. He spent the prior year covering state and local politics, including a $4 million Pennsylvania state Senate race. He previously covered Chester city government, the Chester Upland School District and high-school sports. A Temple University graduate, John enjoys long-distance running, watching baseball and exploring new places.

john@phillyvoice.com

March 16, 2016

Transportation

SEPTA spurns Council plea to use 'local hiring goals' on new railcar contracts

by John Kopp

SEPTA opted against inserting a local hiring preference into its procurement process for new bi-level Regional Rail cars. That decision came against the urging of Philadelphia City Council, which claimed it could have provided a much-needed boost to the city's Hyundai Rotem manufacturing facility.

March 16, 2016

2016 Presidential Race

Accessible Kasich impresses students at Villanova

by John Kopp

Some 600 people, mostly students, crammed into the Connelly Center to hear Gov. John Kasich. The crowd included a contingent of Kasich supporters, but many seemingly came in search of an alternative to frontrunner Donald Trump and uber-conservative Ted Cruz.

March 13, 2016

Courts

Judge denies request to reconsider jail sentence for Kathryn Knott in assault conviction

by John Kopp

Judge Roxanne Covington decided Monday to deny a request to reconsider the jail sentence for Kathryn Knott, the Bucks County woman convicted of simple assault and related charges in the 2014 beating of a homosexual couple in Center City.

March 11, 2016

Courts

LGBT advocate: Kathryn Knott sentence neither 'cruel nor overextension'

by John Kopp

Judge Roxanne Covington will hear a motion to grant a resentencing hearing for Kathryn Knott, who was convicted of simple assault in the beating of a 2014 homosexual couple in Center City. Christopher Sawyer, an openly homosexual man, urged Covington to deny the hearing in a brief filed with the court.

March 10, 2016

Police

Delco D.A.: Chester cop coerced women in custody into sex acts

by John Kopp

A veteran Chester Police officer is facing criminal charges for allegedly using his position to coerce female detainees into sexual acts, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan announced Thursday.

March 10, 2016

Amtrak 188 Crash

NTSB report details injuries sustained in Amtrak 188 crash

by John Kopp

The National Transportation Safety Board updated its investigative docket of the Amtrak 188 derailment on Thursday, adding a report that details the injuries sustained.

March 9, 2016

Public Safety

Police to take action on 'dangerous dog' complaints in Mount Airy

by John Kopp

Philadelphia police were expected on Wednesday to take action in a dispute between West Mount Airy residents and the owners of a pair of pit bulls that allegedly have bitten three people and four animals over several years, according to a group of neighbors.

March 9, 2016

Drugs

Upper Darby police debut program connecting heroin addicts to rehab

by John Kopp

Upper Darby residents struggling with substance abuse now can seek help at the police department thanks to a new program launched Wednesday by the Delaware County township. Through the "Change is Possible" program, police will connect residents battling addiction to Gaudenzia Inc., a treatment and recovery provider operating 147 drug and alcohol treatment programs across Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.

March 8, 2016

Public Safety

Mount Airy neighbors await help on 'dangerous' pit bulls

by John Kopp

A group of Mount Airy residents is seeking official action on a pair of pit bulls, owned by a neighbor, that they say have bitten three people and four animals in the last three years.

March 8, 2016

Courts

Resentencing motion rescheduled for Kathryn Knott on gay-bashing conviction

by John Kopp

Judge Roxanne Covington's hearing of a resentencing motion for Kathryn Knott, the Bucks County woman convicted of simple assault and related charges in the 2014 beating of a homosexual couple in Center City, has been rescheduled for March 14.