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 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.

March 7, 2016

Crime

Chesco DA: Conestoga High assault victim requested no sexual charges be filed

by John Kopp

The former Conestoga High School football player allegedly assaulted by a trio of teammates during a hazing ritual dubbed "No Gay Thursday" requested they not face sexual offense charges, Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said Monday.

March 4, 2016

Crime

Conestoga High football players charged in 'No Gay Thursday' assault

by John Kopp

Three Conestoga High School football players are facing juvenile charges for allegedly assaulting a freshman player during a weekly hazing ritual dubbed "No Gay Thursday," Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan announced Friday.

March 2, 2016

Courts

EEOC files one of its first two sexual orientation discrimination lawsuits in Pennsylvania

by John Kopp

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed in Pennsylvania one of its first two lawsuits claiming that discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation is a form of prohibited sex discrimination, the agency announced Monday.

March 1, 2016

Courts

Judge to hear motion to reconsider Kathryn Knott's jail sentence in Center City assault

by John Kopp

Judge Roxanne Covington will hear a resentencing motion next week for Kathryn Knott, who was convicted of simple assault and related charges in the 2014 beating of a homosexual couple in Center City.

March 1, 2016

Education

Pennsylvania provides school districts a how-to for closing mid-year

by John Kopp

The Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a memo to school districts providing guidelines for a mid-year closure, a possibility described as an "unprecedented event that has not been contemplated in the Public School Code."

February 29, 2016

Philadelphia woman contracts Zika after traveling to Caribbean

by John Kopp

A Philadelphia woman who traveled to the Caribbean has contracted the Zika virus, the Philadelphia Department of Health announced Monday.

February 25, 2016

Transportation

SEPTA awaiting launch date for PTC safety system on Warminster line

by John Kopp

SEPTA will provide an update Thursday regarding the rollout of Positive Train Control on its Warminster Line, the transit authority's first Regional Rail line to receive the speed control technology.

February 24, 2016

Fires

House fire kills one man in Roxborough

by John Kopp

One man died Wednesday when a house caught fire in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.

February 24, 2016

Quality of Life

Philly's million-dollar battle against graffiti is a game of tag

by John Kopp

Launched in 1984 by former Mayor Wilson Goode, the Anti-Graffiti Network removes more than 100,000 graffiti pieces every year, clearing unwanted paint from corner mailboxes to expansive freeway walls. The effort costs the city $1.3 million in personnel, supplies and equipment. But without the removal crews, Deputy Managing Director Thomas Conway said Philadelphia would be inundated with graffiti.