Kristin Hunt

Kristin Hunt is a senior staff writer for PhillyVoice. A history and pop culture junkie, she spends her spare time stalking the Free Library shelves and binge watching TCM. She has previously contributed to Vulture, GQ, Mental Floss, JSTOR Daily, and The Washington Post.

kristin@phillyvoice.com

November 30, 2023

Weekend

Rocky Day, holiday parades and Magic Gardens after dark: Your weekend guide to things to do

by Kristin Hunt

Philadelphia will host its annual holiday parade and declare the first official Rocky Day with Sylvester Stallone during the first weekend of December. Need other things to do? Tour the Magic Gardens after dark or check out the new Festival of Trees fundraiser for CHOP.

November 30, 2023

Investigations

Inmate escapes from Northeast Philly jail

by Kristin Hunt

A man incarcerated at Riverside Correctional Facility escaped custody on Thursday afternoon, city officials announced. Gino Hagenkotter, 34, was completing an outside work assignment at the orchard of the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Facility at 8201 State Rd. when he fled.

November 29, 2023

Pets

Mysterious canine respiratory illness hits Pennsylvania

by Kristin Hunt

A mysterious respiratory illness in dogs has spread to Pennsylvania after being observed in 14 states, including Oregon, Colorado, Massachusetts and Maryland. The number of dogs in the state that have come down with the sickness is not yet known. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing and discharge. Veterinarians recommend avoiding dog parks, overnight kennels and shared toys and bowls.

November 28, 2023

Celebrities

Sylvester Stallone to visit Philly on Sunday for first-ever 'Rocky Day'

by Kristin Hunt

Sylvester Stallone will visit Philadelphia on Sunday, Dec. 3 for the first-ever 'Rocky Day.' The city will issue an official declaration on the 47th anniversary of the release of the first 'Rocky' movie. A new shop with licensed merchandise, located at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, also will mark its grand opening.

November 28, 2023

Courts

Philly pharmacist pleads guilty to billing over $500,000 in fake prescriptions

by Kristin Hunt

Philly pharmacist Ahmed Bachir has pleaded guilty to billing over $500,000 in a prescription scam. Bachir, who owns Aramingo Pharmacy in Port Richmond, allegedly billed Medicaid and other providers between 2019 and 2021 for medications patients never received.

November 27, 2023

Adult Health

Diabetes medication Mounjaro is more effective than Ozempic for weight loss, study says

by Kristin Hunt

A new head-to-head study found that adult patients on Mounjaro were significantly more likely to experience weight loss than those on Ozempic. Both tirzepatide and semaglutide are injectable diabetes drugs.

November 27, 2023

Holiday

Where to find a Christmas tree in Philly

by Kristin Hunt

Need to buy a Christmas tree in Philadelphia? These plant shops and garden centers offer firs and spruces within city limits. Delivery options are available for those who don't have a car.

November 24, 2023

Arts & Culture

These Philly museums and theaters are offering Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on tickets, memberships

by Kristin Hunt

Philadelphia museums and theaters are offering discounts on memberships, tickets, classes and gift shop items on Black Friday through Cyber Monday. Institutions include the Kimmel Cultural Campus, Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia Film Society and Drexel's Academy of Natural Sciences.

November 24, 2023

Food & Drink

Hot chocolate crawl returns to East Passyunk in December

by Kristin Hunt

East Passyunk will host its second annual hot chocolate crawl on Saturday, Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participating cafés, bakeries and restaurants along the South Philly business district will serve boozy and regular cocoa.

November 24, 2023

History

The iron lung seems archaic, but a smaller version — like the one at the Mütter Museum — helped people, even recently

by Kristin Hunt

The Porta-Lung offered polio survivors and other patients with rare diseases a more portable version of the iron lung. The Mütter Museum, 19 S. 22nd Street in Philadelphia, has one of these negative pressure ventilators, once distributed by Respironics and then Philips.