Afternoon headline roundup: Beanie Sigel back in court

It’s going to be a beautiful spring weekend, it’s almost time for the dismissal buzzer and we can already smell that fresh cut grass. Today’s afternoon headline roundup is accordingly kind of all over the place, like a kid on the last day of school.

We really just want to go outside and play, guys.

>> In news that’s sure to dominate debates around the water cooler today (or on the text-Twitter-Facebook triumvirate, if you’re under 25), George Zimmerman will appear in court for the first time today after prosecutors charged him yesterday with second degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, CBS Philly reports.

>> Philly 311 is again promising that its long awaited mobile app will be available this summer after two years of pushed back release deadlines. Technically Philly takes a look at some of the reasons behind the delays.

>> Quakertown’s Last Chance Ranch, which provides rehabilitated horses to the Philadelphia Police Department’s Mounted Patrol, is competing for $100,000 in grant money from … Rachael Ray? That’s what WFMZ-TV is reporting. Regardless of your feelings about the catchphrase-barking celebrity chef, you can vote for the truly worthy organization on their website to help them advance to the contest’s second round.

>>.Philly rapper Beanie Sigel, who’s awaiting sentencing for not paying taxes for 2003 through 2005, will be in federal district court for a status hearing today, according to The Daily News. Though he’s currently in the midst of staging a comeback — he announced a new distribution deal with EMI last week and is has several releases in the works. Sigel is reportedly in hot water for refusing to let his probation officer “determine his financial condition” or conduct a home visit.

>> Authorities revealed at a parole hearing yesterday that
notorious convict Charles Manson has been making calls on
smuggled jailhouse phones to six states, My Fox Philly reports. One of them was New Jersey. Why are we not surprised?

>> Philadelphia Magazine released a list of the 100 highest-paid city workers. Employee salaries in the District Attorney’s Office comprise about 15 percent of the total, more than any other city department by far. The lowest paid on the list? The executive director of the Board of Ethics. Go figure.