John F. Givnish Funeral Home

Linda Rios, known as "Jeannie," 37, was murdered on Aug. 17 by her estranged spouse during an argument, who then shot himself.Condolences have poured in mingled with sorrow and shock from friends and colleagues who remembered Linda Rios as a kind, dedicated and beloved employee in city government, who began work in City Hall as an intern and stayed there for two decades. At the time of her death, she was working as City Council Human Resources Director.City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell will lead a prayer during the vigil, scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on Aug. 23 in the City Hall courtyard. Staff from Women Against Abuse, a city-funded social program that offers support to women victimized by domestic violence, will be on-hand offering resources for those affected by "intimate partner violence," the city said. A life cut short: Linda Rios killed in murder-suicideThe death of Linda Rios death shocked members of city government who knew her well. Her estranged husband, Haywood Neuby, 43, is believed to have killed her before shooting himself in the head with a handgun.Neuby was not living at Rios' home on the 4000 block of Meridian Street in Holmesburg at the time, and didn't have a key to the house.But a babysitter who arrived on the morning of Aug. 17 to babysit for Rios and Neuby's twin 4-year-old daughters said he had entered the home, purportedly to see Rios, and instead entered into an argument. The babysitter heard gunshots and fled the house with the children to a neighbor's home, where she called police.Authorities found Rios dead in a bedroom upstairs, shot three times, with Neuby found dead on the first floor from a gunshot wound to the head, still holding a loaded handgun.Many have spoken out about domestic violence in the days since Rios' death."If Linda Rios-Neuby, a woman who worked with 17 of the most powerful people in Philadelphia and the mayor, suffered in silence and couldn't ask for help, where does that leave all the others?" asked Patty-Pat Kozlowski, a friend...

Furlong of Bensalem, Pa., formerly of Buckingham Springs, passed away July 27. He was 85. He was a retired Philadelphia Police Lieutenant and former Executive Director of the Police Athletic League (PAL). He was the beloved husband of the late Jane (Walker); and loving father of Nancy Clark (Huck), Hon. Vincent W. Furlong (Pat), Karen Conway (the late Bill), Jane O'Neill (Patrick), and the late Mark V. Furlong. Vince was born and raised in Port Richmond and was a 1950 graduate of Northeast Catholic High School where he played fullback on the 1949 championship football team. The team was undefeated and won both the Catholic League and City Titles that year. He was inducted into both the Northeast Catholic High School Hall of Fame and Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. Vince entered the Philadelphia Police Department in 1956. He was assigned to the Police Athletic League (PAL) in 1962, and became Executive Director in 1968. At PAL he supervised a 26 officer unit and oversaw activities for 30,000 boys and girls at 18 locations throughout the city. He was a Commissioner of PAL's football and basketball leagues and helped initiate a college Scholarship program for disadvantaged PAL youth. For 12 years Vince was active with the Maxwell Football Club and served on the staff of the Philadelphia Little Quakers Football Team. He was twice elected President of the National Police Conference on PAL and youth activities. He retired from the Police Department as a Lieutenant and later worked as a legislative aide for State Senator Hank Salvatore and State Representative George Kenney. He was married for 56 years to his beloved late wife, Jane Walker Furlong. He was a devoted grandfather of 11; great-grandfather of four; and brother of the late Betty Landay and Joan Cohen. Family, friendsm and members of F.O.P. Lodge 5 are invited to Vince's Life Celebration from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, July 31, at the John F. Givnish of Academy Rd., 10975 Academy Rd., and from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m., Wednesday, Aug 1, at the Church of St. Anselm, 12670 Dunks Ferry Rd., Phi...

Saudi Arabia is home to Islam's holiest cities, Mecca and Medina.About Saudi Arabia:(from the CIA World Factbook)Area: 2,149,690 sq km, about one-fifth the size of the United StatesPopulation: 33.4 million (Saudi General Authority for Statistics 2018) note: Saudi nationals make up 20.7 million, or approximately 64% of the total population.Median age: 27.5 yearsCapital: Riyadh Ethnic Groups: Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%Religion: Muslim (85-90% Sunni and 10-15% Shiite, citizens only), Other (includes Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh) (2012 est.)GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.774 trillion (2017 est.)GDP per capita: $54,800 (2017 est.)Unemployment: 5.8% (2017 est.) note: data are for total populationOther Facts:Economy -Saudi Arabia possesses approximately 22% of the world's oil reserves. It is the world's largest exporter of petroleum liquids and relies on the oil industry for almost half of its GDP.More than 30% of Saudi Arabia's population is made up of foreign workers.Foreign Relations -Since the end of World War II, Saudi Arabia and the United States have maintained a relationship based on an exchange of oil for security. Their mutual interests have included the free flow of oil and fighting the spread of communism and extremist groups such as al Qaeda and ISIS. Saudi Arabia and the United States have not agreed on support for Israel or engagement with Saudi Arabia's regional rival, Iran.Saudi Arabia was a founding member of the Arab League in 1945.It currently maintains close ties with its neighbor, Bahrain, and helped the Sunni monarchy there put down an Arab Spring uprising in 2011.Saudi Arabia was a longtime supporter of Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak before his overthrow in 2011. It did not support the successor government of Mohamed Morsy and the Muslim Brotherhood. After Morsy's overthrow in 2013, Saudi Arabia returned its support to new president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. After many years of strained relations, Saudi Arabia began constructing a fortified fence a...