Grab your non-fat, half-caff caramel macchiato before it’s gone.

Starbucks will be closing most of its 7,100 stores nationwide for three hours today, Feb. 26, to brush up on employees’ coffee-making skills.

The shutdown is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m., lasting until 8:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, other national chains are attempting to capitalize on Starbucks’ temporary closure.  Participating Dunkin’ Donuts stores are offering 99-cent lattes, espressos and cappuccinos all day Tuesday.

“We never want any customers to be denied access to their specialty drinks,” a Dunkin’ Donuts spokeswoman said.

After a handfull last season, the Philadelphia Phillies organization seems to have eliminated all College Nights.

The promotional nights, which featured discounted tickets for college students, are nowhere to be found on the Phillies’ promotional calendar as they were last year.

Perhaps it was the unfit combination of Flying Fish drafts, Dollar Dog Nights and uncontrollable drunken idiots in the stands that convinced the Phillies to scratch such an event.

For more information or to complain, contact the Phillies’ ticket office at 215-463-1000.

And unlike College Nights, recent National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame honoree Harry Kalas will return to the broadcast booth.

Last week, new Mayor Michael Nutter presented the first budget of his tenure. See a review by Metropolis columnist Ryan Briggs here. Below, see highlights of the address.

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Some Philly sports fans still think about Allen Iverson.

The man brought us to an NBA Championship Series, didn’t he?

Tonight his new team, the Denver Nuggets are taking on the dominating Boston Celtics, with a now understated, role (star) player named Ray Allen.

Made me think of collegiate magic more than a decade ago…

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The Celtics/Nuggets game gets down at 8 p.m. EST in Denver tonight.

There has been lots of controversy surrounding the inclusion of minority workers in the expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Read the view of our own Metropolis columnist Ryan Briggs here, or see what Mayor Michael Nutter thinks below.

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