Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • A21

By Ellen Gray STAFF WRITER SHEINELLE JONES will be backon familiar ground on Mondaymorning as the former Good Day Philadelphia anchor brings a bit of the To- day show to Philadelphia for a look at life after lockdown. Philly is the first stop in a planned To- day series on the reopening of cities that aims to the people, places, and things that bring our coun- cities back to Jones said. Jones, who cohosts the third hour of Today, will be seen in every hour of Mon- show, as well as on earlier newscast, and in recorded segments that will air throughout the week. Among the confirmed interviewees: Pat- ti LaBelle, be sharing some of her favorite food places; Flyers president Valerie Camillo; and Ben Miller of South Philly Barbacoa, who along with Cristi- na his wife and business part- ner, transformed their second restau- rant into the Community Kitchen at El Compadre, which has fed people in need during the pandemic. I would always raise my hand when we look at she said.

think quite often, when you talk about Philly, people immediately think cheesesteaks and the Liberty Bell, which is great. But so much more that the city has to Jones, who was born in Philadelphia, grew up mostly in Wichita, then returned in 2005 to spend nine years at Fox 29, exactly been a stranger since leav- ing Good Day in 2014. father U.S. District Judge C. Darnell Jones is there, I have siblings in Philadelphia.

My friends are still So, apparently, are her fans. always wondered if there would be a day where I would go back to Philly and I would be a she said. When she worked here, would be eating outside and people would say, you know, like it was no big deal. So when I was out in South Philly, and we were eating outside, and people were saying, it was really spe- cial. Because been a What she likes about such encounters, she said, is that Philly, is not about being starstruck or anything like that.

about family. like their For some, talk of reopening may come a little soon in a city where cases are ris- ing, not falling, and most people yet been vaccinated. think every time we talk about re- opening, always see either right be- fore or right after it, talking with a specialist, and talking with physi- said Jones, who received her first shot of the Pfizer vaccine on the show Wednesday, along with Today show col- leagues Savannah Guthrie, Craig Melvin, Dylan Dreyer, and Jenna Bush Hager. trying to lead by example, be- cause the reality is still some scene vaccine hesitancy amongst people in all she said. en- courage people to get vaccinated, and two weeks after they get that second shot, socially distanced with their mask on, I think OK to try to support their local One bow to the pandemic continues: NBC interested in having an in-per- son audience for Philadelphia vis- it, as ABC did when Good Morning Ameri- ca visited two years ago, attracting more than 700 people who stood outside for three hours in heavy rain to see the show.

But the Today show which has viewers vying for screen time the way they once competed for the chance to see Al Roker up close, will con- sist of viewers from this area, a spokes- person for the show said. likely, though, that those people have already been chosen. "elgray Jones, show in Philly on Monday Sheinelle Jones NBC News Friday, April 9, 2021 I A I A A I I I Page 21.