RIP, Twinkies (1930-2012)

Hostess bakeries are closing permanently nationwide — but could a Philly company save the day? Plus: Drug charges are dropped against Bon Jovi's daughter, there's actually someone who owns a gun legally in the city, and more of what Philly is yammering on about this morning.

Ask Not for Whom The Bell Ding Dongs. There will be no Ho Hos emanating from (or stuck to) the lips of junk-food junkies tonight — Hostess Brands announced this morning that it will make good on its threats to wind up its business in the face of a nationwide strike. There’s only a few days’ supply in the retail pipeline, so if you want to start making some eBay cash next week, get shoppin’. [NBC Philadelphia, Hostess Brands]

But Maybe a Philly Company Can Keep the Cream Alive. The Inky‘s business writer floats the name of three companies with local connections that might be in a position to buy Hostess’s assets. [Philly Deal$]

Bon Jovi’s Daughter Wasn’t Smacked Up Enough to Charge. Just a day after Stephanie Bongiovi suffered the double indignity of OD’ing on heroin and getting arrested for it, a New York prosecutor dropped the charges. The state’s Good Samaritan 911 law, passed only last year, prohibits the prosecution of people who have overdosed with a modest stash. [NBC Philadelphia]

Cops Harass City’s One Legal Gun Owner. A 22-year-old law student who was stopped on his way into a Manayunk barbershop last week for openly carrying a permitted .40-cal Glock has posted a video of the encounter on YouTube. [Daily News]

Banning Smoking Is Addictive. Like Philly and Camden County before it, Cherry Hill is making moves to prohibit smoking on all township property, including parks and playgrounds. Under the proposed ordinance, fines will start at $100. [CBS Philly]

But Poor E.T. Still Doesn’t Have a Ride. The final numbers are in on the Open Air project that lit up the Parkway like a mini-Blitz early this fall: Nearly 6,000 messages from people in 92 countries (and in 20 different languages) were Batmanned onto the skyline during its three-week run. [Uwishunu]