5 stories to follow: June 27

Here's your look at five stories to know about before the weekend:

1. Showboat closing: The Showboat Atlantic City hotel and casino may be closing, and a union leader says employees are expected to receive layoff notices today.

2. Spruce Street park: The Spruce Street Harbor Park near Penn's Landing opens to the public today, designed by the landscape architect behind last summer's hugely popular Pennsylvania Horticultural Society pop-up garden on Broad Street.

3. NHL draft in Philly: The NHL draft takes place tonight at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center.

4. Sheriff's contracts: Sheriff Jewell Williams is continuing to award contracts without required legal approvals. The sheriff is slated to meet today with City Controller Alan Butkovitz to discuss the contracts in advance of an audit expected to be released next week.

5. Parish mergers: This weekend is the last time Catholics in the region will be able to attend Mass at 16 churches slated to close. It's also the one-year anniversary of the merging of a different group of parishes.