Winnie Harris (center) during MLK Day of Service in January 2017 (Photo courtesy of UC Green).

Police say they have a suspect in custody in connection to the murder of West Philly activist Winnie Harris, who was found shot to death inside her home on the 300 block of North Holly Street on February 3, 2017. The suspect was arrested on Friday while in detention for another, unrelated matter, according to police. Charges against the suspect are pending. More details about the suspect have not been released as of Monday afternoon.

Harris, 65, was a longtime Powelton resident and green space advocate. She worked as the executive director of West Philadelphia based nonprofit UC Green at the time of her death.

In May, police released and distributed a flyer asking for the public’s help with information on two persons of interest in relation to the murder.

We’ve previously reported on energy companies that go door-to-door in West Philly to market PECO alternatives that allegedly save you money. Now, a Philadelphia law firm wants to take some of them to court, arguing that they deceive their customers by charging low rates in the first few months and then raising fees.

In August, the firm Kohn, Swift & Graf announced they are looking for customers to join a class action lawsuit. The firm specializes in class action, and they have already sued some of the companies involved in other states, like Just Energy in New York and Direct Energy in Illinois. In the latter case, KS&G argues that the Direct Energy is “luring consumers into switching energy suppliers with false promises.” The firm has previously reached a settlement with Pennsylvania Gas & Electric in a similar case.  Continue Reading

Photos via Capogiro’s Facebook page.

The popular Italian frozen treat shop, Capogiro Gelato, is closing its location on the 3900 block of Walnut Street after eight years of operation. Philly Mag broke the news early Thursday afternoon and a few hours later, Capogiro posted the following message on their Facebook page:

“It is sad but true – this Saturday is the last night the neon will be all lit up. It has been a wonderful 8 years scooping for the University City community and we want to thank you for your support!”

So, hurry up and get a scoop or two before the Penn’s campus location at 3925 Walnut St. closes on Saturday, Sept. 30, at midnight. Or check out Capogiro’s other locations in the city.

Mariposa, the cooperative grocery store at 49th and Baltimore, has implemented two initiatives aimed at making a positive contribution to the neighborhood: On September 20, it announced a 10 percent discount program for qualifying low-income shoppers, and back in August it raised its minimum salary from $10.75 to $13 per hour.

The 10 percent discount emerged from a sense among Mariposa’s leadership that many of the store’s products aren’t accessible to all its neighbors. Hillary Wickline, Mariposa’s marketing coordinator, said the organization knows that even with government assistance, healthy food can be out of reach.

“We just want to make sure that we’re creating a welcoming space within this environment and not serving just a group of people with a steady income of, like, $50,000 a year or something like that,” Wickline said.  Continue Reading

Science Leadership Academy (SLA), the highly successful magnet high school, is starting a middle school at its Beeber campus near 59th and Malvern.

The school is now recruiting students for its first fifth grade class, which will start in the 2018-2019 school year. The middle school – 5th through 8th grade – will be housed in the former Beeber Middle School, a building it will share with the SLA high school there. SLA also has a high school in Center City and another new middle school near Drexel in the Powelton Village neighborhood.

Like its other schools, admission to the new middle school will require an application and an interview. Once admitted, though, students can automatically move on to the SLA Beeber High School, one of the more selective high schools in the city.  Continue Reading

SEPTA has scheduled a trolley track replacement project on Spruce Street between 38th-40th Streets. The work will begin Monday, Sept. 18 and is scheduled to end on Sunday, Oct. 1.

This portion of track is used when street closures or emergencies prevent trolleys from using their regular routing. The construction is not anticipated to affect service on Routes 11, 13, 34 and 36.

Most of the track in this area was last replaced in the 1950s. The street structure supporting the tracks has deteriorated due to weather, traffic and the age of the road surface. SEPTA will excavate and replace approximately 1,100 track feet and repave the track area. The new and improved track components will make for a smoother and quieter ride.  Continue Reading