A couple of West Philly residents are looking for information on a hit-and-run accident that took place early Thursday morning on 52nd St between Catherine and Walton. Here’s what happened:

A black Nissan Xterra SUV was parked on 52nd street Wednesday night and its owners discovered on Thursday morning that the back left side of the car had been smashed. “It was hit so hard that the car was pushed up onto the sidewalk,” writes Sarah, one of the car owners. The car that hit the SUV left behind its grill. The owners learned from neighbors that the car was hit between 2 and 3 a.m. by a reddish Buick. Reportedly, three women were in the car, and smashed into the SUV so hard that their airbags were deployed before speeding away.

The product numbers on the grill left behind indicate that the car involved in the hit and run is a Buick Park Avenue, possibly a 1997 make. The SUV owners contacted police about the incident. Their insurance will not cover the damage for the SUV that they have owned for less than a month unless they have a license plate for the other car.

The car owners would appreciate any information on this hit and run. Please email to: swanaj32@gmail.com

Here are the photos of the damaged SUV:

The back left side of this Nissan SUV sustained significant damage in the hit and run.

The car was hit with such force that it was thrown on the sidewalk. (Photos courtesy of SUV owners).

Philippe Holland

The Department of Justice and the Police Advisory Commission will hold a public forum tomorrow (Thursday, July 10) at City Hall to talk about officer-involved shootings. The forum comes three months after two undercover police fired 14 shots at pizza delivery driver Philippe Holland, striking him in the head, neck and leg.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey asked the Justice Department’s Community Oriented Police Services (COPS) office to look at the PPD’s training, policies and tactics related to officer-involved shootings. The COPS program is also examining the department’s transparency and investigative policies.

“Our goal is to use the review process as a framework for detailed public discussions around the use of deadly force by Philadelphia Police officers,” said Police Advisory Commission (PAC) Kelvyn Anderson.

We reported on the program in more detail following a public meeting with police last month related to the shooting of Holland.

Holland had finished his last delivery of the night on April 22 and was walking back to his car when the officers approached him during the investigation of a recent shooting in the area. Holland, who may have believed he was being robbed, ran to his car and drove toward the officers. They opened fire. Holland was in critical condition for several days.

Tomorrow’s meeting will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the City Council chambers on the 4th floor of City Hall. The PAC will also accept public comment on police-involved shootings from the last 18 months.

Thanks to quick actions by a neighbor, three people were able to escape an early morning house fire. The fire broke out shortly before 1:30 a.m. in a three-story row home near 51st and Chestnut Streets, according to a 6ABC News report. West Philly Local readers reported seeing a big, “raging orange” fire in the area.

A neighbor, Jamara Lamont-Boyd, who was walking by when the fire broke out, reportedly kicked the front door in and helped the house occupants escape the flames before fire crews arrived.

“…I kicked the front door in. I pulled the second door and yanked it in and banged and got the people out. There were people on all three floors,” Lamont-Boyd told ABC.

The building sustained damage from smoke and water. Luckily, no injuries were reported.

There was another, tragic fire in Philadelphia early Saturday morning. Four children died, several homes were destroyed and about 40 residents were displaced as the result of a fire that broke out around 2:40 a.m. in Southwest Philadelphia, in the Mount Moriah section, according to various reports.

Jacqueline Cannad (Photo from Philly Police Blog).

UPDATE (7/4/2014): Jacqueline Cannad has been located and is in good condition, according to police.

7/2/2014: Police are asking for public assistance in locating 64-year-old West Philadelphia resident Jacqueline Cannad. Mrs. Cannad was last seen leaving her residence on the 5700 block of Walton Avenue on Tuesday, July 1, at approximately 11:00 a.m., headed to Bible Study (in the area of Broad and Arch Streets).

Mrs. Cannad suffers from dementia and has had several seizures recently, according to police. She is described as 5’5, 150lbs, with brown eyes and black hair. She was dressed in a light blue ruffled blouse, dark blue jeans, and Skecher sneakers.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jacqueline Cannad is asked to contact Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183, or dial 911.

UPDATE (9:20 p.m.): More reports are coming in on downed trees and limbs in the area. A red maple tree is down on Pine St between 45th and 46th:

Photo by West Philly Local

A huge limb is down on 47th St just north of Locust, too, according to a reader report.

8:02 p.m.:

Photo by Emily Collier

A severe thunderstorm blew through the city just before 7 p.m., knocking over trees. This tree was knocked over at 49th and Pine Streets and we also received a report of a tree down on Saint Bernard between Spruce and Pine. At least one car was also caught up in the fallen limbs, according to a neighbor report. The owner was on the scene, “looking pretty bummed,” according to a tweet. “That WAS some crazy rain,” one neighbor tweeted. We hope no one was injured in tonight’s storm.

If you see any downed wires please report them immediately to PECO by calling 1-800-841-4141.

We’d like to share some awesome news that came from the Pew organization. A whole bunch of West Philly-based artists, organizations and projects have recently been awarded prestigious and substantial Pew grants.

Here they are:

University City District’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative

The University City District (UCD) has been awarded an $180,000 grant from Pew Charitable Trusts for continued support of the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, a program that connects local employers seeking talent to talented West Philadelphians seeking opportunity. The University City District was one of 45 Philadelphia-area organizations to receive money from the Pew Fund for Health and Human Services, the primary vehicle through which The Pew Charitable Trusts supports the efforts of health and social service organizations in the Philadelphia region. The money will allow the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative to continue and improve its service of providing training and employment to low-income individuals in the district.

This is the second grant the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative has received from Pew. The first was awarded in 2011 and helped launch the program.

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (the Center) recently announced its 2014 grants in support of Philadelphia’s arts and cultural community. They include 12 new Pew Fellowships of $60,000 each, 35 Project Grants in amounts up to $300,000, and two Advancement Grants of $500,000 each, according to Nicole Steinberg, Center Communications Specialist.

Pew Fellow Ted Passon

The Center recognized the accomplishments and work of filmmaker and Emmy-nominated director Ted Passon, who lives in the West Philadelphia area. Passon’s recent documentary films unpack complicated social and political issues, while reflecting the underlying human emotions at play.

Here are also some funded projects in the area:

Liberian Women’s Chorus for Change: Fatu Gayflor, Marie Nyenabo, Zaye Tete, and Tokay Tomah. (Photo by Anna Mulé, courtesy of the Philadelphia Folklore Project)

Philadelphia Folklore Project: Liberian Women’s Chorus for Change

Led by 2014 Pew Fellow Fatu Gayflor, the Liberian Women’s Chorus for Change addresses urgent issues of violence against women in the Liberian community, fostering conversation and generating action through song. The Philadelphia Folklore Project will present the Chorus in local Liberian neighborhoods as well as in concerts at World Café Live and other venues.

Iquail Shaheed: Pushers

Pushers will examine issues of addiction in Shaheed’s neighborhood, the underserved area of Mantua in West Philadelphia. Shaheed will conduct exploratory workshops with youth participants in Mantua, and he will collaborate with outside artists on the script and music for the performances, including playwright and MacArthur Fellow Tarell Alvin McCraney. Shaheed is a first-time Center grantee.

WXPN: Zydeco Crossroads

This yearlong project will examine the evolution of zydeco, a musical form that blends Cajun music, blues, and R&B. Multiple concert performances will showcase celebrated zydeco musicians and explore the genre’s intersections with hip-hop, soul, and rock. Music documentarian Robert Mugge will also create a new film on zydeco, to be screened at a culminating weekend festival in fall 2015.