The 2020 General Election voter turnout was high in the Philadelphia area, including in West Philly. Dozens of polling places were open in West Philadelphia for in-person voting and long lines were reported shortly after 7 a.m. on Tuesday at many voting locations in the area:

We’re visiting polling sites across West/Southwest Philly all day today. First up: Mt. Olivet Church on N. 41st.

Lines were already long but we came with masks and hand sanitizer to hand out. pic.twitter.com/LNmeBGwW53

— Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (@CouncilmemberJG) November 3, 2020

Lines considerably decreased by 9 a.m. and voting went quite smoothly.  Continue Reading

It’s General Election Eve and here are a few things to keep in mind about the big day tomorrow.

Those who haven’t voted early can vote in person tomorrow. There are dozens of polling places around West Philadelphia; to find your polling place, go here. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Your ID is not required to vote unless you are voting for the first time or have recently moved. As long as you are in line by 8 p.m., you can vote.

Please note that these polling places are not for dropping off your mail or absentee ballot. You can still drop it off at one of the City’s Satellite Election offices created to help with mail-in voting (there are two offices in West Philly). You can also request a new mail ballot if yours hasn’t arrived yet, then fill it out and return it. These offices will stay open through Election Day. Their hours are 11:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., but they will accept dropped off ballots until 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Continue Reading

Philadelphia’s Share Food Program will be hosting several special food distributions in West Philly this Saturday, Oct. 31:

Frontline Dads
410 N. 34th St.
11 a.m. — 1 p.m.

New Testament Church
935 S. 53rd St.
11 a.m. — 1 p.m.

On A Mission
433 N. 64th St.
12 noon until food runs out

60th Ward Emergency Food Relief
5149 Locust St.
12 noon until food runs out

To find additional food resources, residents can access the Find Food interactive maps at www.sharefoodprogram.org/find-food.

After one-day break (no curfew on Thursday), a citywide curfew has been declared for Philadelphia again starting tonight (Oct. 30) at 9 p.m. and ending at 6 a.m. on Saturday. During this time, residents are allowed to leave their homes only to go to work, seek medical or emergency assistance, or drop off a mail-in ballot.

Heavier police presence can be seen this afternoon around 52nd Street in West Philadelphia. Also, as had been expected, the National Guard started arriving in the city today, following a few days of civil unrest as the result of the police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. on Monday: Continue Reading

The Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) has come up with alternative ways to celebrate Halloween in the neighborhood this year after the annual Tot Parade was cancelled. A neighborhood scavenger hunt is currently underway with some great prizes for those who submit correct entries. Here’s how you can participate:

The 10 letters that spell “Spruce Hill” are spread throughout Spruce Hill (see map) and all you have to do is find them! Full instructions, along with clues and a submission form are available online here, or you can print out a hard copy of the form and submit your answers in the mail slot at the Spruce Hill Center, located at 257 South 45th St.  Continue Reading

A citywide curfew has been issued for Philadelphia after the second night of protests and civil unrest following Monday’s police killing of Walter Wallace Jr. The curfew will begin tonight at 9 p.m. and will end at 6 a.m. tomorrow. During the curfew, people are allowed to leave their homes only to go to work, seek medical or emergency assistance or drop off a mail-in ballot.

Protests continued last night in West Philadelphia and some more looting and ATM explosions were reported across the city. Many stores and other businesses closed early on Tuesday and began boarding up windows. Some stores are also closing early tonight because of the curfew.

The National Guard is expected to arrive in Philadelphia on Friday, with some additional forces on Saturday, according to media reports.

A Go Fund Me page has been set up for Walter Wallace’s family, and the community has already raised over $140,000 since yesterday.