Healthcare center at 4237 Walnut Street where a marijuana dispensary may be coming.

A medical marijuana dispensary licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health is being proposed at 4237 Walnut Street. A current operation is in Plymouth Meeting and the health care facility (ILERA Health Care) is interested in a West Philadelphia location, according to Spruce Hill Zoning Committee Chair Barry Grossbach.

Residents are invited this upcoming Monday, Aug. 19 to the monthly Spruce Hill community zoning meeting to learn more about this proposal and others. An application for a zoning variance hasn’t been filed yet, according to Grossbach, and the meeting is informational only at this time. “The company has indicated an interest in maximum transparency on how such a facility operates given the newness of this operation,” Grossbach wrote in an email announcement. The site at 43rd and Walnut has served as a Rite Aid and as home to a variety of health related operators before.  Continue Reading

In case you hadn’t noticed, the annual SEPTA trolley tunnel maintenance project, Trolley Tunnel Blitz, began on Friday night, which means all trolleys are being temporarily diverted to 40th and Market via 42nd and Spruce Streets. Passengers can transfer to the Market-Frankford line at no additional cost at 40th and Market to continue their travel. The “blitz” also includes trolley track repairs on Woodland Avenue near the trolley portal, and due to this project, a portion of Woodland Avenue, between Woodland Terrace and University Avenue, is closed to through traffic.

The trolley tunnel will stay closed throughout this week and is expected to reopen at 5 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 19.

The owner is looking for her 7-year-old female Yorkie who went missing around 10 p.m. on Friday night, Aug. 9 from her backyard in the Mantua/Philadelphia Zoo/University City areas (see photo below). The dog’s name is Gypsy. She has mostly tan/blonde hair with a dark brown back, short hair cut and short nubby tail.

She was wearing a pink collar with rhinestones that has the owner’s phone number on it. She is microchipped as well.  Continue Reading

A participant in the gathering at Malcolm X. Park that resulted in several dozen police officers clearing the park out Saturday night told CBS3 that the event was peaceful and that cops overreacted.

Joseph Clifton says in a video posted on CBS3’s website (see below) that people gathered for a video shoot and cookout. He said the city had issued a permit for 300 people.

Clifton said as many as 30 police officers initially responded to ask organizers to turn music down. Soon after, more police arrived and cleared the park. Cell phone video that Clifton shot shows police lined up shoulder to shoulder with batons drawn, walking through the park. Several blocks around the park were closed and a police helicopter circled the park for about an hour.  Continue Reading

A couple dozen people – neighbors and members from groups “N.O.” (Neighbors Organized to Protect Our Communities) and West Philadelphians for Progressive Planning & Preservation – gathered on Sunday afternoon to protest the new residential developments at and around 43rd and Chestnut – the former site of the Christ Memorial Church demolished earlier this year, and at 12 S. 43rd Street.

The protesters held anti-gentrification signs and chanted “Say No to Gentrification! Say No! Say No! Say No! Philly Needs to Say No!” and marched along Chestnut Street between the two developments sites.  Continue Reading

Police broke up a large crowd that gathered in Malcolm X Park on Saturday night, according to reports. As many as 200 people gathered in the park at around 8 p.m. on Saturday and became increasingly aggressive, throwing objects at officers, 6ABC reports.

The crowd was dispersed after extra police help was brought in. A police helicopter was also seen in the area.

Some arrests were made, but it’s not clear yet how many people were arrested. No injuries were reported.