A handful of candidates for state offices will be in West Philly tonight to talk about statewide issues, including school vouchers and the voter ID law.

Candidates scheduled to be on hand at the forum, which begins at 7:30 p.m. at  USP’s Rosenberger Hall (600 S. 43rd St.), include 188th District State Rep. Jim Roebuck, Attorney General candidate Kathleen Kane and a representative of Patrick Murphy, who is also running for Attorney General.

Roebuck’s opponent in the April 24th primary, Fatimah Loren Muhammad, pulled out of the forum at the last minute, according to 27th Ward Leader Carol Jenkins. Muhammad, whose Obamaesque campaign posters have popped up all over West Philly,  is a proponent of school vouchers, which Roebuck opposed as the Democratic chair of the Education Committee.

The forum will include a brief address by each candidate and a Q and A session.

There is space available in the spring Clark Park Youth Soccer Program. Kathleen Turner, the program coordinator, has sent us this information:

“Clark Park Youth Soccer still has space at all age levels — 5 to 11 — for more kids. We’d be very happy to have more girls to balance out the teams, so if there are any future Abby Wambachs or Alex Morgans out there, sign them up!

You can still download registration forms, but please do not mail them! Walk-in registration to fill the remaining slots on all teams will take place Saturday, March 24 beginning at 10 a.m., at Rosenberger Hall (43rd Street near the basketball court).”

For more information about the soccer program, including the Spring schedule and fees, visit: http://www.friendsofclarkpark.org/?page_id=58

 
Several heavily damaged vehicles remained along the eastbound lane of the 4700 block of Spruce Street this afternoon after an early morning accident that sent a SEPTA bus careening out of control and into a row of parked cars.

A westbound Route 42 bus collided with an SUV that ran a red light at 47th and Spruce at about 4 a.m., according to 6ABC. The driver, who along with four others was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for “non-life threatening” injuries, lost control of the bus. The collision pushed the bus into a tree and nearby parked cars. About a dozen cars in all were damaged.

The accident is under investigation.

Update (03/17): Greyer is still missing. Please call if you think you’ve seen him. He’s likely to be close to home, between 40th & 43nd, Spruce & Woodland. His family is very worried about him!

Update (03/08): GoGo is back home, but Greyer is still missing.

Two cats went missing after their owner’s house on Delancey Street (between 40th & 41st, Pine & Spruce) was broken into Sunday morning. The cats are possibly injured, scared, and hiding out.

1) GoGo is a large male Maine Coon (long-haired), with white toes, 17 years old, mostly deaf.

2) Greyer is a Grey Tabby male, with white chest, belly and legs.

If you think you’ve seen either of these cats, please call 856.325.8666 and ask for Mary. Email: mnixon [at] dca.net

Reader Allison found this cat in her raised bed Friday afternoon. She lives at 51st and Cedar. The cat’s hind leg is very badly injured. He appears to have been attacked. He has a collar so he must have a home nearby. He doesn’t appear to be neutered.

Allison called ACCT and they picked him up. She hopes that they can attend to his injured foot, but she also wants his owner to be alerted.

If this is your cat, please contact Allison at 301 452 2213.

A 21-year-old Asian female was robbed at 1:50 a.m. on Thursday, March 15. The woman was walking toward 45th and Pine from Baltimore Avenue with a group of friends when she was pushed from behind and her iPhone was snatched.

Police say that the victim and her friends were likely followed by the attackers (three 17-18-year-old black males) to 45th and Pine from Baltimore Avenue. Two of the attackers were wearing hoodies, grey and white. The description of the third attacker was not provided, according to Lt. John Walker of the Southwest Detectives.

Walker also passed information regarding a series of burglaries that have occurred in the neighborhood this month (see map below) when a few residences were broken into and electronics were stolen. It appears that the same person or a group of people were involved in more than one of them, Walker says. Walker is asking residents to apply caution and to never leave your doors unlocked and windows open when you’re away.