In response to the recent protest and tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia, Philadelphia religious organizations will be holding the following events this week:

On Wednesday, Aug. 16, a march and rally under the banner of “Unmasking White Supremacy in Philadelphia” will take place beginning at 7 p.m. The following agenda has been scheduled, according to the event organizer “POWER”, an interfaith organization:

7:00 p.m. – Gather outside Congregation Rodeph Shalom Synagogue (615 N. Broad Street)
7:15 p.m. – March down Broad Street as “we unmask white supremacy in Philadelphia institutions”
8:00 p.m. – Rally and action inside Arch Street United Methodist Church (55 N. Broad Street)  Continue Reading

Police have closed off the 4800 block of Cedar Avenue as they investigate an alleged marijuana growing operation. (Photo by West Philly Local)

Police and fire crews have responded to a report of a strong odor coming out from a home on the north side of the 4800 block of Cedar Avenue on Monday, at around 5:30 p.m. Several residences were evacuated and the block is closed to traffic while police are searching for a marijuana growing operation on the block, according to reports.

NBC10 is reporting that marijuana was growing on “all four floors” (apparently including the basement) of the home.  Continue Reading

Police are investigating an overnight shooting in the Mantua section of West Philadelphia, which left four people injured, one critically. An unidentified gunman opened fire near 39th and Melon at around 11:15 p.m. Sunday, just as a block party was winding down nearby. Four people were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds. One victim, a 24-year-old man, was shot multiple times and was listed in critical condition, according to a police report.

The other three victims, an 18-year-old man and two 21-year-old men, were listed in stable condition, according to police.

A total of 31 shell casings were recovered at the scene of the shooting, according to police.

Police say the gunman fled the scene in a vehicle. The motive is currently unknown and no arrests have been made.

The old two-story brick building at the corner of 41st and Chestnut may soon become home to an Amazon warehouse, according to a recent report by Naked Philly. The approximately 35,000 square feet building with a large parking space was purchased in 2011 by Campus Apartments, but has been sitting vacant since then. Before the purchase, the building had been occupied by Graphic Arts Inc. for decades.

No more information is currently available, like what type of warehouse it will be (general storage or Amazon Fresh grocery delivery service) and when it might open. We’ll keep you posted when we have more details.

Just a reminder that Amazon also opened a pickup store on Penn’s campus last year.

Scribe Video Center’s Street Movies! program returns this month for its 20th season with free outdoor film screenings and live performances. All events are family-friendly and take place in neighborhoods across Philadelphia, including in West Philly.

Scribe Video Center partners with local organizations for Street Movies! to guide the selection process and choose the best film programs for their communities. This August, the traveling series will feature a range of short films, from internationally recognized award-winning fiction, documentary, and animation to local community- and youth-produced works.  Continue Reading

Illegally dumped tires near 50th and Warrington (Archived photo).

Philadelphia has a serious problem of illegally discarded tires, including in West Philly (see photo). This month, there’s a chance for local block captains and community groups to dispose of illegally dumped tires and also earn some money for their future projects by participating in the Streets Department’s 2017 Tire Round-Up program.

The event will take place on Saturday, Aug. 26 in West Philadelphia, and registered participants may drop off their illegally discarded tires at the following temporary tire drop off locations:

• 51st Street & Woodland Avenue
• 49th Street & Parkside Avenue  Continue Reading