A 23-year-old man was shot and wounded on Wednesday night when a large fight broke out on the 3900 block of Market Street, according to police (media reports say it was near 39th and Ludlow). Gunfire was heard shortly after 11 p.m. when someone fired into a crowd of people, striking the victim in the buttocks. He was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and later released after a surgery.

Police told 6ABC that a group of women got into an argument and then several men got involved in the fight. That’s when the shots were fired. Police say the shooter is a black male, approximately 25-27 year old. Police say they have some videos from the scene.

The final Nature Night of the season is taking place this Thursday (Aug. 25) at The Woodlands (40th and Woodland), and it will be a Bat Night/Moth Night double feature event since July’s Nature Night was cancelled due to rainy weather. The Nature Night will run from 6 – 10 p.m. This is a great chance to visit the cemetery grounds after dark (the gates usually close at 6 p.m.), explore the mystery surrounding bats and learn why moths are cool.

The Academy of Natural Sciences and the Sewall Lab of Temple University will be onsite providing bat and moth education, and well-known West Philly business Lil’ Pop Shop will be selling sweet treats. In addition, kids can get creative with University City Arts League. Feel free to bring a picnic!

This event is FREE and open to the public. For more information, visit: http://woodlandsphila.org/events-calendar/naturenight2016.

Is the summer already over? Penn students will be moving into their dorms this week, so the following annual Penn Move-in street closures have been scheduled for this Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday:

Wednesday, Aug. 24: Spruce Street will be closed from 34th Street to 38th Street from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 25: Spruce Street will be closed from 34th Street to 38th Street from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 27: Spruce Street will be closed from 38th Street to 40th Street from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

During the street closures, no traffic except for emergency vehicles will be allowed on the street. This also includes bicycles and public transportation. Buses will be detoured (check septa.org for more info).

As demand for housing and commercial development in parts of the city increases, historic buildings have come under threat of demolition. The University City Historical Society is holding an important public meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 24 to provide residents and community organizations with tools and information that will help them rally to preserve historic buildings.

The meeting, titled “The State of Preservation in West Philadelphia,” will include Martine Decamp of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission; Penn Professor Aaron Wunsch; Paul Steinke of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia; and Greg Pastore, a former member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Organizers hope the meeting will help people understand:  Continue Reading

PennFuture and The Clean Air Council are bringing representatives from different city agencies to University City this Tuesday (Aug. 23) to discuss transportation pollution and are hoping to form a more streamlined policy that reduces traffic and pollution. A roundtable discussion will take place at International House Philadelphia (Asia Room, 3701 Chestnut St) from 6 – 8 p.m.

The latest American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report shows that Philadelphia has very poor air quality, which creates a critical public health issue.

“By bringing key stakeholders together, we’ll determine concrete policy and programmatic actions that each sector can implement to reduce transportation-related pollution in the Philadelphia region,” said Joseph Otis Minott, Clean Air Council Executive Director.  Continue Reading

Lamees’s work turned into street art (Photo by West Philly Local).

You may have recently noticed the artwork of Penn Alexander student Lamees Abou-Hatab on the northwest corner of 42nd and Spruce.

Literally on the corner.

Lamees’s art work is a creative reminder that what you dump in the street drains will find its way into rivers and streams. Her work was chosen as part of a student art contest hosted by the Philadelphia Water Department and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and was turned into street art over the summer. Lamees is heading into 7th grade this year. Congrats to her!  Continue Reading