A potent mix of cocaine and the synthetic opioid fentynyl led to at least 20 overdoses in West Philly in the past two weeks, including two deaths, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. There weren’t more deaths in part due to the administration of Narcan, the overdose reverser that is saving lives across the city. If you want to learn how to administer it, here’s a good opportunity.

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is offering “overdose awareness and reversal training” at the Walnut Street West Library (40^th and Walnut) on Wednesday, June 27 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and again on July 11 and 25 and August 8 and 22 at the same time.  Continue Reading

A woman in her mid 20s was found shot dead near 47th and Springfield early Tuesday, according to police.

The unidentified woman, who was naked except for socks, was found with a gunshot wound to the head.

Police responded to reports of gunshots shortly after midnight on Tuesday. The woman was pronounced dead at 12:15 a.m. on Tuesday. A handgun was found near her body, according to reports.

A police spokesman said this morning that the woman’s death was likely a suicide, but added that an investigation was underway.

Cedar Park Neighbors is taking advantage of a city program to raise some money and get rid of those illegal slapdash signs posted on light poles, sidewalk trees and other public places offering cash for your house, your car or even your diabetic test strips.

The city is offering community groups 50 cents a sign during the “Illegal Signs Roundup” from June 1 through June 15.

Michael Froehlich, an attorney with Community Legal Services’ Homeownership and Consumer Rights unit and a Cedar Park resident, said the initiative particularly targets the signs of “real estate predators” offering to buy homes for cash.

“They rip off seniors and low-income families. Their illegal advertising litters and disrespects our communities,” he said in an e-mail. “For us, it’s a win-win-win: we protect homeowners from being tricked by these predators, we clean up our streets from these ugly advertisements, and we raise money to support our Friday night jazz series, scholarship program, and other community activities.”  Continue Reading

Artist’s rendering of 6-story apartment building proposed for 4312-20 Market Street. The white box on the first floor is a driveway that goes through the building to access five off-street parking spots in the rear of the building.

The Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) zoning committee heard plans for 36-unit “higher end” apartment building last night that would be built across five fenced-in vacant lots on the 4300 block of Market Street.

The six-story building would include two- and three-bedroom apartments, a roof deck and five off-street parking spots at 4312 through 4320 Market Street. Its proposed design includes a driveway cut through the middle of the building to access the five off-street sites. That driveway, which would require drivers to pull across the sidewalk along Market Street, caused some concern for zoning committee members.  Continue Reading

If you dig birds, here’s some good news. Local birder Victoria Sindlinger and illustrator Jess Ruggierio have teamed up with The Woodlands to develop a guide to birds at the cemetery. And it’s a zine!

A release part for the Guide to Birding at The Woodlands is scheduled for Tuesday, May 22, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at The Woodlands (40th and Woodland). The zine will be available for sale at the event. Sindlinger will also be hosting bird walks at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

A few days later, on Saturday, May 26, The Woodlands is hosting an “Urban Wildlife Walk.” This includes birds, snakes, salamanders and other critters that call The Woodlands home. It gets underway at 7:30 a.m. rain or shine and is “pay what you wish.”

This weekend you can get a rare glimpse inside the Bushfire Theatre for the Performing Arts at 52nd and Locust (224 S. 52nd St.) for the staging of Thurgood, the acclaimed bio-play about the former Supreme Court justice and civil rights icon.

Written by television and film director and producer George Stevens Jr., Thurgood is a stripped down portrayal of Marshall’s life as told by him and includes seminal moments in American history (the announcement of the verdict in Brown vs. Board of Education in the play would regular elicit celebratory hoots and hollers from audiences on Broadway).

Bushfire founder Al Simpkins will direct.

Founded in 1977, the Bushfire stages a few performances a year. The theater itself dates back to 1909, when it served as a Vaudeville house called The Locust. It was later converted to a movie theater until it was abandoned and fell into disrepair.

Tickets for Thurgood range from $15 (for kids) to $30. The show starts at 7:30 tonight and Saturday night.