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

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.

Three Baltimore Avenue businesses are teaming up to support students attending a neighborhood elementary school.

Mariposa Food Co-op, together with Hair Vyce Studio and Studio 34 Yoga, are collecting school supplies to donate to Harrington Elementary School located at 53rd and Baltimore.

Everyone is welcome to donate notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, binders, paper, tissues and other supplies. All proceeds will be given directly to the school to distribute to the students on the first day of school (Tues., Sept. 3).  Continue Reading

The annual SEPTA trolley tunnel maintenance project, the “Trolley Tunnel Blitz,” is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9 and will continue until Monday, Aug. 19 at 5 a.m., SEPTA has announced. For the duration of the project, which will include trolley track replacement, station upgrades, painting and cleaning, and other maintenance work, Trolley Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 will not operate in the tunnel.

During the Trolley Tunnel Blitz, all trolleys will divert to 40th and Market Streets where passengers can transfer to the Market-Frankford line at no additional cost for service to/from Center City.  Continue Reading