Watson is available for adoption.

Editor’s Note: We are continuing our monthly publications provided by West Philly’s volunteer-run cat rescue organization Project MEOW. This post is about a cat currently available for adoption through Project MEOW and PAWS and also about the importance of keeping your cat away from toxic plants and flowers, like lilies.

Everyone, or almost everyone loves flowers. Especially in the dead of winter, what could be nicer than a big vase full of flowers to make us believe that spring has not abandoned us? Unfortunately, many kinds, including the lovely white Easter Lilies, gorgeous Asian Lilies and even plants in the lily family – Astromeria for example, are highly toxic to cats. Toxic in that they are lethal if consumed and sometimes the damage cannot be reversed even if you get your cat to the vet shortly after ingestion.

Most florists do not mention this in their shops, although Project MEOW gives a shout-out to any florists that DO tell customers that lilies are deadly to cats. Sadly, a few years ago one of our recently adopted cats died from ingesting lilies, so it’s not as unusual as we would like to hope. What do you do if someone gives you a stunning arrangement that contains lilies? Pull them out of the arrangement and give them to a pet-free neighbor.  Continue Reading

Dominique Oglesby

Police have made an arrest in the killing of 23-year-old Penn State student Dominique Oglesby on March 18 near 52nd and Market. Julius Scott, 25, was arrested on Wednesday morning on the 5700 block of Pine Street, just a couple blocks from the 18th District police station.

Oglesby, who was a senior at Penn Sate and was expected to graduate this spring, was shot and killed outside the Galaxy West Bar and Grill at 52nd and Market on a Sunday afternoon. She was reportedly involved in an altercation with the shooter and another woman inside the bar and called her family for help. After her father and grandfather arrived to help her they were all shot. Oglesby was shot once in the back and died later that day at the hospital. Her father and grandfather survived the shooting.

Police released information on the suspect last month.

The holy month of Ramadan begins this week, and here’s what’s happening at two popular Muslim-owned businesses.

Saad’s Halal at 45th and Walnut will be closed for a little over a month while the owners take their annual vacation. The restaurant closed its doors on May 14 and will reopen on Monday, June 18, according to a sign posted on the window (see photo).

Manakeesh, the Lebanese cafe and bakery across the street from Saad’s, will have special hours until June 16. The restaurant will be closed during the day, but open nightly – from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.. Check out their Facebook page for updates.

The 2018 primary election results are in, and there are no surprises this year for West Philly Democratic candidates.

Incumbent Jim Roebuck beat his opponents, lawyer Jeff Curry and the president of the Kingsessing Area Civic Association Diane Settles, for the State House of Representatives District 188 seat, which includes parts of Spruce Hill, Squirrel Hill, Walnut Hill, Spruce Hill, Garden Court, Beige Block and University City. Roebuck received 56.17 percent of total votes, according to Philly Election Results, the website reporting unofficial election results.

Vanessa Lowery Brown, the incumbent seeking her fifth term in the State House of Representatives, District 190, which includes parts of Cobbs Creek, Belmont, Carroll Park, Cathedral Park, Mill Creek, Haddington, East Parkside, West Powelton, Allegheny West and Lehigh West, beat her opponents Raymond H. Bailey and Wanda Logan. Brown received 64.92 percent of total votes, according to Philly Election Results.

Candidates Joanna McClinton (District 191) and Morgan Cephas (District 192) were running unopposed.

For more election results, including the results by ward and division, go here.

This neighbor had an interesting experience this afternoon when she found that her car, which had been parked near 45th and Spruce, was “courtesy towed” by the Philadelphia Parking Authority due to road work. Spruce Street between 44th and 45th, was closed all day on Tuesday due to the work. If your car has also been towed from that location and you can’t find it, this story may be helpful.

“When I parked my car at that location during the early afternoon [on Monday], I did not see any signs posted about parking restrictions for [Tuesday],” Emily writes. “I called PPA and was told that my car had been “courtesy towed”… and to call my local police district to find out where it was. I called district 18 and was told that they were aware that a number of cars had been “courtesy towed”… around the neighborhood, but they had not been given a list of where all of the cars had been “courtesy towed” to by PPA like they were supposed to. They said that some cars had been towed to the area around 49th and Springfield, but that other cars from the area around 45th and Spruce may be in different locations.  Continue Reading

Dinner in Three Acts is a fun and delicious way to support educational programs at Curio Theatre.

Curio Theatre Company, the community theater at 48th and Baltimore, is starting an exciting new fundraising tradition. On Sunday, May 20, the company will be “producing” a Dinner in Three Acts – a three-course dinner at selected West Philadelphia homes. This is how it works:

Act One – 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. – Guests will start with registration and appetizers at one home.
Act Two – 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. – For their entree, guests will choose one style of cuisine from a varied selection served for groups of 10 to 15 people.
Act Three – 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. – Guests will return to the theater for dessert with coffee and tea.  Continue Reading