Newly elected State Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell, the first Muslim woman elected to the Pennsylvania legislature, has been arrested on corruption charges.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the charges this morning against Johnson-Harrell, who won the 190th District seat in a special election last March. They include theft, perjury and tampering with public records.

Shapiro said Johnson-Harrell has agreed to plead guilty to the charges and will face jail time. She turned herself in to authorities in Philadelphia on Wednesday morning.  Continue Reading

As package deliveries pick up during the holidays, so do package thefts. University City District has sent out an alert in its monthly Crime Update about an increase of package thefts from porches in November and December. The newsletter also includes these tips on how to prevent package thefts:

• Avoid leaving unattended packages on stoops or porches.
• If possible, have packages sent to a workplace or other secure location.
• If you’re shipping items using Amazon, take advantage of one of the Amazon locker locations in the area.

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Greg Benjamin, the 51st Ward leader, and co-organizer of Saturday’s community conversation on gentrification.

A standing-room-only crowd packed the basement community room in the Kingsessing branch of the Free Library on Saturday afternoon to start what organizers hope will be an ongoing conversation about gentrification.

“All eyes are on Southwest Philadelphia now. We have four trolley lines, four bus lines,” said Greg Benjamin, an organizer of the meeting and candidate for the state legislature. “We have the opportunity to set an example for what wasn’t done right in other places.”  Continue Reading

DTLR, a fast-growing lifestyle retailer with over 245 stores in 19 states, has opened a new flagship store on South 52nd Street. The store is located at 4 S. 52nd St., in the space previously occupied by VILLA, which was acquired by DTLR in 2017.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Thursday. During the ceremony, DTLR President Scott Collins, along with Councilwoman-elect Jamie Gauthier, provided remarks to commemorate the brand-new, three-story, 8,600-square-foot store.  Continue Reading

Lobbyist, longtime Philadelphia politico and West Catholic alum Eleanor Dezzi, seated left, discusses the proposal to change the zoning on West Catholic High School’s parking lot at 46th and Chestnut to allow the construction of a large apartment building. Attorney Ron Patterson (also a West Catholic alum), standing, and real estate developer Jim Paterno are also part of the West Catholic group. Drawings of a possible design are in the background (Photo by West Philly Local).

The Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee is considering a deal with West Catholic High School that would change the zoning on the school’s parking lot at 46th and Chestnut to make way for what could be a seven-story, 260-unit apartment building with ground floor commercial space.

The parcel is currently zoned CMX-2, which limits the height of the building. If West Catholic can secure a change to CMX-3, which allows for a much larger building, the parcel will become far more valuable to a potential developer.  Continue Reading

The slowly crumbling sidewalks around the perimeter of Clark Park will be replaced thanks to a grant secured by State Rep. Jim Roebuck, according to an announcement by his office.

Roebuck announced that $110,000 in state funding has been awarded to the University of the Sciences, which is across the street from the park, for its sidewalk improvements.

“These funds should help bring pedestrian safety improvements and make the area more accessible for everyone in the community,” Roebuck said in a statement. “I am pleased that this grant money was awarded so that more residents can take advantage of the outdoor spaces at Clark Park.”  Continue Reading