Over 100 people have been displaced after a fire at Terrace Apartments on the 4900 block of Spruce Street that broke out on Sunday afternoon. The fire was reported in one of the apartments at around 4:30 p.m. Emergency crews arrived at the scene and evacuated over 100 residents from the building. Some residents struggled to get out of the building due to its being filled with smoke and heat, according to reports.

The fire was placed under control around 5:45 p.m. on Sunday and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

The displaced residents were offered services at a nearby Beulah Baptist Church, located at 5001 Spruce, and Christy Recreation Center at 728 South 55th St.

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Velma Lewis led a crew of Lift Every Voice Philly parents to call for increased focus on students’ emotional needs. (Photo by Tony West)

Schooling was the top issue on the minds of community members at Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s presentation of the proposed 2024-25 City budget at West Philadelphia High School on Apr. 29.

About 125 people turned out for this novel effort to bring City Council budget debates to the attention of neighborhoods. Gauthier hosted as councilmember for the 3rd District, which takes in much of West Philly. But she was joined by Council President Kenyatta Johnson of the adjoining 2nd District as well as at-large members Nina Ahmad, Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Jim Harrity, Rue Landau and Nicholas O’Rourke. Such public outreach over the budget by the Council is without precedent.

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In recognition of International Jazz Day, celebrated on April 30th, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier has introduced a resolution honoring and recognizing legendary Philadelphian jazz musician Edward “Lee” Morgan (1938-1972).

The Library of Congress recently announced that it was adding Lee Morgan’s The Sidewinder to the National Recording Registry (read more details here). On Tuesday, April 30, Lee Morgan will also be memorialized with a historical marker outside of the former Aqua Lounge at 52nd and Chancellor, the jazz club where he last performed in Philadelphia in 1971 before his tragic death at age 33 (see more details about this event below).

Morgan was born on July 10, 1938, grew up in the Tioga neighborhood, and began playing the trumpet at the age of 14. His musical development was nurtured by the Philadelphia jazz community, and his early interaction with professional musicians at the Heritage House Jazz Workshop and Music City Swing Club.

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The Penn Relays, the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, returns this week to Franklin Field (200 S. 33rd Street), with events being held from April 23-27. The University of Pennsylvania Division of Public Safety has issued an advisory that traffic and transit use will be heavy throughout the area on these dates.

The Penn Relays Carnival will take place on Tuesday, April 23, with the CYO Relays scheduled from 4:30-10 p.m. Motorists should expect congestion in the area of 200 S. 33rd Street during their evening commute on that day.

The competition continues Thursday, April 25 through Saturday, April 27, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Motorists should expect heavy traffic volume and delays around Franklin Field and the immediate surrounding area all day on these days.

Also, 33rd Street from South Street to Walnut Street will be closed for approximately one hour, on Saturday, April 27, from 6 to 7 p.m.

For more information about The Penn Relays, which has been held annually since April 21, 1895, go to: pennrelays.com.

Tuesday’s primary election offers a chance to not only vote for president, but also some consequential local races – where the primary is often more important than the general election.

The links below will help you get ready to cast your ballot. Pennsylvania is a closed primary – at least for now – which means that you have to be a registered Democrat or Republican to vote for candidates. Independents can still weigh in on this election’s ballot measure related to registered community organizations (RCOs).

West Philly races

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

District 10 – This one is competitive on the Democratic side, with three candidates vying for the seat. Incumbent Amen Brown (you may have heard his campaign truck driving around the neighborhoods over the weekend) is running against community organizers Sajda Blackwell and Cass Green. The same three candidates ran for the seat in 2022, with Brown beating Green by 183 votes.

Brown’s largest single contributor is the Students First PAC, which contributed $25,000 to Brown’s campaign. The PAC is closely connected to billionaire Jeffrey Yass, a longtime supporter of school vouchers and charter schools.

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The University City District (UCD) has released its annual State of University City report, which highlights different areas of development in the area in the past year, including real estate, employment, demographics, education, healthcare, transportation and more. During the presentation of the report on Thursday, UCD shared the stories of three innovative neighborhood businesses: Renata’s Kitchen, Two Locals Brewing, and Grant BLVD (check out this video).

Here are some most interesting stats from the 2024 State of University City report:

• University City has 55,953 residents, whose median age is 27.6;

• 84 percent of neighborhood residents work in University City, and 72 percent of jobs pay over $40,000 per year;

• 63 percent of residents ages 25+ have a bachelor’s degree or higher;

• The median single family home sale price is $537,000;

• 4,210 units of multi-family housing (apartments) are expected to be developed in the next three years;

• 929 new units of multi-family housing were developed in the past year;

• The number of new construction permits has decreased from 50 to a little over 10 since 2018.

• 57 percent of neighborhood residents do not use cars to commute;

• 24 percent of households’ primary language is not English.

To download the new report, click here. Read about some previous reports in our archives here.