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Massive Philly junkyard fire disrupts Northeast Corridor trains
Another huge Philadelphia scrap fire yesterday prompted air quality warnings and temporarily halted Amtrak service out of 30th Street Station.
- The plume of black smoke could be seen for miles, drawing 100 firefighters to the scene of a Hunting Park junkyard, 6ABC reports. Health officials warned nearby residents to stay indoors.
Junkyard fires are common in the city. The same thing happened twice over the summer, as well as last November — and dozens of times before that.
Acclaimed South Indian restaurant Amma’s opens in UCity
The third location of Amma’s opened in University City earlier this month, bringing its family-style South Indian cooking to West Philly.
- On the menu: The same spicy biryani and dosas you’ll find at the LaBan-approved Center City outpost, plus new shareable chaats in a setting that’s good for large groups.
There’s also specialty Madras coffee, and a semi-open kitchen so you can watch all the action. BP contributor Ronak Gandhi has a look inside.
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
- The Philadelphia school community is shaken up after one teenager died and four were injured after a shooting at a football scrimmage near Roxborough High School. It’s the 23rd shooting death of a child in Philly this year. Crisis response teams and social workers will be on site today to help students process the tragedy. [WHYY/Inquirer$/Chalkbeat]
- Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson is back in federal court this week for a retrial on bribery charges. The first time around resulted in a mistrial. [WHYY’s PlanPhilly/Billy Penn]
- Remember the Southwest Philly Amazon warehouse that displaced SEPTA trolley infrastructure? It’s sat vacant for nearly a year, angering residents who were told it would bring jobs [WHYY/Inquirer$]
- Drexel opened its new 460k-square-foot health sciences center on 39th and Filbert, which will eventually house the medical school. [Drexel]
- A perfect Philadelphia day for indie rocker Lucy Dacus: start with Philly Style Bagels, go on a long walk to a farmer’s market, and end with rutabaga fondue from Vedge. [Axios]
Weekly brief on gun violence prevention (with PCGVR)
We publish this report each week in partnership with the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting.
- A North Philly parenting workshop, run by the Institute for the Development of African American Youth, aims to prevent gun violence one father at a time. [WHYY]
- Mayor Kenney yesterday signed a ban on firearms at Philly parks and rec centers. A state rule disallows local gun laws — so a legal challenge could follow. [6ABC/Billy Penn]
- Students from Germantown’s Parkway Northwest High School commemorated International Peace Day with speeches, poetry readings, and rap performances. [WHYY]
- At some of the branch libraries due for upgrades under Philly’s Rebuild program, renovations include a focus on creating safe spaces where kids and teens can avoid gun violence. [Capital-Star]
- Philadelphia’s gun violence crisis is impacting all of us. What if news reporting could be part of the solution? That’s the focus of an all-day workshop today, stay tuned for our takeaways. [PCGVR/#BGVR22]
By the numbers in Philadelphia
- 29: Shooting victims recorded last week so far, vs. 36 the week prior. [City Controller via @PCGVR]
- 1,779: Shooting victims this year, up 2% from last year [PCGVR]
- 401: Year-to-date homicides, 1% ahead of last year’s pace and up 74% vs. five years ago [Philly Police]
MAYOR WATCH: Sep. 28, 2022
Mayor Kenney attends a grand opening for Sharswood Crossing, a 60-unit development at the PHA-led revitalization of the North Philly area that welcomed a Grocery Outlet last spring (11 a.m.). Kenney then speaks outside City Hall at a Women Against Abuse awareness briefing as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (12 p.m.).
ON THE CALENDAR
? South Street hosts a huge block party this weekend, complete with Oktoberfest at Brauhaus Schmitz and anniversary festivities at Philly AIDS Thrift. (11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1)
? Devil’s Den is closing mid-October, so it’s throwing a blow-out farewell bash on 11th and Federal with a DJ and food trucks. (1 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2)
