UPDATE: The victim in the car has been identified at 25-year-old Landis Carter of the 2300-block of Tremont Street.

Police in the 2nd and 7th Districts are busy today searching for suspects in two separate incidents that took place early this morning.

Around 1:30 a.m., a teenager delivering pizza was robbed and stabbed by a group of three males on the 6100-block of Belden Street in Oxford Circle. Five hours later, police in the 7th District were called to the Plaza Towers Apartments on the 2300-block of Tremont Street where a man was shot in his car. continue reading »

About a dozen protesters gathered Sunday outside St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Church Sunday to oppose a zoning variance. Photo by Maureen Greene.

Bustleton resident Maureen Greene sent us the following update from Wednesday’s Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing, at which Tacony Academy Charter School was was set to request a zoning variance to send kindergarten and first-grade students to St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Church at 608 Welsh Rd.

“The hearing for the variance to allow a charter school to rent parts of St. Thomas Church was continued on Wednesday without a date for a new hearing.

The attorney for the Church confirmed that the charter school withdrew from their plans and the Church had to evaluate what they were going to do. continue reading »

About a dozen protesters gathered Sunday outside St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Church Sunday to oppose a zoning variance. Photo by Maureen Greene.

St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Church at 608 Welsh Rd. has requested a zoning variance to allow them to rent their building to Tacony Academy Charter School for no less than two years.  There would be 150 kindergarten and first grade students housed there.  Since the School District does not bus kindergarteners, this would cause extreme traffic delays on a dangerous and congested stretch of Welsh Road.

Congregants packed a Greater Bustleton Civic League meeting to force the vote in their favor.  The Pastor admitted that they were looking for money for the mortgage and had only the hope of a flashing yellow light to potentially slow down traffic as any attempt to address the extreme safety concerns of the neighbors, some of whom have had relatives and friends injured or killed along that stretch of road.  The need for left hand turns into the narrow and nearly hidden driveway will create a major hazard. continue reading »

Roger Price of the Bustleton Bengals

The Bustleton Bengals Club is one of many sports organizations for boys and girls in the Northeast. The club continues to live out its mission that began in 1956. Past President and parent Vince Tarducci has been volunteering his time with the Bengals since 1997.

“It’s always been about the children from ages 4 to 18,“ Tarducci said. “We try to get them ready for high school years. We try to get them ready to be better citizens within the city of Philadelphia and whatever they do.”

The Bengals interact with several athletic organizations in the Northeast, but  one thing that sets this organization apart is something it’s lacking: a gymnasium.

“When [other clubs] play us, we have to use neighboring schools Anne Frank and Baldi,” Tarducci said. “We’re fortunate to have them, but we don’t have any control over the use of those places.” continue reading »

Authorities have arrested the teenager wanted in connection with the shooting death of Bustleton’s Mohan Varughese.

Jeffrey Little, 19, was arrested Friday afternoon with help from an anonymous tipster. Police were seeking Little for the May 9 homicide of Vaughese, who was shot when Little allegedly demanded that Vaughese hand over his motorcycle. continue reading »

Police have identified the suspect wanted in connection with last week’s shooting death of Bustleton resident Mohan Varughese.

Authorities are looking for 19-year-old Jeffrey Little of the 2100-block of N. Marvine Street. Little, who also goes by “Norman,” is described as 5’9″ tall, 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He has several tattoos, including “Gail” on his left forearm and “RIP Katie” on his neck. continue reading »

Students and faculty at C.C.A. Baldi Middle School last week hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate a partnership with Abington Art Center and artist Carol Stirton-Broad. The event included an ArtSee open house with ceramic artist Stirton-Broad, Sharon Katz of the world music The Peace Train and Ellie Hutchinson of Moore College of Art & Design’s Literacy through Photography program. continue reading »

Police have identified the man who was shot and killed for his motorcycle Monday in North Philadelphia. Mohan Varughese, a 23-year-old Bustleton resident, died Monday afternoon from multiple gunshot wounds.

Varughese was reportedly sitting on the front steps of a home on the 2200-block of North Camac Street with his girlfriend, a Temple University student, when a man came by with a gun and demanded the keys. When Varughese didn’t act quickly enough, the man fired three times. continue reading »

This is part of ongoing coverage in “District 172: The Politics of Change after State Rep. John Perzel,” a collaborative effort with Philadelphia Neighborhoods funded by J-Lab.

After John Perzel, the former speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, was charged with misusing public funds, he lost the seat he had held for more than 30 years in the 172nd District to Democrat Kevin Boyle.

Despite the scandal surrounding Perzel, people are divided about whether a powerful politician was better than a new representative in the Northeast district.

John McClogan, a Walton Park Civic  Association member, said he thinks a tainted Perzel is better than a newly elected representative.

“It’s a shame,” he said. “It’s the people who are suffering.”

McClogan said he thinks there is a big difference between Perzel and Boyle.

“Perzel was the speaker of the house. Boyle is just the representative. He doesn’t have the clout that Perzel had,” McClogan said. continue reading »

Investigators have determined the cause of a fire that claimed a Bustleton man’s life last month. The Feb. 4 fire on the 1000-block of Red Lion Road was caused by a cigarette. The early morning blaze was extinguished in a half hour, but a secondary search uncovered the man’s body.