Thursday’s water main break in Upper Holmesburg sent a geyser-like rush of water more than 100-feet into the air. While authorities got the situation under control, drivers on I-95 got a good look at the plume. Here’s our slideshow, with photos courtesy of Somerton’s Mike Korostelev.

Image courtesy of Action News.

An early morning watermain break sent a plume of water 100 feet into the air, causing a portion of State Road to shut down.

Around 7 a.m., a main on the 8500-block of State Road in Holmesburg burst, and the pressure resulted in what looked like a geyser spouting from the road. continue reading »

Photo courtesy of Action News

Police this morning found two alligators at a business in Holmesburg.

As part of an ongoing investigation into the industrial complex on the 8100-block of State Road, police raided a business, where they found two alligators in 300-gallon tanks. The gators, each about three to four feet long, wouldn’t have grown much bigger, experts say, but are illegal to keep as pets in Philadelphia.

The owner of the garage where the gators were kept will be fined, and the SPCA removed the animals.

Prisons Commissioner Louis Giorla updated Upper Holmesburg residents on rennovation plans for the area at last night's civic association meeting.

The prison system shouldn’t be the third-largest department in a city as sophisticated as Philadelphia, Prisons Commissioner Louis Giorla told the Upper Holmesburg Civic Association last night.

And that’s one of the reasons why Giorla attended the group’s January meeting — to update residents on what’s happening at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility and Holmesburg Prison. continue reading »

A man died Friday night while crossing State Road near Linden Avenue just blocks from his home.

The 54-year-old victim was crossing west to east on the 9200-block of State Road when a vehicle traveling southbound struck him shortly after 11 p.m.

The victim’s name will not be released until his family has been notified.

Oscar Alvarado, courtesy of Action News.

UPDATE (Dec. 16) — Oscar Alvarado was captured Monday afternoon at the Neshaminy Inn at Old Lincoln Highway and Route 1.

UPDATE (Dec. 3) — Prison officials are still investigating Alvarado’s escape, and are no closer to finding him. Prison Commissioner Louis Giorla said it’s likely Alvarado had help on the inside.

UPDATE –  Alvarado escaped by using an unauthorized visitor’s pass. He was able to get past two security check points and 12 officers before making his way into the visitors room where he put on civilian clothes. Authorities believe Alvarado is now clean shaven.

Police are looking for a murder suspect who broke free from prison last night.

Oscar Alvarado, 27, escaped from Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility on State Road around 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Alvarado is 5’7″, 160 pounds and has multiple tattoos on his left arm, in addition to a tattoo of a woman on his back. He could be wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. continue reading »

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Steven Burns’ car was damaged along State Road near Cottman Avenue. His car wasn’t parked at the time – it was hit with debris falling from an abandoned building. And Burns is one among many.

To date, five cars have been with debris from the building, which has become a popular gathering spot for youths and vandals. In his case, Burns told CBS3 he saw a young male push the debris out a window in the building. Neighbors said they’ll keep an eye on the building until the suspects are identified.

Tiffany Davis, director of civic engagement for Young Heroes, explains how the organization serves Holmesburg.

The Holmesburg Civic Association welcomed many guests at last night’s meeting – the most uncommon of which were representatives from Young Heroes, a division of Philadelphia’s City  Year.

Typical civic association guests includes politicians and other community leaders, but Holmesburg residents also had the chance to hear about how the City  Year term serves their neighborhood and the rest of the Northeast. continue reading »

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Heated arguments broke out at last night’s East Torresdale Civic Association meeting, where residents and board members collided over a zoning issue, causing many of them to walk out vowing never to return.

A variance to allow twin homes to be built using outdated zoning policies set off a slew of sidebar conversations and angry tangents, despite a signed petition’s from the property owner’s neighbors. continue reading »

Sweet Lucy’s Smokehouse is located at 7500 State Rd. right off I-95 Bringing a little southern style to our fast-paced big city, Sweet Lucy’s is best known for its barbecue-style meats and all-you-can-eat buffet on Monday nights. Sweet Lucy’s does not suggest elegant dinning, but rather, welcomes a sawdust-on-the-floor, casual dining outing for the whole family.

First opening its door to our public in 2003, Sweet Lucy’s has worked hard to maintain its status of serving the best southern barbeque to the Northeast. Sweet Lucy’s has a small parking lot and also has street parking available, which may be useful if you come on Monday evening for the buffet, as the restaurant fills up fast. Open seven days a week for both lunch and dinner, Sweet Lucy’s is kept clea.n Although the table I was seated at was sticky, the waitress immediately wiped it down upon our request. continue reading »