As a volunteer, Greg Wade in 2006 started running the Philadelphia Home and School Council: a non-profit organization made up of parent groups representing individual public schools across the city. His peers recently reelected him for another two year term. As director, Wade’s duties included managing a fund supported by home and school associations across the city. Now, he’s been charged for embezzling $60,000 from that fund and [...]

It was only just this past summer that Mayor Michael Nutter handed over an additional $4 million to the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP). In turn, college officials decided they would use the money to offset costs and not raise tuition for the first time in nearly twenty years. Now, flash forward to the current financial crisis our city is [...]

Tonight kicks off the first of many rallies to come around Mayor Michael Nutter’s plan to close 11 libraries. The proposed closures are part of the Mayor’s overall plan to plug a $1 billion budget hole projected over the next five years. Tonight’s rally will be held at the Fishtown Library, which is located at 1217 E. Montgomery Avenue. The start [...]

Much of the day-to-day citizen work in our city remains under the radar. That’s why we’ve launched Citizen Spotlight. We want to know what makes people’s inner civic clock tick. Thoai Nguyen is our latest choice for the spotlight. He’s the executive director of the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition, or SEAMAAC.
It’s Our City: You’ve been a longtime [...]

Updated: 5:27 pm
Friends of the Free Library will hold a special Community Meeting on the 11 proposed library closures this Saturday, November 8, 10 am - Noon, at the Children’s Story Hour Room inside the Central Branch, 1901 Vine St. (20th and the Ben Franklin Parkway)
Updated: 4:33pm
Library locations listed below are confirmed. The mayor’s office released a list of proposed [...]

*UPDATE 1:00 pm: The School District is reporting that the meeting is full for tonight. In order to attend the meeting, you had to RSVP ahead of time. So if you don’t have a reservation, the school district is advising you to attend the next one. We are waiting to hear back from the school district about [...]

Are you excited or upset about Barack Obama getting elected? Also tell us what you think of Obama’s victory speech. For those of you who missed it or want to refresh yourself, here’s a link to the full transcript and video. If you heard the speech, what did you feel? Were you one of those people joyously sobbing? In his [...]

You might be wondering if Philadelphia is in a recession or not. Well, apparently we are, according to this map that The New York Times created. It shows which cities are in a recession or on the brink of one.  The economic slowdown is taking its toll on cities nationwide. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is expected [...]

The Famous Fourth Street Deli in Queen Village is expecting a big lunch crowd today. For the last 25 years, owner Russ Cowan says Democratic politicians and union members have been gathering there on election day. Governor Ed Rendell is expected to stop by.

Maybe you were planning to sleep in tomorrow morning after celebrating Halloween and the Phillies’ victory. But if you really want to let City Council know what you think about the proposed Foxwoods casino at The Gallery, you better set your alarm clock. Council is holding a meeting tomorrow at 10 am to get public [...]