Top 8 stories of the week in Northwest Philly

Here are the stories you may have missed in Northwest Philadelphia this week:

1. In the week leading up to today’s Queen Lane Apartments tower implosion, we ran a series of stories about the three-year saga preceding it. They were headlined: “Germantown residents recall Queen Lane Apartments’ promising early days, unfortunate decline.” “Why the 14-second Queen Lane Apartments implosion will sound like ‘a thunderbolt.‘” “PHA conducts Queen Lane Apartments pre-implosion canvassing effort.” “Where to (safely) watch the Queen Lane Apartments implosion.”

2. Little Jimmie’s Coffee Co. owners split after realizing ‘we wanted to do different things‘

The business partners who worked together to build Little Jimmie’s Bakery Café in Mt. Airy and Little Jimmie’s Coffee Roasters on Maplewood Mall in Germantown have severed their professional relationship.

Jimmie Reed will continue to run his location at 6669 Germantown Ave. with a new coffee vendor and will move forward with his new site, Little Jimmie’s Bake House at 6620 Germantown Ave. Jimmy Duran will be sole owner of the location at 26 Maplewood Mall.

3. First public natural gas fueling station opens in Philadelphia, despite low demand

The first filling station for natural gas vehicles in Philadelphia is now open to the public. The new facility, just off Route 1 in East Falls, was built by VNG Inc. in an existing BP gas station.

4. 33 new computers come to Emlen Elementary just in time for the new school year

Eleanor Emlen Elementary School’s 26 computers — many older than the students themselves — were replaced with 33 new iMac desktops at the Mt. Airy K-5 during the summer. The upgrade was funded by a four-month fundraising effort coordinated by a group of local organizations, called the Mt. Airy Schools Coalition, which includes Mt. Airy USA, East Mt. Airy Neighbors and West Mt. Airy Neighbors.

5. Group rallies support, continues fundraising quest for East Falls dog park

At the East Falls Community Council monthly meeting, second vice president and dog park-committee liaison Claire Stilley said the group aims to acquire land from the Department of Parks and Recreation for an enclosed, no-leash park. Residents at the meeting were asked to sign a petition and share it with neighbors.

 The dog-park committee is also selling $10 shirts to raise funds.

6. Scenes from the first day of school in NW Philadelphia

Throughout the city and in Northwest Philadelphia, public-school students headed back to school this week. Check out the photos from that big day.

7. 365 Green Lane and Bunting House land updates offered at Roxborough meeting

After a two-month summer hiatus, the Central Roxborough Civic Association held its first meeting of the season on Thursday evening. On the agenda: A presentation by the Friends of Gorgas Park regarding the current conceptual phase of a storm water management project and status updates on the developments at 5901 Ridge Ave. and 365 Green Lane.

8. New principal of Houston Elementary: ‘If we build it, they will come’

More than 20 West Mt. Airy residents gathered at a Nippon Street home to meet with the new principal of Henry H. Houston Elementary School on Thursday night. LeRoy Hall comes to the Allens Lane school after more than two years as assistant principal at Khepera Charter School.