Working on a solution to gun violence and want to share it? Get in touch with gun violence prevention reporters Sammy Caiola and Sam Searles. A Philadelphia nonprofit that works with formerly incarcerated women is on a mission to reduce racial disparities in the city’s jail and prison populations. Why Not Prosper has laid out recommendations in a new report out this week, produced in partnership with the city of Philadelphia as part of a federal grant challenge. The John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Safety + Justice Challenge provides funding to 57 cities, counties, and states ..read more

It’s been more than two and a half years since Tropical Storm Isaias inundated Lemuel Bannister’s home, knocking out his heater, ruining his kitchen appliances, and damaging his electrical wiring, walls, and doors. The Eastwick resident replaced his hot water heater, paid thousands of dollars to a contractor, and received help from a coalition of neighborhood groups, disaster relief organizations, and the city. Still, repairs are not done. But a new grant program launched last month by Eastwick United CDC may help Bannister cross the last big repair off his list: a permanent cover for the hole ..read more

Some Philadelphia water customers already struggle to pay their bills, residents told the city’s Water Rate Board in a virtual hearing Wednesday. But the city’s water department wants to raise them further, with a proposed rate increase of over 21% for many residential customers by the fall of 2024. “Where does it end?” asked Lola Muhammad, a resident of Philly’s Mount Airy neighborhood. “People’s salaries and wages are not going up, and it’s not matching what the rate hike is asking.” The rate increase would go into effect over two years, with an increase of close to 12% starting Sept. 1, 202 ..read more

Philly Theatre Week begins with pay-as-you-wish options for over 50 productions. TuftCon comes to Philly, bringing together tufting aficionados from around the country. Pancakes and Booze, the pop-up art show that turns stuffy gallery gatherings into showcases with music and live art, is back, along with New Hope’s Pride Pageant. In Delaware, “Bring It On” morphs into a stage production, and ‘90s band Dru Hill celebrates 25 years. Special Events | Arts & Culture | Kids | Music | Delaware | New Jersey Special Events  TuftCon (Courtesy of Tuft the World) Where: Asian Arts Initiative, 1 ..read more

With the arrival of spring, the Shofuso House in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park has reopened after its winter slumber. Just days before opening its doors to the public, as well as the surrounding gardens, koi pond, and waterfall, the historic house reinstalled a painted interior mural that had been damaged by vandals last summer. Constructed in a 17th century Japanese architectural style, Shofuso features structural lumber assembled with traditional joinery techniques, a roof made of hinoki bark, and a floor of woven tatami mats. Amid the traditional craftwork of the house runs a vein of contem ..read more

This story originally appeared on 6abc. Multiple brush fires near train tracks in New Jersey are disrupting NJ Transit and Amtrak rail service along the Northeast Corridor Wednesday afternoon. New Jersey Transit said service was suspended on its Northeast Corridor Line between New York Penn Station and Trenton. Limited service has since resumed between New York Penn Station and Metropark. 1 of 3 – Northeast Corridor Line rail service has resumed with limited service between Penn Station New York and Metropark due to fire department activity near Edison. Customers should listen carefully to an ..read more

What questions do you have about the 2023 elections? What major issues do you want candidates to address? Let us know. Mayoral candidates faced the reality Philadelphia’s school children deal with during a forum Tuesday at the Parkway Central Library. The forum, hosted by the School District of Philadelphia, allowed candidates to address remedies to ongoing issues within the schools. McKayla Coleman, a student at George Washington Carver High School, asked candidates how they would improve the conditions of school buildings. She said Black and Brown students attend schools that “feel like inst ..read more

New Jersey’s statehouse building, part of which dates to the 1700s and was called a fire trap, is once again open after a renovation spanning almost six years and nearly $300 million in taxpayer money. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and his administration began moving back into the building last week, and work remains to be done on the building’s façade. It’s unclear when exactly the public will once again have access to the executive wing of the building, where the renovations took place. That work revealed giant skylights that were entombed under years’ worth of added plaster ceilings ..read more

What questions do you have about the 2023 elections? What major issues do you want candidates to address? Let us know. This story originally appeared on Billy Penn. Every seat on Philadelphia’s governing body is up for grabs in this year’s election, and the field of contenders is predictably expansive. In addition to incumbents, most of whom are running again, more than 30 people have officially filed to run for the city’s seven at-large seats, two of which are reserved for non-majority parties. The 10 district-level seats — considered harder for challengers to win — are also being c ..read more

The effective tax rate for Philadelphia renters with the lowest income is roughly five times higher than it is for Philadelphia homeowners with the lowest income, according to new research from the Pew Charitable Trusts. Released on Wednesday, the study found the tax burden for non-subsidized renters is 12.8% while the tax burden for homeowners with the lowest income is 2.5% — if they are enrolled in the city’s Homestead Exemption program. The popular incentive reduces the taxable portion of a homeowner’s property assessment by $80,000, an amount that exceeds the value of some houses.  “T ..read more