April 2008

The third year of “Eight Days of Eats” run by merchants on South Street has begun, as reported by a KYW1060 article. The event has over 100 restaurants offering three and four course meals for a flat fee of $30. The event runs through next Wednesday.

It comes during a time period that many economic experts are calling a recession. However, South Street Head House District executive director Dave Hammond isn’t concerned about business, feeling that many from in and near Center City aren’t feeling the recession like others and will still come out to enjoy the eight days.

Photo courtesy of KYW1060.

Philadelphia was found in a survey released today to be first amongst the top 10 most affordable cities for young college grads. The survey, conducted by Apartments.com and Careerbuilder’s CBCampus.com job site, was based on research criteria including the population of people age 20 to 24, the number of entry-level job opening suitable for new grads, and the average cost to rent a one-bedroom apartment.

The average price of a one-bedroom apartment in the city was found to be $962, as compared with $1,562 per month for a one-bedroom in New York City. Also according to the article, there are plenty of jobs available for young works both during and after college.

Click here to read the full NBC article which has statistics about job availability, salaries, and also testimonies from students.

Photo courtesy of CollegeRecruiter.com.

There was a murder reported in the Inquirer over the weekend on Busti Street, right next to the Drexel Athletic Field Complex on 43rd and Powelton Avenue. On Sunday at about 1:30 p.m., housing police were tipped to a shooting at an apartment complex on Busti Street.

Robert McNair, a resident at the building and 48 years old, was found dead in the lobby with multiple gunshot wounds. The two suspects in the case are Brandon Brown, 23, and Kiaeem Smith, 28. Smith has already turned himself into the police.

The city has recorded 101 homicides this year, down from 134 at this point last year (through April 28). The number was much lower until the last few weekends, where each weekend has had multiple murders, including 5 this past weekend.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps.

Pennsylvania’s student-loan agency is going to cut college grants for every student by about $750, as well as offer voluntary buyouts to some employees, during the 2008-2009 school year in order to save money, according an article in the Inquirer.

The grants are given out to about 160,000 students each year, with the amount varying based on need. The awards for the current year ranged from $2,500 to $4,700, but the awards for 2008-2009 will only range from $2,100 to $3,948.

The state government has been very disappointed with some of PHEAA’s spending practices, such as giving employees large bonuses, that PHEAA has since discontinued.

Regardless, in this time with the economy down and cost of higher education rising, PHEAA’s moves make it even more difficult for students to finance college.

Photo courtesy of iCollegeServices.com.

About eight million taxpayers are going to be receiving their economic stimulus tax cut checks next week, a few days earlier than expected, according to an article on KYW1060.com.

There are many major retailers which will be offering sales to tempt people to spend their stimulus checks at their stores. Some stores are allowing discounted prices when paying with your rebate check and others are allowing the check to be traded for store gift cards of higher value.

The checks will range from approximately $300-$1,000. The U.S. Treasury hopes the rebates will pump billions of dollars into the economy by the end of May.

Photo courtesy of KYW1060.com

Lukoil, in promotion of the Philadelphia 76ers surprising second half and run into the playoffs, is going to sell gasoline in Northern Liberties tomorrow at 76 cents for 76 minutes at one of their stations, according to an Inquirer article.

The gasoline will go on sale at noon tomorrow, the 25th, and last until 1:16 p.m. The station is in Northern Liberties at Delaware Avenue and Spring Garden Street.

The Sixers are scheduled to meet the Detriot Pistons tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in the Wachovia Center.

In honor of their run, the Sixers also got the Pa. state government to “rename Interstate-76 to the Interstate-76ers for the duration of their playoff run.

Photo courtesy of Nonnynu Blog.

A 21-year-old suspect arrested for shooting two people on Wednesday in Yeadon, Pa. claimed to be a junior at Drexel University studying computer science. However, Drexel University has made a statement that the suspect, Tamarr Minor, is not enrolled here, according to an ABC6 article.

A constable and an apartment manager were shot at the 2200 block of Alfred Drive in Yeadon, while they, and a maintenance worker, were attempting to serve eviction papers to Minor. After shooting the two men, Minor fled and was caught and arrested two hours later in Philadelphia. Both victims are in guarded, but stable, condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Photo courtesy of Philly.com, of one of the victims being transported. to the hospital.

The Senator from New York took the state of Pa. to keep her campaign alive. She got 28 more delegates, but only won by 8 percent.

Clinton scored her victory by winning the majority of the votes of blue-collar workers, women and white men in an election in which the economy was the dominant concern, according to exit polls.

The Obama campaign is still very much alive, however, as Clinton still trails Obama by a significant margin in the delegate count.

The road to the Democratic Convention in Denver has just begun.

“It’s been really calm,” Adrian Curtin, a freshman at Drexel and Committee of Seventy volunteer said.

The volunteers said that since 3:30pm the polls surrounding Drexel have been pretty light.  Their guess as to why it’s so light?  Voter apathy and confusion.

When I was standing in line for the polls 4 people ahead of me came to the wrong place to vote.  Although there may be a record number of voters out there, how many votes will actually be counted?

The following construction projects begin in the spring/summer:

• Renovation of Alpha Pi Lambda House on 33rd and Powelton Avenue
• Powelton Green Park on empty lot at 31st and Powelton Avenue
• Traffic light at 34th and Lancaster Avenue
• Tennis courts on empty lot behind 7-Eleven
• Integrated sciences building in parking lot behind Korman, 33rd and Chestnut Street
• Expansion of the Daskalakis Athletic Center out to Market Street
• New Dormitory and retail on 34th and Powelton Avenue, where tennis courts are

Source: Multiple Triangle Articles
Photo courtesy of howstuffworks.com