Richmond Street closure to begin this week
A two-year-long road closure of Richmond Street between Lehigh and Avenue and Cambria Street in Port Richmond that was originally scheduled to begin Jan. 23 has been postponed until further notice due to the inclement weather, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said in a statement.
This will mark the beginning of construction of four new overhead Contrail bridges and the replacement of a large sewer main.
The detour will take Richmond Street through traffic over Lehigh Avenue, Aramingo Avenue and Allegheny Avenue, the statement said.
The relocation will finish to the east between Lehigh Avenue and Ann Street.
In addition to closing parts of Richmond Street, PennDOT will also shift Richmond Street traffic over to the rebuilt section of the street between Dyott Street and Lehigh Avenue.
The finished product will include two through lanes, a center turn lane, tracks for a SEPTA trolley, bike lanes, sidewalks and street lights, PennDOT officials said.
The detours are a part of PennDot’s $91.3 million project to revitalize the Interstate 95/Girard Avenue Interchange. The project is expected to be finished in early 2016.
For more information on the I-95 improvements in the area of the Girard Avenue Interchange, visit www.95revive.com.
Woman shot, killed in Northern Liberties
A 26-year-old woman was shot and killed Sunday at 10:35 p.m. in a robbery on the 900 block of N. Front Street in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia Police Department officials said in a press release.
The victim, 26-year-old Amber Long, of the 1700 block of W. Ritner Street, had been walking with her mother after leaving her boyfriend’s residence, according to NBC10.
Long was shot once in the chest and pronounced dead at Hahnemann University Hospital at 11:15 p.m., police said.
The offenders were seen fleeing north on Front Street in a black Impala with the witness’s purse, police said.
No arrests in Jan. 14 murders
No arrests have been made in either of the two murders that occurred on the evening of Monday, Jan. 14, a Philadelphia Police Department spokeswoman said.
Rickey Carroll, 35, was shot and killed at 9:09 p.m. in a house on the 3300 block of Amber Street in Port Richmond, police said.
Carroll, who lived on that same block, was found with a gunshot wound to his chest and transported to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:41 p.m., police said.
The shooting was nine minutes after another murder on the street on the 600 block of Perth Place, just west of Northern Liberties.
Khaleef Johnson, 23, of the 2000 block of N. 24th Street, was shot multiple times in the back, police said. He was pronounced dead at 9:18 p.m. at Hahnemann University Hospital.
Port Richmond home target of firebomb
Police are looking for a suspect who attempted throwing a firebomb into a home in Port Richmond, according to 6ABC.
The suspect was caught on surveillance video just after 2 a.m. on Jan. 6, according to the article.
The incendiary device was a Molotov cocktail, which failed to ignite but broke the front window, detectives said.
The video depicted the suspect as wearing a hooded coat with a hooded sweatshirt underneath, sweat pants, a black hat and white shoes.
Bridesburg Pizza, Wawa robber sentenced to jail
Hakeem Paris, 23, of Philadelphia, was sentenced on Thursday, Jan. 16, to 30 years and one month in prison for multiple armed robberies, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Paris held up Bridesburg Pizza on the 4700 block of Richmond Street on May 10, 2010, and struck again less than two weeks later a few blocks away at a Wawa convenience store, the press release said.
Paris conspired with one other person during the robberies, the press release reported.
The case was handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department.
In late 2012, a federal jury convicted Paris on various counts including conspiracy, robbery, and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.
In addition to the prison term, the press release stated that a U.S District Court judge ordered three years of supervised release.
Campaign consultant stole thousands from local councilman
Councilman Bobby Henon’s campaign consultant stole nearly $50,000 from Henon’s campaign and used the funds to feed his own gambling addiction, according to philly.com.
Richard North, 24, last week pleaded guilty to using the campaign’s debit card to withdraw money more than 50 times from an ATM at SugarHouse Casino early last year, police said.
The article also reported that he is accused of stealing checks from his roommates.
North is reportedly undergoing treatment for a gambling addiction in Atlanta, where he is currently residing with his parents.
He will pay more than $60,000 in restitution and fees, his lawyer, Brian McGonagle, said.
North has no prior record or history of gambling before these charges, according to McGonagle, and is expected to receive a probation-only sentence that will keep him out of jail.
After reviewing bank statements last spring, Henon notified the District Attorney’s Office about inconsistencies he discovered in the reports, according to the philly.com article.
Henon serves the 6th District, which encompasses the northeast section of the city, including Bridesburg and Port Richmond.
Central air conditioning unit robberies
There have been several reports of central air conditioning units being stolen from driveways and backyards in Port Richmond, the 24th Police District said in a statement on their Facebook page.
Police have made arrests, but are advising residents to take precaution to prevent any future robberies by securing central air condensers with a chain and lock or cage if possible.
Those who need assistance are encouraged to contact the police community relations team at 215–685–9969.
Frankford lofts set to open
Two large vacant buildings on the 1000 block of Frankford Avenue that have been undergoing redevelopment for years may be ready for business in the near future, according to an article on nakedphilly.com.
The building, located at 1039–55 Frankford Ave., across the street from Barcade in Fishtown, was originally used as a storage facility in the 1990s, according to Naked Philly.
The building has been standing vacant since 2008, according to the article.
The building’s interior and exterior work has been completed over the past year and has been converted into 28 apartments.
Rent will run between $1,500 and $2,000 per month, the article said.
