Health news in Kensington, Philadelphia — covering the opioid crisis, addiction and recovery, mental health, harm reduction, healthcare access and food resources.
Educators hope money from a legal settlement will provide students and families more support and opportunities.
Accountability
The legislation will proceed to a full City Council reading and, if passed, will require Mayor Cherelle Parker’s approval.
Accountability
The City of Philadelphia is challenging a state trust’s decision to disapprove $3.4 million in opioid settlement funds earmarked for Kensington.
Community Life
Voters arrived at the Tomaszewski Funeral Home in Port Richmond with concerns about various issues Tuesday morning, including public safety, immigration, and health care.
Accountability
Louis Jung Jr. died after he was allegedly denied insulin inside a Philly prison. His family claims the city and its prison healthcare company showed “deliberate indifference” to his need for emergency medical care.
Accountability
The trust ruled in favor of funding for Kensington schools, parks, and housing, but against home repairs and small business support.
Accountability
Community leaders and residents believe funding environmental conditions that will improve the lives of families and children is a step toward repairing the harms the open-air drug market has caused the neighborhood.
Accountability
The Office of Prison Oversight would amend Philadelphia’s Home Rule Charter, which is like the city’s constitution.
Accountability
The hearing announcement comes after Lozada introduced a bill earlier this month that would ban mobile service units in most of District 7.
Accountability
State Sens. Greg Rothman and Christine Tartaglione, along with most of the 13-member opioid settlement trust, voted “no” to Philadelphia’s spending on Kensington eviction prevention, home repairs, and improvements to schools and parks. The trust will hear the city’s appeal on Oct. 3.
Clean Streets
The new Pennsylvania Adult and Teen Challenge (PAATC) center is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with plans to eventually offer nighttime hours.
Accountability
Women incarcerated near Cahill at the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center said “the banging was so loud that people couldn't sleep."
Accountability
Cahill, a mother of two sons, was one of 34 people arrested for narcotics violations and outstanding warrants in a coordinated police sweep under Mayor Cherelle Parker’s Kensington initiative.
Accountability
If the legislation is enacted, those who violate the policy could receive up to a $500 fine.
Accountability
Police arrested 34 people for “narcotics violations,” including drug paraphernalia and possession, as well as outstanding warrants
Accountability
Philly police ordered overdose vigil volunteers to move their tables from their setup near McPherson Square Library down to the street.
Community Life
The event was hosted by District 7 Councilmember Quetcy Lozada's office.
Arts & Culture
We’ve pulled together a list of events and places where you can get free school supplies for your kids to prepare for the school year.
Accountability
During an exclusive interview on WHYY’s live talk show Studio 2, Mayor Cherelle Parker discussed policing Kensington’s open-air drug market and said the May 8 encampment sweep didn’t go exactly as planned.
Clean Streets
Researchers are studying whether therapeutic writing exercises and cash incentives help motivate women with a history of drug use to continue taking PrEP and decrease their illicit drug use.
Accountability
Local health experts emphasized system-wide challenges, ranging from 16-hour assessment wait times to a lack of coordination among service providers, shortages of medically monitored treatment beds, and insurance policy limitations.
Health & Wellness
The medical services that the zoning exception would impact include HIV and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing and treatment, HIV medication, substance use treatment, and wound care.
Accountability
Several local schools are on the list.
Accountability
The state trust that oversees the disbursement of opioid settlement dollars says Philadelphia improperly used $7.5 million on eviction prevention, home repair, and improvements to schools and parks.
