March 3, 2021
Fires
by
Pat Ralph
A four-alarm fire tore through the Howard Johnson Residence Inn in Blackwood at around 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Fire crews were able to get control of the blaze at around 5:30 a.m. No injuries were reported, but approximately 15 hotel units were burned or suffered damage from smoke.
March 3, 2021
Education
by
Pat Ralph
Starting in the fall, all New Jersey public school districts will be required to implement diversity and inclusion coursework into the curriculum for Kindergarten through 12th grade students. These classes will be mandated to highlight and promote economic diversity, equity, inclusion, tolerance and belonging, according to a new law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday.
March 2, 2021
Education
by
Pat Ralph
Temple University expects to conduct a majority of its classes in person this fall as a 'substantial number' of students return to the North Philly campus. President Richard Englert acknowledge that some classes and activities will have to remain online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
March 1, 2021
Prevention
by
Pat Ralph
Philly residents who meet certain eligibility criteria can get coronavirus vaccines at a walk-up clinic being hosted by the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium on March 1, 2 and 6, 2021. The clinic, located at Temple University's Liacouras Center, is open to people who live in 20 zip codes hit hard by the virus and are included in Phase 1B.
March 1, 2021
TV
by
Pat Ralph
During their opening monologue on Sunday night at the 2021 Golden Globe Awards, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler criticized the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for its lack of diversity in its membership and nominations. Co-hosting the annual awards ceremony for a fourth time together, Fey and Poehler called on the HFPA to be more inclusive going forward.
March 1, 2021
Prevention
by
Pat Ralph
New Jersey will expand its COVID-19 vaccine eligibility on March 15, 2021 to include teachers, child care workers, public transit employees and public safety workers, among others. It will further expand on March 29 to include hospitality employees, food workers, clergy and postal workers.
March 1, 2021
Police
by
Pat Ralph
Jalen Maxwell, the 13-year-old boy who went missing on Friday, was found safe and reunited with his family on Monday, Philadelphia police said. Maxwell was located in an abandoned home in the 2000 block of East Somerset Street. He was taken to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children for evaluation. No foul play is expected.
February 28, 2021
TV
by
Pat Ralph
New Jersey was front and center on "Saturday Night Live" this week, as the state decision's to prioritize smokers for available COVID-19 vaccines was made fun of during the sketch comedy show's cold open. The "Weekend Update" segment included a dig at Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine, while New Jersey native Nick Jonas was the show's host and musical guest this week.
February 28, 2021
Prevention
by
Pat Ralph
Camden and Pleasantville, two South Jersey towns that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, are among five communities that are being added into a statewide program to expand the availability of coronavirus vaccines to underserved municipalities across New Jersey. Vaccination sites in both towns will be able to inoculate roughly 1,800 residents per week, according to the state.
February 28, 2021
Business
by
Pat Ralph
SPERGO and Girl Contracting, Inc. were selected as the initial participants in the 76ers' Buy Black Program, an initiative to help support and grow Black-owned businesses across the Philly region amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The program, which was rolled out last month, will make both companies official team partners next season while receiving customized marketing strategies and other resources to help sustain their businesses.