🌱 PFD Installs Free Smoke Detectors + Philly, Suburbs Rent Spikes

Hello, neighbors! It's me again, Dan Casarella, your host of the Philadelphia Daily.

First, today's weather:

Windy and cooler with rain. High: 53 Low: 44.

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Here are the top three stories today in Philadelphia:

1. Yesterday, the Philadelphia Fire Department and the American Red Cross teamed up to "Sound the Alarm" about fire safety in the city. Volunteers headed to Philadelphia's Wissinoming and Frankford neighborhoods to talk to families about fire safety and install free smoke detectors in residents' homes. So far this year, 21 people in Philadelphia have died in house fires. If you would like a free smoke detector installed in your home, please call 311. (CBS Philly)
2. If you're headed to Lighthouse Field today, you can catch a sneak preview of the new play "4/20/99: A Story of Columbine." The preview is one of the offerings of PHILLY TRUCE DAY, a "culture carnival" kicking off at noon today. "4/20/99" opens in full on May 20 at the Waterfront South Theater in Camden, less than 20 minutes away from Philadelphia. (Broadway World)
3. While rent has risen in Philly since the start of the pandemic, the surrounding suburbs have seen even more intense cost spikes. According to data collected by CoStar Group and analyzed by the Washington Post, Philadelphia rent has jumped six percent over the past two years, while prices in Pennsylvania collar counties have risen between 12 and 15 percent. The numbers are even higher in the three New Jersey counties bordering Philadelphia, increasing between 14 and 20 percent in the two-year span. (Billy Penn)

Today in Philadelphia:

• Philadelphia Second Annual Arab Community Day At Penn Treaty Park (12:00 PM)
• The Stories We Wear Guided Tour At Penn Museum (1:00 PM)
• Kentucky Derby Party At Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion (4:30 PM)
• ASTROCELIUM: Experiencing Music Through Nature and Vibrations At iMPeRFeCT Gallery (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Following several successful station cleaning and maintenance blitzes last year, SEPTA says that it is continuing the initiative beginning this month and through September on the Broad Street (BSL) and Market-Frankford Lines (MFL). Visit MyChesCo for a full schedule. (MyChesCo)
• James, Harper, and Benjamin — three names with Philly ties — all made the top 10 baby names for 2021. Check out the top 10 names at the link. (NBC 10 Philadelphia)
• Get out and have some fun around Philly this weekend! Philly Live has rounded up the city's happenings, from summer fun on Penn’s Landing to Philly Tech Week. (NBC 10 Philadelphia)

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. I'll see you back in your inbox Monday morning with another update!

— Dan Casarella

About me: Dan Casarella is a writer, podcast producer, and small business development specialist who formerly worked in late-night television. He’s produced many talk segments, including with President Joe Biden, Kobe Bryant, and Chadwick Boseman. Dan studied Media Studies and Production at Temple University. He also enjoys running, painting, and the highs and lows of Philadelphia’s sports teams.