🌱 South Philly Gas Exposition + Sharp Uptick In COVID Cases

Good morning, neighbors! Dan Casarella here with the Thursday edition of the Philadelphia Daily.

First, today's weather:

Breezy in the afternoon. High: 57 Low: 43.

Here are the top stories in Philadelphia today:

1. A crew with PGW remained on the scene early Wednesday morning after a house explosion left three family members injured in South Philadelphia. It happened around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday on the 800 block of Jackson Street. The gas explosion blew out the windows and led to the evacuation of six other homes on the block. (WPVI-TV)
2. Philadelphia is experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases, and as the Omicron variant spreads and cold days ahead, the city's top health official is urging residents to stay vigilant in preventing the spread. Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole said at a briefing on Wednesday, the city is not yet seeing a surge of coronavirus cases that would draw a red flag. Dr. Bettigole still urged residents to abide by the city's ongoing mask mandate for public indoor spaces and to keep practicing social distancing to prevent a surge in the near future. (NBC 10 Philadelphia)
3. An off-duty Philadelphia police officer was shot multiple times on Wednesday afternoon. The shooting happened at about 1:30 p.m. near the intersection of N. 13th and W. Pike streets in North Philadelphia. The condition of the officer is not yet clear. (WPVI-TV)
4. For almost 50 years, a Philadelphia organization has been giving children the gift of music. In Spring Garden, a humble warehouse space is a wonderland for teachers. It’s here that Musicopia gives away instruments. (CBS Philly)
5. Two men were killed in a pair of overnight shootings in Philadelphia on Tuesday, including a man who collapsed inside a friend's house after being shot in the head while sitting in his car. Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were called to the 2100 block of Lambert Street around 11:30 p.m. for reports of a shooting. Chief Inspector Scott Small said officers and paramedics found a trail of blood leading into a home where a 36-year-old man had collapsed from multiple gunshot wounds. (FOX 29 Philadelphia)

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Today in Philadelphia:

• Town Hall/SAC - Widener Memorial (12:00 PM)
• Medical Cannabis Education Certification Course (12:15 PM)
• Imperialism, Colonialism, Repatriation, and the "Universal" Museum (12:30 PM)
• Performance Improvement - The Alliance of Community Service Providers (2:00 PM)
• Night Tours: Winter Holidays - Eastern State Penitentiary (6:00 PM)
• Jeni's Fishtown Grand Opening Party (7:00 PM)
• Producers Forum- Belly of the Beast by Erika Cohn (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Free Library of Philadelphia: "Happy December! There's a lot to explore this month with a mix of new titles coming to the Free Library's shelves:" (Facebook)
• Free Library of Philadelphia: "Select the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation as your charity of choice, and AmazonSmile will donate while you shop this holiday season: smile.amazon.com" (Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll see you soon! If you're loving these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— 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 Byrant, 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.