Center City Archives - ThePhillyFiles.com

May 22, 2020

Swastika spray-painting suspect identified, arrest warrant out

CENTER CITY — Philadelphia police have announced who they’re looking for after officers responded to reports of vandalism along four blocks of Market Street….

January 6, 2020

Reward offered in last Philadelphia bank robbery of 2019

CENTER CITY — The FBI/PPD Violent Crimes Task Force is offering a reward for information that’ll help catch the man who robbed a Center…

December 14, 2019

Bank robbery suspect wanted by police, FBI

CENTER CITY — The FBI/Philadelphia Police Violent Crimes Task Force is asking for help identifying and finding the man who robbed a PNC Bank…

November 13, 2019

Search on for 2 massage parlor armed robbery suspects

CENTER CITY — Philadelphia police want to catch two men who robbed a massage parlor at gunpoint. They say it happened last Tuesday, Nov….

October 6, 2019

Reward offered for info leading to Center City bank robber’s capture

CENTER CITY — Somebody robbed a Center City bank on a busy street during rush hour and the FBI/PPD Violent Crimes Task Force is…

October 6, 2019

Home invasion, robbery on one of Center City’s quietest streets

CENTER CITY — A woman living in the heart of Center City on a little-known block got quite a scare when Philadelphia police say…

October 2, 2019

Found: Older man with schizophrenia, missing a finger

CENTER CITY — Wednesday morning, Philadelphia police announced a missing older man they called “endangered” has been found. James Scott, 69, had last been…

August 2, 2019

Found: ‘Endangered’ man, 65, with dementia

UPDATE — Tuesday morning, Nov. 26, police announced Dexter Young has been located. CENTER CITY — Philadelphia police are asking for help finding a…

July 24, 2019

Video: Man wanted for taking Starbucks money bag from counter

CENTER CITY — A man is wanted for stealing from a Starbucks on the corner of Broad and Arch streets, a block north of…

July 11, 2019

Netroots Nation’s national conference has 3,000 in town

CENTER CITY — Lots of people interested in politics and next year’s Democratic presidential nomination will have their eyes focused on the Pennsylvania Convention…

July 9, 2019

Walnut St. Theatre wins 1, loses 2 before Phila. Historical Commission

CENTER CITY — The Walnut Street Theatre got mixed results at last month’s Philadelphia Historical Commission meeting. The minutes from June 14 (pages 17-19,…

Presidents DayMonday, February 15, 2021

Presidents Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. It was originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, but the holiday became popularly known as Presidents Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present.

PurimThursday, February 25, 2021

The jolly festival of Purim starts tonight, on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar. It commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day,” as recorded in the Book of Esther. Purim means “lots” in ancient Persian, and Haman had thrown lots to determine which day he would carry out his diabolical scheme. One of the observances is a feast, which often includes wine or other intoxicating beverages.

Daylight Saving TimeSaturday, March 13, 2021

“Spring forward” tonight at 2am, the second Sunday in March. The idea of daylight saving was first conceived by (who else? Philadelphian) Benjamin Franklin to reduce electricity usage by extending daylight hours. People in about 70 countries observe Daylight Saving, but they don’t in Hawaii and most of Arizona. It’s also a good time to change batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and flashlights, and remove expired items from your refrigerator and first aid kit.

St. Patrick’s DayWednesday, March 17, 2021

The Feast of Saint Patrick is both a cultural and religious celebration held on March 17, the traditional date of death of the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick lived from about 385 to 461, but the day was only made an official Christian feast day in the early 1600s. It commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Also, the Lenten restrictions on eating, and drinking alcohol, are lifted for the day.

Beginning of SpringSaturday, March 20, 2021

At the spring (or vernal) equinox, days and nights are approximately 12 hours long, with day length starting to increase and night length starting to decrease. As the season progresses, the Earth’s axis increases its tilt relative to the sun and the hemisphere warms significantly, causing new plant growth to “spring forth,” giving the season its name. “Springtime” can also refer to the ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal and regrowth.