Staff photographer Clem Murray reports:

The party is over as stagehands and teamsters take down the Sunoco Welcome America stage on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Jim Dunne, a supervisor with the staging company, Mountain Productions out of Wilkes Barre, says it takes a crew of 40 workers 2 1/2 days to erect the stage but only a day to tear it down. 

The 10-day annual festival drew hundreds of thousands of spectators to the city.

Read more breaking news in our From The Source blog.

Seven people were injured in a seven-car collision on Route 73 in Marlton near the intersection with Route 70, police said.

The victims were taken to area hospitals, including Cooper University Medical Center in Camden and Virtua Cherry Hill, according to Evesham police Capt. Jeff Gural.

"None of the injuries were life threatening," he said.

The accidents, which happened around 7 a.m., tied up traffic for more than two hours.

According to Gural, the series of crashes began when a northbound car on Route 73 struck another northbound vehicle, sending one of the cars into southbound lanes, leading to several accidents.

The accident was still under investigation, he said.

Read more breaking news in our From The Source blog.

UPDATE: All lanes of I-95 North have re-opened at the Walt Whitman Bridge, state police said.

A car fire had closed two lanes shortly before 8 a.m. While the fire was out by 8:15, police had to wait for a tow truck to remove the vehicle.

Traffic is still backed up at the bridge, police said.

-- Inquirer Online Desk

Read more breaking news in our From The Source blog.

Philadelphia police say a motorcycle crash injured two people who were fleeing from officials in Delaware County after a chase into the city's Southwest section.

Police started chasing the bike in Tinicum Township in connection with a possible road race. The pursuit led into Southwest Philadelphia.

At around 1:15 a.m., at the intersection of Bertram and Island avenues, the bike crashed, injuring the operator and passenger - a man and a woman.

Both were hospitalized, where police say they are in critical condition.

-- Inquirer Online Desk

Read more breaking news in our From The Source blog.

Staff photographer Clem Murray reports:

Are you as ready for the July 4th holiday as this homeowner on Richmond Street in Bridesburg is?

Since the holiday falls on a Saturday, most businesses are giving employees off tomorrow, July 3rd.

For a complete listing of parades and events celebrating Independence Day, check the Weekend section in tomorrow's Inquirer or online here.

Read more breaking news in our From The Source blog.

Staff  photographer Clem Murray reports:

The day started off quite foggy in the northern and western suburbs but that didn't stop Tom Sheehan (front), 49 and his buddy Bill Powell, 54, both from Westtown, Chester County, from whizzing around a corner on Springlawn Road in Glen Mills.

 The two start their weekdays at 5 a.m. with a 20-mile bicycle ride through the beautiful Delaware and Chester County countryside. It takes about 90 minutes to complete.

Speaking of long bike rides, the 37th annual American Cancer Society Bike-a-thon, a 66-mile tour from Philadelphia to Atlantic County, is coming up July 12.

Read more breaking news in our From The Source blog.

Inquirer staff writer Matthew Spolar reports:

Police are investigating the slaying of a man found shot dead in Fairmount Park.

The unidentified victim was found near the intersection of Chamounix Drive and Ford Road and pronounced dead at 6:30 a.m. Police said he had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body.

No other details are available.

Read more breaking news in our From The Source blog.

The Associated Press reports:

TRENTON, N.J. — A new poll finds Republican challenger Chris Christie ahead of Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine in New Jersey’s race for governor.

The Fairleigh Dickinson-PublicMind Poll of registered voters released today  finds 45 percent favoring Christie, with 39 percent for Corzine. Fifteen percent are undecided.

A previous FDU poll taken in April, two months before the Republican primary, had Christie leading Corzine 42 to 33 percent, with 25 percent undecided.

Only one in five voters say they believe New Jersey is on the right track, and 54 percent say their view of Corzine is unfavorable.

The telephone poll of 803 registered voters was taken June 22 through June 29 and has a sampling margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. 

Read more breaking news in our From The Source blog.