Briefly... CITY/REGION

Philadelphia NAACP branch

installs 2007 officers

The Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP yesterday inaugurated officers for 2007 at a ceremony at Triumph Baptist Church, 16th and Wingohocking streets.

Installed as president was J. Whyatt Mondesire; first vice president, Carl Fitchett; second vice president, Sidney Booker; third vice president, Alice Harris; secretary, Rochele Bilal; assistant secretary, the Rev. Elisha Morris; treasurer, Theresa Spotwood, and assistant treasurer, Dorothy Sapp.

Infamous Lex Street block

rebuilt, reopens today

The Philadelphia Housing Authority today is celebrating the grand opening of the rebuilt 800 block of Lex Street in West Philadelphia, scene of the worst mass murder in city history.

Gone is the house at 816 Lex St., where seven people were shot to death and three others wounded in December 2000. The ribbon-cutting is being held at that address.

PHA rebuilt the entire block and has rented out some of the new residences.

On hand for the ceremony will be PHA Executive Director Carl Greene, U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan, District Attorney Lynne Abraham, state Sen. Vincent Hughes, and City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell.

Woman, 56, is killed

in Roosevelt Blvd. crash

A woman was killed early yesterday in Feltonville when her car crashed into a tree in the median strip on Roosevelt Boulevard near C Street.

Sgt. Lawrence Ritchie, of the Accident Investigation Division, said Ruth Ballou, 56, of 9th Street near Louden, was driving north on the median when she hit the tree shortly about 3 a.m.

She was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center, where she died at 3:48 a.m., he said. *

Staff and wire services