Briefly... CITY/REGION

Northeast woman, 51, dies

at home of gunshot to head

A woman was found dead Monday night in the bathroom of her Northeast home, and police were awaiting word from the Medical Examiner's Office about whether she was murdered or committed suicide.

Angela Astro, 51, of Fairgreen Lane near Woodbridge Road, was shot once in the back of the head, detectives said. There were no signs of a struggle. Her boyfriend was to be questioned.

Kingsessing man, 72,

missing since Monday

Police are searching for a 72-year-old Kingsessing man who disappeared from his home on Paxon Street near Kingsessing Avenue about 9 a.m. Monday.

Willie Crothers is African-American, 5 feet 7, 170 pounds, has brown eyes, short gray hair. He was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt, blue pants and black shoes. Tipsters: Call Southwest Detectives, 215-686-3183.

Mummers strummers kick off

free summer hum-alongs

The Mummers String Band division will kick off its concert series at 8 p.m. tomorrow in the Mummers Museum courtyard, 2nd Street and Washington Avenue. Seventeen string bands and members of the Philadelphia Banjo Society will play free of charge Thursday nights from May through September, and the museum will be open. Food, drinks and raffles will be offered. Audiences are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs.

Kelly Drive to be blocked

tomorrow through Saturday

Kelly Drive will be shut down for the Stotesbury Regatta at 10 a.m. tomorrow and will remain closed until 8 p.m. Saturday, police said. It will be closed between Strawberry Mansion and Fountain Green drives. Motorists will be allowed into the regatta zone only if they have a permit. Detours will be posted.

Supreme Court postpones

ruling on casino appeals

Lawyers for four groups that were denied casino licenses appealed their rejections to the state Supreme Court yesterday in a four-hour session that resulted in a postponed decision.

The seven justices seemed most interested in arguments claiming that two members of the state Casino Control Board improperly recused themselves from voting on two Philadelphia applications and that the board did not have proper ground rules for applicants to respond to competitors' materials.*

- Staff and wire reports