Top 5 Live –WURD Tuesday February 17

1. Snowfall prompts school closings for Philadelphia schools

A storm that continues to produce snow accumulation prompted Philadelphia public and parochial schools to close today.

Other school districts across the area, such as Cherry Hill, were also notifying parents of two-hour delays.

The snow that began late last night was still falling in Center City and South Jersey as of early this morning, with no official totals yet available.

 

2. West Virginia Train Derailment Sends Oil Tanker Into River

 A train carrying more than 100 tankers of crude oil derailed in West Virginia on Monday, sending at least one into a river, igniting at least 14 tankers and sparking a house fire, officials said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries. Nearby residents were told to evacuate as a state emergency response and environmental officials headed to the scene about 30 miles southeast of Charleston.

The state was under a winter storm warning and getting heavy snowfall. It’s not clear if the weather had anything to do with the derailment, which occurred about 1:20 EST along a flat stretch of rail.

 

 3. Man Indicted on 3 Counts of Murder in NC Deaths of Muslims

A North Carolina grand jury indicted 46-year-old Craig Hicks on three counts of murder in the shootings of three young Muslims in what authorities have said was a dispute over parking spaces.

Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23; his wife, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21; and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, were all found dead in their Chapel Hill condominium last week. Hicks was their neighbor.

Police in Chapel Hill have said they have not uncovered any evidence Hicks acted out of hatred for his neighbor’s faith, but their investigation continues. The FBI is also investigating.

 

 4. Libya and Egypt launch air strikes against Isis after militants post beheadings video

Egypt reported that its war planes had struck Isis targets in Libya, shortly after President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi vowed revenge for the release by Isis-affiliated militants of a video of a mass killing of Christians.

A spokesman for the Armed Forces General Command announced the strikes on state radio Monday, marking the first time Cairo had publicly acknowledged taking military action in neighbouring Libya.

The statement said the warplanes targeted weapons caches and training camps before returning safely. It said the strikes were “to avenge the bloodshed and to seek retribution from the killers”.

 

5. As education rises in mayoral politics, teachers organize

 Education may well be the issue that gets Philadelphia’s next mayor elected.

Building on a flurry of activity around last fall’s governor’s race, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers is ramping up its political activity with an eye toward having a major say in who becomes the next mayor.

In November, nearly 2,000 school employees turned out to work the polls, make phone calls, and knock on doors – a huge spike in activity for the PFT.

 

Click here to read these stories on 900amWURD.

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Solomon Jones is an Essence bestselling author and award-winning columnist. He is the creator and editor of Solomonjones.com and morning host on 900 am WURD radio. Click here to learn more about Solomon