Jay Wright retires; CDC asks DOJ to appeal transit mask mandate; Pleasant weekend ahead
THE RUNDOWN:
1. 'A professional dream': Villanova coach Jay Wright announces his retirement
PHILADELPHIA – Longtime Villanova men's basketball head coach Jay Wright announced his retirement Wednesday night, calling his time with the team "an honor and a privilege."
"Over the last 21 seasons, I have had the opportunity to live out a professional dream as the head coach at Villanova," Wright said. "Patty and I have been blessed to work with incredible, gifted young men who allowed us to coach them and brought us unmatched joy."
Villanova said Wright will stay involved with the university. His next position will focus on fundraising, advising, education and more, the school said.
Wright, 60, took over as the Wildcats head coach in 2001 and helped elevate Villanova's basketball program to one of the best in the country. Under Wright, Villanova won two NCAA Men's Basketball Championships in 2016 and 2018, made four Final Four appearances and won five Big East Tournaments.
Wright was named the Naismith College Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2016, and the Big East Coach of the year six times.
A native of Churchville, Pennsylvania and a graduate of Council Rock High School North, Wright played college basketball at Bucknell University.
Wright's got his first coaching job as an assistant at the University of Rochester, then moved on to Drexel and Villanova. He was an assistant at UNLV for two years before a seven-season tenure as Hofstra's head coach.
Wright will finish his head coaching career at Villanova with a 520–197 record.
2. Justice Department to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs, officials said Wednesday.
The notice came minutes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked the Justice Department to appeal the decision handed down by a federal judge in Florida earlier this week.
The CDC said in a statement Wednesday that it is its "continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health."
A federal judge in Florida had struck down the national mask mandate for mass transit on Monday, leading airlines and airports to swiftly repeal their requirements that passengers wear face coverings. The Transportation Security Administration said Monday that it would it will no longer enforce the mask requirement.
The CDC had recently extended the mask mandate, which was set to expire Monday, until May 3 to allow more time to study the BA.2 omicron subvariant, which is now responsible for the vast majority of U.S. cases. But the court ruling Monday had put that decision on hold.
The CDC said it will continue to monitor public health conditions to determine if a mandate would remain necessary. It said it believes the mandate is "a lawful order, well within CDC’s legal authority to protect public health."
2. NJ man charged with federal hate crimes for attacks against Orthodox Jewish community in Lakewood, Jackson
Dion Marsh, 27, is facing several charges including three counts of attempted murder, bias intimidation and carjacking.
LAKEWOOD, N.J. - A New Jersey man, who is accused of attacking several members of the Orthodox Jewish community in Lakewood and Jackson earlier this month, is now facing federal hate crime charges.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, 27-year-old Dion Marsh of Manchester has been charged with four counts of violating the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of carjacking.
The charges stem from a series of violent incidents that authorities say happened on Apr. 8 in both Jackson and Lakewood townships.
Officers from the Lakewood Police Department were called to the area of Martin Luther King Drive and Pine Street for reports of a carjacking. Officers were told that a suspect approached a 2016 Toyota Camry, assaulted the driver and stole his car.
3. DA: Pennsylvania man fatally shot teen boy in park, confessed the murder to others
Authorities say Mark Laird, 18, shot and killed 15-year-old Reuben Rosado in a wooded area of Henry Johnson Park last March.
MEDIA, Pa. – Prosecutors say a Delaware County man accused of fatally shooting a teenage boy at a park confessed to the murder, telling a witness that he was "carrying a burden."
Mark Laird, 18, is facing charges of criminal homicide, first and third degree murder and weapons charges in the Mar. 15 shooting death of 15-year-old Reuben Rosado.
Investigators say Rosado's body was found in a wooded area of Henry Johnson Park along with a fired cartridge and a cell phone.
A witness told police that Laird confessed to Rosado's murder saying he was "carrying a burden." According to the witness, Laird lured Rosado to the park with the promise that he could keep a gun that was stashed in the park. When Rosado went to retrieve the gun, investigators say Laird shot him in the head."
Investigators used cellphone data to determine that both Laird and Rosado were in Henry Johnson Park at the time of the murder. Cell phone records show Rosado and Laird were in contact over 30 times in the weeks leading up to the murder.
Prosecutors said Laird was arrested Tuesday on "multiple juvenile bench warrants" and was armed with a semi-automatic firearm that he was prohibited from having.
Another person who was with the Laird at the time of his arrest told officers that Laird admitted to the murder, according to prosecutors. Police said the second person was armed with a ghost gun that was allegedly provided by Laird.
Larid is being held without bail at the George W. Hill Correctional facility, prosecutors said. He is due in court on May 5.
4. Spikes in catalytic converter thefts make for a long, costly repair
Mike Schafer, owner of Schafer's Auto Repair Shop, says that he's been repairing more cars after a catalytic converter theft than ever before.
PHILADELPHIA – Catalytic converter thefts are up in Philadelphia since last year, according to police. The recent spike in thefts combined with supply chain issues and worker shortages, is making for a long wait time at the shop and an expensive bill for victims of catalytic converter theft.
Authorities say there were more than 3,400 thefts in 2021 and now in 2022, there has been more than 1,300 so far.
Depending on the car you own, local auto repair shops say that it could take a month or longer to get the necessary car parts in.
Mike Schafer, owner of Schafer’s Auto in South Philadelphia, says that in his 21 years of running the auto shop, he’s never seen anything like what’s been happening recently—6 to 13 cut catalytic converters a week from mostly Mitsubishis, Hondas, and Toyota Priuses.
As of recent, Schafer’s Auto Shop has had to bring in all of their cars inside at night to avoid thefts. The shop has fallen victim to thefts in the past, like Mark Murphy whose catalytic converter was stolen from his brand-new Mitsubishi.
In just a five-hour window, Murphy says someone cut the converter off his 2022 Mitsubishi in February. Now, in mid-April, he’s still waiting for his car to be fixed.
These crimes are not unique to the city, police say. Lower Moreland Township recently released photos of a highly organized group accused of hitting several vehicles in the area.
Car repair shop owners say that people can get a cat strap installed on their cars to make it difficult for someone to cut the converter off. Unfortunately, they say these parts are costly too, starting around $400.
5. Weather Authority: Pleasant Thursday leads to an above-average weekend
Weather Authority: Wednesday, 5 p.m. update
PHILADELPHIA – Lots of sunshine on Wednesday brought the cold temperatures back up into the high 50s and low 60s across the Delaware Valley.
A frost advisory is in effect Wednesday night for areas north of Philadelphia as temperatures fall into the low 40s and high 30s overnight.
The next couple of days will stay mild, but a few spotty showers are expected in the area tomorrow with average temperatures in the 60s.
Spring is moving its way in with above-average temperatures on Friday and a high of 72 in Philadelphia.
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