SEPTA adding new security personnel; Joel Embiid listed out for game 3; Rainy weekend ahead

THE RUNDOWN: 

1. SEPTA adding new security personnel to serve as 'extra eyes and ears'

PHILADELPHIA - SEPTA is addressing safety concerns on their transportation system by adding new personnel from security firms to act as ‘extra eyes and ears’ for SEPTA Transit police. 

The new SEPTA Outreach Services program was approved by SEPTA’s board back in February. SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards says SEPTA partnered with three security firms to staff the program.

Combined, there will be 88 specialists who will be assigned to stations and vehicles along the Broad Street and Market-Frankford lines. They will also be present at the concourses in Center City. 

Outreach specialists will remind riders about the rules for riding SEPTA vehicles and will be equipped with phones in order to facilitate direct contact with SEPTA Transit Police. 

The specialists will also take over the responsibilities of opening and closing the stations, allowing police officers to conduct more patrols during overnight hours. 

"The specialists will act as additional eyes and ears on the SEPTA system." Richards said at a press conference on Thursday. "They are an added visible presence that we hope will help make our customers and our employees feel safer." 

Richards says SEPTA also believes the new program will help reduce quality of life complaints and make the system feel ‘more welcoming’ to riders. The Outreach Services program will serve as a ‘force multiplier’ rather than a replacement for law enforcement, Richards added. 

SEPTA Police Chief Thomas Nestel referred to the new specialists as ‘ambassadors’ and ‘essentially disorder interveners’ and ‘field observers.’

Nestel also shared examples he says shows their immediate impact over the past two weeks. He cited examples like alerting first responders to individuals dealing with medical emergencies, and intervening in a fight between school students.  

"In the last two weeks they’ve discouraged 160 people from fare evading and have guided 735 people, who were destination-less riders, off of the system and offered them social services,"Nestel said. "This is a work in progress that has tremendous potential. It is not a replacement for police."

2. Injured Embiid listed out for game 3 against Heat, status may change, reports say

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia 76ers all-star center Joel Embiid will not play in game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat, according to reports. 

Embiid suffered a broken orbital bone and a concussion in the Sixers' close out game against the Toronto Raptors while defending a hard drive to the basket by Pascal Siakam. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that while Embiid is currently not expected to play, "progress could be made to change his availability."

Embiid was already playing with a torn ligament in his right thumb that he sustained earlier in the Toronto series. 

The Sixers will need to climb back from a 2-0 hole if they want to advance past the second round of the playoffs. That looks like a tall task without Embiid, even as the series shifts back to the Wells Fargo Center on Friday.

3. Weather Authority: Rain, wind to arrive Friday and stay most of the weekend

PHILADELPHIA - Say goodbye to Thursday's sunshine as rainy weather makes its way into the forecast for the rest of the week.

Rain is expected to arrive Friday morning, then stick around for the rest of the day, Saturday and some of Sunday.

With the rain comes cooler weather as temperatures reach the low 50s and 60s.

The coast could also see some flooding thanks to the coastal storm, with wind gusts reaching up to 55 mph.

A rainy and chilly Mother's Day is in the forecast as showers stick around for the morning. However, some areas will see skies clear into the afternoon.

4. Missing man, Francis Decero, found dead in South Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA - Police say they are investigating a homicide after the body of a missing man was found in South Philadelphia on Wednesday. 

Francis Decero, 25, had been reported missing after he was last seen at his home on Apr. 26, 2022 just before midnight. Police say Decero’s family had located his vehicle parked on the 2800 block of South 13 Street following his disappearance. 

On Wednesday, around 3:30 p.m., Philadelphia police officers were flagged down at 31st and Tasker Street by a few juveniles who reported that they had seen a body in the brush on Douglas Street. 

The officers located an unresponsive male, later identified as Decero, suffering from trauma to the body. He was pronounced dead at the scene by responding paramedics.

No weapons were recovered from the scene and no arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing. 

5. Temple University holds first in-person graduation ceremony since 2019

PHILADELPHIA - Temple University’s class of 2022 walked on the stage Thursday teeming with excitement and nerves to receive their degrees. 

After a global pandemic, Thursday’s event marked the university’s first in-person graduation ceremony since 2019. 

Temple's newest and now 12th president, Jason Wingard, spoke about the exciting moment.

"They have been through such a tremendous experience the last couple of years with the pandemic and their perseverance and their grit has made us all really proud," Wingard said.

Families and friends were in attendance to watch almost 10,000 students graduate at the Liacouras Center on North Broad Street. 

Freshly graduated Akina Wollie says being able to graduate in person, instead of virtually, has been a blessing.

"Oh my goodness; graduating in person was the most important factor for me because I wanted to see my parents," Wollie said. "I really wanted them to see me walk; and I’m dedicating my degree to my parents and family."

President Wingard says making the call for an in-person graduation was not a tough one.

"We asked everybody about what they wanted to do," he said. "Students and their families wanted to meet in person. We had the opportunity to do it, and to convene, and everyone’s happy about it."

This year's class includes graduates from 103 countries and all 50 states. A total of 66% of this years graduates came from Pennsylvania, including 18% from Philadelphia. 

The youngest graduate is just 18-years-old, while the oldest is 73. The class also features 19 sets of twins! 

For this graduating class, that has already survived so much, there is still so much more to do.

"I feel like I accomplished a huge road block in my life, but within academics it doesn’t stop here there’s always another hurdle to overcome."