Gas prices will drop to a national average of between $3.20 and $3.40 for the summer driving months, according to AAA.

Regular gas averaged $3.55 per gallon nationally in April–a three-year low for the month. That cost represents a roughly 13-cent decrease from March.

On Tuesday, gas averaged $3.51 across the country. One year earlier, on April 30, 2012, a gallon of gas cost $3.82.

Low oil costs and ample refinery production are expected to continue to drive down the cost of gas in the coming months, according to Jenny M. Robinson, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s manager of public and government affairs.

“Gas prices in much of the country have declined this spring because of lower oil costs, ample refinery production and continued weak demand,” Robinson said. “Gas prices have fallen faster and earlier than ever before for this time of year, and it is saving motorists millions of dollars per day in lower fuel costs.

“Families taking trips this summer can expect to pay lower gas prices than recent years as long as there are not any refinery problems or significant international news events,” she added.

The current average gas price for New Jersey is $3.313; Pennsylvania, $3.461; and Delaware, $3.383.

The post AAA: Gas prices expected to drop appeared first on Metro.us.

Cypriot banks reopened Thursday morning with tight controls imposed on transactions to prevent a run on deposits after the government was forced to accept a stringent EU rescue package to prevent the country from going bankrupt.

Banks were shut almost two weeks ago as the government negotiated a 10 billion euro ($13 billion) bailout package, the first in Europe’s single currency zone to impose losses on bank depositors.

Bank staff turned up for work early in Nicosia as cash was delivered by armored trucks.

Authorities said the emergency rules imposed to limit withdrawals and prevent a bank run will be temporary, but economists say they will be difficult to lift as long as the economy is in crisis.

In Nicosia there was relief that the banks were reopening, but some apprehension about what might happen.

Yorgos Georgiou, who owns a dry cleaning business, said: “Finally people’s mood will be lifted and we can start to trust the system again.”

But he added: “I’m worried about the poor kids working in the cashiers today, because people might vent their anger at them. You can’t predict how people will react after so many days.”

One man, Kostas Nikolaou, a 60-year-old pensioner, said the uncertainty of the past two weeks had been “like a slow death”.

He added: “How can they tell you that you can’t access your own money in the bank? It’s our money, we are entitled to it.”

The Cyprus stock exchange said it would remain closed Thursday.

On Wednesday night, container trucks loaded with cash pulled up inside the compound of the central bank in the capital Nicosia to prepare for the reopening, a Cyprus central bank source said. A helicopter hovered overhead, and police with rifles were stationed around the compound.

As in all countries that use the euro, Cyprus’s central bank supplies cash for its banks from the European Central Bank in Frankfurt. Officials have promised that enough funds will be on hand to meet demand. The ECB did not comment on reports it had sent extra cash to the island.

A Finance Ministry decree imposes strict controls limiting cash withdrawals to no more than 300 euros per day and banning the cashing of cheques.

The island’s central bank will review all commercial transactions over 5,000 euros and scrutinize transactions over 200,000 euros on an individual basis. People leaving Cyprus can take only 1,000 euros with them. An earlier draft of the decree had put the figure at 3,000.

With just 860,000 people, Cyprus has about 68 billion euros in its banks — a vastly outsized financial system that attracted deposits from foreigners as an offshore haven but foundered after investments in neighboring Greece went sour.

The European Union and International Monetary Fund concluded that Cyprus could not afford a rescue unless it imposed losses on depositors, seen as anathema in previous euro zone bailouts.

‘Cyprus euro’

Cyprus’s financial difficulties have sent tremors through the already fragile single European currency. The imposition of capital controls has led economists to warn that a second-class “Cyprus euro” could emerge, with funds trapped on the island less valuable than euros that can be freely spent abroad.

The finance ministry decree said the measures had been imposed for seven days, after a central bank official had initially said the period would be four days, subject to review.

Many experts are skeptical. In a Reuters poll of economists this week 30 out of 46 said the controls would last months, while 13 expected they would endure a matter of weeks. Three said they could last years.

“This is a typical set of exchange control measures, more reminiscent of Latin America or Africa,” said Bob Lyddon, General Secretary of the international banking association IBOS.

“These are permanent controls until the economy recovers.”

The bailout, agreed in Brussels on Monday, looks set to push Cyprus deeper into an economic slump, shrink the banking sector and cost thousands of jobs.

Cyprus Popular Bank will be closed and its guaranteed deposits of up to 100,000 euros transferred to the biggest bank, Bank of Cyprus.

Deposits of more than 100,000 euros at both banks, too big to enjoy a state guarantee, will be frozen, and some of those funds will be exchanged for shares issued by the banks to recapitalize them.

While big depositors will lose money, the authorities say deposits up to 100,000 euros will be protected. The Cypriot parliament had vetoed an earlier plan that would also have hit small depositors.

European leaders said the bailout deal averted a chaotic national bankruptcy that might have forced Cyprus out of the euro. Many Cypriots say the deal was foisted upon them by Cyprus’s partners in the 17-nation euro zone, and some have taken to the streets to vent their frustration.

On Wednesday, some 2,500 people rallied outside the offices of conservative President Nicos Anastasiades, waving banners and flags. They chanted: “I’ll pay nothing; I owe nothing.”

For now, residents said they are confused and worried by the capital controls, and wonder how they will affect daily life.

A 42-year-old Romanian hotel maid, who gave her name as Maria, said she was worried she would not be able to cash her pay cheque due Friday. The hotel, she said, was unable to pay staff in cash because most guests paid by credit card.

“What shall I do?” she asked. “Hold up the cheque and look at it?”

The post Cyprus reopens banks after bailout appeared first on Metro.us.

Cyprus clinched a last-ditch deal with international lenders to shut down its second-largest bank and inflict heavy losses on uninsured depositors, including wealthy Russians, in return for a 10 billion euro ($13 billion) bailout.

The agreement came hours before a deadline to avert a collapse of the banking system in fraught negotiations between President Nicos Anastasiades and heads of the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Swiftly endorsed by euro zone finance ministers, the plan will spare the

Mediterranean island a financial meltdown by winding down the largely state-owned Popular Bank of Cyprus, also known as Laiki, and shifting deposits below 100,000 euros to the Bank of Cyprus to create a “good bank”.

Deposits above 100,000 euros in both banks, which are not guaranteed under EU law, will be frozen and used to resolve Laiki’s debts and recapitalize Bank of Cyprus through a deposit/equity conversion.

The raid on uninsured Laiki depositors is expected to raise 4.2 billion euros, Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijssebloem said.

Laiki will effectively be shuttered, with thousands of job losses. Officials said senior bondholders in Laiki would be wiped out and those in Bank of Cyprus would have to make a contribution.

An EU spokesman said no across-the-board levy or tax would be imposed on deposits in Cypriot banks, although the hit on large account holders in the two biggest banks is likely to be far greater than initially planned. A first attempt at a deal last week collapsed when the Cypriot parliament rejected a proposed levy on all deposits.

Cyprus government spokesman Christos Stylianides said: “We averted a disorderly bankruptcy which would have led to an exit of Cyprus from the euro zone with unforeseeable consequences.”

Asked about the level of losses on uninsured depositors on Bank of Cyprus, he told state radio it was not possible to be specific at this stage. “The assessment is that it will be under or around 30 percent. But that is a bit of an arbitrary estimate.”

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said Cypriot lawmakers would not need to vote on the new scheme, since they had already enacted a law setting procedures for bank resolution.

“It can’t be done without a bail-in in both banks … This is bitter for Cyprus, but we now have the result that the (German) government always stood up for,” Schaeuble told reporters, saying he was sure the German parliament would approve.

Lefteris Christoforou, vice-chairman of the ruling Democratic Rally party, said it was important that Cyprus had avoided a chaotic bankruptcy.

“It is a bad deal, but the extreme scenario we had to contend with was worse.”

Former central bank government Afxentis Afxentiou added: “It’s a new day for Cyprus … I believe that in two or three years Cyprus will find its feet.”

A senior source in the Brussels talks said Anastasiades threatened to resign at one stage on Sunday if he was pushed too far. He left EU headquarters without making any comment.

Conservative leader Anastasiades, barely a month in office and wrestling with Cyprus’ worst crisis since a 1974 invasion by Turkish forces split the island in two, was forced to back down on his efforts to shield big account holders.

Diplomats said the president had fought hard to preserve the country’s business model as an offshore financial centre drawing huge sums from wealthy Russians and Britons but had lost.

The EU and IMF required that Cyprus raise 5.8 billion euros from its banking sector towards its own financial rescue in return for 10 billion euros in international loans. The head of the EU rescue fund said Cyprus should receive the first emergency funds in May.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde said the agreement was “a comprehensive and credible plan” that addresses the core problem of the banking system.

“This agreement provides the basis for restoring trust in the banking system, which is key to supporting growth,” she said in a statement.

With banks closed for the last week, the Central Bank of Cyprus imposed a 100-euro daily limit on withdrawals from cash machines at the two biggest banks to avert a run.

French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici rejected charges that the EU had brought Cypriots to their knees, saying it was the island’s offshore business model that had failed.

“To all those who say that we are strangling an entire people … Cyprus is a casino economy that was on the brink of bankruptcy,” he said.

The euro gained against the dollar on the news in early Asian trading.

Analysts had said failure to clinch a deal could cause a financial market sell-off, but some said the island’s small size – it accounts for just 0.2 percent of the euro zone’s economic output – meant contagion would be limited.

The abandoned plan for a levy on bank deposits had unsettled investors since it represented an unprecedented step in Europe’s handling of a debt crisis that has spread from Greece to Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy.

ORDINARY PEOPLE

Among ordinary Cypriots, there was a mood of wariness about the deal.

“How long will it last?” asked Georgia Xenophontos, 23, a hotel receptionist in Nicosia. “Why should anyone believe anything this government says?”

Cyprus’s banking sector, with assets eight times the size of the economy, has been crippled by exposure to Greece, where private bondholders suffered a 75 percent “haircut” last year.

Without a deal by the end of Monday, the ECB said it would have cut off emergency funds to the banks, spelling certain collapse and potentially pushing the country out of the euro.

Under the bailout agreement, Laiki’s ECB funds will pass to Bank of Cyprus, and the central bank will “provide liquidity to BoC in line with applicable rules”.

Anticipating a run when banks reopen on Tuesday, parliament has given the government powers to impose capital controls.

About 200 bank employees protested outside the presidential palace on Sunday, chanting “Cyprus will not become a protectorate”.

On Tuesday, the 56-seat parliament had rejected a levy on depositors, big and small. Finance Minister Michael Sarris then spent three fruitless days in Moscow trying to win help from Russia, whose citizens and companies have billions of euros at stake in Cypriot banks.

On Friday, lawmakers voted to nationalize pension funds and split failing lenders into good and bad banks – the measure to be applied to Laiki. The plan to tap pension funds was shelved due to German opposition, a Cypriot official said.

The tottering banks held 68 billion euros in deposits, including 38 billion in accounts of more than 100,000 euros – enormous sums for an island of 1.1 million people that could never sustain such a big financial system on its own.

The post Cyprus deal reached at last minute appeared first on Metro.us.

The 5 miles per second rock shooting through the Eastern sky Friday could unlock vast wealth, or spell destruction. The 150-foot wide asteroid 2012 DA14 is the largest to ever be detected passing this close and will provide lessons for space exploration.

“This is a unique opportunity,” Dwayne Brown, a spokesman for Nasa’s science department, told Metro. “This can tell us about asteroid trajectories, how the Sun affects them, and their origin in nature.”

2012 DA14 will pass just 17,000 miles away – within communication satellite orbit – and although it is not considered a threat, it will influence disaster preparation. “If we can better understand the approach, that helps us with an asteroid on collision course,” says Brown, adding that a strategy already exists based on deflection. “You can nudge it onto another course with even a light touch.”

Nasa have made asteroid study a top priority, and an army of robotic telescopes and sky surveyors helped to spot 2012 DA14 in February 2012. It is significant progress given that many asteroids are only seen as, or after, they pass.

Citizen astronomers have key to the advance, and thousands of enthusiasts will be watching the skies Friday. “Some amateur astronomers have observatories that would make a university jealous,” said David Dickinson, editor of the Astroguyz website. “Websites allow you to calculate co-ordinates for accurate location, how to watch and monitor events – and we’re constantly exchanging information live on Twitter.”

Civil society groups are increasingly partners in asteroid exploration and have been heavily involved in the 2016 launch of the OSIRIS-REx satellite, the first mission to mine samples from moving asteroids. 2012 DA14 has an estimated value of $200 billion in precious metals, hinting at a lucrative future in asteroid mining.

Yet over half of all Near-Earth Objects (NEO) remain undetected and a threat. “We need to find objects down to at least 100m, the vast majority of which we haven’t found yet,” Richard Crowther, chief engineer at the UK Space Agency, told Metro. A sudden, catastrophic event remains a possibility.

How to watch

2012 DA14 will be closest at 1924 GMT Friday and will be visible from parts of Europe and Africa. David Dickinson recommends being somewhere as dark as possible with telescope or binoculars and a wide field of vision. Calculate its route beforehand and focus on one position, the asteroid will resemble a shooting star and will be clearest when passing in front of the Moon. Check out Astroguyz.com or b612foundation.org to find out more, or http://www.nasa.gov/ntv to watch live.

The post 150-foot asteroid passing by Earth is warning and goldmine appeared first on Metro.us.

City Councilman Bill Greenlee on Thursday introduced legislation that would require the city’s indoor tanning facilities to issue customers written warnings about the danger of artificial sunlight and to restrict minors’ access to sun beds.

“There is a clear and ever increasing risk of cancer over the years for those who are exposed to indoor tanning beds,” Greenlee said.

The legislation would require tanning salons to have customers sign warnings outlining the risks of repeated artificial UV ray exposure, including premature aging, skin cancer and damage to unprotected eyes.

Greenlee pointed to statistics he called “staggering” – 71 percent of the one million people who use tanning beds each day are females between the ages of 16 and 29, and studies show that young people who patronize tanning salons have a 69 percent increased chance of a common form of early-onset skin cancer.

“Teenage girls and young women make up the growing number of tanning bed customers,” Greenlee said. “And they often feel pressure to look tan for proms and other events without considering the risks, thinking they are not vulnerable to skin cancer.”

The Center for Disease Control estimates that those who begin tanning younger than the age of 35 have a 75 percent higher risk of melanoma.

Greenlee’s legislation would require tanning facilities to obtain written permission from legal guardians to allow minors to tan, as well as ban all those under the age of 14 from tanning beds without a note from a licensed doctor.

Billboard fight suspended

In other City Hall news, after two years of legislative battles over the issue, City Council has for now given up its fight to erect a 10,000 square-foot digital wall wrap on the Electric Factory building at 8th and Callowhill streets.

Councilman Mark Squilla on Thursday announced that, following Mayor Michael Nutter’s veto of a bill allowing the signage – a portion of which revenue would have gone to fund local schools – he would not seek an override vote.

“The self-serving interest of the billboard industry have never been stronger in this city and we are extremely grateful to the mayor for doing the right thing,” said Mary Tracy of anti-blight nonprofit Scenic Philadelphia. “This has been a tough issue for Councilman Squilla and we are grateful to him for not requesting an override vote.”

The post City Council may soon regulate indoor tanning in Philly appeared first on Metro.us.

“The mayor has called for a premier cycling event and the team we have pulled together intends to deliver nothing less for the city of Philadelphia in 2013,” Brady said in a statement. “As long as there is a wall in Manayunk, there will be a world class cycling event in Philadelphia.”

The newly-titled Philly Cycling Classic will be directed by Robin Morton of G4 Productions. The leadership team also includes Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon founder Alan Morrison, Philadelphia Triathlon head Richard Adler, co-founder of Cadence Cycling Foundation Ryan Oelkers, businessman Bob Clowry, Jane Lipton of the Manayunk Development Corporation and Karen Bliss of Marketing for Advanced Sports International.

More information regarding sponsorship and scheduling is expected to be released in the coming weeks.

The post Congressman Bob Brady saves Philly bike race for 2013 appeared first on Metro.us.

“Those who seek to game the system by refusing to follow the rules need to be held accountable by the rule of law they swore to uphold,” U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger said in a statement.

The 77-count indictment said “the ticket fixing was pervasive and frequent,” continued from July 2008 until September 2011 and cost the city an untold amount.

“For years, even beyond the dates of the conspiracy charged, there existed a culture of ticket fixing at Traffic Court,” it said.

The indictment said that local politicians, including ward leaders, politically connected individuals, and those with influential positions in business, labor, industry or society, asked Traffic Court judges or administrators for preferential treatment for constituents, relatives, friends, and associates who had been issued citations.

One business owner, Henry Alfano, 68, described in the indictment as the owner of an automotive business and the landlord for two gentlemen’s clubs, is accused of fixing tickets for his friends. In exchange, he paid a judge with free car repairs, car maintenance, car towing, videos and seafood.

Another businessman, Robert Moy, 56, owner of a translation service, sometimes guaranteed his customers favorable results on their traffic tickets, and did so by working through a traffic court judge, the indictment said.

William Brennan, a lawyer who represents former judge Willie Singletary, told Reuters on Thursday that he will enter a plea of not guilty for his client.

“I’m pleased after reviewing this lengthy document, this indictment, that the government does not allege that my client took one thin dime,” Brennan said.

Charges and penalties

All defendants are charged with conspiracy, aiding and abetting, mail fraud and wire fraud.
Some also face allegations of perjury and making false statements to the FBI.

– Administrative Judge of Traffic Court Michael Sullivan faces up to 440 years in prison and a $5.5 million fine.

– Traffic Court judge Michael Lowry faces a maximum sentence of 205 years in prison and a $2.75 million fine.

– Former Traffic Court judge Robert Mulgrew faces up to 145 years in jail and a $2 million fine.

– Former Traffic Court judge Willie Singletary faces a maximum sentence of 490 years in jail and a $6.5 million fine.

– Former Traffic Court judge Thomasine Tynes could receive up to 230 years in prison and a $3.25 million fine.

– Chester County magisterial district judge Mark Bruno faces a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison and a $750,000 fine.

– Former Traffic Court director of records William Hird could receive up to 315 years in jail and a $4.5 million fine.

Other defendants include business owners Moy and Alfano, senior Traffic Court judge Fortunato N. Perri Sr., Bucks County senior magisterial district judge H. Warren Hogeland and Delaware county senior district judge Kenneth Miller.

– METRO / AW

Cleaning court

Political watchdog Committee of Seventy on Thursday suggested several steps to start rebuilding the public’s trust in the city Traffic Court.

CEO Zack Stalberg pointed out that the primary election for three open Traffic Court seats is less than four months away and suggested concerned voters let their ballots do the talking – or that Gov. Tom Corbett step in and appoint three judges who have demonstrated transparency and integrity.

Seventy also suggested that the First Judicial District mandate ethics training for Traffic Court employees, the Philadelphia Bar Association should evaluate and publicly rate all 2013 Traffic Court Candidates and the city Democratic and Republican committees endorse candidates based on those ratings.

Stalberg said that in the long term, Traffic Court needs to be either dissolved or completely overhaul the Philadelphia Traffic Court.

“Today’s indictments are not isolated episodes that can be fixed by getting rid of several bad actors,” he said. “There has been one scandal after another in Traffic Court. This pattern must end.”

– METRO / AW

The post Nine Philadelphia judges indicted in traffic ticket fixing scheme appeared first on Metro.us.

The bell, cast in the same London foundry that in 1751 created the Liberty Bell, was a 1976 gift from Queen Elizabeth II celebrating the country’s 200th birthday. Her trip to Philadelphia that year marked the first time a British monarch visited the city.

The tower that until Thursday housed the bell is being demolished for the National Museum of the American Revolution. The bell will reportedly be relocated in Independence National Historic Park.

The post PHOTOS: Philly’s Bicentennial Bell moved into storage appeared first on Metro.us.

“Here in Philadelphia, we know that there are a few people – no, make that many people – that get in their cars and travel across those bridges or travel down 95 and over to Delaware or New Jersey to buy their alcohol,” Corbett said. “I want a system that gives our people the flexibility to have their purchases here in Pennsylvania.”

Corbett’s plan would over the next four years allow customers to purchase beer and wine from grocery stores and big box retailers, buy six-packs from convenience stores and obtain takeout bottles of wine from restaurants and taverns.

It would also allow beer distributors that obtain the proper licenses to become “one-stop shops” slinging wine, liquor and six-packs. Distributors can currently only sell beer by the keg or case.

The number of alcohol retailers in the state would double. “This proposal would allow the number of establishments to be naturally driven by the free market, as it is in other states,” Corbett said.

Aside from Utah, Pennsylvania is the only state that controls its own liquor sales.

“Simply put, I am proposing that Pennsylvania join the ranks of those 48 other states and once and for all get out of the business of selling wine and liquor, get out of the business of being a monopoly,” Corbett said.

An estimated $1 billion in revenue from the auction of retail and wholesale liquor licenses, as well as from stepped-up enforcement and penalties of alcohol sale violations included in the plan, will go to block grant to fund public schools and childhood enrichment education.

“It is time for Pennsylvania to lift the rules put in place 75 years ago,” Corbett said. “Because the selling of alcohol is clearly not a core responsibility of government, but education is.”

Reactions

Some stakeholders decried what they say are threats to middle-class unionized jobs and small businesses, as well as a blow to state revenue.

“We all know what will become of our distributors and taverns that rely on beer sales and have adapted in order to compete in a closed system. They will fail and those local businesses that support our little league teams and volunteer firefighter organizations will be lost, replaced by indifferent big box stores run by huge corporations.”

– State Sen. Jim Ferlo

“It’s nice that the governor has acknowledged that he created a school funding crisis, but our students shouldn’t have to count on liquor being available on every corner in order to have properly funded schools. We need to restore the nearly $1 billion in education cuts made by Governor Corbett with an adequate and sustainable funding plan, not with money that doesn’t exist.”

– Pennsylvania State Education Association president Mike Crossey

“The governor is targeting 5,000 family-sustaining jobs and more than $500 million a year in taxes and profits that this valuable, publicly held asset provides.”

– President of United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1776 Wendell W. Young IV

“The governor’s fixation with privatization now includes a bizarre and unhealthy attempt to tie education achievement to what can only be described as a one-time alcohol funded stimulus package.”

– State Sen. John Yudichak  

Consumers, for the most part, rejoiced over the prospect of the increased convenience and choice the plan would offer.

“PA liquor stores potentially going away? F––k yeah welcome to the rest of America!”

– @robothero

“I’m very excited about Governor Corbett’s plan to privatize the liquor board. The government shouldn’t be the only seller in a free market.”

– @darin22b

“PA bout to have a one stop shop, liquor beer grocery store all in one.”

– @_StackzXo

Though not everyone was so happy.

“Ya know who loves @GovernorCorbett’s cynical plan to sell off our liquor stores? CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid and Walmart.”

– @tettemer

The post Gov. Tom Corbett serves up plan to privatize Pa. liquor sales appeared first on Metro.us.

“Happy hour” will not be coming to Massachusetts.

After a series of public hearings held throughout the state last year that sought input on a possible change to the state’s “happy hour” regulations to prevent “unfair competition” from future casinos, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission issued its final report today.

The commission cited concerns over public safety as one reason why they were not recommending bringing back “happy hour.”

“The record of comments shows a clear and convincing concern that any change to the Happy Hour Regulation will have a negative impact on the public safety in the Commonwealth,” the commission wrote in its report.

When the expanded gambling bill was passed, it allowed for free drinks to be offered to patrons of the gaming establishment. The law also required the ABCC to examine whether that was negatively impact restaurants and bars who were prohibited from doing so. Commission members wrote that they found no basis for unfair competition.

“The Commission has found no factual basis and no basis compelled by applicable law to amend (the Happy Hour Regulation) in order to protect on-premises alcoholic beverages Licensees from unfair competition with proposed gaming establishments,” the report said.

During a hearing on the issue in August, most of the restaurant and bar owners in attendance opposed reinstating “happy hour” citing concerns about over consumption and a potential increase in new, inexperienced establishments seeking to cash in on it.

State Treasurer Steve Grossman, who oversees the ABCC, said he strongly supports the commission’s findings.

“Public safety was a key factor in conducting this review, and the overwhelming sentiment is that scaling back the Happy Hour Regulation would compromise the lives and well-being of the residents of the Commonwealth,” he said in a statement. “The Regulation is supported by bar and tavern owners, the law enforcement community, and public safety officials, who all believe that it has played a substantial part in preventing unthinkable tragedies.”

The post State board: Happy hour regulations should not change despite free drinks at casinos appeared first on Metro.us.

Most people cringe when authorities rummage through their belongings, but they deal with it. But on Saturday, a group of people who are fed up with the inspections will descend upon the MBTA to voice outrage over what they call “un-warranted bag checks in subways.”

Organizers have dubbed the protest “TSA out of MBTA Day of Action.”

The MBTA has been conducting the random security inspections regularly since October 2006, the same year a federal appeals court ruled that random bag searches do not violate the Fourth Amendment.

Passengers are selected on a random basis through the use of a computer generated sequence of numbers. Inspectors brush the exterior of carry-on bags with a swab that is placed in explosive trace detection equipment.  

The process should take about 20 seconds if no positive reading occurs, according to Transit Police.

“They are not searches. These random, non-intrusive inspections take place every week at various stations,” MBTA Spokesman Joe Pesaturo said.

Organizers of Saturday’s event said in a press release that they planned to reach out to the MBTA, Governor Deval Patrick, The Dept. of Homeland Security and Mayor Thomas M. Menino to demand an end to the inspections.

According to Pesaturo, “There have been very few complaints in six years.”

Saturday’s demonstration will start at noon, with protesters gathering at five points in the city – Harvard Square, South Station, Lechmere Station, Kenmore Square, and Ruggles Station.

At 3 p.m., protesters will band together at the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common.

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probably cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the person or things to be seized.”

In August 2006, The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York upheld a decision that bag inspections on the MTA do not violate the Fourth Amendment if they are based on a “special need” to conduct inspections without a warrant and are tailored to protect the rights of individual riders.

According to the ruling, inspections are legal as long as:

1) Riders get general notice of the program
2) The inspections focus on baggage large enough to carry explosives
3) It’s quick
4) It’s conducted in the open
5) Persons to be inspected are selected via a predetermined cycle – i.e. one out of every five

Details about Saturday’s event can be found at OccupyBoston.org.

Route information is available below:

The post Protesters to demand an end to MBTA’s random bag inspections appeared first on Metro.us.

Mark Sargent, 45, and Jeanmarie Louis, 23, are so far charged with burning a building and attempt to burn a public building, according to the Plymouth district attorney’s office.

The office scheduled a news conference this afternoon with the state fire marshal to release more information.

During their arraignment in Brockton District Court this morning, a prosecutor said authorities have linked Sargent to nearly two dozen other fires in recent months, according to the Globe.

The post Suspected South Shore serial arsonists arrested appeared first on Metro.us.

Barbara Ferrer, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission, today announced the Boston Healthy Childcare Initiative, a program of Boston Moves for Health  that promotes  physical activity and healthy nutrition among the city’s childcare programs.

Tomorrow Franklin Square House Children’s Center in Roxbury, Cribs & Cradles Family Child Care in Dorchester, and Small Fry Fun House Daycare, also in Roxbury, will be recognized as the city’s first programs to adopt the initiative’s “best practice standards,” according to health officials.

Menino’s Boston Moves for Health program was created in the hopes of improving the health and wellness of the city by increasing access to free and low-cost physical activities and healthy living resources.  Menino has challenged Bostonians to lose one million pounds and move ten million miles together. 

The post Boston pushing for better nutrition, activity in childcare programs appeared first on Metro.us.

System-wide ridership for the year was 2.3 percent higher than 2011, according to T officials.

When the fare increase was first proposed, analysts projected a ridership decrease of as much as 5.5 percent.  Last year marked the first time that average daily ridership was above 1.3 million for an entire calendar year.

The post MBTA officials report 2.3 percent ridership increase in 2012 appeared first on Metro.us.

Menino, who is also the co-chair of the coalition Mayors Against Illegal Guns, joined more than a dozen other Massachusetts mayors today at his temporary Beacon Hill home to record a Public Service Announcement calling for action on gun law reform that will soon air across the state.

“We’re not going to let this fade away,” said Menino, “even if we have to talk about it every single day.”

Menino’s group, which nationally includes nearly 1,000 mayors, has called for many of the reforms proposed by President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden including a ban on large capacity magazines, requiring background checks for every gun buyer and making gun trafficking a federal crime.

Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, a former handgun owner, joined in Menino’s call for action and said he is a supporter of the Second Amendment who wants “sensible guidelines” and “common sense reforms” on gun laws.

“We support the Second Amendment … but our duty as municipal leaders and mayors is to protect the people we serve,” he said.

Menino said the Bay State has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation and the problem of gun violence is partly caused by the loopholes and loose laws in other states.

“Guns don’t stop at the borders,” he said. “They keep coming. You need nationwide legislation.”

Menino also used the opportunity to criticize the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association Wayne LaPierre, who called for armed guards inside schools after the Newtown school shooting.

“When LaPierre came out and said more guns are needed in schools, that’s crazy. He’s crazy,” Menino said. “The NRA just wants more guns.”

The post Mayor Menino says he won’t close mouth on gun reform until action taken appeared first on Metro.us.

The Providence/Stoughton commuter rail line was delayed 15-30 minutes this morning, and all south side commuter rail lines faced delays of up to 20 minutes due to signal problems.

The Lowell commuter line faced 15-minute hold ups due to the weather.

The Green Line was disabled for a bit due to a medical emergency, and the Red Line saw 20-minute delays thanks to a disabled train.

Weather and traffic caused widespread bus delays as well. As of 9:45 a.m. the T was still struggling with keeping service on schedule – residual delays are likely throughout the morning.

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“Across the nation, this is a long-ignored public health crisis that is devastating black teens and adults, their families and the communities where they live,” said executive director and study co-author Josh Sugarmann.

Pennsylvania’s homicide rate among black victims in 2010 – the most recent year for which data is available – was more than six times the overall U.S. homicide rate.

The study revealed that, even nationwide, homicides disproportionately affect African Americans. Only 13 percent of the country’s 2010 population was black, yet blacks accounted for a staggering 49 percent of homicide victims.

“It’s more than a national public health crisis,” said Chad Dion-Lassiter, president of Black Men at Penn. “It should have been framed that way 20 years ago. It’s a disease and the ailment has to be cured. The thing that’s ailing a lot of black males is a failed economy, a sense of hopelessness, a sense of male-ism and a sense of despair.”

Dion-Lassiter said there needs to be a shift in the way violent crime is addressed to account for the role of economics, in addition to race. “What drives it is economic deprivation and moral erosion,” he said. “And I think when you look at those and the way they intersect, it becomes combustible – along with the readily available guns.”

In a statistic in line with national trends, 84 percent of Pennsylvania’s black homicide victims were killed with firearms, the majority of them handguns.

“What we need to do now is a combination of gun education, gun legislation, economic opportunities, mentoring programs and violence prevention programs,” Dion-Lassiter said. “I think it has to be framed within the context of we care for all humanity and victims. We don’t become selective about what side of the color line they’re on.”

By the numbers

419 black Pennsylvanians were murdered in 2010.

26.87 per 100,000 black Pennsylvanians fell victim to homicide that year.

16.32 per 100,000 black Americans were murdered in 2010.

4.42 per 100,000 Americans, overall, were slain the same year.

2.66 per 100,000 white Americans were 2010 murder victims.

The post Pa.’s black homicide victimization rate is country’s second highest appeared first on Metro.us.

Investigators said 20-year-old Walter Thompson threatened a Route 24 bus driver with a firearm last Thursday after the driver failed to break at Thompson’s desired drop-off point. Thompson then allegedly jumped off the bus and fled.

Thompson was arrested Tuesday night and charged with assault, harassment, terroristic threats and weapons offenses.

He was arraigned on Wednesday and is currently jailed in lieu of $150,000 bail. Thompson is next due in court for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 14.

The post DA: Man pulled gun on SEPTA bus driver who missed his stop appeared first on Metro.us.

“This is an important day for all institutional abuse victims,” District Attorney Seth Williams said. “It is not an easy thing to overcome decades of cover-up and a culture of silence. This verdict will help put an end to the blind eye and the deaf ear with which so many victims of abuse have been received.”

The decision came after nearly three full days of deliberations. Central to the trial was the credibility of the victim – now 24 – who has struggled with heroin addiction since he was a teen and at times gave varying accounts of the abuse details.

“Engelhardt and Shero tried to avoid justice by claiming the victim was not credible,” said David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “We are glad their hurtful and malicious legal tactic did not work.”

Defense lawyers pointed to a pending civil suit the young man brought against the archdiocese as a possible motive for what they said were outrageous allegations, but prosecutors praised his courage.

“Not only did he have the strength to report his abuse, he had the tenacity to look his abusers in the eye and testify in front of complete strangers about the horrific details of his attacks,” Williams said. “I hope this verdict will help him to continue with the long journey of healing that comes after such trauma.”

Engelhardt and Shero were both taken into custody immediately following the verdict and will be sentenced on March 18. Engelhardt faces a maximum sentence of 37 years in jail, while Shero could receive up to 57 years.

Case recap

The case faced a hurdle when Edward Avery, another former St. Jerome Parish priest who last year pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the same victim, testified earlier this month that he never abused the child and only took the plea because he feared a trial would result in a longer sentence.

In what legal observers called a landmark conviction, Monsignor William Lynn was last year found guilty of child endangerment for exposing the victim to Avery, a known pedophile. The monsignor allowed Avery’s transfer to Saint Jerome even though the priest had already admitted to abusing a boy in the past.

Avery began abusing the Saint Jerome Parish altar boy after fellow priest Engelhardt described to him a sexual encounter he’d had with the victim, according to testimony.

The charges

– Shero was convicted of rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors and indecent sexual assault of a person less than 13 years of age.

– Engelhardt was convicted of indecent assault of a child under 13, corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of children, and conspiracy to commit those offenses.

– The jury deadlocked on one involuntary deviate sexual intercourse count brought against Engelhardt.

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Hours after the reality show made its debut on A & E, Metro caught up with cast member Jon Niedzwiecki – A.K.A the stripper – who admits it was “nerve-racking” for him and his family to watch the Tuesday night premiere, so they took the edge off with a viewing party at their triple-decker South Boston home.

“It has definitely been a unique experience, but its one we’re all really happy with. We wouldn’t change anything about it,” he said.

The series, which follows the antics of Niedzwiecki’s Southie family, faced heat from critics before it hit the airwaves.

Scores of people in the Boston area also expressed trepidation over the possibility the show might give the rest of the nation a bad impression of Southie, and many suspected the series may be scripted.
A lot was riding on Tuesday’s premiere, and now the reviews are in.

Boston resident Steve Morin said the show had “bad acting, worse Boston accents and the jokes try way too hard.”

“The show is a disgrace to this city,” he said on Twitter.

Those who approved pointed to the show’s comedy as a redeeming quality.

“I thought (Southie Rules) was funny… Thanks for the laughter. Remember kids… it’s not a documentary,” Bridget Lee said on Twitter.

Check out a clip of Tuesday’s show:

“Caught in Southie” writer Heather Foley, a lifelong South Boston resident, is somewhere in the middle, and admittedly “conflicted” about the series.

“I was worried it would be ‘born and bred (Southie residents) versus the yuppies; that they’d be edited into the butt of a joke, but they weren’t,” Foley said. “I think that the family itself was great. I was pleasantly surprised with how likeable they came across.”

But Foley’s feathers were a bit ruffled over the feeling that some of the scenes felt forced.

“I didn’t care for how sitcom-like and scripted it came across. That was not necessary. The family had enough personality to carry the show without it,” she said.

Joel Olicker, CEO of the Somerville-based company Powderhouse Productions, was on location for some of the filming, and shot down the notion that the show is anything but genuine.

“They are a passionate family, and have a unique, very identifiable blend of traits that make them compelling. They have this snarky sense of humor with each other… people get that right away. That is a classic way of being for families like this. There is a lot of love and you can feel it,” Olicker said.

Niedzwiecki and his family are adjusting to their newfound notoriety, but in the meantime they are determined to appreciate the supporters, and brush off the haters.

“Some people just want to take jabs, but that’s okay. No one (in my family) is taking it personally. You can’t please everybody”

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"Some people just want to take jabs, but that's okay. No one (in my family) is taking it personally. You can't please everybody."–>

The post The good, the bad, and the wicked pissah: ‘Southie Rules’ debuts to finicky critics appeared first on Metro.us.

The screens will provide a new and cost-effective stream of revenue from advertisers as well as being a modern conduit of service information for customers, according to MassDOT. The digital advertising system is projected to generate “millions of dollars” of new revenue for the MBTA in the coming years.
 
“We are thrilled to be bringing both information to our customers and revenue to our system in such an innovative way,” Scott said. “The installation of these screens will not only make four of our busiest stations more visually appealing and interesting, but will provide a new outlet of advertising revenue and offer critical updates to our riders right while they are waiting for their trains.”
 
MBTA customers can expect 44 screens at four high-traffic stations throughout Boston and Cambridge — Park Street Station, North Station and South Station are expected to get the screens by March, according to MassDOT.

Harvard Station will be equipped with three 70-inch “tri-faced” screens in a kiosk in the main atrium, as well as five 55-inch “landscape screens;” one double-sided on the inbound platform and three single-sided across the track on the inbound platform, according to MassDOT.

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William “Mo” Cowan, a Northeastern University Law School graduate, takes the place of John Kerry who was confirmed this week as the new Secretary of State.

“I will go to work everyday with the needs and aspirations of the state’s … residents foremost on my mind,” Cowan said. “I now go to our nation’s capital ever mindful of what matters to the people of Massachusetts.”

During this morning’s State House announcement of his pick, Patrick called Cowan a “trusted adviser.”

“Mo’s service on the front lines in our efforts to manage through the worst economy in 80 years and build a better, stronger Commonwealth for the next generation has earned him the respect and admiration of people throughout government,” Patrick said.

According to state officials, Cowan practiced civil litigation as an associate and later a partner in the Boston office of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, PC from 1997 until 2009. He also worked as a special assistant district attorney in the office of the Middlesex County District Attorney.

Cowan served in Patrick’s administration since 2009 and was clearly popular with many officials.

“And lastly, he’s cool. Tom Brady, George Clooney, James Bond, the president have nothing on Mo,” Lt. Governor Tim Murray said.

Cowan is a graduate of Duke University and Northeastern University School of Law, and lives in Stoughton, Massachusetts with his wife, Stacy, and their two young sons, according to state officials.

A special election will be held June 25. US Rep. Ed Markey has already announced his intent to run. Fellow US Rep. Steve Lynch is also expected to jump into the race, according to the Globe. Former Sen. Scott Brown has not publicly announced whether he will run, but polls have showed he would beat Markey, according to the Globe.

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Investigators said a girl between the ages of 2 and 3 and a 3-to-4-year-old boy were discovered walking alone around 5:45 a.m. at Broad Street and Passyunk Avenue.

They children didn’t appear to be disheveled and displayed no signs of trauma, according to authorities. They were evaluated at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and released.

The children are now in police custody at the Special Victims Unit as investigators attempt to determine their identities and those responsible for their whereabouts.

The girl is described as an Asian female wearing a red shirt and green plaid shorts. The boy is wearing a white t-shirt, red basketball shorts with a white stripe and a gold chain with a charm on it.

It is currently unknown what relation, if any, the two children have to one another.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or to submit an anonymous tip by dialing 215-686-TIPS (8477), texting PPD TIP (773847), emailing tips@phillypolice.com or by filling out this online form.

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The T announced in Dec. 2012 that it would add the security cameras to JFK Station, and others within the transit system, after a UMass Boston student was assaulted near Sydney Street. The woman told police she was groped near the station’s entrance.

After the incident, T officials installed a camera on a 30-foot “sky tower” platform.

Other stations expected to get additional security cameras include Charles/MGH Station, Harvard Station, Kendall Station and Porter Station, according to T officials. They will likely be up by the summer.

The post JFK Station gets 50 new security cameras appeared first on Metro.us.

“We think it’s an important issue that should be decided by the highest court in Pennsylvania,” said Milliken’s attorney Timothy Rayne. “The issue being whether a psychological stigma – in this case, a murder-suicide – can be considered a material defect that needs to be disclosed in a residential real estate transaction.”

A decision handed down last month by the state Superior Court found that, while buyers must be advised of a host of structural deficiencies and pest problems, shocking crimes of violence aren’t included in that list.

“I think an average buyer would be more disturbed to learn that a gunshot murder-suicide had occurred in the master bedroom of the house than to learn that maybe the basement had a little bit of a leak or the roof leaked in the upstairs bathroom,” said Rayne, who recently appealed the decision.

“Physical defects are things that can be fixed, but the fact that a horrible thing happened in this property is something that will never go away.” Rayne said he has experts willing to testify that the event reduced the house’s value by 10 to 15 percent.

For now, Milliken still lives in the home – ironically, she doesn’t feel comfortable putting it on the market without advising potential buyers of its bloody background. “If she were to sell the home, she believes that she would have to disclose the issue and that it would reduce the value of the property,” Rayne said. “That’s what the lawsuit is all about.”

Haunting history

Prior to the home’s purchase by Kathleen and Joseph Jacono, who quickly flipped it to Milliken, it belonged to 50-year-old Konstantinos Koumboulis, who on Feb. 11, 2006 fatally shot his wife Georgia in the master bedroom before turning the gun on himself.

According to court documents, the Jaconos and their agents with Re/Max Town and Country knew about the property’s bleak background, but at least two state real estate organizations told them they weren’t required to share the information with prospective buyers.

Rayne said exactly what information must be disclosed “is one of those issues that is unsettled under Pennsylvania law.”

But Re/Max counsel Abraham Reich said he’s satisfied with the most recent court decision. “While it is certainly an interesting issue, we do not believe it is the type of issue that comes up with enough regularity to warrant the Supreme Court to look at it,” he said.

The post Woman allegedly duped into buying murder scene home appeals to Pa. Supreme Court appeared first on Metro.us.

Touted as a “southern gateway” to the school’s main campus, the $216 million state-of-the-art residential facility on North Broad Street near Cecil B. Moore Avenue boasts both high-rise and mid-rise towers, bi-level public dining facilities and a mini park nestled between the two buildings.
“People who went to college in the 60s and 70s will not recognize these dorms,” said
Temple vice president of construction, facilities, and operations Jim Creedon.

He defended the $138,000 per bed cost, one of the highest in the nation. “A great residential environment helps build a strong academic environment,” he said. “The university is creating an atmosphere where the students will feel comfortable staying on campus and going to the computer lab or library at night.”

The dorms are named for university trustee Mitchell Morgan, founder of real estate development and management company Morgan Properties, and his wife Hilarie. Morgan, who never lived on campus when he attended Temple University in the 1970s, has been a longtime donor to the school and contributed $5 million for the dormitory construction alone.

“As a commuter student I did not have much, if any, campus life,” Morgan said. “It was for this reason and my love for Temple, that I thought it was wonderful to help create more housing and continue to create a climate where campus life is a big part of the education process.”

Amenities include:

– A 27-floor tower with four- and one-bed apartments, plus a sky-top event space.

– A mid-rise building with four- and five-bed suites featuring two full bathrooms, state-of-the-art appliances and 42-inch flat screen televisions.

– Student lounges with 70-inch televisions, laundry facilities on every other floor and an on-site diner.

– Keyless entry and wireless internet.

– A 700-seat, bi-level public dining facility with vendors like Starbucks, Tony Luke’s, Cafe Spice and at least one retailer offering vegan and vegetarian meals.

Safety first

The complex will also have a Temple Police station located inside. Creedon stressed the school’s emphasis on security.

“We have made a large investment in safety,” he said “Our Clery Act statistics are below that of similarly situated urban schools.” The Act requires colleges who receive federal financial aid to log and disclose campus crime and give students timely warnings about potential safety threats.

“We have a well-trained campus police force and add extra patrols on the weekends,” Creedon said. “All students are informed how to keep safe.”

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In September, Metro first reported that a 22-year-old T rider created a “Boston T People” Facebook page for people to submit and poke-fun-at candid photographs of unsuspecting passengers.

The creator of Boston T People, who asked not to be named, recently deleted the controversial page, saying it was becoming “stressful” for her.

“The more people that were looking at it the more I felt obligated to post certain content,” she said. “It was fun for a while, but it was nothing more than moving on to other things.”

She also said that media attention “caused a lot of problems” for her and her family.

In November, the page creator said an official website – bostontpeople.com – would be up and running within weeks, but that project has also been shut down.

The Boston T People Facebook page had racked up hundreds of fans since its creation, but not everyone was pleased.

After breaking the story, Metro received feedback from angry readers, and the page’s creator reported a wave of backlash, including death threats.

Metro reader Constance Woodbury described the newspaper’s September article as “sick,” and said the creator was “cruel” to create Boston T People.

“I cannot believe that the “MBTA is going to allow pictures of their paying customers to be presented on a Facebook page for all the world to look and laugh at regardless of their appearance,” Woodbury said in an email to Metro.

According to T officials, publicly posting “funny” or “cruel” photos of riders does not break any of the MBTA’s policies.

“Our riders are a creative bunch,” MBTA Spokesman Joshua Robin said. “We are happy the T is an outlet to express their creativity.”

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The show surrounds “space and place,” Evitts said, and includes an eclectic array of sculptures, multimedia and photography as well as her MBTA oil paintings.

“A few months ago a very dear friend of mine passed away. I started thinking about how we’re only in one spot for a short amount of time,” Evitts said. “On the T, people are on for a stop or two, then leave. Someone else sits down never knowing who was there before them.”

The 29-year-old artists admits that she’s always been a people watcher; and what better place to eyeball your fellow human beings than on the T?

“I often wonder what everyone’s story is. I like watching how they interact,” she said.
Instead of asking T riders to pose for photos, which she used as references, Evitts snapped candid shots of her fellow passengers during her daily commutes.

The paintings show bundled up T riders walking on bustling platforms, and seated stoically on the train.

“Everybody is just focused on what they have to do next rather than being in the moment,” she said.
A spokeswoman for the T said the transit agency is considering an installation of the paintings.

Evitt’s collective is made up of five other female artists who regularly meet to bounce around artistic ideas.

“We’re hoping we can keep it up. Everyone in the group is busy with life, but we try to meet at least once a week,” she said.

The exhibition runs through Feb. 7 at the Harbor Art Gallery at UMass Boston, and is free and open to the public. The artists will be on hand for a reception at the gallery between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Check out one of the T paintings below:

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Christopher Cori, 21, of Queens, N.Y., pleaded not guilty in Brighton District Court to charges including criminal harassment and making threats to kill. He was ordered held on $100,000 bail and sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for mental health evaluation.

The woman told police that she met Cori at a Faneuil Hall bar earlier this month and gave him her business card when he said he was interested in fitness lessons. She initially became concerned when Cori began playing with a knife and gave her a bronze pocket watch, according to a police report.

Those concerns turned into fear for her life when she began receiving threatening voicemails and text messages from two phones that police traced to Cori and a relative.

One of the text messages said “How would you like to find out what it’s like to be burned alive,” according to a police report.

The woman then went to police to report the messages.

“This is a serious case. The victim is in very significant fear for her life,” said Assistant District Attorney Luke Goldworm.

Cori’s attorney, Patrick Sheehan, did not argue the amount of bail and reserved the right to do so at a later hearing. He would not comment to a reporter as he left the courthouse.

Prosecutors said Cori has a minor police record in New York that included drug charges.

Cori’s Facebook profile includes multiple references to Satan worshiping. A status update contains only the number “666.” In his activities he lists “psychic vampirism” and his interests includes “deflowering virgins.” He is also a member of a Meetup.com group called “NYC Satanists, Luciferians, Dark Pagans, and LHP Occultists.”

Police said they tried to contact and he eventually called a detective back. He told them that he spends weekends at a Cambridge hotel.

The woman attended the arraignment with her father.

Cori is due back in court next month.

The post Christopher Cori: Alleged Satan worshiper accused of harassing woman he met at Boston bar appeared first on Metro.us.

John Monroe, 32, of Roxbury was arrested around 8:30 p.m. Monday night, after allegedly “straddling his body in between the train and the platform.”

Transit Police said Monroe delayed passengers on the train by refusing to step away, despite the T driver’s repeated plea to “please clear the doors.”

“Monroe ignored these requests and continued to stand in between the doors, preventing their closure,” Transit Police said in a statement on their blog.

When officers looked at Monroe’s record, they found he had four outstanding warrants on several different charges issued from multiple courts.

“Obviously Monroe did not take our advice seriously regrading what to do if you have a warrant and DO NOT want to be arrested,” Transit Police said.

On Jan. 11, Transit Police put out a public warning to riders who have active warrants. The basic message: lay low.

Transit Police said no reason was given for Monroe’s actions.

“You are probably wondering why Monroe would draw such attention to himself. We are too,” Transit Police said.

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