Mustafa Ali received a life sentence in prison Wednesday, as decided by the jury in the ongoing murder trial.

Ali received two life sentences without parole for the October 2007 murders of Loomis employees William Widmaier and Joseph Alullo. Judge Jeffrey P. Minehart ordered the terms be served consecutively.

The jury debated for three hours about the sentencing, after finding Ali guilty of first-degree murder last week.

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

Northeast Detectives is asking for help in discovering the identity of a man who has been robbing 7-Eleven stores in the 15th Police District since December. The man has robbed eight store locations, with the latest being at the 7-Eleven at 6927 Torresdale Ave. in Tacony Monday.

The suspect has been described as a white male in his 20s, under 6 feet tall, with a thin to medium build. He can usually be seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, sweatpants and a black mask over his mouth and nose. He has been carrying a black handgun. All information on the suspect can be given to Northeast Detectives at 215-686-3153.

Keep reading for an update on the trial of Mustafa Ali, a lawsuit concerning the rape of a woman by a former Tacony/Wissinoming resident, and more. continue reading »

Bill Rubin of Philadelphia's Board of Pensions and Retirement explains the costs of DROP to Bustleton residents.

In what quickly devolved into arguments and accusations, the Greater Bustleton Civic League tackled several issues at last night’s meeting, including recent crime spikes, DROP and zoning.

Though more neighborhood-centric topics dominated the three-hour meeting, Bill Rubin, vice chairman of the city’s pension fund, was slated as the highlighted speaker, with the intent of talking with Bustleton residents about DROP.

“Nobody had any idea who I was three years ago,” Rubin commented about the recent public scrutiny of the Deferred Retirement Option Program. continue reading »

What is the leading health threat for women in the U.S.?  It isn’t cancer and it isn’t men.

You might be surprised to know that heart disease is the leading killer in women in the U.S. and has been for several years now.  This silent killer hardly ever gets the recognition it deserves.

One of the large reasons that heart disease goes overlooked as the leading cause of death is because most women do not realize the problems — or even the symptoms — of heart disease. continue reading »

All Philadelphia schools will be closed today due to the impending snow storm. Snowfall began falling, and is expected to continue through Friday morning.

Regional and administrative offices for the School District of Philadelphia will be open today, but will close early at noon. All sports and extracurricular activities are canceled for the day. continue reading »

Some of the students, staff and professionals attending the 2010 Black Family Technology Week luncheon held at Northeast High School.

This story also appears on technology news site Technically Philly and is reprinted here with permission as part of a content partnership. See it there by clicking here.

More than 200 students, staff, technology professionals and partners listened to the musical stylings of a high school choir last week. But everyone was there to promote technology literacy.

Held at Northeast High School, the sixth-annual luncheon was again the signature event of the city’s 11th-annual Black Family Technology Awareness Week, which aims to promote digital literacy in nonwhite households to combat the digital divide.

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Father Judge's soccer team, 2009 state champions. Photo submitted by Coach John Dunlop.

Father Judge’s varsity soccer team earned the title of co-state champs back in November, sharing the honor with Central Dauphin High School. Coach John Dunlop submitted a recap and photo.

The Father Judge Soccer Team made history on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2009, as it became the first school from the city of Philadelphia to win a state soccer championship. continue reading »

Q: My landlord has given me a notice telling me that she is selling my duplex in Academy Gardens. I am worried, and I don’t like the idea of strangers going through my apartment. Do I have to let them in?

Also, I have been here for four years, and paid on time every month, and I want to stay but she told me she can’t guarantee that the new owners will want to keep me. I thought they had to accept a lease with the property.

A: Anyone buying real estate will want to see the entire property.  It can be uncomfortable, but if there’s any hope of you staying, you should make it as easy as possible to see it. Nobody wants a problem renter, even with a great payment history.

If you consistently deny showings because you don’t want to move, your landlord will not get a chance to find a buyer who may actually want a renter already in place when they buy. You might just guarantee that the new buyer won’t want to keep you, or you could even find yourself evicted sooner.

Everything should be spelled out in your lease. Your lease should contain the following information:

1. continue reading »

Firefighters battled a two-alarm fire Monday night at the St. Ives complex off Woodhaven Road.

The fire broke out shortly after 11 p.m. in the building along the 200-block of Thornwood Place. Within minutes, the second alarm went off.

Despite the multiple alarms and heavy smoke, the blaze was under control just after 11:30, and the fire was contained to one apartment on the second floor. There were no reported injuries, but the cause is still being investigated.

People in the Northeast were saving spots even during that "mini" storm in December '09. Photo by Bill Achuff.

Now that the snow is finally going somewhere, it’s time to take a step back and re-evaluate the parking situation. Perhaps now that there are fewer lawn chairs, trashcans and other paraphernaila saving spots, we can look back on the 2010 blizzard and laugh . . . or at least not slash tires, breaks windows and steal traffic cones.

We had hundreds of readers weigh in on various snow-related topics, but none was as popular as the spot-saving issue. Here are some of their thoughts, in addition to remarks from police officers, politicians and Mayor Michael Nutter:

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