The Jim Bakker Show

At least one dead in numerous car crashes in icy New England

By Scott Malone

BOSTON (Reuters) – An unexpected bout of icy weather on Wednesday morning caused scores of accidents around New England, with 55 vehicles colliding in a series of crashes outside Boston and a man killed in a separate incident.

Police in Needham, Massachusetts, said a vehicle struck and killed a 63-year-old man who had been trying to help another motorist stuck on the ice in the suburb about 18 miles (29 km) west of Boston.

“It appears as though the vehicle was sliding on the ice and was unable to stop before striking the victim, pinning him between the two vehicles,” the Needham Police Department said in a statement. It did not identify the victim.

North of Boston, some 55 cars were involved in a series of crashes in the suburb of Wakefield, Massachusetts, with multiple motorists injured, though none seriously, state police said.

It was the start of a forecast whipsaw of weather over 48 hours. Temperatures around Boston are expected to pass 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10°C) on Wednesday before dropping back below freezing overnight, when a snowstorm is expected to begin.

The National Weather Service was forecasting 8 to 14 inches (20-36 cm) of snow on Thursday.

Wednesday’s ice, the result of an overnight rainstorm, may have caught commuters off-guard since earlier forecasts had anticipated temperatures would rise above freezing before the snow begins, said National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Simpson.

The result was chaos on roads around Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire.

Photos from the Wakefield area showed vehicles spun at strange angles and entirely blocking the roadway, with emergency responders having trouble maintaining their footing on icy roads.

The Massachusetts State Police had not yet counted the total number of traffic collisions around the state, a dispatcher said.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker ordered a two-hour opening delay for state offices.

“Exercise extreme caution,” Baker said, “as driving is very difficult due to icy conditions.”

Farther north, all but one lane of a major interstate highway in Maine was closed after a tractor-trailer that ran off the road and flipped on its side due to the ice. Work crews were removing its cargo, bags of potatoes, before attempting to lift the vehicle off its side, a state police spokesman said.

(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

Winter storm socks U.S. New England region

People walk along Wall Street ahead of a cold weather system across the region in Manhattan, New York City, U.S.,

By Brendan O’Brien

(Reuters) – A winter storm socked the U.S. New England region with heavy snow and high winds early on Friday, with some areas expected to see as much as 24 inches (61 cm) of snowfall, the U.S. National Weather Service said.

Winter storm warnings and advisories were in effect for areas stretching from northern New York through most of Maine, where snow was falling at a rate of about 3 inches per hour in parts of the state early on Friday.

“This is the first strong nor’easter New England has seen this season. What is impressive about it is how rapidly it is strengthening tonight from Cape Cod into Maine,” said Todd Foisy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Caribou, Maine.

Much of the region was set for at least 6 inches (15 cm) of snow with the possibility of 24 inches (61 cm) in some parts, the National Weather Service said, warning of reduced visibility on roadways as gusts of 35 mph (56 kph) blow the snow around.

“Blowing snow will cause whiteout conditions. While lashing a rope to yourself might be an option, it is better to stay inside if at all possible,” the Bangor, Maine Police Department said on Facebook.

Most winter storm warnings in the region were expected to expire by Friday evening.

More than 35,000 customers were without power throughout the region early on Friday as a result of the storms, data from utility companies showed.

Some 20 flights were canceled and another 68 were delayed in and out of Boston’s Logan International Airport on Thursday as a result of the inclement weather, a common part of winter in New England.

A winter storm warning for parts of West Virginia and western Maryland was in effect until Friday afternoon.

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Catherine Evans)

Winter storm with heavy snows, fierce winds targets New England

By Brendan O’Brien

(Reuters) – A winter storm is expected to dump heavy snows and produce fierce winds in New England on Thursday evening and into Friday morning, the National Weather Service said.

More than a foot of snow (30 cm) and 50 mph (80 kph) winds are forecast from the Adirondacks Mountains in upstate New York to western Maine, leading to possible white-out conditions on roads and power outages, the weather service said in an advisory.

The storm will make travel across much of the region hazardous, the weather service said.

Storm and high wind watches and warnings were in effect for much of the region until Friday morning as snow fall rates could be as much as 3 inches (8 cm) an hour in some parts, according to the service.

Forecasters predict temperatures will be in the mid 20s and lower 30s on Thursday and Friday and dip into the teens on Saturday.

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

New England shivers under blanket of snow at onset of spring

BOSTON (Reuters) – Residents of much of coastal New England woke up on the second day of spring to discover lawns and roads blanketed with snow and schools closed in Boston, Providence and several other cities.

But the last gasp of winter, forecast to drop as much as 6 inches of snow on Boston, was expected to be brief, with temperatures expected to rise to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit by the afternoon.

The snowfall, which followed several days of seasonable warmth, left some Bostonians puzzled about clothing choices, with pedestrians taking to the streets in shorts and sneakers despite the short lived storm.

“It’s going to compact quickly and also melt. We are expecting temperatures this afternoon to rise into the upper 30s to mid 40s across southern New England, so that’ll promote melting,” said Kim Buttrick, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton, Massachusetts. “This is all going to pass.”

The forecast for the storm had been erratic over the weekend, swinging from predicting as much as 10 inches of snow in Boston to the possibility of the storm tracking east over the ocean and missing the city entirely.

“I was expecting more snow. If I didn’t have to work I’d be at home. Definitely,” said Rico Ricard, 36, who was walking from the subway to his job at a city facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.

Winter storm warnings were in effect for parts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and coastal Maine, with as much as a foot of snow forecast for northern parts of the northeasternmost U.S. state.

The storm slowed travel in the region, with Boston Logan International Airport reporting 13 percent of departing flights canceled, as well as 9 percent of arrivals.

It proved a bit of a damper for businesses that depend on balmier weather, though it didn’t stop 45-year-old Jason Sanford from setting up a line of bicycles outside of the Broadway Bicycle School shop, a move intended to signal that the store was open despite the weather.

“Luckily, we’ve had nice weather, so we have a basement full of tune-ups,” Sanford said. “Hopefully we’ll get ahead of it today.”

(Reporting by Scott Malone Editing by W Simon)

New England Teens Invite Friends With Special Needs To Prom

What was once a night of dresses, tuxes, partying, and popularity has now been redefined as a night to reach out and include everyone in the festivities.

Matty Marcone, a student in Canton, Massachusetts, has special needs and several medical issues. He never dreamed that he was going to be asked to prom, but his friend and classmate, Kaitlin McCarthy, changed that.

Kaitlin invited Matty to Prom after he claimed he was going to buy Disney World for her.

“I said, if he’s going to buy Disney World for me, I should bring him to the prom,” said Kaitlin.

With the help of the hockey team, special education teachers, and school nurses, Matty was able to attend prom with Kaitlin and other friends. Matty and Kaitlin were voted Prom King and Prom Queen.

While Matty was invited to prom by Kaitlin, another special needs teen in New York was about to get asked to prom as well.

Michael Pagano has autism and had been rejected by several girls he had asked to prom. However, senior and friend, Sarah Kardonsky, had a plan to invite Michael to the prom.

Michael is a New York Jets fan, which led Sarah to asking the Jets players via Instagram to help her make a video prom invitation. Nine Jets players total sent videos to Sarah asking Michael if he would go to the dance with her.

And while this invitation to prom led to national publicity, including a spot on a popular daytime television show, Sarah was more concerned that her friend was happy.

“People who worry so much about what dress to wear or who to go with, that’s not what prom is about. Prom is about having a good time. You should just be surrounded by people who make you happy.”

Christian Teachers Sue To Have Good Friday Off

The school district in Cranston, Rhode Island says that Good Friday is not a religious holiday and therefore teachers who are Christians cannot use one of their two designated personal days for religious events.

The teachers are saying that’s violating their rights.

The close to 200 teachers are suing the school district, saying that they should have the right to take the day and attend services at their local churches. The school’s superintendent, Judith Lundsten, said that the contracts of the teachers specify they may take the holiday only if they are required to attend services and that Good Friday “has no required services.”

The teachers say the actions of the Superintendent violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

This year marks the first time in decades that Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah and Good Friday are not holidays in the school calendar. The school committee voted to eliminate those holidays in June.

It has been a long, difficult winter for our parents, students and staff. We have already accumulated six additional days to our school year,” said Janice Ruggierei, chairperson of the Cranston School Committee.

“We should be focusing on finishing the school year by meeting our students’ academic calendar requirements.”

Northeastern Blizzard Not As Strong As Feared

Some areas of the northeast are digging out from up to two feet of snow today but that total is far less than was anticipated from a massive winter storm.

Officials say that New York City was spared a large wave of the storm when less than a foot of snow fell on the city. The bans on car travel were lifted early Tuesday and the New York City subway system returned to regular operation after being shut down 10 hours out of caution.

Snow is expected to fall into Wednesday morning through upper New England, leaving some towns in danger of tying or breaking record snowfall amounts for this time of year. Snow drifts are the biggest issue, with Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker saying some drifts are over six feet in height.

Only one death has been reported from the storm so far. A teenager died Monday when he was snow-tubing on Long Island and crashed into a lamppost.

While schools and other businesses remain closed throughout the region, the National Weather Service lifted the blizzard warning for all areas below Boston Tuesday.

New York’s governor defended his decision to issue a travel ban ahead of the storm.

“I would rather, if there is a lean one way or another, lean towards safety because I have seen the consequences the other way and it gets very frightening very quickly … we have had people die in storms,” Cuomo told reporters. “I would rather be in a situation where we say ‘We got lucky.'”

Winter Storm Snarls Holiday Travel

A major winter storm is striking the northeast during the heart of the Thanksgiving travel period.

Forecasters are predicting snowfall in excess of a foot throughout most of central New England. Heavy rain and wind should reach from western North Carolina through Maine. Thunder snowstorms are a possibility through the region.

“In most cases, the worst time to travel in the mid-Atlantic and New England due to the storm will be on Wednesday and Wednesday night,” wrote AccuWeather’s Elliot Abrams.

Flight delays are possible throughout the New England corridor through the weekend.

Forecasters also are warning about ice covered roads on Thanksgiving and for weekend travel.

Meriam Ibrahim To Arrive In U.S. This Week

Sudanese Christian refugee Meriam Ibrahim and her family are due to arrive in the United States this week.

The family is reportedly going to be arriving in New Hampshire and will settle in the Manchester area according to her brother-in-law. Gabriel Wani lives in Manchester with his wife and three daughters.

Local officials in Manchester say there is a strong Sudanese community that is ready to welcome the family. The Sudanese Evangelical Covenant Church is planning a huge reception and celebration upon the family’s arrival.

Italian officials who flew her to Rome rescued Ibrahim and her family from Sudan last week. She and the family met with Pope Francis, who reportedly had been working behind the scenes to help Italian officials free Ibrahim.

The Pope praised Ibrahim’s “courageous witness to perseverance in the faith.”

Another Arctic Blast Striking Northeast

Forecasters say that another arctic blast is going to drive temperatures in the northeast to frigid levels.

This week temperatures rose into the 50s or higher for most of the northeast with Philadelphia reaching the 60s and Washington DC into the 70s on Wednesday. By Thursday morning, the cities will see temperatures in the 20s.

Officials are warning drivers that roads which have been wet or slushy because of melting snow and ice from recent storms will quickly freeze in the early morning hours because of the rapid temperate fall. The possibility of dangerous conditions for early morning commutes have many communities encouraging people to plan extra time to head to work or school.

A spokesman for Accuweather said the sudden cold after the unusually high temperatures could bring unexpected problems including broken water mains. The possibility also exists that roadways will crack from the conditions and create more potholes than usual.

Sign up for Jim Bakker Show