The Pulse of CBS Philadelphia: Jan. 15-19
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- This week, the CBS NEXT Weather Network had team coverage of snow and fridge temperatures and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. events around the city.
Here's what our team worked on recently.
Preparations underway across Philadelphia region for second round of snow this week
Preparations are well underway in Philadelphia as yet another storm this week is set to bring snow.
But as the city waits, some residents have had issues with city streets after Philly got its first measurable snow in two years.
It's slick on some streets in the city as storm No. 2 is on the horizon.
The city Streets Department says it's working to address this ahead of the first flakes falling.
Thankful for a snow day, children head to the hills for sledding in Montgomery County
Lower Merion Schools were closed for a snow day Tuesday, but students took over a hill at a district school to celebrate the day out of class.
"No school! No school! No school!" students chanted at Bala Cynwyd Middle School.
The hill near the tennis court was packed with kids, sleds and snow tubes. Young snow sports veterans shared tips for a perfect ride down the hill, encouraging reporter Kim Hudson on her first sledding expedition.
"I start like this," said 9-year-old Luke Bharucha, demonstrating his technique. "And I go down, and then it's so much fun, and I get so much air."
Pennsylvania, New Jersey residents and officials prepare for snow to accumulate overnight
Early flurries and frigid temperatures set a surprisingly delightful scene for ice skaters at City Hall Monday evening.
"It's colder than I would like, but it's so pretty when you're ice-skating," one skater said.
At PennDOT's salt yard in South Philly, trucks loaded up with tons of sodium chloride hit the roadways to cover more than 11,000 miles of highway.
PennDOT spokesperson Krys Johnson said crews headed out well before the weather system moved in.
"They're putting down salt. They are pre-treating the roads in the Philadelphia region to make sure that snow can get off as fast as it can," Johnson said.
How much snow is there right now in Philadelphia? Bill Kelly shows you
While snow has been plowed, it's giving way to a layer of ice in many spots, Bill Kelly reported from a rooftop in Philadelphia.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2024: Volunteers make positive impact on community in Chester
Delaware County honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with its annual day of service on Monday.
From picking up trash to marching for peace, hundreds of volunteers were dedicated to making a positive impact on the community.
"I think it's great that all these people came out today on this cold, cold day just to honor Martin Luther King and everything he's done for our nation," Aisha Dennis, of Claymont, Delaware, said.
Among the crowd were Dennis, her husband and their 11-year-old son.
"I wanted to come here because I didn't want to sit in my house on Martin Luther King Day because of all the stuff he's done for us. We just don't want to take it for granted," Joe Dennis Jr. said.
How Lower Merion students honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy
Students and parents at Harriton High School came together Friday for a day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The whole cafeteria was filled with tables and various hands-on activities for kids to do.
From making no-sew blankets for rescue animals to writing thank you cards for health care workers to creating school supplies kits for teachers, there was something for everyone to get involved with and in turn, this will all help more than a dozen organizations.
The event brought together students of all grades from 100 Lower Merion School District schools.
"He did so much for the community," Harriton High School senior Mark Steinnagel Taylor said, "so it's great that we're giving back to our community as well. And really, just trying to have a positive impact like Martin Luther King did."
"It makes everyone feel good, not just people who are helping or people who are receiving stuff," Lower Merion High School freshman Hana McLain said. "It makes everyone feel just better."
Philadelphia's Girard College hosts longest-running MLK Day of Service
Many communities came together Monday to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy. Girard College in the city's Fairmount neighborhood hosts one of the longest-running MLK Day of Services in the country.
Girard College kicked things off Monday morning by giving out t-shirts to volunteers who participated in this year's signature project, which included assembling gun safety kits. They'll be distributed throughout the community and include gun locks and information on safety resources.
Packing care baskets for those in need, Rev. Jeanette Davis remembers Dr. King's commitment to service.
"We take them to some facilities for homeless youth. We also advocate for our seniors and we distribute them that way as well," said Davis, who serves at the D.I.V.A.S. Ministry Non-Profit Organization.
Just as meaningful as her service is where it's taking place at Girard College.
The boarding school opened in 1848 and provides a mostly free education to low-income students.
Glassboro honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with blood drive for sickle cell patients
In a Glassboro church Monday, community members honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a blood drive for patients with sickle cell disease.
An inherited blood disorder, sickle cell disease affects mainly African Americans.
Stephen Williams with the Diocese of Camden Black Catholic Ministries helped organize the MLK Day Blood Drive at the Church of St. Bridget.
"There are about 100,000 people in the U.S. that are afflicted with sickle cell, and they require constant transfusions, so the need for blood is critical for folks in the African American community," Williams said.
African Americans have distinct markers on their red blood cells that make their donations most compatible for patients with sickle cell disease. Doctors have said a donor from any racial or ethnic group can be a match for a sickle cell patient, though.
