Top 5 stories of the week in Northwest Philly

Here’s a look at the top stories you may have missed in Northwest Philadelphia this week.

1. Mt. Airy man charged with fatally stabbing popular Roxborough-synagogue member

Ronald Fischman, a popular member of Roxborough’s Mishkan Shalom synagogue, was fatally stabbed inside his East Mt. Airy home during an apparent home-invasion robbery late Tuesday night.

Police announced Thursday that they had arrested and charged a 33-year-old Mt. Airy man in connection with the slaying that occurred in the 200 block of E. Phil Ellena St.

Read the story here. NewsWorks will continue updating this story as new details emerge.

2. Hans the beloved Germantown tortoise returns to Wyck safe and sound

After wandering away two weeks ago, a beloved fixture of Germantown’s Wyck farm was returned earlier this week. Despite a flurry of community controversy, Hans Haines Horsfield’s owners told NewsWorks they are relieved he is home.

Read the full story here. 

3. Germantown man says SEPTA fired him for observing Jewish holy days

According to an August legal brief, Romel McAlpin lost his job with SEPTA as a custodian after he didn’t come to work on Rosh Hashanah or on Oct. 12 last year in observance of Shabbat, which runs each week from Friday at sundown to Saturday at sundown.

Now he’s suing the transit agency. Read the full story here. 

4. Hundreds of volunteers help build a new North Light Community Center playground

Seventy-five community volunteers, 12 representatives from a national nonprofit dedicated to creating playspaces for children (Kaboom!) and more than 100 employees from a corporate sponsor (GlaxoSmithKline) gathered to build a new playground at North Light Community Center in Manayunk on Tuesday. 

Get the full story with pictures here. 

5. Roxborough curb-cut controversy riles community group

On a steep block of Sumac Street in Roxborough, Andrew Langsam owns the three-story, 19th-century twins at 119 and 121 Sumac. Each has a two-vehicle driveway.

Those driveways are the flash point between Langsman and local civic group Wissahickon Interested Citizen’s Association. 

Read the full story here.