Top 8 stories to watch in Northwest Philly

Here’s a look at what’s to come in Northwest Philadelphia this week:

1. The School Reform Commission will hold formal school-closing hearings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. NewsWorks will be there to share big-picture implications discussed, as well as how the proposal will impact Germantown and the rest of Northwest Philadelphia.

2. After numerous delays, Gregory Mitros, the Manayunk man accused of killing his wife in their Markle Street home in June 2011, is scheduled to appear in court for a non-jury “degree of guilt” hearing. NewsWorks‘ Brian Hickey will cover the trial, if it happens, on Friday.

3. Property in the unit block of E. Mt. Airy Ave., which was tied up in the New Media Techology Charter School scandal, is slated to go up on the Sheriff’s Sale block on Wednesday. Aaron Moselle will look into the outcome.

4. In advance of the Philadelphia Flower Show, which runs from March 2-10 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Carrie Hagen will catch up with a pair of Northwest Philadelphia ties: Students from Walter B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences and Roxborough’s Petals Lane Inc.

5. On Thursday night, the upstart Germantown Special Services District will hold its second public-meeting/community discussion regarding its Chelten Avenue relaunch district. The meeting with take place at the Flying Horse Building, 5534-6 Pulaski Ave. Amy Z. Quinn will cover the session.

6. On Wednesday, the Mural Arts Program and the Mt. Airy Art Garage are hosting a community meeting to discuss the proposed West Mt. Pleasant Train Trestle project. The meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. at Goat Hollow restaurant, 300 W. Mt. Pleasant Ave. Aaron Moselle will be there on NewsWorks‘ behalf.

7. Fourth District City Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. sat down with NewsWorks to discuss his agenda for 2013. Among Jones’ priorities are school closings, community development, crime and AVI. Check out Matthew Grady’s story, which runs today.

8. Kiera Smalls will check in on an a student-led effort to go green at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.