The Day: Grand Jury Indicts SUV Driver, A Free Spike Lee Black History Month Lecture and Local Plays

Good morning, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.

Finished digging out from Saturday’s snow? The National Weather Service is predicting more snow tonight, but good news, it should be less than an inch of accumulation.

We saw that some of you ventured out in the snow over the weekend. If you’re out today, take some pictures and share them in The Nabe’s Flickr pool.

Here’s some news to start your week.

• A grand jury indicted an out-of-control SUV driver who allegedly killed a 9-year-old boy in November, reported DNAinfo. Anthony Byrd, 59, was driving down DeKalb Avenue when he turned the wrong way on Clermont Avenue and hit Lucian Merryweather, who was walking with his mother and his 4-year-old brother. If he’s convicted, Byrd may spend up to four years in prison for charges including criminally negligent homicide, assault and reckless driving.
• Spike Lee is giving a free lecture at the Pratt Institute of Art and Design on Feb. 25  at 6:30 p.m. in honor of black history month, reported The Brooklyn Paper. Tickets are free, but there are only 150 to 200 are available to the public. To reserve your spot, email events@pratt.edu  or call (718) 636–3600.
• Two musicals are coming to the Irondale Ensemble Project for Black History Month, reported The Brooklyn Paper. Irondale and the Brooklyn Historical Society developed “Lines of Freedom,” which is about the this history of abolition in Brooklyn. Composer Nkeiru Okoye wrote “Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom,” which starts Feb. 21. “Color Between the Lines” will run  on Feb. 20, 22, and 28 at 7:30 pm, and March 1 at 3 pm. “Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed that Line to Freedom” will run on  Feb. 21, 27, and March 1 at 7:30 pm, and Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. For tickets, go to www.irondale.org or call (718) 488–9233.