Former Miami Police Chief John Timoney, who spent seven years leading the force while receiving praise and some criticism for his work, has passed away.

Timoney had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and was being treated in Miami. He was 68. He revealed last month that he was in the hospital for treatment.

"Today our department mourns the passing of retired Miami Police Chief John F. Timoney. The contributions Chief Timoney made for the advancement of our department are only surpassed by the dedicated service he provided our community," current Miami Police Chief Rodolfo Llanes said in a statement. "He leaves a foundation of accountability and excellence we must continue to uphold as public servants. We will remember his legacy by honoring the same commitment he gave to all of the residents of our City."

Timoney started his law enforcement career with the New York Police Department, where he spent 29 years and rose to the rank of First Deputy Commissioner. After spending four years as the Commissioner for the Philadelphia Police Department, Timoney spent a year in private security before being named the chief of the Miami Police Department in 2003.

During his time in South Florida, Timoney received praise at the start of his tenure for a reduction in the murder rate and the number of police involved shootings. There would be some controversy, including the use of force by officers during the Free Trade Area of the Americas summit and his use of a luxury SUV without cost from a local dealership.

Timoney spent the past six years working as a consultant for both the country of Bahrain and the Camden County, NJ Police Department.

A viewing for Timoney is scheduled to be held on Thursday at the Vior Funeral Home in Miami from 3-10p.m.

Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney, noted for revolutionizing use of crime mapping technology and winning over officers and citizens alike as a "policeman's policeman," died after a battle with lung cancer. He was 68.

Timoney, who came to the U.S. from Ireland as a teenager and began his career as a beat cop in New York City in the 1960s, took the helm in Philadelphia in 1998 and served as the department's top officer until 2001. During his tenure, he pioneered policing technology using crime mapping to identify patterns and deploy officers.

"He came in and changed the way we deploy our police, changed the way we target our police," former Philadelphia Mayor and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who helped lure Timoney to the city, said. "He really was the first person to bring modern police technology to the city, and by that I mean they would map crime literally every day to see if they could find trends in specific neighborhoods."

Timoney took heat in Philadelphia in 2000 after the Republican National Convention, when city police fell to criticism over their dealings with protesters, but is remembered as a cop's cop who would often don a helmet, hop on a bicycle and join officers on patrol.

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"He would make arrests himself. He was a policeman's policeman," Rendell, who served as Philadelphia's mayor through most of Timoney's tenure, said. "He was a policeman's policeman, extremely popular not only with policemen, but also with citizens. I think he could've run for mayor and been successful if he wanted to, but that was never his interest."

After leaving Philadelphia, Timoney joined the Miami Police Department as chief for seven years, from 2003 to 2010. More recently, he worked as a consultant for the Camden County Police Department and the country of Bahrain.

Rendell remembered Timoney fondly, saying he "revolutionized policing" in Philadelphia.

Rendell said Timoney's strategy was enormously successful. Timoney has been credited with playing a role in a historic drop in homicides in the city, reducing the number to less than 300 in 1999 after murder rates soared to 500 in the '80s.

News surfaced last month that Timoney was battling stage IV lung cancer and undergoing treatment at a Miami hospital.

"I didn't even know he was battling cancer," Rendell said. "It's a great loss, because, in addition to a great policeman, he was a great guy ... he was a very colorful figure, popular with police, nonprofit groups, the business community."

Officers who worked under Timoney remember him working side by side with them in patrol and having no fear of getting his hands dirty.

Joe McCabe, a 26-year Philadelphia Police veteran who served as a bike officer and trainer for 20 years, including during the Republican National Convention, said Timoney joined officers on the front lines during raucous protests the RNC drew in 2000. One night, McCabe recalled in an interview with NBC10 in July, a group of RNC protesters jumped Timoney and officers in Center City.

"They had jumped the three of them, Commissioner Timoney and two of the officers riding with them," McCabe said. "He got out there and rode his bike with us."

When he pictures Timoney, whom he last spoke with a few years ago, Rendell said he sees him not sitting back in the commissioner role, but joining officers on the front lines in patrol.

"If I close my eyes and think of John, I think of him in police shorts and a police shirt with a helmet on, riding his bike on patrol," Rendell said. "He was an Irish cop who always maintained all the good things about a beat cop, a rough-and-ready guy."

It's not just about King of Prussia Mall anymore, ok?

The retail linchpin of Montgomery County is set to expand yet again, but the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board is touting the entire county's shopping scene in a new 30-second television commercial.

The commercial, paid for by the county tourism agency, will air in Philadelphia and Washington D.C. the next three weeks. It is part of a marketing campaign called "Destination Shop Montco" that stretches into fall.

Valley Forge President and CEO Mike Bowman said the campaign will highlight not only the expanding KOP Mall but the rest of the 30 million square feet of selling space, which the agency said attracts about 30 million shoppers a year.

"Our iconic King of Prussia Mall is fantastic and is about to become even more amazing with a new corridor that adds 50 more stores and restaurants. Philadelphia Premium Outlets offers major brands at steep discounts," Bowman said in a statement. "And for shoppers looking for one-of-a-kind additions to their wardrobe, places like Skippack Village, Ambler Main Streets and Souderton-Telford are attractive, welcoming and walkable."

Over a video montage of four women partying their way through retail stores and outlets, the message is clear: Montgomery County's 500 restaurants, 74 hotels and six malls make it (in the opinion of Valley Forge) "the best shopping in the U.S."

Before the commercial gets to the shopping spree, it begins with a bit of humor. A young woman sitting with her boyfriend laments receiving photos from her girlfriends.

"Oh, no. Mandy keeps sending me pictures of the girls' trip to Montco," she tells her boyfriend.

Next, in big white letters come the message: "You're missing out."

Police are searching for a man accused of stealing cartons of cigarettes from a Wawa store in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. 

Police say the suspect entered the Wawa Store on 67 N. Lansdowne Avenue back on August 12 around 5:30 a.m. and removed several cartons of cigarettes from behind the counter before leaving the store. Police released several surveillance photos of the suspect. 

If you have any information on the man’s identity, please call Sgt. Ken Rutherford at 610-623-0700 or email him at krutherford@lansdowneborough.com. 

It's getting easier to buy wine in Pennsylvania.

The same new state law that expanded take-out booze sales at restaurants to include wine in addition to beer will also begin allowing Pennsylvanians to have wine shipped directly to their homes this week. The state Liquor Control Board on Tuesday approved the first direct wine shipper licenses under the new law, according to the board.

The new law allows Pennsylvania residents to have up to 36 nine-liter cases per year shopped to their homes by wine producers listed on the PLCB as direct shippers. The 36-case annual limit is per wine shipper.

Before the new law, a limited number of wineries were permitted to ship directly to homes, and other shipments had to be delivered to local Wine & Spirits stores for pickup by customers.

As of Tuesday, the PLCB granted five of 124 licenses requested for direct wine shipments under the new law, and the board is expected to approve more.

Gov. Tom Wolf called home wine shipments a "huge win" for the state.

"My goal is to modernize the sale of liquor, wine and beer in order to bring Pennsylvania's wine and spirits system into the 21st Century," Wolf said. "Allowing Pennsylvanians to have wine shipped directly to their homes is a huge win for consumers in our commonwealth."

A Philadelphia Daily News columnist has been left "mortified" after the paper mistakenly printed a photo of Simone Biles alongside her story about Gabby Douglas in Wednesday's edition.

Ronnie Polaneczky penned a column about the onslaught of mean comments Douglas has been receiving on social media during the summer games in Rio.

The piece was the Daily News' cover story, and when readers opened to the column, they found a large photo of Biles, mid-leap, smack in the center of the copy. A caption reads: 'Gabby Douglas: Olympic gold medalist, need we say more?'

"It makes you want to bash your head against a wall," Polaneczky told NBC10. "I'm mortified."

In the piece titled "She Can Vault Over the Vitriol," Polaneczky writes directly to Douglas, celebrating the young, gold-winning Olympian, saying the negative comments mean she's doing well.

Douglas has described the online hate messages about her facial expressions, her hair and how she stood during a rendition of the national anthem as "really hurtful."

Polaneczky doesn't handle the paper's layout or choose which photos are used. But she said she's trying to figure out how the mixup happened.

A photo of Biles also appeared in the online story Wednesday morning. It was quickly changed when the mistake was noticed, Polaneczky said.

The Philadelphia Daily News, like other newspapers across the country, has been saddled with declining circulation and ad revenue. There have been several rounds of layoffs amid a series of ownership changes. The paper's newsroom staff recently underwent a merger with those at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philly.com.

Last year, the Daily News laid off five of its seven full-time news copy editors.

A combined copy desk handles editions of the Inquirer and Daily News.

In a tweet, Michael Days, editor of the Daily News, apologized for the mistake.

Polaneczky hopes people still read the column even after seeing the photo, adding that she's a huge admirer of Douglas.

A gunman killed a man and injured another in the Logan section of Philadelphia Wednesday afternoon. 

Two men were on 18th and Wingohocking streets at 2:58 p.m. when a gunman opened fire. One of the men was shot once in the back of the head and once in the torso. He was taken to the Einstein Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 3:25 p.m. 

The second victim was also struck though police have not yet revealed his condition. No arrests have been made. 

The body of a New Jersey mother who has been missing since March and had been shot eight times last year has been found, and a friend of hers is one of two people now facing first-degree murder charges in her death.

Authorities say the body of Tyrita Julius, 41, was recovered Tuesday, though they did not detail the circumstances of the discovery. According to NJ.com, Julius was found wrapped in a tarp, buried in one of the suspect's backyards.

In announcing Julius' body had been found Wednesday, prosecutors said her friend, Jennifer Sweeney, 33, and Andre Harris, 32, had been arrested on charges of first-degree murder, desecration of human remains and tampering with physical evidence. Harris' connection to Julius wasn't immediately clear.

Julius had not been seen since March 8, when Sweeney supposedly dropped her off at the Long Branch train station, her mother told authorities. The mother reported Julius missing when she didn't come home.

"Significant efforts were made to bring us to the discovery we all feared – Tyrita Julius died a tragic death. Tyrita was not dropped off at the Long Branch Train Station, instead Tyrita was murdered,” Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said in a statement.

Prosecutors did not elaborate on how Julius may have died. 

Her disappearance came four months after she and her 15-year-old daughter were shot in their car by a gunman who talked with them shortly before the shooting, authorities said at the time. Julius was hit eight times in the torso and spent months in the hospital; her daughter was hit in the wrist and grazed in the face.

Friends told the Asbury Park Press that Julius had been living in fear since the shooting. 

The arrests this week came after police were seen searching Harris' home in Long Branch, the Asbury Park Press reports. Prosecutors didn't reveal what they found but said that the discovery led to the charges.

Attorney information for Sweeney and Harris wasn't immediately available.

While we know that some special events only happen but once a week, month, or year, we can't help but wishing, from time to time, that after-Christmas sales popped up more often and eclipses had a way of appearing with far more frequency.

But sometimes, if you wish extra hard, something that happens annually can make a seemingly sudden return way before you thought it possible.

Look to Slurpee's Bring Your Own Cup Day, a springtime to-do which invites fans of the frosty 7-Eleven beverage to show up with, you guessed it, whatever kind of cup they fancy, all with the aim of filling it with copious amounts of Slurpee goodness.

This year's Slurpee day occurred in late March, and fans turned up in drink-craving droves, all prepared to fill giant vessels for the price of $1.50.

Get ready, though, Slurpeens: Like an unlikely eclipse, or out-of-the-blue sale, BYO Cup Day is back on Friday, Aug. 19 and Saturday, Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

In honor of its 50th anniversary, Slurpee is bringing back Bring Your Own Cup Day, again. Show up at an 7-Eleven with an iced tea pitcher, a mondo margarita glass, coffee pot, or a jar that formerly held pickles, and fill'er up for $1.50.

There are some rules to the deal, like the fact that your cup "must fit upright through a 10-inch hole," so best leave your picnic cooler or inflatable swimming pool at home.

It should also be squeaky clean pre-Slurpee, so read all.

You're right: The snow-cold, brain-freezable sip did turn 50 this year, so the birthday celebrations continue.

And, yes, the flavors have gone well beyond the cherries and colas of long ago (though those make regular appearances, and thank goodness, because classics are classics for a reason).

Got a clean coffee pot handy? Best clear some time on your end-of-the-week calendar. After all, BYO Cup Day only happens once, or, um, twice a year.

Police are investigating a smash and grab robbery at Philadelphia Mills mall. 

Investigators say three suspects entered the shopping center on the 1700 block of Franklin Mills Circle at 10:26 a.m. Wednesday and went inside the Zales Jewelry Store. Once inside, the men began smashing the glass cases with sledgehammers. 

“It was a very scary moment,” said Maria Feliciano, who works at the nearby Signature Perfume store. “Everyone just stopped and people started to run out and I just hear these noises that sounded like gunshots but I guess they were the hammers put in the glass. I just stood there for a second and didn’t know what to do. I kind of panicked and shut my gate.” 

Police say the suspects took an unknown amount of gold and diamond rings before fleeing the store. 

“They grabbed the jewelry,” said a witness, who did not want to be identified. “They took it and put it in the bag.”

The suspects were last seen running in the mall and may have exited near the Dave and Buster’s red entrance, according to officials. Investigators say they then drove off in a silver or blue Hatchback, possibly a Kia or Toyota, with an unknown tag. 

The first suspect is described as a thin black male wearing all black clothing with a black hoody over his head. The second suspect is described as a heavy set black male wearing a red hoody and black pants. The third suspect is described as a medium built black male wearing a hoody and black pants. 

If you have any information on the robbery, please call Philadelphia Police. 

Mahaj Brown is alert and talking with visitors to his room at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children as the 10 gunshot wounds he sustained last week continue to heal, his aunt tells NBC10.

The 6-year-old was riding in his godfather's car near Ashmead Street in Philadelphia's Germantown section last Thursday night when a spray of bullets peppered the vehicle. He was hit 10 times, his family said, with at least one bullet entering his chest.

As he was being rushed to the hospital, Brown told family "I can't believe I'm shot."

At a cease fire vigil Wednesday, Brown's aunt said the boy has been taken off a breathing machine and is doing much better. Brown's mother, Laprea Brown, also said he won't be released from the hospital for another three to four weeks. She also said the boy is in good spirits despite his injuries. 

"I want to see him back to the Haji that we know," she said. "The fun-loving, outgoing kid that he is." 

Brown was one of four people hit by gunfire, which investigators believe stemmed from a turf war between two groups of men. None of the injured were intended targets, police said.

Some 40 rounds were fired down the block around 11 p.m. that night from an assault-style rifle and two handguns, police said.

So far, no one has been arrested for the shooting. The vigil focusing on stopping gun violence is the second held in the neighborhood after the shooting. Neighbors, Brown's family and police are frustrated by a lack of tips about the shootout.

Detectives said the shooters fled in a newer model Mercury Mountaineer SUV that is painted two colors and has running lights. A $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Anyone with information can contact the Philadelphia Police tipline at 215.686.TIPS.

Police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in a trash can in Wilmington, Delaware. 

Uniform Services Division officers found the unidentified woman’s body inside a trash can on the 800 block of E. 22nd Street shortly before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Investigators say the victim is an African American woman between the ages of 18 and 25. An autopsy will be performed on the woman to determine a cause of death as well as her identity. If you have any information on the incident, please call Detective Thomas Curley at 302-576-3625.

Here are the 10 things you need to know to start your day from your friends at NBC10.

TODAY'S TOP STORY

Officers Find Woman's Body in Trash Can: Police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in a trash can in Wilmington, Delaware. Uniform Services Division officers found the unidentified woman’s body inside a trash can on the 800 block of E. 22nd Street shortly before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. Investigators say the victim is an African American woman between the ages of 18 and 25. An autopsy will be performed on the woman to determine a cause of death as well as her identity.

• MORE ON THE BODY

YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST  

Thursday will kick off with a few showers in the morning but the sun is expected to return by the afternoon. Friday and Saturday are expected to be sunny with temperatures around 90. Sunday could see some thunderstorms which could bring in a cold front for Monday of 80 degree temperatures. High Temp: 89 degrees. Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.

WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY

Area Grocery Stores, Restaurants Get OK to Sell Wine: Wine aficionados — or those looking to buy wine along with their other grocery items — will be able to do so at nearly 20 Philadelphia-area grocery stores and other food-and-beverage establishments. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board this week approved up to 84 wine expanded permits, following a bill that expanded wine and beer sales in grocery stores, licensed restaurants, hotels and bars went into affect on Aug. 8. Seventeen establishments in the Philadelphia region were among the 84 that were given the OK. About 174 requests were submitted in total. Most of the Philadelphia permits are in Montgomery County, with only one in Philadelphia proper.

• MORE ON THE PERMITS

AROUND THE WORLD

2 US Swimmers Removed from Plane in Rio: Two Americans swimmers in Rio were removed from their flight to the United States by Brazilian authorities Wednesday and had their passports temporarily confiscated amid an investigation into the alleged robbery of the swimmers during the Olympics, authorities said. Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were awaiting takeoff when they were removed from their plane and briefly held at the airport, sources told NBC Sports. Attorney Sergio Viegas, who is representing the pair, said they will not be allowed to leave Brazil until they testify about the robbery. Their passports were "temporarily confiscated by a court order," a detective with the Rio tourist police department said. The move comes after a Brazilian judge issued an order to seize the passports belonging to American swimmers Ryan Lochte and James Feigen, prohibiting the Olympians from leaving the country. Lochte is already back in the United States, and his lawyer said Wednesday he's being treated like a "pawn" by Brazilian authorities to get out from under the "dark cloud around these Olympics." Feigen is still in Brazil, where Lochte's attorney told NBC he is stuck. Sources at the Rio airport told NBC that Feigen checked in online for his flight home but never arrived at the airport, where his passport would have been confiscated. Lochte, Feigen, Bentz and Conger say they were robbed at gunpoint in a taxi Sunday morning as they returned to the Olympic Village from a party, several hours after the last Olympic swimming events were held.

• MORE ON THE SWIMMERS

Bolt, de Grasse Smile at Photo Finish: Usain Bolt was cruising to another 200-meter victory Wednesday night in the race's third semifinal heat when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye that he never expected. Canadian Andre de Grasse was actually challenging him, gaining ground in the final stretch. He was even staring Bolt down, as he pulled within 0.02 seconds for a photo finish. "He was supposed to slow down," Bolt said after the race, clearly amused by the encounter. Most Olympic sprinters coast to the finish line if they know they're guaranteed to progress to the next round. Bolt laughed an shook his finger at a grinning de Grasse after they passed the finish line in first and second.

• MORE ON THE OYLMPICS

SPORTS SPOT

Phils Lose to Dodgers: The Phillies lost 2 to 7 against the LA Dodgers. Get your full sports news at CSNPhilly.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

See more Top News Photos here.

THROUGH IGER'S EYES

@__jayphilly98 snapped this cool photo of Philadelphia Brewing Co.

Have an awesome Instagram photo you'd like to share? Tag it with #NBC10Buzz.

TODAY'S VIRAL VIDEO

This couple met in Starbucks and now got engaged in Starbucks too. Watch more here.

Philly Hurdler Takes Silver: Philadelphia mother Nia Ali won the silver medal in the 100-meter hurdles Wednesday night, finishing with a time of 12.59 seconds. Ali was part of an American sweep of the final. Brianna Rollins took home gold with a time of 12.48 while Kristi Castlin took the bronze with a time of 12.61. Ali is a graduate of West Philly Catholic. Her mother Melita Johnson and son Titus watched from the stands during the race. Ali's longtime coach Daryl Murphy also watched the race from Philly and was brought to tears when she took home the silver medal. "She worked hard, she earned it and she deserves it and she made everybody here in Philly proud," Murphy said. Read more.

That's what you need to know. We've got more stories worthy of your time in the Breakfast Buzz section. Click here to check them out.