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First Alert: Warm & Sunny

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Temperatures will warm up a bit over the weekend, and the sun is expected to stick around until midweek next week. NBC10 First Alert Meteorologist Bill Henley has the full 10-day forecast.

Man Shoots, Kills Girlfriend's Ex Who Broke Into Home Twice

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A man shot his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend to death in West Philadelphia overnight after the ex broke into the woman's home twice, police said.

The ex-boyfriend, who is the father of the woman's two children, first tried to force his way into the home, on Markoe Street near Parrish in Mill Creek, through a kitchen window about 1 a.m., police said. The woman and her current boyfriend were able to push him back outside, though, investigators said.

So he found his way in a different way: A little later, police said, the man broke into the home through a second-floor window. Once inside, police say the man began to attack his ex, assaulting her. Her current boyfriend then produced a gun and shot him in the chest, police said.

He died a short time later at a nearby hospital. Police have not identified the man, only saying he is 33 years old. His two children with the woman were in the home at the time of the shooting.

Police said detectives were interviewing the woman and the children early Wednesday. The current boyfriend, who they say pulled the trigger, took off from the scene before police arrived. They're continuing to look for him and want to talk with him to get his statement.

No charges had been filed Wednesday morning.



Photo Credit: NBC10

How to Keep Kids Healthy & Happy This School Year

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It's back-to-school season, and kids will be busy in and out of the classroom with academics and extra-curriculars. But experts in the field warn it's harmful to over-schedule kids and not allow for proper downtime. NBC10's Matt DeLucia has more on how you can support your child this school year.

Attorneys to Show Findings After Venue Railing Collapse

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Attorney Bob Mongeluzzi and his legal team are expected to announce their findings Wednesday after they investigated a railing collapse at Camden's BB&T Pavilion that left dozens of people injured. Mongeluzzi has called for the venue to put a moratorium on concerts there, but it has remained open for business since the collapse during a Snoop Dogg show a few weeks ago.

Shooting Wounds Man in Grays Ferry

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A man suffered injuries when someone opened fire on him on a Grays Ferry block overnight.

Temple Welcomes Largest-Ever Freshmen Class

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Students at Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania move in this week for the new academic year. Temple's roughly 5,100 freshmen represent the largest class of freshmen ever to start at the university, chosen from the largest-ever applicant pool. At Penn, 2,500 students move to campus, with some 300 freshmen moving into the new College House in University City.

Serial Predator Assaults 4 Women in a Week in South Phila.

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A serial sexual predator is on the loose in South Philadelphia, and police say he assaulted four women in a week -- including two on the same night -- this month.

Police on Wednesday released surveillance video showing part of one of the assaults and the attacker in hopes that the public may be able to identify him and help get him off the street.

The black-and-white video, which lasts about 30 seconds, shows the man riding up behind a woman on a bicycle, reaching out and touching her inappropriately. Police say that assault occurred on Aug. 13 shortly after midnight as the 27-year-old victim walked down 8th Street near Fitzwater, in Bella Vista.

The woman screamed, and the assailant rode away on his bicycle.

Police said within about two and a half hours of that attack, the suspect was at it again, this time targeting a 39-year-old woman as she got out of her car and walked home on 13th Street between McKean Street and Snyder Avenue.

The same man is also suspected in two other sexual assaults that occurred elsewhere in South Philadelphia earlier the same week. In the first assault, police say the man approached a 24-year-old woman walking on 15th Street near Moore about 1 a.m. on Aug. 6. He committed that assault in the same way as the one in the released video, approaching his victim from behind while riding a bicycle, then touching her inappropriately and continuing on to flee when she began yelling.

A few days later, police said, the same man is believed to have struck again. In that assault, a 42-year-old woman was walking along Lombard Street between 9th and 10th when police say a man approached her from behind on a bike, touched her inappropriately and then fled west on Lombard.

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Police described the suspect as a young Latino man with a medium complexion who is about 5 feet 4 to 5 feet 6 inches tall and has short black hair. In one of the earlier assaults, he was clean-shaven and wore a turquoise polo shirt, carried a black backpack with orange sides and rode a mountain bike. In a later assault, he is described similarly and wore a multi-colored shirt, police said.

Tipsters should contact detectives at 215-685-3264 or 3265, text the police tip line at PPD TIP (773847) or call the tip line at 215-686-8477. Tips can also be submitted online here.

Police warned the man is dangerous, and said if anyone spots him, they should dial 9-1-1 and not approach him.



Photo Credit: Philadelphia Police
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Clinton’s Pa. Millennial Strategy: All About Social Networks

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When it comes to winning the race for the White House, Marlon Marshall, a top staffer for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, believes young people’s social networks are key to success.

“If I’m a millennial and I have my friend circle, for lack of a better word, I am a more powerful messenger to them than a TV ad,” Marshall, director of state campaigns and political engagement, said Tuesday during a visit to Clinton’s Pennsylvania headquarters on Market Street in Center City.

But it’s not the Facebook posts or Snapchats about why they support the former Secretary of State that he’s most interested in; rather, their impassioned, in-person chats with friends, family and neighbors.

“To have them be able to say why they personally support the secretary is something that’s just really powerful and meaningful,” he adds.

Millennials, those born between 1980 and the early 2000s, basically match Baby Boomers for their share of the electorate this year. That means the bloc can make or break a candidate’s bid for office.

Recent polling shows Clinton is enjoying healthy support among young people in Pennsylvania. According to a survey by Franklin & Marshall college earlier this month, 49 percent of those under 35 years old supported Clinton. Trump garnered 25 percent, third-party candidates like the Green Party’s Jill Stein and Libertarian Gary Johnson got support from 19 percent while 7 percent were undecided.

Nationally, Clinton’s youth support grows even larger. A recent USA Today/Rock the Vote poll found Clinton trouncing Trump 56 percent to 20 percent.

“Young people right now very much support the secretary and we want to turn that support into votes,” Marshall said.

But historically, getting Millennials to the voting booths has been a challenge.

The Pew Research Center found that only 50 percent of the eligible Millennial voters cast a ballot in the 2008 presidential election. In 2012, the tally dropped to 46 percent even though the number of Millennials who were eligible to vote had grown.

So Clinton’s campaign is heavily investing in recruiting young voters to join her ranks by growing their local operation. The ramp-up is happening as the number of days until November 8th dwindles into the 70s.

Twenty outreach staffers have been deployed college campuses across the state, with a heavy focus in college-rich Philadelphia, to interact with students as they move back for the new school year, the campaign says. They will also help first-time voters get registered to vote.

This week, three new campaign outposts will open their doors bringing the statewide total to more than three dozen.

The campaign is hiring young people from the communities they’re canvassing who can identify neighborhood businesses where potential Millennial supporters, including those who’ve chosen not to go to college or couldn’t afford it, can be found.

“Every community is different and the key is that we know those spots in each community and that we do that direct contact,” Marshall said.

All the ground game talk doesn’t mean the campaign is avoiding the digital connections.

Clinton’s campaign has begun buying digital ads targeted to young people living in Pennsylvania and heavily uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. They post everything from policy briefs to memes about her and opponent Donald Trump.

With Millennials being the most digitally-savvy and connected generation in history, Marshall says, “you gotta do both.”

As for the issue that the campaign believes resonates most with younger voters, it always comes back to the economy.

“We’ve come a long way from the recession since President Obama took office, but making sure we continue to bring jobs into America and then also reduce that income inequality, we’re finding are big issues,” he said.

Marshall said the biggest challenge will be to help young people understand where Clinton stands on the issues and turn that into actual votes.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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Fish Kill in NJ Marina

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Hundreds of thousands of dead fish were spotted floating in the waterways in New Jersey this week.

Officials said that the scores of dead bunker fish that were spotted on the surface of local waterways around the Raritan Bay in West Keansburg Tuesday were victims of a fish kill.

Department of Environmental Protection officials said the fish were likely chased into the bay by bluefish or skates, and once there the fish were killed off by low levels of dissolved oxygen in the water.

Fish were found in Natco Lake, Thornes Creek and Waackaak Creek, officials said. 

Officials said that it was the second fish kill in the waterway this week. It’s a common occurrence caused by a cocktail of warm, still waters and growing plant life.

"The temperatures have been sweltering, and you can imagine what it's like in the smaller bodies of water," said Greg Remaud, the deputy director of NY/NJ Baykeeper.

Baykeeeper officials said that tests revelaed that oxygen levels in the waterways were below the minimum concentration for fish to survive. 

“This is primarily a natural phenomenon, but it is exacerbated by polluted runoff, including fertilizers from lawns, which is why preserving stream corridors and buffers is important,” said Remaud.

Chopper 4 footage from the scene showed thousands of fish carcasses floating in the bay, mostly grouped around docks and twists in the waterway.

Officials said that most of the fish, normally used for fertilizer, will likely be washed out of the bay within two tide cycles.

There is no risk to the public from the water or the dead fish, authorities said. 



Photo Credit: Provided by NY/NJ Baykeeper

New Police Radios, at $3,600 Each, Bought for Montco Towns

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The condition of the radios used by police in Norristown became downright "irresponsible" in recent years, according to Chief Mark Talbot.

Some officers held their all-valuable communications device together with rubber bands as many of the department's radios were bought back in the late 1990s.

That changed this week when the borough became the first in Montgomery County to receive a new batch of the expensive equipment. One radio costs $3,600.

The 75 handheld radios and 14 mobile devices for Norristown are the first of 4,700 that will eventually be given out to every police, fire and EMS department in Pennsylvania's third-most populous county.

They are an integral part of a $36 million overhaul to the county emergency radio dispatch system. Thirty new or improved antennas are also being erected at locations spread out across Montgomery County to improve coverage for first responders.

"It is irresponsible if you use technology that out of date," Talbot said at a news conference unveiling the new radios Wednesday. "We are in a much better place right now."

The next police departments to receive the new Motorola radios are Cheltenham and Montgomery Township, officials said. All of Montgomery County's police departments will have new radios by the end of September. All fire and EMS departments will have new radios by October.

To listen to Plymouth Township police Chief Joe Lawrence tell it, a well-functioning radio is the most crucial piece of equipment to a cop.

"If I had to put one gun or one radio in an officer's hand, I'd put a radio," said Lawrence, who is chairman of the county Police Chiefs Association. "That's how important communication is."

The county secured funding of more than $6 million for all of the new radios through the Delaware Vallery Regional Finance Agency, and is not charging municipalities the interest that comes with the financing.

In Norristown, the radios cost $326,000.

County Commissioner Josh Shapiro said the radios are the first tangible pieces of the dispatch system overhaul that began in 2012.

"It was failing, and it had been failing for more than a decade," he said, adding that dead spots in radio coverage have also been addressed.

Twenty-nine of 30 new giant antennas have been erected or are currently in construction. The lone remaining antenna to be built is being held up by Upper Merion elected officials, the county said.

Upper Merion has disputed the county's portrayal of what has become a public battle of the antenna's construction at a state police-owned parcel along Hughes Road.

The county commissioners sent a letter to Upper Merion's board of supervisors Wednesday afternoon asking "for quick action related to a matter of Public Safety that impacts residents of Upper Merion as well as residents of neighboring communities."

Here is the full contents of the letter:

Dear Upper Merion Township Supervisors,

We are writing to ask for quick action related to a matter of Public Safety that impacts residents of Upper Merion as well as residents of neighboring communities. As you know, we have been working successfully with municipalities across the County to upgrade and improve radio service for first-responders. Montgomery County began its $36.4 million radio upgrade project more than four years ago, with input from police, fire and EMS units countywide, including Upper Merion. The system that these first responders helped craft is designed to improve communication, and in turn, the safety of the men and women who protect us all.

To date, 29 of 30 municipalities have taken action to upgrade their radios, and ensure, through the development of new or improved radio towers, that these radios will receive the signals necessary to serve the community. We’ve worked hard with these municipalities to improve public safety for county residents, law enforcement and first responders and look forward to working with you to accomplish our shared objective.

Under your leadership, you have already moved forward with the purchase of $700,000 worth of radios for the Upper Merion township police and $800,000 worth of radios for the township’s volunteer fire and EMS agencies. While this is an important first step, without the radio tower on Hughes Road, there will be numerous dead zones throughout Upper Merion and neighboring communities. Municipalities that will also have diminished coverage are copied on this letter. We estimate that there will be more than 4000 properties without proper radio coverage, including more than 800 in Upper Merion Township. The full value of your investment in radios will be unrealized because so many properties in Upper Merion Township are in areas that will not get a clear signal.

Montgomery County staff has tried to work closely with Upper Merion Township officials to ensure radio coverage for police, fire and EMS but we have been unsuccessful. For the last two years we have tried to use existing pathways in zoning and with the Board of Supervisors to get the tower approved. Along the way we have experienced numerous roadblocks to moving the project forward, culminating in your adoption on November 12 of last year of changes to the township’s zoning code, which altered the treatment of radio towers such as ours, changing it from being permissible by special exception to being categorized as a prohibited use of the land.

Regardless of these past difficulties, the time has come to ensure the public safety of the citizens we serve, and we respectfully request, as the elected representatives of your township, to take either of two simple steps to ensure this project moves forward in a timely manner:

• An amendment to the zoning code changes you adopted in November of last year, adding a conditional use in Section 1.B (§2.1) with the language “except for emergency public safety whereby permitted by conditional use” would quickly remedy the situation, and the exception would be limited strictly to public safety uses.

• Alternatively, you could grant the County the same exception you have granted yourself - Tower-based WCFs not located within a right-of-way are permitted by right on all land owned by the Township or a Township authority, regardless of zoning district”. By simply adding the text “land owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania” to the exception Upper Merion carved out for itself, the County could proceed with the zoning approval process.

We cannot further delay this important radio upgrade project, as doing so would be to the detriment of the safety of all Montgomery County residents, and at a considerable cost to taxpayers. The County will go through zoning on issues such as tower height and setback from the property line once the public safety exemption is made.

As we know, the fundamental purpose of zoning is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. We know you believe in and share in this important responsibility.

Sincerely,

JOSH SHAPIRO VALERIE A. ARKOOSH JOSEPH C. GALE

cc:

Township of Lower Merion

Borough of Bridgeport

Borough of West Conshohocken

Borough of Conshohocken

Township of Whitemarsh

Township of Plymouth

Township of East Norriton

Township of West Norriton

Michael J. Fox, MCATO

Chief Joe Lawrence, Police Chiefs Association Radio Committee

Tom Sullivan, Montgomery County Public Safety



Photo Credit: Brian X. McCrone

Woman Dies After Falling from Zip Line in Delaware

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A woman died from her injuries after she fell from a zip line course in Bear, Delaware Wednesday afternoon.

The 59-year-old woman was visiting the Go Ape Zip Line & Treetop Adventure at Lums Pond State Park on Howell School Road around 1:40 p.m. Wednesday when she fell about 40-feet from the zip line ride.

The woman was taken to Christiana Hospital where she later died from her injuries. Officials have not yet revealed her identity. They continue to investigate the incident.

The zip line course was closed for the rest of the day following the acident.

"The Go Ape team is deeply saddened by this tragic occurrence," Chris Swallow, the Director of Go Ape wrote in a released statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends and in particular to those who were on the course with her at the time. We will of course be cooperating with the authorities with regard to this incident. It would be inappropriate to comment or speculate on the circumstances of this incident until all of the investigations are completed."

Arrest in Theft of Wounded Warrior Bicycles

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Police arrested a man accused of stealing thousands of dollars' worth of bicycle equipment from the Wounded Warrior Project.

Roy Bowman, 48, was arrested and charged with theft and receiving stolen property.

The investigation began on August 13 at 8 a.m. when police responded to the Renaissance Philadelphia Airport Hotel at 500 Stevens Drive in Tinicum Township. Police were informed that a U-Haul truck in the parking lot of the hotel that contained multiple bicycles, parts and equipment belonging to the Wounded Warrior Project had been stolen. The materials had an estimated value of $37,000.

The driver of the truck told police he had parked the vehicle at the hotel parking lot around 11 p.m. August 12 and it was stolen at some point between then and the morning of August 13. The theft occurred hours before the project's annual Soldier Ride in Philadelphia.

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Police Department Major Crimes Unit received information reporting that the stolen bikes and parts were inside a garage in a home on the 4100 block of Sterling Street in Philadelphia and that the man who lived at the home drove a silver Chevy Trailblazer. Later that day, investigators went to the home and observed the Trailblazer pulling up to the back of the property. They then spotted someone removing a dark-colored Trek racing bicycle from the rear of the Chevy and placing it in the back of the property.

After obtaining a search warrant for the home, police spotted Bowman inside, investigators said. Bowman allegedly jumped up from the living room, ran towards the back of the property and then stopped after seeing officers in the back. Bowman was arrested and police recovered four of the stolen Wounded Warrior bicycles, equipment and parts valued at $8,000, according to officials.

Police continue to investigate the thefts. Anyone with information is asked to call Sgt. James Simpkins, Jr. at 610-521-3830.



Photo Credit: Philadelphia Police

Fake Black Radio Caller Sparks Controversy

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Controversy continues after a report revealed that a white producer at 97.5 the Fanatic impersonated a black man, creating a fake radio caller.

“Dwayne from Swedesboro” was a regular caller for the Mike Missanelli Show. The character, who claimed to be an African American man, often spoke in Ebonics and talked about his love for white women as well as his fear of having illegitimate children. He even had a Twitter account with a black man in the profile picture.

A recent report from Crossing Broad however reveals that “Dwayne from Swedesboro,” was actually Pat Egan, a white producer at 97.5.

“I think the fact that it was a young white kid doing sort of like the stereotype of a black guy made it a lot worse and sort of just like piled on whatever that initial shock was,” said Kyle Scott, a blogger for Crossing Broad who wrote the story.

News that the character was fake sparked a mixed reaction with some criticizing the character’s stereotypical nature.

“It just seems that there are so many racial issues going on in the country,” said Tony Marchionne of Collingswood, New Jersey. “Why do we continue to promote these stereotypes?”

Some fans of the show didn’t find the character offensive however and instead believed he was simply entertaining.

“I didn’t take it as being extremely racial at all,” said Dave Whitman of Lansdale. “I kind of saw it more as just kind of a crazy, funny guy creating a reason to talk.”

Mike Missanelli directly addressed the controversy on his show Tuesday.

“The only thing I can do is tell you that I wasn’t in on it and I had no idea about it,” he said. “If you don’t want to believe that, that’s your choice. I could tell you first hand that had I known this was a fake I would have shut it down immediately because I would’ve been sensitive to the racial undertones of it.”

It’s unclear whether anyone at the radio station will be disciplined for the character. NBC10 reached out to 97.5 for comment but we have not yet heard back. 

The Philadelphia Business Journal also reports Josh Innes, a radio host on Sportsradio 94 WIP, was fired for his comments on the controversy.

Boy, 5, Buys Lunch for South Jersey Police Officers

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A South Jersey boy with big dreams of becoming a police officer showed just how big his heart was Wednesday.

William Evertz, Jr., 5, saved his allowance for seven months in order to earn enough cash to buy a Power Wheels police cruiser. But instead of treating himself at the toy store, he decided to spend his hard-earned chore money to show his appreciation to local law enforcement.

William’s mother Tara Evertz told NBC10 her son has loved police officers since he was 2-years-old. The future officer decided he wanted to have a “kindness day” to treat officers to a healthy lunch after watching a YouTube video about a homeless person.

“Next thing you know it was, ‘I want to help the kids and I want to help the police,’” said Evertz.

William also told his mother he wanted police officers to get rest so that they could protect the community.

Wearing a blue police shirt, William walked into a Subway store Wednesday and bought lunch for the Winslow Township Police Department. Along with his mother and grandmother, William took the food and balloons to the department's headquarters where they were greeted outside by a police car, the police chief and keys to the station.

Winslow Township Police made William an honorary officer and presented the first grader with his own badges and police car stickers.

William’s acts of kindness won't end at the police station. He also plans on donating clothes, school supplies and toys to a local domestic violence shelter, food and supplies to a local animal shelter and $25 to a less fortunate family to help them with daycare expenses. 

“It just shows the type of parents he has raising him,” said Winslow Township Police Chief George Smith. “Teaching him the right things in life that normal parents should do with their children.”

For his generosity William received a special ride home from a police car with the lights and sirens blaring.

“I am so proud of him,” Evertz said. “I think all of us as a family are very proud of him and he’s just inspiring.”



Photo Credit: WCAU

Burglars Ransack Elderly Woman's Home

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Police are searching for a burglar or burglars who they say stole cash and valuables from an elderly South Jersey woman’s house.

Heather Lau told NBC10 burglars trashed her mother’s home in Bridgeton, New Jersey from the attic to the basement and even stole her underwear as well as more than $100,000 worth of items. 

“They took everything,” Lau said. “They took her life.”

Lau’s mother Bonnie Kozlarski, 72, suffers from Alzheimer’s. More than a year ago she moved from her Bridgeton, New Jersey home to live with Lau in Millville. Over the weekend, a neighbor discovered that someone had broken into Kozlarski’s home on Magnolia Avenue in Bridgeton. Officials believe the house was broken into numerous times over the past few months.

Kozlarski’s loved ones told police $70,000 in cash, $50,000 in gold coins, electronics and even depression-era silverware and plates were among the items stolen from her Bridgeton home. Many other items were destroyed.

“I didn’t remove the stuff because I didn’t want to close that chapter because I knew once I took the stuff out of there that would be the end,” Lau said. “For someone else to close the chapter for me, it just kills me. Just kills me.”

Police are currently checking with a hospital across the street from Kozlarski’s home to see if surveillance cameras captured anything on video. They’re also touching base with area pawn shops.

“It’s time to be guarded and careful with what you do with your items,” said Bridgeton Police Lieutenant Rick Pierce. “If you have money in your house I would suggest putting it in the bank.”

Kozlarski’s home has been boarded up since Saturday as her family continues to deal with the loss of items that hold a significant sentimental value.

“It’s not the value of the money it’s the value of the memories,” Lau said. “If you want to steal from someone it’s bad enough but then to destroy every piece of property that she owns, I don’t understand.”



Photo Credit: NBC10

Local Opera Group Feels Tremors Of Deadly Earthquake

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An earthquake killed dozens of people and left towns shattered in Italy, about 100 miles outside Rome in Norcia. NBC10’s Deanna Durante spoke to a group of local singers who are in Italy and felt Wednesday’s tremors.

Photo Credit: AP

"Help Wanted" At Caesars in Atlantic City

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Caesars in Atlantic City held a job fair Wednesday in hopes of staffing up and bringing jobs to A.C. Telemundo62’s Christian Cazares has more from job seekers.

Photo Credit: NBC10

NBC10 in Louisiana: Responding to Historic, Deadly Flooding

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The worst natural disaster since Superstorm Sandy has decimated parts of Louisiana, killing 13 people and destroying more than 100,000 homes. Assisting in the recovery efforts are dozens of people from the Philadelphia area.

NBC10.com's Sara Smith has traveled to Baton Rouge and will share stories of pain, loss and hope among residents and the aid teams helping them rebuild their lives.

Sara is no stranger to disaster recovery. She spent five years working for the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Her experience will give you a unique view at how recovery efforts take place following a natural disaster.

Follow Sara's dispatches from Louisiana here and on Facebook and Twitter.


Thursday, August 25

Today, I take you into the flood zone. I'll be going along with Team Rubicon, a volunteer organization made up of veterans and first responders who go into disaster areas and provide much-needed clean-up. In Baton Rouge, Team Rubicon is mucking out houses in nearly 100 degree heat every day, all day. It's a never-ending job. Team members go into houses that have been damaged by flood water and remove all of the damaged furniture, carpet, drywall and anything else that needs to go.

You may have seen piles of stuff along the roadway during President Obama's visit to the area. A lot of those piles are being made by volunteer with Team Rubicon.

Watch for more later here and on the NBC10 facebook page.

Wednesday, August 24

Full disclosure: I'm no stranger to disaster response. I spent nearly five years working as an employee for the American Red Cross. In my time as a communications specialist, I was sent to a few disasters outside of the local area, including New York and New Jersey for Superstorm Sandy and Mississippi and Arkansas for a massive tornado outbreak. So, when I was asked to go to Baton Rouge in the midst of a disaster no one seems to be talking about, there was no way I would say no. I drove in to Baton Rouge from New Orleans this morning, and it was odd, because if you didn't know there was a flood a few miles away, you wouldn't know there was a flood a few miles away. Traffic was light, businesses are open, people are doing their normal things. Thing is, there is... And it's a big one - so I'm told and so the pictures show. I, personally, haven't seen  the flooding, but stick with me, I will get there.

What I have seen is the massive gathering of resources. The headquarters of the Red Cross operation in Baton Rouge is buzzing with activity, the parking lot of the Home Depot is transformed into a relief center headed by Team Rubicon, and everywhere you turn, there are signs for donation drop offs and help for those affected. Just last night, more than 2300 people spent the night in a Red Cross shelter. I'm told the work is just beginning.

More than a dozen volunteers from the Red Cross in Eastern PA alone are here helping. They are driving supplies and meals into areas where folks are beginning to clean up. They are sheltering folks who have no where to go, they are counseling families about next steps and how to handle the realization that everything may be gone. Two volunteers from our area are even working hard to make sure the trucks that deliver food and supplies are in tip top shape for the work they must do. Mary Noll from Montgomery County will spend possibly six weeks on the job inspecting and caring for those trucks... All 97 of them that are here right now. She says she misses her family but thinks it's important to be here.

More notes from Baton Rouge to come.

Tuesday, August 23

I'm heading south to cover the Louisiana floods. Flying into New Orleans and then driving up to Baton Rouge. I'll make sure to share updates as I have them.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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Wednesday's Child: Meet Nasmeir

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Nasmeir is a child filled with energy, enthusiasm, and a love for music. NBC10’s Vai Sikahema introduces us to the family-oriented boy hoping to find his forever home.

Girl, 8, Shot in the Head in Camden

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An 8-year-old girl is fighting for her life after she was shot in the head in Camden, New Jersey Wednesday night.

The shooting occurred around 8:30 p.m. on S. 8th and Spruce streets in Camden.

"I thought it was fire crackers to tell you the truth," said Morgan Sellers who lives near where the shooting took place. "It was so many of them. It was so close by the windows I actually saw the lights. But just to hear that it's a shame. And to hear the little girl in the mix of all this get shot."

Police say the girl was shot in the head and taken to Cooper Hospital where she is in critical condition. She is currently undergoing surgery and her mother is by her side.

"I can't even imagine what she's going through at this point in time," said Camden County Police Chief J. Scott Thompson. "I assured her that we're going to do everything we can to bring the cowards responsible for this. Bring them to justice and hold them accountable for their actions."

No arrests have been made. Police are currently looking at surveillance video. Anyone with information on the shooting should call the tip line at 856-757-7042.



Photo Credit: NBC10
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