Federal agents have requested documents from Jim Kenney's mayoral campaign, a mayoral aide confirmed Friday.
The request was not made of the city, but rather, from the campaign committee that helped Kenney win the mayor's office last November, the mayor's spokeswoman, Lauren Hitt, said Friday.
Jessie Bradley, a representative with Kenney's campaign, confirmed the FBI requested documents saying they "are fully complying with the request."
Bradley would not say what types of documents were being provided citing a confidentiality request by authorities.
The document appeal comes weeks after the FBI raided offices and homes of powerful electricians union boss John Dougherty, a key Kenney supporter and Democratic power broker. Agents also searched the office of Councilman Bobby Henon.
No one has been charged with a crime and Dougherty denies any wrongdoing.
An FBI spokeswoman offered no comment on the situation.
Kenney took office in January after serving for two decades as an at-large city councilman.
Kyung Kim was home with her dog when the flood waters began to rise in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Within a few hours, more than 2 feet of water filled the first floor of the home along Bourque Road. The lights went out and for three days she sat in the dark, watching snakes and catfish swim by her door.
At one point, people came by with a boat offering her a way out, but she didn't want to leave. Her husband, Steve, was away in Colorado and she was worried about the house.
"I told them no, I was staying," she said. They did help her charge her phone, though, so she could keep in touch with relatives.
Knowing the dire situation at home, Steve jumped on a plane for Baton Rouge -- about 60 miles west of Lafayette.
He took a cab from the airport, but while the water had receded from the Kims' neighborhood, the road leading there was still inundated.
Desperate to get home, Steve waded, for a mile, through snake-infested waters.
"I saw him coming," Kyung explained, holding up her arms over her head, "with water up to here," she said gesturing to her chest.
The Kims moved to the United States from South Korea in 1999. Kyung runs a salon nearby. It's the couple's only source of income.
She says as soon as the water receded, she began scrubbing the house.
"I had no idea you had to do all that," she said pointing to the pile of debris on the side of the street. Thing is, if you don't rip out everything touched by the flood water, mold can take over the home.
On this Friday, the Kims have extra help in the clean up. Volunteers from Samaritan's Purse, a North Carolina-based Christian disaster relief organization buzz around like bees in bright orange shirts.
It's just one job site of more than 3,500 that have been requested by those affected by the flooding across the state.
Among the volunteers were Drew and Pat Alexander from Aldan, Pennsylvania, a small suburb in Delaware County.
"We both have a spirit for serving people in a time of need," Pat says of why she and Drew drove 20 hours south to help. "Some people run from disaster, we seem to run to disaster."
The Alexanders have been married 34 years and volunteer with multiple organizations together.
"We're at just about every disaster we can get ahold of," Drew explains. "We know the need is there and we have some ability to be able to help to ease people through those difficult times they're experiencing. That's our mission in life."
The Kims also met with a FEMA adjuster this day. They hope for some help from the government to rebuild. They, like so many others, don't have flood insurance.
Standing among the mess, Kyung feels grateful.
"I'm so lucky, look at all those cars, all those people helping us," she said.
Her thoughts about the volunteers is heartfelt, but unfortunately the work won't be over once they leave.
A large crowd expected next month at a public meeting on Cheltenham's troubled sewer system has led township officials to book the high school's theater.
The special meeting to discuss proposals for fixing the century-old system, including possibly selling off the 120 miles of township-owned collection pipes, will be held Sept. 28 at the Little Theater inside Cheltenham High School, officials said in a statement on the municipal website Friday.
In addition to plans for the publicly-owned system, the township's board of supervisors will also discuss ongoing proposals for privately-owned sewer laterals at the 7 p.m. meeting. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has mandated that Cheltenham and its residents upgrade the township-wide sewer system because it has fallen behind runoff and overflow standards.
But the costly upgrades, both to the public coffers and to property owners, have proven difficult for local elected officials to implement.
Since May, the township board of supervisors have twice delayed voting on proposed legislation to begin mandatory inspections of all private laterals. Those are the pipes connecting private property owners to the public system.
Township Manager Bryan Havir told NBC10.com in May that bringing the public system up to state standards could cost as much as $80 million over the next decade.
Replacing private laterals, which in many homeowners' cases date to the early 20th century and are made of now-crumbling terracotta, could cost up to $10,000, officials have said. The cost to property owners depends on the size of the property, particularly the distance from inhabited structures to the street.
In the statement posted Friday, the township once again explained the dire situation facing the long-neglected system: "Like a lot of inner-ring communities, Cheltenham’s sewer infrastructure is showing its age. ... Over time, pipes can crack or break, joints can separate, and tree roots can cause blockages. Such defects can allow clean rain and groundwater to enter the sanitary sewer system, which unnecessarily inflates the sewage treatment costs and can overwhelm the system. If the problem is left uncorrected, sewage can back up into homes and businesses, and overflows can pollute waterways."
The township has proposed charging property owners for inspection fees, which officials have said would allay the cost to have every property's laterals inspected.
The initial proposals have called for inspections to begin in the neighborhoods of Cheltenham Village and Glenside as early as this fall. But after township supervisors opted to hold a public hearing late next month, that timeframe has become less likely.
With about 15,000 parcels in the township, inspections will take seven to eight years. After the first two neighborhoods, the township's proposal called for inspectors to next canvas the Wyncote and Melrose Park East sections. The schedule beyond that was never publicly announced.
As local officials have done in recent months, they reiterated Friday that the state DEP is requiring the expensive overhaul.
"Over the years the township has taken multiple steps, and continues to act, to address the issue within publicly owned pipes and via illegal sump pump disconnects," the posted statement said. "The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is requiring Cheltenham officials to prioritize a comprehensive assessment program and repair of private laterals, the small, privately-owned lines that connect homes, businesses and institutions to the sanitary sewer mains."
The Montgomery County town is part of what state officials have described as a $30 billion infrastructure problem for Pennsylvania. State Rep. Steve McCarter (D-Glenside) said "inner-rim suburbs" -- those bordering metropolitan areas like Philadelphia -- across the state face similarly dire situations.
"Nobody wants to talk about what’s underground and out of site," McCarter said. "But it’s going to cause a lot of consternation and disruption."
Friends and family are mourning a Salem County woman who died in a house fire overnight.
The fire started at the home of 45-year-old Tasha Roots on North 7th Street in Salem City around 2 a.m. Friends and neighbors tried to get Roots out of the home by breaking windows but the flames were too intense.
"When I came out here I could barely see anything but there was a lot of smoke in the air," said Ah'zhane Bell, Roots' friend. "Flames were coming from under the door. People were trying to get in there to save them but, you know, the flames were too much."
Firefighters were able to control the blaze. They later found Roots’ body inside the house.
Family members told NJ.com Roots lived in the home with her two sons who were not there at the time of the fire. Relatives also said Roots was a railroad laborer and described her as a “happy, special person.” Friends told NBC10 they had seen her only a few hours before the deadly fire.
Officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire. They continue to investigate.
Police are searching for a man who they say was caught on surveillance video robbing a woman at gunpoint at a SEPTA station early Friday evening.
Police say the suspect approached a woman Friday at 6:15 p.m. on the westbound platform of the Market-Frankford Line Girard Station. The unidentified man pointed a gun at the woman and demanded her purse, officials said. He then fled the station.
If you have any information on the suspect’s identity please call 215-580-8111 or 911.
A full schedule of road closures has been announced for the 2016 Budweiser Made in America Festival on September 3 and 4. Gradual road closures are set to begin Sunday August 28 for the music event which takes place in the heart of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The schedule of road closures is as follows:
Sunday, August 28:
Two lanes of Eakins Oval in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum will be closed starting at 7 a.m. and will continue though 11:59 p.m. on September 6.
Monday, August 29:
Spring Garden Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be closed starting at 7 a.m. and will continue through 5 a.m. on September 6.
Tuesday, August 30:
Parking will be prohibited on Pennsylvania Avenue from 22nd Street to the south side of 23rd Street, as well as Park Towne Place from 22nd Street to the north side of 24th Street starting at 7 a.m. Restrictions will continue through 11:59 on September 6.
Wednesday, August 31:
Inner lanes of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 20th Street and Eakins Oval will be closed starting at 10 a.m. and cross traffic on numbered streets will be permitted. The closure will continue through 5 a.m. on September 6.
Thursday, September 1:
22nd Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be reduced to one running lane starting at 7 p.m. and the closure will continue through 5 a.m. on September 6.
Friday, September 2:
The following streets will be closed starting at 10 a.m. :
- Outer lanes of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 20th Street and Eakins Oval
- 23rd Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- 22nd Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Park Towne Place
- 21st Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Winter Street
- Kelly Drive outbound from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Fairmount Avenue
Starting 10 a.m. September 2, traffic headed inbound to Center City from Spring Garden Street Bridge or Martin Luther King Drive must exit Eakins Oval on the 24th Street ramp. Traffic headed inbound on Kelly Drive mist exit Kelly Drive at Fairmount Avenue.
Saturday, September 3:
All road closures around the festival site will begin at 10 a.m. and remain through the duration of the event. The complete list of closures and no parking restrictions is outlined below:
- The entire width of Benjamin Franklin Parkway, beginning at 20th Street extending through Eakins Oval and behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art
- 21st Street between Winter and Spring Garden Streets
- 22nd Street between Race Street and Fairmount Avenue
- 23rd Street between Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Fairmount Avenue
- 24th Street between Fairmount and Pennsylvania Avenues
- Spring Garden Street between 20th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway, including the Spring Garden Street Tunnel
- Kelly Drive between 23rd Street and Fairmount Avenue
- Martin Luther King Drive between Falls Bridge and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- Pennsylvania Avenue between Hamilton and Fairmount Avenues
- 2000 block of Pennsylvania Avenue between the Whole Foods store and 21st Street
- Park Towne Place between 22nd and 24th Streets
- I-676 westbound off-ramp at 22nd Street
No Parking:
- South side of Pennsylvania Avenue between 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue
- Both sides of Winter Street between 20th and 22nd Streets
- East side of 20th Street between Vine and Callowhill Streets
- Both sides of 21st Street between Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Race Street
- Both sides of 22nd Street between Winter and Spring Garden Streets
- Both sides of the street at Park Towne Place between 22nd and 24th Streets
The City of Philadelphia Mayor's Office reminds folks that delays can be expected during the course of the event build and on the dates of the event. Motorists are advised to avoid the area by using alternate routes and adding extra driving time in the areas near the concert.
All roadways will be open prior to morning rush hour on September 6 with traffic patterns returning to normal. Some low-impact parking and travel lane restrictions will remain in place until 11:59 on September 6.
Thousands of people turned out Saturday to give Olympic Gold medalist Laurie Hernandez a hero's welcome in her New Jersey hometown.
The 16-year-old gymnast traveled to the gathering in Old Bridge in a motorcade that included police, local officials and gymnastic groups.
The event culminated with a ceremony at a school football field where residents packed the bleachers, many cheering and holding signs praising Hernandez's efforts.
Hernandez won gold and silver medals in Rio de Janeiro. She was the youngest member of the five-person U.S. Olympics gymnastic team.
Her teammate Aly Raisman was also treated to a festive welcome Saturday in her hometown of Needham, Massachusetts. The Boston suburb hosted a "Rally for Aly."
Raisman won two individual silver medals and a team gold medal in the games that wrapped up earlier this month in Rio de Janeiro.
At least one person died in an Atlantic County house fire Saturday.
The fire started at a home on E. Yorkshire Avenue and Bay Drive in Northfield, New Jersey. One person was killed in the blaze according to an NBC10 source.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
A 2-year-old girl is fighting for her life after she almost drowned in a pool Saturday.
The girl was found in an above-ground swimming pool at a home on the 100 block of Prospect Road in Winslow Township, New Jersey. She was taken to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where she is currently in critical condition.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
A man was killed while another is in the hospital following a double shooting in the Brewerytown section of Philadelphia.
The 25-year-old man and 45-year-old man were on the 1700 block of N. Newkirk Street at 9:24 p.m. Saturday when a gunman opened fire. The 25-year-old man was struck once in the chest and the 45-year-old man was struck once in the chest as well. They were both taken to Hahnemann Hospital.
The 25-year-old man was pronounced dead at 10:15 p.m. Officials have not yet revealed the 45-year-old man’s condition.
The shooting occurred around the same time a 24-year-old man was shot in the head on the 1900 block of Colonial Street in West Oak Lane. He was taken to Einstein Hospital where he is currently in critical condition.
No arrests have been made in either shooting.
Debra Guedry has lived in her Denham Springs, Louisiana, home for 10 years. She didn't want to leave when the flood waters came knocking on her door.
"We watched it," she said. "The water was pouring into the neighborhood. You could just see it. But my daughter said, if we don't leave now, we won't get out at all."
The flooding devastated a swath of Louisiana near Baton Rouge, blamed for 13 deaths and displacing thousands, like Guedry and her husband.
Along with their daughter, they rushed around to place furniture up onto risers or chairs in hopes of saving it before a neighbor took them to safety in his boat.
Guedry had promised her elderly neighbors she wouldn't leave without them, and convinced the neighbor with the boat to rescue the older couple as well.
The six of them floated down the street of their immaculate 40-home community out over the 6-foot high wrought iron entrance gate and down the road until the boat couldn't go any further.
When the family and their neighbors had to abandon the boat, Guedry, who stands a slight 5-foot-4 at best, said the water was up to her chest and she was worried about her elderly neighbors.
"All I could think was, the water was going so fast," she said. "How are we going to keep them standing?"
They interlocked arms and waded out.
"We're fortunate we all survived it," Guedry said as she stood on the back porch of her home, where the family has collected the items they think can be salvaged, including a gorgeous wooden king-sized bed frame, a wardrobe and a coffee table.
Guedry's newly married daughter Erin Cleveland said they were trapped because the interstates and roads leading to her home and any other relatives' homes were all blocked. The family, along with Cleveland's husband Ryan, camped out at Cleveland's photography studio on air mattresses for three days until they could get out.
On Saturday at dinner time, Red Cross trucks drove through the streets announcing hot meals. It's one of the many organizations providing help following the devastating flooding. Guedry had a bucket with a Red Cross on it, saying it was topped off to help them clean up. She's thankful for any help that comes by as the four of them work tirelessly to get the home ready for repairs.
"It's been a whirlwind of emotions," Cleveland said, holding two hot meals she just took from the truck. "It just came out of nowhere."
Cleveland said they really had no warning that the water would reach them the way it did.
Cleveland's home stayed dry and that's where the Guedrys are sleeping, on their daughter's sofa and chair until they find a more permanent solution.
While the family said they're working night and day, it could be a year before they're back in their home, and they know it will be a house without furniture.
Their flood insurance will only cover the structure, not the contents, which are piled over six feet high along the curb.
It's a story told over and over along the streets of so many towns in Louisiana reeling from a deadly and devastating flood.
