An elderly woman and her tenants in a New Jersey home escaped a close call when a mighty oak tree came crashing down on their house, destroying a kitchen in the back.
The century-old tree nearly came down on the Kearny homeowner, who's turning 94 in two weeks. The tenants living above also escaped injury.
Her daughter and son-in-law raced to the home after getting a frantic call from a neighbor.
"She was in the bathroom, literally two feet from where that branch came in through the house, on the kitchen side," said the homeowner's son-in-law Will McMahon.
The home dates to the late 1800s, according to McMahon, and has been in the family "for a while."
Heavy rain is likely to blame for weakening the soil and sending it crashing into the home. An engineer will determine if the house must be torn down.
"A tree's a tree, we can deal with that. As long as no one's hurt," said the homeowner's daughter, Nan Wagner.
The family says they had long been concerned about the weight of the tree and trimmed it back several times -- but never imagined this would happen.
As U.S. backed forces push deeper into Mosul to drive out ISIS, more civilians are getting caught in the middle. The only medical care available for many of them on the frontlines is being provided by two American volunteers, including a 27-year-old man from New Jersey.
Pete Reed from Bordentown works at what is probably the most important clinic in all of Iraq now that almost every civilian injured in Mosul is taken there. It’s the only front-line medical post in the entire city.
Reed works with another 27-year-old American, Derek Colemen from San Diego. Together the two volunteers are on a mission to save lives.
“The very first day we were here we had over 65 casualties, including twelve dead on arrival,” Colemen said.
Reed and Colemen are the first ones to give care to civilians like a woman named Farida, who was injured by shrapnel caused by ISIS firing indiscriminately into Mosul.
The 27-year-olds came to Mosul on their own, knowing the risks.
“Quit my job, sold my truck, sold most of my possessions. Came out here on a hope and a dream,” Colemen said.
The two of them initially came to Iraq to work with Iraqi forces and help fight ISIS, but they realized they could do more good saving lives.
There are 5,000 American troops in Mosul, but very few of them are allowed to leave their bases and help out on the front lines.
That’s where Colemen and Reed come in. They’ve made do with donations of medical supplies from private individuals and small organizations.
Colemen is a machinist who has basic first aid training. Reed is a former Marine who served two tours in Afghanistan.
“I still have some fight left in me. I can use my medical for good,” Reed said.
Together, they’ve treated more than 500 people. They said it’s the kids who have stuck with them most.
“Dealing with children, wounded children, dying children. We’ve had some days with half-a-dozen kids die,” Colemen said.
Despite some close calls — like when they were chased by an ISIS car bomber — they know that the people of Mosul are depending on them.
“I have every intention of staying here until the battle is over,” Colemen said.
A missing New Jersey woman who was found dead at a state forest reserve on Thursday was the victim of a homicide, according to authorities.
Essex County prosecutors said the county's Crime Stoppers are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever killed Sarah Butler and left her body in the Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange Thursday morning.
Butler, of Montclair, was a second year at New Jersey City University in Jersey City. She was reported missing to the Montclair Police Department on Nov. 23 and was last seen at a recording studio.
"NJCU is devastated by the tragic and senseless loss of Sarah Butler, whose life touched so many throughout the campus," the university said in a statement on Friday. "Our deepest sympathies go out to Sarah's family and friends during this difficult time."
Friends and family of Butler consoled one another upon hearing the news. A childhood friend, Melody, said the community was hoping for a different outcome.
Details on how or why she was killed weren't immediately available.
Police said that the Homicide Task Force is taking part in an ongoing investigation.
Investigators ask anyone with information to call the prosecutor’s tip line at (877) 847-7432.
Philadelphia dignitaries joined Wawa officials to open the newest location of the very popular convenience store chain in Center City Friday morning.
Mayor Jim Kenney took part in the 10 a.m. ribbon cutting of the 19th and Market streets location, the largest Center city store for the Pennsylvania-based Wawa.
Friday’s festivities included free coffee – of any size – for customers throughout the day as well as a charitable hoagie-building competition between Philadelphia firefighters and police officers. Wawa’s mascot Wally Goose was also in the house as Wawa officials announced a $75,000 grant to help Philabundance combat hunger.
The new location features indoor bar seating, LED lighting and USB outlets in the almost 7,000-square-foot store, said Wawa.
Ford is recalling more than 680,000 midsize sedans mainly in North America because the front seat belts may not hold people in a crash.
The recall covers certain 2013 to 2016 Ford Fusion, 2013 to 2015 Lincoln MKZ and 2015 and 2016 Ford Mondeo cars.
Ford says heat generated when the seat belt pre-tensioners deploy can cause cables to break. If that happens the belts may not hold people. Ford says it knows of two injuries related to the problem.
Pre-tensioners tighten seat belts when they sense that cars are stopping.
Dealers will inject insulation into the pre-tensioners to protect the cables from heat at no cost to owners. The recall is expected to begin on Jan. 16.
Most of the cars are in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Julie Barnyock would be 41 years old if she were alive today, instead her death investigation is more than two decades old.
Barnyock was 18 when she went missing from the Lansdale, Pennsylvania train station. Her body was found on Dec. 2, 1993 at a nearby SEPTA/Conrail freight yard.
She went missing on Nov. 8, 1993, last seen getting off an R-5 SEPTA Regional Rail Train at Lansdale Train Station after spending the day in in Philadelphia with a friend, said the Montgomery County District Attorney's office.
Barnyock's father came to pick her up but couldn't find her when he arrived. Barnyock's father went home and reported her missing the next morning to New Britain Police.
Former District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said Barnyock was seen talking to a man in his 20s after getting off the train around 11:40 that night.
Ferman said Barnyock was seen talking to a man in his 20s after getting off the train around 11:40 p.m. that night.
It wasn't until Dec. 2, 1993 that Barnyock's decomposing body was found in the adjacent train yard. An autopsy found she died of blunt force trauma to her head. The death was ruled a homicide.
Her killer has never been brought to justice.
Three years ago, investigators reopened the case and announced a $10,000 reward for anyone who leads investigators to Barnyock's killer.
"There is no such thing as a cold case in Montgomery County," said current county DA Kevin Steele Friday. "We continue to work with Lansdale Police in following up on several leads we received this year. We've interviewed hundreds of people about Julie's murder since it happened, and we've re-interviewed many in the last several years. We want to find her murderer and bring justice to this family that been grieving for 23 years now with no closure."
Steele asked that anyone with information call county detectives at 610-278-3368 or Lansdale Police at 610-270-0977.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie helped break ground on a new Trenton Central High School Friday.
Christie joined other officials at the groundbreaking along Chambers Streets in Trenton.
The school project follows years of concerns over the old, decaying building. Students have been attending classes in four different locations since 2014.
Christie said his administration is committed to not only building a new school bus fostering a positive school environment.
NBC10's Harry Hairston has a warning about fake charities that may try to take advantage of your holiday generosity. The NBC10 Responds team has tips to avoid becoming a victim of schemers.
Around the holidays, you may feel inclined to give back. But before you write a check or hand over cash, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
First, watch out for calls you may get out of the blue. The Federal Trade Commission says some organizations may try to catch generous consumers off guard. If you get a call, don’t donate right away, ask for a call-back number.
Then, vet a charity before giving. Use resources like Charity Navigator or Give.org's Wise Giving Guide to see if the charity is legit. Look for any complaints against the charity and read its tax returns to see how much money goes directly to the cause.
When talking to a charity, do ask how your donation will be used. See if you can specify where you’d like your money to go. And, make sure your donation is tax-deductible.
Last, don’t give your gift in cash. Use a credit card or write a check so your gift can be tracked.
Officials at Saint Aloysius Parish School in Pottstown made a big announcement Friday during morning Mass: The K-8 school of 283 students would be moving a couple miles to another building in Lower Pottsgrove.
The new location is actually an old building and well-known to many in the southwestern part of Montgomery County: the former Saint Pius X High School, which has been vacant -- mostly -- since 2011.
In announcing the move, Saint Aloysius said it had hit and then surpassed its ambitious goal of raising $600,000 to pay for a new roof and extensive renovations to the old Pius building.
But the building, once rehabbed, will be a great improvement for students at Saint Aloysius, according to Principal Sarah Kerins.
"We have on our current campus four different buildings. Our children have to walk outside to go to the gym, go to lunch," Kerins said. "At the Pius facility, it's all in one building. And there are sports fields there, plenty of grassy areas, a regular-size gym."
Grant money to expand the school's science and math programming will also be better utilized in the Pius building, which has science labs formerly used by high school students.
About $200,000 of the $650,000 raised will pay for a new roof, the Rev. Joseph Maloney, pastor of Saint Aloysius, said. The rest will go to renovations for a building that was built in the early 1950s.
The donations came from 205 donors during the last six months, Maloney said. A couple donations were above $50,000, he said, but most were much more "modest."
Kerins said the plan is to begin the 2017-2018 school year in the new building, so work will begin very soon.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia said in a statement that the Pius X facility "will be leased by Saint Aloysius for a nominal fee."
As for the current grade school on North Hanover Street in Pottstown, future plans are not yet known.
"Future disposition of this building has not been determined at this time," the archdiocese said, noting that the campus is owned by the parish. "It will be decided by the pastor of Saint Aloysius Parish in consultation with his parish pastoral and finance councils in a manner consistent with providing for continued parish viability and sustainability."
Saint Pius X High School was an archdiocesan school from 1953 until 2010 when the new Pope John Paul II High School was opened, the archdiocese said.
Michael Chapman, the suburban Philadelphia car dealership owner who became nationally known during Smarty Jones’ run at horse racing’s Triple Crown, lost his battle with cancer Friday. The Chapman Auto Group chief operating officer was 53.
Anthony Tigano, CFO for Horsham, Pennsylvania-based Chapman Auto, said Chapman died Friday morning in hospice care while surrounded by family.
Chapman was diagnosed with cancer in the spring, said Tigano.
Chapman’s parents Roy and Patricia, along with other members of the Chapman family became nationally known in the spring of 2004 as Smarty Jones won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes before coming up short in the Belmont Stakes. Roy and Patricia owned the Chester County-based horse.
Earlier this year, Chapman made news again when he purchased one of Pope Francis’ Fiats from his visit to Philadelphia.
Chapman worked in the auto sales business for more than three deacdes, according to a company memo.
Besides his work selling cars, Chapman and his auto group supported various community causes including the American Red Cross, Police Athletic League and Special Olympics, according to the auto group website. Chapman also earned B’nai B’rith International honors in 2005.
Funeral plans were pending Friday.
A carjacker allegedly stole a mother's keys as she walked into a New Jersey Wendy's Friday morning, then hopped into her car and drove off with her three children inside as she clung from the steering wheel in a desperate effort to save them, authorities said.
The woman was getting out of her car at the fast food restaurant in Paterson between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. when the carjacker jumped into the vehicle that also had three children -- ages 2, 4 and 5 -- inside, police say.
Police said the mother grabbed onto the steering wheel as the thief began to drive off and was dragged a short distance before the thief got away.
Police were called to the scene, and officers followed the car into neighboring Hawthorne. Officers said the carjacker ditched the car along with the children.
A few minutes later, the man was seen stealing an idling Acura MDX at a 7-Eleven. Police later tracked down the vehicle at the Garden State Plaza mall and took the man into custody, officers said.
The owner of the Acura, Miguel Lora, said that he left his car running because he was only going into the convenience store for a few minutes and it was cold outside. He said when he went back out, he was surprised to see his car missing. He looked around before going back in and telling clerks his vehicle was stolen.
"I learned my lesson," Lora said, referencing leaving his car running and unattended.
It's not clear what charges the man will face.
The children were physically unharmed in the ordeal and were taken to St. Joseph's Hospital to be reunited with their mother, who was being treated there for minor injuries.
Four universities in the Philadelphia region were among more than 100 Catholic institutions of higher learning across the country to sign a letter this week in support of undocumented immigrant students.
The presidents of Villanova, La Salle, Saint Joseph's University and Holy Family signed the letter to "express hope that the students in our communities who have qualified for DACA are able to continue their studies without interruption and that many more students in their situation will be welcome to contribute their talents to our campuses."
DACA refers to a 2012 federal policy called Deferred Action for Children Arrivals.
Officials with the universities, when reached Friday, stopped short of saying their campuses could become sanctuaries from federal authorities if President-elect Donald Trump's administration cracks down on undocumented immigrants.
A spokesman for Saint Joe's, Joe Lunardi, did say the school would follow the lead of local authorities, which for most of the campus means the self-described Sanctuary City of Philadelphia.
About one or two dozen undocumented students attend Saint Joe's, Lunardi said.
"We're not an immigration service. That puts not just college and universities, but a lot of sectors, are in a gray area," he said. "Who knows what exemptions might be involved. International students have always been treated differently by the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service)."
He said any changes in policy regarding DACA students would also likely play out over months and could be "evolving" well into the new administration.
