A local mother says she fears for her daughter’s life after the teen was beaten by a group of students on her school bus. 

Diamond Matadi, a student at Upper Darby High School, says she was attacked a little over a week ago by a gang of girls while riding the bus.

"The other girl punched my eye," Matadi said. "Water started coming from my eye."

As Matadi struggled to fight back, she says the bus driver didn’t intervene and continued to drive. Her sister, Sarah Jeah, recorded the fight. Their mother, Rosetta White, was deeply disturbed after watching it.

“She was getting killed and there was nothing I could do,” White said.

White claims her daughter showed the video to school officials which only led to more problems.

“Now she’s getting phone calls and she's being threatened,” White said. “[They’re saying] ‘if you show this video you’re going to get killed.’”

When White alerted the principal of the school, she claims he told her to “call the police.”

NBC10 tried to contact the principal but was told by his assistant that he wasn’t available. However, Dr. Richard Dunlop Jr., the Upper Darby school district superintendent, told NBC10 that the bus driver filed a report and that the students responsible were disciplined.

White claims however that the girls who attacked her daughter are still at the school. She now drives her daughters to school for fear of their safety.

“I need the school to provide some protection for my kid,” White said.

White also told NBC10 that she contacted police, requesting that the girls who attacked her daughter face charges.

 

A bill is now on the table at the Delaware State House that would cost millions but could also save lives.

State Rep. Earl Jaques (D) is proposing two-way locks on every classroom in the state.

“Every day we don’t have locks on those doors, we are testing fate,” Jaques said.

Two-way locks are currently on all the classroom doors at William Penn High School. Richard Bryson, the director of security at the school, says that in the wake of Sandy Hook and other school massacres, every school should have them.

“Everybody is counting on it not happening in our buildings,’ Bryson said. “We can’t do that. We have to plan that it may happen and be prepared.”

Proponents of the bill say that if a gunman tries to open a locked door, he’ll be more inclined to move on to a different room. This will in turn slow him down, giving first responders more time to neutralize the threat.

While many agree that placing two-way locks on classrooms is a good idea, questions have been raised regarding who will foot the $4 million bill in order to make it happen. Jaques says companies and organizations have already offered to chip in. He also hopes parents across the state will be willing to help as well.

“I have three grandchildren myself,” he said. “I’d be more than happy to donate the cost of three locks to make sure my three grandkids are safe.”

Jaques is hoping that the bill is passed this spring so that Delaware classrooms have their locks by the fall.
 

Two men are in the hospital after a shooting outside of a Chinese restaurant in the Cedarbrook section of the city.

Police say an 18-year-old man and a 22-year-old man were walking out of the Happy Dragon Chinese Takeout Restaurant on the 7900 block of Fayette Street when an unidentified gunman opened fire.

Both men were struck and the gunman fled the scene. They were taken to Einstein Hospital. Police have not yet revealed their conditions.

Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.

Also on NBC10.com:

• Man Seeks to Rescind Guilty Plea
• Bail Set at $1M for Slaying Suspect

Around 300 residents returned to their homes after carbon monoxide was detected inside a Center City high-rise Monday night.

Shortly before 9 p.m., elevated CO readings were detected inside the Casa Enrico Farnese Senior Apartment Complex on 13th and Lombard Streets. The residents were evacuated from their units and kept inside the lobby of the building.

Firefighters searched the 19-story building and Red Cross volunteers were also sent to the scene. Around 11:15 p.m., a Red Cross spokesman announced that the scene was under control. The residents later returned to their units.

No one was injured during the incident.

Also on NBC10.com:

• Passengers Evacuated After Smoke Fills PATCO Cars
• PECO Answering Questions From Customers

A man is fighting for his life after police say he was shot four times by robbers even though he gave up his money.

Investigators say a 28-year-old man was walking home from a job interview on the 1400 block of Magee Street in the Oxford Circle section of the city Monday night.

As he walked closer to his home, police say he was suddenly approached by at least two gunmen.

The suspects forced the man to the ground and demanded that he give up his wallet, which contained $500, according to police.

After taking the man's wallet, police say the suspects shot the man four times as he was lying down in the snow. The suspects then fled the scene.

The victim was taken to the hospital where he is currently in critical condition.

Police have not yet released the victim’s identity or a description of the suspects. 

The shooting took place in the same neighborhood where a delivery man was lured to a vacant home, shot and robbed two weeks ago.

Also on NBC10.com:

• Delivery Man Shot, Robbed After Being Lured to Home
• 2 Struck in Shooting Outside Chinese Restaurant
• Bail Set at $1M for Slaying Suspect
   

Two brothers are in custody and another suspect is on the loose after police say they stole over $20,000 in merchandise during a string of robberies in the city.

Police say the suspects struck the Verizon Store at 17th and Market Streets back on January 10. Surveillance video shows the three men cutting high-priced cell phones and tablets from their fixed displays before fleeing the store, according to investigators.

Police say the trio also robbed the T-Mobile store on the 2000 block of South Broad Street back on February 4. During that robbery, the suspects, who were armed with box cutters, allegedly shoved a store employee who was 4-months pregnant. Investigators say they then stole several phones and iPads worth over $2600 in all.

Last Thursday, around 3:45 a.m., police responded to a theft in progress at the T-Mobile store on 15th and Walnut streets. The officers say they spotted the men getting into a white Dodge Sedan.

After police stopped the vehicle on the 1000 block of Filbert Street, police say 24-year-old Zakee Allen along with his brother, 22-year-old Isiah Allen, fled from the vehicle.

Isiah was stopped at 10th and Ludlow Street while Zakee was apprehended at 13th and Market streets after a lengthy foot chase.

The brothers were both arrested and identified as the suspects connected to the robberies. Zakee Allen was charged with theft and robbery while Isiah Allen was charged with theft.

Investigators later connected the brothers, along with a third suspect, Shaquille Williams,  to a total of nine robberies and thefts in South Philadelphia and Center City, including the AT&T store on 3rd and Market Streets.

“They told me basically that if I moved, they would harm me,” said Phil Umidi, the manager of the store.

During the robberies, the trio allegedly stole $21,227 worth of items.

Police are still searching for Williams who is known to frequent the Norristown area, according to investigators. Officials say a fourth man may also be connected to the robberies though police have not yet revealed his identity.

If you have any information on Williams’ whereabouts, please call Philadelphia Police.

More and more homeowners are without power today as PECO continues to work around the clock to restore electricity to those hit hardest by Wednesday’s ice storm.

However, residents coming back to their homes have to go through the process of inspecting what was left in their fridge and freezer.

Many are coming home to spoiled food in their refrigerators. When the power comes back on it is important to check the temperature of the refrigerator and freezer and discard any perishable food like milk, eggs, and leftovers, that has been left above 40 degrees for more than two hours. For anything left in the freezer check each food item for ice crystals which can then be safely refrozen.

PECO is not required to offer reimbursements for spoiled food according to their media spokesperson, Cathy Engel-Menendez. Because of this, residents may be spending more money than they normally would to replace what’s in their fridge and freezer.

With another Nor’easter coming this way it’s important to know more about food safety in case the lights go out again.

The best thing to do is to keep the refrigerator doors closed as much as possible. If the door is kept closed, a refrigerator can keep food cold for about four hours according to the United States Department of Agriculture, USDA. Placing meat and poultry on a tray is also recommended to ensure their liquids do not contaminate any other food when they begin to thaw. Below are tips from the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition:

WHEN POWER GOES OUT

• Keep the refrigerator closed as much as possible
• A refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if the door is kept closed
• A full freezer will hold its temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if half-full)
• Place meat and poultry to one side or on a tray so if foods begin to thaw their juiced will not get on other foods
• If the power is going to off for a long time, buy dry or block ice to keep the refrigerator as cold as possible

WHEN POWER COMES BACK ON

• Check the temperature inside your refrigerator and freezer
• Check each item separately and discard any perishable foods that has been above 40 degrees for two hours or more
• Throw out food that has an ususual odor, color or texture
• With frozen food, check for ice crystals
• Never taste food to decide if it's safe
• When in doubt throw it out
   

Smoke alarms awakened college students early this morning sending them out into the bitter cold.

The Fire began in Jay’s Deli along Spruce Street near 13th Street in Center City Philadelphia.

The Deli is located on the ground floor of a high-rise that serves as dorms for University of the Arts students.

Fire broke out shortly after 3:30 a.m. Tuesday in the deli. Fire alarms woke sleeping students who at first thought it might have been a drill.

“I kind of thought it was my alarm going off but it wasn’t,” said student Brittany Semmel.

“Initially everyone thought it was a drill… then the fire trucks came,” said student Alexis Bixler.

The drill sent to students out on the sidewalk with temps in the teens.

“Throw on jackets, blankets, just whatever we could find – some people didn’t have shoes on – we just decided to run,” said Terra Bergamy.

Students were taken into another dorm to wait it out as it took firefighters about an hour to clear the scene.

No injuries were reported.

Firefighters didn’t immediately reveal the cause and severity of the blaze.

Acme Markets is offering a discount to customers affected by recent storms.

Through Feb. 15, the supermarket chain will offer a 5 percent coupon to customers.

• Click here to get the coupon, which is good through Feb. 15.

“All of our associates stood side by side with customers in being impacted by this storm, and we want to help customers recover as quickly as possible from this epic weather event,” Jim Perkins, president of Acme, said. Read more about this story on PBJ.com.

For more breaking business news go to PBJ.com

A crash involving a school bus and tractor-trailer backed up traffic for miles during the busy morning commute.

The bus, big rig, van and a sports utility vehicle collided around 7 a.m. along the eastbound lanes of the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) past the Roosevelt Boulevard (U.S. Route 1) in Philadelphia, Pa.

One person suffered minor injuries, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

The crash itself was minor and no kids were on the bus but the damage was done.

• Get the latest traffic from NBC10.com

Traffic backed up all the way to the Blue Route (I-476) -- causing a 60-minute delay -- in the east bound direction and slowed westbound due to a gaper delay.

The crash also caused delays along the Roosevelt Boulevard southbound approaching I-76.

The river drives, Ridge Pike, Henry Avenue and other roads could be used as alternate routes.

The wreck took about one hour to completely clear.

A group of Tennesseans bound for a pilgrimage to Israel say two Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) officers were the only ones there to help them when their airline left them stranded at Philadelphia International Airport  for nearly 12 hours this weekend.

Rev. Thad Austin, 28, said he and 31 congregants were supposed to board US Airways flight 796 to Tel Aviv, Israel at around 8 p.m. on Sunday. But, according to Austin, there were problems with the flight from the time the group arrived at the airport early that afternoon.

Austin said the airline initially informed the group about a weather delay, which pushed the boarding time for their flight from 8:20 p.m. to roughly 11 p.m. Once aboard the flight, Austin said he and the other passengers sat on the plane awaiting takeoff for nearly five hours only to be told that the flight would be canceled.

The passengers were instructed to exit the plane at around 3 a.m. Monday. It was then that Austin says two PPD officers approached the group and offered to help them.

"A couple of police officers with Philly police scoured the entire airport for any food that they could find. The gave out blankets, food, and water to folks. It was great," Austin said.

"One officer even took me on her cart to get rebooked. I probably never would've found it and I would've had to walk a mile or so to get there. They were so helpful. They were just incredible. They really went above and beyond."

Philadelphia International Airport spokesman Victoria Lupica said PPD officers are an integral part of the airport's hospitality program, which provides basic necessities to passengers who find themselves stranded there overnight.

"We have a hospitality program and our folks distribute pillows, blankets, water, and snacks; we go and search for people who are stranded and try to help everyone," Lupica said. "We’re so grateful to have the police's help with the program. They really are great with helping us."

According to Lupica, Austin's group were among 305 people that the hospitality program assisted Sunday night when numerous flights were canceled or delayed due to snow.

While Austin applauded the PPD officers and airport workers for their help, he felt that US Airways workers could have done much more.

"They could've been a lot more helpful. They just gave us an 800 number and told us we were on our own. So, we were just stranded there in the middle of the airport," he said.

"Maybe releasing people into a closed airport at 3 a.m. with no food or anything is not such a good idea. I think that at very minimum they should have offered some type of meal vouchers. We were supposed to have dinner on the flight. They offered pretzels and water; that was the only thing they gave us for the 4 to 5 hours we were on the plane. Can't paying customers have at least a little bit of consideration?"

Austin said US Airways representatives told them that the five hour delay was due to mechanical issues. Apparently, by the time the mechanical problems were corrected, the flight crew had reached their FAA duty time limits, and the airline was forced to cancel the flight.

US Airways spokesman Bill McGlashen told NBC10.com 230 commuter and mainline flights had to be canceled because of the weather.

"We apologize for the delay and any inconvenience it caused. It was just a very difficult night in Philadelphia with the weather event," he said.

McGlashen added that the plane was forced to return to the gate to let off an ill passenger and that the subsequent delays led to the crew surpassing the amount of time they're legally allowed to fly the aircraft without a break.

Austin said the flight cancellation has already cost the group hundreds of dollars in hotel and cab fare fees, and will jeopardize two or more days of the 11 day pilgrimage, which was planned nearly one year ago.

Members of Austin's group were booked on alternate flights by 8:30 a.m. Monday, but they will no longer be departing and arriving together. Austin says he's just looking forward to seeing his group reunited tomorrow.

"US Airways was finally able to get us rebooked but some of us are flying through London, some through Germany, all at different times," he said. "Hopefully, by tomorrow night we'll all be back together in Jerusalem."

A nugget of Philly technology is going the way of the Walkman, rotary telephone, Beta tapes, pet rocks, TurboGrafx 16 and phone booths.

Those little smart chip cards some of you have been using for years to park in the city are becoming obsolete.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority announced today that they will stop the sale of Smart Card this spring before stopping the use of the cards at the end of the year.

The PPA Smart Cards came about in 2001 “as a convenient alternative to coins for use in parking meters,” according to the PPA.

But with the widespread use of kiosk parking now in use the cards have become less needed.

"With the installation of over 1,000 kiosks throughout the city that accept credit cards, the demand for Smart Cards has dropped dramatically. Based on the high per-card production cost, combined with its near-obsolescence, we decided to end the Smart Card program," Deputy Executive Director Corrine O'Connor said.

The PPA will stop selling the cards on May 30 before phasing out the cards entirely by Dec. 31.

Parking kiosks will continue to accept cash and credit.

One New Jersey town is considering Saturday school during the spring semester to make up for days lost to snowstorm after snowstorm this winter.

Fort Lee's school board is set to consider the idea of using weekend half-days at a meeting Monday. A vote on the matter, if it proceeds, would come Feb. 24.

By law, New Jersey districts must be in session for 180 days of schooling. Fort Lee has two days built into its calendar, but those have been used up, along with two more.

Interim Superintendent Paul Saxton says a half-day would be four hours on a Saturday morning, starting March 15 at the earliest. The district would need four half-days to make up what it has lost so far, and could add more if additional snow days are called.

RELATED: Another storm on the way this week

Other options include using spring break days or adding days at the end of the year, but Saxton says families often have planned trips and other commitments.

"You can never make everyone happy -- I'm looking to make most people happy," he said Monday.

Saturday school would need to be scheduled around recreational programs. Students with religious observances would get excused absences.

Some students told NBC 4 New York they would rather go on Saturday than at the end of the year.

"When we are done with finals, we don't want to have school anymore," said Sultan Khan, a high school student.

--Jen Maxfield contributed to this story

It's hard out here for suburban Philadelphia communities trying to rebound after last week's ice storm.

Due to pressing demand, rock salt is hard to come by. Many area major retail stores and small hardware stores are out of stock. In addition to managing residential power loss, it's equally challenging for homeowners to maintain one's property. Rock salt is a winter staple presently with limited supply in the region.

Have you found rock salt stocked in your community? 

If so, share the location of the store you found it at by tweeting #GotSalt. NBC10 will share the information with viewers. 

• NOR'EASTER TO DUMP AT LEAST HALF FOOT OF SNOW

Another major storm is set to hit the area on Wednesday night, and is expected to dump at least of 6 inches of snow. Prepare now for the storm by acquiring supplies and pack an emergency road kit.

Viewers shared on the NBC10 Facebook Page where they've seen rock salt. Here are some and check the page for more:

Millie Sheff Duttko: Just a little tip. If rock salt can't be found, pool salt by the bag at Walmart. Works just as good.

John Kalnin: They have plenty at Ace Hardware in Newtown

Celia Bailey Crowley: Ordered it on Amazon (Prime-no shipping, came next day!). No stores had it.

Christopher Kline: J and l building materials were located in New Castle Landisville Frazer Douglasville norristown Yeadon Avondale plenty of skids

Dawn Gothie-Spei: Shop rite 24 and Oregon

Ray Santos: Home Depot on Castor Ave.

Police are searching for a gunman who killed a man and injured another in West Philadelphia.

A 23-year-old man and a 27-year-old man were on 40th and Poplar Streets on Tuesday around 3:40 p.m. when a gunman opened fire.

The 23-year-old man was struck once in the head and twice in the arm. The 27-year-old man was shot once in the right thigh.

Both victims were taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

The 23-year-old man was later pronounced dead while the 27-year-old is in stable condition.

No arrests have been made. Police have not yet released a description of the suspect.

Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.

Also on NBC10.com:

• Man Shot 4 Times After Giving Up Money
• 2 Struck in Shooting Outside Chinese Restaurant