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Here's How NORAD Tracks Santa on Christmas Eve

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Santa's expected to enter North American airspace half an hour before Christmas Eve, at 04:30 Zulu time, according to the mission team in Canada charged with tracking his trip around the world this weekend.

That's right, Canada helps the U.S. out with tracking Santa's present-delivering flight. The North American Aerospace Defense Command, run jointly by the two nations, does it each year live online.

Part of the team is based in Canada, and it's "one of the coolest jobs in the world," says Maj. Gen. Christian Drouin, commander of the Canadian NORAD Region, in a YouTube video that explains just how the tracking gets done.

Anyone can follow the journey online with the Santa tracker website — it's live now and begins tracking Father Christmas early Saturday morning — but only a select few actually escort Mr. Kringle into North American airspace. That'd be a pair of Canadian fighter jets based out of Quebec, Drouin and his team explained.

Santa and the military communicate with a direct land line, and when he visits the Canadian NORAD Region headquarters in Winnipeg, he gets to sit in Drouin's chair in the briefing room. "Nobody else sits there but me!" Drouin exclaims.

NORAD monitors North American airspace for missile attacks and other unauthorized objects in the sky, and Drouin says the same technology keeps tabs on Santa's present-laden sleigh.

"Let me tell you a secret: Rudolph's nose glows on our radar. We can see the red nose from miles away," Drouin said, confidentially.

There are other videos already live on the tracker website, along with games, music and more. As usual, "Santa Cams" will stream videos as Saint Nick begins his route, and starting at 6:01 a.m., trackers can call 1-877-HI-NORAD or email noradtrackssanta@outlook.com and ask an operator for Santa's exact location.

Fifteen hundred people are ready to answer phone calls and emails, while more than 9 million unique visitors visit the website from upwards of 200 countries and territories worldwide, NORAD says.

The tracking service began 61 years ago, when a misprinted phone number in a newspaper ad directed children thinking they had Santa's direct line to dial an Air Force base in Colorado that hosted the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center, now NORAD.

The commander on duty played along, checking the radar for signs of Santa for each of the inquisitive kids, and a tradition was born. 



Photo Credit: NORAD
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108-Year-Old Montco World War II Veteran Passes Away

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A 108-year-old World War II veteran from the Philadelphia suburbs who attended the yearly Veterans Day breakfast at the White House in November has passed away.

William Mohr of Hatboro died on Sunday, December 18 surrounded by his family, caregivers, an Irish priest from his family’s home town and Santa, who visited him at the hospital during his final hours.

“My dad was an inspiration to all who knew him,” said Mohr’s daughter, Jodie. “A few moments in his presence would melt your heart. Always a smile, always a kind word.”

In November, Mohr made headlines when he was invited to the 2016 Veterans Day Breakfast at the White House. Mohr traveled to DC with two of his children, Jodie and Rick, where they met other veterans, current members of the military and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Mohr and his family also met President Barack Obama and took photos with him in the Blue Room of the White House.

“Meeting a sitting President was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for our father, who was a true patriot,” said Mohr’s family in a statement.

Born in 1908, Mohr was one of the oldest surviving World War II veterans in the United States and the oldest resident of Hatboro, Pennsylvania. Mohr was an army sergeant with the 45th Infantry Division and served in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany and was a part of the unit that helped liberate the Dachau Concentration Camp.

“We would like to thank all the veterans who supported my dad in his final days,” said Mohr’s family. “Greatest thanks go to his team of caregivers who would never leave his side. They made his life and his final days so joyful.”

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that contributions be made to Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation.



Photo Credit: Mohr Family

'Standoff' Could Make PA IDs Invalid for Flights Come 2018

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Boarding a plane is going to get a lot more complicated for Pennsylvania residents come January 22, 2018 (as you've probably heard), and PennDOT officials say you should look to none other than state legislators to fix the problem before the deadline.

 

Pennsylvania has a law on the books that PennDOT says is preventing it from making the necessary enhancements to driver's licenses and state ID cards to bring them into compliance with federal standards. PennDOT spokesman Rich Kirkpatrick said the federal requirements are generally technical and have to do with the state's license-issuing processes. Although Pennsylvania IDs do boast a number of security features, the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning letter to PennDOT last week: Comply with the federal "REAL ID" law standards, or else.

Regulations for Pennsylvania ID holders begin to go into effect Jan. 30, 2017, when the feds warned that Pennsylvania licenses would no longer be accepted as identification to get into federal facilities like military bases and nuclear plants (they will, however, still be accepted to obtain federal benefits and get into buildings to do so). The more sweeping and worrisome regulation goes into effect a year after that, on Jan. 22, 2018, when Pennsylvania IDs -- as things stand now -- won't be accepted by the Transportation Security Administration to board flights.

So why doesn't PennDOT just fix everyone's ID before that?

The short answer, Kirkpatrick said, is that their hands are tied. Pennsylvania enacted the REAL ID Nonparticipation Act in 2012 saying the state would not comply with the federal government's "REAL ID" requirements. So, Kirkpatrick explained to NBC10 on Tuesday, PennDOT is barred from making the necessary changes to comply.

The state's noncompliance act is brief -- it's only 20 lines on the Pennsylvania General Assembly's website -- but it challenges the "constitutionality and legality" of the federal government's REAL ID Act of 2005.

Kirkpatrick said that law is what's stopping PennDOT from fixing Pennsylvanians' IDs.

"The federal government is telling us, 'PennDOT, you need to take additional steps,'" he said. "And we, of course, can do nothing, because there is a law on the books that says we're not allowed to do anything. So it's kind of a standoff between the federal government and state government at this point, and it's up to the legislature to decide whether they want to rescind [the Pennsylvania law] or take the consequences."

Kirkpatrick said the ball is in Pennsylvania's court to fix this before it causes a headache for its residents. He said the costliness of the added security features required in the federal REAL ID law has been among the state's concerns, and although he didn't have an exact figure for how much it could potentially cost, he called it "substantial."

Pennsylvania can, though, buy more time from the federal government (the state has already been operating on an extended deadline for compliance with REAL ID laws) -- if the state is willing to demonstrate that it's committed to correcting the ID problem. Other states not yet in compliance, including New Jersey, have obtained longer extensions.   

"Pennsylvania may request an extension if there are new developments or additional information regarding your jurisdiction's progress towards meeting outstanding requirements, the reasons that these standards remain unmet, and the reasons for continued noncompliance," the Department of Homeland Security wrote in an Oct. 11 letter to Kurt J. Myers, PennDOT's deputy secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services. NBC10 obtained a copy of the letter.

Kirkpatrick said if the state quells the feds' request to be granted an extension, Pennsylvanians could be spared from the hurdle of having to get a passport or some other TSA-approved ID to fly come 2018.

"What constitutes that is really up to the federal government," he said. "But at this point, because of the state law that's on the books, PennDOT can take no additional steps. So that's kind of the dilemma we're facing."

A spokesman for Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday said that the federal REAL ID requirements "amount to an unfunded and unnecessary federal mandate," but echoed Kirkpatrick on the state law preventing compliance.

He said Pennsylvania citizens would be "unfairly burdened" if the state doesn't comply with federal standards. "We are hopeful to work with the legislature regarding this matter."



Photo Credit: NBC10
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'Active' Investigation into Montco Doctor's Prison Death

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No details about the death of Dr. David S. Kennedy while in custody at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility last weekend have yet to be released, and authorities say there remains an "active investigation."

Kennedy, 48, who operated a medical practice in Pennsburg called Personal Care Pediatrics, had been in custody at the county prison on charges of child pornography since his arrest Nov. 28.

All that is known about his death is that it was at the county prison in Eaglesville and at 3:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 18. The county coroner's office did perform an autopsy later that day, but Deputy Coroner Alex Balacki said Wednesday that no report will be issued until a toxicology report comes back, which isn't expected for a few weeks.

"We don't release preliminary findings," Balacki said, declining to say where Kennedy was found dead inside the prison.

Spokeswomen for the District Attorney's office, which is leading the investigation, and the county Commissioners, who oversee the prison, also declined to give any details of Kennedy's death.

District Attorney spokeswoman Kate Delano said, "We don't comment on an ongoing investigation."

County spokeswoman Lorie Slass said the county doesn't comment on "an active investigation by the DA or coroner."

None of the officials would describe the nature of the investigation.

The defense attorney listed on Kennedy's criminal docket did not immediately return a message left at his Bucks County office.

Kennedy was being held on $250,000 for allegedly having photographs of underage children on his phone.



Photo Credit: Montgomery County DA's Office

Troopers Chase Suspect Through Philly and Delco: Police

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A suspect is in custody while another is on the loose after they allegedly led police on a chase through Philadelphia and Delaware County.

Police say they tried to pull over a vehicle on Aramingo Avenue in Philadelphia around 1 p.m. Wednesday and learned the car had been stolen in New Castle, Delaware earlier in the morning. The driver allegedly fled the scene however.

State troopers pursued the suspect through Philly and along I-95 in Delaware County. During the chase, the suspect allegedly sideswiped the pursuing troopers. The officers deployed stop sticks which slowed the car down and pinned the vehicle in. The chase finally ended on I-95 South near the Highland Avenue exit in Upper Chichester. No troopers were injured during the pursuit.

While police took the driver into custody, a passenger inside the vehicle fled the scene on foot. Police believe he ran into a wooded area.

Police have not yet released the identity of the driver but say he is from Wilmington, Delaware. They continue to search for the second suspect.



Photo Credit: NBC10

Cancer Survivors Win Dream Wedding

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A South Jersey couple just won a free wedding! NBC10 has more on the two cancer survivors who will have the wedding of their dreams in 2017.

Photo Credit: NBC10

Ikea to Pay $50M to Families of Kids Killed by Dressers

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Ikea will pay $50 million to the families of three children who were killed by dressers that tipped over.

The Philadelphia-based firm Feldman Shepherd Wohlgelernter Tanner Weinstock Dodig LLP announced Wednesday it had settled wrongful death lawsuits filed against Ikea for $50 million.

The firm represents the families of Curren Collas of West Chester, Pennsylvania, Camden Ellis of Snohomish, Washington, and Ted McGee of Apple Valley, Minnesota.

Collas, 2, died in his West Chester home in February 2014, when Ikea’s MALM six-drawer dresser tipped over and fell on top of him, fatally pinning him against his bed.

About four months after Collas’ death, a three-drawer MALM dresser tipped over and fell on top of Ellis inside his Washington State home. Ellis was placed on life support, which was discontinued on June 15, 2014, only a few days after his second birthday.

McGee, 2, died after a six-drawer MALM dresser fell on top of him inside his bedroom in Minnesota.

A lawsuit from the families filed against Ikea stated the unsafe design of the MALM dressers made them inherently unstable and easy to tip over. The lawsuit accused Ikea of refusing to meet voluntary national safety standards for stability of chests and dressers. The lawsuit also accused the company of being aware of other deaths and injuries caused by their furniture that tipped over yet still refusing to redesign its products.

“It was not until after the death of Ted McGee that Ikea finally agreed to stop the sale of its defective furniture and recall the MALM and other models of chests and dressers which failed to meet minimum standards for safety and stability,” a spokesperson for Feldman Shepherd Wohlgelernter Tanner Weinstock Dodig LLP wrote.

Ikea issued a recall on the MALM dresser on June 28, impacting 29 million furniture units.

The $50 million will be divided up evenly among the three families. As part of the settlement, Ikea agreed to donate $50,000 to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Collas’ memory, $50,000 to a children’s hospital in Washington State in Ellis’ memory and $50,000 to a children’s hospital in Minnesota in McGee’s memory.

Ikea will also donate $100,000 to Shane’s Foundation NFP, a children’s safety organization, and will only sell chests and dressers in the United States that meet or exceed the requirements of the national safety standard for clothing storage units. Finally, as part of the settlement, Ikea will increase funding for its “Secure It” program which raises awareness on the risk of furniture tip-overs.

Curren Collas’ mother Jackie Collas sent a statement to NBC10 about the settlement.

“I am so proud that we were able to negotiate such great terms,” she wrote. “To know that my little boy was able to help save so many children makes my heart happy.”

NBC10 reached out to Ikea for comment. We have not yet heard back.



Photo Credit: Handout

Boy Who Received Double Hand Transplant Making Progress

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More than a year after becoming the first child to receive a double hand transplant at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Zion Harvey is making remarkable progress. Doctors say the 9-year-old Baltimore boy is making strides every day.

Vigil Held for Boy Who Died in Cobbs Creek Fire

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Dozens gathered to remember a young boy who died in a fire in the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia last week. The vigil was held for 11-year-old Elliot Jenkins outside the Millick Street home where he lost his life.

Photo Credit: NBC10

Forklift Crashes Into Unmarked Police Vehicle

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Philadelphia police say a pair of detectives barely escaped injury after a forklift crashed into their vehicle.

The detectives were traveling in an unmarked police car Wednesday night on the 1600 block of Carpenter Street when a forklift driver somehow lost control and crashed into their vehicle.

The impact shattered the driver side windows of the police car. Amazingly however, neither the detectives nor the forklift driver were hurt in the crash.

Officials say if the forklift had struck a few inches away from where it hit the detectives could have been seriously injured. Officials continue to investigate the accident.



Photo Credit: NBC10

Elf Mailman Brings Christmas Cheer

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One postal carrier makes his way through the streets of Salem County dressed in his most festive gear. NBC10’s Tim Furlong found out how the ‘Elf Mailman’ has made getting the mail more fun than ever for people along his route.

Eagles Fan Keeps Winning Free Tickets to Home Games

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Philadelphia Eagles fans will be out in full force Thursday night at the Linc when the Birds take on their division rival the New York Giants. Among those fans in the stands will be Kyle Lloyd who thanks to a mixture of diligence and good timing, has been to almost every Eagles home game this year without paying a dime. 

“I feel like they’re my season tickets,” Lloyd told NBC10.

Lloyd says he’s simply taking advantage of an Eagles fan contest on Twitter. Every week, during “Fan Friday,” Swoop, the team’s mascot, appears at a local establishment with a pair of tickets to an Eagles home game. After Swoop’s location is revealed through social media, the first fan to show up and high-five the mascot while saying “fan Friday,” gets the tickets for free.

Lloyd, who diligently keeps track of the Eagles twitter account, has become an expert when it comes to the contest.

“It’s been brought to my attention that I’ve won more than ten times,” Lloyd said. “I guess it’s like thirteen or fifteen.”

Lloyd has taken desperate measures to win the contest. He told NBC10 he once drove two hours through three states.

“I ran across the street and almost got hit by a car and high-fived Swoop,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd said he even won tickets on his wedding anniversary though he admits he took his wife to see Wicked on Broadway to make up for it. Of course, he also managed to get the Broadway tickets for free as well.

“I like to enter contests,” Lloyd said. “I’m a family man and like to have a good time.”

Lloyd’s devotion to his family grew even stronger after his father-in-law, a huge Eagles fan, passed away in the summer. Lloyd now carries on the tradition of taking his entire family to see the Eagles play.

“It’s a family affair,” Lloyd said. “We all go. I have a list of people that are going to go next.”



Photo Credit: Philadelphia Eagles

Dashing All the Way: USPS Braces for Busiest Delivery Day

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Expecting a package today? You're not alone — the U.S. Postal Service expects Thursday to be its busiest day for deliveries all year. 

Thirty million packages are expected to be dropped off at homes and offices around the country, according to the USPS's projections. That's roughly one package per every 10 people in the United States, and it doesn't account for packages delivered by UPS, FedEx and other shippers. 

The busiest projected delivery day comes three days after what USPS estimated would be its busiest mailing and shipping day. 

It all caps off an exceptionally busy holiday period for the nation's post offices. 

About 16 billion cards, letters and packages were projected to be delivered throughout the holiday season, which stretches from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve. That includes 750 million packages, up 12 percent from 2015.

And it's not too late to get a package delivered before Christmas — the last day the USPS recommends you can ship packages by to make sure they arrive by Saturday is Friday, though you'll have to use the Priority Mail Express service.



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News

Inferno Devours New Jersey Furniture Store

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Firefighters were battling a large blaze at a furniture store in New Jersey on Wednesday morning.

The blaze at the store on John F. Kennedy Boulevard in North Bergen broke out at about 11:45 a.m. and quickly engulfed the building. 

Chopper 4 footage showed a thick black plume of smoke that could be seen from midtown Manhattan. Over the scene, firefighters could be seen putting water on the raging blaze.

It's not clear if anyone was in the building at the time. 

One first responder was seen at the scene being carried away on a strether, but authorities said that there were no serious injuries. 

The cause of the blaze is unclear. 



Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York

Police-Involved Shooting in NJ

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A man was wounded in a police-involved shooting in Belleville, New Jersey Wednesday evening, authorities say.

Belleville police said that one of their officers shot a man at the Joralemon Street home at about 6 p.m. It's not clear why officers responded to the home or what sparked the gunfire. 

Essex County prosecutors say the man was taken to University Hospital in Newark in serious condition. 

No officers were injured in the shooting. 

Neighbors heard a helicopter in the area around the time of the shooting. They couldn't believe there was a shooting in their area. 

"It's a surprise, but it's quiet around here usually," Karen Fugaro said. 

Daniel Mejia agreed. 

"It's scary and it's weird. Like I said this doesn't happen often over here in Belleville," Mejia said. 



Photo Credit: NBC 4 NY

Busiest Day for U.S. Postal Service

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The USPS is expecting 30 million packages to be delivered Thursday as they deliver holiday gifts.

Photo Credit: NBC10 - Matt DeLucia

Gov. Wolf, First Lady Love OJ for the Holidays

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Pennsylvania Governor and First Lady, Tom and Frances Wolf, are giving us a peek into some of their favorite Christmas traditions.

The Office of Governor Tom Wolf released a survey filled out by the Governor and First Lady on Sunday that asked a few questions like "Favorite Holiday Movie" and "Favorite Holiday Song."

One surprise from the pair came from the question, "Favorite Holiday Drink" where the Wolfs chose "Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice" instead of hot chocolate or eggnog.

"Every Christmas morning since our girls were little, we would watch them open their gifts from Santa and then we would whip up a huge holiday breakfast of scrambled eggs, fresh cut fruit, biscuits, and of course, freshly squeezed orange juice," said Gov. Wolf in a released statement. "We love relaxing around the Christmas tree while spending some quality time with each other."

Check out the full list of favorites from the Governor and First Lady, here.



Photo Credit: The Office of Governor Tom Wolf

Pa.'s 511 App to Alert Drivers of Prolonged Delays

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Trying to avoid traffic?

Pennsylvania is making its 511 app even better when traffic troubles take hours to clear.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf planned to join PennDOT officials and other state officials Thursday to unveil a new feature of the 511 PaConnect app.

WATCH the announcement LIVE on this page

The new 511 app will send alerts to your smart phone about prolonged emergency road stoppages that last four hours or more.

"The program allows traffic operations center staff to distribute and receive targeted information from travelers quickly and easily," said a news release about the app’s new feature.



Photo Credit: 511pa.com

NBC10 Responds: Holiday Travel Troubles

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When one father was bumped off his family's flight Harry Hairson and NBC10 Responds came to the rescue of the Jaffe family.

Temple Sends Off Owls Football Team in Style

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The Temple Owls are bowl bound.

The Temple University band, spirit squad, students and fans wished the football team well Thursday as they boarded buses to travel to Washington, D.C. to prepare for the 2016 Military Bowl.

The 10-win Owls face Wake Forest on Tuesday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.



Photo Credit: NBC10
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