Firefighters are battling a fire at a high-rise building in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia.
The 2-alarm blaze started at an 11-story apartment building on 63rd Street and Columbia Avenue early Tuesday evening. The building is being evacuated as crews work to put out the flames on the 11th floor.
No injuries have been reported.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
Wake Forest attached a positive ending to a season marred by scandal, using a strong performance by quarterback John Wolford to beat heavily favored Temple 34-26 on Tuesday in the Military Bowl.
After throwing an interception on the first series of the game — a turnover Temple used to take a 7-0 lead — Wolford helped the Demon Deacons rattle off 31 straight points before halftime.
Wolford left with a neck strain in the third quarter with the score 31-17. Wake Forest (7-6) then withstood a comeback bid by Temple (10-4) to secure its first winning season since 2008.
The victory gave the Demon Deacons something to talk about this offseason beside the troubling spy story dubbed "Wakey Leaks."
An investigation by Wake Forest revealed that broadcaster Tommy Elrod leaked or attempted to leak game plan information to at least three opponents. Though Elrod has not released a public statement on the scandal, the school has since fired him.
In spite of the distraction, the Demon Deacons snapped a three-game losing streak and won for only the second time since Oct. 8.
Wolford, a junior, completed 10 of 19 passes for 183 yards and two scores. His backup, redshirt freshman Kyle Kearns, went 4 for 10 for 60 yards and an interception.
Seeking the first 11-win season in school history, Temple came in as an 11-point favorite. A 48-yard pass from Phillip Walker to Adonis Jennings on the Owls' first offensive play gave them their only lead.
Down 31-7 late in the first half, Temple used a 19-point run to close to 31-26 with 3:56 left. Wake Forest then used an 80-yard kickoff return by John Armstrong and the resulting field goal to make it an eight-point game with 1:59 left, and the Owls had no answer.
Temple came in with a seven-game winning streak after capturing the American Athletic Conference title with a 34-10 rout of Navy on this same field Dec. 3.
Walker finished his career by going 28 for 49 for 396 yards and two touchdowns, both to Jennings. He was sacked four times, including a pivotal 22-yarder on second down from the Wake Forest 6 preceding the Owls' final field goal.
Temple was led by interim coach Ed Foley, who took the reins after Matt Rhule was hired by Baylor on Dec. 6. The Owls subsequently signed Florida defensive coordinator Geoff Collins as their new head coach, and he got a first-hand look at his new team on Tuesday.
TAKEAWAY
Temple: The Owls showed their stuff in the second half, but this performance against a team that went 3-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference was not the way they want to remember this season.
Wake Forest: Impressive outing against a conference champion and first bowl win since 2008 was a perfect way to end an imperfect season.
UP NEXT
Temple: The Owls' next game will be played under Collins. One of his top priorities will be finding a replacement for Walker, the school record-holder for career completions, touchdowns, yards and wins by a starting quarterback (29).
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons hope to put the Wakey Leaks fiasco behind them during the offseason so they can start anew in 2017. Wake Forest won more games this season (7) than in coach Dave Clawson's first two years combined (6).
Police say a large group of teens were involved in a fight outside the Philadelphia Mills Mall in Northeast Philadelphia Tuesday night.
The incident occurred near the mall’s Orange entrance at 1455 Franklin Mills Circle. Police responded to the scene and have made several arrests. Police say the fight may have been a flash mob incident but continue to investigate.
Several melees and disturbances were reported in malls nationwide on Monday including an incident at the Jersey Gardens Mall in Elizabeth, New Jersey in which someone shouted “gun” during a fight which sparked a panic among shoppers. Investigators have not yet revealed whether Tuesday’s incident at Philadelphia Mills Mall is related to any of the Boxing Day disturbances.
If you are having issues with your hatchimal, report your problem to the NBC10 Responds team.
More than three years after the disappearance of a Delaware County mother of two, police searched the basement of her estranged husband’s former home.
On Tuesday police dug up the basement of a home on the 400 block of Lafayette Avenue in Collingdale, Pennsylvania in search of Melissa Rodriguez, who has been missing since April 19, 2013.
Collingdale Police were unable to get into the house for years until a bank foreclosure was recently finalized. They received permission from the bank that owns the home to go into the property and do a follow up investigation. After the cadaver dogs they brought in indicated a positive hit, they activated a search and rescue team Tuesday. The officers dug in the basement floor and searched the back walls but found nothing.
"It's frustrating because she was there," Collingdale Police Chief Robert Adams told NBC10. "She was there at some point. I can't explain why four different search and rescue dogs aggressively alerted to the same exact spot in the basement. We dug down through a six-inch cement slab and 12 to 18 inches of dirt and clay in the floor to find nothing."
In April of 2013, Rodriguez’s husband told police she went missing after leaving the Lafayette Avenue home to visit her friends in Newark, New Jersey. Her husband said he sent her a text message after not hearing from her all weekend but never received a response.
"I ended up taking the kids to school on Monday," said her husband, who also admitted he and his wife were in the process of separating. "She was going to pick them up and she didn't pick them up. The school called because they hadn't heard from her."
Rodriguez, who was 30 when she went missing, also never showed up to the new job that she was supposed to start only a few days after her disappearance. Police contacted her friends in Newark, New Jersey who she was supposed to meet up with. The friends told police they spoke to Melissa on Thursday, April 18, 2013, around noon and she told them she would be staying at their house for the weekend. They expected another phone call from her the next day but never heard from her.
Rodriguez’s car was also still parked at the Lafayette Avenue home. In June of 2013, some of her neighbors contacted police and told them they recalled her husband "acting suspiciously" in the backyard of the house. Police searched the husband's work truck and brought cadaver dogs and diggers to search for evidence at the home but found nothing.
After reporting his wife missing, the husband retained criminal defense attorney Michael Diamondstein as his lawyer and reportedly moved to New Jersey with the couple's children.
Rodriguez stands 5-foot-4-inches tall and weighs around 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a yellow flowered dress and glasses. If you have any information on her disappearance, please call Collingdale Police at 610-586-0502.
Here are the 10 things you need to know to start your day from your friends at NBC10.
TODAY'S TOP STORY
Police Dig Up Basement in Search of Missing Delco Mom But Find Nothing: More than three years after the disappearance of a Delaware County mother of two, police searched the basement of her estranged husband’s former home. On Tuesday police dug up the basement of a home on the 400 block of Lafayette Avenue in Collingdale, Pennsylvania in search of Melissa Rodriguez, who has been missing since April 19, 2013. Collingdale Police were unable to get into the house for years until a bank foreclosure was recently finalized. They received permission from the bank that owns the home to go into the property and do a follow up investigation. After the cadaver dogs they brought in indicated a positive hit, they activated a search and rescue team Tuesday. The officers dug in the basement floor and searched the back walls but found nothing.
YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST
The cold temperatures are expected to return for Wednesday with temperatures in the 40s. A rainy snow mix is possible for Thursday in the Lehigh Valley and mostly rain in other parts of the other. The rain is expected to move out by Thursday evening. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are expected to be dry with temperatures in the 30s and 40s. High Temp: 42 Degrees. Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.
WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY
Police Arrest 3 Teens After Large Fight in Mall: Police arrested three teens, including one who allegedly tried to attack an officer, during a large fight inside the Philadelphia Mills Mall in Northeast Philadelphia Tuesday night. The incident occurred near the mall’s Orange entrance at 1455 Franklin Mills Circle. Police say about 30 teens went inside the mall's food court and began causing a disturbance. "They started acting disorderly, running around, yelling and screaming and actually getting into physical altercations with security," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small. A witness told NBC10 the mall was briefly on lockdown during the ordeal.
AROUND THE WORLD
Kerry to Speak on Mideast Peace: Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to deliver a major Mideast policy speech on Wednesday. It comes following scathing criticism by some Israeli leaders about the U.S. not vetoing a U.N. resolution declaring Israeli settlements in occupied territories illegal. The U.S. has long opposed the settlements but it usually uses its Security Council veto to prevent the censure of Israel. This time, the U.S. abstained and the measure passed unanimously. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has had a rocky relationship with President Barack Obama.
108-Year-Old WWII Veteran Dies: 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.”
SPORTS SPOT
Temple Loses Military Bowl: The Temple football team lost 26 to 34 against Wake Forest in the Military Bowl. Get your full sports news at CSNPhilly.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
See more Top News Photos here.
THROUGH IGER'S EYES
@ladyday16 captured this cool photo of some Philly street art.
Have an awesome Instagram photo you'd like to share? Tag it with #NBC10Buzz.
TODAY'S VIRAL VIDEO
Watch this world record basketball shot. Watch more here.
Cancer Survivor Pays it Forward After Winning Competition at Pizza Shop: A Northampton County cancer patient is paying it forward after winning a competition from a local pizza shop. He decided to donate the pizza he won to a local food bank in order to help other people who were struggling. His act of kindness even inspired the pizza shop's owner. Read more.
That's what you need to know. We've got more stories worthy of your time in the Breakfast Buzz section. Click here to check them out.
The Hatchimal was one of the toughest gifts to get this Christmas season, but what was supposed to be a furry little companion has turned out to be a headache for parents in our area.
Some said the furry bird-like animatronic was a lame duck – either failing to break out of its shell as designed or not doing anything more than lighting up.
Others, like Patricia Crispell, believe the toy curses when it makes noise.
“I just turned it off and told her just turn it off and lay there with it and we'll take care of it from there,” she told her 9-year-old daughter.
Crispell, of National Park, New Jersey, said the $60-plus toy sounds like it’s saying “F--- Me.”
The mother said she called Spin Master, the company that makes the toy, on Tuesday and spent two hours on the phone only to be disconnected. They’ve yet to hear from the company.
NBC10 received nearly three dozen reports via email, social media and phone from Philadelphia-area parents who made similar claims of the toys malfunctioning.
One woman, named Megan, said two of the five Hatchimals her family purchased didn’t work.
Beth Royals said her family spent seven hours on Christmas Day trying to get the bird to hatch out of its shell. Eventually they just broke the shell themselves.
Many parents lamented that they spent hours waiting in line to get the toys and some paid more than retail price for them, only to have their children disappointed.
Spin Master did release a statement to NBC10 late Tuesday apologizing for any defective toys.
"Unfortunately, with toys that incorporate a high level of technology, there are also some cases where the product may not perform as expected. We are committed to doing everything possible to resolve these issues,” the statement read in part.
If you’re having trouble with the toy, you can call Spin Master’s customer care line at 800-622-8339.
A man was killed and two firefighters were hospitalized after a quick moving fire tore through an apartment in Philadelphia's Fishtown section early Wednesday, fire officials said.
The fire started around 3 a.m. in the third-floor apartment at 1239 Shackamaxon Street near Frankford Avenue.
When firefighters arrived they found a 50-year-old man unconscious inside the home. He was given CPR and rushed to Hahnemann University Hospital where he was pronounced dead, fire officials said.
Deputy Fire Commissioner Jesse Wilson said two firefighters also suffered minor injuries while fighting the blaze. He did not expand on the nature of the injuries.
Wilson called the fire aggressive, but said damage was mostly contained to the one apartment. There were working smoke alarms in the building.
Residents of the two apartments below were let back into their homes shortly before 7 a.m.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The ex-lover of a former New York City schoolteacher has been arrested on murder charges after the woman and their 4-year-old son were found dead in her Manhattan apartment Monday.
Isaac Duran Infante, 23, was taken into custody Tuesday in the deaths of 36-year-old Felicia Barahona and their 4-year-old son Miguel, and confessed to killing them, a law enforcement source told NBC 4 New York.
The medical examiner has determined Barahona died from strangulation by the electrical cord, and her son died of asphyxia from neck compression.
Duran Infante was a former student of Barahona's, and their son was born from their affair, which began when he was 17 years old.
A source told NBC 4 New York that Duran, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, confessed to the double killing in part because he was dissatisfied with the way his son was being raised by Barahona.
Duran Infante said nothing to reporters as he was led in handcuffs from the police stationhouse where he was interviewed.
His anguished grandmother, who lives in the Bronx, told NBC 4 New York in Spanish she wanted justice and that she knows her grandson is innocent of the charges.
Another relative of Duran Infante, Janiel Santana, said, "It's hard to believe they're dead. When we heard the news, we thought this has got to be a mistake."
The couple shared custody of the child, relatives said. Miguel's father's side of the family was expecting to see the boy for New Year's Eve to give him his Christmas presents.
Barahona lost her job as a science teacher at DeWitt Clinton High School in 2013, shortly after she became pregnant and school administrators learned of her illicit relationship with a student.
Felicia Barahona was found dead, an electrical cord wrapped around her neck, on the living room floor of her West 153rd Street apartment in Hamilton Heights around 8:15 a.m. Monday after the building super was alerted about a smell, police said. Her son Miguel was found unresponsive in a bathtub, police said. Investigators believe the duo had been dead several days.
Neighbors described Miguel as a sweet boy.
"It's sad. It's a little life," said Elia Flores, adding of his mother, "I've known her for a lot of years that she live here."
With so many binge-worthy shows like "Stranger Things" and "Gilmore Girls" available on Netflix, it's hard to tell what the most watched show of 2016 is since the streaming service won't release their ratings.
With that said, HighSpeedInternet.com -- a website that reviews and helps customers find internet providers -- took matters into their own hands and determined the most streamed show in each state by cross-referencing the top 75 shows on Netflix with Google Trends.
Here are the top watched shows this year in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware:
New Jersey: Netflix's Narcos
Pennsylvania and Delaware: Showtime's Shameless
Take a deep breath, riders of SEPTA bus routes to King of Mall and Plymouth Meeting malls.
You're going to want to sit down for this too, all you commuters to the outer stops on the Norristown High-Speed Line.
Okay, ready? Fares are getting cheaper starting Jan. 1.
SEPTA has announced a "fare simplification" that will eliminate zones on the Norristown High-Speed Line and bus routes 123, 124, 125 and 150.
For riders on the four bus routes who travel multiple zones, it'll mean a savings of 50 cents a ride, with per ride costs dropping from $2.75 to $2.25.
Bus routes 123, 124 and 125 connect Philadelphia to King of Prussia Mall. Bus route 150 connects Parx Casino with the Plymouth Meeting Mall.
Multi-zone commuters along the Norristown High-Speed Line will save even more, up to $1.50 each ride for those who travel between Norristown and 69th Street Station.
The elimination of zones on the line will reduce the most expensive ride from $3.75 to $2.25.
To read the transit agency's complete rundown on what SEPTA calls its "ongoing efforts to simplify fares," click here.
Authorities in Virginia believe the cell phone of an Atlantic County woman who went missing Christmas Eve while driving to North Carolina along with her young great granddaughter connected to a tower in the state early Tuesday.
The connection could provide a new lead in the missing persons case.
Barbara Briley, 71 of Mays Landing, and her 5-year-old great granddaughter La'Myra Briley were last seen on December 24. They were traveling to Morven, North Carolina to see the woman's sister.
But they never finished the 557-mile trek and were declared missing on Christmas Day.
The duo were about half-way through the trip when they stopped at a Exxon gas station in Ruther Glen, Virginia. The station is just off Interstate 95, about 30 miles north of Richmond. Barbara asked a clerk to help her with the GPS inside her Toyota RAV4.
"I hit the start button for her. I said just follow the arrow, it will show you how to go," Joanna Strange, the worker who helped Barbara, told the NBC affiliate in Richmond.
After about 45 minutes at the station, Barbara and La'Myra drove off.
There was no activity on Barbara's cell phone until early Tuesday morning when it state police said the device possibly connected to a tower near the Dinwiddie Airport -- a regional airport near I-85, about 30 miles south of Richmond.
Barbara's family said she doesn't have any known medical conditions and has driven the route many times.
The woman is no stranger to being behind the wheel. Family said she spent three decades as a driver for New Jersey Transit.
Barbara was driving a silver 2014 Toyota RAV4 with New Jersey license plate C80-ELS.
Anyone with information is asked to call 609-625-2700 ext. 578.
