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Friends, Family Remember Bill Gray

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Friends and family gathered in North Philadelphia on Saturday to celebrate the life and legacy of former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Philadelphia minister William Herbert (Bill) Gray III.

Gray died back on July 1 while attending the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London. He was 71 years old. A family spokesman said Gray had not been ill and that his death was sudden. It appears that he died from natural causes, according to the spokesman.

A memorial service took place Saturday at Bright Hope Baptist Church on 12th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue in North Philadelphia where Gray served for several years. Doors opened at 9:30 a.m. and the service began at 11 a.m. Former president Bill Clinton, Mayor Michael Nutter as well as dozens of members of congress attended. Governor Tom Corbett also ordered flags at half-staff in honor of Gray.

"This is a life to celebrate," said Clinton during his speech at the memorial. "This is a man who made history." 

Born in Baton Rouge, La., Gray graduated from Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia back in 1959. In 1972, he became the senior minister at Bright Hope Baptist Church.

Church leaders from Bright Hope Baptist learned of Gray's death during an emergency meeting.

"We're talking about someone who not only became majority whip but was the Barack Obama of his day." said Rev. Kevin Johnson of Bright Hope Baptist.

"It's heart-wrenching," said Brenda Willingham, who attends the church. "It hurts so bad. He's going to be truly missed by his congregation."

In 1978, Gray was elected as a Democrat to represent Philadelphia in the House of Representatives. He represented Pennsylvania’s 2nd congressional district until he resigned in 1991.

Gray was also the first African-American to chair the House Budget Committee and the first to serve as the Majority Whip.

"He was a big man doing a big job," former Philadelphia Mayor Wilson Goode said. "He knew how to get stuff done."

Goode, who was Philly's first African American Mayor, says Gray paved the way for him and other African Americans in politics.

"He was a pathfinder," Goode said. "He proved that an African American can run without party support."

While chairman of the Committee on Budget, Gray introduced H.R. 1460, an influential anti-apartheid bill.

From 1991 to 2004, Gray served as president of the United Negro College Fund.

Gray leaves behind a wife and three sons. The family spokesperson says funeral services will soon be announced.

“I am truly stunned, saddened and hurt by the loss of this great man who was so influential in my own growth as a public servant as well as dozens of other Philadelphians, particularly in the African American community," said Mayor Michael Nutter. "Bill Gray was also a unifying force bringing together a multi-racial coalition to work in the best interests of all Philadelphians. Bill’s passing is a dramatic and significant loss for Philadelphia, the Commonwealth and the nation he served with honor and distinction."

Philadelphia Council President Darrell Clarke called Gray "one of the most significant figures in Philadelphia politics" in a released statement.

“From advocating for Philadelphia’s fair share of federal dollars to fighting against the injustice of apartheid in South Africa, Congressman Gray’s mark cannot be erased," Clarke said. "He helped make the renovation of 30th Street Station possible, and the sight of that magnificent structure should give us all reason to be thankful for his service."



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Zoo Closes After Tree Destroys Monkey House

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The Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington is closed today after a large tree destroyed the roof of a home for monkeys.

On Friday, around 2:15 p.m., a 3-foot-wide tree toppled over and crashed onto the zoo’s monkey house. The tree destroyed the roof and also caused a wall of the house to buckle over.

No humans or animals were hurt in the accident. However, three smaller monkeys were placed under veterinary observation as a precautionary measure.

Officials have not yet revealed what caused the tree to topple.

Twenty-four monkeys and one bird were displaced as a result of the crash. The animals were temporarily moved to zoos in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The zoo will reopen on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

More stories on NBC10.com:

Tour Bus Catches Fire on I-76

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5 Hurt in Multi-Vehicle Crash on Lincoln Drive

 



Photo Credit: Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

Man Arrested for 7th DUI: Police

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An Upper Darby man was arrested for his seventh DUI, according to police.

Police say 54-year-old James John Duggan was driving a Nissan out of the parking lot of R.P. McMurphy’s, a bar on the 2600 block of East MacDade Boulevard in Ridley Township, Thursday night shortly after 9 p.m. Witnesses say a woman riding on a motorcycle was traveling on MacDade as Duggan was backing out. MacDade allegedly failed to yield to the motorcycle and collided with it, sending the rider, an unidentified woman, flying into the air and crashing onto the roadway.

After the accident, witnesses say Duggan got out of his car and ran inside the bar. The woman suffered serious injuries, according to police.

Investigators say responding officers went inside the bar searching for Duggan. Police say they found him inside the bathroom cleaning himself up. Duggan told the officer he had “messed himself” and apologized, claiming he didn’t mean to hurt anyone, according to a police affidavit.

Police say Duggan’s eyes were bloodshot and that he smelled of alcohol. He was taken to police headquarters where he underwent sobriety tests and failed them all, according to investigators. He was arrested and charged with DUI, reckless driving and other related offenses.

Police say Duggan had six previous convictions for DUI prior to Thursday’s arrest. Investigators also say his driver’s license expired back in April of 1994 and that his driving privileges were suspended due to his previous DUI arrests. The registration for his Nissan was also expired, according to investigators.

Duggan is currently being held in Delaware County prison on 10 percent of $75,000 bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 22 at Ridley District Court.
 



Photo Credit: Ridley Police Department

Tour Bus Catches Fire on I-76

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Emergency crews are at the scene of a tour bus fire on I-76.

Police say the bus caught fire Saturday morning just past the Girard exit. Firefighters were able to control the flames shortly after. No injuries have been reported yet.

All eastbound lanes were closed from Montgomery Drive to Girard Avenue due to the fire. They have since reopened. Traffic is still backed up however on I-76 east and I-76 west.

While those lanes are open, the Exit 1-A ramp in New Jersey connecting I-76 East to I-295 South will be closed for the entire weekend due to construction work.

The ramp was closed Friday night and will remain closed until 5 a.m. on Monday, according to the NJ Department of Transportation. If you’re driving in that direction, use Exit 1B and follow detour signs to the ramp for 295 Southbound. You can also take Route 42 South to Exit 14 and follow detour signs for I-295 Southbound.

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

More stories on NBC10.com

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Photo Credit: NBC10.com

10 Questions: Northeast Philly's Playmate

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The centerfold of the most-well-known men's magazine in the world might look familiar. Playboy Magazine's Miss August 2013 is Northeast Philadelphia's own Val Keil. The 22-year-old is following the footsteps of other Philly-area Playmates like Shannon James (Miss May 2007), Lani Todd (Miss December 2001), Lindsey Vuolo (Miss November 2001), Kelly Monaco (Miss April 1997), Holly Witt (Miss November 1995) and Lorrie Menconi (Miss February 1969) and even all the way back to Delores Donlon (Miss August 1957) and Carrie Radison (Miss June 1957).

Just two months ago, Keil was living in Philly, bartending and spending time with her tight knit family. Now the MaST Community Charter School graduate is spending time at the Playboy Mansion with Hugh Hefner and other Playmates dreaming of helping kids and creating her own cowgirl boot line.

Beauty runs in the family for Keil, she says her aunt Linda was even a cheerleader for the Eagles. But she is the first in her family to take it all off for the world to see. Ahead of Keil coming home for the first time since she became a Playmate she answered questions about what it's like to be a Playmate, what she misses most about home, what she has to say for people who don't approve of her posing nude and how she wound up in stitches, literally.

Did you ever think you would be where you are now?

“No, not at all,” she says with a laugh. “It’s every girl’s dream to think of these things, like oh my gosh I would like to go to the Playboy Mansion or to meet Hef or be a Playmate. But, I never thought I would actually be where I am.”

How did you wind up needing stitches?

“I have a few stitches in my face, I had a little accident. It was a slip and slide accident. I kneed myself in the face and it was just like what a boxer would get. So I had to get that stitched up on July 5th.
 
“I was going down the slip and slide at the (Playboy) Mansion and I went headfirst -- so fast -- I was racing one of the other Playmates. And I got to the bottom and my body had nowhere to go so I guess from the momentum my legs came up and got me in the face.”

What are the things you need when you’re back in Philly?

“I love my soft pretzels, my Philadelphia soft pretzels with lots of yellow mustard from the Philadelphia Pretzel Factory. And I love Phileo Yogurt (on South Street)… I always get the cupcake batter ice cream and then I load it with tons of sprinkles. And Lorenzo’s I love that!”

What's your fondest memory of home?

“I have a big family… I have about seven aunts and uncles that live within a four-block radius -- the blocks where I live in the Northeast they’re tiny. I have a lot of family around the area. My grandmom lives right next door to me and there’s always someone over there -- an aunt, a cousin, a friend -- it’s always very packed so I’m always around my family and that is probably my fondest memory of growing up around Northeast Philly.

“The thing I miss most is my family. I talk to almost all of my aunts every day, my mom, my dad, my step mom, my step dad. I talk to my step dad a lot, you know what he’s a big supporter too. I grew up being able to walk next door to my grandmom’s house... That’s hard to adjust to but I still talk to them over the phone and I do Facetime with my little brothers.”

So how big is your family?

“I have a little bit of a Brady Bunch family. My parents had me, my (older) brother and my sister -- it’s me Sheri and Kenny. And my parents got remarried when I was young and my dad had two boys... My mom get remarried when I was young and I consider them my sisters.

“Coming from this kind of family that I have -- a divorced family -- we all get along so well. My entire life I can’t even recall one fight we’ve had…  there’s never any fights in the Keil family, never. A lot of people know us in the Northeast as such a big family and everyone always says, ‘I wanna be in your family, your family is awesome.’ I think a lot of people look up to our family.”

Who do you look up to?

“I look up to all my aunts. My aunts are my biggest support system. My dad is one of nine and I have six aunts on his side and then two on my mom’s side. My aunts are totally my inspiration and that is definitely who I look up to. It’s funny because they should have been Playmates -- they are all tall and beautiful but growing up they were more conservative.

“I still look at my aunts and they are in their 40s and reaching their 50s now and I’m just like, ‘wow I hope I look like that.’ They are just beautiful.”

What does everyone around you think about you posing for Playboy?


“At first everyone was a little hesitant but everyone is very happy for me and they support me and they want to know everything that’s going on. It’s hard to keep up with everyone but I’m trying to do my best. I think they appreciate that.”

Who is your biggest supporter?


“My sister Sheri. She’s just 18 months older than me... She’s there for me anytime of the day -- she’s great. It’s good because we are so close she is definitely my best friend but she would never do this herself. So there’s no jealously or nothing like that, she supports me, she thinks it’s awesome what I’m doing but she would never want to pose naked for a magazine.”

What do you say to your detractors?

“I just tell them that I’m comfortable with it. I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m happy with my body, I’m not afraid to show it.

“I just warn them that I’m OK with it and in the nicest way possible that ‘I’m OK with it and I don’t care if you’re not.’ You don’t have to look at it.”

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

“I hope to have a nice successful Playboy career. I plan on continuing my work with them for a long time -- that’s what most Playmates do. I might not be in the spotlight the whole time... but I do plan on working for them for a while. Eventually my biggest goal in life is just to get married and to raise a family of at least six kids.

“… Growing up my number was eight, everyone was like, ‘are you crazy?’ But I come from a big family and I love being around family -- family is what you have especially when you have a great family like I do. I wanted eight kids but now I’m like that might not be realistic so I’ve lowered my number and now my number is six. I don’t think that’s going to change much but we will see.”

If you want to meet Miss August, Keil is going to be hanging out at Reedy’s Tavern on Frankford Avenue in the Torresdale section of the city from 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday.



Photo Credit: Playboy Magazine

Collapse Responders Warned of Potential Asbestos Exposure

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Over a month after a deadly building collapse in Philadelphia, the city is investigating the number of responders who were potentially exposed to asbestos.

Since the collapse on 22nd and Market Street on June 5, officials have investigated whether or not there was asbestos inside the building. On Thursday, the Philadelphia Risk Management Division sent a message and Asbestos Exposure Incident reports to those who responded to the collapse. 

"Risk Management is requesting that any personnel who responded to the building collapse at 22nd & Market Streets prepare a Safety & Loss Prevention Unit Asbestos Exposure Report due to the presence of asbestos containing materials," wrote Captain Joseph Di Lacqua, the Commanding Officer of the city's Safety Office.

The report asked several questions including whether the workers were wearing protective equipment and gloves.

Earlier this week, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that remnants of asbestos were found in the debris of the building.

Last June, Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said firefighters who rushed to the collapse scene were not wearing gear to protect themselves from asbestos, which is a cancer-causing substance.

On the day of the collapse at the height of the search there were 125 emergency crews at the site, according to Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey. Some of them worked for hours as the rescue and recovery efforts stretched for two days.

Six people died that day when a four-story building that was being demolished, came crashing down on the Salvation Army Thrift Shop next door.

Kenneth Hudson, a licensed asbestos investigator, inspected the building that collapsed before the demolition started. In his report, obtained exclusively by NBC10's Harry Hairston, it reveals there was no asbestos in the building.

Asbestos Report #1, #2

Hudson admits he did not conduct a test for asbestos because he says it wasn't necessary.

"What I see, I document, I take samples of it, if need be, if there is suspect material. There wasn't any suspect material, so there wasn't any reason for me to take a sample," Hudson said.

The City of Philadelphia has Hudson's inspection report, but refuses to make it available to the public, citing the grand jury investigation into the collapse.

City Councilman James Kenney is part of the council's investigative committee conducting hearings on the collapse. He has accused the Nutter Administration of hiding behind the grand jury rather than participating in a way that would help the committee make swift changes to avoid future disasters.

"If in fact it's determined it's germane to the grand jury, I don't need to see it; they can at least say 'Yes' or 'No' they have one," Kenney said.

Hudson said he has nothing to hide.

"I did my job as an asbestos inspector," Hudson says. "That's as far as I can comment, professionally."

Mayor Nutter's office declined to comment for our story because of the grand jury investigation.



Photo Credit: AP

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Men Wanted for Beach Town Assault

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Delaware State Police are looking for three men -- Andre Fonville, 20; Moniere Maye, 20; and William Stuart II, 20 -- who they say assaulted a group of people in Dewey Beach, Del.

Tree Grows From House's 2nd Story, Worries Neighbor

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Walk into Aaron Perlstein’s backyard in South Philadelphia and you’ll be greeted by lush greenery, that is providing shade from the summer sun. However, that shade is rooted in a seemingly dangerous situation – thanks to a tree growing out of the second story of his neighbor’s brick wall.

“It seems it has doubled in size. That thing is massive. It must have found a new water source or something,” Perlstein said of the tree.

The sapling, which is suspended in the air, juts out just below a second floor window on the rear of a three story house at 919 S. 17th Street. As it has grown, the tree has caused the window to buckle and brick to separate from the wall below.

“It’s a little concerning now that you can see the brick and wall come loose and it doesn’t look safe,” said Perlstein, who has lived around the corner on the 1600 block of Montrose Street for six years. He says several squirrels regularly make their way in and out of the house through the window.

A large amount of ivy covers the building’s back wall, in addition to the sprouting tree. On the front, there are two broken windows and construction equipment can be seen inside the home through a first floor window.

“I don’t know who the owner of the property is or else I’d try and contact them directly,” Perlstein said. He adds he’s never seen anyone in the home since he’s lived in his house.

City tax records list the property owner as Michael S. Jackson. Philadelphia Common Pleas court filings show several actions involving Jackson and the company Lu Rube Developers at that address.

Court records show the home at 919 S. 17th Street was foreclosed upon and put up for sheriff’s sale in September 2008. But months later, the house was spared and the listing set aside after Jackson entered a loan modification. Lu Rube Developers also lists its address at this location.

The Internal Revenue Service filed a lien against Lu Rube Developers at an adjacent apartment at 913 S. 17th Street. The IRS says Lu Rube owes more than $6,700 in taxes.

Rebecca Swanson, spokeswoman with the Department of Licenses & Inspections, said the city also has a long history with both Jackson and Lu Rube Developers. Swanson described Jackson as a “notorious” housing owner.

A property Jackson owned across the street at 914 S. 17th Street was demolished by the city, according to Sawnson. Another property, up the block at 1700 Christian Street, was cited by L&I for having boarded up windows and doors.

Swanson says a city ordinance requires properties have actual windows and doors installed. Owners cited under this ordinance face a $300 a day fine. Court records show the city took Lu Rube to court and that they eventually complied with the law.

Not knowing who owned the property and afraid the wall may come down, Perlstein filed a complaint with the city’s 311 citizen call center on June 15. Twelve days later, an L&I inspector went to the address Perlstein provided, but unfortunately it was the wrong address. The city’s required response time for such issues is 30 days, according to Swanson.

Perlstein was able to talk with the L&I inspector who, Swanson said, planned to go out to the property sometime this week to inspect the correct property.

“I’d like to see the tree removed and somebody come out here to make sure the building is stable and that I’m not in any risk of bricks falling down or building collapsing,” Perlstein said.

After our inquiry about the property on Monday, the inspector was dispatched within hours to the correct address. Swanson said the inspector, who works in the department’s housing unit, found several violations at the S. 17th Street property. According to Swanson, L&I plans to issue several citations including the violation of the window and door ordinance.

L&I has also deemed the property to be vacant, which requires a license by the homeowner. Swanson says vacant houses and businesses need to be registered with the city each year. That registration carries a $150 fee.

The L&I inspector is also passing on the case to the department’s Contractual Services Unit, which focuses on inspecting the structural integrity of buildings in the city, according to Swanson. That inspector is expected to take a look at the property within a week, and if warranted, will open a case.

“He himself cannot make a determination whether the building is structurally deficient,” Swanson said. She adds that the department is “glad” to get the address discrepancy fixed and stressed the importance of providing the correct address to city officials.

NBC10.com was eventually able to speak to Jackson regarding the properties. Jackson said he knew about the tree, but was not aware of "how serious" the situation had become.

“I’m going to have somebody take a look at it and cut down the tree,” he said.

Jackson said while he owns the property, he does not live in the home. He also says Lu Rube Developers is allowed to use the house -- which they do, sparingly.

Responding to questions regarding the other properties, Jackson says he does not own any others. He also says a title error involving the transfer of deeds has mistakenly roped him into issues involving legal proceedings.

"I was operating since 2008 [on the belief] that all of the properties were transferred to Lu Rube," he said. "I was not made aware until the city made me aware in 2011."

Jackson said he was at one time part of Lu Rube Developers, but divested his share of the company in 2008.

He says Lu Rube used a title company that he believes has since gone out of business to transfer three properties to him and that those properties were never properly transferred back to Lu Rube. 

Jackson says he is working to correct the errors with the city. Jackson would not provide contact information for Lu Rube Developers, but said he would reach out to the owners on our behalf.

As for Perlstein, he says ultimately, all that matters is that the building is deemed safe – even if that means a vacant lot must take its place.

“If it needs to be demolished, I’d like to see it demolished. If it can be fixed, that would be great. There are lots of developers in this area that would love to have a three-story building and redo it. I would like to see something done with it.”


Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.

Like Fla., Pa. Has 'Stand Your Ground' Law

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As all eyes were on the case of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin, another thing came to the nation's attention: "stand your ground" laws. In about 20 states, including Pennsylvania, the laws empower citizens to use deadly force in self-defense.

The details of each law vary by state, but they are based on "castle doctrine," a concept that arose during the days of the Roman Empire. The idea is that anyone is free to defend against an intrusion to their home, as someone's home is considered their castle.

However, "stand your ground" laws take it a few steps further. All of them include a no-duty-to-retreat provision, meaning that if an attack occurs in the home, the homeowner does not have to flee and can "stand their ground" and use deadly force to defend their home and family.

The laws in some states, Pennsylvania included, extend this right outside the home. Commonwealth residents can use deadly force as a defense wherever they are legally allowed -- including public spaces and the workplace. The Florida law makes the same provision. But there is a difference.

Under Pa. law, deadly weapon must be visible

"The person that you use the deadly force against must be visibly displaying a deadly weapon," said Robert Long, executive director of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association. "That's one of the biggest restrictions in Pennsylvania."

George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain, shot and killed unarmed 17-year-old Martin in February 2012, and maintained he had done so in self-defense. Zimmerman's attorneys said the teen had "weaponized" a sidewalk, slamming Zimmerman's head against the ground repeatedly.

Because Florida's law includes some gray area about what constitutes a threat to someone's life, Zimmerman was found not guilty.

Pennsylvania's law, however, is explicit on what kind of deadly weapon must be observed before the allowable use of deadly force in self-defense -- only a firearm, a replica of a firearm, or any other type of weapon that could reasonably be used to kill someone.

District attorneys throughout the state pushed for adding restrictions to the first version of the bill. The bill that passed in June 2011 includes other provisions that do not justify deadly force against law enforcement, and do not provide protection against those engaging in criminal activity.

Long said his group regarded the extension of the "castle doctrine" as unnecessary.

"Frankly, there weren't a lot of cases of it in Pennsylvania before the law was changed in 2011, so our association's position was always that the current law that we had up to 2011 was sufficient, because people were not being prosecuted for properly defending themselves," he said. "That said, once the law was changed, we worked with the Legislature to get some of those factors included that helped make it a better law than probably any other state has."

The changes to the law were mostly sponsored by Republican state representatives, and lobbied for by the NRA. However, one Democratic lawmaker was a vocal supporter of the bill -- state Rep. Jake Wheatley of Pittsburgh.

"When I looked at the conditions of many of the neighborhoods and citizens, especially the ones residing within my district, the fact of the matter is government has failed them," Wheatley said.

"Many of them are under siege from violence. Violence from their neighbors, violence from the police officers and violence from strangers."

"What happened in Florida would be treated very differently in Pennsylvania," he said. "There would have to be some form of a weapon that would be seen by the victim before that victim would be able to utilize our 'castle doctrine' expansion."

Few 'stand your ground cases' in Pa. so far

Wheatley and other supporters of the law believe that it lowers crime and saves lives.

So far, there haven't been many "stand your ground" cases in Pennsylvania since the extended legislation was passed, however there are some examples: A Montgomery County man shot and killed a 19-year-old who pursued him with a baseball bat in his own driveway. He was not charged with any crimes.

A Somerset County man shot and killed a home intruder with a bow and arrow. He was also not charged with any crimes.

While there isn't much data in Pennsylvania to prove whether the law is effective, nationwide trends are not promising.

Mark Hoekstra, a professor at Texas A&M University, conducted a study on "stand your ground" laws last year, comparing states that had them to states that don't.

Hoesktra found that states with such laws had on average 8 percent more homicides.

"Instead of trying to get to safety, somebody can feel emboldened to stand their ground and escalate a confrontation that perhaps could be de-escalated or resolved in another manner," said Shira Goodman, executive director of CeaseFirePA, a statewide anti-gun violence group. "That's what we were always concerned about."

Goodman added that attorneys have hardly needed to use the extended laws to defend their clients.

"We have seen prosecutors in Pennsylvania say 'I don't even need to use 'stand your ground' here, traditional self-defense is enough to clear this case,' for example," Goodman said.

Philly council members consider another push to repeal law

Some Philadelphia lawmakers agree with the idea that the law creates a risk of more incidents of unnecessary confrontation.

"If a person is obviously breaking in your home and you feel your life and safety is threatened, you certainly can protect that, and I think that was the case before these laws started getting passed," City Councilman Bill Greenlee said. "But if somebody's standing on your lawn, isn't it better just to call the police than to have a confrontation?"

Last year, Greenlee, along with Council members Curtis Jones and Marian Tasco, pushed a resolution calling for state lawmakers to repeal the extended law.

"If the law was wrong, we as lawmakers can get it right," Jones said.

Jones added that he intends to revisit the topic the next time council is in session.


This story was reported through a news coverage partnership between NBC10.com and NewsWorks.org



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Teach for America Feels Philly Layoff Pinch

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Massive layoffs within the School District of Philadelphia is having a trickle-down effect on newly-minted educators eager to start teaching in Philadelphia.

Teach For America of Greater Philadelphia (TFAGP) may face additional challenges placing its corps members in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) this year due to the district’s budget crisis. Teach For America is a national nonprofit organization that recruits recent college graduates and professionals to teach in communities throughout the country. In any given region, TFA corps members are placed in public or charter schools based on expressed need. When funding issues lead to staffing cuts, such as has occurred in Philadelphia, that need tends to diminish.

A $304 million funding gap has plagued the School District of Philadelphia. Until politicians and school administrators figure out how to close that gap, many teachers, including TFAGP corps members, are spending their summers in limbo -- not knowing if they'll have a job when school starts in the fall.

“Teach for America of Greater Philadelphia is impacted just like every other educational organization and every teacher in the community. We are experiencing variable demand and a wealth of principals aren’t sure of whether or not they’re going to need us. A lot of our corps members are still in the process of training and interviewing and don’t yet have a teaching assignment for August,” TFAGP spokesman Isha Lee said.

According to Lee, during the 2012 school year, TFAGP had 115 total teachers in Philadelphia. That's down nearly 46 percent compared to a corps size of 252 in school year 2011. And in 2012, only 20 of the 115 corps members were in placed SDP schools; the rest were placed in charter schools.

When the district laid off 676 of its teachers last month, all but two of the 20 TFAGP corps members in SDP were included in that number.

“Our goal is always to have as many district placements as possible, but we can only meet demand. Our lesser presence in SDP was literally due to the district’s lack of openings and unfortunately, our teachers go through the same layoff process as any other employee,” Lee said.

“We’re focused on that small group of folks who were laid off, exploring options with them, and helping all of our teachers understand what all of this means and what might happen throughout the summer.”

Managing Director of District and Community Partnerships, Mary Lema, is responsible for finding placements for TFAGP’s corps members. Lema also shares the responsibility of guiding corps members through the layoff process, which she says can be very difficult because corps members are being placed in a larger pool of often more qualified applicants all vying for a small number of positions.

“The reality is we’re in a very challenging landscape right now. School leaders are interviewing people with years more experience than our members and the number of positions available are few,” Lema said.

“What we’ve done for them is we’ve given them the opportunity to hold off for callbacks. If they’re not called back we will have them explore new options with non-district partners.”

As part of her job, Lema also has the opportunity to observe members’ response to the cuts. Despite worries about their own fates, Lema said overwhelmingly TFAGP corps members are still committed to working in the region and are more concerned about the dire conditions SDP students will return to in the fall.

“I think there’s a diversity of responses from teachers, but for a lot of them, now that they’ve spent time in their school community, the conversation has been around their worries for their students coming back to fewer resources and the relationships built being lost. Having been in the city for the last year, many of them are more concerned about needs for their students and their schools,” Lema said.

“Only a few decided to go to other areas. The rest decided to stay with the district and wait for call backs. The vast majority of them wanted to wait and remain with their schools and within the district. For many of them Philadelphia is their number one choice. Many of them come because they have roots in the city or are interested in coming knowing that it’s going to be a huge challenge and sort of aligning that with why they want to come.”

Lee says TFAGP will continue its normal recruiting process for school year 2013 but will likely have to accept fewer applicants into the program due to lack of demand. She also emphasized that the number of people applying to TFAGP is not shrinking, the positions available for them to fill is.

“We use a delicate formula of accessing demand and accessing how many want to be in the region. If there aren’t openings, that’s the reason for the diminishing corp,” Lee said.

“We can’t take as many as we would love to take. It means we’re turning more people away because the resources to hire teachers are just not there. We’re not going to bring people that we know we won’t have an opening for.”



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Officer Finds Man Shot in Car After Chase

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A police pursuit of an erratically-driven car ended in a homicide investigation early this morning.

A Philadelphia Police officer spotted a 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo going at a high-rate of speed south on 10 Street near Girard Avenue in North Philadelphia shortly before 12:30 a.m.

Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small picks it up from there.

“This vehicle then struck a curb blowing out the right front tire,” Small told NBC10. “The vehicle continued operating a high-rate of speed driving on this tire that was now blown out and the (officer) followed the vehicle.”

Small said that the officer gave chase and the sedan eventually crashed into a parked car on the 900 block of Marvine Street.

The driver and the rear passenger jumped out of the car and darted away in the darkness, according to police.

The officer got to the car to find a man in the front passenger seat bleeding “profusely” from the head and face, according to Small.

The 22-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.

“It appears that this male was shot at least one time in the face,” Small said.

Police found evidence in the car that makes them believe a shooting took place but investigators said they were still trying to piece together where the victim was shot before being driven to Marvine Street.

There were no reports of shootings in the direct area of the chase, but Small did say that there was a homicide along the 1500 block of N 23rd Street -- about 1 ½ miles away.

Homicide detectives are going to look into the possibility of the shootings being related, Small said.

“At this time we are still going to treat them as isolated incidents until we can prove otherwise.”

No arrests were immediately made.

Administration Changes Position on Collapse Testimony

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The Nutter Administration has changed their position on allowing administration officials to participate in the Philadelphia City Council special investigation into the deadly building collapse.

Council has been holding a series of inquiries into the policies and processes that were in place at the time of the June 5 collapse at 22nd and Market. A four-story building under demolition collapsed onto a Salvation Army Thrift Store next door killing six and injuring 14 others.

A letter to City Council from Deputy Mayor Everett Gillison obtained by NBC10 said “no other administration officials will testify at the committee’s hearings.”

City Councilman Jim Kenney questioned the administration’s position Monday, saying he believed it is crucial that top officials from the health, revenue and fire department testify before council.

After NBC10 ran its story Monday evening, the Mayor’s Office said they would be changing its position. Mayor Michael Nutter’s Press Secretary Mark McDonald said the administration had discussions with building collapse special investigative committee chair Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. and decided to once again participate in the investigation.

“As a result of those discussions, the administration will be supplying some information and testimony at the next hearing,” McDonald said.

Kenney is still frustrated however because not all of the departments will testify.

"They're going to allow the revenue, water and streets department to testify but not fire and L&I," he said. "Having them (fire department) involved in the process is critical to creating a safe environment for demolition and construction."

Kenney says he's asked but the Mayor's Office has not yet given him a reason for keeping the fire department out of the hearings.

Salvation Army officials say they were negotiating with the property owner about safety weeks before the collapse. There were several emails between the property owner and the Salvation Army about how the demolition would be done, according to a Salvation Army source.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported at least one email warned the city of possible danger. The city declined to provide NBC10 with copies of those emails however. This prompted NBC10 to file right to know requests that by law could force the city to release the emails. Councilman Kenney filed a right to know request as well.

"The public is entitled to public records of what happened in this case," said Ellen Kaplan, a member of government watch dog group Committee of 70.

Kaplan says the city isn't being as transparent as it should.

"If there are emails that show top officials in the administration were warned about danger a couple of weeks before the building collapse then that should be made available as well," she said.

Police sources also tell NBC10 that police officers who responded to the building collapse were asked to fill out an asbestos exposure incident report. A construction project manager says a small amount of asbestos was removed from the site of the collapse on July 6.

The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

 



Photo Credit: Vince Lattanzio, NBC10.com

Cliff Lee Interviewed by Son

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Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee answered questions from a very special interviewer...his son.

Bus Driver Gets 10 Years for Child Porn

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An area school bus driver will spend the next 10 years behind bars after being sentenced for downloading and sharing child pornography.

Frank Bognar, 31, of Jackson, N.J., pleaded guilty last year to a single count of distribution of child pornography and faced a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars and a $250,000 fine.

Instead, U.S. District Judge Joel Pisano sentenced Bognar, to 10 years behind bars, 10 years of supervised release and a $2,000 fine.

Federal prosecutors allege that as early as October 2011, Bognar “downloaded and distributed” child porn video and images using a peer-to-peer file sharing network. The feds also say that Bognar admitted to receiving child porn through an e-mail account starting in July 2008.

The FBI arrested Bognar in February 2012 and seized a computer from his home that had “images of sadistic and masochistic conduct” against kids as well as other videos and images of child abuse, according to the U.S. Attorney.

Bognar accepted a plea deal that included him surrendering six guns and ammunition seized the same day he was busted for kiddie porn.

He wasn’t allowed to use a computer or have contact with kids while he was on electronically monitored house arrest leading up to his sentencing.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

FBI Agents Pull Gun From Schuylkill River

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FBI agents and Philadelphia Police Marine Unit investigators were back on the banks and in the water of the Schuylkill River near the Kelly Drive Tuesday after searching for something most of Monday.

A tent and truck were parked along Kelly Drive inbound near the Falls Bridge in the city’s East Falls neighborhood serving as a temporary base for the agents.

After hours of searching, an FBI agent could be seen pulling a revolver out of the water around noon Tuesday. It's unclear if this is one of the things the FBI is looking for because they haven't told anyone the purpose for the investigation.

Shortly after finding the firearm, divers got out of the water.

Witnesses said the crews entered the water Monday morning. As of 10 a.m. Monday, FBI investigators could be seen utilizing the tent and blocking part of the sidewalk. They lowered a ladder down towards the Schuylkill River and agents under the tent could be seen communicating with divers.

FBI spokeswoman Carrie Adamowski says that the FBI’s Underwater Search & Evidence Response Team (USERT) was searching the river under the Falls Bridge. According to the FBI website, the team focuses on "priority investigations" and there are only four in the country.FBI agents found a gun in the Schuylkill River on July 16, 2013.

Since the search is part of an ongoing investigation, the FBI wouldn’t say what agents were searching for in the water.

Traffic along Kelly Drive kept moving during the search but local residents and curious onlookers did gather near the scene causing things to slow up a bit.

"We're curious," said Jamie Hurd, one of the witnesses. "But we don't want to make speculations without knowing what really happened." 

Just before 1 p.m. Monday, the diver teams came up without commenting on what they were looking for in the murky water.



Photo Credit: NBC10 - Matt DeLucia

Contagious Disease Spreading Among Philly Children

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With Philadelphia in the midst of another heat wave, many children seek relief in fountains, pools and spray parks. But local doctors are warning that the water is helping to spread a highly contagious disease that puts children, particularly infants and toddlers, at risk.

It’s called hand, foot and mouth disease, and it's caused by the coxsackie virus. Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth include fever, headache, loss of appetite and painful blisters that form on the palms of hands, soles of feet and lips -- hence the name (not to be confused with foot-and-mouth disease, a virus that can cause lockjaw in cattle and be fatal).

Doctors say children spread it in fountains, pools daycares, playgrounds and at home. They also say it’s extremely contagious among toddlers who haven’t been exposed to the virus before.

“It’s ubiquitous,” said Dr. Wenonah Nelson, a pediatrician at Bryn Mawr Hospital. “It spreads all over the place. It’s spread by respiratory droplet and probably spread by fecal route. So we ask people to be careful about hand wiping after diaper changes.”

Brooke Mailhiot of Mount Laurel, NJ says her 9-month-old son Chase was diagnosed with the virus.

“He had a loss of appetite and was very fatigued,” she said.

Mailhiot believes her son caught the virus after playing at a water park. Doctors also say however that children can catch it by picking up a shared toy that went from hand to mouth.

“The kids put everything in their mouth,” she said. “I just carry anti-bacterial wipes and wipe everything down.”

Doctors say the virus is rarely life-threatening and normally lasts about a week. They recommend parents follow Mailhiot’s example and wipe toys down with anti-bacterial wipes. They also say it can be treated with over the counter pain relievers. Other than that, they say, it’s best to just let it run its course.
 



Photo Credit: NBC10 Viewer

Man Running From Crash Dies in I-76 Wreck

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Commuters woke up to a traffic nightmare this morning thanks to a deadly crash along one of the busiest roadways for people going into the city to work. And, the wreck was likely caused by a man trying to run away from a previous crash, according to investigators.

The two-vehicle crash, involving the pedestrian, a motorcyclist and another car, took place around 1:15 a.m. a little bit before the Conshohocken Curve in the inbound eastbound lanes of the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) in Lower Merion Township, Pa. The roadway wouldn't reopen until shortly before 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Two people died in the wreck, police said.

According to State Police, it began when a North Wales, Pa. resident Arnold Khemdy lost control of his car and hit a guardrail during a one-vehicle wreck on the ramp from I-476 to I-76 eastbound. Khemdy, 20, then fled the scene of the crash and was on foot in the right travel lane near mile-marker 333 -- less than one mile from the first crash -- when a group of motorcyclists drove up. One of the bikers, Philly resident Hour Song Chheng, 40, hit Khemdy and was thrown from his bike onto roadway while Khemdy landed on the shoulder. Both men died at the scene.

A car was also involved in the wreck but isn't believed to be responsible for either death, police said.

It wasn't clear why Khemdy fled the first crash.

The closure went from the Blue Route (I-476) to the Belmont Exit. Entrances from Conshy to the Blue Route and Schuylkill Expressway were closed as well.

Motorists, including members of the NBC10 news team trying to get into work, mulled around outside of their cars as they waited in the backup. After a couple hours, small cars were turned around and went the wrong direction to get off the highway. Some tractor-trailers remained stopped on the highway since it was too tight of a squeeze to turn around.

Shortly after 5:30 a.m. some of the stuck big rigs began to slowly move past the crash scene as clean up continued.

Just before 6 a.m. all traffic started to get by the crash site and shortly after ramps to the highway began to reopen.

The closure packed up traffic along alternate routes including Conshohocken State Road (Route 23) and Ridge Pike. Luckily, since the wreck was cleared right as the morning rush ramped up there weren't many residual delays. The normal morning commute delays did quickly come into play however by 6:30 a.m.



Photo Credit: NBC10

From Homeless to Homeowner

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Jessica Meyers, 28, spent Tuesday afternoon in a bidding war with her next door neighbor over the home she has been living in for the past 8 years.

"Honestly, this whole time, this was my home," said Meyers. "I can't believe he stopped bidding."

Meyers has been more than a squatter in her West Philly home. She spent time fixing up the place and came into the auction with a little bit of money and a whole lot of hope.

Out of 196 homes up for grabs by the Philadelphia Housing Authority, Meyers' home was 187th on the list. During the wait at the First District Plaza where the auction was held, Meyers and her friend Amira Dvorah sat, discussing their strategy for bidding. The highest they decided to go was $7,000. Meyers' dad told her to bid $1, but after talking with the auctioneer's staff, she learned they set the starting bid amount.

The starting bid for her home was $1,000.

A man in the back of the room bid. Meyers and her friends stood in the front of the room together with frowns on their faces. They all looked back to see who was bidding. It was her neighbor.

They went back and forth a handful of times.

Meyers had hoped to get the property for a few thousand dollars. It wasn't looking good.

As the bidding got tense and Meyers got a little uncertain, Dvorah looked at her and said, "Do it!"

With that, she raised her yellow auction paddle number once again, going over her limit.

Meyers won the bidding war and will buy her first home for $8,000. The moment brought Meyers to tears. Her friends swooped in quickly with big hugs.

"I can't believe it. We never get anything," said Shayne Webb of New York City, who is also a squatter. Webb, along with members of Occupy Philly, came to the auction to support Meyers.

If there's such a thing as a fairy godmother, Amira Dvorah would be it for Meyers.

Dvorah lent Meyers enough money to come to the auction. Winning bidders had to put up a minimum of $2,500.

Now she has about 45 days to come up with the rest of the money.

Meyers gets by on odd jobs like cleaning, painting, sewing and gardening and she does it mostly for her West Philly neighbors. But she doesn't make enough to buy her first home. So she started a fund-raising campaign online to see if she could crowd-source the funds. So far, she's raised $3,000 on Indiegogo.

Meyers grew up in Syracuse and had moved around but settled in Philadelphia about 10 years ago. She and her friends began squatting at the home 8 years ago. Meyers has three roommates and they consider themselves an asset to the neighborhood. They helped clean up the street and pushed the drug dealers out of the house once they took up residence. They've installed new windows and a new roof on both the house and porch. They have a petition in hand, signatures of 200 people, attesting to their positive impact on the community.

However, the opposing bidder wanted the home too. Meyers believes he wanted it to fix it up and sell it. The neighbor, who does not live there, did not want to be interviewed for this story.

"I had no control over this day. It's the hands of fate," said Meyers.

Meyers says she wants to create a nonprofit to help other people who are homeless become homeowners too. Fate was on Meyers side today.



Photo Credit: Sarah Glover

Jersey Shore Deals & Steals

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Several businesses at the Jersey Shore are cutting prices and offering special deals to lure customers to the beach during the heat wave. Check out the deals below: 

Bayview Marina, Ocean City. $20 discount on jet ski rentals. $15 off parasailing

LBI Parasailing, Barnegat Light. $10 off an ocean flight.

Thundering Surf Waterpark, Beach Haven. Admission for three for the price of two.

Impala Island Inn & Wild Dunes Inn, Ocean City. 20% discount on a five night stay, plus breakfast for two each day.

Seaport Inn, Ocean City. 10% off weekday stays this week and next week. Two complimentary beach tags during your stay.

Miss Barnegat Light, Barnegat Light. $10 evening nature cruise.

Tuckerton Seaport, Tuckerton. Child admitted free with paid adult.

WILDWOODS BEAT THE HEAT HOTEL SPECIALS:                                                                                                

Granada, Wildwood Crest. 2 nights for $399.00

Shalimar, Wildwood Crest. July 21st - 26th – 3 nights or longer, 20% OFF Card Rate

Royal Canadian, Wildwood. $145.00 per night. 3 night minimum.  2 adults/2 children

AA Heart of Wildwood, Wildwood.  Specials starting at $220.00

WILDWOODS BEAT THE HEAT DINING/FOOD SPECIALS:

Capt'n Jack's Island Grill, Wildwood. $5.00 Pina Colada
Laura's Fudge, Wildwood. $33.50 for four pounds. Mention the “Beat the Heat Special” and get a half pound of salt water taffy free

WILDWOODS BEAT THE HEAT ACTIVITIES SPECIALS:                                                       
Montego Bay, North Wildwood. Indoor Pool and Waterpark - $10.00 per person
Splash Zone Water Park, Wildwood.  Early Bird Morning Special (from open until Noon ): over 48" $25.95/Under 48" $19.95
                               



Photo Credit: NBC10.com
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