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Philly Animal Shelters Team Up to Save Dogs' Lives

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In an effort to help save the lives of our four-legged friends, the Pennsylvania SPCA came to the aid of a fellow local animal shelter that is taking in less dogs due to a construction project.

The Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia (ACCT Philly) -- an open admission shelter contracted to perform animal control services and accept incoming pets or provide alternate placement -- decreased the capacity to hold dogs by 50 percent while it undergoes HVAC renovations.

To lessen the burden on ACCT's Philly's reduced capacity, PSPCA agreed to visit the shelter three days a week to intake dogs. ACCT Philly urges residents to bring strays or pets to their facility during the time PSCPCA staff are present at the facility on Mondays from 3 to 6 p.m. and Fridays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

While PSPCA staff is on the ACCT Philly site, they will evaluate strays and surrender animals before the dogs enter the facility. When accepted, the animals will then be transported to Erie Avenue headquarters for adoption. 

The partnership serves to minimize euthanasia as PSPCA operates under a no-kill philosophy. Additionally, the alliance helps take pressure off ACCT Philly as they run a tighter ship during the much-needed construction job that will replace the entire HVAC system. 

"The PSPCA has always been a strong supporter of ours,” said Vincent Medley, Executive Director of ACCT Philly. “Their eagerness to help with the HVAC project is further proof of their commitment to work across organizations to make Philadelphia a better place for homeless pets, and we are beyond grateful.”

The construction project is expected to last until late March or mid-April.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/Hero Images

10 Questions: Clive Standen of NBC's 'Taken'

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Clive Standen takes on the role of Bryan Mills -- a former Green Beret who faces and works through personal tragedy -- in NBC's new series, Taken that premiered Monday night. NBC10 sat down with the actor to talk about the new show and how he hopes to make this twist on a classic film story connect with a new generation. 

Tell me a little bit about the show. Is it like a prequel to the ‘Taken’ films?

CS: Well, it’s not a prequel -- it’s a modern day origin story. We’ve rebooted the character from the Taken films and made him 35 years old, so he has a skill set but it is not particular yet. We’re taking the Bryan Mills character and trying to relaunch him for a younger audience. The original film is 10 years old now. I definitely find him fascinating. This man is a grizzled veteran in his 60s and the film was just a father looking for his daughter. But, when you take a character like that you think, 'How does he become that man?' So, we’re starting right at the beginning of his journey where he joins the CIA and starts refining that skill set. [[238904721, C]]

You’re stepping into some big shoes, but how are you hoping to mold the character into your own?

CS: Well you say I’m stepping into big shoes -- I’ve got big feet. It’s easy to make it my own because he is right in the beginning of his journey. So, all I really have to look at is Liam Neeson’s performance in the film, and think ‘This is the man in his 60s, this is what he becomes’ but it gives you free reign to actually go on this roller coaster journey of how he gets there.

How will this series differ from the film franchise?

CS: On the TV show, we don’t want the finished product -- it would get very boring very quickly if every episode the guy has an answer to everything. So, we have a Bryan Mills who’s going to trip and stumble and get back up again and hopefully the audience will be in the action with him and be rooting for him to get back up and learn from his mistakes.

You spoke to Liam Neeson about playing the role. What kind of advice did he give you?

CS: It was great, he was a big fan of Vikings, the show I was on before, so we talked a little about that. But, he just said ‘make it your own and not to forget about the heart of this character.'

When you did your research, you mentioned you watched the entire 'Taken' franchise. Are there things that you look for in the series that would help your character or do you just block it out and plan to start new?

CS: You have to play some of the character to a certain extent, but you also get this relentless intensity that Bryan Mills has. He’s always got this forward momentum going through the thick of it.

You have background in martial arts -- did any of this help you fit into the role? Did you do your own stunts?

CS: I do -- I’m an actor who does stunts. I used to do a lot of stunts when I was younger and I learned how to horse ride and sword fight and tumble and things like that way before I was into acting. In Taken, I do nearly every stunt apart from the car chases -- I’ll leave that to the stuntmen to make sure I don’t hurt anyone. When it comes to someone else’s safety comes, then I don’t like taking control because I don’t want to have something go wrong with a car and then injure lots of civilians. But, all the fighting, the parkour, the running-jumping-climbing trees kind of stunts, I do.

Do you think there is a big difference between action in film and action on television?

CS: On a TV show I think it’s very easy for action to just become explosions and car chases and you don’t connect with the character. With a character like Bryan you need to be in there with him and be there on his journey. I feel like if the director puts a camera on your face and you start to tell the story through the action. Sometimes the audience will see me get hit by cars or fighting bad guys or jumping from building to building, and I think it just helps because you’ll start to see Bryan’s emotions -- his anger, his frustration, and him thinking outside the box. Sometimes in the whites of the eyes you see the fear and then you’re in there, you see his emotions mirror back.

How is this role different from your previous roles?

CS: When I was in Vikings I played a character that was a historical figure, he was the great-great-great grandfather of William the Conquer, but that’s where he ended up in history. There is nothing to say what he was like in the beginning of his dream. The script in Vikings made him a very questionable -- he was sort of living on the margins, a very base character. But, it gives you such an amazing character arc to kind of think, 'How is he going to end up there?' Bryan is at the beginning of this journey so we will get to see where this character began.

Have you always wanted to play this fast-action sort of character?

CS: I always just look for a character who has fire in his belly. That’s what really turns me on when I read a script -- someone that will stand up for something, someone that burns brightly and Bryan Mills is that guy. He’s unstoppable, but he has to go through the ringer to get what he wants and that’s when you start to think about the flip side of the coin. I don’t believe anyone’s a hero or anyone’s a villain and what’s interesting when you watch Taken is that you realize everyone is a bad guy to somebody. You know, Brian in the first episode -- the man he is hunting down -- has his own reasons to hate Bryan. That’s what drama is built on for me. Drama is built on conflict and when you’ve got two characters who believe they’re right in a scene then you’ve got a good scene. I just look for characters that are multi-faceted.

What can fans expect from the show?

CS: I think the show is relentless, I think you can expect some really big twists and turns in the story line. The show-runner of Taken wrote some, and is responsible for, many of the episodes on the five seasons of Homeland. If you take the sort of real-world scenario in Homeland with the espionage, and the covert action that the characters are going through, but you take it with that relentless pace of the Taken franchise, then you end up with something that has far more action and intrigue and adventure.

Tune into Taken, Monday nights at 10 p.m. on NBC. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Vote Now for Montco's Best Pizza Place

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You would be hard-pressed to find a Montgomery County town without a local pizza place.

But which pizzeria has the best pie in the county?

For the second-straight year, the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board is holding Montco's Best Pizza Tournament 2017, a March Madness-like tournament to determine the county's favorite pizza.

"When it comes to pizza, everyone has an opinion," the VFTC said on its website. "That's why every year we open it up to you to tell us your favorite pizza in Montgomery County."

Voting in the Round of 64 began Wednesday with some pizza places battling crosstown rivals like Rocco's Brick Oven Pizza battling fellow Norristown establishment Paradise Pizza.

The winning pizzeria will get a one year membership on the Valley Forge Tourism Board; an official trophy; ad space in county dining guide, Crave; billboards and championship gear.

Last year nearly 78,000 votes were cast. Can last year's top pizza place Chiaro's of Green Lane reclaim its crown? Check back to find out.



Photo Credit: Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board

Worker Dies in Cement Mixer Accident in New Jersey

Catholic Chapel Closing After Decades at New Jersey Mall

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A Catholic chapel at a New Jersey shopping mall is closing after nearly 50 years.

St. Therese's Chapel, also known as the Chapel on the Mall, is at the Bergen Town Center in Paramus. The church planned to have its final Mass on Ash Wednesday, the start of the season of Lent, before packing up and seeking a new home.

The chapel, office rooms and gift shop have occupied 5,000 square feet. The chapel's been run by the Carmelite order of priests since it opened in 1970 and had a month-to-month lease at the mall for the past decade.

The New York Times reports the chapel has drawn almost 1,000 people to Mass each week.

Rev. Eugene Bettinger, the chapel's executive director, says new potential locations have already been scouted.



Photo Credit: Google Earth

Man Exposes Himself to 3 University of Del. Students: Police

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Police are searching for a man accused of exposing himself to three University of Delaware students overnight.

On Wednesday shortly after midnight, a 20-year-old University of Delaware student was walking on Haines Street, north of Continental Avenue in Newark, Delaware when she spotted a naked man standing near the sidewalk committing a lewd act. The woman ran from the area and called Newark Police.

Two 21-year-old University of Delaware students also told police they were on the 100 block of Haines Street shortly before 12:30 a.m. Wednesday when they spotted the same suspect wearing a sweatshirt over his face, exposing his genitals and committing a lewd act.

The two women walked away from the area and contacted police. Officers also spoke with another 21-year-old student who lives in the house the suspect was standing outside of. The woman told police she wasn’t aware the suspect had been on her property.

Police reviewed surveillance cameras in the area and spotted the suspect and his vehicle, a 2011 silver Dodge Charger with markings on the side, according to investigators. Police obtained the vehicle’s registration plate and determined it belonged to Donald W. Maxwell, Jr., 62, of Millsboro, Delaware. Police obtained an arrest warrant for Maxwell and charged him with lewdness, indecent exposure and criminal trespass. They continue to search for him.

If you have any information on his whereabouts, please call the Newark Police Department at 302-366-7111.

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Photo Credit: Newark Police
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Prisoner of Conshy: Harry Potter Inspires a 'Sirius' Visit

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Calling all Harry Potter fans, enthusiasts and historians.

Do you have what it takes to enter Azkaban and uncover the truth behind the wizarding world's most infamous prison?

Home to dark wizards and witches and guarded by Dementors, even a muggle would fear the dreaded institution.

For those wanting to experience a real-life version of Azkaban, the Witch and Wizard Prison in Conshohocken offers a Harry Potter-inspired escape room.

"You have been tricked by a dark wizard and forced to take his spot in the dreaded prison. Your easiest task will be escaping the cell," Project Escape explained. 

Visitors must figure out the Wizard’s Secret before the Dementors notice the prisoners' disappeared. Warning: Just because Sirius Black escaped doesn't mean you will.

The Wizard’s Secret attraction features a wizard den, crystal balls, magic wands and a room filled with potions that would make even Professor Snape jealous.

This Harry Potter escape game does not hold Igor Kararoff or Bellatrix Lestrange as inmates, so Project Escape has taken matters into their own hands to recreate a local version of the Witch and Wizard Prison.

“The escape room allows Happy Potter fans to feel like they are a part of the movie,” said Rick Mason, Project Escape co-owner.

Project Escape is all ages and children under the age of 18 must have an adult present. 



Photo Credit: Project Escape

"The Kindness Rock Project" Spreads to Chester County

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A local group of moms is using a small surface to spread some big love in their community.

“The Kindness Rock Project,” founded by Mindful Parent Coach, Megan Murphy, has inspired groups of people across the country and in our region, to pick up some paint supplies and make their best “Kindness Rocks,” – stones decorated with bright colors and encouraging sayings that artists then hide around their neighborhood for others to find.

Inspired by the rocks that previously popped up in Delaware County, MomAdvice Village founder, Kelly Lammey, is now bringing the project to Chester County with the ‘Mom Advice Rocks of Love’ group. Lammey admits the past few months have been tough for some, and she wanted to help support everyone in her community.

“Our group’s goal is to support everyone. This has been a tough time for a lot of people,” Lammey said. “When I saw this project, I was just drawn to it. I got in touch with the creator, Megan, and I told her, ‘We’re going to start spreading the kindness in our area.’”

Members of the group have begun painting and hiding rocks and Lammey says the group is excited to continue the project as more people begin to join. Some of her rocks have already made it miles away—all the way to Maine.

“The more people that join, the more they will spread,” Lammey said. “I sent a few rocks to my son in Maine and told him to put them on the beach. Every rock has a message and you never know who could need one at that moment.”

As the project continues to expand, Lammey says she is excited to see Chester County sprinkled with the rocks. They have only just begun, but already they have been surprised to find rocks hidden in small places—one even found in a shopping bag in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

“I tell my kids all the time, not everyone can do a big thing, but everyone can do a small thing,” Lammey said. “I hope these small things will continue to bring some extra happiness and encouragement to our area.”



Photo Credit: Kelly Lammy

Atlantic City Boat Show Begins

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A taste of summer has hit Atlantic City as the annual Boat Show kicked off on Wednesday. The show will run until Sunday.

Caught on Cam: Man Tosses Cat in the Air

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Police are searching for a man who was caught on video tossing a cat in the air.

In the video, which was posted on social media, a man wearing a dark jacket and blue jeans throws a cat into the middle of the road. Police believe the incident occurred in Camden, New Jersey, possibly in Centerville or East Camden.

If you have any information on the suspect or incident, please call Camden County Police at 856-757-7042.



Photo Credit: Camden County Police

South Jersey Prison to Close

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Bayside Prison's satellite unit in South Jersey will shut down, shifting 250 inmates to other New Jersey DOC facilities. Now, New Jersey residents are expressing relief. NBC10's Cydney Long has the details.

Billboard Criticizes Philly Mayor, School District

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A Philadelphia teacher who waited five years for a raise paid for a billboard that criticizes the city and school district. NBC10's Aundrea Cline-Thomas has the story and response.

Police Crack Down on Phone Thefts

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After employees were held hostage during a phone store robbery, police are cracking down on thieves targeting phone stores. NBC10's Randy Gyllenhaal has more on how authorities from three counties are working against the thieves.

Fact-Checking President Trump's Address

Canine Partners for Life Launches $8.5 Million Campaign

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Canine Partners for Life, an organization that works to train service dogs for people suffering from disabilities, is excited to announce its $8.5 million, "The Partnership for Independence" Campaign.

This initiative will integrate a safe and easily accessible establishment, meeting the needs of its disabled population. The organization has collected and raised over $5.4 million for the new construction.

“This campaign is about respect and appreciation for the needs of the people who we serve,” Executive Director and Founder of Canine Partners for Life, Darlene Sullivan said.

The project will be completed in two phases. The first phase, the Marian S. Ware Program Services Center, may take a year to build. Construction will start later this month.

The newly renovated facility specifically created for wheelchair and scooter users, will be the center for a variety of activities and will feature a harness shop and interview rooms, accompanied with various entrances and exits.

“It is imperative that our applicants, students, graduates, volunteers, and staff have a facility where they can learn and work in a space that is respectful of their individual needs and unique situations,” Sullivan Said.

Phase two of the campaign will showcase a new Training Center.

The organization still has to reach its $3.1 million goal to break ground on the Mollie and Minor Barringer Training Center soon after the Marian S. Wave Program is finished.

"We hope everyone will join in our excitement, follow our progress, and spread the word to help us secure the remaining $3.1 million,” Campaign Chair, C. Victoria Kitchell said.



Photo Credit: AP

Warm Winter Could Lead to Higher Utility Bills

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The unseasonably warm winter could lead to higher utility bills for customers. NBC10's Drew Smith explains why.

NBC10 First Alert Weather: Cool Down Coming

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Wednesday's temperatures were near record-high, but the warm temperatures won't last. A big cool down is headed our way, and could we possibly expect snow? NBC10 meteorologist Krystal Klei has the details.

Alleged Victims of Serial Child Rape Suspect Speak Out

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Editor's note: This story contains graphic details.

Two women who investigators say were among the many victims abused by an alleged child rapist in Bucks County spoke out on Tuesday.

"I am a victim of William Thomas," one of the women said during a noon press conference at the Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA) in Jamison, Pennsylvania.

The two sisters, who are now in their 20s, said they were sexually abused by William Thomas, 58, of Morrisville, when they were children growing up in the Levittown area of Bucks County. They said Thomas was their babysitter at the time of the abuse.

"Children are so young and innocent and nobody deserves something like this," one of the victims said.

The women were two of six alleged victims who have come forward. They said they want other victims to get help.

"I was being taken advantage of by a grown, adult child molester," one of the sisters said. "I hope that anyone else that was affected by this man, please step up. You will be heard."

Thomas was charged on February 5 with child rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated indecent assault on a child, possession and dissemination of child pornography and other related offenses.

Investigators say the child rape allegations date as far back as 40 years.

Falls Township Police first zeroed in on Thomas in November after receiving a call about sexually explicit writings found on a piece of plywood at the Midway Village mobile home park, said a criminal complaint obtained by NBC10 that contains graphic details of alleged assaults. Thomas had worked as a handyman on a vacant trailer and a new owner found the words describing the sexual assault of two young girls, including names, physical descriptions, parents' names and a date of an alleged assault — Christmas 2014 — police said.

The writer referred to his penis as "one-eyed Willie," police said.

Police compared the writing on the wood to numerous work orders written by Thomas to find that the writing matched, according to police.

Police interviewed the alleged victims but due to the trauma of their assaults, they didn't name Thomas directly by name, officials said. Investigators described many of the victims as "broken people."

Investigators searched Thomas' home at Midway Village and found more than 1,000 prominently displayed photographs and pictures that "depicted naked children, the majority of which were prepubescent" and some that chronicled "molesting," according to the criminal complaint.

Investigators also found writings dating back to the 1970s that documented molestation of children as young as 3 years old, police said.

They also found 500 to 1,000 pairs of prepubescent girls' underwear, some hanging above Thomas' bed, as well as toys and dolls, some with "aftermarket genitals which Thomas created," according to investigators.

"We don't know whether or not he was distributing it," said Weintraub.

The search also uncovered drug paraphernalia and baggies that tested positive for marijuana and methamphetamine.

Police interviewed Thomas and he allegedly admitted to having sexual attraction to children dating back to his adolescence. He admitted to pleasuring himself to the child pornography that he has gathered over the decades, police said.

He also admitted to sexually assaulting a family member and a couple children he babysat and also exposing himself to another child, according to police.

Police looked into Thomas' past and discovered other allegations of sexual assault dating back to the 1970s, when a man said Thomas sexually assaulted him when he was just 8 to 11 years old, police said. Thomas would have been 5 1/2 to 6 years older.

In 2010, police investigated Thomas' former Levittown home after a homeowner looking to flip it found "some disturbing items" including a handmade "child-size sex doll," Polaroids of naked children and graphic handwritten notes about performing sexual acts on young girls, according to the criminal complaint. No charges came from that early police report and some of the discoveries were made after police were alerted.

Back in 2000, Thomas was indicted for child abuse after he admitted to writing a graphic note and giving it to a child in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, police said. He told investigators he was taking drugs and on pills at the time and didn't mean to write the note. No word yet of what came of that allegation.

Authorities said some of Thomas' past residences in Bucks County include a home on Pleasant Line in the Pinewood section of Levittown; Pennsbury Woods apartments on New Falls Road in Levittown; Midway Village mobile home park on Bristol Pike in Morrisville. He also worked as a handyman and subcontractor while owing his own home improvement business called Thomas Construction.

Thomas is currently being held in Bucks County prison on $750,000 bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 28.

Authorities urged anyone with information about other possible victims to contact Falls Township Sgt. Christopher Clark at 215-302-3315 and/or Bucks County Detective Lt. Robert Gorman at 215-340-8141. [[412906593, C]]



Photo Credit: Bucks County District Attorney’s Office
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Why Are Some Pot Holes Intentionally Cut?

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Some of the biggest pot holes causing a headache for drivers are intentionally cut on city roads. NBC10 investigative reporter George Spencer finds out why.

120 Displaced as Winds Fan Flames of NJ Apartment Blaze

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A fire erupted at an apartment building in Passaic on Thursday morning, sending dozens of residents fleeing to the streets as flames and smoke plumes grew amid strong winds. 

People knocked on neighbors’ doors in a panicked rush to wake them up after the fire broke out on Gregory Avenue shortly before 2 a.m.

Some residents said they smelled smoke, while others said it was the flames that prompted them to race from the building. 

Chirag Rana said he was awakened by his brother, who had been up late doing work.

“We saw the flames; everybody was rushing out of the building,” Rana said. “It was crazy outside and the cops started knocking on the doors.”

Rana shot cellphone video showing flames pouring from the windows of a first-floor apartment as panicked residents watch on.

Officials said the fire appeared to have started in the kitchen of that first-floor apartment before it spread to the floors above. Thursday's whipping winds fanned the flames, officials said, and residents recalled the fire blowing sideways at one point. 

A large group of residents, some wrapped in blankets, stood by as firefighters continued to battle the blaze around 4 a.m. It was brought under control a short time later. 

Five residents who were in the first-floor apartment were taken to an area hospital for smoke inhalation. Two firefighters were were also hospitalized for smoke inhalation, officials said. 

Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco said 120 residents were at city hall Thursday morning waiting to hear if they could go back into their homes. 



Photo Credit: @ilovehash/Twitter
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