Two priests have been removed from the Philadelphia Archdiocese following allegations of child sexual abuse.

Reverend James J. Collins, 75, and the Reverend John P. Paul, 67, are both accused of sexually abusing a 17-year-old over 40 years ago. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput determined that both priests are not suitable for ministry due to the substantiated allegations, according to an Archdiocese spokesperson.

Collins was placed on administrative leave in May of last year when the allegations first surfaced. He was ordained in 1964 and had served as a faculty member at Holy Family University since 1976. He retired from his position last year.

Paul was placed on administrative leave in December of last year when the allegations were first made against him. He was ordained in 1972 and most recently served at Our Lady of Calvary, Philadelphia before he was placed on leave. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Paul was allowed to work in his parish for nearly a year after the accusations against him first surfaced.

The allegations against both priests were reported to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. Local authorities declined to pursue criminal charges because the statute of limitations had expired, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Archdiocese Office of Investigations began their own investigation

The results of the investigation were then submitted to the Archdiocesan Professional Responsibility Review Board (APRRB), comprised of 12 men and women, both Catholic and non-Catholic, with experience in child sex abuse investigations. The group then recommended that the priests be removed and Archbishop Chaput made the final decision.

Neither Father Collins nor Father Paul will have public ministry in the Archdiocese. Both men have the right to appeal. If they don’t appeal or if an appeal is unsuccessful, they could be removed from the clerical state or “live a life of prayer and penance,” according to an Archdiocese spokesperson.

The Archdiocese have not yet revealed specific details about the accusations against the two priests or the exact day they were removed.

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

 

Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram aren’t just used for posting pictures of your trip to the beach or your new puppy. For the late Danny Hammond, 21, they were used as an enormous support group spanning across the Philadelphia area and even as far as Hollywood.

Hammond of Springfield Township, Pennsylvania passed away Thursday after a long battle with cancer.

Hammond was diagnosed with spinal cord cancer when he was just nine years old according to his profile on Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Last March, Hammond’s cancer made its final return. His mother, Jody Hammond told of her heartbreak in an online journal when an MRI came back showing yet another tumor was growing and was cancerous.

After that it was more chemotherapy and radiation treatments which included several extended stays at CHOP.

During the final days of Hammond’s fight, the social media community rallied behind him. Using the hashtags “DansOurMan” and “GodsGotThis” people tweeted and posted on Instagram encouraging pictures to help Hammond and his family through the hard time.

Batman himself even showed his support. 

Actor Christian Bale sent in a picture of himself with the words "Dan's Our Man" written across his face to the “Dan’s Our Man” Facebook group.

Since Dan's February 20th passing, posts continue to come through with memories of Dan and condolences for his family.

Danny was active in Alex’s Lemonade Stand after becoming friends with the founder, Alex Scott while they were both being treated at CHOP. Danny was also involved in Penn State’s THON for Pediatric Cancer.

His funeral will be held tomorrow at Holy Cross Church in Springfield at 12 noon.

It was a record-breaking weekend in the Happy Valley. Penn State students danced or stood upright at THON for 46 straight hours to raise a record-breaking $13.3 million for pediatric cancer. 

The 42nd annual weekend fundraiser, affectionately known as THON, which is short for the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, takes place on Penn State's main campus. More than 700 students filled the Bryce Jordan Center starting at 6 p.m. Friday through 4 p.m. today. 

THON is the largest student-run philanthropy organized effort in the world. The effort includes more than 15,000 Penn State student volunteers who support the efforts of THON throughout the year.

THON Executive Director Ryan Patrick described the endeavor as "another amazing year full of moments that take our breath away and remind us all that we are making a difference in the lives of the children and their families affected by pediatric cancer." 

The funds raised go to help Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, which assists children treated for cancer and their families who seek care. 

Since 1977, THON has raised more than $114 million for the Four Diamonds Fund. 

Contact Sarah Glover at 610-668-5580, sarah.glover@nbcuni.com or follow @skyphoto on Twitter.

A 33-year-old man attempted to rob a TD Bank in Northeast Philadelphia Sunday afternoon. 

The would-be robber handed a teller a note demanding money at the branch near Bustleton and Cottman Avenues. His efforts were thwarted.  Philadelphia Police apprehended the man across the street from the bank.

There were no injuries reported.

A vacant two-story row home collapsed in the Ogontz section of Philadelphia on Sunday evening landing two people in the hospital.

Those two people were walking by the building when it suddenly caved in. They were injured and were transported to Einstein Hospital.

"The building just came down and smoke everywhere," said witness Mike Scott who helped one of the victims. 

City records show the property, located at Limekiln Pike and Ogontz Avenue, has a history of violations related to garbage and extermination, but no history of violations related to its structure.

Inspectors with the Department of Licenses and Inspections are expected on the scene Monday as they work to determine an exact cause for the collapse.

Firefighters have suspicions about the cause.

"The middle of the building is sagging. It could have been from the weather or change in temperature. I just don't know," said fire department Cpt. Clifford Gilliam. 

The collapse occurred just before 8 p.m. Both victims are in stable condition and will be fine, according to fire officials.

Two men, including a Temple University student, are recovering after a shooting outside a club in North Philadelphia.

The Temple student was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon.

Investigators say a fight broke out around 2 a.m. in the bathroom of the Let Out, a nightclub on the 1600 block of Cecil B Moore Avenue, near the Temple University campus.

After the brawl spilled out onto the streets, police say at least two people began to fire shots.

A 21-year-old Temple University student who was about a block away was struck by a stray bullet. Investigators say he suffered a graze wound to the stomach. He was taken to Hahnemann Hospital where he was treated and released.

Police also say one of the gunmen, a 25-year-old man, was struck in the knee. He was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he is currently in stable condition.

Police found at least 29 shell casings on the ground after the shooting, according to investigators.

No arrests have been made though three security guards at the club were taken in for questioning. Police continue to investigate.

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

A person was hurt and two family pets died as flames tore through a Philadelphia home overnight.

The homeowner credits one of those dogs with saving her family after flames broke out shortly before 1 a.m. in their home along the 100 block of W Washington Lane in the city’s Germantown neighborhood.

Natalie Hall credited a barking dog with alerting her family of the fire, which seemed to have started in the home’s basement.

“My young niece said she was awaken by the pit bull barking,” said Hall.

That dog and another family dog didn’t make it out of the fire.

“The dog must have collapsed in the smoke,” said Hall.

Hall lived in the home with her brother, sister and the sister’s three teenage daughters. The brother suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to the hospital -- otherwise everyone else made it out of the quick-moving fire unscathed.

Hall’s family has lived in the home for nearly four decades.

"That's it, all of our memories have gone up in smoke," said Hall.

The fire, which took a couple of hours to get under control, heavily damaged the home as flames shot up through the roof. Two adjacent homes -- not occupied at the time of the blaze -- also were damaged.

A hot spot even flared up around daybreak bringing firefighters back to the scene.

Hall said her family would stay at a nearby home she also owns.

The exact cause of the fire remained under investigation Monday morning.

A woman wound up shot after she got caught in the middle of a fight between two brothers in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood last night.

The shooting began as a fistfight between two brothers around 11 p.m. Sunday, according to Philadelphia Police.

After the fight, the younger brother went to his girlfriend’s house along the 200 block of E Tioga Street, police said.

The man’s 33-year-old brother showed up at the house a short time later looking for his 28-year-old sibling.

The older brother then allegedly opened fire on his brother but missed -- striking the younger man’s girlfriend three times, according to police.

The 22-year-old woman was rushed to temple University Hospital in stable condition.

The alleged shooter -- who was recently released from prison -- fled the scene, according to police.

Authorities didn’t identify any of the people involved.

A midweek winter storm will once again bring snow to the region, but it’s not expected to be more than a nuisance says the NBC10 First Alert Weather Team.

The winter system will begin to move into the region overnight on Tuesday and drop light snow through the morning.

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NBC10 First Alert Meteorologist Bill Henley says there will be some snow during the morning commute, but that everything will be done falling by Wednesday afternoon.

“By 11 o’clock in the morning, those snow-making clouds are off shore,” he said.

Henley says the snow shouldn’t have a major impact on the morning commute, but says there could be some snow-related delays at area schools.

With light snow comes light accumulations. Philadelphia and the surrounding area should see 1 to 2 inches of snow by the end of the storm. Areas to the north and west could see between 1 and 3 inches.

Behind the storm will come more cold air and then another chance for winter precipitation on Saturday.

The NBC10 First Alert Weather Team continues to follow the storm and this story will be updated with new information as it becomes available.

A popular Atlantic City casino is under fire after three people filed lawsuits accusing the security guards of brutality.

Jean Smith, a cab driver, says he was outside the Harrah’s Casino back in 2011 and asked a valet about another taxi driver cutting the line. That’s when Smith says security officers at the casino grabbed him by the throat, shoved him down and kicked him while he was on the ground. Part of the incident was captured on surveillance video.

“That day, I thought was going to be my last day,” Smith said.

Smith insists he never threatened anyone or did anything to warrant the attack. Jean Saintel, another cab driver, says he was also attacked by the security guards for no reason in a separate incident in 2011.

Saintel, who was born in Haiti, says he was waiting outside the casino for a customer who had called him when a Harrah’s security guard approached him and told him to leave. Saintel says the guard then slammed him down and put his fingers in his nose.

“I didn’t do anything to him,” Saintel said through a translator.

Both cab drivers say they were handcuffed and taken to a holding area before they were finally released. They each filed civil lawsuits against the casino, claiming the officers were reckless and negligent during the incidents.

“It’s an ongoing pattern,” said Jude Nelson, the attorney for both men. “It’s an ongoing issue that needs to be dealt with.”

A third person, Renee Binns of Lee County Florida, also filed a lawsuit against the casino after an allegedly unprovoked attack from the guards. Binns says she along with her husband, John Binns, and 17-year-old daughter were attacked by Harrah's security guards in August of 2012.

The lawsuit claims that John Binns repeatedly asked for a manager after he was having issues with the hotel room keys. He was then told he was no longer a guest at the hotel, according to the suit. Binns says he was then approached by security guards who pulled him to the ground as his wife and daughter watched.

Renee Binns told NBC2 that she and her daughter were then attacked by guards after they went to grab their belongings in another room. The lawsuit claims that one guard flipped the 17-year-old teen over his hip and onto the ground, fracturing her nose.

The family filed a lawsuit against Harrah’s on Friday.

NBC10 reached out to Harrah’s for comment on the three lawsuits. The casino’s parent company responded in a statement which claimed they had a long-standing policy of not commenting on pending litigation. In a document filed in the Smith case however, officials with the casino deny all of the allegations.

“It’s out of control to say the least,” Nelson said. “Obviously there’s a lack of training.”

Both Smith and Saintel say they still suffer pain due to the attacks.

“What they are doing is criminal in nature,” Saintel said.

Smith’s case is set to go to trial on March 3. A trial date has not yet been set for Saintel.

All three lawsuits are seeking monetary damage.

 

A local health system that employs thousands in our area is sending a major new message to potential applicants. Smokers need not apply.

Main Line Health officials announced on Monday they would no longer hire tobacco and nicotine users after May 1 of this year. Current employees who smoke or use tobacco will also have to pay a $20 surcharge for their health care benefits starting in 2015.

“As a health system, it is our responsibility to set an example of wellness and disease prevention for our patients, employees and the community,” said Paul Yakulis, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Main Line Health. “And, as good stewards of our financial resources, we also know that placing this focus on smoking – a behavior related to significantly increased medical costs – can improve both our employees’ health and Main Line Health’s financial well-being.”

Under the “Tobacco Use Impact on Employment” policy, applicants will have to certify that they haven’t used tobacco products or nicotine in any form in the 90-day period prior to submitting an application to Main Line Health. They will also have to certify that they will remain tobacco-free during their employment with the health system.

Employees found in violation of the policy will have to complete a smoking cessation program and undergo random nicotine lab screenings for two years.

The new policy led to a mixed reaction from smokers and non-smokers alike.

"It bothers me," said Jim Hionis, manager of the Tinder Box, a smoke shop in Havertown. "It does have an authoritarian tenor to it."

While Hionis admits that the policy is well within the rights of a private company, he also says it may end up scaring off good candidates.

Hionis also says the policy opens the doors to other private health topics, such as obesity or alcohol use.

"It could be a slippery slope," he said. "Right now smoking is a soft target. It's an easy target."

Main Line Health has had a smoke-free policy within all of its buildings for the past 25 years. In 2009, the policy expanded to include the grounds of each campus.

With its new program, the company is also offering free smoking cessation classes. Employees who complete the class will receive a $100 incentive payment.

Main Line Health is a not-for-profit health system that was founded in 1985. The system includes the Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital

The University of Pennsylvania Health System adopted a similar policy last year, and stopped hiring tobacco users in July.

 

A bridge in Bucks County that carried thousands of vehicles each day was closed Monday afternoon.

The bridge carrying Main Street over SEPTA tracks in Sellersville Borough was closed and detoured due to severe structural deterioration.

PennDOT officials say deterioration and corrosion of the steel truss above the bridge’s main deck prompted the closure.

"The steel truss that goes above the bridge deck is in very poor condition and the evaluation was done and it was deemed that for public safety we needed to close the bridge," said PennDOT press secretary Gene Blaum. "We'll look into the feasability of a repair plan and then finding a contract to get it under to make the repairs necessary to get the bridge open to a lower weight restriction." 

A project that would replace or rehabilitate the bridge is currently in its preliminary stages. However, construction for the project isn’t expected to begin until 2018.

"It's going to clog up the streets that aren't meant for that type of traffic," said Gary Millar of Sellersville.

The bridge was built in 1927. It’s 139-feet long and 34-feet wide and carried about 7900 vehicles a day. The bridge was posted for 15 tons and 26 tons for combination loads.

"This bridge hasn't been safe for the last 30 to 40 years," said Robert Iannetta of Sellersville. "They're always complaining that they're going to tear it down."

During the closure, Main Street through traffic will be detoured over Route 152 (State Road/Park Avenue), Route 309 and route 563 (Ridge Road).

A painter at a local college was found beaten to death inside his Upper Darby home on Monday.

Co-workers of 59-year-old Michael Fanning, a painter at Haverford College, told police they became concerned after Fanning didn’t show up to the college over the weekend. The co-workers say they hadn’t heard from him for several days and went to his home on the 7100 block of Ruskin Lane around 8 a.m. on Monday to check on him.

When they knocked on his door and he didn’t respond, they called 911. Responding police officers went through a window into the house where they found Fanning’s body inside a second floor bedroom.

Investigators say Fanning had been beaten to death and that he may have been dead for several days before he was finally found.

Police say there was no sign of a forced entry.

Investigators say Fanning’s vehicle was also stolen and they are currently searching for it. The car is described as a silver 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis with a roadster top and the license plate “RICTER.”

Police found drug paraphernalia, including plastic heroin bags and needles inside Fanning’s home, according to investigators.

While an autopsy has not yet been performed, investigators say it appeared that Fanning had been bludgeoned to death.

They continue to investigate. Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.
 

The owner of a building that collapsed and injured two people will be billed for the cleanup, according to city officials.

On Sunday around 8 p.m., a vacant two-story home collapsed on Limekiln Pike and Ogontz Avenue. Police say two people who were walking by the building were struck by debris as it caved in.

"The building just came down and there was smoke everywhere," said witness Mike Scott who helped one of the victims.

The victims were treated for minor injuries at Einstein Hospital and later released.

According to city records, Sabrina Rush, the owner of the property, owes $12,000 in taxes as well as a $6,000 lien on the property.

Tax records show Rush hasn't paid taxes on the building since 2008. She also received citations for a trash pileup in 2010, 2011, 2012 and most recently this year.

“People have been complaining about it for years and years,” said Mekeda Webb, who lives next to the property. “I’ve lived in the neighborhood my whole life. It’s always been there and it’s always been empty.”

The city cleaned and sealed the property earlier in February. Records show Rush never paid the city after they hired a contractor to clean up the site. City officials say Rush will be billed for the cleanup on the damaged property. NBC10 tried to track her down but we were unable to find her.

The city applied to place the property on the sheriff's sale list last October but the court has not yet responded.

Officials still have not yet determined the exact cause of the collapse.

"The middle of the building is sagging. It could have been from the weather or change in temperature," said Fire department Cpt. Clifford Gilliam. "I just don't know,"

Police are on the hunt for a man who they say has exposed himself to several children in the city over the past few days.

Police say the first incident took place on February 20 around 7:30 a.m. A 12-year-old girl told police she was walking on the 5700 block of Chester Avenue when she heard a man yelling. When she turned towards him, she says the man exposed himself.

On February 21, around 7:30 a.m., police say a 13-year-old girl was riding the Rt. 13 Trolley on the 1300 block of S. 54th Street. As she was on the trolley, police say the suspect began making sexually explicit comments towards her and then exposed himself.

Investigators have not yet revealed whether it was the victims or the suspect who fled the scene during the first two incidents.

Finally, on Monday, around 8:20 a.m., police say an 8-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl were walking to school along the 1000 block of W. Venango Street when they were approached by the suspect. The man allegedly told the children, “come here” and then reached out to grab them. Police say the children ran to their school and reported the incident.

“I find that very disgusting,” said Robert Cooper of Southwest Philadelphia. “Every morning around 7 to 8 o’clock we see groups of kids going to school with their parents. To catch a kid off guard is very surprising.”

The suspect is described as a man between the ages of 18 to his early 20’s standing 5-foot-6. During the incident on S. 54th Street, police say he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and jeans. During the incident on W. Venango Street, police say he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, faded and ripped blue jeans and blue and black “Lebron” sneakers.

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