A South Jersey native wowed the judges during the season six premiere of NBC’s “The Voice" which aired Monday night.

All four judges turned their chairs to see 19-year-old Christina Grimmie who kicked off this year’s competition with a performance of Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball.”

A sneak peak of Grimmie’s performance was uploaded on YouTube a few days ago and has already earned over 1 million views.

The teen’s performance was so good that judges Usher, Adam Levine, Shakira and Blake Shelton argued over who was going to coach her.

Ultimately Grimmie picked Adam, who was the coach of last season’s winner, Tessanne Chin.

Grimmie grew up in Marlton, Burington County but moved with her family to Los Angeles two years ago so that she could pursue a career in music, according to a family friend.

Even before her amazing performance, Grimmie already gained a steady following thanks to her popular YouTube channel, which has nearly 2 ½ million subscribers.

Be sure to watch Grimmie and cheer her on by watching the Voice on NBC10, Monday nights at 8 p.m. and Tuesday nights at 9 p.m.
 

Two weeks after a PATCO train was evacuated when smoke filled two of the cars, a local lawmaker is calling for a major overhaul for the rapid transit system company.

Pennsylvania State Senator John Rafferty serves as the chair of the Transportation Committee which works on laws to protect the state’s interest in the Delaware River Port Authority(DRPA).

While the DRPA owns PATCO, Rafferty wants the DRPA out of the passenger train business.

“They ought to consider looking at the possibility of leasing off or selling off PATCO to either New Jersey Transit or SETPA,” Rafferty said. “Let them run it.”

Rafferty believes a SEPTA takeover of PATCO would benefit everyone.

“The benefit will go to the public,” Rafferty said. “SEPTA has won awards for their management and their transportation style. The benefit for SEPTA would be that it would enhance their line in ridership.”

PATCO officials say no one has approached them about a SEPTA takeover. SEPTA officials say however that there has been talk and they are open to discussions. The decision is ultimately up to Governor Corbett.

Rafferty says he’s also exploring whether any other private businesses might be willing to purchase PATCO.

Regardless of whether or not PATCO undergoes a management overhaul, many believe that immediate changes need to be made in order to prevent situations like the most recent evacuation.

On February 10, a six-car train traveling from Philadelphia to New Jersey was stopped at the base of the Ben Franklin Bridge after smoke started to fill two of the cars. PATCO officials said a short on one of the motors on the train, likely caused by the cold weather, is what led to the smoke.

The incident was a familiar one for PATCO. Records obtained by the NBC10 investigators show that PATCO train motors have shorted out or failed more than 600 times in the past five years. PATCO officials also admitted to having maintenance issues with broken or malfunctioning escalators and elevators.

Dr. Anthony Deese, an electrical professor from the College of New Jersey told NBC10 that circuit breakers should have prevented the smoke in the train.

“If there were the proper protective systems that were shutting off the power to the motor when the problem occurred there shouldn’t be a chance for the motor to generate that much heat and that much smoke,” Deese said.

Deese says there would only have been a small spark and not much smoke.

“That’s obviously not what happened on the train,” Deese said. “We had a pretty significant and lasting fault within the system that allowed that type of heat and smoke to be generated.”

PATCO officials claim circuit breakers were used however claiming the breakers “did not have enough electrical current to prevent a short.”

Aside from the breakers, PATCO officials recently announced plans to improve service.

A man who police say attacked and robbed several women throughout the city in January approached two more women on Monday, according to investigators.

On Monday around noon, a 41-year-old woman arrived at her home on the 7500 block of Brookhaven Road in Philadelphia. Suddenly, police say, she was attacked by an unidentified man. A Good Samaritan managed to intervene and fight the man off but not before the man grabbed the woman's purse.

Police say the suspect also snatched another purse from a woman on Friday on the 7500 block of Brockton Road.

The same man is connected to six more incidents in January, according to officials. 

The first incident took place on Jan. 8 around 9:10 a.m. on the 1300 block of Pennington Road, according to police. A 52-year-old woman was walking out of her home when police say she was approached by the suspect from behind. The suspect allegedly told the woman, “give me your bag or I will shoot you.” He then took her bag and fled the scene, according to police.

Police say the suspect struck again on Jan. 13 around 6 p.m. Barbara Tucker, 60, told police she was on her way to work and walking along the 7600 block of Brockton Road when the suspect approached her from behind and placed her in a choke-hold.

"He said, 'don't turn around or I'll shoot you, just give me the bag,'" Tucker said.

Tucker says the suspect then threw her to the ground and stole her groceries, purse, cell phone, Kindle fire, $100 in cash and her ID.

Tucker's eye was injured in the attack and the emotional pain remains as well.

"Being so close to home, it's hard," she said while in tears. "It's really hard." 

On Jan. 21, around 7:19 p.m., the suspect allegedly approached a 35-year-old woman from behind while she was carrying her groceries on the 7500 block of Malvern Avenue. Police say the suspect pulled out a knife and demanded that she give up everything in her possession.

Police say the woman dropped her purse and fled into her home. The suspect then allegedly took the woman’s purse, ID, bank card, cell phone and $100 in cash.

The suspect’s fourth victim was a 51-year-old woman, according to police. The suspect allegedly approached her from behind on Jan. 24 around 7:15 a.m. while she was dropping off her grandchildren on the 6700 block of Lansdowne Avenue.

Police say he pulled out a knife and told her, “you don’t want anything to happen to these kids.”

He then allegedly grabbed the bottom of the woman’s bag and then lunged at her and the children. Police say the woman then let go of the bag and the suspect fled with it through a playground and into the woods. The stolen bag contained ID and credit cards, according to investigators.

That same day, shortly before 9 a.m., police say the suspect approached a 55-year-old woman who was walking towards a bus stop on the 1200 block of North 57th Street. The suspect allegedly pushed the woman from behind, grabbed her tote bag and then ran west through a park area. Police say the bag contained a Samsung tablet, HTC smart phone, small pocketbook, debit card, keys, chargers and identification.

Finally on January 29, around 6:30 a.m., police say the suspect approached a 28-year-old woman from behind as she was walking on the 7500 block of Lansdowne Avenue.

"I was screaming out, help me, help!" says the victim who did not want to be identified.

The suspect allegedly tried to grab the woman’s purse from her shoulder. When the woman pulled away and tried to run, the suspect tackled her to the ground, according to investigators. Police say the suspect then pulled out a knife, put it to the woman’s neck and said, "give me the bag before I f*&^%$( stab you.” The suspect then stole the woman’s purse and fled the scene, according to investigators. Police say the purse contained ID, a wallet, gray ankle boots and $140 in cash.

"I'm staying with my parents now," said the victim. "I'm very, very scared."

The investigation of the attacks led police to a 15-year-old boy though they ultimately determined he was not involved in any of the attacks.

Investigators tracked the teen down on January 29 at the Woodcrest Apartments on the 1400 block of N 76th Street. Police were able to track him through one of the stolen cellphones, according to investigators.

The teen was charged with receiving stolen property though they say he is not the suspect in the robberies or attacks. Investigators are still unsure how he obtained the cell phone.

He also had a kitchen knife on him at the time.

The suspect in the robberies and attacks is described as a man between the ages of 18 and 20, weighing 150 pounds and standing between 5-foot-7 and 6-foot-1. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please call Philadelphia Police.

The mayor of the town where allies of Gov. Chris Christie created traffic jams last fall has met with federal prosecutors.
 
Tim Donohue, the lawyer for Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, confirmed the meeting in a statement issued Monday.
 
Donohue said Sokolich voluntarily met with members of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark on Friday to discuss the lane closures at the George Washington Bridge last September. But Donohue said neither he nor Sokolich would provide further comment on the meeting due to the ongoing criminal investigation.
 
Emails and text messages subpoenaed by a New Jersey legislative committee have revealed that an aide to Christie emailed a high-level Port Authority of New York and New Jersey official and told him, "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."

A passing motorist spotted a blaze at a new 55-and-over development this morning.

Firefighters in Berks County, Pa. quickly responded to the blaze at the intersection of Legacy Boulevard and Calming Trail in Lower Heidelberg Township around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The building at the construction site at Legacy at the Papermill was already engulfed in flames, according to Western Berks Fire Chief Jeff Weidner.

The fire quickly expanded to three alarms as it burned for hours despite being brought under control within about an hour, according to firefighters.

No injuries were reported.

As SkyForce10 hovered overhead you could see the massive amount of damage. An entire four-story building was smoldering as only the elevator shaft remained standing.

The part of the building that caught fire was under construction, according to a community plan posted to the Berks Homes website.

Fire officials said the building, intended to be 55-and-over apartments, was just plywood and studs but drywall had not yet been hung.

Weidner said about 50 firefighters from 12 surrounding departments responded to the blaze.

Those crews eventually pulled back and appeared to be content with letting the fire burn itself out. More than four hours after it began, the fire continued to burn but remained contained to the outline of the one building.

The facade of a neighboring building also appeared burned but that building remained standing.

Weidner said the fire marshal's determination for a cause likely won't be ready today.

How are you feeling in general today?

If you aren’t feeling great that’s no surprise.

A new study examining the well-being of people in all 50 states finds that people in our region aren’t living all that great, or all that poorly.

New Jersey places at 23rd, Delaware comes in at 28th and Pennsylvania falls in at 36th on the Gallup-Healthways State of American Well-Being Index for 2013.

New Jersey made a big jump in 2013 from the year before -- hopping nine places into the top half of the survey -- thanks to ranking 9th in Physical Health and 15th in Life Evaluation. The study also found that the Garden State traditionally has the “lowest levels of depression.”

Pennsylvania dipped seven spots, hampered by a 40th-place ranking in Life Evaluation, 41st-place ranking in Emotional Health and placing 46th in Work Environment.

Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania have remained within nine spots since the survey began in 2008. The same can’t be said for Delaware, which placed as low at 47th place overall as of 2011. The First State has recovered to place 28th in 2013 thanks to placing 13th for Basic Access, 16th for Work Environment and 19th for Emotional Health. Delaware was hurt however with a 47th-place ranking in Physical Health.

The study, which breaks factors in quintiles, is a compilation of telephone survey answers from more than 178,000 adults around the country. North and South Dakota came in at No. 1 and 2 as Pennsylvania’s neighbor West Virginia placed dead last for the fifth-straight year.
 

The Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden's office is requesting that all drug-related criminal trials be halted over issues with handling of drug evidence in several cases.

AG Office spokesman Jason Miller tells NBC10.com that state prosecutor Kathleen Jennings sent a letter to all chief justices on Monday asking for a 60 day stay in the trials. The move comes as officials investigate issues at the state's Controlled Substance Lab.

A dozen cases that were set to begin this week are expected to be halted, Miller said. He said the delay will allow the state and defense attorneys to review and retest any evidence that is deemed to have been compromised. As well, he said avoid verdicts being levied based on incorrect information.

Miller said the state is not suggesting, however, that any of the cases were affected.

Delaware State Police Sgt. Paul Shavack said troopers on Friday shut down and secured the Controlled Substance Lab, which is part of the Office of the Medical Examiner, after some drug evidence was "tampered with, missing and/or substituted."

The lab accepts substances suspected to be illegal confiscated by Del. law enforcement agencies and tests them. It most commonly tested for marijuana, cocaine, prescription drugs and others, according to the M.E.'s website.

"The Controlled Substances Lab remains secured as investigators conduct interviews and continue to inspect and audit drug evidence to determine if there are additional compromises," Shavack said.

The sergeant said "several" cases were affected by the evidence mishandling, but couldn't provide a total number citing the ongoing investigation. Miller said he did not have information about whether any past cases that are currently on trial or where verdicts have been delivered had the compromised drug evidence. He added that the state is still determining

State police and Biden's office has asked all Delaware law enforcement agencies to conduct audits and inspect all drug evidence that may have been sent to the state lab.

"This is an ongoing process and is in varying stages and degrees. It would be premature to provide a timeline until the conclusion of this process to determine the entire scope of the compromises," Shavack said.

State officials are looking at alternative labs to do testing and analysis. Shavack says the M.E.'s office is cooperating with the investigation.

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

A former Philadelphia Police officer once hailed as a hero pleaded guilty today to charges stemming from two different assault charges -- one involving heroin -- from last year.

Former officer Richard DeCoatsworth faced 10 counts including rape, assault case, false imprisonment, firearms and drug charges after he allegedly made two women take drugs and perform oral sex on him at gunpoint. The 28-year-old was also charged with assaulting his live-in girlfriend in an incident on May 9.

On Tuesday, DeCoatsworth went to court for a motions hearing on those cases but instead copped a plea.

“Richard DeCoatsworth entered an open guilty plea today,” said assistant district attorney Ashley Lynam. “He pled guilty to distributing heroin to individuals, to victimizing women and promoting prostitution and also to assaulting his longtime girlfriend.”

Lynam said DeCoatsworth’s status as a former officer didn’t get him any leniency.

Prosecutors said they chose to drop the more serious charges like rape to protect the victims from the stress of a trial.

“The victims in this case were already vulnerable women -- it’s the reason they were targeted,” said Lynam.

DeCoatsworth lawyer Chuck Peruto said that the victims' testimony likely wouldn't have stood up if the case went to trial.

Prosecutors wouldn’t reveal the sentence they plan to seek on March 11. DeCoatsworth's lawyer argued that time served in jail while awaiting trial would earn him an early release but the judge rejected that.

According to an earlier indictment, the former officer allegedly forced a woman into prostitution at a Days Inn motel in the Lawncrest section of Philadelphia in May of last year. DeCoatsworth's previous attorney petitioned the court to release text messages from DeCoatsworth’s cell phone in hopes that the text messages would show the full extent of the former officer’s relationships with all parties involved.

The guilty pleas to the two felony counts and one summary offense mark the end of a downward spiral for the once hero police officer.

DeCoatsworth was shot in the face during a September 2007 traffic stop. After being shot, he chased the suspect for some time before collapsing. Police say he was able to radio enough information about the shooter for other officers to nab him.

He was honored for his heroism in 2008 with a Top Cop award and sat next to First Lady Michelle Obama during President Barack Obama’s first address to congress at the U.S. Capitol.

His reign as a top cop began to unravel in the coming years. The city has already spent at least $1.5 million defending itself against DeCoatsworth's checkered past in the department including a couple alleged violent incidents.

DeCoatsworth left the Philadelphia Police force on disability in December 2011.

Outside of court Tuesday, DeCoatsworth's mother Evelyn DeCoatsworth Myers said "it was a good day" and that her son should already be out of jail on time served. His family has claimed the whole thing was a setup to tear him down.

He had become addicted to painkillers prescribed following being shot, according to Peruto.

The time in prison has given him time to take stock of his life.

"He really has had time to reflect for the past 10 months," said Peruto.

Temple University officials say two sports programs that were previously dropped last year have been saved. The Temple Board of Trustees reinstated the men's and women's crew programs Monday.

"It is a subdued celebration," said Rebecca Grzybowski, head coach of women's rowing.

"I feel great for my kids," added Gavin White, head coach of the men's team. "But at the same time, I feel guilty."

Both coaches said the men's and women's rowing teams are sensitive to the fact that five other varsity sports are still scheduled to end in July.

In December 2013, Temple University officials announced the decision to drop the men's and women's crew program, along with baseball, softball, men's gymnastics, track and field, and indoor track and field, which affected 150 students and nine full-time coaches.

But a financial partnership between the City of Philadelphia and the Lenfest Foundation allowed school officials to remove the crew teams from the chopping block.

On Monday, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced that the city committed $2.5 million to renovate the Temple Boathouse on Kelly Drive in East Fairmount Park, while the Lenfest Foundation committed $3 million.

The boathouse which stood along the banks of the Schuylkill River and was owned by the city, was condemned more than five years ago. Tents were constructed to hold the rowing equipment, but a winter storm crushed the structure and damaged equipment.

The university announced plans to build a new boathouse in March 2012, but those plans were withdrawn in the spring of this year. A Temple spokesman said a new boathouse would have required a $10 million investment.

The combined funding will provide renovated public restrooms, office and storage space for the Marine Police along with new lockers and boat storage for Temple's crew teams. The funds will also be used for landscaping and the rebuilding of the parking lot.

“The City of Philadelphia is blessed to have two beautiful rivers, one of which was named the 2014 River of the Year - the Schuylkill River,” said Mayor Nutter.  “The Schuylkill River and its amenities, namely the Boathouses and recreation trails, are iconic landmarks that make our great city unique.  It is incumbent upon us to preserve these historical treasures for future Philadelphians.  The City of Philadelphia thanks Mr. Lenfest and the Lenfest Foundation for understanding the importance of these amenities, and helping us secure and improve upon them.”

Temple University president Neil Theobald thanked both Mayor Nutter and Lenfest for their contributions.

“The renovation and improvements to the Canoe House will make it possible for Temple University to return men’s crew and women’s rowing to their former status as varsity sports," Theobald said.

Officials say Temple will have a long-term lease at the newly renovated boathouse. Once design plans are finalized, construction should last between 12 and 18 months.

In addition to the renovated boathouse, Nutter also announced that the city would allocate $1 million to repair a portion of the Schuylkill River retaining wall along Kelly Drive starting at the Strawberry Mansion Bridge and extending to the St. Joseph's University boathouse. The city is also using a combined $500,000 in grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation and Water Department to install rain gardens along the Kelly Drive recreation trail to manage storm-water runoff.

With the reinstatement of the two sports programs and the ending of the other five, Temple will go from 24 varsity sports to 19.

In December, Temple officials claimed they were dropping the seven sports in order to concentrate on its Olympic sports programs.

"Temple does not have the resources to equip, staff, and provide a positive competitive experience for 24 varsity sports. Continuing this model does a disservice to our student-athletes," Kevin G. Clark, vice president and director of athletics, said in a statement on the school's website.

"We need to have the right-sized program to create a sustainable model for Temple University Athletics moving forward," he said.

Temple says the reduction would put the school in line with other universities in The American Athletic Conference, which the school participates.

Clark notified the affected student-athletes of the decision during a December 2013 meeting. One student, who recorded part of the announcement and posted it to YouTube, can be heard crying as he spoke.

Derek Peterson, senior captain and third baseman on Temple's baseball team, was also in attendance.

"I was obviously really hurt. It is an issue that is bigger than me personally," the 22-year-old said of the announcement. "The baseball program has had a lot of success here and there has been a team since the 1920s. There is a long legacy of baseball tradition here."

Athletes from the five teams the university still plans to drop and their supporters are still working to sway the school's decision.

Some headed to Harrisburg Tuesday to rally while the Pennsylvania State Senate's Appropriations committee met to vote on the budget for state related universities, including Temple.

Athletes from the crew teams did not plan to attend, but Gryzbowski says the rowers will continue to support the other five teams as they continue their fight.

"In December, we received an oupouring of support," Grzybowski said. "So now more than anybody else, we understand what it feels like to be on that side of the decision. [The student-athletes] see this as an opportunity to support their friends and fellow athletes."

Xfinity has announced changes to its channel lineup effective February 27.

NBC10 will be moving to Channel 10 for Xfinity customers in Bensalem, Broomall (Delaware County), King of Prussia, Levittown, Norristown and Radnor.

You may view the new channel lineup here. 

Tax collectors need to look no further than City Hall to find a large bulk of the money owed to the government.

NBC10 Investigator Harry Hairston undercovered interesting information regarding tax debt and employees of the city of Philadelphia -- hundreds of them owe nearly a million dollars collectively in property taxes.

The NBC10 investigators added up the bills of 200 city workers who owe money and the amount totaled almost a million dollars. Some of the deliquent, who include employees working in the water department, personnel and the courts, owe as far back as six years, said Hairson.

Two Philadelphia Police Officers owe about $20,000 each, according to Department of Revenue records obtained by Hairston.

Another employee, a city court clerk named Ann Marie Gibson, owes more than $16,000.

When approached by Hairston and his NBC10 camera at her home and questioned on her deliquent property tax, Gibson simply laughed and slammed the door.

What's even more astonishing, is that all of the employees who owe taxes are still receiving paychecks.

"It makes no sense to me for the city to pay people who aren't paying their taxes," says Zach Stalberg, a member of the government watch dog group, Committee of 70.

City officials say that there's not enough staff to check the tax records of city employees on a constistent basis and therefore, their delinquency gets overlooked.

Philadelphia residents, however, do not find that answer an exceptable one.

"Just because you're a city worker, you shouldn't get a free ride," Roxborough resident David Butler said.

All lanes are now open on I-95 northbound in South Philadelphia after a ShopRite tractor trailer overturned.

The vehicle flipped over around 12:40 p.m. in the northbound lanes of I-95 between Pattison Avenue and the Walt Whitman Bridge.

During the accident, the top of the trailer opened up and food spilled out.

No one was injured during the accident. Lanes were closed for hours as crews cleaned up the food and removed the truck from the highway.

All lanes reopened around 7 p.m.

Also on NBC10.com:

• Man Dies in 1-Car Crash
• Man Struck, Killed by Minivan