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North Philly Building Collapse

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Crews are at the scene of a building collapse in North Philadelphia.

The roof and the third floor of a vacant building on 3527 North Smedley Street collapsed Tuesday afternoon. No one was injured during the incident.

L&I officials were called to the scene and are checking to see if there is any danger of the rest of the building coming down.

The collapse comes only two days after a vacant two-story home collapsed on Limekiln Pike and Ogontz Avenue. During that collapse, two people who were walking by the building were struck by debris as it caved in.

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

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Nuisance Snow During Morning Rush

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Nuisance snow is set to hit our region Wednesday bringing little accumulation but also potentially causing slippery conditions during the morning commute. Check out our gallery for what to expect.

Photo Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Not Fit for DOJ Job: DA, Senator

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U.S. Senator Pat Toomey and Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams have penned an op-ed calling for an attorney who represented convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal to be ‘disqualified’ from an appointment to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The opinion article, published by the Wall Street Journal late Monday, focuses on Debo Adegbile, who has been tapped by President Barack Obama to join the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. Adegbile represented Abu-Jamal in 2009 through the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF), where he was acting president and director of litigation.

Toomey (R-Pa.) and Williams (D-Philadelphia) said Adegbile did not only act as his attorney, but seized the case and turned "it into a political platform from which to launch an extreme attack on the justice system." They question his ability to run the civil rights division.

"Under Mr. Adegbile's leadership and through rallies, protests and a media campaign, the Legal Defense Fund actively fanned the racial firestorm," the officials wrote. "In a news release issued when it took over as Abu-Jamal's counsel, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) proclaimed that Abu-Jamal was ‘a symbol of the racial injustices of the death penalty.’”

Abu-Jamal’s case has carried on for decades and continues to be a racial flash point. A former member of the Black Panthers, he was convicted of the 1982 murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. He is black and Faulkner was white. Abu-Jamal was later sentenced to death – a sentence that was appealed for years.

Adegbile and his legal team represented Abu-Jamal on an appeal based on faulty instructions given to jurors. They had his death sentenced converted to life in prison. This move upset supporters of police and other law enforcement as well as Faulkner’s family.

The officials say Abu-Jamal was well represented prior to LDF’s involvement, adding that their involvement only exacerbated racial issues related to the case.

This week’s opinion piece is the latest protest by both men to the attorney’s appointment, which is set to be reviewed by the U.S. Senate over the next few weeks. The appointment has already been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. That committee’s chairman Sen. Patrick Leahey, D-Vt., said previously the attorney does not “deserve the disparagement” he is enduring.

Asked why Toomey and Williams decided to team up on the piece, a spokeswoman for the senator said he has been outspoken on the issue for some time.

"Senator Toomey teamed up with DA Williams because they agree that this nominee is not suited for the civil rights post at Justice,” E.R. Anderson said. She added that Toomey plans to vote no on the Senate floor.

A request for comment from Williams was not returned by publication.

NBC10.com reached out to Adegbile for comment. Speaking through an LDF representative, he said he is unable to make any statements about his appointment.

White House spokesman Keith Maley declined to speak about the op-ed, but said Adegbile’s qualifications are unquestionable.

“He has a wealth of experience and expertise both inside and outside of government and the respect of colleagues who have worked with him over the years from both sides of the aisle,” he said. “We hope the Senate will act swiftly to confirm him so he can get to work on the vital business of ensuring that every American’s civil and constitutional rights are protected under the law.”


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



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Town Demands Answers From PECO

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Members of a Bucks County town say they've had frequent power outage problems and are demanding answers from PECO. NBC10's Deanna Durante speaks to the residents as well as PECO officials.

Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Sketch of Alleged Purse Snatcher

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Philadelphia Police released a sketch of a man who they say attacked and robbed several women throughout the city. They are also offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

Police say the suspect is responsible for 8 purse snatchings of women since January.

The latest incident took place 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 the suspect. 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, 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.

The suspect in the robberies and attacks is described as a slim black male between the ages of 20 and 27, standing 5-foot-6 and weighing 130 pounds with black hair and a light mustache. Police also say he normally wears a grey hooded sweatshirt and light blue jeans.

Police are offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with information on his whereabouts. If you have any information, please call Philadelphia Police.

 



Photo Credit: Philadelphia Police

Ice Slams Into Car Windshield

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A Lehigh Valley woman says she and her two passengers are lucky to be alive after a slab of ice flew off the top of a truck and smashed into the windshield of her car.

Stacy Crudele says she was driving in the northbound lanes on Route 33 in Plainfield Township, Northampton County Monday afternoon. As she was driving, Crudele says a table-sized slab of ice flew off a tractor trailer in the opposite lane.

“As soon as I saw it come up off the truck, the first thing running through my head was making peace with God and praying for the best,” said Timothy Arigo, a passenger inside the car. “It was a huge chunk of ice.”

Crudele says she slammed the brakes, but not before the ice smashed into her windshield.

“I hit the brake and I tried to move to the right but there was another truck on the other side and it was that quick,” Crudele said. “All of a sudden I felt like pinches all over. It was the glass that hit me.”

Amazingly, Crudele, Arigo, and Virginia Crudele were not hurt during the incident. Virginia says it was an extremely close call.

“It bounced up and hit the front of our car and then continued and hit the windshield,” said Virginia. “If she hadn’t hit the brakes, I think it would’ve gone right through the windshield and we wouldn’t be here.”

Crudele claims the ice came from a ShopRite truck. Police are currently searching for the truck driver though they say there is little they can do if they find him.

In Pennsylvania, you can be fined up to $1000 if ice from your vehicle injures or kills someone. Since no one was hurt or killed during Monday's incident however, police say the driver would likely only receive a warning.

While he and his friends escaped injury, Arigo says the scary experience is already having an impact on him.

“I’m still a little shaken,” Arigo said. “I was nervous getting in the car this morning. Whenever a tractor trailer would go by I would cringe a little bit.”

 



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

St. Joe's Faculty Want 2 VPs Gone

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A St. Joseph University Faculty Senate vote of no confidence in two high-level administrators and call for their resignations, reveals a growing frustration over finances and leadership on the Roman Catholic Jesuit school’s campus.

"A no confidence vote is exactly that," said Robert Moore, president of the Faculty Senate and assistant professor, who was present at the Tuesday meeting when the no confidence vote passed 161 to 0 against Louis Mayer, vice president of financial affairs, and John Smithson, senior vice president, with four abstentions. 

"People don’t have confidence in certain individuals to perform in their jobs," he said.

Moore says there was no particular incident that led the governing body of full-time, tenure-track faculty members to call for their resignations.

But the University’s student news organization, The Hawk, reports Smithson may be responsible for a shortfall of $8.0 million in fiscal year 2013 and an $8.7 million deficit in fiscal year 2014 while Mayer ineffectively managed the Office of Financial Affairs.

In a response posted to St. Joe's Town Hall website and later to The Hawk, University President C. Kevin Gillespie said, "Those of us trained in the academic world may not like it, but the most recent financial exhibits shared with department chairs clearly demonstrated that effectively all of this years $8.7M budget shortfall occurred in non-administrative divisions/departments. Yet only half of the expense reductions to close the budget gap came from units within academic affairs."

The vote comes five months after the Faculty Senate passed a resolution to censure the administration – an unprecedented move that demonstrates the faculty’s formal disapproval of the school’s senior leadership.

Moore declined to comment on specific reasons the senate wants Mayer and Smithson gone, but their dissatisfaction over a change in health care coverage that forced employees to cover an increase in budgeted health care premiums likely contributed.

The Faculty Senate does not have any legally binding power, but its vote could lead to drastic changes at the 163-year-old institution.

"It encourages the administration to make a decision,” Moore said. “At the end of the day, it is their job to take action.”

Swift action appears unlikely given the administration’s and the Board of Trustees’ response.

“During a challenging period in higher education, Saint Joseph’s University has maintained an extremely strong market position with ‘A’ financial ratings,” Gillespie said in a news release. “We acknowledge there have been difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions, but they have been critical to our long-term financial sustainability.”

Robert Falese, Board of Trustees’ chairman, echoed the school president's statement.

“The strong performance of Saint Joseph’s University speaks for itself,” Falese said in a news release. “Our operating income is stable… The Board of Trustees looks forward to meeting with the faculty, but remains committed to the direction it has given to Father Gillespie and the administration to manage the University’s overall financial health while preserving and expanding its academic mission.”

The administration already has another big change planned. The University's provost, Brice Wachterhauser, is leaving his position at the end of the academic year. His replacement has yet to be announced.



Photo Credit: Facebook

Evesham Superintendent Stays

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School district members voted to keep Evesham Township Superintendent John Scavelli. NBC10's Keith Jones shows why Scavelli has gained so much support from the community.

Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Nutter Reaches Contract Agreement With Union

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After five years of working under an expired contract, a local union reached a new agreement on Tuesday.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and District Council Union 47 signed an 8-year contract.

“I’m very pleased to announce that our Administration’s labor team a short time ago came to an agreement with representatives from AFSCME District Council 47 on an 8-year contract that provides critically important reforms in the areas of pensions, healthcare and work rules, while providing pay raises for thousands of members of this union," Nutter said.

DC 47 represents thousands of workers in Philadelphia. Their contract expired in 2009, leading to years of negotiations with Mayor Nutter over a new one.

On Monday, all 16 members of the city council sent an open letter to Mayor Nutter, asking Nutter to negotiate a new contract with the union as well as District Council 33.

“It is time to have a serious conversation about the five-year impasse between your Administration and the workers who provide vital services our residents expect and deserve,” they wrote. “It is simply unfair for thousands of our blue collar workers to remain frozen in a time of recession-induced fear and uncertainty. The City of Philadelphia must reconsider its contract demands, and AFSCME District Council 47 and District Council 33 workers must show a willingness to negotiate.”

Nutter held a meeting with DC 47 officials Tuesday night at the Sheraton Hotel on 17th and Vine Streets. He then announced that a new contract agreement was reached with the union.

Nutter says the new contract runs from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2017. He released the specific details on the contract in a written statement:

WAGES:

  • Ratification bonus of $2,000 per person
  • Effective 30 days after ratification, there shall be an across the board wage increase of 3.5%
  • Effective July 1, 2015, there shall be an across the board wage increase of 2.5%
  • Effective July 1, 2016, there shall be an across the board wage increase of 3%

PENSION:

  • Effective January 1, 2015, employee pension contributions increase by .5% of pay.
  • Effective January 1, 2016, employee pension contributions increase by an additional .5% of pay.
  • New hires either go into Plan 10 or pay an additional 1% of pay, which will go up as the contributions for current employees do up to an additional 2% of pay as of January 1, 2016.
  • Current employees have 90 days to elect to move into Plan 10.

OVERTIME:

  • Effective July 1, 2014, the overtime rate for all employees who are entitled to cash overtime will be based on their EP pay range and step. 
  • Effective January 1, 2015, sick time will not be counted as hours worked for purposes of determining when overtime is due on a weekly basis. 

HEALTH & WELFARE:

  • Through December 31, 2014, the City’s contribution to the health fund will be $1,100 per member per month.  In addition, the City will make a one-time lump sum payment to the health fund of $5 million.
  • Effective January 1, 2015, the health fund will move to a self-insured arrangement and the City will pay only the cost of benefits and administration.
  • Effective January 1, 2015, the employee contributions will be set at no less than 9% of projected total cost.
  • The health fund will continue to maintain an aggressive wellness program, including financial incentives.

LAYOFF/FURLOUGHS: 

  • In lieu of creating a separate mechanism for furloughs or temporary layoffs, the Union agrees to support the change to civil service regulations to allow the City to streamline the layoff process through a change in calculation of the layoff score and to change the pension ordinance to provide that a layoff of fewer than 15 consecutive days will not be considered a separation for purposes of the DROP to prevent employees who are in the DROP from experiencing a permanent separation as a result of a temporary layoff.

CONTRACTING OUT: 

  • The parties agree to a pilot program to evaluate the use of contract pharmacists in the Department of Public Health.

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PROGRAM: 

  • The City will contribute $50,000 to the AFSCME DC 47 Health and Welfare Fund for FY2014 through FY2017 to continue the Workplace Violence Prevention Program. 

GRANT-FUNDED POSITIONS: 

  • The parties will continue the 2008 pilot program regarding grant-funded positions in the Health Department.


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Teacher Accused of Selling Drugs

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A Philadelphia teacher was arraigned Wednesday morning after he was allegedly caught selling drugs only two miles away from the school where he teaches.

Sources close to the investigation say narcotics officers were patrolling the area of Castor Avenue and Benner Street near Northeast Preparatory School shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday. As they were patrolling, sources say they spotted Paul Smith selling heroin out of his Nissan Pathfinder to a man at the intersection.

Smith, a married father of two, taught history for about a year at Northeast Prep. Sources say the officers approached the 35-year-old and found 25 packets of heroin, including a bundle he allegedly tried to throw from his vehicle. Sources also say the officers found two cell phones and nearly $200 inside the Pathfinder.

“I’m at a loss for words for this,” said Dennis Probst, an administrator at Northeast Prep.

Probst says he’s taking immediate action against Smith.

“He’s fired immediately,” Probst said. “I will not have that person around my school or around my kids at all.”

Smith was taken into custody and charged three drug counts including possession with intent to deliver. A Philadelphia municipal judge arraigned Smith on the counts and set bail at 10 percent of $5,000.

Smith posted bail early Wednesday. He is due back in court next week for a status hearing.

Smith does not have any prior arrests. 



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

A Snowy Morning

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Be careful when you’re heading to work this morning. More snow moved into our area and while it won’t be much, it caused some slippery road conditions at the worst time.

The snow is expected to be heavier south of the city and lighter in points to the north and the Poconos. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for parts of South Jersey and Delaware through 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Snow began to move into parts our area before daybreak.

Timeline
9 a.m. – 11 a.m. – Snow continues, small accumulation
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Snow ends, windy

There won’t be too much accumulation from the snow. Philly and the northern and western suburbs should only see a coating to 1 inch. South Jersey and coastal Delaware should only see 1 to 2 inches by midday. More than 1 inch had already fallen parts of Delaware, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures in the 20s caused the snow to stick, leading to slick spots in the morning. Use caution when you’re driving. The snow also delayed some incoming flights to Philadelphia International Airport.

There was also reports of spin-out crashes along area roadways including the Route 30 Bypass.

After the snow clears, Wednesday afternoon will be windy and cold with highs around 30 degrees.

Arctic air will then move into the area, leading to unseasonably low temperatures.

The high temperature for Thursday will only be 34 degrees and 26 degrees on Friday. The lows will be in the teens for both days. To put that in perspective, the average high temperature for this time of year in our area is 46 degrees.

Temperatures will rise a bit on Saturday with a high of 35. Sunday through Monday however another system will move into our area, bringing with it a mixture of snow ice and rain.

Stay with NBC10.com for more details on what to expect during the weekend and next week. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Cross-City Police Pursuit

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A police pursuit spanned a large section of the city overnight.

Philadelphia Police say the car chase began around 11 p.m. Tuesday when officers tried to pull a man over around 6th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue in North Philly because they thought the car was stolen.

The driver then took off, according to investigators.

The chase wound through the city -- the police tactical chopper hovering overhead -- before finally ending about 7 miles away around 63rd Street and Paschall Avenue in Southwest Philly around 11:30 p.m.

NBC10 captured the moment as police led the handcuffed suspect into a waiting police cruiser.

Police say it turns out the man’s car wasn’t stolen so it wasn’t immediately clear why he drove off.

There were no reports of injuries to the suspect or officers.

No charges were filed as of Wednesday morning.

Click here for more news from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.



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Meat Manufacturer Gets Taxpayer Aid

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Deitz & Watson was awarded millions of dollars to rebuild a new distribution center in Burlington, N.J. destroyed by fire last year.

Photo Credit: NBC10- Brian Iacone

"Super" Wawa in Conshy?

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The latest hurdle to bring a so-called "super" Wawa to a small Montgomery County town already bookended by two Wawas could be cleared tonight.

Conshohocken's zoning board will hear proposals tonight from Wawa about the company's plan for a superstore featuring gas pumps in the heart of the 7,800-person borough.

The meeting comes after months of false starts as Wawa and community members waited for all five zoning board members to be present for a meeting.

Wawa's earlier plans were defeated by town council last spring but they since repackaged their proposal to take it in front of the zoning board.

The proposal to open the Wawa on a vacant car dealership lot in the heart of the borough drew plenty of debate since it first came about in 2010. It would be the third Wawa store in the area. During earlier meetings, some members of the community spoke out against it.

"Is this the way we want to look at our town as Wawa, Wawa, Wawa?" asked one woman.

"I don't think it's right for right here in Conshohocken," Mike Oraschewsky of the Conshohocken Cafe told NBC10's Rosemary Connors. "We've got a Wawa on both ends of town."

"There's more passion from the opposing side. But, it's a divided issue. It's hard to be passionate about bringing a Wawa into Conshohocken," Brian Pieri, a resident and owner of The Stone Rose restaurant, said. "They are a great company, but they belong on a pike."

Under the plan, a 4,150-square-foot "neighborhood-designed" superstore would be built on Fayette Street at the site of the old Moore Chevrolet car dealership.

"It's an eyesore right now, I think a Wawa would probably be a OK," said Natalie Adler, a Philadelphia resident who travels to Conshohocken every day for work.

"We believe that we are a community partner, a strong partner, not only to community causes but also to the local businesses and, of course, the residents in the area as well," said Wawa spokeswoman Lori Bruce after an earlier meeting. "Our goal is to become community assets and compliment the communities we serve."

The store wouldn't be a "Super Wawa" since it would be less than 5,000-square feet, according to Wawa and it would be far less than the traditional 100,000 square-foot "big box" stores like Wal-Mart.

Some opponents to the store believed the addition of gas pumps would have made it a Super Wawa in any case.

Some neighbors are worried about what the store could do to property values but they also say they likely would shop there if it opened.

Wawa has been a part of the Conshohocken community for more than 40 years, according to Bruce. She says 1,200 people signed a petition in support of the superstore. If it had opened, the plan would have included 40 new jobs and making other contributions to the community, Bruce said.

The promise of jobs and potentially cheaper gas, though, isn't enough to match the vision some have for Conshy.

Realtor and developer Gary DeMedio of DeMedio Keystone Realty said that he's watched Conshohocken over the past 40 years go from a steel town to a blue-collar town and now the  trendy, vibrant community it is today. He was concerned that the Wawa would take away from the town's uniqueness.

"We'll lose the small town feel. Wawa's a great family-owned company but it's just not a fit here," he said. "It's not all about gas prices or the store's popularity."

The Conshohocken Revitalization Alliance (theA) has fought against bringing th mega Wawa to town.

CRA spokesman Tony DeFazio said his group hopes to not see the larger food/gas store in the 1-square-mile borough.

About two dozen businesses formed the CRA to oppose the measure. One of their primary concerns was that the borough could have changed zoning ordinances for convenience stores and gas stations in order to appease Wawa.

"The main overall point is the town put a lot of time and effort into making Conshohocken more walkable with nice restaurants. The Wawa facility doesn't match that plan. They will stifle mom-and-pops," said Pieri.

The company, which is headquartered in Wawa, Delaware County, Pa., owns and runs 645 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida. More than 365 of the stores sell gas.

Opponents of Wawa's plan are expected at Wednesday night's meeting at the Washington Fire Company. Organizers say police will be on hand in case things get overly contentious.

East Coast Rock Salt Shortage

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NBC10's Christine Maddeala reports in Chester County where snow is already falling. She has the latest on what our area is doing to combat the latest round of snowfall with the rock salt shortage affecting the majority of the East Coast.

Fire Burns Local House

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A house fire in an isolated area needed tanker trucks in Franklin Township, N.J.

Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Watch NBC10's Snow Cam

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Watch the snow fall from the exclusive NBC10 SnowCam high above the Marquis de Lafayette Hotel in Cape May, N.J.



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

$2K Bill for Surprise 17-Hour Call

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Michael Pratt couldn’t believe his eyes when he opened his Verizon bill shortly after arriving home from a two-week long family vacation in Aruba last October.

The monthly charges, which typically hovered around $400 for his home and business phones, soared to more than $2,690. Inspecting page three of the bill, the Gloucester County, N.J. grandfather found charges for a marathon phone call lasting 17 hours and 44 minutes.

"You can’t talk on the phone for 17 hours," said the 68-year-old laundromat owner from Elk Township, N.J.

Pratt said his daughter, who along with her two kids was on vacation with he and his wife, had mistakenly left her credit card and cell phone back in the States. She used his phone to call her bank and have a replacement card shipped to the Caribbean island.

He says she hung the Samsung Galaxy 4 smartphone right up, but when that phone call ended, the charges kept on coming.

"She borrowed my phone. She made one phone call and that’s when everything started," he said. "She finally got the cards, but when I got home, I got this horrendous bill," he said.

On Pratt’s bill, which he provided to NBC10.com, there were 36 charges tied to a toll-free number stretching from 3:38 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 26, 2013 until 9:22 a.m. the following day. Thirty-four of the charges were billed in 30-minute increments, all to the same number, each time stamped at either 22 minutes or 52 minutes past every hour. At $1.99 a minute, that one phone call totaled $2,073.58.

Figuring there was a mistake, Pratt says he called Verizon to dispute the charges. A case was created, but after four months of back-and-forth conversations about the issue, earlier this month a company representative said he was on the hook for the charges.

"Basically the end comment was, 'Well, we can’t do nothing; it was your problem; you used the phone.' Well I didn’t use it for 17 hours," he said.

A call to the 800 number listed on the bill is met with an automated system for mobile phone carrier Sprint. Pratt believes someone else handled the international call and billed Verizon for the roaming, who in turn billed him.

"They talked to the roaming carrier and said I used the phone. Well, I didn’t use the phone. My daughter used it one time and once the connection broke, the roaming charges should have stopped," he said.

Pratt’s bill shows he also made nearly three dozen other phone calls to the U.S. from Aruba on his phone without experiencing the same issue.

NBC10.com reached out to Verizon about the issue. After several days of investigation, spokesman Sheldon Jones said late Tuesday that the company would be removing the charges, taxes and fees from Pratt’s bill.

"I think at the end of the day, it just looked like the calls were irregular and that led us to decide to refund the customer the charges," Jones said.

Asked whether a wireless phone call could stay connected continuously for more than 17 hours, Jones said it is unlikely, citing either the phone’s battery dying if it wasn’t plugged in, or the call timing out.

Verizon is still looking into what happened with the call. Jones said the company’s customer care team is investigating whether Pratt was the victim of some sort of scam, but could not elaborate as to what type it might be.

A spokesperson for Sprint, whose automated system a call to the 800 number listed on the bill is directed, said the carrier believes it may have been a scam as well.

Questioned why it took Pratt so long to get a resolution to his billing issue, Jones said it takes time to get bills and responses from their third-party roaming partners. He said the company does not disclose who those partners are.

"In a scenario when it’s roaming, it’s not uncommon for it to take a couple of months because we have to get the bills back from the roaming carrier," he said.

Jones said customers need to be vigilant at checking their bills and be persistent when fighting charges they believe to be wrong.


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



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Attempted Abduction Suspect Busted

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A man wanted in the attempted abductions of kids headed to the North Philadelphia Elementary School was arrested last night.

Philadelphia Police Special Victims Unit Capt. John Darby announced Wednesday that police arrested Tyrone Ferguson.

"His behavior is bold and it definitely creates a threat to that community," said Darby.

Darby said Ferguson tried to abduct three children in two separate incidents outside of a North Philadelphia school.

The first incident happened Feb. 19 but wasn't reported until two days later. Police say that a 10-year-old girl was approached by a man outside the Mary McLeod Bethune School on 3301 Old York Road. Police say the man grabbed the girl's arm but she managed to break free and he fled the scene.

On Monday, around 8 a.m., police say an 8-year-old boy and his 10-year-old sister were walking to Mary Bethune 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 grabbed the boy's book bag.

Police say the boy's sister rushed over and freed him.

"Ultimately that male let go of the young male child and then attacked the female and tried to take her... as well," said Darby.

The man then allegedly grabbed the girl's hair and pulled her towards him. Nearby children then threw rocks at the suspect, knocking him down, according to investigators. The suspect then fled the scene and the girl escaped.

The children then reported the incident to the school, which contacted police.

During both incidents, police say the man was wearing all-black clothing, black gloves and a ski mask.

"Recognizing the threat level we began to work almost immediately," said Darby.

As a result of the increased police presence in the area, Ferguson was identified Tuesday night. One of his alleged victims also recognized Ferguson.

Ferguson, who lives not far from the school, turned himself into the Special Victims Unit Tuesday night around 9. Darby said that Ferguson was charged in Monday's incident with robbery, attempted kidnapping, false imprisonment, simple assault, luring a child and related counts.

Darby said as of now Ferguson isn't linked to other recent incidents in the city but that the investigation is going including investigating whether Ferguson is the same man who exposed himself to several children in the city over the past few weeks.

"Our work continues here to identify any other incidents from the past that we might be able to tie to this individual," said Darby.

Ferguson is no stranger to law enforcement, he has a slew of previous convictions including drugs incidents and serving time for a 2001 conviction for corruption a minor, according to court records.



Photo Credit: Philadelphia Police

Snow Keeps Coming

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Places around the area like Swedesboro, N.J. have seen their share of snow this year.
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