A woman ordered a box of treats for her fiancé through a monthly subscription service, but the food was never delivered. Harry Hairston and the NBC10 Responds Team came to help when she could not get her money back.

NBC10’s Tim Furlong shows us an inside look at the NFL Draft Experience that opens Thursday at noon.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to be here in Philadelphia for the NFL Draft over the course of the next three days. NBC10’s Vai Sikahema tells us why the NFL Draft causes such a buzz.

BEWARE OF TORNADO NUMBERS
Before I get into the recent fascinating and troubling story on tornado warnings, let me tell you a story -- a true story -- from my days with the National Weather Service.

I interned at the National Hurricane Center in Miami in the 1970s (not a typo). Part of the office housed the local National Weather Service office that covered all of South Florida. My boss (the Meteorologist-In-Charge) was in charge of some things for the entire state, which included keeping official statistics on Florida tornadoes.

This guy (who shall remain nameless, partly because I can’t remember his name) had an unusual philosophy about tornadoes. He didn’t believe in simply inspecting storm damage and determining whether it was a tornado. We only did that with the “bigger” ones, which in Florida means practically no tornadoes. His orders were: “It’s a tornado unless we have evidence that it wasn’t." So, if there was damage, and we heard that a witness saw a funnel, it was a tornado. If we read a newspaper article the next day that quoted someone saying, “It sounded like a freight train," it was a tornado. Or if any local official told us so, it was a tornado.

Surprise, surprise! Florida ranked second in the country in the number of official tornadoes for much of the 1970s. But did it really? I assume other NWS offices had different philosophies, so how can we accurately compare tornado numbers? It’s not like comparing temperatures, rain, snow, wind, etc.

NOW TO THE TROUBLING TORNADO STATS…
Again, keep in mind that tornado statistics are not precise. If one knocks over a few trees in the woods, it probably won’t be counted. And determining whether it was a tornado is not an exact science. I should know-in my later years with the NWS in Georgia, I was the one responsible for inspecting damage and making determinations. The weaker the tornado, the harder it was.

An article from Jason Samenow of the “Capital Weather Gang” at the Washington Post showed the numbers, and the study that had the bad news.

So, only 58% of tornadoes in the U.S. were detected before touching down, compared to 75% only a few years ago.

Are they being more selective in issuing warnings, in order to minimize the problem of “false alarms?" There’s not much evidence of that:

The false alarm rate (FAR) hasn’t dropped much. Note that 7 out of 10 tornado warnings are “false alarms”- that’s a problem.

Is the NWS becoming bolder in issuing warnings in order to detect more of them? If so, the warning time should be going up. But it isn’t-it’s going down.

The “lead time” is down to only 8 minutes, compared to a record 15 minutes in 2011.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
These numbers are an unpleasant surprise. They should be improving, with the new generation of “Dual-Pol” Doppler Radars. Warnings for severe weather are the highest priority of NWS. Here is a theory from Harold Brooks, an expert on this subject:

    “Forecasters have faced increased pressure to reduce tornado ‘false
    alarms’……’motivating some forecasters to issue fewer warnings’

There is a little evidence of that, with FAR dropping a few percent. But there may be other issues:

1.    Tornado warning areas may be shrinking in recent years, as forecasters try to get more precise with warnings. In the old days, entire counties were included, which would result in fewer “false alarms." If they narrow the warning area and still reduce the FAR, that is much better news.

2.    Have a lot of older, experienced forecasters retired in recent years, leaving less experienced ones issuing the warnings? As an older, experienced forecaster myself, I would understand that theory.

3.    There have been more small and “weak” tornadoes in recent years. They are harder to detect, and hard to give more than a few minutes warning. But Brooks says “lead times have dropped by 3-4 minutes for all intensity scales.”

4.    The sample size is too small to definitively prove the changes. We’re talking about tiny storms over a huge country.

5.    All tornado statistics are questionable, due to changes in verification philosophy across the country and from time to time. Maybe we’re comparing “apples and oranges." I hope so.

HELP-JUST IN TIME!
Less than ten days ago, the President signed a bill into law to improve forecasts and warnings in the future. “The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act” is concentrated on getting better severe weather warnings for tornadoes and hurricanes, among others. It aims to improve data, computer models, and other research. This should lead to longer lead times and lower false alarms in the future. And maybe it will even help the U.S. computer models catch up with the world-leading European model.

There was strong bipartisan support for this bill, which shows how important better forecasts and warnings are to EVERYONE in ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. I don’t think we’ll ever see one-hour lead times for tornado warnings. Most tornadoes are too small and short-lived for that. But getting back to that 15 minute lead time would be a great start.

The NFL Draft originated right here in Philadelphia. NBC10’s Katy Zachry, with the help of Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Ray Didinger, takes a look back.

Temple University's Haason Reddick is expected to be a first round pick in Thursday’s draft. His story is a true underdog tale. CSN’s John Clark sits down one on one with Reddick.

NBC10’s Keith Jones and Erin Coleman sit down with Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher to discuss the NFL Draft.

Prospects have been showcasing their skills for NFL scouts over the past few months. NBC10’s Jessica Boyington shows us an inside look at what a Pro Day experience is really like.

Some 100 businesses in Reading, and another 24 in Allentown will be shutting on May 1 to participate in the Day Without Immigrants strike planned nationally.

Adanjesus Marin, the director of Make the Road PA announced which businesses would be closing at a press conference today at 2 p.m. in Reading. He was joined by local business owners including Johanny Cepeda, who is the president of the Latino Chamber of Commerce, and Sunilda Tejada, president of the Union Dominico-Americana.

A similar press conference is scheduled for tomorrow in Allentown. Both seek to highlight the positive economic impact of immigrants in the region — which has experienced tremendous growth in the past 15 years thanks to upswings in Latino and immigrant populations. Reading is, in fact, a majority Latino city (58 percent); Allentown's population is 43 percent Latino, and the city is home to a growing Asian population, as well as one of the largest Syrian populations in the nation.

Businesses that will shut in solidarity in Allentown include:

Nancy's Travel

JJ Cargo Express

Diego's Mexican Restaurant

La Poblanita Deli

La Placita Mexico

Extravaganza Hair by Jay

Glam House

Almonte Consulting and Tax Service

Reina Isabel

Multiservicios SG

Los Orquideas

VMT Beauty Salon and Barbershop

Germania Jean Fashion

El Patron Mexican Restaurant

Los Compadres Barbershop

Ecua-Atlantic Seafood

Taqueria Los Amigos

GM Men's Fashion

Casa del Mofongo

La Poblanita Deli

Las Colombianas

Lissy's Salon and Barbershop

Morningstar's Hair Salon

Mexico Lindo

Businesses that will shut in solidarity in Reading include:

4TH. & PENN RESTAURANT

ABC MULTI SERVICE CENTER

ALENNY’S GROCERY STORE

ANAIN SPRESSION BEAUTY SALON

ANGEL HECONHEN STORE

AVE. MARIA TAQUERIA

AZTECAS PLUMBING HEATING

BANIZAO RESTAURANT

BELLO INSURANCE GROUP

BRAVO SUPERMARKET

BUENA VISTA GROCERY STORE

CARIBE RESTAURANT

CARIBE TRAVEL

CARMEN SALON

CITY OULET

CHESTNUT MINI MARKET

COCINA CRIOLLA

COLOMBO AMERICANA

CARDONAS GROUP LLC

CRISTINA RESTAURANT

DAELAN`S GROCERY

DANNY`S APPLIANCES

DANNY`S MOBILE STORE

DIAZ GROCERY & RESTAURANT

DIVAS BEAUTY SALON

EL BODEGON LATINO

EL FARO RETAURANT

EL GALLITO

EL GALLITO GROCERY

EL JALISCO

EL PRIMO BAR & GRILL

EL PUENTE

EL PUERTO

EL TORO MEAT MARKET

EL TRONCO DE LILY`S

ESTETICA EL MEXICANO

EXCLUSIVE CLOTHING STORE

E & A DELI GRILL

FATIMA`S SALON

FELA GROCERY

GOLDIES BEAUTY BAR

HOUSE OF TIRES

IDT ENERGY

JARIEL RESTAURANT

J M USED APPLIANCES

JOHANNY HAIR SALON

JOSEFINA BAKERY

KALEMBO’S SOCIAL SMOKE

KARINA’S DELI GROCERY

KENIA CECILIA SALON

LA CASA DELCHIMI

LA COCINA PICANTE

LA RIENDA EL MEXICANO

LA SEYBANA BAKERY

LATINOS SERVICE

LAUREL MINI MARKET

LAUREL MINI MARKET LLC

LEO’S DELI GROCERY

LUPITAS’CAR

L & J SUPERMARKET

LOS PRIMOS GROCERY

LUCY SALON

LUXUS BOUTIQUE

MARITZA’S HAIR SALON

MARLIN TU SALON

MASTER TIRE CENTER

M C AUTO SERVICE

MENA CIBAO GROCERY

MERCEDES MULTI SERVICE

MEXICO EN LA PIEL

MI CASA SU CASA

MOCA MINI MARKET

MUNDO LATINO SERVICE

MUNDO LATINO SERVICE

NORIEGA AUTO REPAIR

NUEVA IMAGEN

OLIVARES GROCERY

OLOCUILTA RESTAURANT

PERALTA DELI GROCERY

PRONTO GIRO

RAS COMPUTER STORE

READING FITNESS TIRE

RFT AUTO SALES

RENATO’S AUTO BODY

ROMERO’S BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

SAGRADO CORAZON

SAJOMA GROCERY

SAMAYA’S MULTISERVICE

SANTA BARBARA #1

SANTA RITA DELI GROCERY

SENDA TIRE CENTER

SHORTY’S BARBER SHOP

SARAI FLOWER SHOP

STEPHANIE’S BEAUTIFUL SALON

STYLIST PROFESSIONAL SALON

SUPER NATURAL PRODUCE

SUPER SAVER MARKET

TAPICERIA ALBERT

TAQUERIA EL CARRETON

TAQUERIA JIMENEZ

TAVERAS BARBER SHOP

TLACUANI MEXICAN RESTAURANT

TODAY PC TECH

TOP SHOP

VARGAS CELLULAR CENTER

VICTOR’S USED APPLIANCE

WENGER’S BAKERY

ZAPATERIA SHOE MANIAC

A South Jersey gymnastics coach is accused of sexually assaulting two underage girls.

Joseph Catrambone, 29, of Deptford Township, is accused of sexually assaulting one victim in October, 2016 and the second victim on March 23 and March 24 of this year. Investigators say all three assaults occurred at South Coast Gymnastics in Williamstown, New Jersey where Catrambone worked as a gymnastics coach. Both victims are under the age of 13, officials said.

Catrambone is charged with three counts of sexual assault, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of simple assault against one of the victims.

Catrambone was arrested Monday and is being held without bail pending a detention hearing.

If you have any further information on Catrambone’s interaction with children, please call Detective Gregory Malesich of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s office at 856-384-5626 or Monroe Police Detective K. Bielski at 856-728-9800, ext. 516.
 

A Philadelphia Police officer was arrested after he allegedly struck and killed a man while speeding near a high school earlier this year.

Police say officers Adam Soto, 24, and Tony Forest, 25, were both driving on the 1600 block of Cottman Avenue back on January 31 around 11:30 a.m. Both officers were off-duty at the time. Officials say Soto was driving 89 mph when he struck 50-year-old Daniel Dimitri who was running across the street. Dimitri was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries a short time later.

After a lengthy investigation, Soto was charged with homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter. Forest, 25, was not charged criminally but was charged with departmental violations after investigators determined he was driving recklessly as well.

Soto was a 3-year veteran of the department assigned to the 24th District. Forest was a 3-year veteran assigned to the 14th District.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross suspended Soto and Forest for 30 days with the intent to dismiss.

Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput on Monday took the first step in the official process of beatification and canonization of a lifelong Delaware County resident: Augustinian Father William Atkinson.

Father Atkinson was the Catholic Church's first quadraplegic priest. As reported by Catholicphilly.com, the Msgr. Bonner High grad was almost completely paralyzed from the neck down after he had a near-fatal tobogganing accident while he was training for the priesthood. After his ordination, he served for 30 years as a theology teacher and assistant chaplain at his alma mater, Msgr. Bonner H.S. in Drexel Hill.

Archbishop Chaput celebrated the formal rite opening the possibility of beatification and canonization at St. Thomas of Villanova Chapel April 25, with the Augustian community of Villanova in attendance.

According to Catholicphilly.com, "declaring a person a saint typically is a lengthy process in the church. After the local ordinary, the bishop, approves the cause for canonization, the matter is submitted for approval to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and eventually to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of the Saints."

The Vatican granted its approval for the cause to be opened in 2016. After Monday's Mass, Archbishop Chaput appointed Father Joseph Ryan, assistant professor of history at Villanova; Dr. Patrick Hayes, archivist for the Baltimore Province of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer; and Dr. Nicholas Rademacher, associate professor of religious studies at Cabrini University as the tribunal responsible for investigating Father Atkinson's life.

A tractor-trailer spilled its load of orange juice onto a busy South Jersey highway leaving traffic impacted for hours.

The big rig crashed on the Interstate 295 ramp to continue onto I-295 north in Bellmawr, Camden County around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.

It took crews hour to clean up the mess as the roadway remained closed as of 6 a.m. Thursday.

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Expect traffic trouble in the area. Drivers can still continue onto I-76 westbound but any traffic trying to head onto I-295 north was forced onto the 42 Freeway, reported NBC10 First Alert Traffic Reporter Jessica Boyington.

No one was hurt.

An armed, hourslong standoff with a suspect in the deadly shooting of a Delaware state trooper in a Wawa parking lot continued into Thursday at a house miles away. Officers have have been shot at multiple times at the home where the suspect is holed up, Delaware State Police said. 

Cpl. Stephen Ballard, 32, was shot dead shortly after noon Wednesday in the parking lot of the Wawa convenience store at 1605 Pulaski Highway (US Route 40) in Bear, Delaware. A struggle ensued as Ballard had investigated two men in a car. Ballard, an 8-plus year veteran assigned to Troop 2, Glasgow, never had the chance to pull his weapon, authorities said.

Faith Allen and three other witnesses ran to Ballard and tried to perform CPR on him. Ballard was taken to Christiana Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

"He shot him right in the head," Allen told NBC10. "I mean, it's sad. When you try to save somebody it's even worse when you find out they didn't make it."

State police superintendent Col. Nathaniel McQueen said the vehicle had two suspicious people inside.

One man got out of the car and shot Ballard several times before running away, McQueen said at a Wednesday afternoon news conference. The other man was arrested at the scene.

"This is a sad day for our state and for the Delaware State Police family," McQueen said as Gov. John Carney stood at his side.

The fleeing suspect eventually arrived at a home on the 500 block of St. Michaels Drive in the Brick Mill Farm Development in Middletown, Delaware, about 15 miles away from the Wawa.

A SWAT team and officers surrounded the home and a barricade situation was declared Wednesday afternoon. The gunman, alone in the house, refused to leave and fired several shots at officers surrounding the home, state police spokesman Master Cpl. Gary Fournier said. 

"The suspect has been firing shots at the police officers from the residence that he lives in and is currently held up in the house," Fournier said.

No other officers were injured.

Hostage negotiators were on the scene and established contact with the man in an effort to get him to surrender peacefully, Fournier said. But there was no quick resolution as the standoff stretched into Thursday.

Police said in a statement that officers came under fire at the home in Middletown about 4 a.m. Thursday. Police said they blew off windows with explosives, but have not entered the home. On Wednesday night, they blew the front door off its hinges, but did not enter.

"There was definitely gunfire, I could hear them on the bullhorn but I couldn't really make out what they were saying," said Susan Drejka who remains in her home nearby.

Police said they keep trying to make contact with the man to persuade him to surrender.

"We will be on scene until we get a peaceful resolution," Fournier said.

Around 8 a.m. Thursday, movement could be seen in the area of the standoff as an ambulance and armored car rushed toward the home, reported NBC10's Katy Zachry. The barricade situation continued, however, and residents remained evacuated, state police said.

Some residents in the Brick Mill Farm community were evacuated while others weren't allowed to leave their homes. Brick Mill Elementary on Brick Mill Road was put on lockdown during the standoff. The lockdown for the school was later lifted (and school opened Thursday morning) but the lockdown for the homes was still in effect.

The Odessa Fire Company at 304 Main Street in Odessa, Delaware opened its facility to temporarily house any evacuated residents.

Reporters were kept a safe distance from the barricade. The road closure in the area, however, was moved closer Thursday morning.

Ballard lived in Milford, Delaware, but was originally from Bowie, Maryland, according to his Facebook page. He also got married earlier this year.

A police procession was held early Wednesday evening as Ballard's body was taken from Christiana Hospital to the Medical Examiner's Office in Wilmington, Delaware. Troopers carried a flag-draped coffin into the building.

Throughout the night, residents in the area dropped off candles and flowers at the Wawa in Bear, Delaware, to pay tribute to Ballard. Delaware Gov. John Carney ordered all flags to be flown at half-staff in memory of the fallen trooper.

A Wawa spokesperson released a statement expressing sadness.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic situation that occurred in the parking lot of our Bear, Delaware, store today," the spokesperson wrote. "Our hearts are broken and our thoughts and prayers are with the officer's family and the entire Delaware State Police community during this difficult time.
 
"Out of respect to the officer, our associates and all those affected, the store will remain closed until Saturday. We will continue to do everything we can to help."

Police are asking for the public's help locating the killer of a 17-year-old girl who was fatally shot in Wilmington Wednesday night.

Officers responded to reports of gunfire in the 900 block of Kirkwood Street around 9:30 p.m. They found the victim suffering from wounds to the torso and arm. She was treated at a nearby hospital but pronounced dead later that evening.

Police do not have a description of the suspect, and are asking for the public’s help investigating the shooting. Anyone with information should call Det. McKenzie Kirlin at 302-576-3653 or the Delaware Crime Stoppers Tipline at 1-800-TIP-3333. People can also text a tip to 888777.

A third grade class in New Jersey was surprised to find a strange snake slithering through their midst Tuesday. 

The third-graders in Ms. Reilly's class in the Princeton public school district found the boa constrictor in the back of their classroom.

They thought at first it might have been their class pet, also a boa constrictor they call Cuddles. But when the students saw that Cuddles was still in her cage, they realized this was a new snake.

The kids alerted Ms. Reilly, and she ushered the children out of class as the science teacher came in and removed the snake, according to school officials. He kept it in a cage overnight, and the students named it Zeus.

The science teacher theorized that Zeus was drawn to the classroom by Cuddles. 

The students were already comfortable around Zeus because they'd spent time with Cuddles. Ms. Reilly used the opportunity for a creative writing assignment in which the theme was to imagine where he came from.

It's still not clear where he came from. Animal Control picked him up Wednesday.  

The only thing better than an ice cream cone on a warm spring afternoon is a free ice cream cone on a warm spring afternoon.

Carvel is celebrating its annual Free Cone Day on Thursday, April 27, between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. at participating locations. Guests will be treated to a junior soft ice cream cone with their choice of vanilla, chocolate or Biscoff Cookie Butter, the company’s newest flavor. 

Carvel is also offering a $1 coupon book worth more than $20 in savings, with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross.

"Not only is it the official start of ice cream season, but it’s a special day for us to show genuine gratitude to our loyal guests while coming together to raise funds for a very worthy cause," said Carvel president Scott Colwell.

Click here to find a participating location nearest to you.