Parents and children were out in full force at the Oxford Valley Pool in Fairless Hills on Friday, seeking relief from the blistering heat. Yet while there were plenty of swimmers inside the pool, there were a few spaces that were noticeably empty: the lifeguard chairs. 

“In the height of the summer season, to already be short staffed and only have four or five lifeguards, I think it’s dangerous,” said Dave Leidich, a parent.

Lauren Volpe, the manager of the pool, wholeheartedly agrees.

“You need to have more staff,” she said. “You need to have more eyes. People think that lifeguards are babysitters. We are not babysitters. We are here to prevent accidents.”

Volpe says that when Bucks County mandated lifeguards work full-time during the summer with no time off, many staff members at the pool quit. Now, instead of having the usual eight lifeguards per day, Volpe says there are now only three to five each day.

Volpe says she expressed her concerns to her own supervisors but received little response.

“I think they’d like to fire me to be honest with you,” she said. “I don’t think many people are happy with what I did. But I know inside of myself that you have to do the right thing.”

She then went to a Bucks County Commissioners Meeting on Wednesday where she pleaded for more funding.

“It’s great to know that that’s her top concern,” said Samantha Nysse, another parent. “The safety of the kids that come to her facility and the families that come here.”

On Thursday, a  7-year-old boy nearly drowned inside a Cobbs Creek pool. On Friday, he was declared braindead at the hospital. In light of the incident, Volpe says she knew she did the right thing by going to the meeting.

“I don’t want that to happen here,” she said. “Like I said at the commissioner’s meeting, it shouldn’t take a tragedy for people to wake up.”

Bucks County officials have not yet made a decision regarding funding. They do say however that Volpe is not in danger of being fired and that the publicity she created “may help the spots be fulfilled.”

 

The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office will dispose of the 47 fetuses held as evidence in the murder case against Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell.

That decision comes after weeks of dispute and requests by pro-life advocates who have been seeking a proper burial for the tiny remains.

"The City has received multiple requests for third-party organizations to claim the remains from the Women’s Medical Society Case," said Jeff Moran, spokesman for the Philadelphia Health Department.

"The City has determined that these remains will not be released to any unrelated third party. The remains will be given a proper and respectful disposition by the City in accordance with our standard practices. The Medical Examiner's Office is in the process of making these arrangements."

Parties that contacted the Medical Examiner with burial requests included Archbishop Charles Chaput on behalf of the Philadelphia Archdiocese and Father Frank Pavone, a priest from Staten Island, director of the organization, Priests for Life.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia submitted a formal request for the remains and even set aside space at a local cemetery for burial. Spokesman Kenneth Gavin said the Archdiocese had not received a response from the City.

Father Pavone held vigil in front of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's office this morning with about 50 supporters. He came to hand-deliver a letter to Medical Examiner Sam Gulino, stating that, "The public must be told where the bodies currently are."

"Thousands have expressed concerns that the babies be buried," said Pavone. "We're asking them to release the bodies for burial and they are refusing to do so without explanation."

Two Philadelphia police officers stood at the entrance to the ME's office, preventing Pavone and his supporters from entering. 

"Why is there such a conflict over a basic practice of burying the dead," Pavone asked. He says 5,000 people have called or sent emails to the office to echo his request to "bury the babies."

Dr. Kermit Gosnell is serving a life sentence without the possibility for parole after a jury found him guilty of killing three babies born alive at his West Philadelphia abortion clinic. He snipped their spinal cords.

Bryan Kemper of Stand True Ministries traveled from Troy, Ohio to Philadelphia in May to attend four days of the trial. He returned today for the vigil.

"I'm a father crying out to give these children dignity," said Kemper. "I pray for this man (Gosnell) and pray for his soul. He had to be one tormented person to do what he did. We will not give up on this fight."

Pavone said Priests for Life will follow up with a letter and may pursue legal action. 

"We believe the public deserves to know what will be done with the babies," Pavone said.

Moran has said previously that the remains will be cremated.

Tragedy struck twice on Roosevelt Boulevard this week as two separate accidents resulted in the death of a mother and three of her four young children, and left an 11-year-old girl who was hit while riding her bike, in critical condition.

The accidents have brought national attention once again to the issue of pedestrian and driver safety along the 12-lane highway that is frequently referred to as one of the most dangerous roads in the country.

Two major proponents of safety on the Boulevard, Mayor Michael Nutter and Representative for the 13th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, Allyson Schwartz have been outspoken in the past, but were not quick to jump in and react to these most recent accidents.

On Friday, Schwartz offered condolences to the families of the victims.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of Samara Banks and her children who were tragically killed this week and also the family and friends of the 11-year-old girl who was critically injured,” Schwartz said.

“Roosevelt Boulevard poses constant safety challenges to our community and all of us must use vigilance to ensure both pedestrians and motorists are safe.”

In 2008, Nutter and Schwartz teamed up to launch a safety awareness campaign that included advertisements on billboards and SEPTA buses as well as community outreach meetings. That same year, Nutter lauded Schwartz for having secured funding for a $440,000 project that included the installation of 488 pedestrian crosswalk timers at 46 intersections along the highway.

“In 2008, I secured $3.2 million for pedestrian safety measures on the Boulevard that were needed to help improve safety for pedestrians and vehicles. These were important steps to improving safety while incorporating enhanced law enforcement and traffic safety measures. That includes strictly enforcing laws against drivers engaged in illegal activities that endanger pedestrians and law-abiding drivers,” Schwartz said.

Nutter, who once described the Boulevard as "one of the most hazardous roads in America," has yet to speak on the recent tragedies or confirm whether the City has any new plans for taming accidents on the busy roadway.

Nutter was unavailable for comment.

Senator Mike Stack, who was also vocal about Boulevard safety in the past said the financial cost of safety improvements should not be a deterrent to preventing tragedies like the ones that occurred this week.

"We've come a long way on safety on the Boulevard, but it’s still very dangerous and fatal as we've seen this week so we have to do more,” he said. “Tragedies like the ones we saw this week and others like this are just unacceptable. The financial issue is relevant, but sometimes you’ve gotta look at these problems and say we can’t afford not to do something.”

In recent years, Stack assisted in securing funding for the now defunct Roosevelt Boulevard Initiative and in 2009, he helped facilitate a $199,978 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) for the Philadelphia Police Department to ramp up traffic enforcement on the highway.

A 2007 Highway Safety Corridor designation permitted the doubling of fines for traffic violations on the Boulevard. The designation came after six pedestrians were killed in accidents on the Boulevard within a six month timeframe that year.

Stack suggested a number of ideas to improve safety including extending the safety corridor limits, reconstructing parts of the roadway, and cracking down on drag racers.

“One of the things we should look at is extending the hazardous zones, where traffic fines are doubled. We should extend that even further so it covers more of the Boulevard.  Another thing we could try is to put parts of the road underground. I advocated for that years ago and they’ve done it in other cities; that could be helpful.” Stack said. “Drag racing is such a lethal and horrendous issue and I think we should look at that too. We should put these drag racers in the same category as repeat DUI people and that’s something I’m working on legislatively.”

Editor's Note: 10 Questions is a new weekly feature on NBC10.com. If you know someone who we should profile, please email us.

Kimberly Adams, 33, has worked at the Philly 311 Contact Center for the past three years. She sheds light on what she does as a gatekeeper of information for the City of Philadelphia.

Who is Kimberly?
I’m a pretty outgoing motivated individual. I’ve lived in Philadelphia my whole life and I plan on living here my whole life. I get to be in a position where I’m helping other people but I get to help myself to. I’m a dedicated public servant. I am a social media coordinator, customer service officer and contact center supervisor at the Philly 311 Contact Center.

What is 311?
It's the city’s customer service contact center. The office provides general information about city services and city departments. We also do service requests like the street department that picks up your trash. We are open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can submit your questions via a mobile app, email, social media channels and by website 24/7. The mobile app requests will go straight through the departments. The service has since December 24, 2007.

Where is the Call Center located?
It’s in City Hall Room 167. People do come in because City Hall is a public building. Sometimes homeless people come in or mentally challenged people. We service those customers the same way we would any way else. Sometimes people need an emergency shelter. We don’t turn away anyone. We never dismiss anyone. Walk in center is only open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

What is like working there?
We are a big family. We all are in it together taking the calls, the emails and being on social media. We are all here improving the quality of life.

Provide an example of a common call that the 311 Center receives.
A common call is one that asks for general information about court dates or how to connect to a specific courtroom. Then, we connect them to the CJC (Criminal Justice Center). People will ask how to pay their water bill, and we connect them to water revenue. Those are the most general calls. For service requests, we get-- my street light is out, my trash has been missed, I need a vacant lot cleaned, I have a vacant lot next to me.

How do you handle heat-related calls?
We do have a seasonal requests, such as where can I go for a cooling center and is there any help or relief for code red or excessive heat warnings. The first thing we tell them is what we have here. We give out the number for the Heat Hotline (Philadelphia Corporation for the Aging) 215-765-9040. We tell them we have an excessive heat widget on the mobile app because it’s all encompassing. It gives them all the information we would tell them over the phone. If they don’t have a mobile app, we read the information such as the summer pool schedule and closest pool to your area. And we provide information on how you can help the homeless during a code red emergency.

Have you ever not been able to answer a question?
Yes, a lot of times there’s no information. We are not always going to have all the information all of the time. If we get calls that we can’t answer right away. Then, I would be one of the people to reach out to make sure we have that information included into our information base next time. Then we update the information to make sure it’s accurate.

How do you defuse angry callers?
We get a lot of angry callers, but it depends on the situation. We take a lot of opinion calls as well. Depending on the type of calls we are taking we can defuse the call. If a caller is upset about a general service, we can educate the customer on what 311 does and how long it takes to honor a complaint. An example is a vacant lot complaint. We try to empower the customer by giving them as much information about the service as possible. In this case, it takes 30 days for License and Inspection to come out. A lot of what we do is simple education. The more we educate the public the less complaints we get. I had a caller who had called about a vacant lot she was trying to get cleaned up. She would send messages on Twitter and once I received her complaints on Twitter, I responded to it and educated her. We generate a service request and educate the customer of the process, and within 90 days the lot will be cleaned.

What is an example of a wildest complaint?
We received a call three months ago where a customer was upset at a Rite-Aid employee and they said they were going to blow up City Hall. We said we can’t take the complaint against the Rite-Aid employee and thus we got a bomb threat. The craziest call I have taken personally is-- “When does Best Buy on Delaware Avenue close?” I say we are not 411. Last night, someone asked someone who won the Phillies game. We are a customer service center, so I did not completely strike down that and say I can’t give you the information. I let him know that we give out city government information only and then I gave him the details on who to call for that information.

Why do you love your job?
I feel like I’m in some small way I’m giving back. Improving people’s life and helping citizens. I get to use social media and I can see first-hand the services of what the city provides and what it could be providing. It becomes very obvious to me that some answers are not intuitive to everyone. It allows me to see on the ground level that in some way we make a difference. We are educating customers and I know that information is filtering out through the city.

Two people are in the hospital after a car accident in Pottstown.

Police say the vehicle crashed into a grassy area in the westbound lanes of Route 422 shortly before noon. One driver was flown to West Reading Hospital while another was flown to Pottstown. Police say one of the victims is in critical condition. They have not yet revealed the condition of the second victim.

US-422 West was closed between Sanatoga and Armand Hammer Boulevard for several hours due to the accident. It has since been reopened. 

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Wrong-Way Driver Killed in Head-On Collision

Man Accused of Killing Transgender Lover, Dumping Body Parts in Lot

SUV Drives Into Crowd at NE Philly Club; 8 Injured

A man is dead and three other people injured after police say he drove on the wrong side of the road in the Frankford section of the city.

Police say 25-year-old Angelo Mills of Philadelphia was driving a 1996 Honda Civic on the wrong side of the roadway in the southbound lane on Aramingo Avenue around 3:15 a.m. on Saturday. Mills’ vehicle collided head on with a 2005 Buick LeSabre. The impact caused the Buick to crash into a 2010 Nissan Rogue.

Mills was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Buick, 43-year-old Christian Price, suffered a left broken ankle and is currently in stable condition. Two passengers inside the Buick, 20-year-old Melissa Torrez and 22-year-old Michael Page were also injured in the crash. Torrez suffered internal injuries and is currently in critical condition. Page is currently in stable condition. Police say the driver of the Nissan was not injured.

Empty beer cans were scattered along the street at the scene of the crash. Police suspect Mills was intoxicated prior to the accident.

Aramingo Avenue was shut down in both directions after the crash but reopened after three hours.
 

Police are investigating the death of a kayaker found in Ocean City.

On Saturday, around 10:25 a.m., a member of the Ocean City Beach Patrol discovered a kayak floating in the ocean around 300 yards off the coast near 22nd Street.

Ocean City Beach Patrol, the Ocean City Police Department, the U.S. Coast Guard and NJ State Police all conducted a search for the missing kayaker. A short time later, they found a middle aged man floating unconscious in the ocean near 15th street.

Lifeguards pulled the man out of the water and began to perform CPR. The man was then taken to Shore Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators suspect the man entered the ocean near 21st Street around 9:30 a.m. They identified the victim as 59-year-old Gary Pasternak of Ocean City.

Police continue to investigate.

More Stories on NBC10.com:

Wrong-Way Driver Killed in Head-On Collision

2 Hurt, 422 West Shut Down After Crash

SUV Drives Into Crowd at NE Philly Club, 8 Injured
 

A Delaware County politician was arrested on Friday after police say they removed more than 450 marijuana plants from his backyard, according to the Delaware County Times.

Investigators say they received information indicating possible drug activity at the home of 55-year-old Kenneth Soderland. The Delco Times reports that Soderland is a Republican committeeman from Sharon Hill who was out of work on disability.

On Friday, police raided his home on Greenwood Road in Sharon Hill. When they arrived, investigators say they found 461 marijuana plants in the backyard, seven jars of marijuana from the front bedroom, three trash bags filled with marijuana from the basement as well as devices used to grow marijuana, according to the Delco Times. The Delco Times reports Soderland told police the drugs were for “his own personal use.”

Soderland was arrested and charged with possession of controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession with the intent to manufacture and deliver and other related offenses.

He is currently in the Delaware County Prison after failing to post bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on August 1.
 

Homeowners in Salem, Cumberland, and Middlesex counties are the latest residents to learn their fates on revised FEMA maps that model the risk of flooding along the New Jersey Shore.

For most people, these maps bring good news – many homeowners have been moved to less-risky zones and therefore may not have to elevate their homes or make other costly changes.

But in very rare cases, the risk rating has gone the other way.

When the agency began releasing the revised maps last month, attorney Ken Wilbur logged on to the FEMA website.

“I put in my address on the map and I was stunned,” Wilbur said.

His vacation home in Manasquan moved from an A-zone, where it's recommended he jack up his home ten feet above sea level, to a V-zone, where he’s deemed to be at risk for flooding plus damage from three-foot-high waves. FEMA now recommends that his home should be elevated 14 feet above sea level and placed atop expensive pilings. Not complying with these recommendations means his annual flood insurance bill could climb to tens of thousands of dollars.

“I didn't think that was possible under the ground rules they had given,” said Wilbur. “That the idea of the revised maps was to dial back the V-zones.”

Wilbur rebuilt his home based on flood plain maps that FEMA released in December. Those maps were a work in progress – rough drafts – meant to give homeowners a sense of the new requirements that are now being released. For homes with damage totaling more than half their value, the state mandated that homeowners rebuild in compliance with those December maps.

Wilbur said his understanding from FEMA and the state as that those advisory maps were the worst-case scenario, that the fearsome V-zones wouldn't get any bigger and likely would shrink. He felt confident he could rebuild based on their guidelines.

“I rebuilt and it got worse,” he said. “If it stays this way, quite frankly, I don't know what I'm going to do.”

Compared to many homeowners on the shore, Wilbur is very far along in the rebuilding process. After Superstorm Sandy, he replaced the home’s damaged beige exterior with new sapphire blue siding and built retaining walls to allow newly replaced flood vents to function properly (they were previously below ground and non-functional). He hoisted his air conditioning unit onto a new wood platform ten feet up in the air and installed new flooring and drywall on the first floor.

But he’s recently come to regret some of that progress and the money he spent repairing his home.

“I don't know that I would have put $100,000 into this house the way it is now, if I had known that I was going to have to lift it up to a V-zone,” he said. While his insurance covered $80,000, much of that work was unnecessary or will have to be redone if he chooses to elevate his home, which is in itself a very expensive process.

FEMA's Bill McDonnell says much of the agency's efforts after releasing the December maps were spent reassuring upset homeowners, especially those along the bay who didn't think they should be in V-zones. To calm them, the agency explained that the V-zones would likely decrease in size with the revisions, as the December maps didn't include all the needed data and modeling.

“But we also messaged that there is a small probability that we may see an increase in certain areas once the modeling is complete,” said McDonnell, the mitigation branch director in New Jersey. “That message didn't come across as clear because it wasn't impacting as many people because they just wanted to see the decrease in the V-zone.”

To be clear, the V-zones did shrink substantially in most areas. They are 80 percent smaller in Atlantic County. In Monmouth County, where Wilbur’s home is located, there was a net decrease of 46 percent.

But in very rare cases along the coast, the V-zones did grow, largely because the December maps didn't include modeling of how waves move over land or information on coastline and dune erosion.

“That erosion of those primary frontal dunes, after it was analyzed, increased certain areas,” said McDonnell. “So it was showing that the existing dunes were not showing as much protection as we estimated [in December].”

FEMA estimates this affects less than one percent of New Jersey's coastal flood plain area — meaning Ken Wilbur is truly a special case.

It’s the nature of maps that lines have to be drawn somewhere. FEMA says the placement of its zoning borders are based on science, data, and modeling, though the agency does not comment on individual cases and therefore could not offer a specific explanation of Wilbur's zoning.

Wilbur disagrees with the science that says he should be a V-zone and he wishes the maps would take economics into the account as well, such as the cost of raising his home and the cost of flood insurance if he doesn't.

The uniqueness of his situation only makes it harder for him to understand.
“As we're standing here on my driveway, I can see 40 feet from me, five houses that are in A-zones,” said Wilbur. “They're at exactly the same elevation above sea level that I'm at.”

This story was reported through a news coverage partnership between NBC10.com and NewsWorks.org

A young Delaware girl is in the hospital after she was struck by a stray bullet.

On Wednesday police were called to the 1100 block of Pleasant Street in Wilmington, Delaware for a report of a shooting. When they arrived they found a 5-year-old girl who had suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. Police say the girl was playing with a 9-year-old girl when she was struck by a stray bullet.

The girl was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where she remains hospitalized. Police have not yet revealed her condition.

Police launched an investigation and conducted several interviews which led them to 33-year-old Jermaine Laster of Penns Grove, New Jersey. Investigators say Laster and another person had engaged in a fight earlier that day. That night, Laster allegedly returned to the 1100 block of Pleasant Street armed with a gun and began to shoot at the other subject, accidentally shooting the 5-year-old girl in the process.

Police located Laster in Penns Grove and arrested him. He is charged with assault, reckless endangerment and other related offenses. He is currently being held in Salem County Jail pending extradition.

“This is an example of what can happen when the community and police department work together,” said Wilmington Police Chief Christine Dunning. “It sends a message to criminals that violence will not be tolerated in our community.”
 

A New Castle County man was found dead on Wednesday, marking Delaware’s first-heat related death of the season, according to officials.

Officials say the 55-year-old man was found unresponsive in an outdoor setting. The Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death an accident and say he had an underlying medical condition. They also say heat exposure contributed to his death. Officials say they will not release the man’s identity or the location where he died in order to protect his privacy.

In the midst of the current heat wave, officials with Delaware’s Division of Public Health say it’s important to have an emergency plan.

“There are many scenarios you need to anticipate,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, director of the Division of Public Health. “Do you have a plan if you lose power?  Where can you go to cool down and be safe if you have no air-conditioning or lose power?  Do you know how to safely cool yourself or a loved one down if they are suffering from excess heat?  Do you know when to call 911?”

The Delaware Department of Health and Social services provided the following tips to prevent heat illness:

• Do not leave a child alone in a parked car, even for a minute. Call 911 if you see a child left unattended in a vehicle.
• Check in on seniors and individuals with disabilities to make sure they are OK.
• Carry water with you and drink continuously even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid drinks containing sugar, alcohol and caffeine, which dehydrate the body. (Check with a doctor before increasing fluid intake if you have epilepsy, heart, kidney or liver disease, or if you are on a fluid-restrictive diet. Avoid using salt tablets unless directed to do so by a physician.)
• Stay indoors on the lowest floor possible to avoid the heat.
• Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Wear a hat or use an umbrella. Use sunscreen. Sunburn slows the skin's ability to cool itself, and has been linked to skin cancer.
• Avoid extreme temperature changes. A cold shower immediately after coming in from hot temperatures can lead to hypothermia, particularly for the elderly and children.

The following symptoms are signs of heat exhaustion:

• Dehydration
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Clammy Skin
• Headache
• Nausea/Vomiting
• Fast Breathing
• Irritability
• Fainting

To prevent heat exhaustion, experts recommend moving indoors or into the shade, loosening or removing clothing, eating and drinking, taking a cool shower or bath and calling your doctor for further medical advice.

The following symptoms are signs of heatstroke(the body can no longer cool itself):

• Flushed, hot, dry skin with no sweating
• High body temperatures(above 13 degrees F orally)
• Severe headache
• Weakness, dizziness or confusion
• Sluggishness or fatigue
• Decreased responsiveness
• Loss of consciousness

If you or anyone you know exhibit any of these symptoms, call 911, go indoors or in the shade, take a cool shower or bath and take fluids
 

An elderly man was arrested for alleged sexual abuse and child porn.

On Friday, Lower Makefield Police received a tip claiming that 80-year-old Thomas Holliday was in possession of child pornography. Police then executed a search warrant inside Holliday’s home on Edgewood Road in Yardley, Pa.

On Saturday, Holliday was arrested and taken into custody. He is charged with four felony counts including sexual abuse of children, possession of child pornography, endangering the welfare of children and other related offenses.

Police continue to investigate. If you have any information on the case, please call Lower Makefield Township detectives at 215-493-4055.

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Kayaker Found Dead in Ocean City

Driver Sentenced for Deadly

Wrong-Way Driver Killed in Head-On Collision

Power has been restored to over 300 PECO customers in Ardmore.

A spokesman says PECO had an issue with an underground cable in the area of Lancaster and Cricket Avenue in Ardmore causing 325 customers to lose power. It was first reported at 12:37 p.m.

Crews arrived at the location to make repairs and restored power early Saturday evening. 

Earlier in the day, PECO customers at a Center City apartment complex were also without power.
Ben Weinraub, a resident at 257 Apartments on 257 South 16th Street, says the power went out around 10:30 a.m. and wasn’t restored until around 6 p.m. The apartment complex contains 60 total units.

NBC10 reached out to PECO to find out the cause for the Center City outage but have not yet received a response.

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Kayaker Found Dead in Ocean City

Wrong-Way Driver Killed in Head-On Collision

Delco Committeeman Arrested in Pot Bust: Report
 

Thousands of excited Taylor Swift fans are returning to their seats at Lincoln Financial Field after a severe thunderstorm forced them to move out of the field.

The Country music superstar performed at the Linc Friday night and is performing again on Saturday. Heavy rain as well as lightning delayed Saturday night’s concert however and forced concertgoers to leave their seats and move to the concourse area.

• Taylor Swift Fans Send Death Threats to Local Clothing Company

Around 10:30 p.m. they were allowed back into their seats as the rain moved out.

The lightning cancelled the Electric Run, a 5K run in Philadelphia, according to twitter followers. The race organizers have not confirmed the cancellation however.

The storm has also led to power outages in several parts of the area as well.

According to AC Electric, 2836 customers are without power in Camden County while 4364 are without power in Salem County. Delmarva is reporting 458 outages in New Castle while PECO is reporting scattered outages. 

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• Powerful Images of Last Night's Lightning Storm
  
• Man Accused of Killing Transgender Lover, Dumping Body Parts in Lot
• Clothing the Clergy in Style

A man is in custody after he allegedly murdered his transgender lover and then dumped her body parts in a vacant lot in the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia.

On Wednesday, police received a call from a woman who claimed that her boyfriend had killed someone, according to law enforcement sources.

Sources say that in her statement to police, the woman claimed she returned to her home on Sunday where she heard her boyfriend, 43-year-old Charles Sargent, making noise on the second floor. The woman says Sargent then confronted her while naked and with blood on his leg and threatened to kill her if she said anything about the noise she had just heard.

The woman said in her statement that Sargent then brought a body wrapped in bed sheets and then once again threatened to kill her.  The woman told police he later grabbed plastic bags to wrap up the body. Sargent also allegedly had an axe in his possession.

According to the woman, Sargent told her that the body was that of a person he had relations with. Sargent allegedly killed the victim after finding out she was a transgender woman, identified as Mark Williams of Philadelphia. Sargent allegedly used a hatchet and screwdriver to kill Williams and then dumped her remains in a vacant lot at the intersection of Sedgley Avenue and York Street. (Pictured on Right, Mark Williams)

The woman said that Sargent threatened to harm her and her children if she told anyone, according to sources. That didn’t stop her from telling police however, who arrested Sargent and took him into custody. Once in custody, he allegedly confessed to the murder.

Sargent is charged with murder, possession of an instrument of crime, abuse of a corpse and making terroristic threats. According to court documents, he has a criminal record and was charged with rape and aggravated assault in the past.

Investigators say police recovered a six-inch pocket knife as well as screwdrivers from the home Sargent shared with his girlfriend on the 2100 block of North 32nd Street. Investigators searched the vacant lot on Sedgley and York where they found Williams' body parts. According to police, Williams was arrested previously for prostitution.

Sargent's girlfriend is currently staying with her mother. She says that the home she shared with him "smells like death" and that she likely won't return.

Where do local clergy shop for their Sunday best?

A small storefront in Philadelphia helps fulfill the needs of priests, pastors and ministers who are looking for something more than an off-the-rack robe. Seamstress Trina Gooding's shop, Dress Code Design, outfits men and women in custom robes and cassocks. After all, as Dorothy Conner knows, preaching style can be about more than the way a sermon is delivered.

"Everybody loved the robe, the design, the crosses on the sleeves," said Conner.

Connor, an assistant pastor at United Church of God on Old York Road, happened upon Gooding's shop one day as she was driving up Broad Street. She saw the adorned robes in the window and said she just had to stop. Conner order her custom-made robe that day.

"Other people want one, everybody talks about it," Connor said.

Gooding says her niche is her personalization. She's a longtime clothing designer and right now a one-woman operation. While times have been tough for many small businesses, Gooding says Dress Code Design's business is steady and has been since she opened up a year ago. At present, the shop is taking orders with a five week turn around. Gooding has brought her down-home personality to the service she provides, all of which helps separate her from the competition and other, larger robe making companies.

"I'd like to be an example for people that God is still in the business of blessing people," Gooding said. "That's the way this country started out, with small businesses."

Gooding, 52, took an early retirement in December 2012 from a comfortable government job making military uniforms. She decided it was time to pursue her dream of becoming a business owner and full-time seamstress. Gooding graduated three decades ago from the Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in fashion design and has always sewn on the side, beyond her professional job. 

"I always wanted to do this. By going to church (at Mr. Airy Church of God in Christ) and seeing the preachers preach, I thought I could design a robe for them," said Gooding.

After leaving her well-paying job earlier than most retirees, Gooding set out to realize her passion -- clothing design -- intertwined with her desire to serve God. She's made a name for herself among local community churches. What makes her work different is the cassocks she constructs are wholly custom, from the patterns, color selection to the piping, or the accent trim.

"I know I have to look at what the competition is doing. If you are going to do something why come out and do the same thing," said Gooding. 

The key to Gooding's success didn't happen overnight. She took a leap of faith.  

She has made an impression with both male and female clergy. Clients sit down one-on-one with Gooding for a personal consultation. Gooding draws a sketch of what they want. Her robes start at about $300 and go up depending on the customization. 

"The robe, the way she did it, the details and gold piping -- it was very unique. Everything was personalized," said Elder Charles Milliner of House of Judah Church of God in Christ in Philadelphia.

It's what the customer doesn't see that speaks to Gooding's measure of "personalization." The Christian seamstress prayers over the materials she uses asking God to continue to touch and anoint the minister and his congregation. 

In addition to the custom robes, she sews lap scarves, praise dance dresses, stoles, bible covers, custom shirts, hats and any other personalized uniform church clergy may need for himself or his flock. Her orders come primarily from Philadelphia and New Jersey and from Christians, although Gooding says she'll sew and pray for anyone doing good things in their spiritual communities. 

"I wouldn't turn anybody away," she said. "'Everything I touch turns to gold' -- that saying is why gold is my favorite color." 

Gooding prefers the term ministry wear to define her work. Looking ahead and with the intent to expand her business, Gooding has created a new item, which she calls the "preacher's shirt." It's a casual shirt with a clergy collar and fancy sleeves. Gooding has answered the call that some preachers want to be laid back too. She continues to customize her clothing to meet those needs.

"I've never been without an order. God just be sending people through here. God just makes sure I have orders," Gooding said. 

Close to two dozen people were forced out of their homes overnight when an intense fire in the Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood moved from one row home to the next.

The screams of neighbors brought people out of their homes.

"All I heard her say was 'Oh my God!'", said James McClendon, who heard a woman who lives in one of the burning homes yelling. "So I flew to the door and the next thing I know is, flames erupted everywhere. It was very intense."

Investigators are not sure at this point how the fire started, but it spread quickly, causing severe damage to four homes on the 2800 block of Memphis Street, and some damage to a 5th.

"A lot of people didn't know it was going to spread as fast as it did," said Shirah Gist who lives across the street. "It went from something real small to something real big."

Twenty people were able to escape their homes without injury.

There is a lot of damage, however.

"We did have some collapse from the porch fronts," said Philadelphia firefighter Anthony Sneidar, Jr.

The Red Cross is assisting neighbors who were displaced and fire crews remained on the scene this morning to monitor hot spots and investigate the cause of the fire.

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In mid-June, hundreds packed into a Mount Airy church for Germantown High School's final graduation ceremony.

There were tears of joy and sadness, but also an obvious, yet important history lesson offered by Principal Emeritus Margaret Mullen-Bavwidinsi.

"There will be no other graduating class of Germantown High School. This is it. As far as we know, this is it," she told the more than 120 green-and- white-robbed students.

Two days later, the school closed for good after 99 years.

A new chapter in a new book, though, may soon be written inside the GHS building.

As reported by NewsWorks, Camelot Education, a for-profit education company, wants to move all three of its city programs to GHS' former home along Germantown Avenue.

Who's the new prospective tenant?

The Texas-based outfit specializes in alternative education. In the city, Camelot works with Philadelphia School District students who are either in danger of dropping out, need to catch up on their academics, or have behavioral issues.

Camelot currently operates Excel Academy North and Excel Academy South in Northeast Philadelphia and Camelot Academy in North Philadelphia.

Excel Academy North and Excel South are what the company calls accelerated schools, which serve "near dropouts" who need a substantial number of credits to graduate high school. Students attend the school voluntarily.

Camelot Academy is what's known as a transitional school and serves middle-school and high-school students who were removed from traditional schools for disciplinary infractions.

Students are expected to transition back to a regular school.

If approved, Camelot will lease Germantown's hulking, four-story building from the district, a longtime partner. It's unclear at this point for how long.

The site is expected to house between 400-800 students from around the city. Roughly two-thirds of them would be accelerated students. The remaining third would be transitional students.
School would start in September.

They need community support

District officials say the deal is far from done. If the community can't get behind the proposal, Camelot may face an uphill battle.

"Nothing has been put into stone," said Deirdre Darraugh, a district spokesperson.
The scenario puts some pressure on a public meeting set for July 24 inside Janes Memorial United Methodist Church, which sits just steps away from GHS.

It'll be Camelot's first, and possibly only, chance to explain its plans for the historic building and make a good impression.

District officials and local lawmakers are expected to attend the two-hour meeting, scheduled to start at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

What neighbors say

The tenor of the evening will likely be a mixed bag.

Some residents who NewsWorks spoke with flat-out rejected Camelot's proposal, others expressed reserved optimism and still others are walking somewhere in between.

Rev. LeRoi Simmons, one of the neighborhood's unofficial powerbrokers, was among a small group of community stakeholders who met with a handful of Camelot officials during a private meeting earlier this month.

Afterwards, he said he prayed on the matter and eventually decided that he couldn't endorse an alternative school. His reasons are myriad, but much of it boils down to community and the still-sharp sting of Germantown's closure.

"It's not going to capture any of the students that are being displaced. It's not going to capture any of the staff that's being displaced. It's not going to fulfill the ongoing legacy of a school that's 99 years-old, going into its 100th year," said Simmons.

Simmons doesn't want to see Germantown's building sit abandoned and he'd like to see the property used for education. And he's not opposed to Camelot as a company.

But, for Simmons, Camelot's concept doesn't sound like it would add value to Germantown.
"It's like a beautiful puzzle piece, but it doesn't fit," said Simmons. "It's for a different puzzle. We've been settling for a long time."

GHS alum Doug Tolbert shared some of Simmons' concerns, but said he wants to hear more before he makes a final call.

"If they tell me what I want to hear, I could be on board 100 percent," said Tolbert, who tirelessly advocated for his alma mater to stay open.

Tolbert is worried about the GHS legacy. While he doesn't flat-out oppose the idea of Camelot coming to town, he can't support the initiative if the company wants to continue Germantown's history under a new name.

He'd rather see the building remain vacant.
"The Germantown name becomes synonymous with last stop," he said.

Local businesses react

The economic impact of an empty school building would be a major blow to some area businesses. As the final weeks of the school year approached, many said they would take a hit from an expected drop in foot-traffic.

Employees at some shops said the GHS community comprised nearly 75 percent of their business.

Mark Lightfoot, who owns the Philadelphia Hair Company on Germantown Avenue, stares out at a vacant YWCA building every day of the week. He doesn't want to add another blighted property to the landscape. He said that would hurt his business and bruise people's perceptions of the neighborhood.

"I don't know if I would fight an alternative school as opposed to it sitting vacant," said Lightfoot, who also lives above the shop. "It probably wouldn't be your first choice or even your second, but it's better than zero."

Camelot hopes to connect

Todd Bock, Camelot's CEO, hopes there are more than a few Mark Lightfoots in the room next Wednesday. But he said he also wants the community to be on board with what will happen inside the building as well. He's confident they will.

"People hear alternative education and they think really bad things, but that's not what this program is all about," said Bock.

"We have an outstanding track record of running great programs," he said. "That's not going to change whether we're in Germantown or in Juniata Park or in the Northeast."

During the 2012-2013 academic year, Excel North and Excel South had 92 and 90 percent graduation rates respectively.

Bock said Camelot needs to collapse its programs under one roof as a result of budget cuts. The current financial squeeze going on in the Philadelphia School District is, in turn, affecting Camelot's operation in the city.

In the past, Bock said the district paid out $10,100 per Camelot student. That figure currently sits at $8,750 per pupil.

"That 16-percent reduction comes down to facility costs," said Bock.

The district's "charter blended rate" — a reflection of what the district pays for a special education student and a regular education student to attend a charter school — is $10,452.

The district lays out $12,620 per pupil at its traditional, non-charter schools.

The math left Camelot looking for a new home.

The company is interested in Germantown, said Bock, because it's centrally located to the neighborhoods Camelot serves.

Camelot recently signed a new three-year contract with the district. Bock acknowledged that it's possible the school would only lease Germantown's building for a single school year, though he's hoping it'll be longer.

"We're trying to find an amicable way to make this work based on the dollars that can go around," he said.

This story was reported through a news coverage partnership between NBC10.com and NewsWorks.org