The holiday post office rush is in high gear as procrastinators are looking to get their packages where they need to be for Christmas. NBC10's Delaware Bureau reporter Tim Furlong is at the post office in Talleyville, Delaware.

The GOP tax plan could hit people in New Jersey and other high tax states hard. NBC10's Jersey Shore Bureau reporter Ted Greenberg found out that some are already preparing for a potentially painful change.

A teen boy is fighting for his life after he was shot in the head by a gunman who opened fire at customers inside a South Philadelphia Chinese restaurant when they tried to stop him from getting inside.

The 17-year-old boy and at least five other people were inside the Twin Dragon restaurant on the 2700 block of Dickinson Street at 9:14 p.m. Tuesday. Witnesses say an unidentified man walked toward the restaurant and the people inside, including the teen, held the door in an attempt to stop him from getting in.

The suspect then pulled out a gun and fired two shots, police said. One bullet went through the door and struck the 17-year-old boy in the head.

The suspect then fled the scene in a silver vehicle. The teen was taken to the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where he is currently in critical condition.

No arrests have been made and a weapon has not been recovered. Police are trying to retrieve surveillance footage of the shooting from the restaurant.

Family members have identified one of the three teens who died after an SUV that was allegedly stolen from a popular eatery crashed into a pole and caught fire in Tabernacle, New Jersey on Monday.

The 1999 green GMC Yukon struck a pole at Flyatt and Carranza roads shortly before noon. The vehicle caught fire and three people died from their injuries, state police said. Family members identified the driver who died as 18-year-old Xavier Wells of Burlington City, New Jersey. An 18-year-old girl who was Wells' friend as well as Wells' 16-year-old girlfriend were the other two victims.

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The vehicle was stolen around noon Monday from the Pic-A-Lilli Inn about 6-½ miles away on U.S. Route 206 in Shamong, state police said.

Troopers spotted the SUV traveling away from the restaurant as they responded to the stolen vehicle call, prompting them to turn around and follow the vehicle, state police said.

State police said the SUV then sped up and began driving erratically. The vehicle crashed a short distance later.

The crash occurred near the Sequoia Alternative Program, which is part of the Lenape Regional School District, on Carranza Road. More than 50 students and employees from the program were evacuated due to roads being closed in the area. The students and staff were taken to a transportation yard about 5 miles away where parents picked their children up.

While State Police say they followed the stolen SUV, they didn't reveal whether they activated lights and sirens. They also didn't reveal how fast they were going or how long the pursuit lasted.

Wells' family members said he recently attended Burlington City High School but he didn't have a car or a driver's license.

Police continue to investigate.

Police are searching for the thief or thieves who stole a paralyzed man’s wheelchair-accessible van outside a North Philly auto repair shop.

Daniel Torres, 24, is paralyzed after being shot in the neck three years ago. After the shooting, Torres used a wheelchair-accessible van to get around.

While the van is normally parked in front of his house, due to transmission problems it was taken to a mechanic on the 1800 block of Clementine Street last week. Five days later Torres and his mother Maria Esquelin received a call from the shop, informing them that the van had been stolen.

“Oh my God my reaction was just like somebody stabbed me in my heart,” Esquelin said. 

For Torres, the van is more than just transportation. It’s a way for him to connect to the outside world.

“Without that car, I’m here all day in this bed,” he said. “This room.”

Esquelin told NBC10 it would take her three years to save enough money to buy a new van.

“I just want them to bring the van back,” she said. “It’s been really hard for us. Really hard for a single mother to try to help my son for him to be comfortable.”

After becoming paralyzed, Torres fell into a depression and was advised by counselors to spend more time out of the house, making the van necessary for his emotional wellbeing.

“It wasn’t just a car,” Torres said. “It meant a lot just for me to get out the house. Instead of my daughter just seeing me in here, in the bed or the chair, she could see me outside in the park.”

If you would like to contact the family to provide help or donations, please call 267-549-2359. If you have any information on the theft, please call Philadelphia Police.

Here are the top news stories you need to know to start your day from your friends at NBC10.

TODAY'S TOP STORY 

Thief Steals Paralyzed Man's Wheelchair-Accessible Van: Police are searching for the thief or thieves who stole a paralyzed man’s wheelchair-accessible van outside a North Philly auto repair shop. Daniel Torres, 24, is paralyzed after being shot in the neck three years ago. After the shooting, Torres used a wheelchair-accessible van to get around. While the van is normally parked in front of his house, due to transmission problems it was taken to a mechanic on the 1800 block of Clementine Street last week. Five days later Torres and his mother Maria Esquelin received a call from the shop, informing them that the van had been stolen. For Torres, the van is more than just transportation. It’s a way for him to connect to the outside world. “Without that car, I’m here all day in this bed,” he said. “This room.” Esquelin told NBC10 it would take her three years to save enough money to buy a new van. “I just want them to bring the van back,” she said. “It’s been really hard for us. Really hard for a single mother to try to help my son for him to be comfortable.” After becoming paralyzed, Torres fell into a depression and was advised by counselors to spend more time out of the house, making the van necessary for his emotional wellbeing.

• MORE ON THE THEFT
  

WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY

Great Grandfather Found Stabbed to Death in His Home: Loved ones are mourning a great grandfather who was found stabbed to death inside the West Philadelphia home he had lived in for decades. Family members say a relative found 85-year-old Willie Cooper unresponsive inside his home on the 5300 block of Addison Street at 2:33 p.m. Tuesday. He was suffering from multiple stab wounds and was pronounced dead by responding medics at 3 p.m. No arrests have been made and a weapon has not been recovered. Police say there were signs of force at Cooper's home, but it's unclear if it was forced entry or forced exit. Cooper was a popular figure in his neighborhood who had lived on the block for at least 40 years. He also lived alone in his home. Family members say Cooper knew everyone in the neighborhood and don't understand why he would be a target.

• MORE ON THE STABBING
  

YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST  

Wednesday is expected to be breezy and partly sunny with temperatures in the 40s. Thursday is to be partly sunny with temperatures in the 40s. Friday and Saturday could again see temperatures in the 50s and 60s respectively. But rain is expected for Saturday. Temperatures are expected to drop back to the 40s for Sunday. And a mix of snow and rain is possible for Monday. Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.

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There Is Still Time to Ship Gifts: The United States Postal Service, major shipping companies and Amazon are still guaranteeing delivery before Christmas Day across the country. But you better get those packages moving soon if you want to score the cheapest rates. The USPS listed these days to ship items for arrival before Christmas Day; Tuesday, Dec. 19 for First Class; Wednesday, Dec. 20 for Priority Mail; and Friday, Dec. 22 for Priority Mail Express. FedEx shipping services will deliver on Saturday, Dec. 23. with these services: FedEx First Overnight, FedEx Priority Overnight and FedEx 2Day for an additional fee. On Christmas Day, FedEx will ship with the FedEx SameDay service option. UPS will ship 2nd Day Air on Wednesday, Dec. 20 and Next Day Air on Thursday, Dec. 21. The company will not be shipping on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and their last day to ship before Christmas is Saturday, Dec. 23. Their regular delivery schedule will resume on Tuesday, Dec. 26.

• MORE ON THE SHIPPING DATES
  

AROUND THE WORLD

Senate Moves $1.5T GOP Tax Cut Bill to Edge of Final Passage: Jubilant Republicans pushed on early Wednesday to the verge of the most sweeping rewrite of the nation's tax laws in more than three decades, a deeply unpopular bill they insist Americans will learn to love when they see their paychecks in the new year. President Donald Trump cheered the lawmakers on, eager to claim his first major legislative victory. After midnight, the Senate narrowly passed the legislation on a party-line 51-48 vote. Protesters interrupted with chants of "kill the bill, don't kill us" and Vice President Mike Pence repeatedly called for order. Upon passage, Republicans cheered, with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin among them. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., insisted Americans would respond positively to the tax bill. "If we can't sell this to the American people, we ought to go into another line of work," he said. Trump hailed the vote in an early morning tweet and promised a White House news conference, likely Wednesday, when the House completes legislative action on the measure.

• MORE ON THE BILL
  

That's what you need to know to Catch Up Quickly, but we've got more stories worthy of your time. Click here to check them out. 

Octavio Pena, an artist with a booth at Christkindlmarkt, handcrafts stars that are sent all around the world and are sure to put a smile on your face. Christkindlmarkt is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, known as Christmas City, USA.

The #NBC10Mornings Team is back on the road Wednesday mornings.

The latest stop for the NBC10 Morning crew is the Wawa at 741 East Broad Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

NBC10 First Alert Weather meteorologist Bill Henley and NBC10 anchor Tracy Davidson were there to meet viewers and sign autographs.

Come out to say hello and grab a cup of coffee for free.

The last stop was at the Wawa on East Commons Boulevard in New Castle, Delaware on Dec. 6.

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Be sure to tag us on social media in the photos you post from the event and use the hashtag #NBC10Mornings.

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A water main break caused water to gush onto streets surrounding Philadelphia’s popular Rittenhouse Square Wednesday morning, causing water to be shut off to homes and businesses.

The break at 18th Street and Rittenhouse around 6:15 caused some water to flow into Barclay Prime restaurant and toward Locust Street near Parc Restaurant, NBC10's Randy Gyllenhaal reported.

The break in the 12-inch main also caused water to be shut off to two nearby high-rise residences and four commercial properties, Philadelphia Water Department spokesman John DiGiulio said.

Water department crews were on the scene around 7:30 a.m., getting the water to slow down. 

The water department planned to close 18th Street at 9 a.m. so they can make further repairs.

No word yet on what caused the leak. 

After the Senate made a few provisions to narrowly pass the massive tax reform bill, it will head back to the House for another vote before going to President Donald Trump's desk. The bill is expected to pass and NBC10's Randy Gyllenhaal has the details on what the reform could mean for you.

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is known as Christmas City, USA. It is home to a bright landmark reminding the city of their founders who gave the city its biblical name. Another light in the community is Meals on Wheels as they prepare meals for those in need with the help of the Wawa Foundation.

Police in Bucks County believe two cars may have been street racing when one struck and killed a cyclist riding along a Bucks County road.

A decorative license plate with an eagle emblem and a mangled bicycle marked the scene along Bristol Pike (U.S. Route 13) near Corson Street where the cyclist, later identified as 52-year-old Kevin Williams, died around 8 p.m. Tuesday.

A vehicle, believed to be a silver Mercedes Benz AMG from 2007 or 2008, struck him then kept going, Bristol Borough police said. Police believe the Mercedes was possibly street racing with a Mitsubishi Lancer along Route 13 before the wreck.

The impact killed Williams. He lived less than a block away and was riding home from work at the time, his daughter, Brittany Williams, told NBC10. She saw the wreckage on Tuesday night but didn't realize her father died in the wreck until Wednesday morning.

"He was right here," she said while in tears. "He was so close to home."

The crash left his bicycle badly damaged on the roadway in front of Fink Flowers and Gifts.

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Investigators spent overnight hours searching for clues. They believe the Mercedes sustained significant front-end damage. The eagle decorative license plate could help police track down the car’s owner.

Police hoped that the drivers of the Mercedes and Mitsubishi would come forward with information.

"I don't understand how you would just leave someone there," Brittany Williams said. "I don't know what that person was doing or what they were thinking. That you could just hit someone like that and leave them."

Kevin Williams became a grandfather last year and did HVAC work for a company ten minutes from his home. The deadly crash occurred a block away from where he and his wife raised three children.

"All of this just right before Christmas and it just, like I would just like the person to come forward and just accept what they did," Brittany Williams said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Bristol Sgt. Pete Faight at 215-788-7813, ext 2429. You can also contact Philadelphia Police who are helping with the investigation.

The NBC10 Morning Crew is on the road highlighting Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In Christmas City, USA, you can find the National Museum of Industrial History. The Wawa on Broad Street also delivers, joining a Wawa on the Main line by offering delivery service.

The parents of one of the four men killed during a murderous spree on a Bucks County farm over the summer have filed the first wrongful death lawsuit in the case.

Attorneys representing the family of Mark Sturgis filed the suit against the two cousins accused in the killings, Sean Kratz and Cosmo DiNardo, as well as DiNardo's parents, according to a copy of the suit obtained by NBC10.

"With this lawsuit, the heartbroken parents of Mark Sturgis intend to hold accountable everyone responsible for the horrific death of their son, not just those who pulled the trigger," Philadelphia-based attorney Robert Ross of Ross Feller Casey, LLP said. "This includes those who negligently and carelessly permitted either of the accused to gain access to firearms and equipment used in these heinous crimes."

The 26-page suit was filed Wednesday in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

Both DiNardo and Kratz have pleaded not guilty to homicide and abuse of a corpse charges in the deaths.

At the time of his arrest, DiNardo’s attorney said his client gave a "full confession.” DiNardo allegedly admitted to authorities that he'd been involved in killing all four men, who were identified as Dean Finocchiaro, 19, of Middletown Township; Sturgis, 22, of Pennsburg, Montgomery County; Tom Meo, 21, of Plumstead Township; and Jimi Taro Patrick, 19, of Newtown Township.

His confession, which allegedly included alerting investigators to the location of Patrick's body in a remote part of the 90-acre Solebury Township farm, was given in exchange for an offer from Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintrab that the death penalty not be sought at trial.

The Academy of Notre Dame de Namur in Villanova hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for the school's new center for STEM education.

The hard-to-kill SEPTA token, an enduring symbol of 20th-century public transportation in America, will be sold for the last time at cashier's booths and vending machines on or about March 1.

That's worth repeating after years of speculation and debate: SEPTA says token sales will be discontinued once and for all by March 2018. The era of the SEPTA Key is upon us.

The March date will be largely ceremonial. All but 40 token machines will be removed over a six-week period starting in mid-January, SEPTA said in a statement Wednesday.

"The phase-out of token sales represents the next major step forward for the SEPTA Key fare modernization project," the statement said. "Earlier this year, SEPTA ended sales of 'legacy' magnetic strip TransPasses at its sales offices, which has resulted in most weekly and monthly TransPass customers moving to reloadable SEPTA Key Cards."

The number of vending machines for tokens have already been cut in half due to declining sales and the availability of the Key Card.

"Customers who currently use tokens, paper transfers or pay with cash can transition to the Key – and leave behind the days of worrying about having exact change or pre-purchasing tokens. The Travel Wallet will automatically deduct single-rides at the discounted token rate, and process transfers," the SEPTA statement said.

Have a bunch of tokens and worried about using them all before they're purged? SEPTA said they can be turned into cashiers and their value transferred to a Key Card.

Here's some more information for customers about moving from tokens and paper transfers to the Key Card:

•  Visit a fare kiosk on the Broad Street Line, Market-Frankford Line or major bus loop. Follow the directions on the touch screen menu and select Travel Wallet;
•  Load funds (between $10-$250) using cash, debit or credit card. In addition, customers who have tokens can load them onto their Travel Wallet at fare kiosks;
• Once you have a Key Card, you are ready to tap-and-go to pay fares on all Transit modes;
• Reload funds at kiosks, sales offices, online at the Key ecommerce website, www.septakey.org, or by calling the Key Customer Service Center at (855) 567-3782;
•  Customers are also urged to visit www.septakey.org or call (855) 567-3782 as soon as they get their Key Card to register it and protect from loss or theft.

It's the balance transfer that went bad. Our viewer says his attempt to save money, left him owing hundreds of dollars. He contacted Harry Hairston and NBC10 Responds.

New technology is helping the Coast Guard keep our waters safe. NBC10's Jersey Shore Bureau reporter Ted Greenberg gives us an inside look.

It's crunch time for those who have not yet finished their holiday shopping. NBC10's Tim Furlong caught up with some last-minute shoppers at the Christiana Mall in Newark, Delaware.