Authorities in Atlantic County, NJ are raising safety warnings about hoverboards after one caught fire inside of a trash truck on Tuesday causing a full-scale emergency response.

Two sanitation workers completing their rounds along Vardon Road in Brigantine began smelling smoke from the back of their truck around 11:30 a.m. Both employees leaped from the truck, noticed smoke coming from the rear, and began trying to put out the fire with extinguishers aboard the vehicle.

The workers also contacted 9-1-1 which dispatched Fire and Emergency Medical Crews from the Brigantine Fire Department who arrived within minutes and safely put out the flames. After sorting through the materials in the truck, a scorched red hoverboard was found and determined to be the cause of the fire.

Officials from the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) are thankful that no one was injured in the incident, but are taking the opportunity to remind residents of what should and what should not be placed in the household trash.

“People don’t realize that there are a lot of items that they should not dispose of in household trash that could be dangerous to workers and the community,” said Sarah Verillo with ACUA. “Please make sure to check if your items are considered special waste before throwing it in your household trash.”

A full list of prohibited items, including lithium-ion batteries is available on ACUA’s website.

Kevin Coleman was arrested in January for carrying a firearm without a license and resisting arrest. His family did not have $7,500 to bail him out while he awaited trial, so he sat in jail for almost two months.

On Wednesday, he and nine other pretrial defendants posted bail with the help of the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund.

“Today we joined organizers in cities across the country, from Memphis to Los Angeles, to post bail for some of our Black neighbors and community members,” Josh Glenn, organizer with Youth Self-Empowerment Project and the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund, said.

“Until today, they’d been held in jail pretrial solely because they couldn’t afford their release,” Glenn said.

Coleman was one of many defendants in Philadelphia languishing behind bars because they cannot afford to pay for their freedom.

In an attempt to alleviate the financial burden for low-income, non-violent defendants, Philadelphia’s new District Attorney Larry Krasner announced last week the end of cash bail requirements.

But this only applies to new cases and to people arrested for low-level offenses, such as possessing marijuana for personal use or driving under the influence.

Ultimately, the new policy rests at the hands of the presiding judge, who can decide that someone is enough of a threat to the public to warrant cash bail.

“Are there some judges who are still requiring bail despite the recommendations? Yes,” Philadelphia chief public defender Keir Bradford-Grey said.

Her office is compiling a list of prejail defendants currently in jail and filing bail motions on their behalf.

As of last week, more than 6,100 people are in Philadelphia's jail system, according to Julie Wertheimer, Mayor Jim Kenney’s chief of staff for criminal justice.

Approximately 21 percent of that population is being held on cash bail. Nationally, the average bail has skyrocketed to between $25,000 and $55,000 per defendant, according to a Princeton University study.

But in Philadelphia, which has the fourth largest jail population of the major U.S. cities, only about 50 percent of defendants were able to post bail when it was set at $5,000 or less.

March will come roaring in like a lion with a major coastal storm. A First Alert will be in effect for our area from 5 a.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday for dangerous high winds, coastal flooding, periods of heavy rain, localized street flooding and mountain snow. There may even be a rain-snow mix across the Lehigh Valley and upper Pennsylvania suburbs late Friday. While the First Alert goes into effect early Friday morning, the rain and wind will begin Thursday afternoon.

“The biggest threats are going to be those 50 to 60 mile an hour wind gusts across the entire area,” said NBC10 First Alert Weather chief meteorologist Tammie Souza.

TIMING

Thursday Night – Friday Morning: Heaviest Rain, snow in western and central Pennsylvania, including the Poconos

Friday Afternoon – Friday Night: Highest Winds, possible downed trees and power lines with travel delays

Saturday Morning – Saturday Night: During the times of high tide, expect flooding on some roads in coastal Delaware and parts of the Jersey Shore

Since February was one of the wettest months on record in much of the area, the 1 to 2 inches of rain expected with this storm could lead to localized flooding.

The wind around the storm could be the strongest of any storm we’ve seen this winter. Some computer models show wind gusts between 50 mph and 60 mph Friday night from the Philadelphia area to the shore.

The center of the storm will sit offshore producing high winds in combination with the full moon and high tide, leading to a coastal flood threat on Saturday for parts of the Jersey Shore and Delaware beaches.

Snow is also possible in higher elevations in the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia suburbs. If the upper air part of the low tracks just right, it could even snow for a while in other parts of our area. If it did snow however, just like our last storm, it would likely melt on roads as it falls.

Skies are expected to clear on Saturday leading to a dry but windy weekend. Stay with NBC10 and the app for the latest weather updates.

An Atlantic City mother is doing her part to fight back against the crime and drugs that surround her.

Mary Stockton lives in an apartment building on Iowa and Atlantic avenues, across the street from Atlantic City’s police headquarters. Stockton told NBC10 she constantly lives in fear due to drug users and drug dealers in her building.

“I’ve got the fatigue in my eyes,” Stockton said. “Bloodshot eyes from staying awake all hours.”

Stockton regularly records on video the crime and chaos inside her building and reports it to police.

“You could say that I’m the most hated person in the building because I’m taking a stand,” Stockton said.

Stockton says a man pulled a gun on her Tuesday afternoon after she confronted a group in the third floor hallway right before her 16-year-old daughter came home from school.

“It was very scary,” she said.

Police responded to the scene. Then, two hours later, gunshots were fired on the same floor of the building. Police didn’t find anyone injured but they did arrest two men and a teenage boy in an apartment.

“They located a loaded handgun and also 100 bags of heroin,” said Atlantic City Police Sergeant Kevin Fair.

Police say their investigation led detectives to a motel a few blocks away from the apartment building. When they arrived they arrested two more men and seized cocaine as well as more than 2,000 bags of heroin.

“To be able to take off that handgun and be able to take off that much heroin off the street, that’s a good day for the police department and the city and the residents,” Sergeant Fair said.

It’s also a relief to Stockton, for now. She told NBC10 she’ll continue to put her life on the line to make her building safer.

Watch George Spencer's report TONIGHT on NBC10 News at 11

A woman who investigators say was groped and forcibly kissed by a Chester police officer is speaking out as questions arise regarding why the officer had the job despite his history of alleged sexual misconduct.

Carla Kirksey was in tears while speaking to NBC10 about Chester police officer Albert Dion Ross.

"I'm not crying because I'm scared," Kirksey said. "I'm crying because I'm mad. Because he took advantage of the situation."

Kirksey said she first saw Officer Ross in August of 2015 when they rode an elevator together in the city building that houses the Chester Police Department. While in the elevator, Ross allegedly groped and forcibly kissed her.

"Instantly, pulled my boob out," Kirksey said. "And kissed it and sucked it. And come up from here and kissed my mouth! And I'm just shocked. I'm stunned. Nobody ever expects that to happen."

Kirksey is one of four women who are now set to testify against Ross who investigators say has a history of sexual misconduct. During one incident, he allegedly told a woman to show him her breasts after responding to a call at her home. Detectives also say Ross was dismissed from a job as a corrections officer for sexually harassing a subordinate and was also accused of forcibly kissing another woman when he was employed by the Chester Housing Authority Police Department.

All of Ross' accusers say he assaulted them while on the job for the city of Chester. Late last summer, NBC10 received a tip alleging that Chester's city council knew about the earlier concerns surrounding Ross but chose to look the other way.

Former Chester Police Commissioner Joseph Bail was in Ross' job interview with the Chester City Council. He told NBC10 Ross admitted to the sexual harassment incident as well as the incident at the Chester Housing Authority. Bail believes the interview process should have stopped there.

"You don't do this," Bail said. "If you know they have this prior problem, you don't do it."

Bail and former Chester Mayor John Linder insist Ross had an influential leader on his side, Councilwoman Portia West. According to Linder, Councilwoman West helped Ross get the job and was an advocate for him even while knowing his history.

"Oh she actually said that she was a friend of his mother's and he was a really good boy," Bail said.

Bail and Linder say they were so concerned about Ross' history that they tried to contain him. According to records from state police, on two separate occasions, six months apart, both men refused to sign Ross' state credentials letter. Without the credential, Ross wasn't allowed to patrol on the streets.

After Linder and Bail left their leadership roles however, Ross was made a full officer. He was arrested on charges of assault and official oppression only a year and a half later.

"We told them more than once," Linder said. "And we drew the ire of the entire council because we told them that this guy was bad news."

For several weeks, NBC10 tried to ask Councilwoman West about why Ross was hired but never received a response. West also didn't comment at the end of a council meeting NBC10 attended. 

A spokesperson for Councilwoman West said the city solicitor had told employees, including council members, not to speak about the topic because of the pending litigation. While Kirksey doesn't have the answers she wants, she's eager for her day in court.

"I'm just sick by it," Kirksey said. "And it sucks. It sucks that they gave him this position and a badge to go around and do what he did!"

In January, a magistrate judge ruled that there is sufficient evidence for the case against Ross to move forward. His first pre-trial conference is set for Monday.

Three Philadelphia High Schools joined the “We Count Too” movement and held rallies this morning in an effort to take a stand against gun violence. Philadelphia Senator Anthony Williams spoke at Bartram High School about having tougher gun laws.

Paramedics are becoming patients with first responders sometimes attacked by the same people they're trying to help. We take a look at the dangers.

Walmart announced their raising the minimum age to buy guns to 21. Dick's Sporting Goods also announced they're doing the same and also will stop selling assault-style rifles. We take a look at the changes and the effect they'll have on local gun shops.

A woman who investigators say was groped and forcibly kissed by a Chester police officer is speaking out as questions arise regarding why the officer had the job despite his history of alleged sexual misconduct.

Carla Kirksey was in tears while speaking to NBC10 about Chester police officer Albert Dion Ross.

"I'm not crying because I'm scared," Kirksey said. "I'm crying because I'm mad. Because he took advantage of the situation."

Kirksey said she first saw Officer Ross in August of 2015 when they rode an elevator together in the city building that houses the Chester Police Department. While in the elevator, Ross allegedly groped and forcibly kissed her.

"Instantly, pulled my boob out," Kirksey said. "And kissed it and sucked it. And come up from here and kissed my mouth! And I'm just shocked. I'm stunned. Nobody ever expects that to happen."

Kirksey is one of four women who are now set to testify against Ross who investigators say has a history of sexual misconduct. During one incident, he allegedly told a woman to show him her breasts after responding to a call at her home. Detectives also say Ross was dismissed from a job as a corrections officer for sexually harassing a subordinate and was also accused of forcibly kissing another woman when he was employed by the Chester Housing Authority Police Department.

All of Ross' accusers say he assaulted them while on the job for the city of Chester. Late last summer, NBC10 received a tip alleging that Chester's city council knew about the earlier concerns surrounding Ross but chose to look the other way.

Former Chester Police Commissioner Joseph Bail was in Ross' job interview with the Chester City Council. He told NBC10 Ross admitted to the sexual harassment incident as well as the incident at the Chester Housing Authority. Bail believes the interview process should have stopped there.

"You don't do this," Bail said. "If you know they have this prior problem, you don't do it."

Bail and former Chester Mayor John Linder insist Ross had an influential leader on his side, Councilwoman Portia West. According to Linder, Councilwoman West helped Ross get the job and was an advocate for him even while knowing his history.

"Oh she actually said that she was a friend of his mother's and he was a really good boy," Bail said.

Bail and Linder say they were so concerned about Ross' history that they tried to contain him. According to records from state police, on two separate occasions, six months apart, both men refused to sign Ross' state credentials letter. Without the credential, Ross wasn't allowed to patrol on the streets.

After Linder and Bail left their leadership roles however, Ross was made a full officer. He was arrested on charges of assault and official oppression only a year and a half later.

"We told them more than once," Linder said. "And we drew the ire of the entire council because we told them that this guy was bad news."

For several weeks, NBC10 tried to ask Councilwoman West about why Ross was hired but never received a response. West also didn't comment at the end of a council meeting NBC10 attended. 

A spokesperson for Councilwoman West said the city solicitor had told employees, including council members, not to speak about the topic because of the pending litigation. While Kirksey doesn't have the answers she wants, she's eager for her day in court.

"I'm just sick by it," Kirksey said. "And it sucks. It sucks that they gave him this position and a badge to go around and do what he did!"

In January, a magistrate judge ruled that there is sufficient evidence for the case against Ross to move forward. His first pre-trial conference is set for Monday.

NBC10 made a dream come true for a woman who's been searching her entire life for the mother she never knew. The woman reached out to us after she learned NBC10 interviewed her mother decades ago. Check out the heartwarming moment more than 30 years in the making.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney will ask city council to pass a 6-percent increase in property taxes to help erase a nearly $1 billion chronic budget deficit plaguing the city's public schools.

Kenney will make the ask during his annual budget address to city council on Thursday morning. He also wants to halt a planned step-down reduction in the Wage Tax.

You can watch Kenney's budget address live on this page after City Council's normal business.

The city formally takes back control of the School District of Philadelphia from the state-run School Reform Commission in July. The SRC, which is dissolving, has run the district for more than 16 years.

Philadelphia public schools have faced draconian funding cuts in recent years that included the closure and merger of schools, staffing cuts, and a lack of supplies. The city will inherit a district that serves more than 134,000 children and is operating with a $900 million budget deficit.

The School District of Philadelphia is by far the largest district in the commonwealth and the eighth-largest in the country, but has historically been one of the most underfunded.

If approved, the plan would eliminate the school district's deficit by 2024, the mayor’s office said. The city wants to insulate the district from any state education funding changes, officials said.

So how much more will homeowners have to pay under the new proposal? Kenney's office says a homeowner whose property is valued at $113,000 — the average in Philly — would likely see their property tax bill increase by $95 in 2019.

Kenney is not afraid of putting higher taxes in place to fund education. Funds from Kenney's soda tax, which went into effect in 2017, are directed to universal Pre-K programs across the city.

Property taxes in Philadelphia were last increased in 2015 when Kenney was a member of city council. Former Mayor Michael Nutter called for a 9-percent property tax hike to fund Philly schools, but council eventually settled on a 4.5-percent increase. Two years before that, the city underwent a major property reassessment which resulted in major changes to property values and taxes. 

A emailed threat including the words "bullets and guns" sent to a teacher caused the closure of two South Jersey school districts Thursday.

The Franklin Township Police Department announced the closure of the Franklin Township and Delsea Regional school districts in Gloucester County around 5 a.m.

Franklin Township superintendent Troy Walton told NBC10's Cydney Long that a teacher received a threatening email including the words "bullets and guns."

Walton and Franklin Township police said they hoped to track down the IP address of the sender.

“We are working diligently to identify the sender of that email at this time,” police said on Facebook.

Though the threat targeted a teacher at only one of Franklin Township's schools, Walton decided to close all three district schools as a precautionary measure, leaving about 1,500 students out of the classroom.

Delsea schools said its closure was out of an “abundance of caution” due to its proximity to Franklin Township schools. About 2,000 students go to Delsea high and middle schools.

[[475527573, C]]

Parents and guardians of students received alerts about the closures, police said.

Police continued to investigate Thursday.

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

TODAY'S TOP STORY 

Husband Shoots Wife, Self in Deadly Standoff: A standoff rocked a New Jersey neighborhood overnight leaving a former corrections department employee dead and his wife wounded. Police responded to Roosevelt Avenue in Edgewater Park just after 1 a.m. Wednesday. Officers found Michelle Moses-Martin, 46, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to her chest outside of her home, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office said. She was rushed to Cooper University Hospital where she was listed in critical but stable condition. Gregory Martin, 57, briefly appeared on the front porch before going back inside, prosecutors said. SWAT surrounded the home for about two hours in the suburban neighborhood. The standoff ended when state police entered the home around 3 a.m. and found Martin, a former employee of the New Jersey Department of Corrections and current crossing guard employed by the township, dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, prosecutors said. It is believed that Martin killed himself shortly after reentering his home, prosecutors said.

• MORE ON THE STANDOFF
  

WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY

Pa. Lawmaker of Accused Threatening, Assaulting Ex-Girlfriends: A complaint filed with the Pennsylvania House of Representatives alleges a suburban Philadelphia legislator threatened to kill one woman and forced another to have sex after they broke up. The lawyer for the two women Wednesday confirmed details about the joint complaint against Republican Rep. Nick Miccarelli, which were first reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Caucus newspaper. The newspapers say the women are a state official and a political consultant who both dated Miccarelli a few years ago. The 35-year-old Miccarelli said in a Facebook post he denies the allegations. The state official says Miccarelli brandished a gun and threatened to kill her while driving over 100 mph and was also physically abusive. The consultant alleges Miccarelli forced her to have sex after their relationship ended. The women did not file complaints with police. But House GOP leaders say law enforcement is now involved.

• MORE ON THE ACCUSATIONS
  

YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST  

Thursday morning is expected to be dry but by the evening commute heavy showers are expected to begin and last through Friday morning. Damaging winds are expected to follow the rain on Friday. The winds are expected to continue for Saturday with temperatures in the 40s. By Sunday the winds settle and the sun is expected to return. Monday and Tuesday are expected to be sunny with temperatures in the high 40s. Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.

[[475505543, C]]

Hoverboard Causes Trash Truck Fire: Authorities in Atlantic County, NJ are raising safety warnings about hoverboards after one caught fire inside of a trash truck on Tuesday causing a full-scale emergency response. Two sanitation workers completing their rounds along Vardon Road in Brigantine began smelling smoke from the back of their truck around 11:30 a.m. Both employees leaped from the truck, noticed smoke coming from the rear, and began trying to put out the fire with extinguishers aboard the vehicle. The workers also contacted 9-1-1 which dispatched Fire and Emergency Medical Crews from the Brigantine Fire Department who arrived within minutes and safely put out the flames. After sorting through the

• MORE ON THE FIRE
  

AROUND THE WORLD

Major Changes for Walmart, Dick's Sporting Goods After School Shooting: The rift between corporate American and the gun lobby is growing. Retail heavyweights Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods have taken steps to restrict gun sales. That follows moves by several other major corporations, including MetLife, Hertz and Delta Air Lines, that have cut ties with National Rifle Association following last month's school massacre in Florida. Dick's said Wednesday it will immediately stop selling assault-style rifles and ban the sale of all guns to anyone under 21. Its CEO took on the NRA by demanding tougher gun laws. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, followed by saying it will no longer sell firearms and ammunition to people younger than 21. It had stopped selling AR-15s and other semi-automatic weapons in 2015.

• MORE ON THE CHANGES
  

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. 

Extra police will be on patrol at Olney Charter High School in Philadelphia Thursday after an Instagram post included a targeted shooting threat.

A New Jersey community college went on lockdown Thursday morning due to a report of a "hostile intruder" near campus.

"Cumberland county college is on LOCKDOWN," a message on the Vineland college's website said. "Secure yourself in a safe location. Remain in a safe location until additional instructions are received. Silence any mobile devices. If you are not on campus please stay away."

Police in neighboring Millville tell NBC10 that the lockdown is due to a situation near N 2nd Street in Millville and the incident isn't happening on campus.

Millville Police Chief Jody Farabella said it's too early to say exactly what's happening.

Police vehicles could be seen on the Vineland campus.

Multiple agencies are assisting one another with the investigation.

"Zeus" and Phildelphia native "Swish" of the Harlem Globetrotters give a taste of what you can expect to see at the Amazing Feats of Basketball World Tour in the Philadelphia region this weekend.

Jersey Shore towns are preparing to get hit hard by a big storm.

A United Way tax preparation and resource fair is coming to the Free Library of Philadelphia to help make doing your taxes easier.

Mayor Jim Kenney presented his 2017-2018 budget proposal before City Council, Thursday, Marc h 1, 2018. He asked for $900 million in new funding over the next five years for Philadelphia public schools, as well as an additional $100 million for the city police, $54 million for the fire department and $3.75 million to fight the opioid addition epidemic.

Medical debt can quickly pile up sending people into a financial tailspin. NBC10 investigative reporter George Spencer explains how a medical bill goes from your mailbox to a series of debt collectors. You can help erase medical debt in your community. <a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/NBC10-Responds-Erasing-Medical-Debt-474891783.html" target="_blank">Tap here to find out how</a>.