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'Bravest' Have Unmet Emotional, Mental Health Needs: Survey

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Retired Philadelphia firefighter Mike Yaeger worked for a rescue company that took part in the battle against one of the city most infamous blazes: the Meridian fire on a cold February night in 1991.

Three firefighters died, and it shook the entire department.

"It had a major impact," Yaeger said. "Three guys died, which always has some trauma associated with it."

And yet, while it may have been one of the worst disasters, the tragedy was one of many that Yaeger and fellow firefighters experience on the job.

"In my career in the fire service, there were 41 line of duty deaths," he told NBC10 in an interview. "I saw 13 of them."

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Dealing with traumatic events comes with the job. But do firefighters get — and in some cases, accept — the help they need to deal with the mental and physical stress?

In partnership with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), the NBC10 Investigators sent a confidential online survey to thousands of firefighters across the country to hear directly from them about the impact of post-traumatic stress on their lives, and to learn what services are available when they need help.

From across North America, nearly 7,000 firefighters responded. They overwhelmingly responded that stressful or traumatic experiences on the job have impacted their mental health. Among the struggles they say are directly connected to the job: 19 percent have had thoughts of suicide, 27 percent have struggled with substance abuse, 59 percent have experienced family and relationship problems and 65 percent are haunted by memories of bad calls.

Here is a closer look at some of the survey's questions and answers as they were answered by paid firefighters in departments across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

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The IAFF said the survey is unprecedented and highlights a critical need.

"What this study does is really bring home the numbers that we already knew were out there, that fire fighters are suffering from PTSD and other behavioral health disorders," said Jim Brinkley, director of Health and Safety for the IAFF. "And more importantly, there’s a stigma attached to seeking help."

But firefighters say getting mental health assistance can be tricky. Of those who responded to the survey, 81 percent said they feared being seen as weak or unfit for duty if they asked for help. Additionally, 71 percent say they have not used services provided by their department’s employee assistance program (EAP) for mental health issues related to their job. Of those who did use their EAP, 63 percent did not find it helpful.

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"We're going to take a hard look at this survey to determine what is it we're doing right and more importantly, where are the gaps. What programming do we need to provide to make sure our members get the help they need?" Brinkley said.

The IAFF provides a vast array of services, the centerpiece of which is its Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery. The residential facility near Washington, D.C. treats union members struggling with substance abuse and related issues like PTSD.

"We don't typically trust outsiders," Brinkley said, explaining that the facility is staffed by firefighters and professionals who’ve received intensive training. "Having someone there who understands what we’ve been through is incredibly powerful."

Another powerful tool are the teams the IAFF dispatches to disasters and tragedies like the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

"Our intent is to get out and reach the members that have been affected, let them know what some of the signs and symptoms are that they are going to be experiencing and what services are available to them," Brinkley said.

Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel couldn't say how much his big-city department spends on mental health support, adding only that it's "not as much as we would like."

Department chaplin Mark Finn said firefighters and the public should look at the men who run into burning buildings the same way they would think of anyone else: people with feelings who need help dealing with their emotional reaction to traumatic events.

"I guess there's a sense somehow these guys are superheroes, like in the movies. They’re not," Finn said. "Those feelings don’t go away. They have to be dealt with at some point."

Please visit the IAFF Recovery Center for mental health resources for firefighters. 



Photo Credit: AP
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Catch Up Quickly: 1 Dies in Apartment Fire

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


TODAY'S TOP STORY 

1 Dies in Apartment Fire: One person died as fire tore through a Bucks County hotel that is used for apartments Thursday morning. The blaze broke out around 9 a.m. at the Bush House Hotel along W Broad Street in Quakertown, Quakertown police said. One person died and other victims refused treatment, Bucks County dispatchers. Firefighters knocked out a window of the stone façade on the east part of the building that runs along Front Street. The blaze left 50 people in need of temporary housing, police said. State and county fire marshals would be searching for a cause of the fire.

      WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY

      Police Corral Coyote After 2-Hour Pursuit Across City: Philadelphia police captured a coyote after a two-hour chase. The coyote was first spotted early Thursday in the city near Penn's Landing, along the Delaware River. Police and animal control officers eventually cornered and trapped it more than 2 miles away in South Philadelphia, under a large metal trash bin near a city school. Officials will check on the animal's well-being. It eventually will be moved to a more suitable environment. No injuries have been reported.

      YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST  

      Rain is expected through Friday morning with temperatures in the high 50s. Showers and possible thunderstorms are expected for Saturday evening but temperatures could hit 70 degrees. Sunday is expected to be sunny with temperatures in the high 50s and Monday could hit 70 degrees with plenty of sunshine. Tuesday is also expected to be sunny with 70 degree temperatures. Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.

          TODAY'S TALKER               

          Comfort Dog Kept Sequestered Cosby Jurors Company: A comfort dog arrived Thursday at the suburban Philadelphia courthouse where a jury was deliberating three charges against Bill Cosby. The dog, named Turks, was there to spend an hour with the six alternate jurors in the trial, Judge Steven O'Neill said. After O'Neill mentioned the dog, Cosby stood up at the defense table and made a comical, barking-like motion with his mouth. The dog's a regular at the Montgomery County Courthouse. Turks was added to the Montgomery County district attorney's staff in 2014, when she was 2 years old. She's a golden Labrador. Her job during the Cosby trial was to keep the jury, which was sequestered away from their loved ones, in good spirits, according to a Buzzfeed profile of her last week. Her handler, Montgomery County Detective Bureau investigator Kiersten McDonald, told Buzzfeed that Turks will snuggle next to victims who have to testify and that Turks loves her assignment: "I promise you she is the most spoiled dog that you will ever meet."

          AROUND THE WORLD

          William, Kate Name Royal Baby: The newest prince in the British royal family has been named Louis Arthur Charles, Kensington Palace announced Friday. Louis was born healthy in London earlier this week to Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. He is fifth in line to the British throne, bumping Prince Harry down a spot. Kate left the hospital about seven hours after delivering Queen Elizabeth II's sixth great-grandchild Monday, which was St. George's Day in Britain. That name already belonged to his older brother, 4-year-old Prince George. He also has an older sister, Princess Charlotte, who turns 3 next week. Celebrations for Louis' birth continued Tuesday with the pealing of bells at Westminster Abbey and a gun salute in London's Hyde Park.


          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



          Photo Credit: SkyForce10

          Screams Lead Police to Body Wrapped in Blanket

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          Neighbors in a Philadelphia neighborhood recognized the man whose body was found wrapped in a blanket and placed on a sidewalk overnight.

          Philadelphia police found the unresponsive victim, partially wrapped in a blanket on a grassy area just off W Stenton Avenue near N Lambert Street, after being called to the West Oak Lane neighborhood shortly after midnight for a report of a person screaming, police said.

          The man was shot in the eye, back and chest and was declared dead at the scene, police said.

          Police didn’t identify the 46-year-old victim but neighbors told NBC10 they recognized him as a man in his 40s who lives nearby.

          It wasn’t clear where the man was killed.

          Police hoped surveillance video could help them track down the man’s killer.



          Photo Credit: NBC10

          Menendez 'Severely Admonished' by Senate Ethics Committee

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          Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) broke Senate rules and federal law by accepting gifts from a now convicted Florida eye doctor and failing to disclose those gifts, according to a letter of admonition released by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics 

          The committee said in the letter released Thursday that the New Jersey Democrat's "reflected discredit upon the Senate" when he took gifts and trips from Salomon Melgen and used his political influence to help his friend with with business disputes and with obtaining visas for the doctor's girlfriends.

          "Your assistance to Dr. Melgen under these circumstances demonstrated poor judgment, and it risked undermining the public's confidence in the Senate. As such, your actions reflected discredit upon the Senate," read the letter, which was signed by each of the committee's members.

          Menendez's attorney, Marc Elias, said in response to the Senate Ethics Committee letter: "As those who followed the 11-week trial know, many of the findings in the letter were not only contradicted by the presiding judge and rejected by the jury, but the proceedings clearly demonstrated there was no violation of any law. This was further underscored when the Department of Justice dropped its baseless charges in January." 

          Elias added that Menendez has acknowledged and made substantial payments for gifts. 

          "With the Ethics Committee process now concluded, Sen. Menendez looks forward to continuing to serve the people of New Jersey," he said. 

          For more than six years, Menendez accepted 19 stays at a villa in the Dominican Republic, free private and commercial jet trips as well as a luxury stay in Paris all without paying fair market value. In exchange, the Ethics Committee said the New Jersey’s senior senator used his office and power to help Melgen try to get out of $8.9 million in Meidcare overbilling; helped the eye doctor try to secure a port security deal potentially worth tens of millions; and tried to secure visas for Dr. Melgen’s overseas girlfriends.

          Prosecutors dropped bribery charges against the Democratic senator and Dr. Melgen after their trial ended in a hung jury. But the Ethics Committee – made up of three Republicans and three Democrats – told Menendez that it “…directs you to repay the fair market value of all impermissible gifts not already repaid.”

          The Committee said it reviewed evidence presented at the federal criminal trial in Newark as well as submissions the senator made. It called Sen. Menendez’s behavior "troubling."

          In severly admonishing the Senator, the committee led by Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Christopher Coon (D-DE) wrote, “Senators must closely guard against even the appearance that their families or friends are entitled to use these resources and power for their own personal gain.”

          Dr. Melgen was convicted in a separate trial in Florida of stealing nearly $100 million dollars from Medicare. Melgen could spend the rest of his life in prison.

          Bog Hugin, a candidate for the Republican party's nomination to challenge Menendez's seat, said in a statement that Menendez should resign.

          "He is an embarrassment to our state and it is time for him to resign," Hugin said.  

          In addition to paying back the fair market value of all gifts received, the Senate Ethics Committee also ordered Menendez to amend his financial disclosure reports to include all reportable gifts.

          The judge in Menendez's trial last year declared a hung jury after more than six full days of deliberations. Ten of 12 jurors wanted to acquit the senator, but two disagreed.

          After the trial, an emotional Menendez blasted investigators for bringing the case against him in the first place. He also thanked those who helped him raise millions for his legal defense fund.



          Photo Credit: NBC

          Pa. Tries to Keep Secret Its Offer to Lure Amazon's HQ2

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          Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's administration went to court this week to block requests for records of financial incentives it offered Amazon to build its second headquarters in Pennsylvania.

          An administration lawyer asked Commonwealth Court to reverse an Office of Open Records decision deeming the records public and ordering their release. The Morning Call of Allentown requested the records.

          Philadelphia and Pittsburgh were among 20 finalists for a facility that the online retailer promises will bring 50,000 new jobs and construction spending topping $5 billion.

          The administration maintains that the records should be public only after the process is complete.

          "It's an ongoing, highly competitive process in which terms that other cities and states could offer could change, so we believe it makes the most competitive sense for us to have appropriate leverage in the process to make sure Pennsylvania is best positioned to get this," Wolf's spokesman J.J. Abbott said.

          Any state incentives offered to Amazon will require approval by lawmakers and will get a full public vetting before being made fully available to Amazon, Abbott said.

          Rob Wonderling, president of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, last year told The Philadelphia Inquirer that Pennsylvania planned to offer Amazon more than $1 billion in tax incentives if the online retailer built the headquarters in the state.

          City and state officials have otherwise refused to disclose details, and Pennsylvania state officials in multiple administrations have long refused to disclose incentives offered to companies until there is a formal agreement.

          Amazon's request for proposals before deciding the location of its second headquarters set off a competition among governments across the country, and many said they don't want their competitors to know what they're offering.

          More than 15 states and cities, including Philadelphia, refused requests from The Associated Press to release the financial promises they made to try to lure Amazon.

          A records request seeking Pittsburgh's bid was denied because the proposal is "exempt from public dissemination."

          Amazon has said it will make its decision this year.

          Nearly $250,000 was spent to create and promote Philadelphia's plan, including $160,000 by the quasi-public Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp. on a website and the written submission.

          Spotting Your Kid's Secret Stash: What to Look for

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          A hair brush, a lip balm container and a stick of deodorant sitting around your kid's bedroom could all be new hiding places for money, contraband or drugs.

          That's according to Lower Gwynedd Township Police Officer Beth Sanborn. She's been educating parents to give these everyday items, often found littering a teen's bedroom, a second look.

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          So how can you spot these secret stashes? Sanborn has some tips:

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          And what about vaping — the inhalation of oils through hand held vaporizers?

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          It takes a village to get help for teen's dealing with drugs, alcohol or depression.

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          NBC10's Katy Zachry took your questions on Facebook Live.

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          This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

          Mother Fights to Keep Son on Life Support at CHOP

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          A mother is fighting for her son's life after the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia told her there is nothing more they could do for the boy, who has special needs. Rumpa Banerjee says CHOP has informed her that her 14-year-old son, Areen, is brain dead and that they could pull the plug on him. The family got an injunction for at least one more day.

          SUV Tears Hole Into Overturned Truck on I-95, Blocks Lanes

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          An SUV slammed into an overturned truck on Interstate 95 in Northeast Philadelphia Friday morning. The crash blocked lanes in both directions and caused a traffic mess.

          The truck flipped in the northbound lanes near the Cottman Avenue Exit around 10:30 a.m.

          The wreck closed I-95 northbound at Cottman. Responding crews also blocked some of the southbound lanes. One lane of traffic slowly moved past the scene.

          More than an hour after the crash, travel times ballooned as clean-up continued. Part of the clean-up effort included putting down sand to deal with a fuel spill. 

          No word yet on the extent of injuries or how long the crash could be out there.

          This story is developing and will be updated.




          Photo Credit: SkyForce10

          Phillie Phanatic Celebrates Birthday With Courageous Kids

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          The Phillie Phanatic has a big birthday celebration this weekend. But so many special kids won't be able to party with him at the ballpark. So the Phillies took the party on the road, right to the young patients at A.I. Dupont Hospital for Children.

          New AC Chocolate Shop Opens as Part of Revitalization

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          A project to transform a street, known for trouble in Atlantic City, is taking a step forward tonight with a sweet addition.

          124th Penn Relays Races on in University City

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          Another sports tradition is running right now in University City. Track and field athletes from around the world are here in Philadelphia for the 124th Penn Relays.

          Early Morning Explosions in Bucks County Shrouded in Mystery

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          It's a middle of the night mystery that's scaring people in Upper Bucks County. For weeks, neighbors have been reporting loud explosions going of,f jarring them out of bed.

          So Long Tokens: 'The Key' to Your Monday SEPTA Ride

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          You may notice something missing during your Monday morning ride on SEPTA: tokens.

          In a long-anticipated move, SEPTA will discontinue token sales at all authority-owned locations once and for all on Monday.

          The move from tokens to the SEPTA Key Card has been a gradual one, as SEPTA began phasing out token sales in January.

          The Key is a card that can be loaded and reloaded with the user's choice of SEPTA transit fare, including weekly/monthly TransPass, one-day passes or money that can be used toward single rides.

          According to SEPTA, the SEPTA Key "provides the same fare payment methods and discounts, but with added convenience and benefits."

          Philadelphia is the last major U.S. city that still uses transit tokens.

          A token system had been in use in the city since at least the 1880s, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

          For those still holding on to tokens, SEPTA said they will continue accepting already-purchased tokens for the foreseeable future. Unused tokens can be loaded onto Key cards, with the value added to the Travel Wallet feature.

          While tokens will no longer be sold at Authority-owned locations, they will continue to be sold in bulk to social service agencies and will be available to SEPTA CCT Paratransit customers at Center City sales locations.

          Monday is the last day to get a Key card for free. After that, they will be available to purchase for $4.95.

          For more information, visit www.septa.org/key.

          Not only is SEPTA discontinuing token sales Monday, but new Regional Rail schedules are also going into effect over the weekend.

          On Sunday, these new schedules, made to improve services for customers on Regional Rail lines affected by Amtrak construction, will be implemented.

          The lines affected are Trenton, Chestnut Hill East, Wilmington/Newark, Fox Chase, and Airport Regional. The weekday train times for these lines will be significantly impacted.

          New Regional Rail schedules are available to download at: www.septa.org/schedules/april.html



          Photo Credit: AP

          Brigantine Says No to Recreational Marijuana

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          Popular Jersey Shore resort is working to "Just Say No" to recreational marijuana, should it become legalized in the Garden State. But some people in a neighborhood city say they would welcome weed with open arms.

          Serial Molester Strikes 5th Time, Taking Boy From Bus Stop

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          A man who police say has been driving around Philadelphia, luring boys into his car with the prospect of earning money pumping gas only to sexually assault them, has struck for a fifth time.

          This latest incident happened at 8:15 a.m. Thursday at 58th Street and Baltimore Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia as the boy headed to school.

          Philadelphia Police Capt. Mark Burgman, head of the Special Victims Unit, said Friday that the victim, a 12-year-old boy, was standing at a bus stop when the man pulled his vehicle up to the curb. The man, who called himself Malik, asked the boy if he wanted to make some cash pumping gas, and when he agreed, told him to get in the car.

          The two then drove away, Burgman said, with the man pulling up porn on his smartphone and then sexually assaulting the boy. When the assault was over, the man dropped the boy off near where he picked him up.

          The assault follows a pattern that has been cast upon at least five other boys ranging in age from 12 to 16 years old since last May. The assaults have been spread across the city happening in Strawberry Mansion, East Mount Airy, West Oak Lane and now Southwest Philly.

          In the first-reported incidents, police said the man sexually assaulted a pair of brothers separately and minutes apart.

          "This guy's a predator. He's not going to stop. He's made that clear," Burgman said.

          "It's important for parents to let their kids know that going to, coming from school...if somebody approaches you in a vehicle, do not get into the vehicle under any circumstances if you don't know that person."

          Police describe the man as 25-30 years old with light skin, a thin build, long hair and a mustache or beard. The molester is said to be driving three styles of car: a silver Nissan or Dodge four-door sedan, a black sedan and a burgundy Subaru Outback.

          Anyone with information is asked to call Philadelphia Police at 215-686-TIPS.



          Photo Credit: Philadelphia Police

          Before Philly Tragedy, $19M in Fines for Southwest Since '00

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          Before Jennifer Riordan died April 17 from a tragic malfunction aboard a Southwest Airlines flight, no passenger in the airline's 47-year history died during an in-flight accident.

          Still, as the NBC10 Investigators found during a round-trip flight to Chicago aboard one of a Southwest airplane, the previously unmarked history didn't quiet their nerves.

          "I just try not to focus on things like that," one passenger told NBC10 while waiting to board at Philadelphia International Airport's Terminal E.

          That passenger and others refused to watch what happened to Flight 1380, which made an emergency landing in Philadelphia on April 17 during a scheduled flight from New York City to Dallas.

          Southwest's record has not been spotless either, despite no accident-related deaths prior to the April 17 tragedy, according to records reviewed by the NBC10 Investigators.

          Riordan, a married mother of two who worked as an executive at Wells Fargo in Albuquerque, New Mexico, died after she was nearly sucked out of the plane. Fellow passengers were able to pull her back in after the window she sat by was broken open by a piece of debris from one of the plane's engines.

          The trauma she endured while being exposed to the mid-air, 600-mile-per-hour atmosphere was too much, however. She was pronounced dead at a hospital after the landing in Philadelphia.

          Another passenger on the Chicago flight said he copes with thoughts of such tragedies by looking at the bigger picture.

          "I can still rationalize that even though there was an accident flying is still safer than ever and still one of the safest modes of transportation," Michael Coyle, a Drexel engineering graduate, said.

          A review of Southwest Airlines records reveal 293 federal safety violations since 2000, according to Federal Aviation Administration data.

          The violations include problems monitoring aircraft maintenance work, flying aircraft before required inspections occurred and failing to keep the FAA updated on plans to repair cracks on the skin of its aircraft.

          The fines added up to $19.4 million.

          "Safety is our uncompromising priority, and our aircraft are maintained in direct relation to the number of hours (cycles) they are flown," according to a statement provided by Southwest.



          Photo Credit: NTSB via AP
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          Before Philly Tragedy, $19M in Fines for Southwest Since '00

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          0

          Before Jennifer Riordan died April 17 from a tragic malfunction aboard a Southwest Airlines flight, no passenger in the airline's 47-year history died during an in-flight accident.

          Still, as the NBC10 Investigators found during a round-trip flight to Chicago aboard one of a Southwest airplane, the previously unmarked history didn't quiet their nerves.

          "I just try not to focus on things like that," one passenger told NBC10 while waiting to board at Philadelphia International Airport's Terminal E.

          That passenger and others refused to watch what happened to Flight 1380, which made an emergency landing in Philadelphia on April 17 during a scheduled flight from New York City to Dallas.

          Southwest's record has not been spotless either, despite no accident-related deaths prior to the April 17 tragedy, according to records reviewed by the NBC10 Investigators.

          Riordan, a married mother of two who worked as an executive at Wells Fargo in Albuquerque, New Mexico, died after she was nearly sucked out of the plane. Fellow passengers were able to pull her back in after the window she sat by was broken open by a piece of debris from one of the plane's engines.

          The trauma she endured while being exposed to the mid-air, 600-mile-per-hour atmosphere was too much, however. She was pronounced dead at a hospital after the landing in Philadelphia.

          Another passenger on the Chicago flight said he copes with thoughts of such tragedies by looking at the bigger picture.

          "I can still rationalize that even though there was an accident flying is still safer than ever and still one of the safest modes of transportation," Michael Coyle, a Drexel engineering graduate, said.

          A review of Southwest Airlines records reveal 293 federal safety violations since 2000, according to Federal Aviation Administration data.

          The violations include problems monitoring aircraft maintenance work, flying aircraft before required inspections occurred and failing to keep the FAA updated on plans to repair cracks on the skin of its aircraft.

          The fines added up to $19.4 million.

          "Safety is our uncompromising priority, and our aircraft are maintained in direct relation to the number of hours (cycles) they are flown," according to a statement provided by Southwest.



          Photo Credit: NTSB via AP
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          New Subaru Headquarters Opens in Camden

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          Celebrations in Camden as the new Subaru headquarters opens. The move from Cherry Hill brings hundreds of jobs to the area.

          Runner Randomly Attacked by Group of Teens in Grays Ferry

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          A man training for the Broad Street Run has been sidelined from the race after a group of teens randomly attacked him in Grays Ferry.

          Comcast, Independence Blue Cross Team Up for Healthcare

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          Comcast NBCUniversal and Independence Blue Cross, both companies based in Philadelphia, are teaming up to give people better access to their doctor without leaving your home.

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