This is not a joke.
It's April Fools' Day. The first day of the month brought warmth and sun. The harsh reality is that the Philadelphia region can expect more cold, wet weather in April, according to NBC10 chief meteorologist Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz.
Temperatures were 4.6 degrees below normal in Philadelphia in March, the coldest since 1996, and 8.5 inches of snow was recorded.
The warmer than normal ocean temperatures off the Pacific Northwest and Alaska has not changed or moved. Schwartz atttributes those warmer ocean temperatures to our cold and snowy winter. That's why the Philadelphia region will continue to experience a cold, wet pattern in April. The change in temperatures has also contributed to the droughts experienced in parts of California, Oklahoma and Texas.
An El Nino is likely to develop between April and June, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
What happens near the equator has a big impact on what's happening around the globe.
"I think it's going to be a big deal," said Schwartz.
"The El Nino is likely to break the California drought, put a damper on the Atlantic Hurricane season and if it's strong enough bring us a much milder and less snowy winter."
Contact Sarah Glover at 610-668-5580, sarah.glover@nbcuni.com or follow @skyphoto on Twitter.
Temperatures are on the rise, which means homebuyers are shaking off their winter blues and hitting the streets to find their next property. As spring buying season goes into full swing, sellers will repaint rooms and fix up their front yards with flowers to help draw house hunters.
But local experts say more than curb appeal is needed to get a buyer to place a bid in this competitive market. Here are a few tips to help make your home stand out from the pack.
1. Keep it clean. "Buyers buy with all their senses," said Al Perry, managing partner of Century 21 Advantage Gold. "If I was selling you my car, before you came to look at it, I would run it through the car wash and vacuum it out." Aside from putting away the kids' toys and any piles of clothes, go the extra mile by steam cleaning carpets, scrubbing kitchen counters and washing baseboards, he said.
2. Depersonalize. Perry suggests current owners take family photos off the walls and replace them with artwork that appeals to the masses. Put away the collection of beer steins or soccer trophies too. Even if the items are far from polarizing, they still serve as a distraction for potential buyers, who should be focused on envisioning themselves living in the property, he said.
3. Simplify walk-throughs. Sellers should skedaddle, even if it means sitting at the local coffee shop while buyers check out the property, said Kristin McFeely and Jeanne Whipple, realtors with Coldwell Banker Preferred's Philly Home Girls team. "If the seller is home, it makes people rush through and they can't speak candidly about the property," said Whipple, who also recommends removing dogs, cats or other uncaged animals from the home while potential buyers explore. Some people don't like pets and, for those that do, they may pay more attention to Fido than the floor layout, she said. Whipple also suggests replacing the door lock if it has a specific quirk that makes it difficult for others to turn the key and enter the home. "If the agent struggles to open the door, that can change the entire experience," she said. "The easier it is for the buyers to get in there, the more comfortable they will feel walking through."
4. Share hidden gems. Most buyers hone in on a particular neighborhood because they are seeking out a particular lifestyle. Even though savvy house hunters may know all the restaurants ranked by Zagat, highlighting the local amenities always helps. "As a seller, you've had an opportunity to experience the property," said Perry, who added that cluing the realtor in on those well-kept secrets can help add a more personal touch.
5. Get a home inspection. Typically the buyer pays for an inspection, which costs about $450, after putting in a bid. But McFeely advises sellers get it done before they list the property to avoid pricey negotiations and prevent buyers from having an easy out. "It is a small price to pay when the average negotiation is $2,500 or so," she said. The report gives the seller a chance to address any issues that could cause a buyer to terminate their bid and serves as a reference for the condition of the home's major items, like the heating and plumbing systems. "It puts people at ease," she said.
Contact Alison Burdo at 610.668.5635, alison.burdo@nbcuni.com or follow @NewsBurd on Twitter.
At least four people are in the hospital after high levels of carbon monoxide were detected inside a shopping center in Montgomery County.
Officials say high levels of CO were detected inside the Elements Horsham on 301 Horsham Road Tuesday night.
The retail center includes a Starbucks, Subway sandwich shop and other stores.
The entire building was evacuated. Officials say at least nine people were evaluated. Four of those people were taken to Abington Hospital while the remaining five refused to be transported.
Officials have not yet revealed their conditions.
Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.
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Police say an elderly woman was found dead inside her home late Tuesday afternoon.
Police say a relative discovered the 74-year-old woman’s body inside a home on the 100 block of Dimarco Drive in Northeast Philadelphia around 4:45 p.m.
Police have not yet revealed the woman’s identity or released a cause of death. An autopsy on the woman will be performed on Wednesday.
Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.
Click here for more news from the Philadelphia, South Jersey and Delaware area.
A door-to-door laundry service that picks up soiled socks by bike announced it would be offering pedicabs as a transportation option during SEPTA's off-hours. But the new service was a hoax meant to draw attention to the #SEPTA247 campaign, while highlighting Wash Cycle Laundry's latest upgrade.
The company teamed up with 28-year-old Conrad Benner, the photographer behind the popular Streets Dept blog, which first announced the ruse.
"I'm really just looking for ways to keep people interested in the [SEPTA247] campaign and keep pressure on SEPTA," said Benner, who has more than 2,400 signatures on the petition he launched in early March calling for overnight service on the Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines.
The light-hearted take on the transit issue is "just another way to keep the conversation going about how ridiculous our transportation options are in this city," he said.
SEPTA is continuing to work on a pilot program that would offer overnight subway service on weekends, according to Andrew Busch, a SEPTA spokesman.
"We still have work to do to figure out what the costs will be and the logistics in terms of how employees will be deployed," said Busch, who added SEPTA officials began investigating the pilot program about six months ago.
This past winter several storms led the agency to replace the Market-Frankford NiteOwl Express bus lines, which run from midnight to 5 a.m., with train service.
The switch, a safety decision to keep buses off icy roads, sparked a conversation among the public to reinstate the 24/7 subway service that was cancelled in 1991.
When asked if reinstating overnight train service was a talking point in contract negotiation meetings, Busch declined to comment except to say he anticipates research and planning of the pilot program to operate independently of the union talks as they have so far.
Initially transit authorities expected to have a full report and a timeline for overnight weekend service on the subway and El by mid-April, but the end of the month is more likely, Busch said.
Around that same time, Wash Cycle Laundry employees will be navigating new electronic-assist tricycles -- capable of holding and hauling 600 pounds of laundry -- through Philadelphia streets, said Leigh Goldenberg, Wash Cycle Laundry Inc.'s director of marketing.
"With the electric assist, if it gets slightly beyond the capacity a human can do on their own, then a motor kicks in," Goldenberg said.
Currently a Wash Cycle Laundry employee will tow about 300 pounds of laundry in a trailer attached to their bike, which is powered solely by their legs, she said.
"This expands the reach of where we can go, getting up and down hills is going to be a lot better," she added. "It increases the efficiency of what we can do in a single route."
Goldenberg admits the staged photo, which shows an employee carting around two people in Wash Cycle Laundry's current trailer-equipped bicycle setup, was a markteting opportunity.
The company has no plans to add a pedicab fleet, but the April Fool's joke gave the "all-green" laundry service a chance to lend its support to an alternative transportation issue, Goldenberg said.
"Wash Cycle supports anything that helps find sustainable solutions for mass transit," she said.
Benner appreciates the nod, writing on his blog: "So pumped that Wash Cycle Laundry is helping out in such a huge way! If only SEPTA took our city’s [transporation] needs so seriously."
Although Benner is willing to fork over the fare for a pedicab, he says he would prefer the overnight train service.
"I know it takes time to make this decision," he said. "But it would make a low-cost option available to a lot of people."
Contact Alison Burdo at 610.668.5635, alison.burdo@nbcuni.com or follow @NewsBurd on Twitter.
Parents in a Delaware County community are on edge after police say a vandal attached razor blades to playground equipment.
The razor blades were found duct-taped on playground equipment at Eaton Park on West Maple and Mount Vernon Avenues on Tuesday.
"It's just absurd," said Joe Lombardo, the father of a 3-year-old boy. "I can't believe someone could do something like that. I'd definitely kill somebody over that. If my son got hurt, it would be a great thing for the cops to find them, let's put it that way."
Brookhaven Police removed the blades and checked other parks in the town. While nothing else was found, police say officers will continue to check the parks during each shift.
"I do see a group of kids who are up here all the time," said Bob Kilman, who lives near the playground. "I know they're up to no good and I always tell them to get out of here."
If you have any information on the vandalism, please call Detective Tim Habich or Officer Robert Barth at 610-876-6142.
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Police released a sketch on Tuesday of one of the suspects accused of sexually assaulting a Rowan University student near the campus last month.
Police say the 23-year-old woman was assaulted by two men back on March 24. The student told Glassboro Police that she stopped her car at Mullica Hill Road (Route 322) and Hampton Boulevard -- about ½ a mile from the Glassboro campus -- around 9:30 p.m. to rearrange some things in her car.
As the woman got out of the car, two masked men -- one believed to be in his 20s and the other in his 40s -- grabbed her then sexually assaulted her in front of her car, according to police.
Both men were dressed in all black and had their faces covered by either a mask or scarf, according to investigators.
After the assault the woman went home and called police shortly before midnight.
On March 25, the university sent out a public safety alert to its students:
On Tuesday police released a composite sketch of the suspect who was believed to be in his 20's. He is described as a medium-built man standing between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10 with a scar or piercing on his left eyebrow. Investigators also say he may smoke cigarettes or marijuana based on the odor of his clothes.
If you have any information on the whereabouts of either suspect, please call Investigator Julie Howery at 856-881-1501 ext. 88167.
A week after three teens were arrested for allegedly assaulting Temple University students, two more students have come forward, claiming they were also victims of assaults, according to the Temple News.
The Temple News reports that a 21-year-old senior and 19-year-old freshman, both females, told police they were approached by a group of teen girls last October. One student claimed she was harassed by the group while walking home while the second student claimed she was beaten by the group while walking home from a party and had to be hospitalized, according to Temple News.
Temple News reports that police arrested three teenagers in connection to the beating.
Police have not yet confirmed whether the incidents in the fall are connected to the most recent attacks in March.
The March 21 attacks, the most serious of which took place at 17th and Norris Streets where a 19-year-old was beaten in the face with a brick, all occurred within blocks of Temple University's North Philadelphia campus.
The 19-year-old woman, who spoke exclusively to NBC10.com, was walking with her 20-year-old boyfriend around 6 p.m. when she says a group of girls and boys began taunting and touching them. When they pushed back, the girls allegedly started swinging.
The woman was hit twice in the face with a brick, the impact nearly knocking out her teeth. The assault forced her to get emergency surgery.
Police say there were two other attacks that took place within minutes of the brick attack.
NBC10.com talked to another Temple student, a 20-year-old junior, who said she was walking down her street when she was punched by a several girls. That alleged attack took place along the 1700 block of Willington Street, which runs behind Philadelphia Police's 22nd District headquarters, around 5:45 p.m. -- just 15 minutes before the brick attack.
The co-ed said she was typing a text message to a friend and when she looked up, the girls punched her several times. She claims she was able to escape after pushing them away however.
Investigators said the girls are also responsible for a third attack at 17th and Cecil B. Moore Streets in which they allegedly assaulted another woman who is a Temple University student.
Last Tuesday, investigators with Philadelphia Police's Central Detective Division said they had taken five teenage girls into custody for the assaults -- arresting one and questioning the other four. They ranged in age from 17 to 14-years-old.
On Wednesday, three of the teens were charged as adults.
Najee Bilaal, 16,15-year-old Zaria Estes, and 15-year-old Kanesha Gainey were charged with Aggravated Assault, Conspiracy, Possession of an Instrument of a Crime (PIC), Terroristic Threats, Simple Assault and Recklessly Endangering Another Person (REAP) for three attacks which took place over a 20 minute span last Friday evening, according to the DA's Office.
Bilaal and Estes are being held on $100,000 bail and Gainey on $75,000.
According to state court records, this is the sixth time Bilaal has been charged with a crime. She's previously been arrested for theft and criminal trespassing, among other crimes.
Detectives said the motive for the alleged attacks is currently unclear. They said the girls, who do not live in the neighborhood, took a bus into the area before the alleged attacks and left on a bus after. Police are also investigating how the girls met, because, police say, they all go to different high schools.
Temple was criticized by students and parents for not being notified about the off-campus attacks, only learning they happened after seeing a series of reports on NBC10.com and NBC10 News on TV.
The university said it reserves such campus-wide alerts for imminently dangerous situations that require immediate action.
Temple officials later announced they would be expanding bike patrols off campus and working with Philadelphia Police and Pennsylvania State Police to enhance security in the areas directly west of campus.
Police are on the hunt for a man and woman who they say forced an elderly woman to withdraw thousands of dollars from her bank account and then stole the money.
The 80-year-old woman told police she was walking towards the Salvation Army on 5th and Market Streets around 12 p.m. on Monday when she was approached by an unidentified woman.
Police say the female suspect told the victim that she had money she wanted to give her. The two women were then joined by an unidentified man who also told the victim he had money for her, according to investigators.
The victim says she became scared and told the man and woman to leave her alone. The suspects allegedly followed her as she tried to walk away.
Police say the female suspect then went inside a green-colored Saturn SUV with a New Mexico license plate and drove it towards the victim. The male suspect then allegedly forced the victim inside the vehicle.
Once she was inside the SUV, both suspects then asked the victim which bank she used, according to police. Investigators say the victim told them she used Citizens Bank and the suspects drove towards the branch at the Penrose Plaza on the 2900 block of Island Avenue.
The victim and the two suspects then went inside the bank and approached an employee, according to police. The victim says she asked the employee to withdraw $8000 from her account.
The male suspect allegedly told the employee that the money was for the victim’s sister who had just passed away.
After the employee brought out the cash, the male suspect allegedly pushed the victim’s hand away, took her money and placed it in his pocket.
Police say the suspects and the victim then left the bank and drove towards the Verizon building at 57th and Chestnut Streets. The male suspect then allegedly pushed the victim out of the car and drove off with the female suspect, fleeing east on Chestnut Street.
Credit: Philadelphia Police
The first suspect is described as a short man between the ages of 40 and 50, wearing a dark-colored hat, dark-colored blazer and a white shirt.
The second suspect is described as a tall woman wearing a dark-colored wig and dressed in dark clothing.
If you have any information on their whereabouts, please call Philadelphia Police.
Authorities in New Jersey say they have identified a suspect in connection with a fire set on the campaign bus for Newark mayoral candidate Ras Baraka in February.
Baraka, the son of poet Amiri Baraka, is running against Shavar Jeffries on May 13 in the race to replace Cory Booker.
The fire was set on Baraka's bus at about 7 a.m. on Feb. 16 when it was parked outside campaign headquarters on Central Avenue, officials and the campaign said.
The bus was empty and no one was hurt.
Baraka posted on his Facebook page that the bus was used to take the candidate and volunteers to various campaign events.
"Scare tactics won't work," the post said.
The Essex County prosecutor said Tuesday that authorities are searching for 43-year-old Michael Benkowski as a suspect after tracking down a white van seen on surveillance. The prosecutor did not disclose what connection he is believed to have, if any, with Baraka.
Anyone with information about the fire or the suspect is asked to call the Essex County prosecutor's major crimes tips line at 877-847-7432.
Police say they've arrested a New Jersey teenager for allegedly throwing a glass bottle at a fire truck on its way to a call, smashing a window and injuring a firefighter inside.
Garfield detectives, with the assistance of school resource officers, arrested a 16-year-old boy in the March 28 incident, police say.
The boy, who's not being named because of his age, was charged with aggravated assault violations.
The injured volunteer firefighter, Vicky Kovacs, 22, says she was sitting in the back of Engine 2 headed to a job last Friday night when someone hurled a glass soda bottle at the truck, smashing a back window and sending glass flying into her face and eyes.
Kovacs was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center and was treated for injury to her eyes.
A group of teenagers, between 14 and 17 years old, in hooded sweatshirts was seen fleeing the scene.
The boy arrested Tuesday was released to the custody of his guardian, and is expected to appear before a family court judge at Bergen County Courthouse, police say.
Philadelphia Police say officers shot and killed a loose dog along a residential street this morning.
Some neighbors argue that the dog wasn't bothering anyone along the 1400 block of Montrose Street in South Philadelphia.
Two officers were placed as desk duty as police investigated the deadly shooting of the pit bull around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Officer said the dog, a pit bull, was running loose and attacking people, according to Philadelphia Police spokeswoman Christine O’Brien.
As officers responded to the scene, the dog charged them so they opened fire striking and killing the dog, according to police.
The officers weren’t hurt nor were any residents in the neighborhood.
As of mid-morning, no one had come forward to claim the apparent pet, which officers say was scaring neighbors.
Some neighbors disputed that claim of the dog being out of control, including Dave Lewandowski who took a photo of the bloody aftermath and posted it to his Twitter account.
"Police shoot dog while laying down on door steps for barking," wrote Lewandowski.
Joseph Remer who lives two doors down from where the dog was shot said the pit bull was on the front stoop barking around 4:15 a.m. when he woke up.
Remer said when he went outside a short time later he saw that the dog, which he recognized as being at the home before, didn't seem to be bothering anyone.
"The dog barked a few times and lifted its head," said Remer.
Remer, who has lived on the block for more than eight years, said the dog just seemed to be relaxing on the stoop, not running up and down the block.
Before he left for work he heard what sounded like a gunshot followed by the sound of an animal whimpering and then a second gunshot.
He said when he went outside that some people claimed the dog acted violently yet he said no neighbors appeared hurt and the people he spoke with said the dog wasn't really bothering anyone before police showed up.
As standard operating procedure, the officers were place on desk duty since they discharged their weapons while on duty, according to police. A full internal affairs investigation was launched to figure out exactly what led to the shooting.
Didn't have a chance to catch up on local news yesterday?
April Weather Outlook: It's No Joke
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/weather/stories/Expect-More-Cold-Wet-Weather-253436761.html
The first day of the month, April Fools' Day, brought warmth and sun. But, the harsh reality is that the Philadelphia region can expect more cold, wet weather in April, according to NBC10 First Alert Weather Chief Meteorologist Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz.
Holocaust Survivor Charged in Deadly Hit-and-Run
The charges stem from a March 12 accident, when a 58-year-old bicyclist was struck and killed.
Brutal Rape at Suburban SEPTA Train Station: Police
A 21-year-old Philadelphia man is in a Montgomery County prison after police say he admitted to choking his ex-girlfriend with a belt and raping her at a suburban SEPTA train station late at night on March 16.
Love Run Marriage Proposal Almost Didn't Happen
Nick Overbaugh, 25, spent the last two months planning how he'd propose to Jenna Ewing, 23, his girlfriend of two years.
Supermarket on the Comeback Trail
Acme Markets’ reopening of a South Philadelphia store last week is part of a broader comeback strategy the company is waging to boost its well-known but tarnished brand.
Young Children Found Unresponsive in Bathtub
The Allegheny County medical examiner's office says one of two young children reportedly found unresponsive in a bathtub in the Pittsburgh suburbs has died.
Student Accepted to All 8 Ivy League Schools
A high school senior who is the first-generation son of immigrants accomplished a feat few other students have even attempted -- getting accepted to all eight Ivy League schools including two in the Philadelphia region.
A Philadelphia man wanted in the shooting death of his teenage friend was arrested this morning in Bucks County.
Philadelphia Police caught up to Sergio Santiago at the Neshaminy Inn along Route 1 in Feasterville-Trevose, Pa. Wednesday morning around 8.
Officers took the 22-year-old in without incident, according to Philadelphia Police.
Police were on the hunt Santiago after he allegedly shot and killed his 17-year-old neighbor Antonio Flores Sunday afternoon in the Spring Garden section of the city.
Flores was found with a gunshot wound in the head on the third floor of an apartment at 1616 Wallace Street in the Spring Garden section of the city. Medics rushed Flores to Hahnemann University Hospital where he later died.
The circumstances of the shooting remained under investigation earlier this week but homicide detectives did say that it was possible that someone was playing with a gun.
Monday night, police announced that Santiago was a suspect in the shooting and issued a warrant for his arrest.
"I never thought he would harm my son," said Antonia Flores, the victim's mother.
According to the family, Santiago was a friend and mentor of the victim.
"I can't believe he would do that to my son and I don't believe he would run away and my son was in that building all by himself until someone found him," the victim's mother said.
"I want justice for my son," she said. "I want him to be put away for a long time because he took the life of a 17-year-old boy who doesn't mess with anybody and who has love for everybody."
A pickup truck caught fire and crashed into the bushes outside a City Avenue apartment building this morning after the driver said the transmission began smoking.
The crash closed City Avenue at Bala Avenue in both directions for a little more than an hour.
A driver and his passenger got out of the pickup truck along the Philadelphia side of the road that divides the city from Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County around 9:15 a.m.
The passenger and a witness told NBC10's Na'eem Douglas that the pickup was experiencing transmission problems and began smoking so the driver pulled over.
As they got out of the truck it began to roll backwards.
Passenger Clyde Perkins said the driver tried to jump back into the truck to stop it from rolling.
"He jumped in to try and put it back in park but it wouldn't go back in so he turned the wheel to keep it from hitting the traffic behind us," said Perkins.
"As soon as he got away from it we heard the first pop."
It eventually rolled into the bushes outside the apartments. Thick black smoke and red flames then shot from the vehicle, according to Perkins.
The driver suffered an ankle injury while trying to get the truck in park and was treated at the scene. No one else was hurt, according to police.
As SkyForce10 hovered overhead a short time after the wreck, you could see the charred remains of the pickup wedged between bushes outside the building in a diagonal direction.
Police didn't officials give a cause for the crash.
The intensity of the fire left black soot on the side of the brick building.
A woman was allegedly repeatedly raped inside a motorcycle clubhouse last week.
Antoywayn Lindsey, 34 of Camden, threatened a woman with a gun and forced her into a room inside the Wheels of Soul motorcycle club on Princess Avenue in Camden, police say.
Lindsey allegedly raped the woman multiple times inside the room Thursday at 2 a.m. She escaped and was later found by Camden County Police.
Officers moved in on the clubhouse, found Lindsey and arrested him Thursday. At the time of the arrest, police say he had two loaded guns on his person. Members of the club told NBC10 reporter Cydney Long that the woman made up the story.
The Camden County Police Department is working the city to address code violations and have the club shut down. Code enforcement officials say the club is structurally deficient and impacting the quality of life in the neighborhood. PSE&G cut of service to the club today.
"This has been a cat and mouse game with this group for some time," said Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson. "In the light of the most heinous crimes that have taken place here, I don't think a court is going to rule against us."
In April 2007, a 35-year-old man was killed after a fight at the clubhouse. Later that year in August, a club member was arrested for drug distribution. In January 2010, two people were arrested after cocaine was found inside the club and later that month the club closed down due to code violations.
"It's very upsetting that this place may be allowed to run," said JiYoung Min, a Camden resident. "I think officials need to take a stronger stance in setting the message that, look hey, these kinds of places should not stay open."
Lindsey was charged with a total of 10 offenses: three counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault, two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon and one count each of Kidnapping, Making Terroristic Threats, Aggravated Assault, Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose. The Certain Persons charge is based on a prior conviction for Aggravated Manslaughter. Lindsey is in the county jail with bail set at $400,000.
This morning, the City of Camden demolished a garage nearby the Wheels of Soul clubhouse. The garage was on city property, but the demolition sent a clear message as some members were storing their bikes in the garage.
