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Last-Minute Christmas Shopping Rush

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With just hours to spare, last-minute shoppers took shopping centers like the King of Prussia Mall and Reading Terminal Market by storm on Christmas Eve. Some people enjoy waiting until the day before Christmas, while it's just more convenient for others.


I Am Project: Philly’s Creative Mentor Program

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I Am Project is an organization in Philadelphia with the mission to prepare high school students for a career of their choice. 



Photo Credit: NBC10

NJ Church Celebrates Christmas With Long-Lost Jesus Statue

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Christmas at a church in New Jersey will look like it did almost a century ago this year, all because the house of worship will celebrate the holiday with a special baby Jesus statue — a statue that was long ago stolen and returned just this past March.

In the special nativity scene that will be on display at Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph in Hoboken, baby Jesus will not be in a crib, but in a card board box as a reminder of where it came and the mystery surrounding it.

The story of the long-ago stolen baby Jesus took a turn in March when the church came across the returned statue after an unknown package was delivered to its doors. The statue was found inside, crudely wrapped and with no return address.

Rev. Alexander Santora, the church priest, said he was initially apprehensive to open the package since it had no return address and decided to call the Hoboken Police Department to report the suspicious package.

With a heat detecting device, the police department's Emergency Service Unit determined that there was nothing incendiary inside and that the package was safe to open, Santora told NBC 4 New York when the statue was first returned.

According to Santora, it "was a surprise" when a note and statue were found inside the package that had a tracking number which was ultimately traced back to Crystal Springs, Florida.

A copy of the note dated Jan. 2, which was originally provided to NBC 4 New York by Santora, said that the baby Jesus statue was stolen from the church’s Nativity display in the early 1930s. According to the sender, the statue somehow came into their grandfather’s possession, and the man never returned it.

“Instead, he gave it to my mother after she was married, and she too kept it until her passing when it came to me. Knowing the story, I felt it should be returned to the rightful owner, and you will find it enclosed,” the note read.

Santora took the note on good faith and welcomed the Baby Jesus back into the church. Though the parish has been in existence since the 19th century, there is no record of the statue being stolen, according to Santora. However, the plaster statue is made of materials that were commonly used in the area.

Santora says that whoever had the statue is forgiven.

“They owned up to the fact that it wasn’t theirs and even though it was 90 years later, they returned it,” Santora said.

This Christmas, the church will open its doors after a five-year restoration and parishioners will be reminded, when they see baby Jesus in the box where it was returned, that it is never too late to do the right thing.

“It is the first time that we can celebrate, not only restoring [the church], but restoring Jesus as well,” Santora said.



Photo Credit: Courtesy of Alexander Santora

Bullets Strike SEPTA Bus on Christmas

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Bullets struck a SEPTA bus going along its North Philadelphia route early on Christmas causing the fearful driver to speed off to safety.

Atleast 10 passengers and the driver were on board the Route 60 bus around 1 a.m. Tuesday when the driver heard gunshots while stopped at North 6th Street and West Allegheny Avenue, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

At least three bullets struck the passenger side of the bus, including the window — one wound up inside the bus, investigators said.

Luckily, bullets apparently struck no one on board, Small said.

The 35-year-old driver, fearing for her safety and the safety of her passengers, drove off from the scene, SEPTA spokesman John Golden said. She wanted to quickly get out of harm's way, Golden said.

She dropped the uninjured passengers off at North Broad Street and Allegheny Avenue, investigators said.

She also alerted her supervisor and took the bus to the Allegheny SEPTA depot, police said.

Philadelphia detectives searched for clues as they tried to figure out where from the street the gunfire came from and if the bus was targeted.

Police hoped surveillance video in the area and on the bus would help them track down the shooter or shooters.

Transit police will review the shooting in hopes of developing protocol for this type of situation, which rarely occurs, SEPTA said.



Photo Credit: NBC10

Neighborhood Bands Together to Give Families That Lost Everything in a Fire Presents on Christmas

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A Camden community came together to help out five families that lost everything in a fire before Christmas. Their neighbors and the Fire Department teamed up to provide presents for the families for the holiday.

From Cosby to Super Bowl Champs: Pa.'s Year in Review

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An anti-Semite with a cache of weapons brings terror upon a Pittsburgh synagogue. Grand jurors savage the Catholic Church, rekindling a global crisis over clergy abuse. In the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era, Bill Cosby is convicted of sexual assault and, a few months later, enters prison.

These were the headlines in a hugely consequential 2018, a year that saw Pennsylvania play host to some of the nation's biggest stories.

On Oct. 27, in the heart of Pittsburgh's Jewish community, a truck driver walked into Tree of Life synagogue and opened fire with an AR-15 rifle and other weapons, killing 11 and wounding six, including four police officers. "I just want to kill Jews," Robert Bowers told police, according to court documents.

It was the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history. Prosecutors have signaled they intend to pursue the death penalty against Bowers, 46.

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A look at some of the year's other top stories:

Crisis in the Church

A blockbuster grand jury report uncovered decades of abuse by Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania — and a systematic cover-up by bishops and other senior church leaders. In all, some 300 priests molested more than 1,000 children in six dioceses, according to the report, the most thorough and expansive accounting of clergy abuse ever undertaken by a state.

Church officials apologized, again, for their failure to protect children, and pledged to compensate victims. In a highly unusual move, the U.S. attorney in Philadelphia sent subpoenas to dioceses throughout Pennsylvania, the first step in a possible federal prosecution. Officials in many other states launched their own probes into clergy abuse and the church's handling of it.

But the grand jury's recommendations failed to produce any legislative results in Harrisburg, where Senate Republicans blocked efforts to allow victims in older child sexual abuse cases to sue.

Cosby Redux

The elderly entertainer once again found himself in a suburban Philadelphia courtroom to face charges that he drugged and molested a woman at his gated estate in 2004. Cosby's retrial took place less than a year after a jury deadlocked in the case.

This time, prosecutors got a conviction.

Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years behind bars in what was seen by many of his accusers as a reckoning richly deserved and long overdue.

Mapping the Election

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out the state's crazy-quilt congressional map — considered one of the most gerrymandered in the nation — ruling it unfairly benefited Republicans. The court's redrawn map was a boon to Democrats, helping produce the most competitive congressional election in years. Democrats picked up three seats in the U.S. House, while voters elected a state-record four women to the chamber.

In other races, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf handily won re-election over Republican Scott Wagner, while Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey dispatched GOP nominee Lou Barletta to win a third term. Casey promptly floated the idea of a presidential run.

Wolf, meanwhile, ordered every Pennsylvania county to replace their voting machines by 2020, an effort to beef up election security.

Keystone Korruption

Another year, another batch of shady Pennsylvania politicians.

A jury convicted Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski of selling his office for political gain. Prosecutors said Pawlowski — who began a fourth term while awaiting trial — rigged municipal contracts in exchange for campaign cash for his failed runs for Senate and governor. A federal judge sentenced him to 15 years in prison.

Former Attorney General Kathleen Kane began serving a 10- to 23-month term for leaking grand jury material and lying about it. Kane was convicted of perjury, obstruction and other counts in 2016 but had remained free during appeals.

Racial Strife

A white Pittsburgh-area police officer was charged with homicide for gunning down an unarmed black teenager, Antwon Rose Jr., who was shot in the back as he fled a traffic stop. The shooting fueled daily protests around Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, Starbucks apologized and ordered anti-bias training for workers at more than 8,000 stores after the inexplicable arrest of two black men at a Philadelphia Starbucks. The episode was a major embarrassment for the coffee-shop chain.

A Good Bet?

Legalized sports betting made its debut in Pennsylvania. The state's gambling board also auctioned licenses for five "mini-casinos," part of the biggest expansion of gambling in the state since casinos were legalized more than a decade ago.

Elsewhere in state government, a new law required people convicted of domestic violence or subject to protective orders to turn in their guns. And the Legislature, spurred by the February high school massacre in Parkland, Florida, approved $60 million in school safety grants.

Finally a Super Bowl For Philly

The Philadelphia Eagles did what many outside Eagles Nation thought impossible — they won their first Super Bowl without injured star quarterback Carson Wentz. The Birds downed the New England Patriots in a thriller that featured an instantly immortal trick play dubbed "Philly Special" or "Philly Philly." Hundreds of thousands of deliriously happy fans turned out for the long-awaited parade.

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Philly celebrated another title as the Villanova Wildcats routed Michigan to win their second NCAA basketball championship in three years.

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Miscellany

A Southwest Airlines passenger was partially sucked out of a broken jet window and was fatally injured. Pilots landed the crippled plane in Philadelphia. Prosecutors say a homeless veteran from Philadelphia plotted with a New Jersey couple to concoct a feel-good tale that scammed $400,000 from GoFundMe donors.



Photo Credit: Getty Images / Abourman

Push to Get Possibly Dangerous Dirty Fire Uniforms Cleaned More Often

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The union representing Philadelphia firefighters is fighting to get firefighting gear cleaned more often. A recent study shows that firefighters can absorb dangerous cancerous chemicals through their contaminated clothing and equipment. Firefighters want extracting washing machines to clean their gear.



Photo Credit: NBC10

What Are The Top 3 Items Purchased on Christmas Day?

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For many, December 25 is spent with friends and family, either at home or out and about. 

Have you ever wondered what the top 3 items purchased in the United States on Christmas Day are? According to Time magazine, they are: movie tickets, Chinese food, and alcohol. 

There are many movies released on Christmas Day every year. It's a fun tradition for a lot of families. 

The movie that has grossed the most of all time with an opening on Christmas day is Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with an impressive $49,325,663 on December 25, 2015. 

This year, customers can still see popular movies like Aquaman and Marry Poppins Returns in theaters. 

"I'm going to let my husband decide what we see for once," said Leshawn Henderson in Mission Valley. "He's been wanting to see a few things so he gets to pick." 

Alcohol sales skyrocket during the holiday season. Wines priced at $20 or higher sell 180 percent better the week leading up to December 25, according to Time. Spirit sales increase by 162 percent. 

"Our family just likes hanging out with each other, playing games and drinking alcohol," said Tim Flemming, who lives in San Diego. 

A survey by Yahoo also shows a majority of people say Christmas is their favorite drinking holiday. 

Chinese food sales go way up on Christmas Day. Slate Magazine and Grubhub put this to the test in a study that found Chinese food orders increase by 152 percent every Dec. 25.

"It's something to do on Christmas Day!" said Sue Johnson in Golden Hill. 

What is your favorite thing to do on Christmas? 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Washington's Crossing Celebrated, Even Without River's Help

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The crossing was off, but the re-enacting went on.The annual ritual of reliving George Washington's epic 1776 crossing of the Delaware River from Pennsylvania to New Jersey just north of Trenton stumbled for the second year in a row — the actual river crossing was cancelled — but the spectacle which attracts thousands still took place on Christmas Day.

Photo Credit: Joseph Kaczmarek

Volunteer Firefighter Dies in Crash on Way to Call

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Officials say a volunteer New Jersey firefighter on her way to answer a call on Christmas morning died in a single-car crash. Police in Hamilton Township say 21-year-old Natalie Dempsey of Mays Landing lost control of her car shortly before 6:30 a.m. Tuesday and struck a guardrail. Police say she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Volunteer Firefighter Killed Responding to Call in South Jersey

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Natalie Dempsey, 21, of Mays Landing, lost control of her car shortly before 6:30 a.m. Tuesday and struck a guardrail. Police say she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her fellow firefighters at Mizpah Fire Company remembered Dempsey as one of the brightest young people in town.

Volunteer NJ Firefighter Dies in Christmas Morning Crash

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A South Jersey volunteer firefighter died after losing control of her car while responding to a call on Christmas morning.

Natalie Dempsey, 21, was driving her 2001 Honda Accord westbound along Landis Avenue just west of Estelle Avenue in Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, around 6:15 a.m. Tuesday when she crashed, authorities said.

She died at the scene.

Firefighters from the Mizpah Volunteer Fire Department, where Dempsey served as a firefighter and vice president, responded to the wreck, along with Mays Landing firefighters and the Township of Hamilton Rescue Squad, police said.

Mitzpah Chief Jay Davenport told the Associated Press that Dempsey's death "has hit us hard."

Davenport also told the AP that Dempsey had been a volunteer firefighter for three years, hoped to become a police officer and attended the police academy over the summer. He said she was ``a beautiful person ... a light in the sky.''

In a Facebook post, the Mizpah fire company asked for people to keep Natalie’s family in their prayers.

A funeral with “full honors due to it being a line of duty passing” will be announced soon, firefighters said.


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Quiet Christmas Day Precedes Heavy Commuter Days Ahead

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For everyone who came back home for Christmas to the Philadelphia region, there is the inevitable return trip to wherever they live now. A quiet Christmas at places like Philadelphia International Airport portend very hectic days in the aftermath of the holiday Tuesday.

What 2 Coast Guard Recruits Do on a Short Holiday Respite

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For two tired Coast Guard recruits, a short getaway from the long hours of training and academia includes an always-welcome home-cooked meal. NBC10 was lucky enough to see how cherished such a mean can be.

Snow Possible? After Stormy Friday, White Stuff Possible This Weekend

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A veryv wet system will move in Friday, to be followed by a less precipitous system on Sunday. But the temperatures may be cold enough to give people a glimpse of snow.


Car Smashes Into Bucks County Pizza Shop on Christmas

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A car crashed into the dining area of Taranova’s Pizza in Bensalem on Christmas. The pizza shop will open Wednesday, the owners say.



Photo Credit: Joe Marconi and Ritish Sharma

Return Rush the Day After Christmas

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Stores will be filled with people after Christmas trying to return or exchange unwanted presents. Many stores will offer after-Christmas sales and year-end discounts on electronics. 



Photo Credit: NBC10

Celebrating the Start of Kwanzaa in Philly

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In honor of the first day of Kwanzaa, Boathouse Row will be lit up with red, green and gold. Other events around Philadelphia mark the beginning of the celebration of African heritage and culture.



Photo Credit: NBC10

Boxing to Fight Parkinson's

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Rock Steady Boxing Bucks County aims to help people slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. The program keeps it's participants active and teaches them how to hone in on the motor skills that Parkinson's typically attacks, such as balance and hand-eye coordination.



Photo Credit: NBC10

5-Car Crash Closes Busy Delco Road

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A five-car wreck that closed a busy Delaware County road the morning after Christmas.

The crash closed West Baltimore Pike (U.S. Route 1) near the Wawa campus in Middletown Township around 7:30 a.m., Pennsylvania State Police said.

No injuries were immediately reported, police said.

The road would remain closed until all the crashed vehicles are cleared, police said.

Salt trucks could also be seen treating the road.

No word yet on what caused the crash.

West Chester Pike (Route 3) could be used as an alternate route.



Photo Credit: SkyForce10
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