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'Father's Kingdom': The Untold Story of Philly's Father Divine

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George Baker, better known as Father Divine, was a civil rights pioneer and religious leader who was shrouded in controversy. Lenny Feinberg, the director of "Fathers Kingdom," dropped by the studio to talk about his film on the widely forgotten activist.


1 Year Ago: Fans Hit Streets After Eagles' Super Bowl Win

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Philadelphia took to the streets after the Eagles beat the Patriots to win their first Super Bowl ever on Feb. 4, 2018. Take a look back on how fans celebrated in the moments after the historic win.

Philly Startup Offers 'Simply Good' Food in a Jar

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Philadelphia's Simply Good Jars offers quick meals around the Philadelphia region. The meals are in a plastic jar that is recyclable. It was funded with a small loan and now it has expanded to offices, gyms, and college campuses.



Photo Credit: NBC10

Missing Man With Cerebral Palsy Found Dead Near Train Tracks

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A man with cerebral palsy left his Northeast Philadelphia home to go to work but never returned, found dead by train tracks days later.

Gerald Fomalont’s family identified the 60-year-old Bustleton man’s body Monday, Philadelphia police said.

Fomalont left his home on the 9900 block of Bustleton Avenue Wednesday morning to go to work but didn’t return later in the day as usual.

Police put out a missing persons alert Thursday as they searched for Fomalont, who had a reduced mental capacity and had cerebral palsy. Fomalont was wearing a nylon jacket, pants and loafers at the time he went missing.

On Saturday afternoon, officers were called to train tracks near the 11300 block of Northeast Avenue — a little more than a mile from Fomalont’s home — where they found his body. There were no obvious signs of trauma to his body, police said.

An autopsy will be performed to help determine a cause of death, police said.

It wasn’t clear if the frigid temps with sub-zero wind chills had anything to do with Fomalont’s death. Temps drastically dipped from the 30s midday Wednesday to a record low of 7 degrees by midnight heading into Thursday. The below-freezing temps continued into the weekend.



Photo Credit: Photo released by Philadelphia Police

NBC10 Responds: Philly Woman Finds Piles of Trash, Debris on Neighbor’s Porch

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For months, a Philadelphia woman spotted piles of trash, old mattresses, and debris on the front porch of her next door neighbor's home. When she felt the city wasn't addressing her concerns, she called NBC10 Responds.

Warmer Temperatures After Cold Lead to More Potholes

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While your enjoying this big thaw, it can come with some big problems, including potholes on roads.

Burglars Target NJ Homes Before Crashing Stolen Car, Police Say

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Police are searching for thieves accused of stealing from homes in Marlton and Mount Laurel before crashing a stolen car into the woods. Homeowners who feel like their neighborhood was under seige speak out.

 

World Cancer Day Raises Support and Awareness for Victims

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Monday was World Cancer Day and we're reminded of the 18 million people across the globe, who will be diagnosed this year. NBC10 is shining the spotlight on a national non-profit, based in our area, that makes vital information available to healthcare providers and patients.


40 a Day: Philly's Hit-and-Run Epidemic Overwhelming Police

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Nearly 40 times a day, a call comes into the Philadelphia police department for a particular crime: vehicular hit-and-run.

Police took reports for almost 29,000 hit-and-runs in 2017 and 2018, according to data obtained by NBC10 through a right-to-know request. It's a total that overwhelms investigators, stunting their ability to track down suspects. And it's a sad commentary on the respect for rule of law, as far as one high-ranking accident investigator sees it.

"That's a decision, " Capt. Mark Overwise says of fleeing a crash scene. "And as a society, we shouldn't tolerate it."

The hit-and-run culture is spread over much of the city. Police say that adds to the difficulty of responding to so many incidents and then trying to find the drivers that flee them. In the two years' data that police provided, it is revealed that a hit-and-run was reported at more than 26,000 different locations.

Turn to NBC10 News at 11 p.m. Monday and Tuesday for how police deal with the deluge, and how city officials are trying to solve the problem before crashes occur.

A hit-and-run is defined by any vehicle-involved crash in which a driver flees and involves property damage, human injury or death.

Still, there are locations that have long held as some of the most troublesome and deadly. Stretches of Roosevelt Boulevard accounted for many of the top places hit-and-runs were reported. (See below for a map of the 1,200 blocks where at least three hit-and-runs were reported to police.)

The data also highlights some places where hit-and-runs occur most often, yet receive little attention: the intersection of Bustleton and Cottman avenues (37), SugarHouse casino (33), the South Philadelphia sports complex (23), and the Philadelphia Zoo (21).

Overwise, who oversees the police department's Accident Investigation Unit, doesn't think drivers are worried about the penalty for fleeing the scene of a crash.

"There’s not much in the way of consequences and the person has a pretty good chance of getting away with it," he said in an interview. "Stiffer penalties might help. Might make someone think twice before making that decision to leave."

Thousands of the hit-and-run cases from the past two years involved damaged property only. But hundreds did involve injuries, including 24 that killed a person. Nine of the fatal hit-and-runs remain without an arrest.

In June last year, one of those 24 fatals occurred on Irving Street in West Philadelphia. Xavier Moy, a 5-year-old boy, was playing with friends on the small side street a couple blocks south of Market Street.

"I just hear a scream, 'oh my God, one of the kids been hit,'" Moy's stepfather, Logan White, remembers. "

Xavier's mother mourned for weeks over the loss of her only son. And for weeks, it was a mystery as to who hit the little boy. The driver had driven away after the crash.

Two weeks after the incident, a 25-year-old woman from the same neighborhood, Anissa Thompson, turned herself in July 5. She is charged with homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter.

She posted 10 percent bond on $100,000 and is free while awaiting trial, which has been set for Sept. 23, 2019. 

No matter the outcome of the trial, Xavier's stepfather will forever wonder why someone would leave the scene of a crash, especially one involving another person.

"I can accept an accident happening. It’s tragic. What can you do?" White said in a recent interview. "But it’s different when you make a decision (to flee)."

A crash involving property damage or injuries to people is a misdemeanor, which can lead to a fine and up to 90 days in jail. A crash involving a fatality becomes a felony, and is punishable by three years in jail.

Pennsylvania state Sen. Art Haywood, who represents the 4th district in Philadelphia, said he will introduce legislation this session to increase the penalties for leaving the scene of a crash.

But he didn't give specifics, saying he is still waiting to get more input from police.

In the meantime, the city is taking a more technological approach to prevention. Engineers have determined, after studying years' worth of data, that 50 percent of all hit-and-runs occur on just 12 percent of the streets.

Speed humps, bike-only lanes and longer pedestrian-crossing signals are some of the prominent ways officials hope to lower the massive number of incidents.

But Kelly Yeman, the director of the Philadelphia Complete Streets initiative, said studies into effectiveness of crash deterrents remain incomplete.

“We have to wait three years to get reliable crash data, so we won’t know yet," Yeman said of studies that began in 2018.

No matter what comes out of their research, when it comes to getting drivers to stop every time a crash occurs, Yeman said, "It takes a very long time to change an entire city."



Photo Credit: FILE
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Son Accused of Murdering Mom Inside Lower Saucon Twp. Home

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A man was arrested and charged with murdering his mother, the widow of a former COO, inside a Lower Saucon Township home.

On Monday around 9:20 a.m., police responded to a home on the 1900 block of West Point Drive for a welfare check of Maryanne Looby, 70. Investigators say the check was issued after Bethlehem City Communications received a report accusing Looby’s son, Philip Looby, of killing his mother.

Police arrived at the house and knocked on the door. As they waited, they spotted Philip Looby, 49, walking down the stairs from the second floor of the home while talking on a cellphone, according to the criminal complaint.

After Looby answered the door, the officers noticed blood on his hands, investigators said. When the officers indicated they were going to check on his mother, Looby allegedly told them they were not going to like what they found.

The officers found Maryanne Looby dead on the floor of the home. Philip Looby told the officers his mother attacked him with an X-Acto knife and he acted in self-defense, police said.

The Northampton County Coroner also responded to the scene and determined Maryanne Looby suffered several sharp force and blunt force injuries, some of which appeared to be defensive wounds to her hands and forearms. Her manner of death was ruled a homicide. The coroner also spotted blood and bloody footprints on the floor as well as a broken and bloody candle base near Maryanne Looby’s body.

Police say in addition to his hands, they also found blood on Philip Looby’s feet and clothing. Philip Looby was arrested and charged with criminal homicide.

Maryanne Looby was the widow of Philip P.  Looby, the former executive Vice President of Manufacturing for Fechheimer Brothers of Cincinnati as well as the former Chief Operating Officer for the Bayer Clothing Group Limited.

Rare Mandarin Duck, Native to Asia, Spotted in Delco Lake

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This duck is super cute. It's chubby, with puffy, orange cheeks and splashes of emerald, violet and royal blue feathers. 

When a similar fowl was spotted in New York's Central Park last fall, the Internet exploded with sightings of the "hot duck" and gave it its own Twitter feed

But quit quacking, NYC hot duck -- Ridley Park, Pennsylvania now has a Delco Duck of its own. 

A similar -- not the same -- duck has been spotted by several wildlife photographers not four miles from the Philadelphia airport. 

It's a mandarin duck, possibly a pet that escaped and took up residence in Ridley Park Lake. 

"The mandarin duck is a spectacular sight! Simply put, a gem among the doldrums of this Delco winter," said Brian Quindlen, who runs a Delaware County birding club and summer nature camp for kids. 

He initially visited the duck on Jan. 12, but when he went two days after that, the lake was completely frozen over and he hasn’t seen the duck since. 

Connor Hinchliffe, a senior biology major at La Salle University, went out to photograph the duck about three weeks ago after seeing on Facebook that it had been spotted at Ridley Park Lake. 

"They’re extremely rare to see in not only Philadelphia but the United States," said Hinchliffe, who picked up wildlife photography as a hobby in August. 

 

The Mandarin duck isn't native to this country; though they are related to the North American Wood duck, they are native to East Asia, said Keith Russell, program manager for urban conservation at Valley Forge Audubon Society of Pennsylvania. 

He said he'd heard the duck had been spotted in Ridley Park Lake. He also believes that the duck probably escaped from captivity. 

(No one is sure where the NYC hot duck came from, either, but that one had a band on its leg, which is used to identify and track birds. Delco Duck doesn't have one.) 

Richard Tutak, the Borough Manager for Ridley Park Borough, said he had contacted the Pennsylvania Game Commission and they confirmed that the Delco Duck was not endangered or threatened and was not seen as a threat. 

But the duck could draw some crowds. Word is already starting to spread. 

Quindlen was alerted of the mandarin duck’s presence through a message on a WhatsApp group chat that some Philly-area birders use to keep in touch about local sightings and rarities. 

The bird-watchers are in for a treat. 

"The mandarin duck is one of the most colorful and most ornate ducks in the world," Russell said.



Photo Credit: Connor Hinchliffe / @hinchphotos

Sinkhole Creates Safety Hazard on Queen Village Street

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Residents say a sinkhole is creating a major safety hazard in the middle of a street. Now they're calling on the city to fix it.

Brother of Man Who Died From Drug Overdose to Attend State of the Union

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A Bucks County teen is attending the State of the Union as a guest of a local representative. But he’s going to be there to represent someone who isn’t with us anymore. NBC10 spoke with the teen’s family who are shining a light on the fight against opioid abuse.

President Trump to Deliver State of the Union Amid Border Wall Standoff

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On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump will deliver his State of the Union address to a divided Congress. He will lay out his agenda for his third year in office. The continued standoff about the border wall funding is expected to be a focus of his speech.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

DUI Crash Causes Woman to Give Birth Early, Police Say

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A woman gave birth after a suspected impaired driver on a suspended license slammed into the pickup she was in.

The suspected DUI driver rear-ended a pickup along Haverford Avenue near Overbrook Avenue in Philadelphia’s Overbrook neighborhood around 3 a.m. Tuesday, Philadelphia police said.

The force of the wreck caused the car to flip over and caused the woman to go into premature labor, police said.

Medics helped to deliver the baby then rushed baby and mother to the hospital where the mother was listed in stable condition and the baby was listed in critical condition.

A man who was also in the pickup truck wasn't injured while the driver of the car suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

No word yet on charges. Police say the suspected DUI driver has a suspended license.

Police continued to investigate the crash Tuesday morning, closing the roadway for hours.



Photo Credit: NBC10

Sinkhole Puts Queen Village Residents on Edge

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A car almost fell into a cave-in on Montrose Street in Philadelphia's Queen Village neighborhood Monday. The water department did come out to check on the sinkhole in an attempt to find the cause.

Did You Hear It? Another Mystery Boom in Philly

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For the second time in a week, Philadelphians are asking, what went boom in the night?

Just like last Tuesday, a loud noise, or noises, just before 11 p.m. Monday night caused people to turn to social media to ask what it was. People described it as a boom, louder than a firework.

This time, some people claimed to hear a series of loud noises.

NBC10 reached out to Philadelphia firefighters and police but they didn’t know of a source of the sounds that were heard from South Philadelphia to Spring Garden.

Last week’s boom was heard as far away as New Jersey. This week’s boom seemed more confined. People’s theories covered everything from a meteorological event to a firework from the Midnight Lion Dance celebration for Chinese New Year’s in Chinatown.

Just like last week’s boom, the U.S. Geological Survey had no reports of an earthquake in the area.

The cause of last week’s boom was never determined.



Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Record Rainfall Could Have You Paying More for Local Wine

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A record amount of rain in 2018 proved to be a challenge for winemakers in the Philadelphia region. Excessive rain and bad weather limits the bottles of wine produced, which may increase the price when you purchase wine.



Photo Credit: NBC10

Flickr Will Now Start Deleting Thousands of User Photos

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Social media giant Flickr announced it will be deleting a large amount of user photos on its website starting Tuesday. 

The company was purchased from Yahoo! by Smugmug last April and announced policy changes in November. 

Free users will now be limited to a total of 1,000 pictures. Customers can opt for Flickr Pro for $50 a year. 

At one point, Flickr offered users a terabyte of free storage, leading to more sign ups for the incentive. 

"I'm not conceded about the deletion," said user Calvin Smith of San Marcos, California. "I have those photos saved somewhere else. Flickr was mainly used to share photos easily." 

The company said it will start deleting the oldest photos first until the 1,000 picture limit is reached. 

"I don't want old photos deleted on any social sites because they don't have my permission," said Grace Lee in San Diego's Gaslamp District Monday. 

For users who want to download their photos, anyone with tens of thousands of them will have to spend some time on the task. 

Users can download 500 pictures at a time, which are sent in a .zip file to their Flickr inboxes. Clicking on the file downloads and stores it. 

"While current free users with over 1,000 photos and videos will become eligible for deletion starting tomorrow, users may not see any of their content deleted immediately," said Allen Nguyen, a consultant for Flickr, in an email to NBC 7 Monday. "The first accounts to be impacted will be abandoned accounts that bear large volumes of private photos." 

Statistics show Flickr has about 90 million monthly users. An average of one million photos are shared daily on the site. 

Two Philly-Area Boys to Attend State of the Union Address

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Two people from our area will get the chance to see President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech in person. Justin Lyons from Bucks County will be the guest to Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., the new chair of a national heroin taskforce. The other guest will be Joshua Trump, a 6th grader from Wilmington who has been bullied over his name.

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