NBC10 is one of 19 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the city’s push towards economic justice. Follow us at @BrokeInPhilly.

There was a time when Southwest Philadelphia resident Lorraine Basciano could not walk half a block without her knees nearly buckling.

She weighed more than 300 pounds and suffered from sleep apnea, she said.

“It snuck up on me,” Basciano said. “So I was depressed and I ate more and I gained more weight. It just went on.”

She described those years as a "vicious cycle."

Basciano lives in Elmwood, a neighborhood just south of Bartram’s Garden that has the highest obesity rate in Philadelphia. Forty-four percent of residents there suffer from obesity, compared to 29.4 percent of people in greater Philadelphia, according to the 500 Cities Project, which provides an in-depth look at the health of 100 million Americans living in 27,000 neighborhoods across all 50 states.

Using 2010 U.S. Census tract information, the project narrowed down data to the neighborhood level, cross-referencing population metrics with different aspects of well-being, from mental health, obesity and exercise to unhealthy behaviors such as binge drinking, smoking and lack of sleep.

The massive undertaking included a look at five cities in the greater Delaware Valley region: Philadelphia, Wilmington, Trenton, Camden and Reading.

All told, the data showed a nation whose waistlines are quickly expanding. Experts predict that 40 percent of all Americans will suffer from obesity by 2050, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

People who struggle with severe weight disorders also suffer from other health problems - high blood pressure, sleep apnea, joint pain and even early death, according to Dr. Alec Beekley from Philadelphia’s Jefferson University Hospital.

Beekley, a bariatric surgeon who works with morbidly obese patients, said the link between economic disparity and health outcomes is unmistakable. People experiencing poverty or financial insecurity are more likely to experience health problems.

“The ability to escape obesity is equivalent to the ability to escape socioeconomic conditions,” Beekley said.

In Basciano’s neighborhood, the median income is slightly more than $15,000, compared to $55,000 for the state of Pennsylvania. There is only one park and small corner stores filled with soda and chips comprise most of the food options within walking distance.

"We know [health] is about environment, but we want to make it about will power because that's somebody else's problem," Dr. Cheryl Bettigole from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health said.

Parks have a calming effect, she said, and also inspire people to exercise more.

Consider Philadelphia's tree-lined Mount Airy neighborhood, where less than 25 percent of the population is obese. The community, which is nestled between health food stores and Wissahickon Valley Park, also has the longest life expectancy in the city. Residents there are expected to live to about 84 years old, compared to just 73 years old in Elmwood.

"What you don't see in [Mount Airy] is a lot of junk food," Bettigole said. "You don't see advertising or marketing for junk food or tobacco."

And then there is the actual cost of food.

Basciano, who lost 100 pounds since undergoing weight loss surgery, used to spend less than $3.99 for a microwavable steak meal. Now, she clips coupons for fresh meat. Her new diet provides enough energy to care for her mother and stepfather and do her own grocery shopping, she said.

Basciano no longer gets winded walking down the street. 

“When you don’t have the money to buy nutritional food, it trickles down to the kids eating processed food and the unhealthy stuff,” she said. “They’re not getting what they need so they are gaining weight. It's a vicious cycle."

That cycle is even more pronounced northwest of Philadelphia in Reading, Pennsylvania, which has the highest obesity rate in the state, at 43 percent. The median household income there is just over $27,000.

Reading resident Madjah Denis feels that pinch every month. She has five mouths to feed, works part time and is studying to become a nurse. With her limited income, she doesn’t buy fresh fruits and vegetables towards the end of her pay cycle because “it’s very expensive,” she said.

Instead, she buys bread and peanut butter for her kids.

“We need more parks around,” she said. “We need more stores.”

One potential solution in Philadelphia is the city's Rebuild program, which uses soda tax money to improve community facilities in neighborhoods experiencing high rates of poverty, crime and health risks. An early campaign promise of Mayor Jim Kenney, the program aims to add or refurbish public parks, recreation centers and libraries.

To date, 64 sites across the city have already been selected for investment funds. At least two of those projects - the Paschalville Library and the Franics J. Meyers Recreation Center - are within a mile of Basciano's home. 

"Changing culture takes time," Bettigole said. "It’s not something one person does on their own, but I think the city, together with partners, can make that change.”

Residents at an apartment complex for seniors in Atlantic City said they were dealing with major mainetnance issues, including a broken elevator.

A special ceremony was held in Trenton for Linwood Collins, the city's first African American firefighter. Collins' widow Ethel, who was Trenton's first female parking enforcement officer, attended the event to honor her husband.

A New Jersey man is accused of holding three women captive and forcing them into prostitution.

El Joshua, 36, of Mays Landing, was arrested on Feb. 21 and charged with human trafficking, criminal restraint and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Joshua held three women captive over an unspecified period of time and forced them into prostitution and domestic servitude through violence, threats of violence, coercion and by providing heroin, investigators said. One of the women managed to escape through a window and alerted authorities who were able to rescue the other victims, according to police.

“Human trafficking is a serious problem that plagues our community,” Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner said. “Whether through prostitution or other forms of forced labor, such as restaurants and nail salons, we as a community must recognize the signs and report suspected incidents to law enforcement immediately. I thank our partners at the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force and the Township of Hamilton Police Department for their dedication and work on this investigation.”

Joshua was lodged in the Atlantic County Justice facility. The State has moved to detain him and a detention hearing will be held on Feb. 27.

A father is recovering after he was shot in front of his children in Center City Sunday night.

The 25-year-old man was walking away from his vehicle on the 600 block of South 12th Street at 7:48 p.m. when a gunman opened fire. He was shot in the neck but managed to run down South Street to get help.

Frank Garcia, who lives near where the shooting took place, told NBC10 he heard the gunshot.

"My wife and I were watching TV, and we heard at least one shot and looked at each other," Garcia said.

The shooting occurred in front of the victim's children. Police say a backpack belonging to one of the kids was left behind in the aftermath.

The victim was taken to Jefferson University Hospital where he is currently in stable condition.

"He's not a local," Philadelphia Capt. Lee Strollo said. "It doesn't appear to be a robbery at this point. Police are out here investigating."

No arrests have been made and police have not released a description of any suspects.

If you have any information on the shooting, please call Philadelphia Police.

A hoax call led to an evacuation and standoff at a building in Upland, Pennsylvania, Sunday afternoon, according to investigators. 

Police say a man told dispatch he had stabbed his girlfriend and left two pipe bombs inside the Crozer Mills Enterprise Center on 601 Enterprise Ave. around 12:30 p.m.

Police arrived at the scene and a barricade situation was declared, leading to a four-hour standoff. At least 50 people who were inside the building for a church service were evacuated while residents in nearby homes were told to stay inside. 

Once officers entered the building, they didn't find anyone or any bombs. They now believe the call was a hoax and are labeling it a swatting incident.

"Obviously, it's frustrating," Upland Borough Police Chief Michael Irey said. "However, it's one of those situations where you can't just enter into a building without knowing what you're walking into."

No arrests have been made. Police are searching for the person who made the initial call.

A woman was killed while four other people were hurt during separate crashes on I-95 in Philadelphia, one of which was a hit-and-run.

A 34-year-old man was driving a 2005 Acura MDX on I-95 southbound near mile 20 around 3:30 a.m. Three women and a man were passengers inside the vehicle.

Police say the driver then stopped the vehicle in the right travel lane for an unknown reason. The vehicle was then struck in the back by a 2014 Kenworth tractor-trailer combo driven by a 33-year-old man.

A 19-year-old woman from Millville, New Jersey, who was sitting in the back of the Acura, died from her injuries. Another passenger, also a 19-year-old woman, fell out of the vehicle and was then struck by a dark-colored SUV that was passing by.

While the driver of the tractor-trailer remained at the scene, the driver of the SUV did not stop at the crash, police said.

The woman who was struck by the hit-and-run vehicle, as well as the driver of the Acura and two other passengers all suffered minor injuries. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not hurt.

Police have not yet released the identity of the young Millville woman who died in the crash.

The I-95 southbound ramp was closed for several hours due to the crash. It was later reopened.

A convenience store clerk in Chester, Pennsylvania, was startled when a sign in front of a Sunoco station fell from the strong winds. Nobody was hurt and the sign did not fall near the gas pumps.

More than two dozen South Philadelphia restaurants are taking part in East Passyunk Avenue Restaurant Week, offering a wide variety of dishes for an affordable price.

The strong winds have caused damages throughout the area. In Phoenixville, a wall collapsed amid high winds. In West Vincent Township, a house fire was difficult to fight due to the gusty winds. A man was taken to the hospital and two dogs died in the fire.

Changes coming to food labels could help keep children safe but in the meantime kids like Carson need to be extra diligent due to allergies.

Four local social media influencers have started bringing in paychecks for posting on social media. They discuss how they make time for the careers in their already busy schedules.

Fair Haven New Jersey’s Knollwood Middle School is the first in the country to have video games as a sport. It has created a place for the students who don’t normally play sports to have a team, and learn to strategize.

Strong winds Sunday night into Monday morning knocked trees into houses and power lines, knocking out power for parts of the area. One homeowner in Media, Pennsylvania, was woken up by a huge tree limb that ripped through his home. Luckily, no one was hurt.

 NBC10 is one of 19 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the city’s push towards economic justice. Follow us at @BrokeInPhilly.

There was a time when Southwest Philadelphia resident Lorraine Basciano could not walk half a block without her knees nearly buckling.

She weighed more than 300 pounds and suffered from sleep apnea, she said.

“It snuck up on me,” Basciano said. “So I was depressed and I ate more and I gained more weight. It just went on.”

She described those years as a "vicious cycle."

Basciano lives in Elmwood, a neighborhood just south of Bartram’s Garden that has the highest obesity rate in Philadelphia. Forty-four percent of residents there suffer from obesity, compared to 29.4 percent of people in greater Philadelphia, according to the 500 Cities Project, which provides an in-depth look at the health of 100 million Americans living in 27,000 neighborhoods across all 50 states.

Using 2010 U.S. Census tract information, the project narrowed down data to the neighborhood level, cross-referencing population metrics with different aspects of well-being, from mental health, obesity and exercise to unhealthy behaviors such as binge drinking, smoking and lack of sleep.

The massive undertaking included a look at five cities in the greater Delaware Valley region: Philadelphia, Wilmington, Trenton, Camden and Reading.

All told, the data showed a nation whose waistlines are quickly expanding. Experts predict that 40 percent of all Americans will suffer from obesity by 2050, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

People who struggle with severe weight disorders also suffer from other health problems - high blood pressure, sleep apnea, joint pain and even early death, according to Dr. Alec Beekley from Philadelphia’s Jefferson University Hospital.

Beekley, a bariatric surgeon who works with morbidly obese patients, said the link between economic disparity and health outcomes is unmistakable. People experiencing poverty or financial insecurity are more likely to experience health problems.

“The ability to escape obesity is equivalent to the ability to escape socioeconomic conditions,” Beekley said.

In Basciano’s neighborhood, the median income is slightly more than $15,000, compared to $55,000 for the state of Pennsylvania. There is only one park and small corner stores filled with soda and chips comprise most of the food options within walking distance.

"We know [health] is about environment, but we want to make it about will power because that's somebody else's problem," Dr. Cheryl Bettigole from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health said.

Parks have a calming effect, she said, and also inspire people to exercise more.

Consider Philadelphia's tree-lined Mount Airy neighborhood, where less than 25 percent of the population is obese. The community, which is nestled between health food stores and Wissahickon Valley Park, also has the longest life expectancy in the city. Residents there are expected to live to about 84 years old, compared to just 73 years old in Elmwood.

"What you don't see in [Mount Airy] is a lot of junk food," Bettigole said. "You don't see advertising or marketing for junk food or tobacco."

And then there is the actual cost of food.

Basciano, who lost 100 pounds since undergoing weight loss surgery, used to spend less than $3.99 for a microwavable steak meal. Now, she clips coupons for fresh meat. Her new diet provides enough energy to care for her mother and stepfather and do her own grocery shopping, she said.

Basciano no longer gets winded walking down the street. 

“When you don’t have the money to buy nutritional food, it trickles down to the kids eating processed food and the unhealthy stuff,” she said. “They’re not getting what they need so they are gaining weight. It's a vicious cycle."

That cycle is even more pronounced northwest of Philadelphia in Reading, Pennsylvania, which has the highest obesity rate in the state, at 43 percent. The median household income there is just over $27,000.

Reading resident Madjah Denis feels that pinch every month. She has five mouths to feed, works part time and is studying to become a nurse. With her limited income, she doesn’t buy fresh fruits and vegetables towards the end of her pay cycle because “it’s very expensive,” she said.

Instead, she buys bread and peanut butter for her kids.

“We need more parks around,” she said. “We need more stores.”

One potential solution in Philadelphia is the city's Rebuild program, which uses soda tax money to improve community facilities in neighborhoods experiencing high rates of poverty, crime and health risks. An early campaign promise of Mayor Jim Kenney, the program aims to add or refurbish public parks, recreation centers and libraries.

To date, 64 sites across the city have already been selected for investment funds. At least two of those projects - the Paschalville Library and the Franics J. Meyers Recreation Center - are within a mile of Basciano's home. 

"Changing culture takes time," Bettigole said. "It’s not something one person does on their own, but I think the city, together with partners, can make that change.”

The dangerous winds knocked a tree over into a family home in Springfield, Delaware County, early Monday. Nobody was hurt as the family made it out safe. Branches around the region came down as winds gusted Sunday into Monday.

You may have noticed a trio of men in black suits chasing Gritty as he streaked across the Linc during the Stadium Series on Saturday.

And leave it to Gritty to get ejected from his own team’s game.

You may not know that the security guards in black have been working for Gritty since before the Stadium Series.

Gritty’s "Men in Black" Guards (just like their famous mascot ruler) have their own Instagram account.

All the Flyers would say about the ellusive guards is that their account is sanctioned and it is the official Instagram of Gritty's "Men in Black."

“To protect and serve the Thing in Orange,” is their motto.

Dressed in black suits and sunglasses, Gritty’s MIB are "always there to serve their orange overlord."

The mystery men remain professional, only referring to Gritty as “the package.”

Whether it be dragging Gritty along the ice on the back of a Flyers' cart...

Or helping the mascot after he suspended himself and flew over the Linc to make a grand entrance to the Stadium Series...

Gritty’s MIB remain loyal, and they never miss an opportunity to hype the orange fuzz ball. Although it took them a bit to warm up, they were seen dancing in the stands with the mascot.

You can find an Instagram story dedicated to Gritty’s Guards called “MIB” on the mascot's account.

We wonder what else the Flyers have up their sleeve when it comes to Gritty and his team. 

Eating right, exercising, and taking care of your skin are three ways to help you beat the aging process. NBC10 had the chance to get insightful information on how you can turn back the clock during your trip to the grocery store.

A Delaware State Trooper is recovering after he was dragged hundreds of feet by an SUV that fled the scene.

The unidentified trooper, assigned to Troop 6, was directing traffic at the intersection of Kirkwood Highway and Farrand Drive in Wilmington around 1:45 p.m. Monday. Investigators say the trooper then had an “interaction” with a dark-colored SUV that was stopped in the area.

“We don’t know what that interaction entailed but he had contact with the operator,” Delaware State Police Cpl. Michael Austin said. “And at some point during that interaction, the vehicle drove off with the Trooper still on the vehicle.”

The trooper was dragged from the intersection about 1/10th of a mile down to the entrance of the Kirkwood Gardens development. The SUV left the scene and the trooper was found in a grass median by a New Castle County police officer.

The trooper was taken to Christiana Hospital after suffering non-life-threatening injuries. He is in stable condition.

Cpl. Austin said he was unsure whether or not the driver of the SUV intentionally struck the trooper.

“If there was a moment of panic, now is the time to make things right,” he said. “Come forward. Speak to our investigators so that we can resolve this situation and not make a bad situation any worse.”

If you have any information on the incident, please call 302-633-5000.

More than 40 dogs are up for adoption at local SPCAs right now after they were taken from the home of an elderly woman who died.

The dogs are in good health, an SPCA official said. "There are young dogs, there are senior dogs, there’s a dog for active families," said Jo Miller of the Brandywine Valley SPCA. "There a dog if you’re just looking for a dog to cuddle on your lap. There’s dogs of all shapes, sizes and energy levels."

The dogs were removed from a Dover, Delaware home Friday after the caregiver's relatives contacted the Delaware Office of Animal Welfare.

Most of the canines are smaller breeds, including chihuahuas, pomeranians, and yorkshire terriers ranging from young to old.

Only 36 of the dogs will be made available for adoption. The remaining eight will be given back to members of the caregiver's family. 

All of the dogs were transported to the SPCA's Georgetown and New Castle locations. They are scheduled to be spayed or neutered within the next few days. 

Some of the dogs will be available to adopt as early as Tuesday and Wednesday at the SPCA's New Castle, Georgetown, and West Chester locations, according to the organization.

Any dogs that require special attention or medical care will remain at the Brandywine Valley facility until further notice.