A ruling today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office effectively defined the popular sports team name 'Redskins' as a slur that is "disparaging to Native Americans."
But here in Pennsylvania, officials at Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pa. have yet to budge on their decision to continue using the term for the school's mascot, and students there are divided on the issue.
Members of the editorial board of the school's student newspaper, the Playwickian, have been battling school officials over use of the term in articles and ads in the paper since late 2013.
In April, the Neshaminy school board ruled that the newspaper could not ban the word, and called it a term of endearment for Native Americans.
The newspaper editors, however, declared the word a racial slur and have continued changing or omitting the word from the paper, despite the school board's ruling.
The student's push to ban the word as a racial slur mirrors the efforts of U.S. senators and some minority advocacy groups who are calling for the National Football League to give the Washington Redskins team a new name.
Today, Playwickian editor Gillian McGoldrick said there were collective shouts of joy and relief in the newsroom when the announcement that six trademarks for the Washington Redskins were canceled by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
"I jumped up and down," McGoldrick said. "Everyone in the newspaper office let out a little scream because we thought it was so awesome that our country is changing it's views on this racial slur."
In November, Neshaminy High School principal Robert McGee was quoted as saying, "I don't think that's been decided at the national level, whether that word is or is not (offensive)."
NBC10 reached out to McGee and Neshaminy School District Superintendent Robert Copeland for comment but they were unavailable.
Students at the school say they're torn.
"I think the name kind of really unites us. I support our name and think it should stay," senior Molly McIntyre said. "But I think if it's really offending people to an extent, it should be changed."
"It's been our name for so long, so I think they just want to keep it because why change it when its been here for 50 plus years," senior Mark Kruise said.
While it is still unclear whether today's decision will lead McGee and other Neshaminy school board officials to change its stance or the mascot name, McGoldrick thinks the federal ruling will at least increase discussions about what the word really means.
"I’m hopeful that it would push them to see that it is not a term of honor, and that it is a slur. I would love to see more of a push for a name change," she said.
Now, with added pressure on the NFL to get rid of the team name, Kruise thinks the school will follow suit.
"I think they're probably going to change it now, if the Washington Redskins do because they have the same name as us," he said. "So, we're probably going to end up changing it to whatever the school board decides."
A black bear was spotted running through a Burlington County neighborhood on Wednesday night.
NBC10 photojournalist Manny Noguera caught video of the bear as it ran through the parking lot of a business along Burlington-Mt. Holly Road in Westampton, N.J. just after 8 p.m.
The bear then climbed a fence and went into a home's backyard.
A resident on Glascow Road spotted the bear in a tree earlier in the day.
Another resident, Bob Thomas, also caught sight of the bear as he roamed the exit way of Holly Hills Elementary School on Ogden Drive.
"I saw him and stopped," said Thomas. "He looked at me for about 10 seconds and then wandered right across the road and went into the woods on the other side.
A series of bear sightings have been reported across the county over recent weeks.
Lighting struck two homes and may have sparked a series of fires in several houses across a number of Pennsylvania and New Jersey counties overnight -- keeping fire crews busy after a bout of severe weather.
A strong line of storms moved through the region during the early morning hours on Thursday dumping heavy rain, blowing strong winds and producing a bevy of lightning.
A lightning bolt connected with the chimney of a home at Wisteria Lane and Fox Glove Court in Doylestown, Bucks County around 3 a.m., county emergency dispatchers said. The strike caused the brick chimney to explode. Bricks and mortar were left strewn across the home's roof, front yard and were even thrown into the street. No one was hurt.
PHOTO: A composite photo showing the damage to a chimney at a home along Wisteria Lane in Doylestown, Pa. after it was struck by lightning overnight Thursday.
Further west, residents of a two-story home along the 200 block of Summer Ridge Circle in Chalfont, Bucks County told fire crews they heard a loud boom and then smelled smoke. When firefighters arrived, smoke and flames spreading through the attic of the home forcing them to cut holes in the roof. Everyone made it out of the home safely, officials said.
About 15 miles northwest in Trumbauersville, Bucks County, a garage along the 1700 block of Allentown Road caught fire around 2:15 a.m. Thursday, the town’s fire chief said. Trumbauersville Fire Chief Josh Mallery tells NBC10.com that the fire marshal will be investigating whether lighting sparked the small fire. Winds also uprooted two large trees and sent them crashing down into the garage. Part of the roof was broken off.
Mallery said a number of downed trees and live wires across the small town made it difficult for volunteer firefighters to quickly respond to fire calls. Quarter-size hail also fell during the strong storm.
In Chester County, an abandoned home along the unit block of Martin Road in Highland Township, Pa. caught fire around 3:30 a.m., officials with the Keystone Valley Fire Department told NBC10.com. The house was fully consumed by flames when fire crews arrived and it took two companies more than an hour to get the fire under control, officials said. Lightning is also being investigated as a cause for the fire.
PHOTO: Fire crews in Highland Township, Chester County are investigating whether lighting caused a fire that destroyed this home.
Over in Gloucester County, N.J., the attic of a home along Lynn Drive in West Deptford caught fire during the storm. Fire officials say the fire was brought under control within 30 minutes.
Lightning is also suspected as the cause of a house fire along Hickory Lane in Harrison Township just after 4:30 a.m.
Twenty-five miles south in Vineland, Cumberland County, officials say a lightning bolt caused smokey conditions in the basement of a home along the 600 block of Birch Street.
The NBC10 First Alert Weather Team says there will be a chance for more severe weather during the day Thursday, but that it most likely would not be as developed as the early morning system.
You'll be blown away by the spectacular sights, sounds and experiences awaiting you at the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center ((formerly known as historic Wheaton Village) in southern New Jersey.
Located on 65 lush, wooded acres in Millville, WheatonArts is home to the Museum of American Glass, the Creative Glass Center of America International Fellowship Program, the largest Folklife Center in the state, a hot glass studio, several traditional craft studios, five museum stores, a lovely, pond-side picnic grove and more!
Glass blowing and artist demonstrations are offered daily, and special exhibitions, workshops, performances and several weekend festivals are hosted throughout the year.
Select 3-day, "Wheaton Wide Open Weekends" feature free admission for all visitors, thanks to a PNC Arts Alive! Grant recently awarded by the PNC Foundation. A variety of special hands-on family activities and performances are planned, including enhanced artist demonstrations, hands-on activities, a summer sidewalk sale (July), Lenni Lenape Festival (September), Hallo-Wheaton (October) and the Big Glass Blast Event (November). Call for dates: 856-825-6800.
WheatonArts is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including some holidays. For more information, visit WheatonArts.org.
Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center
1501 Glasstown Road, Millville, NJ 08332
INSIDER TIPS
Plan accordingly - You'll want to spend at least three hours to take in all that WheatonArts has to offer. Here's a suggested itinerary.
Save on Admission - Bank of America cardholders receive free admission the first full weekend of each month in 2014. For the rest of us, print this coupon.
Scheduled Demonstrations - Tuesdays through Sundays at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Getting There - For GPS and online directions, use 1100 Village Drive, Millville, NJ.
The truck driver charged in the fatal crash on the New Jersey Turnpike that injured comedian Tracy Morgan and several others had logged over 13 hours behind the wheel and was driving 65 mph in a 45 mph zone, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
Kevin Roper pleaded not guilty last week to charges of vehicular homicide and assault by auto. Roper was driving a Wal-Mart truck on June 7 when he allegedly swerved to avoid slowed traffic on the turnpike and plowed into Morgan's limo.
Roper had a logged a total of 13 hours and 32 minutes on the job that day, the NTSB report said. The maximum consecutive duty period allowed for commercial drivers is 14 hours. The report also states that Roper was traveling at 65 mph for 60 seconds preceding the crash in a construction zone where the speed limit had been reduced from 55 mph to 45 mph.
A criminal complaint alleges that the 35-year-old Roper, of Jonesboro, Georgia, hadn't slept for more than 24 hours before the accident. Wal-Mart has said it believes he was in compliance with federal safety regulations.
The 45-year-old Morgan suffered a broken femur, a broken nose and several broken ribs. His friend and fellow comedian James McNair was killed, and two other passengers were seriously injured.
Morgan underwent surgery for his broken leg and his condition was upgraded earlier this week from critical to fair.
Local java lovers can enjoy a cup of joe at one of the best coffee shops in the country, right here in Philadelphia.
For the second consecutive year, Daily Meal named South Philly’s Ultimo Coffee as one of the 50 best coffee shops in America.
"We have a reputation for our focus on the details and bringing the best possible cup of coffee to the table,” said Aaron Ultimo, owner.
He opened the first location at 1900 S. 15th St. in 2009 and, three years later, a second shop at 2149 Catherine St.
Ultimo, which topped the list in 2013, fell to fourth this year. Everyman Espresso in New York took the top spot, followed by Go Get Em Tiger in Los Angeles and Saint Frank's in San Francisco.
But the drop doesn’t bother the owner, who credits his baristas for creating a welcoming environment that helped them earn a spot on the list two years in a row.
"A lot of shops get a little too preachy,” he said. "We will go to the Nth degree if customers want to know about coffee or if they just want a cup and to go on their way, that’s fine too.”
The sincere, yet restrained style set Ultimo apart.
"Well-versed but unpretentious,” said Daily Meal Editor Jess Novak, "Ultimo stands out from the pack.”
Hand-brewed, individually prepared drip coffees are one way the shop distinguishes itself from others throughout the city and the country, Ultimo said.
"Everything we do is by hand with a kettle filter and coffee," he said. "We really went back to the old way and resurrected manual drip coffee brewers. At this point in time we don’t have any coffee brewing machines, other than an espresso machine."
And Daily Meal noticed more than the uncommon brewing style.
"Their space is bright and inviting, and their treats are delicious," Novak said. "Their chevre and fig spread on a bagel may be heretical to a New Yorker, but it’s secretly delicious – and pairs beautifully with a cup of their pristinely crafted brew.”
For hours and more information, visit Ultimo Coffee’s website.
Contact Alison Burdo at 610.668.5635, alison.burdo@nbcuni.com or follow @NewsBurd on Twitter.
Two men were shot Thursday morning at a home on the 2500 block of South Simpson Street in Southwest Philadelphia.
According to Philadelphia Officer Jillian Russell, one man was shot in the thigh and the other was shot in the chest. The victims are in their mid-thirties. Their identities have not been made public.
Both men were taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
One victim is in stable condition and the other is in critical condition.
Police recovered a weapon, arrested a suspect and working to figure out the motive.
The Philadelphia City Council voted 13-3 to pass a bill Thursday that would decriminalize carrying small amounts of marijuana.
The ordinance, sponsored by Councilman Jim Kenney, would make possession of 30 grams or 1 ounce of the drug a civil penalty.
Currently, possession of that amount or less requires an arrest by police. Should the law be enacted, officers would confiscate the marijuana and issue a $25 fine, which could be paid right there online or by mail. If paid, the incident would be removed from the person's record.
Kenney told NBC10.com in May that Ordinance 140377 could cut down 17,000 hours of police time and save $3 million in booking and jail costs. The councilman added that it could take up to a year for a minor marijuana arrest to clear the city's criminal justice system.
Philadelphia's District Attorney, Seth Williams, has since 2010 sent those arrested for carrying 1 ounce or less of marijuana to a lower court without jail time.
Mayor Michael Nutter is not in favor of the proposal. His press secretary, Mark McDonald, said Nutter will consider the legislation and "will respond before the session in mid-September."
Approximately 4,000 people are arrested each year in Philadelphia for possessing small amounts of non-medical marijuana.
Representatives for the Philadelphia Prison System say the bill is unlikely to have a major impact on its inmate population. They estimate that fewer than 100 people in the Philadelphia Prison System are currently being held for simple possession.
If approved by Nutter, Philadelphia would join cities and states like Chicago, and Washington, DC who, in recent years, passed similar laws to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.
Kenney says he'll be sending a letter to Nutter urging him to sign the bill. Nutter could choose to sign or veto the bill at any time between now and Sept. 11 when the next city council session begins.
An alleged ongoing feud between two female Pennsauken High School students may have fueled a violent face-slashing on a school bus Thursday afternoon.
Pennsauken Police say one girl used a razor or razor-knife to slice another student's face while they were on the school bus following an early dismissal.
The alleged attacker was taken off the bus and into police custody. The victim, 15, was rushed to Cooper University Hospital where she is undergoing surgery at this time.
A police officer happened to be parked in front of the bus at the time of the slashing and was able to respond quickly.
"We hardly ever have any type of incidents like this at the high school," said Pennsauken Police Lt. Michael Probasco. "It's usually a pretty good campus here."
The school is located at 800 Hylton Road in Pennsauken Township, Camden County, New Jersey.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
Rain and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon. The suburbs north and west of Philadelphia will get hit first, around 2 p.m. and the storms will reach the I-95 corridor by 3 p.m.
"It's a cooler, rainy kind of day," said NBC10 First Alert Meteorologist Sheena Parveen. "We can't rule out a chance for a thunderstorm."
Wednesday's record heat has subsided and temperatures are at least 10 degrees cooler today in the Delaware Valley.
The cool off brought rain, which moved into the Lehigh Valley and Poconos areas midday.
All thunderstorms in the region should move through by 8 p.m.
Don't fret. The sunshine will be back Friday with a high of 84 degrees.
There's a slight chance of showers Saturday, but the weekend is looking nice -- a great way to usher in the official start of summer.
The death of a 56-year-old Sussex County man marks the first heat-related death of the year in Delaware.
