A Philadelphia councilman is calling on Mayor Michael Nutter to sign a bill that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.

• Center City Hotel Evacuated

“Every day Mayor Nutter fails to act, more young people will be handcuffed and jailed for a minimal offense—something that doesn’t happen anywhere else in Pennsylvania," said Councilman Jim Kenney.

Kenney sent a letter Tuesday to the Mayor asking him to sign and implement City Council Bill 140377.

• Charges Filed After Infant Left in Car Outside Walmart

The bill, which was passed by city council in June, creates a civil penalty for the possession of a small amount of marijuana, defined as 30 grams or less. Currently, anyone who is caught with one ounce of marijuana or more is arrested.

“Just this week, it was reported that another 264 citizens have been arrested since this Bill overwhelming passed City Council on June 19, 2014,” Kenney said. "If implemented by the Mayor, the procedures outlined in Bill 140377 will allow thousands of police hours to be better spent on preventing violent crime, and it will save thousands of people a year from interacting with the criminal justice system for non-violent incidents."

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In the letter, Kenney stated that based on partial data, Philadelphia Police are on pace to arrest nearly 4,000 people for simple marijuana possession, with over 80% of those individuals being African American.

“The disparity present here is totally unconscionable,” Kenney said.

If the bill is signed, anyone caught with a small amount of marijuana would get a ticket for $25. The Nutter Administration has until the next council session, which is slated for September 11, to make a decision on the bill. The Mayor’s Office says Nutter is currently reviewing the bill’s potential impact

Reports of smoke in a Center City hotel forced hundreds of people outside in the dark around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.

• Councilman Asks Mayor to Decriminalize Marijuana

Guests stood outside the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel at 201 N. 17th St. while firefighters investigated smoke coming from the building's basement, according to officials.

An ambulance transported two people to Hahnemann University Hospital, but it is unclear why.

Initial reports indicate an electrical problem may have caused the smoke.

• Road Rage on I-76 in West Conshohocken

Evacuations of the 757-room hotel, which sits next to Logan Square, took more than ninety minutes after fire crews arrived on the scene.

A Sheraton representative said it will be several hours before guests are allowed to return to their rooms.

The hotel is offering breakfast to those set to attend a 10 a.m. meeting  at the hotel as part of the 69th Biennial National Association of Letter Carriers Convention.

One person is hurt after an aggressive driver caused a crash along Interstate-76 in West Conshohocken early Wednesday morning.

• Infant Left in Car Outside Walmart

Pennsylvania State Police said 48-year-old Francis McIlhenny III was traveling on the Schuylkill Expressway around 5:45 a.m. when another vehicle, operated by 54-year-old Joaquin Angles, began following them too closely and using his high beams.

McIlhenny slowed to allow a third vehicle to merge onto the I-76 from Interstate-476, according to police.

Unable to lower his speed, Angles lost control of his car and slammed into the concrete barrier near mile marker 331.8, officials said.

• McDonald's Worker Sells Crack at Main Line Burger Joint: Police

His vehicle pinballed to the right, striking McIlhenny's car, spinning out-of-control and then hitting McIlhenny's vehicle a second time, police said.

Angles' car then headed down an embankment, striking several trees and a light post before coming to a stop.

He was transported to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania with non-life threatening injuries.

Charges against Angles are pending, according to State Police, who said the crash will not be classified as road rage as Montgomery County authorities initially reported.

A trio of small and mighty black-footed kittens are now on display at the Philadelphia Zoo.

Rhaegal, Viseron, and Drogon were the very first black-footed cats born at the Zoo.

• That South Philly Stench? Blame it on Jersey

The black-footed kittens are a species of wild cat and their native habitats range from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

They are known as the smallest cats in world and typically weigh no more than 4 lbs.

• FRUIT RECALL at Giant Supermarkets

The siblings were born in April to eight-year-old parents, Ascari and Aza.

The tiny kitties feast on a commercial raw meat fix, but they love snacks like crickets and spiders too.   Although they aren’t great climbers like the traditional cat, they act as skilled diggers when searching for insects.

These charming felines can be found in the Carnivore Kingdom section of the zoo.

Giant Supermarket customers beware -- fruit sold at the grocery store chain this summer is being recalled.

Wawona Packing Company is recalling all organic peaches and nectarines and certain Orchard Perfect brand peaches, nectarines, and plums due to the potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes.

• 2 Kids Left Alone in Car Outside Local Police Building

Listeria is a potentially deadly infection that generally affects people with a weakened immune system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The infection has the most significant outcome on pregnant women and newborns. It is the third leading cause of death from food poisoning and can cause miscarriage and meningitis, the CDC reports.

• Murder Charges for 15-Year-Old Boy

Customers should throw out fruit if it was purchased from Giant stores between June 1 and July 1. If they bring their purchase receipts to the supermarket, they are eligible to receive a full refund, according to the supermarket chain.

Giant officials said they have not received any reports of recall-related illnesses.

Wawona Packing Company is also recalling fruit sold at Trader Joe’s and Costco.

• NJ Teacher Has Sex With Student: Police

A hero puppy from Philadelphia is on a mission to spread cheer and let kids know it's okay to be different. 

A French bulldog named Lentil has become an internationally-sought after puppy in his first year of life. The little white and brown pooch was born with a cleft palate last February but that hasn't stopped him from bringing smiles to children's faces. Lentil has become a poster dog for facial and cranial differences.

• IMAGES: Lentil the Puppy Inspires

"It's his destiny and it's been a whirlwind. He's a happy puppy. Everybody has their own bond with him," said Lentil's' dogmom Lindsay Condefer. 

Unable to eat alone, two days after he was born, Lentil was taken in and nursed to health for months by Condefer of the Street Tails Animal Rescue in Philadelphia.

Condefer has chronicled his progress on the My name is Lentil Facebook page and has raised awareness for cleft palate, one of the most common birth defects for newborns.  

• Black Footed Kittens Born at the Philadelphia Zoo

"Lentil's the bridge. He's shown me that just because I look different doesn't mean I should be excluded and that it's okay to kind of look different. He teaches you not bully people who look different," said 15-year-old Daniel Pfeiffer, who underwent craniofacial surgery two years ago at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. 

Conferfer receives many requests for public appearances for "little bean" as he's affectionately known. But, airfare is not cheap for a canine travel buddy. The cost for roundrip ticket for Lentil alone to ride under a seat is $300. Condefer is torn because he gets so many calls but the cost to travel is just too much for a dog without income. 

• Where is South Philly's Stench Coming From?

Despite the monetary hurdle, one thing is clear -- Lentil lights up the room and Condefer wants children with cleft palate to know that they are not alone.

"Lentil makes kids feel good about themselves. He instills power in kids. He's just an amazing little dog. He makes all kids feel great," said Diana Sweeney, who works as a parent liaison coordinating facial reconstruction surgery at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

She came up with the idea to ask as many people as possible to donate $1 to help underwrite Lentil's traveling costs to visit children with craniofacial deformities in Lentil's smile club. Then Conderfer decided to turn to Kickstarter to broaden the effort and to reach a wider audience. 

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The "Chews Kind" Kickstarter fundraiser proceeds will underwrite her ability to travel with Lentil to meet as many of the 200 children who have facial and cranial differences that she communicates with around the country. 

The response has been overwhelming.

For those fans who may never meet Lentil in person, they can keep up with his progress on his Facebook page and watch him eat, play with a ball and bring smiles to children's faces. It's the simplest things that has drawn legions of fans to him.

• Philly's Cleft Palate Puppy is Internet Celebrity

Lentil had his first surgery to fix his cleft palate last May. The surgery was performed by Dr. Alexander Reiter and Dr. John Lewis of Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine. Cleft palate is more common in dogs than cats, and dogs with short noses, according to Reiter. For humans, one out of every 600 newborns is affected by cleft lip or cleft palate, according to the Cleft Palate Foundation.

"He's super cute," said Reiter. "I cannot explain it. He's special."

Lentil is the only surviving member of his litter. He was born in North Jersey with three other pups, all with facial deformities. Condefer recalls Lentil as looking like a “small hamster” when she first saw him. He weighed 5.7 ounces. He gained an ounce a day and now tips the scales at 20 pounds. Lentil's celebrity began when the French Bulldog Rescue Network spread word about Lentil and the need to raise funds for his first surgery. 

Condefer plans to take Lentil on the road for the "Chews Kind" tour starting this fall. She will keep Lentil's fans abreast of their travel and plans to post guessing games and quizzes to Facebook so fans can follow along. In addition to the tour, Lentil and craniofacial awareness will be celebrated at Lentil Fest, a multi-day celebration later this year in Philadelphia. 

"There's just something special about a fuzzy, sweet little dog that has a facial difference.  He's everybody's little pal," said Sweeney.

Contact Sarah Glover at 610-668-5580, sarah.glover@nbcuni.com or follow @skyphoto on Twitter.

Lewinsky’s on Clinton.

No, “Bubba” hasn’t reignited his love affair with the former White House intern, but there’s a brand new Delaware City restaurant named after the scandal-ridden tryst.

“We’re on Clinton Street,” said restaurant partner John Buchheit. “I wanted something easy to remember, something that sticks with you.  And it goes together:  Lewinsky and Clinton.”

• 2 Infants Diagnosed With Herpes After Ritual Jewish Circumcisions: Officials

Buchheit’s new upscale gastropub is just the latest addition to Clinton Street’s tongue-in-cheek eateries.

The former mayor, along with long-time business partner, Dale Slotter, also lay claim to Crabby Dick’s, a crab joint with an interesting menu, and Buster Nutts, a 140-seat pub.

And as if owning three restaurants, a hotel, a bakery and a few other businesses isn’t enough, Buchheit is also into selling merchandise at his cleverly-named establishments.

• Lawyer: Nazi War Suspect, Living in Philly, Dies as Extradition OK'd

We’re not talking T-shirts and hoodies, although you can get those at Lewinsky’s, Crabby’s and Buster’s, we’re talking dresses. More specifically, blue dresses.

Yep, that’s right, Lewinsky’s is marketing blue dresses, a sort of tribute to its namesake, Monica Lewinsky, whose infamous blue dress played an integral role in the uncovering of her “sexual relations” with President Clinton.

So far, residents are embracing the name – and the dress code.

“I was surprised at how many female customers came in wearing blue dresses,” Buchheit said.

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Lewinsky’s on Clinton is open daily, although their hours vary. The menu they’re offering through August is temporary. The permanent menu, will launch in August when the restaurant celebrates its official opening, is a mix of Old World European mixed with modern American flavors, said Buchheit.

No matter how good the menu is, you can bet this won't be a campaign stop next time Hillary's in town...
 

A man is behind bars after he allegedly broke into a woman’s home, kidnapped her fiancé and then led police on a wild chase across I-76.

• Infants Diagnosed With Herpes After Ritual Circumcisions: Officials

Police say 24-year-old Keith Morrison of West Philadelphia entered a home on the 100 block of Holstein Road in Upper Merion on Tuesday around 8 a.m. According to investigators, Morrison found a shotgun inside the house which belonged to the homeowner.

Using the shotgun, Morrison allegedly robbed a woman, tied her up and then kidnapped her fiancé. He then left the home with the fiancé after stealing the woman’s orange BMW, according to investigators.

The woman managed to free herself and call police.

• Nazi War Suspect Dies as Extradition OK'd

According to investigators, Morrison forced the man to drive to an ATM at the Wawa on Route 23 in Conshohocken and make several cash withdrawals. He then allegedly forced the man to drive back to his home.

As the suspect and victim drove back, a responding police officer spotted the BMW. Police say the BMW pulled into a SEPTA train station lot in Gulph Mills and then fled the scene when the officer tried to stop it. The officer pursued the BMW northbound on South Gulph Road until it pulled into the parking lot of the Universal Health Services building.

• Dine, Buy a Blue Dress at Lewinsky's on Clinton

Police say Morrison then jumped out of the BMW and fled on foot as more officers chased after him. Morrison allegedly ran towards I-76, climbed a fence, hopped the center divider and scaled the concrete sound barrier. He then ran onto Bob White Road where officers were finally able to catch up to him and apprehend him.

The kidnapping victim was found unharmed inside the BMW. Police say they also found cash and the shotgun inside the car.

Morrison is charged with robbery, kidnapping, burglary, simple assault and other related offenses.

Keith Morrision (Credit: Upper Merion Police)

• McDonald's Cook is Busted for Selling Crack

• Cause of Death Revealed for Peaches Geldof

Rebecca Perkins of Bala Cynwyd just canceled her trip to Israel to celebrate a bat mitzvah next weekend. 

An undercover sting at a McDonald's on suburban Philadelphia's swanky Main Line has led to the arrest of a fast food employee who police say was selling crack at the restaurant.

Officers from Radnor Township Police went undercover four times over the past month at the burger joint located along the 500 block of West Lancaster Avenue in Wayne, Pennsylvania, right in the heart of the town's business district.

• Firefighter Shows Up Drunk at Stranger's Apartment: Police

Each time, police say they bought the illegal drugs from 29-year-old Allen Trammell, of Philadelphia, in the restaurant's parking lot. A cook at the McDonald's for the past two years, Trammell would leave the kitchen line to deal, officials said.

“When not working as a crew and preparing food, he was out in the rear parking lot selling crack cocaine so in a sense it can give you a new definition of what may be considered a Happy Meal," Radnor Police Lt. Andy Block said.

• LOOK: Cute Black-Footed Kittens Born

Officers returned to the McDonald's on Tuesday to arrest Trammell. Police say they found cash and 157 dime bags of crack cocaine packets on him at the time. Block said Trammell could have been grossing $1,500 a week from the illicit sales.

Trammell has been arraigned on $100,000 bail, which he was unable to post. He remains in the Delaware County Prison. Pennsylvania court records show the man has plead guilty to drug possession offenses in 2005.

• Heroin Overdose Killed Peaches Geldof: Coroner
  

A spokesperson for the Wayne McDonald's said the franchisee is taking the police matter seriously, but would not comment beyond that.

Radnor Police say they learned about the alleged drug dealing after a confidential informant tipped off its Drug Task Force officers.

An attorney was not listed for Trammell.

Storms cleared out Wednesday night after heavy rain and lightning struck the region.

• Track the Storms With Our LIVE RADAR 

The system, which produced damaging winds over 60 mph and quarter-size hail moved into the Poconos, Lehigh, Berks and Lancaster counties earlier in the afternoon. 

In addition to large hail and damaging winds, frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with the storm. People who are outside are advised to move indoors immediately. The system produced around 1700 lightning strikes in 30 minutes in the Lehigh Valley and Lancaster County.

Those storms moved into the  I-95 corridor around 7 p.m. The system began to weaken as it moved into the Jersey Shore and Delaware around 9 p.m. It finally cleared out around midnight. 

It was hot and humid for most of the day with temperatures reaching a high of 91 and the heat index at 96 for parts of the area.

• Send Us Your Storm Photos

Clouds and some showers will continue to linger Thursday morning before it starts to clear. By Friday we're in for a beautiful day with sunshine, low humidity and temperatures in the mid-80's. The humidity will return on Saturday while more rain and possible thunderstorms will hit the area on Sunday.

Stay with NBC10.com for more weather updates.
 

A mother and daughter in Philadelphia who were injured earlier this month after a propane tank exploded in the back of a food truck have died from their injuries, according to a family member.

• PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Leaking Gas Caused Food Truck Blast | Are Food Trucks Ticking Time Bombs?

Jaylin Landaverry, 17, and her mother, 42-year-old Olga Galdernez both passed away, according to Landaverry’s brother and Galdernez’s son, Marco Hernandez. A family friend told NBC10's sister station Telemundo 62 that Galdernez succumbed to her injuries Sunday afternoon while Landaverry died Tuesday night around 7 p.m.

Back on July 1, the mother and daughter were working inside their food truck, La Parrillada Chapina, at 3rd Street and Wyoming Avenue when the 100-pound tank blew around 5:30 p.m.
The truck was equipped with two such tanks filled with gas.

Investigators believe propane vapor began leaking from one tank and filled the truck. A flame from the grill inside the mobile restaurant provided the spark, officials said. Witnesses told detectives they smelled gas before the blast.

• McDonald's Cook Accused of Selling Crack

The propane fueled a fireball that engulfed the truck, the street and surrounding sidewalks. One tank was blown 95 feet away into the backyard of a home nearby, police said.

Galdemez's husband spent 20 minutes at the scene of the explosion the next morning talking with investigators from the Philadelphia Police Department, the Philadelphia Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The truck was properly licensed to operate, officials said.

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Philadelphia Police said eight other people were hurt when the tank exploded.

A prayer service and candlelight vigil were held Wednesday night for the mother and daughter. The prayer service was held at Little Flower Catholic High School on the 1000 block of W. Lycoming Street while the vigil was held near the site of the blast.

PHOTO: Olga Galdemez, 42, and her 17-year-old daughter, Jaylin Landaverry, pictured two years ago at the girl's quinceanera.

Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood only had one way to describe a mother accused of beating her son.

• Mom, Daughter in Food Truck Blast Die from Injuries

“We dubbed her around here as the mom from hell,” Chitwood said.

Hell is what 39-year-old Samantha Starnes of Upper Darby allegedly put her son through, leading to a shocking discovery.

The 11-year-old boy walked into the Upper Darby Community Policing Center on Tuesday, badly injured. He was met by Nashid Ali, a social worker who runs the center. The boy claimed his mother beat him with a belt inside their apartment on Radbourne Road on Sunday because he wasn’t doing his chores. The boy says his mother then returned an hour later to beat him again, this time using her fists. As he spoke, Ali says he saw the welts and bruises on the boy’s arms, back and legs.

• Homeowner Kills Intruder Who Said She Was Pregnant

“He lifted up his shirt,” Ali said. “His back was worse than his arms.”

Ali called both his supervisor and police to report the alleged abuse.

“What surprised me was that number one, he came in by himself,” Ali said. “Number two, he was 11-years-old and number three, I knew it was serious because he was patient.”

Investigators say they counted a total of 27 bruises and welts over the boy’s body.

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Police later found and arrested Starnes, charging her with assault and endangering the welfare of a child. She’s awaiting her preliminary hearing, unable to post bail.

Starnes’ neighbor, who did not want to be identified, says she often heard name-calling echoing through the walls of her apartment but was disgusted to learn about the abuse allegations.

• McDonald's Worker Accused of Selling Crack

“She really needs some help,” the neighbor said. “They shouldn’t let her a** out of jail, no offense. Keep her in jail.”

As for her son, officials with the Children and Youth Services are working with family members to develop a safety plan for the child.

The family of a pregnant woman who died in an ambulance nearly two years ago is suing the city of Philadelphia as well as the city’s ambulance manufacturers and maintenance company.

• Previous Coverage: Paramedics Suspended After Pregnant Woman Dies in Ambulance | Family Blames Medics After Pregnant Woman Dies in Ambulance

In the wrongful death and infant brain injury lawsuit filed on Thursday, the family alleges that Joanne Rodriguez, a 24-year-old expecting mother, would still be alive today if the Philadelphia paramedics who arrived at her house were properly trained and had proper medical equipment.

On October 1, 2012, paramedics responded to Rodriguez’s Philadelphia home. Rodriguez, who was 9 months pregnant, was having trouble breathing after falling down the stairs. The family says she was asthmatic and on medication for a blood clot.

• Beaten Boy Walks Into Policing Center, Mom Charged

"I told her (dispatcher) she fell down the steps, she's 37 weeks pregnant, she's hurt, and she's lying down,” said Joanne’s aunt, Carmen Morales. “I told her she was responsive but couldn’t breathe.”

Her family says Medic 22 took three minutes to get from the firehouse to their home. Surveillance video from the family home shows the medics walking into the house without any medical equipment.

"They start looking at my niece and say 'OK ma'am I need you to sit up,'” said Morales. “My niece is telling them, 'Please, I can't breathe, I'm weak, I can't move,' and she was like, 'You need to do your part.' The EMT is telling her she needs to do her part.”

• Mom, Daughter in Food Truck Explosion Die From Injuries

According to the  surveillance video, it took eight minutes for the medics to bring Rodriguez out of the home and another minute before the emergency workers gave her any oxygen.

After Rodriguez was loaded into the ambulance, surveillance video shows it took another seven minutes for the ambulance to leave for Temple University Hospital. Rodriguez's mother rode inside the ambulance with her daughter.

A Fire Department investigation determined it was a total of 20 minutes from the time the medics arrived at the family's house, until reaching Temple University Hospital. Once they arrived, the family says the medics realized the ambulance doors were stuck.

"The EMT says 'Oh my God',” said Morales. “Her heart stops beating, that's when they arrive to the hospital. The other EMT goes around to open the doors, they can't open the doors, the doors are stuck.”

• McDonald's Cook Accused of Selling Crack

Her aunt says the medics tried to get the door open from the inside and outside. It wasn't until an officer from Temple University Hospital came out to help that they opened the doors.

The Fire Department's investigation found that Rodriguez was stuck for about three and a half minutes, during which a doctor was able to get inside the ambulance through a side door and start working on her. Rodriguez died before they could get her inside the hospital.

Autopsy results found she died of natural causes. Rodriguez's baby, Xavier, was delivered in an emergency cesarean section. The family says the baby suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result.

Her family believes Joanne would still be alive if she had received the urgent care she needed.

"If they would have come here better trained, with all their equipment, oxygen on time, yes, she would have been maybe in the hospital still, but alive," said Morales.

NBC10’s initial report in 2011 triggered a 2 1/2-month internal investigation. On January 8, 2013, Bill Gault, the President of Firefighter’s Union Local 22 announced that both paramedics involved in the incident were suspended for two days.

NBC10 filed a request for the 911 tapes and the incident printout patient care report under the “Right to Know” act. The city denied both requests. City officials claimed 911 tapes, by state law, are exempt from disclosure. They also said they couldn’t release the incident printout or patient care report because of patient confidentiality.

Last year, the Rodriguez family said they were “disappointed” with the city’s decision to not release the 911 recording. They also said they made similar requests which were also denied.

The Rodriguez family will officially announce their lawsuit during a press conference in Center City starting at 1 p.m. The family also plans to share newly released copies of the 911 call, newly released copies of the medics’ response calls, internal investigation documents and photos of Joanne and Xavier.

Police have released new surveillance video of a white van that struck and killed a pedestrian before fleeing the scene in Camden last week.

• Food Truck Explosion Victims Die From Injuries

Alfredo Siguenza-Trejo, 39, was walking on North 27th Street near High Street around 9:20 p.m. last Friday when he was struck by a white van. After striking Trejo, the van fled down 27th Street towards River Avenue, according to police.

Trejo was taken to Cooper Hospital in critical condition. He later died from his injuries on Monday.

• "Mom From Hell" Charged After Beaten Son Walks Into Policing Center

Police say the hit-and-run vehicle appears to be a 1983 to 1991 model Ford Econoline with damage on the passenger's side.

If you have any information on the vehicle, call the Camden County Prosecutor's Office at 856-225-8514 or Camden County Police at 856-757-7420.