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Week-Long Event to Celebrate City's Cultures

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A week-long celebration of Philadelphia's multicultural riches is about to take place and NBC10's Chris Cato discusses the details with two organizers. NBC10 and Telemundo 62 are the proud official media sponsors of "Multicultural Passport to PHL."

Burglars Broke in While Residents Were Sleeping: Cops

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Police in a New Jersey town are investigating a string of burglaries that occurred in the overnight hours over the weekend, two of them while residents were sleeping inside the homes, authorities say.

Neighbors in Chatham in Morris County say their small town is normally so safe that they've left their front doors unlocked. But the rash of break-ins from Friday, Sept. 5 into Sunday, Sept. 6 now has them thinking differently. 

"It scares me," said resident Donna Huelsenbeck. "People think you don't have to lock your door here, but you do." 

The burglarized homes were on Center Avenue in the area of Harvard Street, on Washington Avenue in the area of Front Street and on Weston Avenue in the area of Elmwood Avenue. 

In some of the cases, people waited hours before making a report. Police say it's essential that burglary victims do not waste time calling 911. 

"This way we can find the scene untouched and we can bring in the proper processing units to process that scene before it's touched by other parties," said Chatham Police Lt. Brian Gibbons. 

Police are trying to determine if the burglaries are connected. No description of the suspect or suspects has been issued. 

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 10 Philadelphia

Yuengling to Release 2 Seasonal Ice Cream Flavors

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Yuengling is releasing two seasonal ice cream flavors, several months after bringing the dessert back to the freezer aisle after a nearly 30-year absence.

Spiced Pumpkin Roll will make its debut in October and Peppermint Crunch will be added to store shelves closer to the start of the winter season. 

Both limited edition flavors will be available at select grocery stores, along with Yuengling's 10 other ice cream flavors.

The 185-year-old family-owned brewery began making ice cream in 1920 -- as  Prohibition began. Yuengling's Ice Cream -- which operates separately from the Pennsylvania-based brewery -- put quarts of the cold goody back in stores along the East Coast earlier this year.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 10 Philadelphia

Gov. Christie Tours Camden School

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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie put Camden schools in the spotlight during a visit to the city Tuesday.

Christie joined city leaders including Mayor Dana Redd and Camden School District Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard to tour the Octavius V. Catto Community Family School on Westfield Avenue including a visit with students in the school’s cafeteria.

Following the visit with students, Christie and Redd were expected to make remarks in the school’s cafeteria.

On its website, the Catto School promotes its partnership between families and the community to "provide a safe, academically rigorous, engaging learning environment that will ensure students are college and career ready and fully empowered to succeed in a diverse, ever-changing society."



Photo Credit: Getty Images

SEPTA Launches 'Dude It's Rude' Passenger Etiquette Campaign

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SEPTA is taking a more direct approach with passengers in its latest campaign to curb rude behavior on its trolley cars, buses and trains.

Each advertisement couples the casual phrase, "Dude it's rude," with another remark about etiquette like, "One fare, one seat."

"Customers appreciate our efforts to tackle the issues that bug them such as seat hogging," said Joseph Casey, SEPTA general manager.

The campaign first appeared on public timetables more than a year ago. The launch announcement from SEPTA Tuesday marks the public transit agency's move to expand the program to decals, posters and digital messaging, according to a news release.

The "Dude It's Rude" initiative is a somewhat different approach for SEPTA, which previously tackled passenger etiquette issues by addressing general behaviors.

The new program is targeting specific habits that are most often reported as problems, like inappropriate language, blocking the front aisle and leaving one's trash behind on the vehicles.

"Initial comments from our customer service channels have been positive," Casey said.



Photo Credit: SEPTA

Kids Beat, Rob Boy Confined to a Wheelchair

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Two bullies attacked and robbed a fellow boy confined to a wheelchair in New Castle County, Delaware and police say it wasn't the first time the boys assaulted to victim.

County police say that the 12-year-old boy in the wheelchair was exercising outside along the unit block of Buchanan Circle in the Christian Green neighborhood of Newark around 2:45 p.m. Monday when two boys came up behind him and pushed his wheelchair causing it to get stuck in a storm grate.

With the chair stuck, the boys began striking the defenseless victim, investigators said.

The boys then stole the other boy’s lanyard and key and ran off, according to police.

The attack left the boy with minor injuries, according to police.

Police say that the 12- to 14-year old boys allegedly bullied the boy in the wheelchair. Investigators say that a few days earlier the same suspects assaulted and threatened the victim.

Police officer alerted neighbors and canvassed the area after the earlier attack but they couldn’t find the boys.

Anyone with information about the attacks or who know the boys involved is asked to contact New Castle County Police at (302) 573-2800 or online.

www.nccpd.com.
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Steve Harvey on New Book: "It Will Be a Game Changer"

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NBC10's Chris Cato talks with Steve Harvey about the release of his new book. Season three of his show is now underway.

Photo Credit: Heidi Gutman/NBC

'Women of Tomorrow' Expands to Philadelphia

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"Women of Tomorrow," an organization which inspires, motivates and empowers at-risk young women, is now expanding to Philadelphia. NBC10's Chris Cato speaks with founder and president Jennifer Valoppi and "Women of Tomorrow" graduate Abby Brown. NBC10 and Telemundo 62 are the proud media sponsors of the kick-off event in Center City this evening.

20th Anniversary of Biden's Violence Against Women Act

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This month marks the 20th anniversary of the United State's commitment to end violence against women.

In September 1994, the Violence Against Women Act, written by Delaware native and current Vice President Joe Biden, was signed into law.

The Act devoted hundreds of millions to protect women and impose harsher penalties for abusers.
 



Photo Credit: AP

PSU Football Coach Grateful for Bowl Chance

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Penn State coach James Franklin has been flooded with congratulatory messages about his football team's bowl prospects now that the NCAA has lifted the most severe sanctions to the program for the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

Not so fast -- the Nittany Lions have a chance to become eligible for a bowl, they're not in one yet. Still, the chance for a late December bowl berth is something that was missing from their early-season hopes.

"Now, there is nothing being held back from them in terms of opportunities," Franklin said Tuesday. "They have the ability to chase their dreams now."

Penn State was halfway through a four-year postseason ban handed down during the summer of 2012. Penn State also will be allowed to have the full complement of football scholarships in 2015.

"It will have an impact on this class,'' Franklin said. ``I don't know if it will be as big an impact as some people think.''

Franklin said Tuesday there are 49 players who could have left when the sanctions hit. They were all given a standing ovation at a team meeting Monday night.

"We are all in debt to them," Franklin said."We're going to play for them because they were here for this program and this university when we needed them most."

Franklin said his only disappointment was that his team learned about the news through social media.

Penn State senior linebacker Mike Hull said he was eating lunch with teammates at a Chik-fil-A when they all found out on Twitter. Hull was one of the holdovers who never wavered in his commitment toward the program.

"I'm a Penn State guy at heart," Hull said, adding that he never thought the bowl ban would be lifted.

There was a peaceful and jubilant celebration on campus late Monday night after the lifting was announced. The mob of students chanted former coach Joe Paterno's name and, of course, threw in the popular "We Are" chant.

The rally was starkly contrasted a mess 2 1/2 years ago when disgruntled students took to the streets and wracked their college town in violence after Paterno was fired.

Good times - and big games - are back at Penn State.

``Last night was an opportunity maybe for that pride and that excitement to explode,'' Franklin said.

The sanctions were first imposed two years ago, including a four-year postseason ban. The surprise announcement on Monday, linked to progress the school has made reforming its athletic program, moved the university a step farther away from the fallout from Sandusky, the former assistant coach convicted of sexual abuse of 10 boys, including acts at university facilities.

The scandal badly tarnished what had been one of college sports' most respected programs, led to charges of a criminal cover-up against former university administrators Graham Spanier, Gary Schultz and Tim Curley -- whose cases are still pending.

Some of the 40 scholarships the program was originally docked were restored earlier than expected a year ago.

The university still must pay a $60 million fine, vacate 111 wins that came under Paterno, plus another victory under interim coach Tom Bradley, and the school will remain under monitoring.

'It's never as clean as everybody thinks it is," Franklin said.

The Nittany Lions (2-0) play Saturday at Rutgers. If the Nittany Lions win the East division, they will be eligible to play in the Big Ten championship game.

Penn State went 15-9 during the first two seasons of the sanctions under coach Bill O'Brien, who was hired to replace Paterno.

Paterno was the winningest coach in major college football history when he was fired not long after Sandusky, his former defensive coordinator, was charged in November 2011. Paterno died in January 2012 and lost his record when the NCAA vacated those 111 victories.

O'Brien left for the Houston Texans of the NFL after last season and Franklin was hired away from Vanderbilt to take his place.

Franklin said no one at Penn State ever told him during his job offer that the sanctions would be eliminated.

"That carrot was never dangled in front of me, that carrot was never dangled in front of recruits," he said. "It was very black and white. These are what the sanctions say right now. This is what we're living with and we're moving forward."
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Mom Speaks: Regusters is Not ‘Diabolical Psycho Person’

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The family of alleged child rapist Christina Regusters says she is sweet, caring and a lover of children, not an abuser.

Regusters' mother talked in private, outside of the courtroom, defending her 21-year-old daughter. She says the picture prosecutors have painted of Christina Regusters during her kidnapping and rape trial is wrong. The defendant’s mother, who has cried at times during testimony and often appears despondent, wishes to remain anonymous due to death threats she and family members have received.

“They have her [Christina] described that she’s some diabolical psycho person, you know that did this horrible thing. Granted our hearts are hurting too. We are upset the [victim] got hurt. We wouldn’t wish that on anyone,” the mother said.

“It’s equally agonizing because it’s my daughter that they are accusing of these crimes.”

Regusters’ mother says her daughter is innocent and describes her as a very caring and sweet person. It’s a stark contrast from what the prosecution has alleged.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania says the former child care worker is a child rapist who acted alone, committing heinous crimes against a Cobbs Creek kindergartner last year.

Philadelphia Police say she kidnapped the 5-year-old from Bryant Elementary School on Jan. 14, 2013 just minutes after the girl finished breakfast with her classmates. She allegedly raped the girl with a sharp object inside a bedroom at 6243 Walton Avenue after blindfolding, stripping her naked and holding her captive for 19-hours under a bed. The child was dumped at a park early the next morning before daybreak, wearing only a t-shirt.

The child endured multiple surgeries, including a colostomy, because the injuries were so severe to her rectum.

“It’s been crazy. I’m hearing all this evidence that they have and I just don’t believe it. I don’t believe it. The person they are describing, that’s not my daughter,” the mother said.

“It’s painful to hear. It’s painful to watch. It’s just horrible.”

The family has had no contact with Regusters in the 19 months since she has been locked up, but her mother and sister Tasha have been present in court for the majority of the trial.

Last week, an 11-year-old relative took the stand accusing Regusters of having touched her inappropriately. The child’s mother testified that her daughter made the accusations beginning last month.

The defendant reacted to the accusatory testimony in court with an outburst.

“I never touched your child. She's lying,” yelled Regusters who was then admonished by Judge Jeffrey Minehart and instructed to be quiet.

Regusters’ mother and sister Tasha left the courtroom for the day in tears.

Tasha said she stands by her sister and is anxious for her to come home.

“My sister is a sweet person. Honestly, if you were in the trial, you would hear that she’s just this evil person that who woke up this morning and did this to the little girl. That’s not my sister," Tasha said. "I personally can tell that’s not her."


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



Photo Credit: www.Facebook.com

2 Medivaced From Nasty NJ Crash

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Medics used a helicopter to rush two people to the hospital after a bad crash along a Burlington County road.

The crash between a pickup truck and car caused traffic troubles along U.S. Route 206 near Ridge Road in Southampton Township, New Jersey around 3:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Crews closed Route 206 in both directions as they treated two victims.

County dispatchers didn’t release the condition of either victim.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 10 Philadelphia



Photo Credit: SkyForce10

Starved Puppy "Bunny" Gains 11 Pounds, Is Adopted

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A severely emaciated puppy found dumped near a baseball field in a New Jersey park has gained 11 pounds in two weeks and will be going to her new home this weekend, animal rescuers say. 

Her brother, Bugsy, died the day after they were found by a jogger at East Side Park in Paterson. When animal control officers arrived at the park, Bunny was standing over Bugsy, apparently trying to comfort and protect him.

The 6-month-old pups barely weighed 14 pounds when they should have clocked in at a healthy 50, according to officials.

Bunny now weighs more than 25 pounds, according to Second Chance Pet Adoption League.

She will be adopted by a couple from Ramsey, New Jersey, after she is spayed this week.

"Her new mom met her today and spent over an hour playing with her and bonding," according to a release from Second Chance.

A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to who abused them.

Here are the dramatic before and after photos of Bunny:

NJ Racetrack Might Start Sports Betting Sunday

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One New Jersey horse racing track said it hopes to begin taking sports bets on Sunday, less than a week after the state government announced that such enterprises would no longer be illegal in New Jersey.

And even if the track cannot be ready to accept bets on Sunday, it intends to start doing so within 30 days, Monmouth Park Racetrack legal adviser Dennis Drazin told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

He said the track in Oceanport has been working over the last year to prepare a room for its sports book and is working with a sports-betting firm, William Hill.

Drazin said the demand is high.

"I got calls from people who wanted to come to the track last night to bet," he said.

He added that if the book is open Sunday — the main day for heavily bet NFL football games — it would probably be a "very basic operation."

Speaking at a news conference Tuesday in Camden, Gov. Chris Christie said the state government would have no role in either regulating or taxing sports books. He also said he would not encourage or discourage casinos or racetracks to get into the business.

Sports betting has long been seen in the gambling industry a potential boon to New Jersey, where the casinos in Atlantic City have been struggling mightily amid growing competition in nearby states. Three have closed this year, including two in the last few weeks. A third, Trump Plaza, is scheduled to close next week. That casino's parent company filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday. It also owns Trump Taj Mahal, which informed workers Tuesday that it would be closing this fall

In 2011, New Jersey voters overwhelmingly endorsed legal sports betting through in a nonbinding referendum, but the books never opened because of a 1992 federal law that restricted betting to a few states.

On Monday, Christie nevertheless announced a directive that sports betting was no longer illegal in the state, so long as it's not sponsored by the state government. His administration also filed a request with a judge to say that the action is legal.

It appears that some other casinos and racetracks will wait for a judge's permission before launching sports betting.

Drazin said he expects professional and college sports officials to challenge Monmouth Park's opening. So far, the leagues, which have previously opposed the expansion of legal sports betting, have not commented on Christie's latest move.

Whether Monmouth Park is taking sports bets Sunday could be up to a judge, Drazin said.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 10 Philadelphia

Liquor Store Shooter Nabbed, Getaway Driver on Loose: Police

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Police in South Jersey arrested two people in the weeks after an armed liquor store holdup where a gunshot was fired but the alleged getaway driver remained at large.

Florence Township Police announced the arrests Tuesday of Josh Pender, 24, of Vineland and his 16-year-old alleged accomplice in the Aug. 17 robbery of Town Liquor Store.

Investigators said that Pender, the unidentified juvenile and Rachel Lavalle, 24, of Millville all conspired to rob the liquor store. Police said Pender and the teen went into the store while Lavalle waited nearby in a red Honda Odyssey.

Police said that during the robbery attempt Pender fired a shot in the direction of the store clerk that went into the wall. Investigators said that the duo then fled the store empty handed and got into Lavalle’s minivan.

Florence Township Police caught up to the 16-year-old on Aug. 28 as he walked along Hornberger Avenue. Since then he has been held in the Burlington County Juvenile Detention Center on robbery, aggravated assault and weapons charges.

Police then arrested Pender on Saturday. He was held in county jail on robbery, aggravated assault, conspiracy and weapons charges unable to post $200,000 bail.

Police asked anyone who knows about Lavalle’s whereabouts to call police at 609-499-3131.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 10 Philadelphia



Photo Credit: Florence Township Police

New Protection for Working Women

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Working women in Delaware now have a new layer of protection in the workplace. NBC10's Tim Furlong explains.

Special Ed Teacher Accused of Student Sex in Court

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A Northeast Philadelphia middle school teacher accused of having sex with one of her special education students several times appeared in court Tuesday.

Stephanie Amato, who taught eighth grade special education at Ethan Allen School, is accused of carrying on a "consensual" sexual relationship with her student.

Amato appeared in a Philadelphia courtroom Tuesday as her defense requested a two-week delay for her pre-trial conference. The 30-year-old remains out of jail on 10 percent of $125,000 bail, according to court records.

Investigators say one of Amato's 14-year-old male students told the school counselor that he had sex with Amato several times at her home and in her car between March and April of this year. School officials then contacted police and Amato was arrested in June.

Amato was immediately removed from the school pending the investigation and was not allowed to have contact with students as she was suspended with pay.

Amato faces a slew of charges including corruption of minors, indecent exposure, statutory sexual assault, sex with a minor and child endangerment.

Photos posted on Amato's Facebook page show her smiling with a group of teenage boys in her car. NBC10 spoke with two of the teens in that photo who told us they believe she is innocent. 

After her June arrest, a letter was sent home to parents of students at the school alerting them of the situation.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 10 Philadelphia

Man Illegally Kills Endangered Hawks

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A New Jersey man was sentenced to prison Tuesday after he admitted to killing or trying to kill four different species of hawks protected by federal law.

Robert Losasso, 69, of Somers Point, pleaded guilty to six counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Losasso admitted he fatally shot or attempted to shoot red-tailed hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, red-shouldered hawks and Cooper’s hawks on several occasions between December of 2012 and April of 2013 when he spotted them in or near his home. Losasso also admitted he didn’t have a permit to shoot any of the birds.

The hawk species Losasso targeted are all protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Enacted in 1918, the act made it illegal to unlawfully kill or attempt to kill any migratory bird. Red-shouldered hawks are listed as endangered on the State of New Jersey’s Endangered and Threatened Wildlife list. Sharp-shinned hawks and populations of Cooper’s hawks are also protected under New Jersey state law.

The charges against Losasso each carry a maximum potential penalty of six months in prison as well as a maximum fine equal to the greatest of $15,000 or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from his offenses.

Losasso also agreed to pay more than $4000 in restitution to the wildlife rehabilitation centers that suffered losses treating or euthanizing hawks injured as a result of the shootings. His sentencing is scheduled for December 15.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

UPenn Named Best College in the Country

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The University of Pennsylvania is the best college in the nation, according to a college resource website.

College Factual ranked the local university number one on their latest list of best colleges and universities nationwide. Yale University, Duke University, Harvard University and MIT rounded out the top five. Princeton University also came in at number 8.

College Factual factored in the student body, educational resources, degree completion, post-graduation earnings, and SAT scores in their rankings.

College Factual also released a top ten list for best colleges in the mid-atlantic region. In addition to Penn and Princeton, Bucknell, Lehigh, Swarthmore and Lafayette were the other local colleges to make that list.

Penn, Bucknell, Lehigh, Swarthmore, Lafayette, Carnegie Mellon, Dickinson, Franklin and Marshall, Villanova and Haverford made the top 10 for best colleges in Pennsylvania.

As for the best colleges for your money, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. and Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pa. made the top ten list.

Villanova University also earned top honors in a separate list. The U.S. News and World Report named it the best school in the north for "Great Schools and Great Prices."



Photo Credit: _13thirteen/Instagram

Purse Snatchers Nabbed in South Jersey: Police

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Two people accused of snatching a purse from an elderly woman in Evesham Township, N.J., are in now in custody.
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