The Westfield High School Volleyball team and the Breast Cancer Awareness Club held their 6th annual Pink Out Volleyball Tournament on Oct. 17 at WHS. The tournament was held in remembrance of Allie Harth, Patrick and Mary Byrne, Kelly Mazzucco and Rosemary B. Altomare.
“Coming into tonight we probably raised around $27,000,” said Rosann Mondon, mother of varsity captain Megan Mondon.
The tournament was between the freshmen, junior varsity and varsity Westfield and Union Catholic High School girls’volleyball teams. It also included a serving contest, 50/50 raffle, and food and merchandise that filled the school’s hallways, with all of the proceeds going to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
“We just keep raising more money each year. We couldn’t do it without everybody volunteering,” said Stacey Boretz, who has been volunteering since the first year of the tournament when her now college-age daughter was on the Westfield volleyball team.
There was so much of an increase in sponsors this year, especially corporate sponsors, that they were rated gold, silver or bronze depending on how much they donated. Gold sponsors donated $1,000 or more. They included Carly Rivera of vbrags.com, 1-800-AUTOLAND, Tarra Services, UBS, Coach and Dun & Bradstreet.
Silver sponsors had to donate at least $500, and they included Coldwell Banker, Gold Medal Fitness, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Crush Volleyball, Central Jersey Volleyball, Essex Volleyball Club, Philosophy, the Venezia Family, the Miller Family, the Sro Family, matching gift from Bank of America and many others.
Those that donated at least $200 or more were considered bronze level and included Ann Marie Murzin, Harvest Restaurants, the Swingle Family, Flatlands Podiatry Office, Bosonac Orthodontics, Joli Visage Clinique, Don-Tre Driving School, Biglin Family and the Boglin Family, among many others.
Although both the freshman and junior varsity teams lost their matches by one game to Union Catholic, the Varsity team won both games against Union Catholic in a row.
“As you know this night is not just about volleyball," said Westfield varsity coach Beverly Torok, who was also a breast cancer survivor. “Without the survivors to celebrate, this night would be a lot different.”
Both teams made a tunnel by connecting their hands and let all the breast cancer survivors present run through them. At the end they were given a bouquet of flowers. In addition to Torok, the survivors included Stephanie Scarano, Carmela Resnick, Roseanne Liviosi, Mary Aronds, Barbara Gill, Stacey Nissenbaum, Maria Delrio, Stacy Ukrainsky, Pam Redicker, Martha Fico,Theresa Kasko, Lori Winter and Dr. Catherine Cunningham.
This story was published through a news content partnership between The Alternative Press of Lower Providence and NBC10.
A South Jersey nurse tried in vain to save her own daughter after a hit-and-run crash over the weekend.
The scene played out in Pilesgrove, Salem County around 11:30 p.m. Friday, according to New Jersey State Police.
Police said two vehicles struck Chelsea Burns, of Woodstown, as the 25-year-old walked along Alloway-Woodstown Road near East Lake Road.
Chelsea, the mother of a 3-year-old boy, earlier in the night demanded her boyfriend let her out of the car after the two got into an argument, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The boyfriend drove off, but later called Chelsea’s mother Cathy to ask her to help him find Chelsea. According to her family, Chelsea, a waitress at a local pizza place, had a history of seizures. The argument stemmed from the boyfriend wanting to take her home after she suffered a minor seizure and Chelsea wanting to stay out, the family said.
As the unidentified boyfriend and Cathy Burns searched, they came upon stopped vehicles in the roadway. That's when they found Chelsea on the ground.
"I ran up to her," said Cathy, who is a registered nurse at the Inspira Health Network. "As I ran up to her I could hear a man crying, saying the Mustang in front of him never stopped and it just kept going like she wasn't even there."
Cathy used her nursing skills to administer CPR but it was too late -- Chelsea was already lifeless.
"I did everything I could," Cathy said while in tears. "There is no one who could have done CPR any harder or better than I did that night. But nothing."
Police said that the first car that struck Chelsea killed her. Police tracked down and spoke to the second driver who has remained cooperative in the investigation and will not be charged. Investigators told NBC10 they don't have a make and model for the hit-and-run vehicle.
Cathy told NBC10 based on witness reports, she believes the vehicle was a Mustang. She also had a message for the person responsible for her daughter's death.
"You need to confess or you're going to have guilt for the rest of your life," she said. "I understand if you didn't see her and you hit her. We all make mistakes. But you just don't leave someone dead on the road."
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at (856) 769-0775.
Crews were working Monday afternoon to put out a small fire at the Parker Spruce Hotel in Center City, Philadelphia.
At 3:45 p.m., smoke was billowing from a 9th floor window of the hotel, located at 261 S. 13th Street in Washington Square West.
The 12-story structure was evacuated and no one was hurt, according to the fire department.
"On the north side of the building, there was a lot of smoke coming out of one of the windows," said Greta Iverson, an intern for NBC10 who was walking down the street when alarms went off inside the hotel. "I heard popping noises. I think it might have been the heat, breaking the glass."
13th Street was closed between Spruce and Locust during the afternoon rush. Red Cross workers are currently assisting around 100 people who were affected by the fire.
In 1924, the hotel opened as a bachelor apartment called the Spruce Hotel and became a popular spot for musicians. Currently, the building has the reputation of a neighborhood eyesore according to The Gayborhood Guru blog and comments in Spencer Starnes' documentary:
A viral video of two children in a brutal street fight has sparked a police investigation.
The video, which has made the rounds on social media, shows two young boys fighting on a street in Wilmington, Delaware as several adults stand in the background laughing.
The children, who police believe are between the ages of four and seven, punch each other in the head repeatedly. At one point, a young girl tries to break up the fight as the adults continue to look on.
Police also believe an adult recorded the video and posted it on Facebook.
A viewer who first saw the video contacted NBC10 and expressed his concern. NBC10 sent the video to Wilmington Police who confirmed Monday they were investigating the incident as a possible case of child abuse. They are also trying to identify a man in the video who is watching the fight while standing against a car.
If you have any information on the incident or the adults in the video, please call Wilmington Police at 302-576-3162.
Apparently a career's worth of hate from Flyers fans didn't stop Sidney Crosby from honoring Philly with his Halloween costume this year.
Yep. Rocky Balboa.
Is it possible Crosby just really likes Rocky, or is this a subtle jab at Flyers fans? If it's the latter ... well we've got to admit that's pretty clever.
Officials are searching for a driver who sideswiped a state police vehicle as troopers conducted a traffic stop.
The close call was captured on dashcam video back on October 11 around 10:30 p.m. Two New Jersey state troopers from the Hamilton station pulled over a car for a minor traffic violation along I-95 in Upper Freehold Township. As the troopers stood on the passenger side, a speeding vehicle suddenly clipped the stopped car as well as the state police cruiser.
Fortunately no one was hurt during the incident.
“It was a very close call,” said New Jersey State Police Sergeant Jeff Flynn. “If the trooper was getting out of his vehicle and that vehicle had struck at that time, it would have been a tragedy.”
The speeding vehicle flattened the tire of the police cruiser and the troopers were unable to pursue. The vehicle is described as a white or silver Jeep Wrangler with damage to the passenger side.
“We want to find that individual and we’d like to talk to him to find out what happened that night,” Sergeant Flynn said.
A similar, though much more tragic incident occurred on I-95 back in 2010. State Trooper Marc Castellano was struck and killed by a passing vehicle while conducting an investigation.
“All it takes is one split second for that 2000 or 3000-pound vehicle to strike somebody and kill them,” said Nick Castellano, the trooper’s brother.
Castellano’s family is featured in a video promoting New Jersey’s “Move Over Law” which is aimed at protecting first responders. The law was enacted a year before Castellano’s death.
According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 136 officers have been struck and killed by vehicles across the country over the past decade.
If you have any information on the October 11 incident, please contact New Jersey State police at (609) 584-5015.
A boil water advisory is in effect for a Bucks County town after several water main breaks caused extensive damage.
On Sunday, around 7 a.m., several water main breaks occurred near a 12-inch main on Bustleton Pike in Northampton Township causing extensive road damage. Breaks also occurred under a Sunoco petroleum pipeline that crosses Bustleton Pike.
Officials closed down the street between Tanyard and Lower Holland roads due to the breaks. Several customers in the area reported dirty water which officials said was caused by a sudden surge of water after the breaks occurred.
PennDOT and Sunoco officials continue to monitor the repairs of the pipeline while crews continue to replace sections of the main. Crews are also analyzing bacteria samples. On Monday officials issued a boil water advisory for sections of the town due to a loss of pressure caused by the repairs.
Residents living on the following streets in Northampton Township are advised to boil their water until further notice:
A man is fighting for his life after he was beaten with a crowbar in the Germantown section of the city.
The 37-year-old man was at the intersection of Germantown and Windrim avenues early Monday evening when an unidentified person attacked him with a crowbar before fleeing the scene.
The victim was taken to the hospital where he is currently in critical condition.
Police have not yet revealed a description of the suspect or a motive. They continue to investigate.
This story is developing. Stay with NBC10.com for updates.
After writing a best-selling memoir, winning numerous awards, surviving an assassination attempt and becoming a global voice for educational empowerment, Malala Yousafzai has already accomplished more at the age of 17 than most people will in an entire lifetime. Tuesday night she’ll add yet another amazing achievement to her list when she becomes the youngest person ever to receive the Liberty Medal.
The Pakistani teen will be honored during the 26th annual Liberty Medal ceremony at the National Constitution Center.
The Liberty Medal is awarded to men and women who “strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.” Past recipients include Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
“It's an honor to be awarded the Liberty Medal,” Yousafzai said. “I accept this award on behalf of all the children around the world who are struggling to get an education.”
Yousafzai first gained fame at the age of 11 after writing for the BBC about life under the Taliban in her native Pakistan. Through her writings, she described her family’s struggle to gain education for young girls in her community.
Yousafzai’s outspokenness gained her plenty of supporters around the world as well as enemies. In October of 2012, she was shot in the head while returning from school on a bus in an assassination attempt by the Taliban.
Yousafzai survived the shooting and continued her educational advocacy. After the attack, Gordon Brown, the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, launched the Malala Petition which demanded that the UN recommit to Millennium Development Goal 2, which involves universal primary education for children around the world by the end of 2015.
The petition received more than three million signatures and helped Pakistan ratify the country’s Right to Education bill.
“Malala’s courageous fight for equality and liberty from tyranny is evidence that a passionate, committed leader, regardless of age, has the power to ignite a movement for reform,” said National Constitution Center Chairman Governor Jeb Bush. “Her story is truly inspirational as we continue to fight for all children to have access to a quality education here in America. Let us all, young and old, strive to be like Malala—to challenge the status quo and to serve as catalysts for meaningful change.”
In addition to the Liberty Medal, Yousafzai was also the recipient of the 2013 United Nations Human Rights Prize as well as Pakistan’s National Youth Peace Prize. Her memoir, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, made the New York Times bestseller list. She also continues to fight for universal access to education through the Malala Fund, a nonprofit organization that empowers girls through education.
The Liberty Medal ceremony is set to begin Tuesday at 7 p.m.
A Montgomery County corrections officer was suspended after he allegedly ignored protocol, which allowed a prisoner to leave a hospital.
The unidentified prison inmate had been hospitalized at Einstein Medical Center Montgomery in East Norriton since Saturday.
On Monday he asked to take a shower before being released from the hospital, according to officials. The corrections officer allegedly ignored protocol which allowed the inmate to run from the hospital down the road.
The inmate, who was barefoot and wearing his prison jumpsuit, was found by a Lower Providence Police officer about a half hour later at the Wawa on Whitehall Road.
The inmate was taken into custody and the corrections officer was suspended.
Officials continue to investigate the incident.
A New Jersey City official was arrested Sunday after he stayed at a local motel with a 12-year-old boy without the consent of the boy's guardian, authorities say.
Daniel Vergara, 53, of Paterson, was stopped and questioned by South Hackensack Police after he stayed at a motel there with the boy, according to the Bergen County prosecutor's office.
Detectives from the Special Victims Unit at the prosecutor's office spoke to the boy, and the boy "provided specific details regarding his relationship with Vergara" that resulted in Vergara's arrest, authorities said.
Airport Motel owner Ken Gandhi recalled Vergara checking in, though he didn't remember seeing the boy.
"The guy came to me for the room and he asked me for the room, and I just gave him the room for one night," he said. "The next day, police came to us and they were looking for the guy."
Vergara, a deputy chief inspector with the Paterson sanitation department, was charged with child endangerment and remanded to jail on $75,000 bail. Attorney information wasn't immediately available.
City officials say they are aware of the charges against Vergara and are tracking the criminal investigation against him.
An official in the city of Paterson who asked not to be identified said Vergara is a well-known public servant who has previously served as a school board member and led the Paterson Puerto Rican Day Parade.
He was heavily involved with the local Boy Scouts and created his own Boy Scouts troop, the official said.
The prosecutor's office would not say whether Vergara is a person of interest in any other case.
-- Roseanne Colletti contributed to this report.
A deadly crash closed a stretch of a busy Lehigh Valley highway early Tuesday.
The crash along Interstate 78 near Exit 59 (Route 145/Summit Lawn) in Upper Saucon Township caused traffic to backup eastbound.
By 4 a.m. all lanes were closed as traffic backed up for about five miles.
One person died in the crash. Police didn’t immediately reveal how many vehicles were involved or if anyone else was injured.
Route 22 could be used as an alternate route, said NBC10 traffic reporter Jillian Mele.
The roadway finally reopened shortly before 10 a.m., according to police.
A dump truck overturned along a Chester County road Tuesday morning leaving its load on the side of the road.
The crash caused traffic troubles around Pennsylvania Route 10 and Route 340 in West Caln, Pennsylvania around 7 a.m.
First reponders rescued a person from the wreckage and medics transported that person to Brandywine Hospital with undisclosed injuries, according to Chester County dispatchers.
As SkyForce10 hovered overhead shortly after the crash, you could see the dump truck on its side and its load of stones or gravel dumped onto the grassy side of the road.
For the second time in two weeks, an assault was reported at the same Philadelphia supermarket.
A screaming woman ran inside the Pathmark at 840 Cottman Avenue in the Lawndale section of the city around 6 p.m. Monday and said she was assaulted outside the store.
A 19-year-old man followed the woman into the supermarket, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation.
Customers then cornered the unidentified man until police arrived, sources said.
Medics took the woman to the hospital with undisclosed injuries.
This is the second time this month that an attack happened at the supermarket. On Oct. 7, a man was stabbed in the face and neck while in the dairy aisle.
Thousands of SEPTA riders could be left out in the cold if the largest SEPTA workers union authorizes a strike this weekend.
In a letter announcing a strike authorization vote for Sunday, Transit Workers Union of America [TWU] Local 234 says that SEPTA’s current proposals "simply show that SEPTA is daring Local 234 members to strike."
The letter, dated Oct. 20, calls for the union workers -- TWU 234 includes about 5,000 bus drivers, subway operators, mechanics and cashiers -- to come together Sunday afternoon to authorize a strike.
A work stoppage by the union’s City Division would halt all city bus and subway service.
The transit union is upset with SEPTA’s current proposals for pay increases (6 percent staggered over five years), freezing health benefits and asking union members to contribute 10 percent to health premiums. The union claims these proposals make rank-and file workers "second-class citizens" because they have increased benefits to supervisors and management.
"It boils down to this," reads the TWU letter, "SEPTA’s double standard is affecting ever issue on the bargaining table…"
The TWU said a strike is a "weapon of last resort."
"We have to be willing to sacrifice in order to close the intolerable gap" in benefits between SEPTA workers and managers, said the TWU.
Earlier this month, SEPTA officials said that there wouldn't be a regional rail strike for at least four months but didn't close the door on a bus and subway strike.
SEPTA train and subway employees last went on strike in 2009 -- a work stoppage that lasted six days.
