Two schools in the Bethlehem Area School District will be closed on Monday, August 26, due to mold. This is the first day of school in the district.

Farmersville Elementary School and East Hills Middle School will be closed as room inspections and cleaning are done to get rid of the mold problem.

School officials posted an alert on the district website alerting parents and students of the closure.

"The Bethlehem Area School District is committed to the safety and well being of its students and staff. We will continue to dedicate the necessary time and resources to ensuring that the cleaning, remediation, and air quality testing of Farmersville Elementary School and East Hills Middle School are done to the highest standards."

This weekend, the district will post answers to some of the top questions parents may have about the closures on its web page.

The Bethlehem Area School District says it won't make a decision over whether or not these two schools will open on Tuesday, August 27 until it has room air quality clearance by a Certified Industrial Hygienist.

That decision won't be made until Monday.

 

Residents of a Center City high rise are evacuated after fire breaks out inside the building.

The fire started around 8:30 p.m. inside the Centre Square building at 15th and Market, next to the city's recognizable clothespin landmark.

Authorities tell NBC10 the fire started in an electrical room on the 13th floor of the building.

Fire crews have the situation under control and PECO is on the scene assessing the damage to the electrical system.

No one was injured.

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Martin Luther King Junior's son spoke in Philadelphia, just a few days before the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

He addressed a group of 18 to 21 years olds who graduated today from the YouthBuild Charter School. The more than 100 graduates were students who previously dropped out of high school.

"Anything we can to inspire young people to assume their rightful roles, I want to be a part of that effort," said King.

He delivered the keynote address at the ceremony, held at Zion Baptist Church at 3600 N. Broad Street.

His speech focused on social issues like voter rights, violence and poverty. King told NBC10's Matt DeLucia that he doesn't think there's been enough progress.

"When you're working for freedom, justice and equality, it's a lifelong struggle. It's not something that happens overnight," said King.

After the graduation ceremony, King left for Washington, DC where there are many events leading up to August 28 anniversary of his father's famous civil rights march.

The college student found dead at an off-campus apartment has been identified as Hanlon MacDonald.

MacDonald's body was found last night at an apartment at 513 Fillmore Street in Bethlehem. That's 0.2 miles away from the Lehigh University campus.

The 19 year old was a junior bio-engineering major from Albany, N.Y., according to a statement released by Lehigh University. She was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.

"The condolences of the university community go out to her family at this very difficult time," said John W. Smeaton, Vice Provost for Student Affairs at Lehigh University.

The coroner's office will perform an autopsy to find out the teen died, but there is no indication of foul play, according to the university's statement.

Counselors are available for any Lehigh University students in need of support by calling 610-758-4200.

Family and friends will say their final goodbyes this morning to a beloved 15-year-old boy who drowned in Pennypack Creek last week.

A funeral service will be held for Sebastien Sanon at the Saint Timothy Church located at 3001 Levick Street in Philadelphia at 10 a.m.

Sanon was with three of his friends near the creek on Frankford Avenue and Ashburner Street last Tuesday. Investigators say Sanon and a friend dipped their feet into the water to cool off when Sanon suddenly slipped and was carried away by the swift current.

Rescue crews searched for several days to find the missing teen. He was found last Saturday in the river near the Quaker City Yacht Club on Princeton Avenue. The Medical Examiner announced that the cause of death was drowning and that it was an accident.

Sebastien’s older sister, Kimberly Sanon, says her brother was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Philadelphia. He was taking classes at Agors Cyber Charter School and dreamed of one day becoming an astronomer.

“I was blessed to witness him grow into such a remarkable young man. He was kind, loyal, and made sure everyone around him was laughing and happy. He appreciated life and loved humanity,” said Sanon.

The teen’s drowning marked the third incident this summer in which a teenager has been swept away in a local creek.

In late July, Dan Tadrzynski and Perry Krewson, both 18, were swimming in the Neshaminy Creek when they were swept away in the fast-moving current. Their bodies were found two days later.

Earlier in July, two brothers jumped into Pennypack Creek and were swept away after a morning of heavy rains. The younger brother, 11, was found clinging to a ledge in the rain-swollen water and rescued. But the older brother, 13-year-old Brandon Boyle, drowned. His body was recovered three weeks later.

"Just like those other victims, the creek took a beautiful boy's life way too soon. Although he is no longer with us his memory will never be forgotten,” said Kimberly Sanon.

Sebastien would have celebrated his 16th birthday on Monday, according to his sister.


 

Loyal listeners to an iconic area radio station heard something unfamiliar this morning.

Nothing.

Some listeners heard nothing, besides some static, for a period of time Monday morning on WXPN 88.5.

The radio station’s signal went silent at some point Monday morning and remained silent for more than an hour. A technical glitch apparently caused the station, which broadcasts from University City, to stop working for some radio listeners, according to the station.

WXPN technicians worked to get the signal back online for everyone, according to the station.

Around 8 a.m., WXPN tweeted that the problem was fixed:

"Hey Philly listeners, we're back on-air on 88.5 FM! Our apologies for the static, it was a power-related issue. Thanks for your patience!"

The signal outage was specific to the Philly market as WXPN broadcasting continued to be heard as normal in Northern Maryland and Central Pennsylvania on other frequencies (WXPH 88.7 and 99.7). The public radio station also continued to broadcast online.

The station is known for programs including Free at Noon, Kids Corner, Echoes, Funky Friday and the World Cafe.

Didn't have a chance to catch up on local news yesterday? Here's what you missed:

Fire Tears Through Historic Church
A four-alarm fire damaged an historic church in the East Oak Lane section of the city Sunday.

Wildwood Icon Cozy Morley Dies at 87
Friends, family and fans across the country are mourning the loss of a South Jersey icon. Comedian, singer and night club owner Cozy Morley died this week from an illness. He was 87 years old.

Philly Woman Turns Up Alive After Her Own Funeral
A Philadelphia woman turned up alive nearly two weeks after her family held a funeral and burial for her.

NJ Man Claims Share of $448M Powerball Jackpot
Lottery officials say a New Jersey man has claimed the final share of this month's $448 million Powerball jackpot.

Glasses That Could Be Missing Pa. Teacher's Found
A California hiker has recovered a pair of eyeglasses that might belong to a Pennsylvania teacher who's been missing in the Eastern Sierra for more than a month. 

Searchers Find Missing Swimmer's Body at Park
A man went missing while swimming in a New Jersey creek.

Police are offering a reward to anyone with information leading to the arrest of the people responsible for the shooting death of a South Jersey gas station attendant. They also released a sketch of one of the suspects.

Someone shot the attendant as he worked at Garden State Fuel along the 900 block of N Broad Street in Woodbury, N.J. around 9 p.m. Sunday. Police suspect two people were involved in the man's shooting. They also say the motive was robbery.

A passing motorist found the attendant in the street in front of the station and called police. The victim, later identified as Surinder Singh, 40, was rushed to Inspira Medical Center, Woodbury where he was pronounced dead at 9:37 p.m. Police say he died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Investigators with the Gloucester County Prosecutors Office joined local police in investigating Singh's death.

According to prosecutor's office spokesman Bernie Weisenfeld, Singh lived in Woodbury with his wife and their two children. Friends and customers said he would often bring his two kids with him to the gas station that he had co-owned for more than a decade.

An employee at the nearby Colonial Diner said Singh was well known in the area and would often come to the diner.

"He was here every night, sometimes twice a day," said diner manager Eleni Mitrakos. "I still can't believe that he's dead, that I'll never see him again."

Mitrakos said Singh's station closed at 9 p.m. instead of later due to at least two earlier robberies.

By Monday morning's rush, traffic moved past the scene as normal but the family-run station remained closed. Later in the morning, investigators returned to the scene.

Monday afternoon, police announced a $5,000 reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the people responsible for Singh's death. They also released a sketch of one of the suspects.

If you have any information on Singh's death, please call Det. Greg Malesich of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office at (856) 384-5626 or Det. Tom Ryan of the Woodbury Police Department at (856) 845-0065.

Staff preparing for the school year had to evacuate a Philadelphia school this morning after a contractor apparently struck a gas line inside the school.

Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional Catholic School cleared out around 9 a.m. this morning due to the odor of gas.

Firefighters responded to the school on E Thompson Street in the city’s Port Richmond section around 9 a.m. Monday.

Teachers and staff at the school were evacuated. Kids are still on summer break. There were no reports of any injuries.

As SkyForce10 hovered overhead a short time later firefighters and Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) crews could be seen entering the OLPR building.

According to PGW a private contractor working inside the building struck the gas line. PGW crews responded and got the line fixed in less than 90 minutes.

Click here for more news from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

After hundreds of tip calls, police tracked down the woman who they say swiped another woman's purse as she shopped for groceries.

The caught on cam purse snatching happened Aug. 4 inside the ShopRite store on Route 70 in Brick Township, N.J.

Surveillance video shows the victim turning away from her cart briefly to inspect meat just as the alleged thief, carrying a shopping basket, swoops in and snatches the white purse from the victim's cart.

On Monday, Brick Township Police announced the arrest of 32-year-old Judith Campbell of Beachwood, N.J.

Police say they zeroed in on Campbell and posittively identiifed her from surveillance images thanks to numerous tips from the public. Police say since images hit the airwaves and Internet two weeks ago that detectives took more than 200 tip calls.

Investigators said that Campbell, who was charged with theft and released pending a hearing, is one of four people shown in surveillance images that could be connected to the theft. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Brick Township Police at 732-262-1122.

Thieves are increasingly riding away with bicycles at Temple University – a trend school police hope to reverse with a new digital system.

“We have been real aggressive with checking on bikes and stopping those acting suspicious around locked bikes,” says Temple University Acting Public Safety Director Charles Leone. “Our officers have stopped a few people with tools for stealing before having the opportunity to take a bike.”

Despite the increased focus, criminals are still making off with the cycles. Forty-two cycles were stolen from on and around the university's North Philadelphia campus between January and July – a nearly two-fold jump from the year before.

So for the new school year, Leone and his department have launched an digital database allowing Temple cyclists to register their bikes with university police.

As part of the registration, Temple bike owners will provide their personal information as well as identifying features of the bike – like make, color, dollar value and unique characteristics. Registers will also be asked to upload photos of the bike.

Temple University Police then provide stickers with a serial number and statement that the bike has been registered.

“Our officers, as well as the Philadelphia Police can use the registration information when checking on an incident involving a bike,” he said. “It’s difficult sometimes finding an owner of a bike, even after we have an arrest. That’s where the registration will help in closing that loop.”

Temple Police will also use the registration information to help build bike theft risk reduction programs. Leone says many thefts happen because bike owners do not use strong enough locks or properly lock down the two-wheeled vehicle.

“Most of our thefts are bikes locked with cable locks that can be easily cut. Or some bikes are locked to objects other than bike racks making them easier to manipulate the bike for removal,” he said.

Cycling Temple grad student Jeff Antsen says he hasn’t had any issues with his bike being swiped or lock being cut, but plans to register his bike.

“I’m sure at the very worst it helps with getting insurance money, which is kind of a big deal,” he said.

The system goes live Monday and to promote it officials will give away free U-bike locks to the first 500 students who register.

Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.

Two teenagers are hurt after a car accident in Atlantic County.

Police say the two boys, both 14-years of age, were riding on bikes on Cape May and 15th avenues Monday afternoon when they were struck by a green Mazda driven by an 82-year-old Atlantic County man.

Police say the man remained at the scene.

One boy was flown to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center. The other boy was taken to Cooper Hospital. Police say the teens suffered head, neck and back injuries. Their injuries don't appear to be life-threatening however.

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Fighting Bike Thefts With Online System

A funeral service has been scheduled for the 19-year-old George Washington High School graduate who was brutally murdered in Northeast Philadelphia last week.

Daquan Crump's body was discovered last Monday by a construction worker at a demolition site; formerly the site of Black Red White Furniture on the 10000 block of Northeast Avenue in the Somerton section of Northeast Philadelphia. Police say Crump was shot 10 to 12 times in the face and head.

Services for the teen will take place on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 11 a.m.; the viewing will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. All services will be held at Bethel Deliverance International Church in Wyncote, Pa.

Detectives assigned to the case say they're still investigating the incident, but haven't announced any major leads to finding the young teen's murderer.

Crump's step-father Kareem Kaba said he hopes someone will come forward with information.

"We know for sure that they're working on it, but we just haven't gotten any word on any developments. I know they have had a few people in for questioning, but other than that they haven't given us any other information," Kaba said.

"We just hope that if anybody has any information or if anybody knows anything else, they will contact police and let them know."

According to police, Crump was seen at a nearby Wendy's two nights before his body was found. Family members say he'd begun working at the restaurant two weeks ago. His uniform was found near his body in his backpack.

Crump also lived in the Somerton neighborhood and reportedly never had any trouble with the law.

Over the weekend, friends of Crump took to his Facebook page, which they've turned into a makeshift memorial, to share condolences. On Saturday, some of his friends gathered at the construction site for a vigil.

Kaba says the family is still very distressed by the loss.

"It's tough; it’s not easy to get through. His mom and his brothers and sisters are going through a really tough time. It's gonna be like that for a while, it’s not just gonna fade away any time soon," he said. "All we can do is just pray and make sure we are there for them. Other than that, until at least we can get some word from the authorities, we really don't know which direction to go in."

When motor coach driver Tulio Arias rolled onto Independence Mall from North Jersey Monday morning, he had no idea his bus would be barred from leaving the city because it was unsafe.

In the shadow of the U.S. Mint at 5th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia Police Officer Chester Hampton put Arias’ motor coach, owned by Marcus Paulo Tours, through a surprise safety inspection. In addition to a small windshield crack and lack of windshield washer fluid, came a more concerning find – a rear tire with a worn-down tread.

“Picture this vehicle on the highway doing…approximately 65-75 m.p.h., it would really be a hazard if this was to blow,” Ofc. Hampton said gesturing to the tire. “The driver might lose control of the vehicle, the tread might come off of the tire and then you have a motorist behind…where the tread is coming off and hitting their car.”

The dangerous tire forced Officer Hampton to take the bus “out of service” until the rubber could be replaced. A $197 fine was also levied against the company and a large sticker meant to notify passengers about the unsafe bus is placed on the windshield.

“Safety most important for us…my passenger’s lives, my life, also the property,” Arias said. “So everything they find we fix. It’s very, very important.”

Arais’ inspection was the first of many as part of a two-week national crackdown, launched Monday in Philadelphia, focusing on finding dangerous buses and their operators.

Called the Passenger Carrier Strike Force, local, state and federal authorities across the United States will be making surprise stops of passenger buses to uncover safety violations, take buses with improper maintenance off the road and shut down companies with a history of unsafe operations.

“This operation will not only shut down unsafe operators...but also will heighten awareness for all the companies that are carrying our most precious cargo...to be sure that they in fact are putting safety first on every trip,” said Anne Ferro of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Inspections, which take about an hour to complete, include checking for oil leaks, bad breaks and tires as well as faulty headlights and brake lights. Ferro says while buses can be pulled over at any time, the majority of the inspections will take place before the buses leave their origin point or after they arrive at their destination.

Nearly 4,000 motor coach companies handle more than 750 million passenger trips ever year across the U.S., according to the FMCSA. Ferro said while the majority of companies operate safely every day, both law enforcement and the public need to be vigilant and uncover unsafe operators.

“We have already shut down 18 bus companies that had no business being on the road. They presented an imminent hazard to the passengers we were carrying and the traveling companies,” Ferro said.

Philadelphia Police Traffic Unit Lt. Mike Anderson says while the crackdown is meant to make the inspection effort more visible, his officers are out every day inspecting both motor coaches and tractor trailers.

“It’s not that uncommon to find things to take them out of service,” he said. “When you’re traveling 3,000 miles…staying on top of things like tires and lights can be tough.”

Officials also encouraged passengers to do homework on the bus lines they’re taking.

The FMCSA launched an app called SaferBus last year that gives carriers ratings based on their violation history. Users can search for companies by their name or Department of Transportation registration number to see violations and learn whether the company is actually allowed to operate.

You can download the SaferBus app here.

Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.