A father and son on the hunt for game in eastern Pennsylvania instead found an automated teller machine in the middle of the woods.
Pennsylvania State Police responded to a wooded area off the unit block of Orchard Street in Rockland Township, Berks County around 9:30 a.m. Saturday after the men reported finding a stand-alone MAC machine.
Authorities are looking for a woman who threw hot coffee at an NJ Transit bus operator outside Newark Penn Station last month.
NJ Transit says the woman boarded the bus as it was parked in the bus lane on Market Street near the transit hub Nov. 23. The woman tried to hold the doors open when the driver told her he needed to close them to continue on his route, according to NJ Transit, and she threw the coffee at him.
She fled immediately after the 7:45 p.m. attack and was last seen running west on Market Street. Only a few minutes passed between the time she got on the bus and ran away, NJ Transit said. It wasn't clear why she was trying to prevent the driver from leaving the Newark stop.
The bus driver's knee was bruised and he suffered a superficial arm injury -- redness, not a burn -- in the confrontation, the transit company said.
Authorities released surveillance camera images of a woman wanted for questioning in the assault (above). NJ Transit said there were witnesses on the bus at the time of the altercation, but they have not spoken to police.
Anyone with information about her or the attack is asked to call NJ Transit police at (973) 491-8959.
A couple of years ago, auditors looked at the books of a charter school in Buffalo, New York, and were taken aback by what they found. Like all charter schools, Buffalo United Charter School is funded with taxpayer dollars. The school is also a nonprofit. But as the New York State auditors wrote, Buffalo United was sending " virtually all of the School's revenues" directly to a for-profit company hired to handle its day-to-day operations.
Charter schools often hire companies to handle their accounting and management functions. Sometimes the companies even take the lead in hiring teachers, finding a school building, and handling school finances.
In the case of Buffalo United, the auditors found that the school board had little idea about exactly how the company 2013 a large management firm called National Heritage Academies 2013 was spending the school's money. The school's board still had to approve overall budgets, but it appeared to accept the company's numbers with few questions. The signoff was "essentially meaningless," the auditors wrote.
In the charter-school sector, this arrangement is known as a "sweeps" contract because nearly all of a school's public dollars 2013 anywhere from 95 to 100 percent 2013 is "swept" into a charter-management company.
The contracts are an example of how the charter schools sometimes cede control of public dollars to private companies that have no legal obligation to act in the best interests of the schools or taxpayers. When the agreement is with a for-profit firm like National Heritage Academies, it's also a chance for such firms to turn taxpayer money into tidy profits.
"It's really just a pass-through for for-profit entities," said Eric Hall, an attorney in Colorado Springs who specializes in work with charter schools and has come across many sweeps contracts. "In what sense is that a nonprofit endeavor? It's not."
Neither National Heritage Academies nor the Buffalo United board responded to requests for comment.
While relationships between charter schools and management companies have started to come under scrutiny, sweeps contracts have received little attention. Schools have agreed to such setups with both nonprofit and for-profit management companies, but it's not clear how often. Nobody appears to be keeping track.
What is clear is that it can be hard for regulators and even schools themselves to follow the money when nearly all of it goes into the accounts of a private company.
"We're not confident that sweeps contracts allow [charters schools and regulators] to fully fulfill their public functions," said Alex Medler, who leads policy and advocacy work at the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, a trade group for charter regulators. The organization discourages the arrangements. "We think this is an issue that needs attention."
Officials have gotten glimpses of questionable spending by some firms using "sweeps" contracts.
Take the case of Brooklyn Excelsior Charter School, another National Heritage Academies school. In 2012, state auditors tried to track the $10 million in public funding given to the school, only to conclude they were " unable to determine ... the extent to which the $10 million of annual public funding provided to the school was actually used to benefit its students." From what auditors could tell, the school was paying above-market rent for its building, which in turn is owned by a subsidiary of National Heritage Academies. They also had concerns about equipment charges.
The auditors couldn't ultimately tell whether the charges were reasonable because National Heritage Academies refused to share the relevant financial details. The firm also refused to provide detailed documentation for $1.6 million in costs recorded as corporate services, claiming the information was proprietary, according to the audit. The board president of Brooklyn Excelsior did not respond to our request for comment.
While the auditors in New York were disturbed by what they found, they could do little more than issue reports with advisory recommendations. "We can't audit the management company," said Brian Butry, a spokesman for New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
In Michigan, where NHA is the largest charter-school operator, state education regulators have voiced similar frustrations about the degree to which these private firms are shielded from having to answer to the public about how money is spent.
"I can't FOIA National Heritage Academies," said Casandra Ulbrich, Vice President of the Michigan State Board of Education, referring to the right to request public documents from public agencies. "I don't know who they're subcontracting with, I don't know if they're bid out. I don't know if there are any conflicts of interest. This is information we as taxpayers don't have a right to."
Last year, Ulbrich and the State Board of Education had called for more transparency to be brought to the financial dealings of charter-management firms. They specifically asked the legislature to outlaw sweeps contracts. "Unfortunately," Ulbrich said, "it fell on deaf ears."
The Internal Revenue Service has questioned some cases of sweeps contracts, but has not taken a consistent stand on whether the contracts are appropriate.
It's not just charter regulators and auditors that have reason to be wary of such setups. Some charter-school boards that signed sweeps contracts have found themselves shut out of the operations of their own schools.
In Ohio, ten charter-school boards sued their management firm, White Hat Management, in 2010 after they couldn't get answers to basic questions about why their schools' performance lagged and how the school's money was spent.
Even so, it was a challenge for the schools to take back control. After handing over the bulk of their money to White Hat for years, the schools had little money of their own, said Karen Hockstad, an attorney who's been representing the school boards in continuing litigation.
"Their hands are tied. They don't have the money to build brand new infrastructure and get new desks and books and anything else," said Hockstad. White Hat Management did not return a request for comment.
Some charter-school regulators 2013 recognizing their limited authority over charter-management companies 2013 are beginning to push back, requiring schools to get more information from management firms. Still, that hasn't stopped some management companies from putting up a fight.
Regulators in the District of Columbia are seeking more legal authority over management firms after two recent scandals. The DC Public Charter School Board has asked the city council to pass legislation that would allow access to the books of management companies under certain conditions. So far, that effort has gone nowhere.
A nor'easter that brought rain, high winds and flooding to parts of the Philadelphia region could still bring snow to other areas overnight into Wednesday.
“It’s a long lasting event because the storm itself is stalled,” said NBC10 First Alert Weather chief meteorologist Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz.
Snow could fall in Philadelphia and along the I-95 corridor Wednesday but it should fall in the Poconos and more than likely fall in the Lehigh Valley and Berks County, said Glenn.
The most likely part of the region to see any accumulation is the Poconos, said Glenn. The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning until midday Wednesday for Monroe and Carbon Counties in the Poconos with 4 to 6 inches of snow possible.
Snow should begin overnight in the Poconos and could start before daybreak north and west of the city and in the Lehigh Valley. Snow could fall later in the day closer to Philly.
Glenn said that bands of snow rarely seen during Nor’easters make this storm hard to read.
“What we’re going to be looking for are bands of heavier snow,” said Glenn. “Sometimes in setups like this they can develop and then stay over the same areas.”
“If the surface temperature is 35 and you have snow falling — if it’s on the lighter side especially — it will just melt,” said Glenn.
Motorists should use caution on area roadways due to pooled water and possible slippery conditions.
A Flood Watch continues through late Tuesday night for parts of Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania and Burlington and Mercer counties in New Jersey as well as coastal New Jersey, according to the National Weather Service.
A wintry mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow began falling in parts of the Lehigh Valley and areas north and west of Philadelphia Monday into Tuesday, while the Philadelphia area experienced downpours early Tuesday morning. The heaviest rainfall began to move past the Delaware Valley during the morning rush hour, but lighter precipitation and strong winds persisted throughout Tuesday.
A Wind Advisory is in effect for parts of the Jersey Shore until 4 p.m. Tuesday with sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph wind gusts up to 55 mph possible, according to the National Weather Service.
Coastal flooding caused roads to flood in Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean counties. In Long Beach Township, Barnegat Bay poured onto Long Beach Boulevard late Tuesday morning. In Beach Haven, Ocean County water completely covered some roadways.
On Tuesday, in Longport, Atlantic County the ocean crashed over the rocks and spilled into the streets and around 9 a.m., the flood sirens rang out in West Wildwood, Cape May County as water flooded some streets. Heavy rains, high winds and tidal flooding forced officials to close schools in Ocean City, New Jersey.
The storm should continue to affect the area beyond Wednesday.
“There’s still a chance of snow flurries or snow showers on Thursday,” said Glenn. “The storm is going to pretty much stall over New England and that’s going to keep it windy and cold here for the rest of the week and every once in a while a little snow could spin all the way around that storm and come down.”
Stay with NBC10.com for the latest weather updates.
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“She had a strong work ethic. She prided herself in working at busy engine companies," he said.
The 36-year-old mother, who recently returned from maternity leave, spent 11 years fighting fires on behalf of the citizens of Philadelphia, one of only 150 women in the department. She earned commendations for helping save lives and was formally trained as an EMT after graduating from Murrell Dobbins Vocational High School.
Craig-Lewis started her career at Engine 9 in Germantown. Seeking a bigger challenge and wanting to "learn her craft," she transferred to North Philadelphia's often dispatched Engine 45, Sawyer said.
Several years later, she moved to her last firehouse, Engine 64, in Lawncrest. But Craig-Lewis wasn't working with her assigned engine Tuesday morning.
She was working an overtime shift at Engine 73 in West Oak Lane when she went into the burning basement of a Middleton Street rowhome. It was there, in the darkness and intense heat, that she was lost her life, becoming the city's first woman firefighter to die on duty.
“She was the last one left behind," the commissioner said. "They went back in to search for her and they were not able to get her out before she passed."
Along with being a dedicated firefighter, Craig-Lewis was a mother raising two children — 16-month-old Laylani Lewis and 16-year-old Mehki Donte Green.
"I know that he’s hurting right now. You’re talking about a teenager that’s doing good in school and an athlete who just lost his mother," Sawyer said.
As the investigation into how Craig-Lewis became trapped begins, her brothers and sisters in the department also begin to honor her memory.
Employees told investigators that a man left the department store without paying for three Media Freestyle Breast Pumps valued at $1,000, said police.
Once outside the store, the man dumped the pumps -- for an undisclosed reason -- and fled on foot, possibly getting into a white SUV, said investigators.
Police said the same man could be responsible for a similar breast pump heist from a Burlington Coat Factory in Freehold, New Jersey.
Anyone who recognizes the man from surveillance video is asked to contact Detective Daniel Waleski at 732-262-1170 or the Brick Township Police Department at 732-262-1100.
The road would remain closed until further notice, said police.
The exact cause of the slide wasn’t clear. The area saw on and off rain – heavy at times – throughout the day Tuesday as a nor’easter struck the region.
The slide closed Balligomingo Road between Portland Road and Front Street (Route 23) in West Conshohocken, said West Conshohocken police Tuesday afternoon.
The exact cause of the slide wasn’t clear. The area saw on and off rain – heavy at times – throughout the day Tuesday as a nor’easter struck the region. Crews closed the same stretch of road during a big storm last summer.
South Jersey native and Philadelphia resident Matt McAndrew sang his way into the #VoiceFinal4.
McAndrew was the last of three men named to the finals of NBC's singing competition "The Voice" Tuesday night after performing Ed Sheeran's "Make It Rain" on Monday night's show.
Matt faces fellow Pennsylvanian, and #TeamAdam member, Chris Jamison from Pittsburgh and #TeamBlake's Craig Wayne Boyd of Nashville, Tennessee in next week's finals. R&B hopeful Damien Lawson, also of #TeamAdam, joins the final group after America chose him to be the reality show's wild card after not choosing him earlier to be part of the final 3.
Matt earned his spot thanks to Americans voting. The effort of his fans isn't lost on the Barnegat Light, New Jersey native who attended the Art Institute in Philly.
"I think every good artist knows and appreciates their fans," Matt told NBC10 during his homecoming last week. "But, the particular format that I’m in right now, it’s so obvious that the fan support is the only thing that is keeping me here ... that has me here.
"These people work their butts off when it’s time to vote on the show. I put in my work during the week and I sit back and watch my song climb up the charts. They’re all on the app, they’re on email, they’re on everything. I just really appreciate all the seriously hard work (the fans) put in."
The deal between Revel and Brookfield Holdings will officially be off the table, according to court documents filed Tuesday night.
Revel filed a motion late Tuesday to terminate the sale of the defunct Atlantic City casino to Brookfield Holdings and approve the sale to the backup bidder, Glenn Straub, President of Polo North Country Club.
Since signing the purchase agreement with Brookfield on Sept. 30, Revel has been working to close the deal, but new terms introduced by the buyer made it impossible, a source close to the negotiations told NBC10's Ted Greenberg.
Staff and children at a Philadelphia day care were forced to leave the facility Wednesday morning after a century-old water main broke and flooded nearby streets.
The incident occurred along the 1500 block of Germantown Avenue, near West Jefferson Street, in the city's Kensington section around 8:30 a.m.
Water from the busted 20-inch main spilled into the streets, making it difficult for drivers to travel along the roadway. The cast-iron main was installed in 1893, according to officials with the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD). They were trying to figure out how the old pipe failed. A contractor for the water department has been working in the neighborhood since summer, according to residents. PWD was investigating to see if that contractor was doing work on the main that failed and if the break was caused by the ongoing construction, cold weather or something else.
Insurance claims adjusters were going door to door checking for basement flooding.
An investigation last month by NBC10's Mitch Blacher revealed the city's aging infrastructure has resulted in an average of nearly two water main breaks a day -- a number that is still below the national average.
"You have to remember that a pipe that was built in 1801, the start of our system, is no longer in service," said Philadelphia Water Commissioner Howard Neukrug when interviewed by Balcher.
Philadelphia now uses a point system based primarily on age and location to track, identify, repair and replace the most vulnerable pipes. Workers have headsets that help them literally listen to more than 1,000 miles of underground pipeline to maintain the country's oldest water system.
The average Philadelphia water pipe is 67 years old.
For an unknown reason, Albert Baldwin of Berlin, New Jersey, lost control of his vehicle and smashed into Nicholas Martorano's vehicle as Martorano waited to turn left out of the shopping center, said Winslow Township Police.
Five other people were hurt, said county dispatchers.
The cause of the wreck remained under investigation Tuesday evening. Anyone with information is asked to contact Patrolman Scott Urban at 609-567-0700 ext. 1135.
Someone found the body of a man with a gunshot wound to the head on a Philadelphia street Wednesday morning.
The grisly discovery was made shortly after 7 a.m. along the 1900 block of Sterner Street in the city’s West Kensington neighborhood, said Philadelphia Police.
The man, who was in his late 20s or early 30s, appeared to have a gunshot wound to the back of his head, investigators said. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Police didn't reveal exactly where the man's body was found. There is an open field nearby.
A Drexel University student was recovering Wednesday after being slashed during a fight over a girl near the college's West Philly campus.
An altercation involving the victim and five other Drexel students turned violent around 3:30 a.m. when one of them pulled out a knife as the group stood on the 3300 block of Race Street, just outside several of Drexel's residence halls, according to school officials.
Drexel officials did not send out a student alert "since the perpetrator was immediately apprehended and there was no ongoing threat to the community."
In an advisory sent out by Domenic Ceccanecchio, Vice President of the school's Department of Public Safety, students who witnessed the fight and felt they needed help were invited to contact Drexel's Counseling Center.
An armed man robbed a ladies underwear department at a South Jersey Mall making off with a hunk of cash.
The holiday season heist went down right around closing Monday night in the lingerie department of Macy’s at the Deptford Mall. A masked man, wearing gloves pulled a gun on a female employee and demanded she empty the register, said Deptford Township Police.
The employee handed over nearly $1,200 in cash, said police.
After grabbing the dough, the man ran out of the store and got into a white vehicle before fleeing the scene. Investigators released a still of that vehicle leaving the scene Wednesday but didn’t show any surveillance images from within the store.
“The safety of our guests and retailers is a top priority and we strive to maintain a safe, enjoyable shopping environment at Deptford Mall,” said senior property manager Jim Mackey, CSM. “We have a thorough security program in place and we work very closely with our local law enforcement agencies.”
Part of that security includes patrons being able to ask security guards to take them to and from their cars.
Anyone with information about the heist is asked to contact Deptford Township Police at (856) 845-2220.
Drexel police worked with detectives in the Philadelphia police department's Special Victim's Unit to confirm the victim was a 21-year-old female student.
Investigators were not able to say whether the victim knew her attacker.
Drexel's Director of Media Relations, Niki Gianakaris, said the school chose not to alert students about the sex assault because campus police "wasn't notified about the incident until hours after it had already occurred."
Flags flew at half-staff at the state capital and in Philadelphia to honor the first female Philadelphia firefighter to die in the line of duty. NBC10's Lu Ann Cahn reports live from West Oak Lane with details of the investigation.
