One person is in the hospital after a fire at a Delaware apartment complex. 

The 2-alarm blaze broke out shortly after 8:30 p.m. at the Village of Canterbury Complex on the 5600 block of Byron Court in Bear, Delaware. It was placed under control around 10 p.m.

At least one person was injured in the fire and taken to the hospital. Officials have not yet revealed how severe those injuries are.

Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.

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The Phillies have made a flurry of roster moves over the last few days, starting with the trades of infielders John McDonald and Michael Young, and ending with the addition of several minor leaguers as the Major League roster has expanded to 40.

According to Matt Gelb of The Inquirer, the Phillies have called up catcher Cameron Rupp, infielder Freddy Galvis, and pitchers Tyler Cloyd, Luis Garcia, Mauricio Robles and Joe Savery.

While the names and talent levels of most of the players on that list are known to most, there are a pair of players who will be receiving their first cup of coffee with the Phillies this month, and as such, can go a long way in attempting to secure a roster spot for 2014.

Robles, a left-handed reliever, was acquired off waivers last December from the Seattle Mariners. Originally a starter, Robles has been a full-time relief pitcher with the Phillies this season, and has posted a 1.97 ERA in 64 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, with a 6.2 BB/9 and a 8.9 K/9. At 24, he's logged eight seasons in the minor leagues, with a 3.92 ERA in 207 games.

He's the type of pitcher that the Phillies have stocked up on lately – a reliever with the ability to get strikeouts, but at the cost of control. Like Phillippe Aumont, he looks to be a potentially valuable piece to to the bullpen, but poor control ultimately will be his undoing unless he can make a significant change at the Major League level. With the Phillies out of the playoff race, manager Ryne Sandberg would be wise to give Robles quite a few looks, perhaps as a left-handed specialist. Although, interestingly enough, Robles allowed a higher OPS to left-handed hitters this season (.653) than right-handers (.486).

Rupp, however, is the more interesting of the two call-ups. A 24-year-old catcher who was drafted by the Phillies in 2010. While he doesn't have a tremendous offensive skill set (he owns a .741 OPS in four minor league seasons), he has impressed the organization enough to have warranted a mid-season promotion from Double-A to Triple-A. In 93 games this season, Rupp has a .260/.320/.440 line, with 14 homers and 16 doubles. It's the third straight season that Rupp has increases his slugging and OPS.

While Carlos Ruiz is the likely starter next season (pending how Ruben Amaro handles the contract of the free agent in the off-season), Rupp may very well earn himself a back-up role if he can make the most of his time with the Phillies this month.

It was a bittersweet Labor Day for many workers in the Philadelphia area. They celebrated the holiday despite nasty weather as well as the continued labor unrest in the region. Thousands of union members also used Labor Day as an opportunity to reissue their demands, calling for fair pay, better benefits and fair working conditions.

During today’s events, union leaders claimed the city and corporations were wringing concessions from their workers.

“You’re not some guy or some fat cat up on Wall Street that screwed up the economy,” said city council president Darrell Clarke to a crowd of workers. “So why should this problem be fixed on your backs?!”

Philadelphia firefighters, who have been without a contract since 2009, also took part in today’s events.

“The reason we don’t strike is because we live in these communities in Philadelphia,” said Joseph Schulle, president of the Philadelphia Firefighters Union. “We have a contract with Philadelphia that we take care of you.”

City teachers also let their voices be heard. With opening day approaching, they’re dealing with massive budget cuts and an expired contract.

“The parent that I deal with wants to know what’s going on,” said Darrell Robinson, who works with autistic students. “She says her child hasn’t been able to pick classes. It just puts us so far behind when we’re trying to advance.”

Many of the union members blamed Mayor Michael Nutter who has said that cuts and concessions are simply economic realities.

“They won’t give us a cost of living raise,” said Betty Foster, a school bus driver. “If you keep taking, taking, taking, then you have nothing else to give.”

The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers held a meeting Monday night to discuss their current status on contract negotiations with the Philadelphia School District. No votes were made on any issue during the meeting.
 

"I want him to be remembered, the hero that he was."

One year after her 6-year-old boy Dominick died protecting his sister from an attacker, Debbie Burgos carries with her mementos of her son and the final act that possibly saved his older sister's life.

"I'm grateful for what my son did for my family, for myself also because I could have worked into that terribleness," Debbie Burgos said.

Dominick died as he fought off an intruder who investigators say was attacking Dominick's sister inside their Camden, N.J. home on the girl's 13th birthday.

County prosecutors say the little boy tried to protect his sister from Osvaldo Rivera who was trying to sexually assault her. Rivera reportedly told investigators he was smoking a combination of marijuana and PCP, known as "Wet" just before the killing. Investigators say Rivera, now 32, slashed the throats of both children after breaking into their Ware Street home in the early morning hours of Sept. 2, 2012.

Friends and family held a memorial mass for Dominick today at 10 a.m., exactly one year since his death. The mass took place at St. Cecilia's Church at 4824 Camden Ave. in Pennsauken, N.J. They then participated in a memorial walk at 11:30 a.m. at 7th and Ware Streets in Camden.

Dominick's family continues to deal with the aftermath of the violent attack.

"No mother should go through a pain like this," Burgos said.

The Burgos family has moved from the home where the attack occurred but they haven't forgotten what they lost there. Burgos says she hopes to keep Dominick's memory alive.

"Just like he's kept alive in our home I want to world to keep him alive also," Burgos said.

The attack left Dominick's sister hospitalized for about a month. Her family says she has physically recovered and even returned to school last year but Burgos tells NBC10's Katy Zachry that her daughter is still dealing with a lot emotionally.

The family is still awaiting Rivera's trial.

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Home football games at one Bucks County high school may look a bit different this season.

Under a new policy, Pennridge High School fans may have to remain in the stands during games.

Socializing on the track that rings Poppy Yoder Field or playing pickup football games would be off-limits.

The Pennridge School District has hired Executive Protection Services, a private security company, to help enforce the measure, which isn't yet set in stone.

"Anytime you have a crowd as large as we're going to have at our football games this year, it's important to have plans and procedures in place to keep things under control for incidents small and large," said district spokesman Joe Ferry.

No particular incident prompted the procedure, he said.

Games typically attract between 2,000 and 3,000 students.

The plan, part of a notice recently sent out to parents and students, isn't sitting well with many members of the school community. They argue the measure would diminish Pennridge's rich high school football tradition.

Some are particularly concerned that community spirit at games will dwindle if the procedure is finalized.

"I enjoy going to the football games and watching football, but I also enjoy going there and hanging out with my friends because it's a social event," said Evan Kerr, a Pennridge senior who sits on the school's student council. "Taking that away will make it so people go other places and hang out on Friday night."

Duane High, who has watched Ram football games for three decades, called the idea "shocking" and said it sends the wrong message to fans.

"It really puts you on edge as a student, as a fan, that the school doesn't seem to trust the situation, which is very unusual," said High.

The procedure was crafted by Pennridge Principal Thomas Creeden in response to the Pennridge School Board's interest in increased security at football games.

"It was not a board action," said David Thompson, one of the board's nine, voting members.

Thompson, for his part, doesn't see much sense in Creeden's plan.

"The whole thing is just wildly impractical to try and enforce," said Thompson. "I can't imagine why Dr. Creeden thought this was believable or even possible."

Creeden declined comment.

During the team's first home game Friday, EPS staff joined Perkasie Police at the field, but only to observe and assess the crowd.

The company is expected to make specific recommendations to the district about what crowd-control measures would work well for the team's remaining four home games.

Community input is also expected to be part of the equation.

"We will continue to evaluate all measures to ensure our fans and visitors can enjoy this wonderful community tradition," said Ferry.

The Rams' next home game is Sept. 12 when they take on the Council Rock South team.

This story was reported through a news coverage partnership between NBC10.com and NewsWorks.org

With a few new twists in store, organizers are gearing up for an event that has quickly become an East Falls tradition.

The third-annual Dance on the Falls Bridge, scheduled for Saturday night, is expected to draw hundreds from across the region to the iconic bridge that spans the Schuylkill River.

With music, dance lessons and a cigar bar serving as holdovers from the 2012 event, event planners are shedding appetizers and capitalizing on what is both a Philadelphia legacy and one of the hotter gastronomic trends: Food trucks.

Guests will have both savory and sweet options, with options ranging from American favorites to Korean and Trinidadian fare, along with several dessert merchants.

Gina Snyder, executive director of the East Falls Development Corp., which oversees the event, said that the decision to invite the mobile merchants was simple.

"People really seem to love food trucks," she said. "There's something for everyone."
Silent-auction preview

In prior years, various charitable organizations benefitted from the event's silent auction.

In 2011, The Schuylkill Center of Roxborough was selected; in 2012, dance organizers selected clothes-pin.org, a Philadelphia-based non-profit that donates clothing to those in need.

This year, the EFDC is partnering with the Fairmount Park Conservancy and the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust.

Snyder said event planners wanted to support organizations that build and protect the park and the Schuylkill River. All proceeds from the auction will benefit these organizations.

"They said they would do the auction together," Snyder observed, acknowledging their strong working relationship. "It's a good presentation for both of them."

So far, a variety of items have been obtained for the auction, including a river tour for three with John B. Kelly, scion of the East Falls' most famous family.

Other items include baseball and football memorabilia — a Ryan Howard signed baseball, a Carlos Ruiz (Chooch) signed bat and a Ron Jaworski signed football — along with artwork and tickets to local attractions.

James Bloom, president of the Trust's board of directors and honorary dance co-chair, recalled in a statement that earlier partnerships with the Trolley Car Café enhanced both East Falls and Fairmount Park.

"We congratulate the EFDC on all of the projects they have accomplished and look forward to the Dance," said Bloom.

The logistics

With the dance less than a week away, Snyder is encouraging guests to buy early — and often.

Tickets are $50 but 10 packs are available, with each ticket going for a discounted price of $35.

Each ticket includes a complimentary coupon to one of the food trucks.

The prices are exactly as those for the 2012 event, said Snyder, attributable to the event's sponsors, which include East River Bank, Eastern University, National Penn Bank, Comcast, Interstate General Media and the International Blue Cross Foundation. The total cost of the event is estimated at $40,000.

Snyder is projecting between 600 and 800 attendees, in keeping with attendance goals reached in previous years.

Last year's dance was washed out of its original evening, but approximately 800 guests were present on the rain date the following week.

This year, Snyder is optimistic that the weather will hold and hopeful that guests will turn out despite the dance being in close proximity to the Labor Day weekend. (If the weather doesn't cooperate, the raindate is Sept. 14.)

Just one week shy of what is said to be the "signature event" for East Falls, Snyder suggested that the challenges of putting the dance together are decreasing.

"Every year, it gets easier and easier," she said. "Everyone knows about the event. It's just figuring out how to make it better."

This story was reported through a news coverage partnership between NBC10.com and NewsWorks.org

The family of a 24-year-old woman buried to death in the building collapse at 22nd and Market Streets has filed the first wrongful death lawsuit in the tragedy.

Mary Lea Simpson was shopping inside the Salvation Army Thrift Store with her best friend Anne Bryan on the morning of June 5 when a four-story brick door from next door, at 2136 Market Street, collapsed onto the store.

The suit, filed late Tuesday morning, says Simpson suffocated to death under the rubble of the building. Bryan also died along with five others. Thirteen additional people were hurt.

"Of the nineteen people trapped in the rubble, six died agonizing and painful deaths from asphyxiation," the suit alleges. "Mary Lea Simpson was one of those six."

Named in the filing are The Salvation Army,  developer Richard Basciano, his company STB Investments, contractor Griffin Campbell, construction expediter and architect Plato Marinakos and excavator operator Sean Benschop a.k.a. Kary Roberts.

Steven Wigrizer, the attorney representing Simpson's family, tells NBC10.com The Salvation Army failed to protect its customers and employees knowing demolition work was going on at the adjacent building.

"If you are an adjacent building operator and you are made aware of the risk presented, the risk of potential collapse, you shut your business down," the attorney said. "You don't allow patrons like Mary Simpson and the others to be in that place and subject them to that risk. That's what this case is about."

The suit includes copies of letters and email exchanges between The Salvation Army and STB Investments staff and attorneys.

"The building at 2138 Market Street is in a state of partial demolition, the city has granted a demolition permit and the longer it remains undemolished the greater the risks to the public and all property owners of an uncontrolled collapse of part or loose debris," read a letter from STB's attorney to The Salvation Army dated May 15, 2013.

The filing alleges The Salvation Army failed to respond to the letter and waited six days to respond to a follow up email message only stating they've yet to receive answers to several questions posed to Marinakos.

Demotion then began at 2136 Market Street without any of the issues being resolved, according to the suit.

Eric Weiss, the attorney representing The Salvation Army in the case, says he has yet to see the lawsuit, but maintains the organization did nothing wrong.

"The Salvation Army was never aware or made aware of a danger of collapse," Weiss said.

Simpson, an avid figure skater, was a Bryn Mawr, Pa. native and 2007 graduate of Haverford High School. Simpson’s former high school principal Jeff Nesbitt told NBC10 in June faculty remembered her as “energetic” and “happy.”

Roberts, 43, is jailed in connection with the collapse. Officials contend Roberts was high on marijuana and prescription pain killers when he used an excavator to demolish the internal structure at 2136 Market Street. An outer, unbraced wall then toppled over onto the one-story thrift shop next door.

Witnesses who called 911 moments after the collapse said the scene was reminiscent of the terrorist attacks of September 11 and “unbelievable.”

“Oh I can’t stand this,” one caller said to a fire department dispatcher in call transcripts obtained by NBC10.com. “Let them be alright. Please. Oh, let them be alright.”

While Simpson’s suit is the first wrongful death filing, there are several civil lawsuits and an ongoing criminal case currently in progress related to the collapse.

Among the civil suits is one filed by Mariya Plekan. The 52-year-old was buried in the building's rubble for 13 hours and had to have both her legs amputated.

Wigrizer previously sued Basciano over the 1997 death of a Philadelphia judge killed when part of a garage collapsed.

NBC10's Matt DeLucia contributed to this report.

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

Police plucked what witnesses say was a partially dismembered body from the Schuylkill River this morning.

Philadelphia Police responded to the river near the 1300 block of Schuylkill Avenue in the city’s Grays Ferry neighborhood around 8 a.m.

The police marine unit pulled the body from the river and placed it in a parking lot near the Dupont Crescent Trail just below the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge -- that’s close to the FedEx shipping center.

The unidentified body was covered with a sheet when NBC10 cameras arrived on the scene.

Philadelphia Police didn’t say if there were any signs of trauma to the body.

A witness, who asked not to be identified, told NBC10 that the body appeared to be dismembered.

The medical examiner would determine an exact cause of death.

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

An armed man held up a hotel clerk near the airport overnight.

The man walked into the Embassy Suites Philadelphia - Airport on Bartram Avenue around 12:50 a.m. and approached the shift manager, who was alone in the lobby.

As the shift manager got behind the counter, the man pointed a silver handgun at her demanding her to hand over money, according to Philadelphia Police.

The 39-year-old clerk told police that she explained to the man that there was no money at the front desk. The suspect then ordered her into the employees only area where the money is kept.

The clerk handed over $485 from a cash drawer and the armed man fled, according to police.

The clerk wasn’t harmed, police said. 

Police described the suspect as being in his mid-30s, about 5-foot-8inches tall with a medium build. He was wearing a blue "PHILA" baseball cap, blue shorts and a light-colored T-shirt.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Philadelphia Police.

The Embassy Suites is one hotel in a strip of a half dozen or so hotels located across I-95 from Philadelphia International Airport.

An ambulance driver had to be taken to the hospital after the emergecy vehicle flipped over and hit a telephone pole in Montgomery County.

The crash happened at Old York Road and Maplewood Avenue in Abington Township, Pa. around 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to Montgomery County emergency dispatchers.

The ambulance was traveling in the northbound lanes of Old York Road when it flipped and hit a telephone pole, bringing wires down. No other vehicles were involved.

The driver of the ambulance suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital. There was not a patient inside the ambulance, officials say. Officials also say a second person suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the accident.

Old York Road was closed between Moreland and Welsh Roads for several hours. It finally reopened around 10 p.m.

Two police officers are recovering after investigators say they were involved in a scuffle with a mother and her two teenage sons.

On Monday, around 7:30 p.m., Gloucester Township Police officers responded to a home on Fraser Road in Blackwood, New Jersey for a report of a fight between two brothers. When they arrived, police say the 17 and 16-year-old teen boys were fist fighting and refused to listen to the officers when they told them to stop.

Investigators say the officers used pepper spray on both teens in order to break them apart. Police say one of the brothers then ran off on foot. After a short foot chase, officers managed to apprehend him, according to investigators.

The teen then allegedly began to resist arrest and had to be restrained by several other responding officers. During the struggle, police say 73-year-old Cathyrine Foster, the mother of the two boys, jumped onto the backs of the officers and tried to pull them off her son. Foster was eventually captured and taken into custody.

Police say two officers suffered minor injuries as a result of the teenager resisting arrest. They were treated at Virtua Hospital, Voorhees and released a short time later.

The 17-year-old boy will be housed at the Juvenile Detention Center, Lakeland, NJ for pending aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest charges.

The 16-year-old boy was charged with simple assault and released on a juvenile petition pending a future court date.

Finally, Foster was charged with obstruction of justice and released pending a future court date.
 

Police made a second arrest in the stabbing of a Philadelphia cab driver.

On Monday, at 1:17 a.m., police say a 37-year-old taxi driver pulled his cab over on the 900 block of S. Front Street in the Queen Village section of the city to let two customers out.

As the two men left the cab, police say one of them stood next to the driver's window and appeared to be getting money from his wallet. As he was doing this, the second man allegedly approached the cab driver with a knife and stabbed him several times.

Police say the cab driver managed to grab the knife from the suspect and began to stab him. The second suspect then allegedly stabbed the cab driver in the head.

The two suspects then allegedly stole around $205 before fleeing the scene.

The cab driver managed to drive about eight blocks to Front and South Streets because he knew there are normally police in that area. 

"Someone outside saw him and called police, and they responded quickly," said police Capt. Frank Llewellyn.

Despite being stabbed, the driver was able to give a basic description of his attackers. He was taken to Jefferson Hospital and treated for eleven "superficial" stab wounds to the left side of his head, left arm, left side of his chest, right hand and front of his neck. He is currently in stable condition.

Police later identified and arrested two suspects in the attack.

(Pictured right, 21-year-old Luis Moreno)

Police first arrested 21-year-old Luis Moreno on Monday. Moreno is charged with aggravated assault, robbery and other related offenses.

On Tuesday, at 1:15 a.m., police arrested 22-year-old Alejandro Gonzalez at his home on the 1100 block of S. 9th Street. Gonzalez is also charged with aggravated assault, robbery and other related offenses.

Blowing by a Philadelphia Police Officer on one of the city's major interstates most likely won't result in you getting a speeding ticket. That reality is frustrating for officers driving along the roads every day.

"The other day I'm driving down I-95 and a car passed me. I clocked him 85 m.p.h. When it comes down to it, I couldn't stop him and write him a speeding ticket," said a veteran Philadelphia Police Officer who spoke to NBC10.com on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. "It's completely frustrating."

The Philadelphia Police Department is not legally allowed to issue speeding citations to drivers on Interstates 95, 76 and 676 inside the city limits -- even if speed tracking equipment installed in an officer's cruiser verifies that someone was driving above the posted speed limit.

They used to have that authority, until last July.

In a July 17, 2012 memo obtained by NBC10.com, Commissioner Charles Ramsey notifies the force about the change, telling them they are no longer allowed to hand out speeding tickets.

"The Pennsylvania State Police has decided not to re-enter into a speed enforcement agreement with the Philadelphia Police Department..." the memo reads in part. "As a result of the Pennsylvania State Police decision, effective immediately and until further notice, Philadelphia Police Officers are prohibited from issuing any speeding violations..."

The memo goes on to explain that officers are able to "initiate a traffic stop but must contact the nearest Pennsylvania State Police facility for appropriate enforcement action."

"We almost feel like it's a slap in the face," the officer said referring to themself and colleagues. They added officers feel it's a waste of resources and redundant to call for a trooper. "It's almost like they don't trust us to write a traffic ticket."

The Pennsylvania State Police took over the primary responsibility of patrolling the city's highways in 2007 as part of an effort to allow more Philadelphia Police Officers fight crime.

But Philadelphia Police were still able to write speeding tickets through a special enforcement agreement, which is mandated by state law.

Philadelphia Police's speed enforcement agreement, which also covers roads like the Roosevelt Boulevard (U.S. 1), Woodhaven Road (PA-63) and Lincoln Drive, was changed last July to remove the interstates.

Captain James Raykovitz, of Pennsylvania State Police's Troop K in Belmont, says the interstates were taken out because State Police administration changed its policy.

"We did not renew agreements anywhere the State Police had primary jurisdiction over the interstate highways," Capt. Raykovitz said.

He reiterated that police can stop speeders and call a trooper to issue a ticket and that State Police and Philadelphia Police have maintained a good relationship.

State Police data shows there's been a 20-percent drop in speeding citations issued on the city's interstates from August 2011 through August 2013. Asked about the drop, Capt. Raykovitz said the numbers always fluctuate over time.

While Philadelphia Police are barred from writing a speeding ticket, officers are allowed to stop and issue tickets for other roadway violations like improper lane changes and tailgating.

The change in enforcement came as the number of speed-related crashes on the city's interstates trended up -- sharply in some cases.

From 2008 through 2012, speed related crashes on the Vine Street Expressway more than doubled from 55 to 126, according to the most recent statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Crashes on the Schuylkill Expressway rose 13-percent over the same period, but nearly 30-percent from 2011 through 2012. On I-95, they jumped nearly 40-percent from 248 to 346 over the five year span.

"It's not like we're going to sit on 95 and write 20 tickets a day," the officer said. "It's nice to know when we see someone speeds by at 20 or 30 m.p.h. over the speed limit, that we can pull them over and ticket them and make the road safer."

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