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First State Gets First National Park

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State officials are celebrating congressional passage of legislation that will lead to the creation of Delaware's first national park.

Gov. Jack Markell planned to join members of Delaware's congressional delegation and other officials in historic New Castle on Thursday to celebrate the creation of The First State National Historical Park.

The recent congressional approval was inserted into a defense spending package and comes almost 13 years since a committee examined the viability of a national park in Delaware.

Delaware's park will not be one site, but several located throughout the state, including the Woodlawn Trustees property near Wilmington, the Old New Castle Courthouse and the Dover Green.

For years, Delaware has been the only state in the nation without a national park.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Arrest Made in Philly Firebomb Arsons

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Police arrested a suspect in connection with two intentionally set fires at a Philadelphia home.

Leonard Monroe was charged Thursday with arson, aggravated assault, causing catastrophe and other offenses.

The 24-year-old set fire Nov. 9 and Dec. 1 to a home on Coulter Street in the city's Germantown neighborhood, according to investigators.

In both instances, the attacker placed a Molotov cocktail or other incendiary devices inside the front door.

Eight people escaped the Dec. 1 fire and firefighters were able to extinguish it within minutes.

Police say they're also looking at Monroe for a fire at the same residence Sunday that damaged a Christmas tree and gifts.

Monroe is jailed on $1 million bail. He's due in court Jan. 16. The public defender's office didn't immediately return a message.



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Woman Waves Rifle at Kids: Police

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Police arrested a South Jersey woman for allegedly waving a rifle at a group of kids Wednesday.

Amanda Ponzio, 35, of Barnegat, was arguing with the juveniles as she arrived to her Schooner Avenue home around 3:45 p.m., officials said.

She then went inside her house and returned with a Remington 597 rifle, which she then used to threaten the minors, investigators said.

Authorities charged Ponzio with multiple charges, including terroristic threats and endangering the welfare of a child.

She is being held at the Oceant County Jail on $175,000 bail.

Philadelphia Police Cruiser Crashes

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A police cruiser was damaged in a crash on a Germantown street Thursday morning.

The accident occurred around 9:30 a.m. near Ardleigh and Haines streets. The police cruiser had front-end damage while another vehicle appeared to have damage to its side.

It is unclear if anyone was hurt in the crash nor was it known what led to the wreck.

Police remained on the scene Thursday morning as they searched for clues.



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Gunmen Carjack, Rob Deliveryman in West Philly

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Two gunmen held a deliveryman up at gunpoint early Thursday morning, stealing his cash and then taking off in his car.

The Pete's Pizza deliveryman was returning to his vehicle, located near 49th Street and Parkside Avenue in the city's Wynnefield neighborhood around 1:30 a.m. when two armed men approached him, police said.

The suspects stole his case and his vehicle, which was last seen near 54th Street and Parkside Avenue, authorities said.

The victim was not hurt. An investigation is underway.

Alleged Sex Tape Involves Middle Schoolers

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Authorities confiscated cell phones from several Bucks County middle schoolers after reports surfaced of a video depicting minors engaged in sexual acts.

The alleged sex video involves students at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Middle School in Bristol, Bucks County, according to police.

FDR Middle School, located at 1001 Veterans Highway, is one of two middle schools in the Bristol Township School District, which serves about 6,200 students, according to the district's website. 

Both Bristol Township Police and Bristol Township School District are investigating the alleged tape.

No charges have been filed.

3 Kids Hurt in School Bus Crash in Delaware

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Three students were hurt Thursday morning when another vehicle rear-ended the school bus carrying them to a New Castle County school.

The bus, which was carrying 36 students to M.O.T. Charter School, was stopped at a red light when the car struck it around 8 a.m. near the intersection of Brick Mill Road and Route 299 in Middletown, Delaware, police said.

The three kids suffered minor injuries and were rushed to a local hopsital.

Polic cited the driver of the striking vehicle for following too closely to the bus.

Classmates Mourn Loss of Bucks County Sophomore

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Sixteen-year-old Minete Zeka was hit by a car and killed on her way to school in Bensalem Wednesday.

3 Weeks Later: Search for Shane Taking Its Toll

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Three weeks after vanishing into the night, there’s no sign of college student Shane Montgomery. It’s a mystery chipping away at hope the 21-year-old’s family has been holding onto with each passing minute.

"I’m not going to lie anymore. It’s pretty bad with the holidays here," Kevin Verbrugghe, Shane’s uncle, told NBC10 Thursday morning.

"We’re not holding up well," he said.

It’s understandable.

Shane was last seen early Thanksgiving morning as he left Kildare’s Irish Pub along Main Street in Manayunk. Pings from his cellphone put him within a mile of the bar within an hour of his disappearance and surveillance video shows the West Chester University student walking toward the Manayunk Canal and Schuylkill River. Despite many searches on land, in the water and from the air, there have been no strong leads as to where Shane went.

"It’s obviously horrible for the family because they have nothing," FBI Supervisory Special Agent J.J. Klaver said.

Wednesday, an FBI Evidence Response team based out of New York went back into the water with more sophisticated equipment, to look for Shane. They attempted to use sonar, but the river is too shallow for it work properly. Underwater cameras did work, but did not turn up anything promising, Klaver said.

"The prevailing theory is that he went into the river and where is he now? Tides change and there’s all kinds of debris under there," he said. If Shane’s body is in the river, he could be trapped under the debris, the agent added.

Philadelphia Police also launched a helicopter for another air search Wednesday and the Pennsylvania State Police sent a cruiser to conduct another ground search in the area around the Green Lane bridge, Verbrugghe said. Neither were fruitful.

Klaver said while the FBI will continue to assist Philadelphia Police on the case, without new leads, they will soon have to begin pulling back their efforts.

Shane’s family is not giving up.

They have reached out to the Garden State Underwater Recovery Unit, a volunteer diving recovery team based out of New Jersey, asking for their help in conducting another underwater search, according to Verbrugghe.

A reward for information that leads investigators and the family to Shane still stands at $65,000. Friends and family continue to support the search efforts on their own as well. A run to raise money for the effort will take place Saturday and on Sunday there will be a rosary prayer service at St. John the Baptist Church.

The support from the public and law enforcement is what keeps the family going, the uncle said.

"In this bad tragedy, the love and support that we’ve gotten is just incredible,” he said. “We appreciate how everything that they’ve done. All the prayers, all the thoughts, all the help and love.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Philadelphia Police at 215.686.TIPS.


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



Photo Credit: NBC10.com
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A Final Hours Deal to Save AC's Taj?

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Could a deal be in place to save a soon-to-be-shuttered Atlantic City casino?

After months of squabbling, the owners of the Trump Taj Mahal and casino workers union UNITE-HERE! Local 54 could be close to a deal that would prevent the boardwalk resort from closing

A high-level source involved in the negotiations told NBC10 Jersey Shore Bureau reporter Ted Greenberg that the two sides reached a verbal understanding Wednesday night, but stressed that no documents were signed, so no official agreement was in place as of midday Thursday. Union officials also said no announcement was scheduled as of late Thursday morning.

A key issue has been an appeal of a court order canceling health and pension benefits to union employees.

With 3,000 jobs on the line, Trump Entertainment Resorts CEO Robert Griffin sent a letter Tuesday to billionaire investor Carl Icahn saying that he was the last hope to save the doomed casino. Icahn holds the debt of the bankrupt company and stands to gain control of the Taj.

If no deal is reached, the casino could close on Saturday morning leaving another empty resort along the Boardwalk after the Showboat, Revel and Atlantic Club all closed in the last year.

Trump Entertainment and Icahn didn’t respond Thursday to NBC10’s requests for comment while union representatives said they had no comment on the status of a possible deal.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Fire at Hair Braiding Salon, Apartments

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A fire broke out Thursday afternoon in a building that houses apartments and a hair braiding salon leaving at least one person hurt.

The fire began shortly after 1 at 10th Street and Olney Avenue in the Olney section of North Philadelphia.

Philadelphia firefighters said one person was hurt in the blaze at the property that houses Princess African Hair Braiding. Firefighters said that they experienced heavy flames on the first floor.

As SkyForce10 hovered overhead you could see thick smoke pouring from the upper floors of the building as well

No word yet on what caused the blaze.



Photo Credit: SkyForce10

Accused Scotty Killer Twiddles Thumbs in Court

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The details of this case are graphic and may be upsetting for some readers.

A Chester County man accused of beating his girlfriend's son to death twiddled his thumbs as he appeared in court Thursday via video.

Gary Fellenbaum, the boy's mother Jillian Tait and Fellenbaum's estranged wife Amber Fellenbaum said little as each appeared separately in court on charges stemming from the beating death of a 3-year-old Scotty McMillan. Prosecutors called the abuse "an American horror."

The 23-year-old man accused of brutally abusing and killing his girlfriend’s son, twiddled his thumbs, looking down as he waived his right to a preliminary hearing in the death, according to witnesses in the courtroom.

Gary Fellenbaum and Tait face first-degree murder, child endangerment, assault and related charges stemming from the death of the 3-year-old West Caln, Pennsylvania boy last month. Amber Fellenbaum faces child endangerment charges.

Each suspect appeared via video uplink as they waived their rights to preliminary hearings. Fellenbaum wore blue prison pants while the women each wore a green jumpsuit. Tait and Gary Fellenbaum each thanked the judge at the end of their hearings while Amber Fellenbaum remained silent.

All three suspects remain in isolation in state jail, said prosecutors.

McMillan died from what investigators said was abuse at the hand of his mother and her boyfriend inside a West Caln Township trailer home that Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan called an “American horror.”

"(Scotty) was systematically tortured and beaten to death,” said Hogan when he annouced the arrests in early November. "He was punched in the face and in the stomach, he was scourged with a homemade whip, he was lashed with a metal rod, he was tied to a chair and beaten, he was tied upside down by his feet and beaten, his head was smashed through a wall and at the end of that he had bruises on top of bruises all over his body.”

The abuse occurred over a two-week period dating back to October in the Hope Lane home located about 35 miles west of Philadelphia, according to investigators.

Hogan said Scotty's mother sometimes watched the abuse and laughed.

Police said Gary Fellenbaum met Tait at a local Wal-Mart where they worked together. Tait and her two sons — Scotty and his 6-year-old brother — moved in with Fellenbaum in mid-October and the abuse began shortly thereafter, said investigators.

NBC10 is not naming this surviving boy since authorities said he is a victim of child abuse.

Fellenbaum expressed remorse that "his physical assaults caused another's death," according to a criminal complaint obtained by NBC10.

Amber Fellenbaum earlier told investigators she first became aware of the alleged abuse when she saw Fellenbaum spank Scotty after the boy didn’t respond to Fellenbaum. She also said she saw Fellenbaum and Tait beat Scotty with a green frying pan and saw Fellenbaum tape Scotty to a chair and severely pummel the boy’s face and stomach.

The county took the older brother and the Fellenbaums' 11-month-old daughter into protective custody.



Photo Credit: Chester County District Attorney's Office
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Caught on Video: Cop & Son Wrestle CVS Robber

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Sergeant Daniel Murray and his son, Bryan, went to the CVS in Runnemede, New Jersey on Monday night to buy some vitamins and shampoo. They never expected stopping a robbery would be part of their shopping plans.

It was around 8:30 p.m. when they were checking out and saw masked man running toward the store's front door. Moments before, police said the suspect, identified as 27-year-old Matthew Donahue, forced pharmacists to give him about $11,000 in OxyContin prescription pills at knife point.

A fellow shopper yelled to stop the guy.

"His timing was terrible ... He literally ran right at me," said Murray as he described the event with a chuckle.

Off-duty and in his sweats, Murray acted instinctively and grabbed Donahue before he could get to the door. Bryan jumped in and the two wrestled with the suspect, hitting the store's anti-theft antennas and dislodging the automatic doors, before getting him on the ground.

Uniformed officers arrived on the scene within 30 seconds to place Donahue under arrest.

Donahue, of Gloucester Township, faces several charges including robbery, aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon. He is being held on $100,000.

Murray, who's lived in the town all his life, recalled the event as if it went down in slow motion. He said that police training teaches you to be ready at all times.

"It was just a natural reaction for me to get involved," he continued. "That’s why I was impressed with my son and the resident for jumping in and doing what was right."

Good training for the 18-year-old who is interested in becoming an officer, just like his father.



Photo Credit: Runnemede Police

No Charges in Bucks Co. School Bus Stop Crash

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A day after police said a teen driving a sport utility vehicle struck and killed a Bucks County high schooler trying to catch her school bus during a “tragic accident,” police focused on the 18-year-old driver and his vehicle.

Bensalem Police and the Bucks County District Attorney’s office returned to Bensalem Boulevard to investigate Wednesday’s predawn crash in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that claimed the life of Bensalem High School sophomore Minete Zeka.

"This child, it does not appear, was doing anything wrong,” said Bensalem Police public safety director Fred Harran. “She was just crossing the street.”

The teen was driving toward the bus when he struck 16-year-old Minete, who was walking in the crosswalk near Bridgewater Street, said police.

“She assumed that people would stop,” said Harran. “And that's what good drivers do — they stop and obey the rules. This guy, tor whatever reason, did not."

The 18-year-old vo-tech student, driving a 1984 Ford Bronco painted in white and blue camouflage and with lights on top, had a green light at the time. However, the school bus’ flashing lights and stop sign arm should have caused the teen driver to stop.

NBC10 didn’t identify the driver since, as of Thursday afternoon, he wasn’t charged with any crime.

Accident investigators used a computer program Thursday to reconstruct the accident scene. Police also looked into the condition of the teen driver’s SUV and into what he was doing at the time of impact.

"We're looking at the vehicle, checking to see if there was any mechanical malfunctions," said Harran.

Harran also said investigators were waiting for results from a blood test on the driver. they also examined if he was texting while driving.

"It does not appear that that was an issue at this point,” said Harran. “But we're gonna check into that to make sure that he wasn't texting or on the phone or anything else that could've caused, and led to, this tragic accident."

As police investigated the crash, Minete’s classmates from Bensalem High School went to the scene of the deadly crash and returned to school Thursday mourning her loss.

Counselors, social workers and additional mental health professionals were brought into the high school and made available for all students. They'll remain at the school for the rest of the week.

"A sudden loss like this can have an effect on all our students," said superintendent David Baugh in an afternoon news conference. "For that reason, we hope that you will talk with your children. Listen to your sons or daughters as well as discuss with them their feelings and reactions to this tragedy."



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Dad of CO Poisoning Victim: NJ Should Require Detectors

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Nearly two weeks after carbon monoxide killed two people in a New Jersey recording studio and sickened 12 others in a converted factory building in New Jersey, the family of one of the victims is announcing a fight to have the state require carbon monoxide detectors in certain buildings. 

Raymond Korman lost his son, 39-year-old Noel Korman, in the Dec. 6 poisoning in Passaic. Noel's girlfriend Alice Park, 29, also died. Both of them lived in Clifton.

Korman says he's haunted by the fact that the deaths were preventable. 

"This should never have happened," he said. 

Twelve other people inside the building "experienced confusion and were choking" as they tried to leave the building, according to officials. They were all treated at local hospitals. 

Alice was outgoing and friendly, and Noel was a talented skateboarder, surfer and snowboarder who turned his passion into an apparel business, his father said. 

"That was his passion, skateboarding," said Korman. "Anyone who was anyone in skateboarding knows him." 

Technicians from PSE&G said the cause of the gas leak hasn't been determined. Carbon monoxide typically leaks when a device isn't burning all of its fuel, said Karen Johnson, a spokesperson for the utility.

Firefighters say there is no law in New Jersey requiring a multi-use building like the one in Passaic to have a carbon monoxide detector. Korman said he was "totally shocked" when he found out that detectors weren't required.

He says he wants to change things, and is supporting lawmakers who want to require commercial, industrial and school buildings to have carbon monoxide detectors. He acknowledges it's going to be a long fight, but he can't bear to see the tragedy repeat itself.

"It's too late for us, but there are probably a lot of other families that it will affect in the future, and I wouldn't want them to suffer in the same way," he said. 

The bill would require the buildings to have CO detectors installed within 90 days. Lawmakers plan to introduce versions of the bill in the state senate and house. 


New Skyline Addition

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Allentown  will soon welcome a $130 million addition to its skyline next to the PPL Center. The plan to build a 15-story office complex was unveiled Wednesday by the CEO of City Center Investment Corp., J.B. Reilly, according to The Morning Call.

The building, known as Five City Center, will cover the entire block of Walnut between Seventh and Eight streets. It will house Retail space, offices, upscale apartments, and a 800-space parking deck.

"We designed this to be toweresque, a real signature building for downtown Allentown. You'll be able to see it from MacArthur Road. In a lot of ways, it will provide a balance to the PPL Tower. Defining the skyline is critical in establishing Allentown as the center of the Lehigh Valley and the third largest city in the state," Reilly told The Morning Call.

City Center's website calls it the company's biggest project to date.



Photo Credit: City Center Investment Corp.

Man Leaves Rose-Petal Love Notes for Boy: Police

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A convicted rapist stalked an Allentown, Pennsylvania boy for two years — leaving the boy love notes, rose petals and even moving into a small downtown apartment just to be close to the child, said police in the Lehigh Valley.

Crews on Thursday cleared out the small apartment where Clyde Ruppel lived.

Two days earlier, police arrested the 73-year-old and charged him with stalking and drug charges after a police investigation uncovered allegations of the elderly man stalking the boy.

Ruppel began stalking the boy, then 11, about two years ago, according to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by NBC10.

The victim told investigators that Ruppel left signed letters for him on his father’s windshield that invited the boy over for “all male nights” and had peach-colored rose petals attached to them, police said.

Court records indicate he tracked the boy for months including at least three recent occasions when the man slowly drove behind the boy as he walked home.

Ruppel was initially charged and released on public harassment charges last month before police launched a further investigation last week.

The boy’s father told police that he had repeatedly told Ruppel to stay away from his son multiple times over the past two years. Despite those requests, the man moved next door to the boy’s family and would watch him play outside leading to the father becoming fearful for his son, said police.

Ruppel has a history of sexual assault charges. He is listed on the state’s Megan’s Law website because of a 1996 rape conviction and two earlier indecent assault convictions --- the first from 1976.

Neighbors said he seemed a little off to them.

Police said that a search of Ruppel’s apartment revealed a marijuana grow operation that led to additional drug charges.

Ruppel remained behind bars Thursday unable to post 10 percent of $35,000 bail.



Photo Credit: Pennsylvania Megan's Law

Big Changes for Locals With Cuban Ties

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The new United States policy with Cuba announced by President Obama Wednesday means big changes for locals with ties to Cuba. NBC10's Tim Furlong has more.

I-95 Ramp Closure in Delaware

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Starting next week, DelDOT will be closing the ramp from northbound I-95 onto Route 896 north in Newark.

Mayfair to Rally in Support of Police

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More than 2,000 people are planning to rally in support of Philadelphia's law enforcement Friday night in the city's Mayfair section, according to the event's Facebook page.

The rally, which is scheduled to begin Friday at 7 p.m., is intended to be a peaceful one, with its sole purpose to show Philadelphia Police that Philadelphians are behind them, according to the page.

"The Philadelphia PD is in no way associated with organizing this support rally," said the post.

Any negative signs of people causing any kind of disturbance will be asked to leave, said organizers.

The rally follows much unrest in Philadelphia as well as the rest of the country following protests against police after decisions in favor of law enforcement in the Eric Garner chokehold death and the death of Michael Brown.

It also follows a police-involved shooting Monday in Mayfair. Brandon Tate-Brown was shot and killed along the 6600 block of Frankford Ave., after he allegedly reached for a loaded handgun -- stolen last year -- during a traffic stop.

Family maintains that Tate-Brown, who had served five years in prison for aggravated assault, was trying to get his life back on track by being a "good guy."

Rally organizers are asking that supporters being a new, unwrapped to to Frankford and Cottman aves. for kids being treated at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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