Target is scouting out sites in Center City and University City in Philadelphia to build multiple versions of its new smaller urban store concept.
The popular discount department store is looking to build as many as four TargetExpress stores in areas of the city currently seeing a resurgence, Tom Londres, president and chief executive of the local real estate firm Metro Commercial, tells NBC10. His firm is helping Target find locations.
TargetExpress stores are around 20,000 square feet and offer a "tightly edited assortment of merchandise," the company's website said. The stores also feature fresh food, grab-and-go food, a pharmacy, beauty, electronics and other products.
Regular Target stores can range in size from 80,000 to more than 100,000 square feet. The largest Target on the East Coast recently opened in King of Prussia.
Londres said there's not a time frame yet on when the stores may open and that it will depend on the availability of a spot once it is found.
A report says a grand jury has recommended the filing of criminal charges against Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane for her alleged role in the leaking of secret information to a Philadelphia newspaper.
The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that Kane violated grand jury rules by releasing information from the investigation of a civil rights leader to the Philadelphia Daily News.
Citing anonymous sources, the Inquirer said the recommendations have been turned over to Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman who will decide whether to proceed with the case. Vetri Ferman would make the decision because the statewide grand jury is seated in Norristown and falls under her jurisdiction.
NBC10 reached out to Vetri Ferman today, but she would not comment.
In a statement to NBC10, Kane's attorney Lanny Davis said that he cannot confirm the Inquirer's report and that the attorney general has done nothing wrong.
“I cannot confirm the posted report in The Philadelphia Inquirer of any presentment issued by the Grand Jury regarding Attorney General Kathleen Kane," he said. "If such is the case, then it is my understanding ... that it is up to the Montgomery County District Attorney to make a judgment as to whether to proceed against the Attorney General. The Attorney General has done nothing wrong or illegal and, to my knowledge, there is no credible evidence that she has. She told the truth to the Grand Jury at all times. I hope the District Attorney will reach same conclusion."
Davis went on to say that the leak to the Inquirer about the supposed recommendation of charges could be a violation of Pennsylvania's Grand Jury Secrecy Act.
A restaurant in the popular shopping area of Peddler's Village suffered substantial damage in a fire Thursday, fire officials tell NBC10.
The blaze broke out at 5:35 p.m. in the kitchen of Earl's Bucks County restaurant along Street Road near Route 202 in Lahaska, officials said.
Fire could be seen shooting out of the roof of a building in a photo posted by the Buckingham Police Department.
Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control about an hour later before it spread to other attached businesses, county fire officials said.
No one was injured and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
The restaurant will be closed on Friday as owners assess the extent of the damage.
A luxury hotel's refusal to let homeless people stay with them Christmas night has led to acts of kindness.
Wilmington's Hotel DuPont canceled the Christmas reservation, which was made by a Delaware man who wanted to treat a homeless family to a night off the street. The hotel said safety concerns for other guests prompted them to cancel the reservation. Hotel management said the homeless couldn't stay in a $600 a night room because they didn't have photo identification.
When our NBC10 Delaware Bureau sister stations WDEL and 93-7 WSTW reported the story today, the morning hosts then started gathering supplies for the homeless and the Christiana Hilton offered ten free rooms for homeless families tonight.
"It seemed like the perfect opportunity to try to assist some people who are in very, very difficult positions right now with this ridiculous cold snap," said Christiana Hilton manager Brad Wenger.
The Hilton is working with area shelters to find families who could use a night in the hotel. They have even offered to send a hotel can to pick them up.
An award-winning technology teacher and former "Dance Party USA" star from South Philadelphia has been reported missing.
Christopher Tully, a 40-year-old teacher at Middle Bucks Institute of Technology, was last seen at 6:15 a.m. on Tuesday exiting a vehicle, police and his family said.
Tully was with his parents, when he unexpectedly ran from their car near the off-ramp where City Avenue meets the Ridge Avenue and Lincoln Drive, his family said.
"It's been so many days with the weather that I am afraid," Mary Tully, his mother, said as she cried Thursday night. She said Christopher was going through depression recently and that they were taking him to get help when he jumped out of the car.
He was last seen heading south on City Avenue toward the Schuylkill Expressway. Police and state troopers did a search from their cruisers near the ramp but so far no leads have been found.
"Even though he's 40, he's still my baby and I want him to come home," she said.
At the time, Christopher, who lives along the 2600 block of South 16th Street, was wearing a black coat, jeans and sneakers.
"I fear that he's hurt somewhere and can't get help," said his brother, Eddie Tully. "And with the weather the way it is, this is not the ideal situation to be out somewhere in the cold."
Christopher has three children and has been a teacher at Middle Bucks Institute of Technology for the past 12 years. Last year, he was named Outstanding Career and Technical Education Teacher by the Pennsylvania Association for Career and Technical Education.
Previously, Christopher and Eddie Tully, a well-known Philadelphia DJ and real estate agent, were both regulars on the 1980s hit show "Dance Party USA" that was filmed in the Philadelphia area.
The show centered on dance performances and had guest appearances from celebrities like Madonna, Kelly Ripa, Will Smith and Prince.
Police said Christopher has not used his credit cards and that his cell phone has been turned off. Detectives are checking nearby surveillance cameras to try and determine where he may have gone.
The family is creating fliers and plan to search the area where he was last seen around noon on Friday.
Anyone with any information on Christopher’s whereabouts should contact the South Detective Division at 215-686-3013 or call 911.
Jay Edwards was about to tow an old trailer off an empty North Philadelphia lot Thursday evening when he glanced down and saw a powerful weapon sitting on the snow-covered ground.
“I thought it was fake," the towing company owner told NBC10.
It was an Uzi. The high-powered firearm, with a magazine still attached, had been inside the semi-trailer along with other military paraphernalia.
A crew had tossed all the trailer's contents onto the ground of the lot at 6th and Cecil B. Moore Avenue as they readied it to be scrapped at a nearby yard, Edwards said.
Time was ticking down to get to the scrap yard before they closed so they told Edwards just to leave the weapon there. But he couldn't.
“I didn’t want to leave it on the ground and let the wrong person get their hands on it," he said.
Edwards threw it into his truck, scrapped the trailer and then brought the rifle to Philadelphia Police's 25th District.
"I left it inside the truck and notified the sergeant about it," he said. "They sent someone out to get it out of the truck."
Police tell NBC10 they have taken custody of the weapon, which they originally identified as an AK-47, and had a firearms expert inspect it. They found there was not ammunition inside. Police may also do another sweep of the lot.
Investigators in the department's East Detective Division are now looking into the discovery.
Edwards isn't sure whether the weapon worked, but regardless, he's glad it didn't stay on the streets.
“I think there’s about 30 rounds in the clip and if the wrong person gets hold of it, then what?” he asked.
Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter and Facebook.
A Philadelphia Police officer is recovering after a suspect attempted to pull him into his car before speeding off down a city street, dragging him along, police said.
Officer Joseph Kochmer, 32, was released from Temple University Hospital Thursday night after being treated for a leg injury.
The ordeal began just after 11:30 a.m. when Kochmer and his 22nd District partner were conducting a traffic stop at 32nd Street and Susquehanna Avenue, police said.
They approached a silver Chevy Impala and asked the driver, identified as 23-year-old Dominique Fallins, for his information. Police said Fallins appeared nervous so Kochmer asked him to exit the car.
Instead, police said he put the car in drive and tried to pull away. When Kochmer demanded Fallins get out, he grabbed the officer's gun, tried to pull him into the car, hit him and then drove away, according to police.
Kochmer, a 5-year veteran fo the force, was dragged down the street, causing the leg injury, police said. He also fired one shot at the car.
SkyForce10 was over the scene three hours later at 32nd and Huntingdon Streets in Philly's Strawberry Mansion neighborhood when a swarm of police found Kochmer and a second man. The two were handcuffed and taken away in separate police vehicles.
Fallins was taken to Temple University Hospital for treatment of abrasions to his arm from glass, police said.
He stands charged with Attempted Murder, Aggravated Assault, Fleeing Police and related offenses.
A South Jersey mother of two is dead after coming down with the flu, her family tells NBC10.
Nicole Born, 40 of Voorhees, Burlington County, died Sunday at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia after suffering complications from being infected with Influenza A.
Her father, Gary Born, said Nicole was a former athlete, business manager and was otherwise healthy.
"She was just a dynamic, just a dynamic person. Full of energy, full of life," he said. "The smile that radiated from her face just lit up the room."
Nicole's children, a 7-year-old and 3-year-old, began to get sick on Christmas Eve. She became ill by New Year's, her father said.
A few days later, the virus had claimed her life.
"We're looking for words. There is no words," Gary Born said.
Influenza is a respiratory illness. Its symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, coughing and a sore throat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The most common type of the virus is Influenza A.
The virus is currently widespread across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, state health officials said. A forecast by Columbia University predicts the current outbreak to be at its worst in our area this week.
The flu kills about 30,000 to 40,000 people every year often progressing into more serious illnesses like pneumonia. Doctors say it's important to get a flu shot as Influenza is the leading cause of vaccine preventable death.
It's still possible to get the flu after getting the shot, especially this year, after its effectiveness was questioned. But doctors say the vaccine can still lessen the virus' severity.
Nicole did not get the vaccine before getting sick. Her family is now vaccinated and advising others to do the same.
"If you're feeling ill, if you're sick don't wait. Don't become a statistic like my daughter," Gary Born said.
A manhunt is underway for a suspect who shot a man in the Philadelphia Mills Mall parking lot early Friday morning as customers shopped in the nearby 24-hour Wal-Mart.
The 26-year-old victim suffered three gunshot wounds -- one to his chest, arm and leg -- just after 2:30 a.m. in a lot between Wal-Mart and Sears located in the Northeast Philly shopping complex formerly known as the Franklin Mills Mall, police said.
The victim and his brother drove to the mall, located near Knights and Woodhaven roads, to meet the gunman to settle a debt, authorities said.
The suspect got out of his vehicle and fired multiple shots into the brothers' car -- all caught on multiple security cameras, officials said.
"You can see the muzzle flash of the weapon and the shots being fired," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small. "And then the victim's vehicle flee the scene and the shooter runs back into his vehicle, gets into the driver's seat and also takes off."
The whole incident occurred while shoppers and at least 20 employees were inside Wal-Mart.
"We're very fortunate that no one else was injured, struck by stray gunfire," Scott said.
The victim's brother rushed him to Holy redeemer Hospital and medics then transferred him to Temple University Hospital, where he is in stable condition.
Authorities evacuated several West Philly apartments early Friday morning after a gas odor was detected.
Residents from two apartments located near 46th and Spruce streets were forced from their homes around 12:30 a.m. when a malfunctioning heater caused an odor of gas to fill a duplex, officials said.
Crews detected a slight carbon monoxide reading.
The American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania is assisting the residents, who all made it out of their homes safely.
Police took a pregnant woman to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for observation.
A slight warm-up from this week's bone-chilling cold was paired with snow as a quick moving storm brought precipitation to much of our region Friday.
Flurries began falling before 5 a.m. Friday in Philadelphia's suburbs and city residents began to see snow about an hour later.
The city and surrounding suburbs should expect about a dusting to 1/2 inch of snow before the system moves out, while Allentown and parts of Lehigh County could see up to an inch. About two inches will fall in the Poconos and other higher elevation areas.
While most of southeastern Pennsylvania will see snow, there may not be any precipitation in South Jersey and Delaware.
The Friday morning flurries come as temperatures rise into the low 30s -- nearly 10 degrees warmer than Thursday's high.
But the warm up won't last. A bitter blast of cold returns Saturday as temperatures will start in the teens before climbing to highs in the low 20s. The blistering chill will taper off next week, however wet weather heads our way. Expect a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain Monday and the possibility of snow later in the week.
One person died in a Friday morning crash involving a tractor trailer in Northampton County.
A van collided with a tractor trailer in the westbound lanes of Interstate 78 near mile marker 72.3 in Williams Township around 6:30 a.m., officials said. The driver of the van died in the crash.
The circumstances surrounding the crash have not yet been released and police have yet to identify the victim.
