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FORECAST: Cooler Winds

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Temperatures will be fairly mild Thursday, but rain is in the forecast for the weekend.

Stripping Away Cars High-Tech Features

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If your dad leans on Siri for the most basic technological tasks, this may be right up his alley.

Tour Bus Overturns in Indiana

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Twenty people were injured after a tour bus overturned on I-65 southbound in southern Indiana.

City Council Talks Crude Oil Safety

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Concerns have risen about the safety of oil tanker trains after numerous incidents over the past 15 months.

Fire Rages Through South Jersey Strip Club

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A fire burned through a South Jersey strip club Thursday afternoon causing the roof to partially collapse and sending thick smoke into the sky, officials said Thursday afternoon.

The two-alarm blaze broke out at Double D Saloon on the 1100 block of S Delsea Dr. in Vineland around 3 p.m.

No injures were reported and no other details were released.

As SkyForce10 hovered overhead, firefighters could be seen dousing flames with water from a ladder above as flames continued to shoot through the roof.

Earlier video posted to Facebook showed flames jumping from the building.

Firefighters finally got the blaze under control just after 6 p.m.

No word yet on the full extent of damage.



Photo Credit: Keysha Cheeseborough-Mooring

Two Arrested in Armed Robbery of NJ Bank

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A man and a woman were arrested on robbery charges Thursday following the armed robbery of a northern New Jersey bank a day earlier, authorities said.

Police responded to reports Wednesday morning that an armed man had entered the PNC Bank on Berkshire Valley Road in Jefferson Township and demanded money.

An investigation of the robbery by a number of agencies, including the FBI, led to the arrest of the man at his Oak Ridge, New Jersey, home. Further investigation led to the arrest of the woman.

Both of the defendants were being held at the Morris County Correctional Facility, each on one count of robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery.



Photo Credit: Shutterstock

NJ Animal Control Officer Resigns Amid Racist Text Suit

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One of New Jersey's most visible animal control officers has resigned following a lawsuit that alleges he sent racist texts.

Victor "Buddy" Amato was chief of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for 12 years.

A lawsuit filed by an animal cruelty investigator alleges Amato compared black people to primates and made degrading comments about Jewish people and LGBTs.

Amato tells the Asbury Park Press the texts were "a bunch of jokes" between "a bunch of guys" that reached a person who wasn't supposed to get them.

Amato wouldn't comment on the lawsuit or the content of the messages.

The 60-year-old says it was a pleasure serving the animals of Monmouth County.

Funding the Fix for Broken Bridges

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Pennsylvania’s crumbling bridges are affecting public safety according to state leaders. Since the NBC10 Investigators exposed the problem, state politicians — including a former governor — have called out their federal counterparts to fund a fix.

Pennsylvania passed a $900 million funding bill in 2014 to fix broken bridges, but it only pays for repairs on a quarter of the state’s structurally deficient bridges. The NBC10 investigators found some of those bridges are closed or have weight restrictions. Some are near or next to fire houses.

"At some point you've got to do your job,” Pa. Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman said. Corman helped pass the $900 million bill to fix more than 500 state bridges. He said the state had to what it could, without help from Washington.

"It was clear they weren't moving very fast and so instead of waiting and allowing our infrastructure to crumble, we went out ahead of them," he said.

The state senator isn’t alone in his concern over a lack of federal funding.

“We would love for the federal government to act," Acting State Transportation Secretary Leslie Richards said.

“The main villain in this story is the federal government,” former Governor Ed Rendell said.

Rendell co-chairs the nonprofit group Building America’s Future. The group is a bipartisan coalition focused on America’s infrastructure needs.

"I think they're right. They've done their job,” Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania said. “They need the federal government to do their job now."

Fitzpatrick represents Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District where the Sellersville fire department has to drive six miles around a weight restricted bridge to reach half the borough.

"I'm completely committed to finding the resources to invest in infrastructure and this is the year to do it," Fitzpatrick said.

The congressman voted in favor of every infrastructure funding bill that’s crossed his desk since 2011.

“I think we haven't done a good job in providing certainty about the highway and surface transportation piece," United States Senator Pat Toomey said.

Toomey has voted against four federal infrastructure bills since 2011. He cited added expenses placed in the bills that don’t involve infrastructure.

"If legislation is wasting money, I'm not going to support it,” he said. “You've got to weigh the pros and cons of a given bill."

Senator Toomey and Rep. Fitzpatrick are most concerned with the Federal Highway Trust Fund which runs out in May.

“Doing these highway bills for six months or 18 months or even two years isn't enough," Toomey said.

Toomey and Fitzpatrick are two of twenty federal politicians elected from Pennsylvania. Another, Congressman Bill Shuster, is chairman of the House Infrastructure Committee.

“There are significant infrastructure needs in Pennsylvania and across the country, and Chairman Shuster’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has a full agenda this year working to address those needs, including major legislation focused on investing in our roads and bridges, modernizing our aviation system and reducing air travel delays, and improving the efficiency of passenger rail transportation,” Shuster press secretary Casey Contres wrote in a prepared statement to the NBC 10 Investigators.



Photo Credit: NBC10

Kevin Bacon and Eggs: Actor in Industry Campaign

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The egg industry is ordering up a side of Kevin Bacon.

The American Egg Board says it plans to launch a print and online ad campaign this week featuring the "Footloose" actor and puns using his last name. The group says it's the first time it's using a Hollywood celebrity in a major marketing push.

The campaign comes at a promising time for the egg industry, with the nation's protein craze helping fuel sales after decades of eggs being viewed as cholesterol bombs.

The online spots feature a woman making scrambled eggs for breakfast, when Bacon appears lying suggestively on the counter behind her. At one point, she leans in to sniff the actor and says she loves the smell of bacon, when her husband walks in. The "Wake Up To Eggs With Bacon" push by the ad agency Grey is an update on the "Wake Up To Eggs" campaign that launched in 2012.

Bob Krouse, CEO of Midwest Poultry Services, an egg producer in Mentone, Indiana, said he's glad the egg board is taking a slightly edgier approach in its marketing.

"I always felt like egg farmers were too conservative," Krouse said.

Already, the egg industry says it's seeing a recent uptick in consumption. Last year, Americans on average consumed 259.8 a year, according to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's up from 249.3 in 2010, but still a long way from the levels before the 1970s, when people were consuming an average of more than 300 a year.

People cut back amid warnings about the cholesterol in egg yolks. In 1976, egg producers got worried about falling consumption and formed the American Egg Board to promote eggs and fund research showing their nutritional benefits. More recently, the group says the industry is benefiting from the demand for protein, especially in the mornings when people are shifting away from carb-filled options like cereal.

Then last month, a government advisory panel helping shape new dietary guidelines said the available evidence shows no significant relationship between heart disease and dietary cholesterol. So it said overconsumption of cholesterol is no longer a concern.

"We think we're in the beginning stages of the most positive, long-term growth period for eggs in decades," said Kevin Burkum, senior vice president of marketing at the American Egg Board.

Still, the egg industry — in which about 175 companies account for 99 percent of the laying hens — is also dealing with new regulations and scrutiny over animal welfare.

A law that went into effect in California this year requires egg producers to give chickens enough room to stand up and spread their wings. Paul Shapiro, vice president for farm animal protection at the Humane Society of the United States, said the law was interpreted by many at the time of its passage to mean chickens should be cage-free, but that some egg producers have since disputed that position.

Although the egg industry has been moving toward cage-free chickens, Shapiro said the vast majority of eggs in the U.S. still come from chickens kept in cages.



Photo Credit: Getty Images for HFPA
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School Buses & FedEx Truck in Chain-Reaction Crash

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Two school buses and delivery truck collided Thursday afternoon in a chain-reaction crash that left two students hurt.

The school buses -- one from nearby Philadelphia University and the other from nearby Greenwoods Charter School -- came to a stop -- one directly behind the FedEx truck -- at School House and Gypsy lanes in Philadelphia’s East Falls neighborhood around 4:15 p.m., said Philadelphia firefighters.

Investigators on the scene said it appeared the school bus crashed into the truck, which, in turn, slammed into the Philly U bus.

After the wreck, firefighters could be seen gathering children from the bus -- medics checked out two kids for minor injuries. The children were later placed on another bus.

It took less than one hour to clear the scene.



Photo Credit: SkyForce10

Family: Coyotes Take Over Doghouse

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Two roaming coyotes have taken up residence in an old doghouse in a New Jersey backyard, keeping up the family living there with their incessant nighttime howling, the family says.

Liora Sofer of Closter said the coyotes have been trotting to the unused doghouse in her backyard each night for the last three days. The coyotes sleep there and then leave in the morning.

Sofer said she first heard howling on Saturday night.

"The next morning I woke up, and I saw them again waking up from the doghouse. That's when I started to freak out a little bit," she said.

They aren't exactly respectful neighbors, either. Sofer said she and her teenage daughter have been awakened multiple times during the night by the coyotes' screeching and howling.

"They howl so loudly that I can't sleep," said Sofer.

Sofer's 15-year-old daughter Maayan said, "One time I even thought it was my mom screaming. It's so loud it sounds like shrieking noises. It's really scary."

Sofer called police, who were "very nice" but told her there was nothing they could do. They referred her to animal control, who told her they couldn't do anything, either.

Sofer said she was told to make loud noises to scare off the coyotes and to board up the old doghouse, which she did Wednesday night. But so far, it hasn't been a permanent solution.

If the coyotes continue to return, Sofer splans hire a private company to catch and remove them.

The borough of Closter was not available after hours to comment Wednesday. 

Last year, when police in the northern New Jersey community of Elmwood Park warned residents of coyote sightings and in one case, an attack on a pet dog, authorities noted that it's become "quite common for coyotes to enter into urban and residential areas and in many cases make small wooded areas their home," according to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. 

Coyotes generally hide from humans but in the spring, when they give birth and begin to raise litters, they concentrate their activities around dens or burrows in which the young are sheltered, according to the Humane Society, and may become defensive and territorial.

People who encounter a coyote should never run away; instead, they're encouraged to "haze" the animal with techniques like making loud noises or throwing sticks or objects towards (but not at) the coyote.

Town's 'Pothole Killer'

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The so-called "pothole killer" machine is coming to Hoboken, one of several cities in New Jersey contracting the truck after a brutal winter left behind more potholes than usual. 

The city says it will be completely repaving more than 50 blocks of roadway beginning this spring. The pothole killer truck has already repaired hundreds of potholes and utility cuts along Washington Street. 

The single-operator truck uses spray injection technology to quickly clear potholes of debris, apply liquid asphalt to fill and seal it, and then top it off with a dry aggregate coating -- all taking about 90 seconds per pothole. The weight of the traffic then packs it all down. 

City officials say the truck is a better, more long-lasting solution than the cold-patch material used in the past to fill potholes, which was more easily ripped out and often required heavy-duty equipment to vacuum up gravel and rocks from roads.

Leo Pellegrino, the city's environmental services director and a lifelong resident, said he decided after last winter that the old way of fixing potholes was the root of the persistent problem.

"We knew after the snow, we were going to have the same problems," he said. "We wanted to be proactive, come up with a better solution than we had last year." 

Over two days in January and then two more in March, one pothole-killer truck filled 200 potholes a day, a far more efficient pace than the usual five-man crew, which filled 50 potholes a day at nearly three times the cost, according to officials. 

The workers who used to make up the five-man repair teams won't be displaced, city officials say. They'll have other work to do. 

Residents can report potholes at hoboken311.com

New Jersey transportation officials said earlier this week they expect to have to repair nearly twice the average number of potholes this year after a challenging winter season that has ripped up roads across the state. The state DOT is deploying 13 pothole-killer trucks well into April, longer than normal. 

Funeral Held for Woman Linked to Serial Killer Mystery

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A small group of mourners gathered at a Long Island cemetery Monday to bury Shannan Gilbert, the New Jersey escort who vanished while on a call in 2010, sparking a massive search that led to the discovery of 10 sets of human remains believed to be linked to at least one serial killer. 

A group of about two dozen mourners gathered around Gilbert's silver coffin on a sunny morning in Amityville Cemetery to remember Gilbert, who was last seen screaming and running from a home in the Oak Beach complex where she met a client on May 1, 2010. Her remains were discovered in a marsh 18 months later. 

The funeral comes just days after an independent autopsy was performed on Gilbert's remains by renowned forensic pathologist Michael Baden. The results of that autopsy haven't been released. The Suffolk County medical examiner previously ruled an autopsy inconclusive

The search for Gilbert led to the discovery of 10 sets of human remains believed to be linked to at least one possible serial killer in December 2010. Police combing the area several miles from the area Gilbert was last seen found the remains, most of which belonged to female sex workers. 

Gilbert's remains were found in December of 2011. Police have said that Gilbert's death isn't linked to the other bodies and that she drowned in the marsh where she was found.

Gilbert's mother, Marie Gilbert said at the funeral Thursday they don't believe that she was drowned but was a victim of a serial killer. She said at the service Thursday she believed the Suffolk County Police Department had given up on her daughter.

"They say she's at rest now, but she's not" said Marie Gilbert, Shannan's mother. "She'll never be at rest until I complete the fight and give her justice." 

Marie Gilbert's attorney, John Ray, said the medical examiner told them two neck bones were missing from her remains, raising questions about what happened to her. At the funeral Thursday, he also raised questions about tests not performed on Shannan Gilbert's body.

Details for Hero Officer Wilson's Funeral

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Philadelphia Police confirmed official funeral arrangements for a fallen police officer hailed a hero.

Funeral services for Officer Robert Wilson III will be held over the weekend. The services for 22nd District officer will be held on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. at the University of Pennsylvania Palestra on S 33rd St. in University City following a viewing starting at 7 a.m.

Burial at Fernwood Cemetery in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania will immediately follow the funeral, said police. Expect an emotional processional along the route to the cemetery.

Mourners are also invited to a viewing Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Francis Funeral Home at 5201 Whitby Ave. in West Philadelphia.

The 30-year-old father of two young boys died during a robbery at a GameStop at Hope Plaza Shopping Center on Lehigh Avenue in North Philadelphia last Thursday.

Wilson was in full uniform when brothers Carlton Hipps, 30, and Ramone Williams, 26, entered the GameStop store inside and announced the robbery, subsequently sparking a "fierce and violent" gun battle that ended with the officer being shot in the head and killed, said Homicide Capt. Darrell Clark.

"They were both firing at him," said Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey. "He was actually being hit during the exchange of gunfire but he continued to fight, continued to shoot until the fatal wound was fired and it brought him down."

Wilson is being hailed a hero and is credited with saving the lives of customers and store employees, according to Ramsey.

Williams and Hipps are charged with his murder.



Photo Credit: Philadelphia Police

Suspicious Death Inside Pa. Motel Room

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Police investigated the death of a man found in an eastern Pennsylvania motel room.

Officers found the man in a room at the Quality Inn on S Third Street in Easton around 6 p.m. Wednesday.

A coroner said the death is considered suspicious and is being investigated as a homicide. He would not say how the man died.

Police officers familiar with the man were able to identify him. Police didn't make the man's name or age public.

The motel remained open while police investigated. Guests were prevented from getting close to the man's room.

The investigation continued Thursday.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/Flickr RF

Obama Holds Faith in Secret Service Chief Amid Latest Scandal

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President Barack Obama says he still has faith in the secret service chief with ties to our region, even after the latest scandal to plague the agency. Investigators still want answers, however, about the allegations two senior level agents had been drinking when they crashed a car into the White House barrier.

Police Search for Hit-&-Run Suspect

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Delaware State Police scoured a neighborhood Thursday night after a man got in a crash then ran away from the scene.

The search led to a large police presence and use of a police helicopter over the area of New Linden and Limestone roads in Pike Creek, New Castle County around 8:30.

A witness said police appeared to be focused on a car in the area near Goldey-Beacom College.

Delaware State Police said they were looking for a man who fled from the wreck.

No word on any injuries.



Photo Credit: Twitter - Zach Mullin

City Council Discusses Local Tanker Train Safety

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Concern is growing over what trains in the Philadelphia area are carrying. Local leaders are taking action, hoping to protect the community. NBC10's Doug Shimell was at Philadelphia City Council as they work on trying to prevent a tragedy from happening here.

8th-Annual Philly Spring Cleanup Coming

Search for Clues in Fire That Destroyed Historic NJ Inn

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Fire tore through a historic New Jersey inn that played host to the nation's first president earlier this week. On Thursday, investigators revealed the first clues in what might have caused the blaze that left the 300-year-old structure in ruin.

Fire began inside The Sergeantsville Inn at 601 Rosemont Ringoes Road in Sergeantsville, New Jersey, just before 2 a.m. Monday, town leaders told NBC10. Sergeantsville is about 24 miles north of Trenton in Hunterdon County.

The inn, which most recently operated as a restaurant, dates back to the early 1700s and hosted President George Washington.

"The structure sustained heavy damage," said Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony Kearns III. "The origin of the fire appears to be in the waiter’s station adjacent to the bar area and is not considered suspicious. The cause of the fire remains officially undetermined."

The fire left a hole in the New Jersey community where the inn stood for generations.

"This is the center of our town," Delaware Township Mayor Roger Locandro said. "This is the place where senators and assembly people come. This is a place where people celebrate their birthdays or anniversaries — their life events."

The Sergeantsville Inn began as a private home before being converted into a grain and feed store in the 1830s, according to its website. The restaurant opened in the early 1900s and has also been home to a grocery store, ice cream parlor and pelt trading center.

No word yet if the restaurant plans to reopen.



Photo Credit: Fire and EMS Alerts of Hunterdon Co
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