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Ex-School NJ Board Worker Changes Son's Transcript: Pros.

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A former Newark school board employee has been arrested, accused of using school computers to alter her son's high school transcript while he was applying to colleges and stealing nearly $3,000 in school funds, prosecutors say. 

Janita Warner, 38, was taken into custody Wednesday at her new job at an industrial facility in South Brunswick, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said. 

Prosecutors said Warner changed her son's transcript and forwarded it to colleges as part of his application while she was working for the school board.

She's also accused of withdrawing school funds and taking students dues without depositing them while she was treasurer at the Lafayette Street School, according to prosecutors. 

Warner is facing charges of theft, theft by failure to make required deposits, forgery and computer crime. She was being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility on $50,000 bail and unavailable for comment. Attorney information wasn't immediately available.


Delaware Valley College Becomes University

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Delaware Valley College in Doylestown has officially become Delaware Valley University, and it's about more than a name.

Coyote That Attacked Man in NJ Yard Tests Positive for Rabies

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The coyote that attacked a 77-year-old New Jersey man as he was working in his yard earlier this week was rabid, officials have determined.  

The female coyote, which was eventually tracked down and euthanized after the attack in Saddle River Monday morning, tested positive for rabies, according to the New Jersey Department of Health, which conducted the exam.

It is the sixth coyote in New Jersey to be identified as rabid in the last 25 years, according to the Deaprtment of Health. 

John Zeug, 77, received eight rabies shots -- a complete first round of treatment -- immediately after the encounter in his Twin Brooks-area home in the heavily wooded town of Saddle River Monday morning. He's expected to undergo another round of shots Wednesday. 

He said he at first yelled at the animal when it wandered near his home, and it ran into the woods. But the coyote came back and sunk its teeth into him, creating a puncture wound visible through his tattered jeans. Zeug said he didn't see the animal coming.

He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Officers spotted the animal running through a neighbor's yard later in the day and called in animal control and officers from the state Division of Fish and Wildlife, police said. The responding officers found the coyote in the woods and euthanized it, police said. It was taken to a lab for testing.

Authorities believe the coyote made her den under a log cabin on Zeug's three-acre property. Zeug said seven dead coyote pups were found behind the shed; it wasn't clear how they died. 

Saddle River police and city officials are now on the lookout for a possible mate or other possible offspring of the rabid coyote.

Police say they believe the same coyote attacked a neighbor's dog last week; that dog, a labrador retriever named Jack, needed 30 stitches to close his wounds. 

That dog is also expected to receive anti-rabies treatment. 

Workers in the area Monday said they saw a coyote acting aggressively toward dogs; police said coyotes are attracted to the canines' sound.

"She was not scared of us, didn't run ... kind of challenged us and moved away," said Saddle River Police Capt. Jason Cosgriff. "A lot of Saddle River is woods, lots of places for coyotes to run around."

Anyone who sees a wild animal that appears sick or is acting aggressively or is unusually friendly should call police, they say. Coyotes are normally shy animals, according to the health department. 

Authorities have 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.

Last month, a family in Closter showed NBC 4 New York an old doghouse in their yard in which two roaming coyotes had taken up residence.

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, the Humane Society says.



Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York

NJ National Guard Conducting Night Flying Training Near AC Airport

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People living near Atlantic City International Airport may notice some military aircraft in the sky as the NJ National Guard's 177th Fighter Wing will be conducting night flying training.

Camden Mayor Recognizes Over 200 AmeriCorps Volunteers

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Camden Mayor Dana Redd recognized more than 200 AmeriCorps volunteers and the value of the work they do.

Students Compete in Texting Tournament

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The National Court Reporters Association and Orleans Technical College held a tournament-style texting competition where students went head-to-head against their classmates.

Hateful Graffiti Found on Several Wilmington Properties

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Police in Delaware want to know who spray painted hateful graffiti on several properties in Wilmington overnight.

Parents Protest Conditions at Community Park in Del.

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People who live in WIlmington gathered to protest the conditions of a community park. NBC10's Tim Furlong has the story.

Burglar Caught on Camera Taking Cash Register Drawer

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Philadelphia police are trying to track down a burglar who was caught on camera stealing from a local restaurant.

$10K Reward in Jewelry Store Worker's Abduction

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The Philadelphia Mayor's Office offered a $10,000 reward in hopes of finding the men who abducted, bound, tortured and dumped in a Philly cemetery a Jeweler's Row worker over the weekend.

The reward came as detectives continued to search for clues in the abduction of a 53-year-old woman from a parking garage at 8th and Chestnut streets Saturday afternoon.

Detectives retraced her steps using surveillance video that shows the victim moments before she was taken, as well as the van used by her captors.

The video, released by an area store, shows the cargo van pulling into a parking garage at 733 Chestnut Street. The video then shows the 53-year-old worker, who had just left her job at National Watch & Diamond on Jewelers' Row, walking to her car at that same parking garage about two and a half hours later, moments before she was abducted by the three men.

The woman told police the men grabbed her, forced her into their van, zip-tied her wrists, shackled her ankles and covered her head with a hood. They wanted keys to the jewelry store and codes to the safe. Unable to provide either, the victim told police she was tortured and shocked with a Taser before the men dumped her — still bound — at Montlawn Cemetery at Hook Road near Lindbergh Boulevard in Delaware County.

Her captors returned a short time later. She told police they forced her back into the burgundy Ford Econoline van with white graffiti on the back and side. The men used the victim's money card to make four withdrawals before dumping her back at the cemetery, where she was able to eventually remove the hood, make her way to Hook Road and flag down a driver who called 911.

She was treated at Penn Presbyterian Hospital for bruises, contusions and a concussion, according to police. She was home recovering earlier in the week.

Jewelers told NBC10's Matt DeLucia the woman is a longtime worker at National Watch & Diamond.

"She's the nicest soul I've ever known," said John Farber of Wallingford, Pennsylvania. "She's friendly. She's very knowledgeable about the jewelry and items that I bought and sold."

Taking the Right Meds at the Right Time

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Taking your meds — at the right time and the right dosage — can be a matter of life and death in the most critical cases.

In many other cases, it can mean a trip to the ER -- patients who go home from the hospital and aren't able to stick to their treatment plan often get readmitted. Now a pilot program at Einstein Healthcare Network is yielding potentially life-changing success. Patients get sent home with a smartphone that helps them stay on track with medications.

"The phone has a voice and talks to them,” said Deb Hauser, Pharmacy Director for the Einstein Healthcare Network. “There’s even an eDiary call that asks the patients how they’re doing, how they’re feeling today.”

The eMedonline initiative was created by Barbara Rapchak of Leap of Faith Technologies and designed initially for patients with serious health issues, such as cancer. But the company decided to broaden its use in a pilot study of the program in the Philadelphia area through Einstein.

Patients in the program are given a smartphone programmed with their prescriptions, dosages and any other important information about the medication. The phone alerts patients when it is time to take the medication, and requires the user to scan the medicine bottle to verify the correct medicine. It then informs the patient of the exact dosage to take.

The pharmacy gets feedback from the phone on a daily basis and if patients fall below a certain level of adherence, they get a call from the pharmacist. It’s more interactive than a phone app, and allows the patient to stay in contact with their health care provider.

“Some patients are older, and lack a strong support system,” said Hauser. “This program links the patient to the pharmacist. It can be very overwhelming when people leave the hospital. This kind of keeps you on track, so you’re not alone. It monitors them, talks to them.”

Forgetfulness is one reason patients don’t stick to their prescribed times and dosage for medicine, but the issue of nonadherence is more complicated than that.

“You need to have structure in order for this to work,” said Marvin Spicer, a former eMedonline pilot patient. “I’m in a program at the Ambler YMCA, and a lot of times when I finish working out in the morning, I’m really tired, and I’ll go to sleep or something. My consistency can be a little off when I’m trying to self-regulate.”

Spicer, a retired teacher, spent a month in the program earlier this year. He takes over a dozen medications for cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, and he needed to be disciplined.

“The program was very valuable,” Spicer added. “There’s a lot of people that don’t have the same discipline, and it might help them stay on the straight and narrow. Hopefully it can be expanded in the future.”

Spicer understood the importance of taking his medication, but his schedule simply affected his ability to stay disciplined. Others may not even feel the medicine is making a difference. 

“There are some medications where you don’t feel a symptomatic change. A patient might not think the medicine is accomplishing anything, when really it’s working behind the scenes,” Hauser said.

“You might not notice high blood pressure, but nonadherence to blood pressure medications would cause serious problems.”

Another issue Hauser described involves diseases such as hepatitis C. The drugs used to treat these illnesses can be expensive, but with proper and extensive treatment, a patient can be completely cured. That population requires 100 percent adherence, and any lapses in obedience can actually cause drug resistance, which could make the disease worse.

Thanks to Rapchak’s groundbreaking research and technological advancements, the pilot program at Einstein is seen as a major success, having helped nearly 30 people.

“Out of all those patients, I think only two came back to the hospital,” said Hauser. “One was supposed to come back for a checkup, and one just ended up getting real sick. My goal is to have 100 patients before we can say for sure that’s what’s happening.”

Typical adherence rates have been estimated at 50 percent, but adherence rates in the pilot program have hovered around 95 percent.

As Hauser put it, “It lets them take control of their health.”



Photo Credit: NBC10 - Kevin Pulsifer

Chief Says Man Who Died in Custody Was on Drugs

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UPDATE: NBC10 obtained a longer video showing White's arrest. WATCH IT HERE


Vineland’s Police Chief is speaking out for the first time and standing by his officers amid outrage and even threats over an incident in which a man died while in police custody.

Chief Timothy Codispoti spoke publicly Wednesday on the death of 32-year-old Phillip White. According to Codispoti, the three officers who arrested White acted in accordance with the law.  Codispoti also claims toxicology reports will come back showing that White was high on PCP and cocaine at the time of his arrest.

White died back on March 31. Officials say the ordeal began that day shortly before 11 a.m. when Vineland Police officers responded to a call for service for White on the 100 block of Grape Street.

In a 911 recording released Tuesday, a caller tells the dispatcher that White is “freaking out,” “going crazy,” and “screaming.”

“He’s screaming up there,” the caller says. “I don’t know what the h*** is wrong with him.”

Officials said responding officers called for medical assistance for White who appeared to “be in respiratory distress.” White was also handcuffed, restrained and then placed in an emergency vehicle that traveled to the hospital while an officer was inside, according to officials.

At some point, White became unresponsive and medical personnel instituted CPR, according to investigators. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. What remains in dispute are the events that occurred immediately before White’s death.

Witnesses told NBC10 the responding officers were extremely physical with White after he was already restrained and unconscious on the street.

“They punched him, stomped him, kicked him and then they let the dog out of the car," said Ricardo Garcia. "The dog bit him on his face and around his body. There's no call for that.”

Law enforcement sources disputed witness accounts however, telling NBC10 White engaged in a violent struggle with one of the officers after they called an ambulance for him. They also said at times White was combative and that he never lost consciousness while he was apprehended.

NBC10 obtained cellphone videos taken after police responded to the disorderly persons call. The videos show White lying on the ground surrounded by three officers as well as a barking police dog. It appears to show the dog biting White in the upper body.

Chief Codispoti says the cellphone videos don’t tell the entire story however.

“They’re a part of an incident that is minutes long and those are seconds long, those videos,” Codispoti said. “Clearly what they show is what we hear on the radio. A violent struggle.”

Codispoti told NBC10 White asked for medical attention prior to any struggle with police. He also says White’s hand was on an officer’s gun, reaching for the locking mechanism, at the time of his arrest.

Codispoti’s comments come only two days after a threat from the online hacking group Anonymous was made against his department in relation to White’s death.

The video, which was posted Monday on YouTube, features a figure in a Guy Fawkes mask, popularized in the movie “V for Vendetta,” speaking in a generic computerized voice. The person demands the Vineland Police Department release the names of the officers who arrested White, place them on administrative leave and release any dashcam video of the incident.

The person also states the group would conduct cyber-attacks on the websites of the Department and Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office if their demands weren’t met. On Tuesday , the names of the officers involved in the arrest were posted on an Anonymous-related website.

“I think it should be disturbing to all of us when anybody hides and then tries to impact the life of someone else,” Codispoti said. “I don’t think anybody in America likes that.”

Codispoti also said the people in the neighborhood knew the officers, who have been placed on administrative leave, and that the information released by the hackers was already public record that anyone can obtain. He also says there’s been no security breach.

“There’s no fear,” he said. “If they wanna take that, that group can take it anyway they want.”

Chief Codispoti told NBC10 his Internet security staff notified State Police which is protocol with any cyber threat. NBC10 confirmed the FBI has been notified about the threat and will respond if necessary.

The investigation into White’s death continues and autopsy results are pending.

Anyone with information on the incident should call Sergeant Scott Collins (856-466-5127) or SAC E. Ronald Cuff (609-381-4890) of the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office.
 


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An Alligator in Pennsylvania?

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Police are investigating an unconfirmed sighting of an alligator in Pennsylvania.

A resident told the Southwest Regional Police Department he spotted what he believed was an alligator in the Monongahela River in Belle Vernon, Fayette County around midnight.

The man told police the animal was six to seven feet long and was swimming upstream against the current of the river.

Officials also determined there was a possible earlier sighting of the animal around 2 p.m. Tuesday.

The Southwest Regional Police Department is working with the US Coast Guard, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and the Pittsburgh Zoo in the investigation.

If you have any information, please call the Southwest Regional Police at 724-929-8484.
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

$1M Lottery Ticket Sold in Montgomery County

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Check your lottery ticket if you recently bought one in Montgomery County. You might just be a millionaire.

A jackpot-winning Pennsylvania Lottery Cash 5 ticket worth more than $1 million from the Tuesday drawing was sold at the Sunoco station at 2177 East High Street in Pottstown, Montgomery County.

The ticket matched all five balls, 13-14-15-29-32 to win the prize of $1,091,381.50, less 25 percent federal withholding. The retailer at the Sunoco will also receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

If you’re the winner then sign the back of the ticket, call the Lottery at 717-702-8146 and file a claim at any of the Lottery’s seven local offices or at Lottery headquarters in Middletown, Dauphin County.

The claims may be filed Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at local offices and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at headquarters.

The prize must be claimed and the ticket validated before officials identify the winner. The winner has one year to come forward and claim the prize.

CLICK HERE for more information on the Pa. Lottery.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Person Dies, Another Hurt in Voorhees Twp. Crash

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One person was killed while another was injured after two cars were involved in a crash in Voorhees Township Wednesday night.

The two vehicles were traveling on East Evesham Road and Brendenwood Drive when they somehow lost control and went off the road, crashing into trees.

One person was killed in the crash while another was injured and taken to Cooper University Hospital. Police have not yet revealed the identity of the person who died or the condition of the survivor.

Officials continue to investigate the cause of the accident.

This story is developing. Stay with NBC10.com for updates.
 


Car Strikes 2 Adults, Child in Northern Liberties

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Two adults and a child are recovering after they were struck by a car in the Northern Liberties section of the city.

The three victims were walking on 5th and Spring Garden streets Wednesday night when they were struck by a vehicle passing by.

They were taken to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and is currently being interviewed by officials. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
 

Teen Girl Abducts Baby Boy: Police

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Police say they used OnStar to track down a teen girl who allegedly stole her uncle's car and abducted her baby cousin Wednesday.

The 14-year-old girl went into her uncle's home on the 1800 block of East Clementine Street in the Kensington section of the city around 2:30 p.m., police said.

Once inside, the girl allegedly grabbed her 1-year-old cousin and then stole her uncle's 2005 Grey Nissan Altima that was parked outside. The teen then drove off with the child inside, police said.

For the next three hours, police tracked the girl driving all around the city by using OnStar GPS, according to investigators.

The girl finally stopped on the 3700 block of North Sydenham Street in North Philadelphia around 5:30 p.m., officials said. The teen girl as well as an 18-year-old man who she had picked up along the way then got out of the vehicle and ran away while carrying the baby, according to police.

The suspects allegedly ran through an alley as police chased after them.

The suspects then spotted a woman standing on her front porch at a home on North 16th Street. Investigators say they handed the woman the baby and then ran inside her home, locked the door and ripped off their clothes in an attempt to disguise themselves.

Responding police officers saw the woman holding the child. The woman told police the teen and 18-year-old were hiding inside her home. Police then went inside and arrested the two suspects.

"This 14-year-old covered almost half the geographical distance of the city with this 1-year-old baby boy in the car," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.

The baby boy was taken to St. Christopher’s Hospital for an evaluation. He was not injured during the ordeal and was reunited with his mother.

Both the teen girl and the man were taken into police custody and they are still being questioned by detectives. Charges have not yet been filed.

Long Video of Arrest of Man Who Died in Custody

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On the same day that the family of Phillip White laid him to rest, NBC10 obtained a longer cellphone video showing his arrest moments before his death.

White, 32, died while in police custody back on March 31. Officials say the ordeal began that day shortly before 11 a.m. when Vineland Police officers responded to a call for service for White on the 100 block of Grape Street in Vineland, New Jersey.

In a 911 recording released Tuesday, a caller tells the dispatcher that White is “freaking out,” “going crazy,” and “screaming.”

“He’s screaming up there,” the caller says. “I don’t know what the h*** is wrong with him.”

Officials said responding officers called for medical assistance for White who appeared to “be in respiratory distress.” White was also handcuffed, restrained and then placed in an emergency vehicle that traveled to the hospital while an officer was inside, according to officials.

At some point, White became unresponsive and medical personnel instituted CPR, according to investigators. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. What remains in dispute are the events that occurred immediately before White’s death.

On Wednesday NBC10 obtained a third cellphone video from a witness showing officers arresting White. The latest and longest video of the incident appears to show a police dog biting White in the upper body. It also appears to show police officers striking White as he lies on the pavement.

One of the officers repeatedly tells White to roll over.

“He’s knocked out!” shouts the man recording the arrest. “He’s not even moving! Get that dog off of him!”

Witnesses, family members and friends say the officers used excessive force when apprehending White and claimed he was already restrained and unconscious.

“They punched him, stomped him, kicked him and then they let the dog out of the car," said Ricardo Garcia. "The dog bit him on his face and around his body. There's no call for that.”

Law enforcement sources disputed witness accounts however, telling NBC10 White engaged in a violent struggle with one of the officers after they called an ambulance for him. They also said at times White was combative and that he never lost consciousness while he was apprehended.

In the third cellphone video White appears to be moving slightly at the beginning as the police dog bites him and an officer strikes him. He then appears to be unconscious towards the end of the one minute and 30 second clip as the officers roll him over and handcuff him.

Stuart Alterman, an attorney for the Vineland Police Benevolent Association, watched the video and doesn’t believe it shows excessive force on the part of the officers.

“They’re not punching him,” Alterman said. “What they’re doing is they’re trying to restrain him and having him comply with being handcuffed.”

Alterman called the officers heroes and claimed the cellphone video only shows a small portion of an event that lasted for three minutes. Both Alterman and Vineland Police Chief Timothy Codispoti also said that at one point White reached for an officer’s gun before the camera started rolling.

“In fact there’s one video that’s out there and I haven’t seen it yet personally, but you can actually see Phillip White’s hand on the officer's weapon,” Alterman said.

Alterman and Codispoti also claim a toxicology report will reveal White had drugs in his system at the time of his death.

“I expect it to state that Mr. White unfortunately had ingested PCP along with cocaine and a mix of other drugs which actually caused or contributed to a cardiac pulmonary event causing his death, not the Vineland Police officers,” Alterman said.

News of White’s death led to a threat from the hacker group Anonymous, who posted a video Monday claiming they would conduct a cyber-attack and reveal personal information on employees with the Vineland Police Department and Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office if the names of the arresting officers as well as dashcam video were not revealed.

On Tuesday Anonymous posted the names of the officers involved in White’s arrest.

“I think it should be disturbing to all of us when anybody hides and then tries to impact the life of someone else,” Codispoti said. “I don’t think anybody in America likes that.”

Codispoti said the people in the neighborhood knew the officers, two of whom have been placed on paid administrative leave, and that the information released by the hackers was already public record that anyone can obtain. He also says there’s been no security breach.

“There’s no fear,” he said. “If they wanna take that, that group can take it anyway they want.”

White’s family paid for an independent medical examination. The toxicology and autopsy results are still pending.
 


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Delaware County House Fire Hurts 2

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Crews rushed a firefighter and a neighbor to a local hospital for minor injuries the two suffered in a Delaware County house blaze.

Firefighters responded to a house near 10th and Engle streets in Chester Township around 2:45 a.m. to discover smoke and flames ripping through the property, officials said.

The home's residents were able to escape the blaze unharmed, however a neighbor is suffering from smoke inhalation and a firefighter was burned on his hands, authorities said.

Both of the injured individuals, who were rushed to Crozier Medical Center, are expected to be okay, according to reports.

No word yet on the cause of the fire.

Thunderstorms Bring Hail, Wind, Downpours Friday

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The cloudy, dreary weather continues Thursday. But be prepared for severe weather Friday as thunderstorms are expected to bring downpours, hail and lighting to the region.

Much of the greater Philadelphia area was waking up Thursday to light rain and temperatures around 40 degrees -- well below normal for this time of year.

It will remain cold and damp Thursday as temps creep up to an afternoon high around 47 degrees.

Friday morning will start out similar to Thursday -- expect temperatures in the low 40s and some showers -- but thunderstorms will move in by late afternoon.

Temperatures will leap from 40s to a high near 80 degrees -- a warm up that will help fuel late afternoon and evening thunderstorms.

Some storms will drop heavy rain and hail on the Delaware Valley during the Friday evening rush hour.  And wind speeds could reach 60 miles per hour for parts of the region.

With any thunderstorm, there is a chance of flooding, the National Weather Service warns.

The line of storms will reach the Jersey Shore around 8 p.m. At that point, Philly and nearby suburbs should no longer be seeing thunderstorms, although a chance of rain remains for some spots throughout the evening.

The sun returns Saturday, making for a mostly pleasant rest of the weekend. Highs will be in the mid 60s both Saturday and Sunday.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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