In the midst of summer vacation planning, TripAdvisor released its list of the top zoos and aquariums around the world and one local zoo made the cut.
Cape May County Park & Zoo was ranked in the Top 5 Travelers’ Choice Zoos in the U.S, clinching the number five spot.
TripAdvisor announced its Travelers’ Choice attractions on Wednesday. Over a 12-month period, company representatives collected data from online reviews and customer opinions of zoos and aquariums around the globe to compile the list.
The South Jersey zoo is home to 550 animals representing 250 species and hosts approximately three quarters of a million people visit annually. While on the property, tourists can see 13 flamingos from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch and kids can take a ride on a train or an animal-themed carousel.
Here are the zoos of that mad the ‘Top 5 Travelers’ Choice Zoos in the U.S.’ List:
For more information about the Cape May Zoo to plan your next visit, click here.
A piece of local history went missing Wednesday afternoon.
The Maple Shade Township Police Department is undergoing an investigation after the John Roberts historical marker bronze monument was stolen. The monument was taken from the memorial location at 940 E. Main Street in Maple Shade, NJ.
Investigators believe the structure was stolen over the weekend.
Police are asking for help to determine the suspects and locate the missing monument.
If you have any information about the case or have seen any suspicious activity near the monument, you are asked to call MSPD at 856-234-8300. The case number is 15-11092.
For more information about the monument, click here.
A new outlet store is coming to town.
Philadelphia shoppers will soon be able to enjoy Bloomingdale’s, The Outlet Store. In November 2015, the store is set to open at The Shops of Liberty Place and 1625 Chestnut Street in Center City.
The opening of the new location will mark the retailer’s first outlet shore in the Philadelphia region and the 16th outlet in the country. The outlet will be joining two full-line Bloomingdale’s stores located outside the city in King of Prussia and Willow Grove, Pa.
The store will offer shoppers a wide-range of apparel and accessories at wallet-friendly prices.
“We see Bloomingdale’s Outlet as a growth vehicle for our company as we continue to refine and roll out stores based on our learnings over the past several years,” said Tony Spring, chairman and CEO of Bloomingdale’s. “This is a great opportunity to expand the reach of our brand to value-conscious shoppers as well as better serve the expansive needs of our customers,” Spring said.
Two additional Bloomingdale's outlets will launch in New York and San Diego this fall.
An elderly woman is recovering after she was struck by a stray bullet in Philadelphia Tuesday night.
Lula Mae Tillman, 79, was sitting on the front porch of her home on the 2800 block of North 25th Street around 10:30 p.m. when an unidentified gunman opened fire.
"All I was doing was trying to get out of the way," Tillman said.
A stray bullet ricocheted off Tillman's left leg and was lodged into her right ankle, where doctors say it will stay permanently. Tillman also injured her knee when she fell in a panic.
"When I saw they were shooting I jumped up to run in the house and when I did that I fell," she said. "I called my son and told him I had been shot. And they came out and the blood was everywhere."
Despite her injuries, Tillman is happy to still be alive.
"I was blessed," she said.
Police don’t believe Tillman was the shooter’s intended target. They continue to search for the gunman.
A Pennsylvania attorney claims at least 80 African-American employees at American Airlines in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. were the victims of racial discrimination.
The allegations were made in a letter from the Philly-based Mildenberg Law Firm which was sent to United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch, asking her to investigate racial discrimination and safety violations.
The employees accuse managers at American Airlines in Philly and D.C. of using racial slurs against them, including “circus monkeys,” and the n-word. They also said the managers had offensive nicknames for areas where mostly African-Americans worked such as “jungle,” “ghetto,” “Darfur,” “black panther break room,” and “chocolate break room.”
In addition to the racially-charged language, the employees also say the terminal they worked in had racially segregated break rooms, control rooms, teams and job assignments. They also claim the managers did not provide overtime opportunities for minority workers, enforced unfair punishment on African American workers in comparison to white workers, and refused to give African-American workers proper training, leaving them unqualified for some job opportunities.
The letter also alleges the managers only allowed white employees to use newer and safer equipment while African-American employees had to work under dangerous conditions.
“This allegation is what started our investigation into the safety practices of this airline,” the letter states. “Our clients alleged that white employees were routinely allowed by managers to reserve the best tugs, trucks, lifts and other equipment for their use, to the exclusion of black employees. Black employees have been forced to work on the unsafe equipment that is described in detail in the Safety Complaint, and which equipment both the FAA and OSHA have confirmed does not comply with federal standards.”
A spokesperson for American Airlines denied the allegations of racism in a written statement to NBC10.
“Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our airline,” the spokesperson wrote. “Ours is a diverse workforce serving customers who are equally diverse, and we are committed to fostering a work environment that is based on collaborative teamwork and mutual respect. We will vigorously defend our company and the hard-working employees who provide top-quality service to our customers each and every day.”
The spokesperson also responded to the allegations of safety violations.
“The safety of our customers and employees is our highest priority,” the spokesperson wrote. “The training procedures and equipment that we use have been recognized as the best in the industry and fully comply with government safety regulations.”
Police are searching for thieves who damaged and stole from cars at a local train station while commuters were at work.
Police say the thieves targeted cars in the Wissahickon Train Station commuter lot Tuesday, busting out windows and swiping valuables. One victim, 22-year-old Krystal Burgess, told NBC10 she had just purchased her car which was heavily damaged during the theft.
“The only thing that makes me the most mad about everything is the fact that I just purchased this car literally, like three weeks now,” she said. “And my window is shattered.”
The thieves broke into at least nine cars in the lot. Burgess said the theft caused $500 in damage to her vehicle.
“Hopefully no one else decides they want to do any vandalism and just leaves my car alone,” Burgess said. “I’ve had enough.”
If you have any information, please call Philadelphia Police.
Philadelphia police are searching for a gunman who used a shotgun in a shooting that left a man in extremely condition early Thursday morning.
The shooting happened shortly after midnight at 26th and Dickinson Streets in the city’s Grays Ferry section.
Investigators say a 41-year-old man was shot in the neck and arm by an unidentified suspect with a shotgun.
The victim managed to run a few blocks before collapsing on the 1500 block of Taney Street.
He was rushed to Presbyterian Hospital where he is listed in extremely critical condition.
The gunman remains on the loose.
A motive was not immediately known.
All lanes of southbound Interstate 95 in Delaware County have reopened after a multi-vehicle crash early Thursday morning.
The accident happened about 5:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes of I-95 near the Commodore Barry Bridge.
The crash involved a pickup truck, a sedan and an SUV. The SUV reportedly caught fire.
It was not immediately known if there were any injuries.
All southbound lanes were temporarily shut down, but they have since reopened.
The cause is under investigation.
An overturned tractor-trailer is creating a traffic nightmare on the Schuylkill Expressway westbound in Montgomery County.
A tractor-trailer overturned Thursday morning on I-76 westbound at the Route 202 off-ramp in King of Prussia.
As a result of overturning, debris that the big rig was hauling spilled onto the roadway.
All westbound lanes of I-76 are closed a result of the crash.
It was not immediately known if there were any injuries.
Service is moving again along SEPTA’s Lansdale/Doylestown Line after a downed tree temporarily suspended service Thursday morning.
The downed tree suspended service between the Link Belt and Doylestown stations.
SEPTA and PECO crews worked together to remove the tree from the overhead wires.
Service was fully restored, but some residual delays were expected.
For updates, visit www.septa.org.
A man was beaten during a home invasion in Northern Liberties that police believe may have been drug-related.
Two masked men entered a home in the 1200 block of N. 2nd Street early Thursday morning.
Once inside, the suspects assaulted a male inside the home. The suspects reportedly stole the man’s cell phone and a TV.
Investigators say there were no signs of forced entry.
Police believe the home invasion may have been drug-related.
The suspects remain on the loose.
A man has been charged with intentionally setting a fire that caused $250,000 in damage to a Delaware home.
Christopher Unruh, of Wilmington, has been charged with Arson and Reckless Endangering.
Unruh is accused of intentionally starting a fire that caused $250,000 in damage to a home on Weldin Park Drive in Wilmington on Monday.
There were no injuries.
The motive behind the accused arson is not yet known.
Unruh has been arraigned and released on $7,000 unsecured bail.
