A BB gun vandal or vandals appeared to have driven around two suburban Delaware communities firing at cars and homes.
New Castle County Police said they learned Monday of at least 15 victims in the Dartmouth Woods and Chalfonte sections of Wilmington. The damage was done to cars, cars window, home windows and siding, said investigators.
An initial investigation led police to believe the shooter, or shooters, drove around the neighborhoods firing – damage was reported along Ramblewood Drive, Brandywood Drive, Sturbridge Drive, Berwyn Road, Raven Road, Landon Drive, Breeze Point Drive and other streets, said police.
Anyone with information or discovers damage is asked to contact NCCPD at 302-573-2800.
Paying for parking in Philadelphia is going to finally be at your fingertips – well at least in a few spots.
The Philadelphia Parking Authority will launch its pay-by-phone “meterUP” app this week in select zones Thursday.
The PPA unveiled more details about its plans for the parking payment system at an event Tuesday. The app – which the PPA partnered with Pango to wheel out – will allow drivers to pay using a smartphone and add more time while away from your vehicle.
"MeterUP is another PPA technological innovation aimed at improving customer service and the overall parking experience in Philadelphia," said PPA Executive Director Vince Fenerty.
The PPA will unveil meterUP in four pilot zones for the next six months:
No word yet on when the agency plans to expand the pay-by-phone program.
PPA spokesman Marty O'Rourke said that Pango is assuming all costs related to the payment program.
Tyson Foods Inc. is recalling about 52,486 pounds of chicken wing products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced on Tuesday.
Consumers who contacted Tyson Foods Inc. complained that "Any'tizers Fully Cooked Hot Wings, Chicken Wing Sections Coated with Flavorful Hot, Tangy Sauce" had an "off-odor" scent.
The USDA said the product may be adulterated because of having the scent.
The problem was discovered when Tyson Foods Inc. received consumer complaints of odor as well as mild illness associated with consumption. The USDA has categorized the chicken recall as a class II recall, which indicates that there's low health risk to consumers.
"We're still investigating into what caused the odor," Derek Burleson, public relations manager for Tyson Foods Inc. said.
The fully cooked buffalo style chicken wing section item sold in 28-ounce bags was produced on Oct. 24, 2015 and Oct. 25, 2015. The items have the use by/sell by dates of Oct. 24, 2016 and Oct. 25, 2016.
Consumers who have purchased these products should not eat them. The products, sold nationwide, should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Consumers can contact Tyson's Consumer Relations department at 866-328-3156.
After the Paris attacks, a secure zone and extra precautions will be in place for this weekend's marathon in Philly, which is expected to attract close to 100,000 people.
As they have each year since the Boston Marathon bombing, all runners and attendees who enter the secure zone around the race start and finish areas on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be screened and their belongings subject to a search.
Checkpoints into the area open at 5 a.m. and will be set up at 18th, 20th, 22nd, 25th and Kelly Drive.
"Do not try to open, move or touch any item you feel is suspicious, but please report it," Mayor Michael Nutter cautioned in a Tuesday news conference, emphasizing the weekend and marathon Sunday will still be a great time for runners and families. Nutter said runners were already made aware of enhanced security measures and he urged spectators and the public to keep up with security updates — along with information what is and isn't allowed — on the marathon's website.
The race attracts close to 100,000 people: 30K runners, 60K spectators and 3,000 volunteers according to the marathon website.
This Sunday's race starts and ends on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The 26.2 miles winds first down to the Delaware River along Columbus Boulevard, up through the City's historic district and into University City. The bulk of the run is along the Schuylkill River and stretches through Manayunk before coming back down Kelly Drive to the finish line at Eakins Oval.
Road closures begin Friday, Nov. 20. Major areas impacted include:
Friday, November 20
The inner drives of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be closed, from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., on Friday, November 20. At 3:30 p.m., the westbound lanes will be opened for the afternoon rush hour. At 6:30 p.m., the inner lanes of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be closed continuously, from 6:30 p.m. on Friday, November 20 through the completion of Marathon Weekend on Sunday, November 22, and will reopen on Sunday, November 22 at 6 p.m.
Saturday, November 21
Street closures will be in effect for the Rothman Institute 8K and Kids Fun Run on Saturday, from 4 a.m. until 2 p.m., along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, between 18th to 25th streets, and also on Martin Luther King Drive. Signage labeled “no parking” will be posted in the Parkway area, and elsewhere, along the racecourse in advance. On Saturday, the vicinity near 18th Street and the Parkway, and the Logan Circle area will be closed to vehicular traffic until 11 a.m.
Sunday, November 22
For the Half and Full Marathons, due to enhanced security, City of Philadelphia “no-parking” regulations will be enforced strictly and all vehicles on the race route will be towed, beginning at 2 a.m. on Sunday. In addition, on Sunday, the Parkway, from 18th to 25th streets, will be closed, from 3 a.m. to 4 p.m. Other streets along the racecourse will reopen as runners pass
by and the streets are cleaned.
The following streets will be affected across the city on November 22:
Motorists and pedestrians can expect significant delays when trying to cross roads or streets that are adjacent to the course. Police will allow traffic through intersections along the course, when possible, depending on the flow of the race participants. All streets are scheduled to be reopened by 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 22.
A Berks County High School and University were evacuated Tuesday over security threats.
At 10:30 a.m. Exeter Township High School dismissed students due to a possible bomb threat. In a statement on the district's website, Bill Cain, Principal of the high school said, "This morning we discovered a threat indicating that there could be a bomb in the building set for noon today. In response, we will be dismissing students at 11:00."[[351087041, C]]
at 11:18 a.m., Alvernia University posted on its twitter account that campus was being evacuated. The University's website pointed to a security threat at Alvernia's Reading Campus.[[351096311, C]]
Alvernia announced just before 2 p.m. that the threat was resolved and classes would resume at 2:45.
Students at Exeter will have their bags checked as they enter school tomorrow morning. All events scheduled in the high school were canceled Tuesday.
Exeter High School and Alvernia University are located about six miles apart.
There was no word if the threats were related.
A Philadelphia police officer was arrested after he allegedly attacked a worker and a woman outside a Dunkin' Donuts earlier this year.
Investigators say a male worker was applying salt with a shopping cart outside the Dunkin' Donuts on the 1600 block of East Wadsworth Avenue back on Feb. 14. The worker lost control of the cart and it struck the vehicle of Officer Joseph Marion, who was off-duty at the time, police said.
Marion, 39, allegedly got out of his vehicle and attacked the worker. A woman nearby tried to intervene and Marion attacked her as well, police said.
The Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau as well as the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office launched an investigation which led to Marion’s arrest. He is charged with simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
Marion is a 4-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department and assigned to the 25th District. He was suspended for 30 days with the intent to dismiss.
A Middle School choir director is accused of raping a 13-year-old girl.
Gary Smith, 43, of Newark, Delaware is charged with rape, continuous sexual abuse of a child and other related offenses.
Smith was the choir director at the H.B. DuPont Middle School in Hockessin, Delaware. The investigation began in September after police received information reporting the rape of a female student at the school in 2010.
With the help and cooperation of the Red Clay School District Safety Administration, investigators determined Smith had been involved in a sexual relationship with the victim from April, 2010 until August, 2012. The victim was 13-years-old when the abuse began, police said.
Smith was arrested Tuesday morning at his home. He was committed to the Howard Young Correctional Institution in lieu of $815,000 cash bond. Information on his attorney was not immediately available.
The Red Clay School District placed Smith on administrative leave, notified a Crisis Team and informed parents of students at the school.
Firefighters battled a 2-alarm blaze at a building in Moorestown, Burlington County.
The fire started at the Moorestown Community House on 16 East Main Street Tuesday afternoon. The entire building was evacuated and firefighers were able to bring the flames under control. No injuries were reported.
The building is a venue for weddings, birthdays and other special events.
Officials continue to investigate the cause.
Workers at the Community House later released a statement on their Facebook page:
A Maryland doctor is now a Delaware record holder after reeling in a huge catch during a fishing tournament on Monday.
Dr. Luis Mispireta of Stevensville, Maryland was participating in the Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament over the Del-Jersey-Land Inshore Reef, the largest artificial reef on the Atlantic Coast. While on board the charter vessel Katydid about 26 nautical miles from Lewes, Dr. Mispireta caught a black sea bass. As he began to reel it in, a large bluefish suddenly grabbed the sea bass and hooked itself as well.
A struggle ensued until the doctor was finally able to bring the bluefish in. The fish ended up being 43-inches and 24.8 pounds, almost three pounds larger than the previous Delaware record holder, a 21.9 pound bluefish that was caught in 1980.
A woman and her family escaped injury after their car caught fire at Temple University's campus Tuesday evening.
Glenetta Jones told NBC10 she pulled up to the Bank of America near Broad Street and the 1500 block of Cecil B. Moore Avenue. She went to the ATM to get money while her aunt, daughter and infant grandson were inside the car. Suddenly she heard her daughter yell.
"My daughter said, 'Mom, the car is smoking,'" Jones said. "As I come out the car is in flames on the right hand side in the front. And I tell them to get out the car."
Jones quickly took her grandson out of the vehicle as her aunt and daughter also got out. They then ran to safety as the flames continued to spread. Several witnesses began recording as the vehicle was engulfed in flames. One viewer even captured the moments that the car appeared to explode.
"When we got out of there it exploded," Jones said. "Boom! Very loud!"
Responding firefighters were able to put out the flames. No one was injured during the ordeal.
Jones told NBC10 she's unsure what caused her car to catch fire though she did mention a recall letter she received a few weeks ago.
"Chrysler sent us a letter in the mail 2 1/2 weeks ago or so and said there was a recall on that make and model for the airbag," she said. "I did see the check engine light come on. The airbag sign came on and the airbag flasher came on. I don't know. I don't know what it is."
Officials continue to investigate.
At least one person was killed in a tractor trailer crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Chester County.
The tractor trailer crashed into the medium in the westbound lanes of the Turnpike in West Nantmeal Township Tuesday evening. At least one person died in the accident. He or she has not yet been identified.
Westbound lanes are currently closed at the scene of the crash.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
Officials at Deer Park Water are investigating claims that some of their water cooler containers were used to handle an airplane toilet cleaner and then returned to the company to be refilled with drinking water and redistributed to the public.
The investigation is related to a lawsuit from American Airline workers at Philadelphia International Airport. The workers claim in the suit that they were told to use empty Deer Park water jugs to transport a toilet deodorant containing the chemical bromo nitropropane.
“Putting blue deodorant into a water bottle which is owned by Deer Park and bringing it upstairs on Boeing 757’s to flush it and pour it into the toilet,” said Trandom Millsip, a Fleet Service Agent Supervisor for American Airlines.
Millsip told NBC10 a hose is normally connected to the bottom of the plane and the chemical is pumped from a tanker truck. Millsip claims the intake devices on some of the 757’s were broken however and management ordered workers to carry the chemical onto the planes using the Deer Park jugs instead. Millsip told NBC10’s Harry Hairston he’s concerned about possible exposure to the chemical.
“How many bottles are you using?” Hairston asked.
“At least eight to nine a day if not more,” Millsip replied.
Millsip and four other American Airlines workers filed a lawsuit against American Airlines in September.
“The practice of poisoning Deer Park/Nestle five gallon jugs was created all so that American Airlines did not have to spend money fixing broken valves and other parts,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also claims the practice of using the Deer Park jugs to carry the chemical is “threatening the public health and welfare.”
“You constantly smell it,” Millsip said. “It’s constantly in your nose. It gives you a headache.”
Millsip told NBC10 the jugs came from the employee break room. He also claims the airport workers did not clean the bottles after they poured the chemicals out and that they returned them to the break room to be picked up for reuse by Deer Park.
The chemical bromo nitropropane can cause eye, skin and lung irritation, according to doctors who spoke with NBC10. Along with blue toilet deodorant, the chemical is also found in some cosmetic products.
NBC10 reached out to American Airlines for a comment on the lawsuit’s allegations. The company told NBC10 they were taking the allegations seriously and “will fully investigate these latest accusations.”
“We have agreed to suspend our water delivery service while we investigate,” the statement says.
Harry Hairston showed Millsip’s photos of the chemical inside the water jugs to Deer Park’s Quality Control Manager Bill Bradley and asked if any of the bottles could have made it to new customers.
“I’ve never seen that bottle return here,” Bradley said. “But I have confidence that if it did it would never make it through this process.”
Deer Park officials told NBC10 they tested their inspection and cleaning system once they learned about the allegations.
“We purchased some of the same material, the same blue liquid. We made those solutions up, even up to 10 times stronger, put them in our bottles in a test environment,” Bradley said.
Bradley told NBC10 there was no trace of the chemical left in the bottles. Deer Park officials declined to show us their testing process on-camera citing security reasons.
“Are you still investigating the allegations?” Harry Hairston asked.
“I can’t comment,” Bradley replied. “I mean, yes of course we’re investigating. There is still more to learn.”
Airline workers told NBC10 they are still currently filling toilets the same way though American Airlines now has them using different plastic jugs.
Videos have been released of a chaotic confrontation between Allentown high school students and Allentown Police officers.
Allentown Police say they received several calls reporting a large fight near the 500 block of Barner Street shortly after 4 p.m. on Nov. 13. When they arrived they say they saw a large crowd fighting. The responding officers then tried to break it up and disperse the crowd, according to officials.
“While attempting to do so, officers were met with resistance. The crowd became belligerent and aggressive,” an Allentown police spokesman said. “The individuals on scene were given multiple opportunities by the responding officers to cease their actions and disperse, but they continually and repeatedly refused to follow orders. Due to the increased aggression, threatening behavior and failure to disperse of those individuals present, officers affected arrests.”
Police say more people in the crowd began to interfere as the officers made the arrests while the teens being taken into custody “actively resisted arrest.”
“Juveniles on scene grabbed the arms of officers, jumped on their backs, and obstructed the officers from performing their duties,” the spokesperson said.
In all seven students between the ages of 15 and 17 were arrested and charged with riot, resisting arrest, hindering apprehension, recklessly endangering another person, failure to disperse and disorderly conduct.
Michael Frassetto, a teacher at the Medical Academy Charter School in Catasauqua and member of the United Youth Party, sent NBC10 a video of the confrontation. The video shows two officers handcuffing a teen who is lying on the ground. A teen girl also appears to struggle with and then escape two officers before being wrestled to the ground. One teen also screams, “I can’t breathe.”
Frassetto claimed the incident on Friday began with an innocent play fight between a brother, sister and a few of their friends after they got off a school bus. However, the police were called when neighbors thought the fight was real, according to Frassetto.
Frassetto believes the responding officers were using excessive force during the incident and said they should have showed more restraint.
“Number one it’s alarming,” Frassetto said. “Am I surprised by it? No, I’m not surprised by it.”
Frassetto claims the incident was indicative of an ongoing problem between Allentown police and local youth.
“Following students with tasers, calling them names,” he said. “That is not the best way to deescalate a situation.”
Allentown Police say an internal review of the incident is underway though they believe the officers took appropriate action.
“There is no evidence that suggests the officers involved acted inappropriately,” the spokesperson said. “Further, I believe that the officers of the Allentown Police Department showed a tremendous amount of restraint and should be commended for their hard work and dedication.”
Another incident, which was also captured on video, occurred outside William Allen High School in Allentown three weeks ago. During that incident, four police officers were injured while five students were taken into custody.
A man is recovering after he suffered burns during a small chemical explosion inside a Montgomery County home.
The incident occurred inside a house on the 800 block of Rhoads Avenue in Douglass Township Wednesday afternoon. Officials say the victim suffered burns to his body and face from an unknown chemical. They have not yet revealed what that chemical was. A Hazmat team is currently investigating.
The man was taken to the hospital. Officials have not yet revealed his condition.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
