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NJ Waitress Gets Giant Surprise Tip

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Christmas may be over but the holiday spirit is alive and well, thanks to one man's last wish and his brother's undying effort to continue granting it. The recipients of their generosity are all waiters and waitresses. As Brynn Gingras reports, a waitress in Hoboken is one of the latest lucky servers.

I-95 Ramming Driver ID'd

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Delaware State Police have identified the man who was critically hurt after ramming his car into a parked tractor trailer along I-95 on Friday night, closing part of the highway for hours.

Twan Money, of Newark, Del., was driving his red 2009 Chevy Aveo southbound on the highway near the exit for Route 141 in New Castle, Del. around 7:40 p.m. on Friday when the crash occurred, state police said.

The 36-year-old suddenly accelerated and veered out of the left center lane and quickly into the left shoulder where a tractor trailer was parked. The car hit the rear passenger side of the truck -- the force sending the Chevy spinning into the center lanes of I-95, according to state police.

Money suffered severe injuries to the left side of his body, state police said. He was rushed to Christiana Medical Center where he remains in critical condition.

The 48-year-old tractor trailer operator, who is from Baltimore, Md. and was sleeping in the cab, was not hurt.

The collision forced authorities to shut down the highway for more than four hours as they cleaned up the mess.

Delaware State Police say its Collision Reconstruction Unit continues to investigate the incident.

Winter Storm Leads to Grocery Store Rush

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The rush for the snow storm food staples -- bread, milk, produce and frozen fare -- was in full effect in Philadelphia-area grocery stores.

Photos taken inside the Trader Joe's store in Ardmore, Montgomery County, show the grocer had bare shelves by Thursday evening.

Here's a look at their produce shelf:

At the Trader Joe's location in Center City Philadelphia, a line of customers spilled out of the store's front doors and into the parking lot.

Were you out shopping for snow storm supplies? Share your grocery store experience and photos below.



Photo Credit: Erinn Carey

Snow Snarls Traffic

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The Delaware Valley's first snowstorm of 2014 brought dangerous cold, high winds, and treacherous driving. NBC10's Nefertiti Jaquez showed us the conditions in Center City Thursday night, and talked to some who dared to venture out.

Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Stuck Cars Block Plows

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Treacherous driving conditions along City Avenue.

Photo Credit: NBC10

Slow Going on NJ Roads

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Take a snowy ride along the 42 Freeway.

Photo Credit: NBC10

Snow-Covered Tolls

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Very few drivers going through the tolls in Plymouth Meeting.

Photo Credit: NBC10

Battling Fire & Ice

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A tough go to get a house fire under control in Ambler, Pa.

Photo Credit: Nick Cooper

Snow Coverage on I-76

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A look at conditions on the Schuylkill Expressway.

Photo Credit: NBC10

Friday Snow Closures & Delays

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With snow and wind from this winter storm, local government institutions, museums and other offices have announced closures for Friday.

You will find a list of school closings and delays in our NBC10 School Closing Alert section.

Here is a list of some closures. Your best bet is to call ahead if you have any concerns if a place might not be opened.

 

PENNSYLVANIA

PHILADELPHIA

Please Touch Museum - CLOSED

Philadelphia Prisons - No inmate visits

Philadelphia Courts -- CLOSED

University of Pennsylvania -- CLOSED

Temple University -- CLOSED

National Constitution Center -- CLOSED

Federal Courts and Offices -- CLOSED

Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University -- CLOSED

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

County Courts & Government Offices - Opening Two-Hours Late

Ardmore Farmer's Market -- Opening at 10 a.m.

Suburban Square -- Opening at noon

Willow Grove Park Mall -- Opening at noon

Plymouth Meeting Mall -- Opening at noon

DELAWARE COUNTY

County Courts & Government Offices - Opening Two-Hours Late

Springfield Mall -- Opening at noon

CHESTER COUNTY

County Courts & Government Offices - CLOSED

Longwood Gardens - Opening One-Hour Late

Exton Square Mall -- Opening at noon

 

NEW JERSEY

All State Court Buildings & Courthouses - CLOSED

ATLANTIC COUNTY

Atlantic City Municipal Offices -- CLOSED

Atlantic Cape Community College -- All Campuses CLOSED

CAMDEN COUNTY

Camden City -- Trash collection canceled

Rutgers Camden University -- All campuses CLOSED

Adventure Aquarium -- Opening at noon

CAPE MAY COUNTY

Townsends Inlet Bridge between Avalon & Sea Isle City -- CLOSED

All Senior Centers -- CLOSED

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Cumberland Mall -- Opening at 11 a.m.

MERCER COUNTY

Mercer County Police Academy Graduation - Postponed until Monday, Jan. 6

 

DELAWARE

All State Offices -- CLOSED

NEW CASTLE COUNTY

County Courts & Government Offices - CLOSED

Winterthur -- CLOSED



Photo Credit: AP

Jackknifed Big Rig on I-95

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An overturned tractor-trailer snarled traffic as snow fell on one of the busiest roads in the area for hours this morning.

The big rig tipped along Interstate-95 southbound near Enterprise Avenue (Exit 15) around 3:35 a.m.

Police closed the roadway at Broad Street (Exit 17) to divert traffic away from the crash scene.

No reports on any injuries.

For more than four hours the accident remained as did the line of cars caught behind it. The Platt Bridge (Route 291) cold be used as an alternate route.

The roadway finally reopened just before 8 a.m. though some clean up remained and so did backups as only one lane got past the wreckage.

This was one of many crashes along area roads overnight from simple fender benders to another jackknifed big rig along the New Jersey Turnpike northbound near Exit 7A that blocked at least one lane.



Photo Credit: Traffic Camera

Area Organizations Up Homeless Outreach for Winter Storm

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As the region deals with the first snow of the new year and residents begin bundling up to prepare for potentially life-threatening cold temperatures for those spending long periods of time outdoors, local organizations are ramping up their efforts to make sure Philadelphia’s homeless community stays safe and warm through the storm.

Local homelessness and poverty advocacy organization Project HOME says it will operate its Homeless Outreach Hotline throughout the snow storm that is expected to drop as many as 7-inches of snow in Philadelphia. Project HOME spokesman Laura Weinbaum says people can call the hotline if they see anyone out on the streets that may need shelter.

“If people see people who are outside or even if people see people going into abandoned buildings, we encourage them to contact this hotline number and an outreach worker will come and attempt to engage that person and offer them a place indoors, or water, or socks, or things like that to help them,” Weinbaum said.

With the expectation of extreme temperatures accompanying the storm, several municipalities including Burlington and Camden counties have begun issuing “Code Blue" emergency warnings.

Such warnings are issued by local governments when temperatures drop below 20-degrees.
According to Weinbaum, the issuance of a Code Blue emergency warning triggers additional assistance for programs like Project HOME, including access to vacant beds in emergency housing centers funded by the City and full-day stays at city-funded shelters.

“It is a code blue which enables us to take special action. The city opens additional spaces in a couple of recreation centers and other places, and we’ll obviously be using any available beds that we have both within Project Home and also through other providers in the city,” Weinbaum said.

“A Code Blue also creates the ability for police to help relocate and transport people who are still out there on the streets because it’s actually very dangerous to be out there when the temperatures are so low.”

The Bethesda Project is another program that will be able to provide special services to homeless persons during the storm.

In conjunction with community organization Broad Street Ministry, the Bethesda Project operates a winter café that allows overnight stays for up to 75 men, women and children that are in need of shelter.

Director of Entry Level Programs Misty Sparks says Bethesda will also be taking advantage of additional service allowances made available by the city during a Code Blue.

“Due to the Code Blue, our capacity at the café increases, some shelter procedures change, the hours of operation are increased, and there are very limited reasons for which we would ask folks to leave the shelter,” Sparks said.

According to Sparks the café which operates nightly from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. from mid-December to early April, will likely reach its capacity limit at the height of the storm.

“I am sure that we will have a packed house tonight,” Sparks said. “Pretty much anytime it snows we hit capacity.”

When Bethesda’s café reaches capacity, its coordinators contact other outreach services to assist anyone who is still in need of shelter.

The Bethesda Project, which serves more than 2,500 homeless and formerly homeless men and women each year at 14 sites throughout Philadelphia, has been operating its winter café since 2006.

The Project HOME Homeless Outreach Hotline can be reached 24/7 at 215-232-1984.



Photo Credit: AP

"We Made It" to Bucks County

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Snow made the trip to Doylestown, Pa. a slow go.

Photo Credit: NBC10

Whipping Winds Down the Shore

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A wintry mess in Longport, N.J.

Photo Credit: NBC10

Conditions Not Great on Roads

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In Delaware many motorists took officials advice to stay home.

Photo Credit: NBC10

Philly Officers to Wear Saints Gear

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Philadelphia Police are warning Eagles fans not to mess with New Orleans Saints fans during Saturday’s wild-card playoff game. That’s because those dressed in Saints gear might not be fans at all, they may just be an undercover officer.

Third District Community Policing Officer Mike Duffy sent out a warning on Twitter late Thursday night about the Saints patrol:

It’s well documented that Philadelphia fans have a long history of treating both fans of opposing teams and their local brethren poorly.

In 2012, following the Winter Classic, a man wearing a New York Ranger jersey was allegedly beaten by a Flyers fan outside Geno’s Steaks. A man was also killed in 2009 following a fight in a parking lot outside Citizens Bank Park.

The now-defunct Veterans Stadium used to have “Eagles Court,” in which a Philadelphia Municipal Court judge presided over unruly fans who had been arrested during games.

Outside of Philadelphia, a brawl between three New England Patriots fans and a New York Jets fan at MetLife Stadium in Oct. 2013 led to four arrests.

Tickets for Saturday's primetime game sold out in three minutes earlier this week, with seats being sold on secondary ticketing sites like StubHub for thousands of dollars.

The Philadelphia Eagles Fan Code of Conduct prohibits “fighting, taunting or threatening remarks or gestures” as well as abusive or foul language, among other things. The policy, which is clearly displayed and shared at Lincoln Financial Field, says violators will be ejected or arrested.

Philadelphia Police spokesman Lt. John Stanford said on Friday that the department has deployed plainclothes officers, as well as uniformed patrols, at Eagles games for the past several years. He says some officers wear the opposing team's jersey, others wear Eagles gear and some wear neither.

"We do it just to make sure that people can go out and have a good time," he said. Stanford added that the patrols are not meant to target one group of fans, but to prevent trouble.

Duffy’s announcement drew support and ire from followers. One man, named Jesse, called the move “terrible.”

Another follower supported the initiative, calling it "smart policing."


Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Frigid Air Raises Frostbit Concerns

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The snow may be done, but the second act of this winter storm is upon us. Frigid temperatures are settling in and strong winds will be sending the wind chills below zero -- making being outside downright dangerous.

The NBC10 First Alert Weather Team expects temperatures to hover in the teens throughout the day on Friday, but winds gusting up to 30 mph could bring the wind chills into negative territory. By Saturday morning, the winds will diminish, but the temperatures could be in the single digits.

Being exposed to such arctic temperatures, even for a relatively short period of time, could leave children, the elderly and adults susceptible to hypothermia and frostbite says Bryn Mawr Hospital emergency medicine physician Dr. Leonard Ulan, Jr.

“If you are looking at wind chills below zero, then you need to consider that frostbite could set in within a matter of minutes,” he said.

With frostbite, your skin and the tissue underneath freezes, cutting off blood flow. The skin will start to turn gray or white and the damage could be irreversible – sometimes resulting in the loss of ears, a nose, fingers or limbs.

Ulan says keeping your skin covered and dry is the first line of defense against such damage.

“If you do get wet you are at increased risk, so if gloves or boots get wet you are at risk for both frostbite and hypothermia,” he said. “Make sure you have weather resistant, water resistant clothing and if it is not precipitating, just make sure you have on multiple layers and all your skin is protected.”

Children are some of the most susceptible individuals to both frostbite and hypothermia. He says allowing kids to be outside in arctic air for more than a few minutes is not a good idea.

“If it’s zero degrees with wind…it could just take 5, 10, 15 minutes to develop early frostbite. I wouldn’t leave them at a bus stop for more than a few minutes,” he said.

The elderly are another group at risk in the extreme weather. The thermostat should be set to 68-degrees or higher in homes where older individuals are living, according to Ulan. The doctor says it’s important to keep a keen eye on how they are acting because medications could be masking the symptoms of hypothermia.

“You and I would probably start shivering [if we were cold]. Sometimes elderly people, because of the medicine they are on, don’t shiver,” he says. “Sometimes the only symptoms they might have are they are acting confused or sluggish.”

For healthy adults, Ulan says avoid alcohol and drug use because they can dull a person’s senses. Dressing properly and being prepared for any condition is also vital.

“If you are going to drive in the snow, make sure you have a blanket in your car and make sure you have enough warm clothing,” he said. “You can handle cold weather if you are properly dressed and prepared. Most of the problems we have are when people don’t prepare.”

Should you experience symptoms of hypothermia or frostbite, it’s best to seek medical attention immediately. For frostbite, the Mayo Clinic suggests gradually warming the frostbitten areas and try not to use fingers or toes that are affected.


Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Bodies Found Inside Burning Home

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Firefighters made a grisly discovery inside a burning home.

Crews found the bodies -- a man and a woman -- inside a row home along the 4200 block of Ormand Street in Philadelphia’s Juniata neighborhood late Thursday night.

It only took firefighters a short period of time to put out the blaze and the home didn’t appear from the outside to be heavily damaged. The discovery of the bodies inside, though, made the toll of the fire huge.

No cause of death was given but Philadelphia Police confirmed that they would investigate the deaths as potential homicides.

Firefighters also investigated suspected arson at the scene bringing in specialty sniffing dogs.

As of early Thursday morning, authorities couldn’t confirm much more than to say that the fire was suspicious and that autopsies would hopefully help them determine a cause of death.



Photo Credit: NBC10

Not Enough Shelter for All Who Need

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The number of people being turned away from emergency shelter in Philadelphia has tripled in just three years, according to figures reviewed by AxisPhilly.

The drastic change suggests a much more complicated story about homelessness in Philadelphia than that told by more general statistics, which indicate the number of homeless individuals as being more or less steady over the last few years.

Overall, homelessness in Philadelphia was estimated to have decreased in 2013 by 1% from the year before, while the number of homeless families increased by just 1% over the same period, according to an annual report on hunger and homelessness by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

But an analysis of similar reports over the past few years reveals a much more alarming trend: the percentage of people whose need for emergency shelter went “unmet,” has increased dramatically, from just 17% in 2011 to 48% in 2013, according to the city’s own estimates.

In other words, nearly half of those who seek shelter are now being turned away.

Perhaps even more troubling, the increase appears to be concentrated mostly among people with children who are seeking shelter, according to Leticia Egea-Hinton, who oversees shelter programs for the city’s Office of Supportive Housing.

Hinton, who acknowledged the increase, says that single adults seeking emergency shelter generally have more options and are rarely turned away. But the need for shelter appropriate for children with their parents is increasingly exceeding the city’s capacity to provide it.

“The reality is that there’s increased demand,” said Hinton, “and you’re mostly looking at families.”

Hinton ascribed the rise in demand to a decrease in affordable housing for low-income families, and other experts on homelessness generally agree.

“It’s a perfect storm of an increase in poverty and an increase in the housing crisis” says Laura Weinbaum, vice president of public affairs and strategic initiatives for Project Home.

What exactly the numbers on turn-aways mean isn’t totally clear.

It could be that more families are facing homelessness; or that families are facing homelessness and re-applying for shelter more frequently; or that a lack of other housing options is making entering the shelter system a more viable route to permanent housing.

What is clear is that the Office of Supportive Housing, which oversees the city’s services around homelessness, and other agencies tasked with helping those in need, is facing ever-growing need with shrinking resources.

Homelessness, hunger, and poverty are all on the rise in Philadelphia, which is the poorest city of its size in the country.

And while the city’s Office of Supportive Housing was largely spared in severe budget cutbacks in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, its funding has been essentially flat-lined since then, and therefore effectively reduced factoring in inflation.

Meanwhile, funds for certain services for combating homelessness made available by the federal stimulus have run out. And in recent years, the city has cut case management services, as well as hundreds of beds from the emergency shelter system.

Despite budgetary constraints, the Office of Supportive Housing added 90 extra beds for a total of nearly 1,600 beds for families, Hinton says, and has some other options for families when shelter beds have filled up including, as she put it, the “occasional” use of a hotel room.

But Hinton also acknowledged that with increased demand and limited capacity, her office often encourages families to seek temporary shelter with friends or family members rather than in the city’s stressed shelter system.

“We work with them to find a temporary place in the community until there’s a place in the system,” Hinton said. “We don’t just turn people out onto the street.”

It’s a strategy referred to by other homeless advocates as “MOA” or “Make Other Arrangements,” and makes it hard to know exactly what’s becoming of the nearly half of individuals seeking shelter whose need is reported as going “unmet.”

On the one hand, the higher percentage could reflect families who are re-applying for shelter after being steered initially toward an alternative.

But the city tracks only those who enter the shelter system, not those who don’t or can’t. It may be that families being turned away from shelters are securing other housing, and it may be that they are not.

“We’ve heard that [the city] is seeing a surprisingly small percentage of people returning,” after being steered toward temporary housing with a family member or friend, says Project Home’s Weinbaum.

“But where they’re going is anybody’s best guess.”


This story was reported through a news coverage partnership between NBC10.com and AxisPhilly.org.



Photo Credit: Christian Science Monitor/Getty

Eagles Playoff Game a Win Locally

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The Philadelphia Eagles first playoff game in three years is expected to score some big points for the region’s economy.

Hosting the wild-card game Saturday night against the New Orleans Saints will generate an estimated $10 million for the region’s economy, according to Philadelphia Department of Revenue and the Philadelphia Sports Congress, a division of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The $10 million economic impact figure is based primarily on direct spending by fans in attendance, including an estimated 2,500 out-of-town visitors, on hotel, food and retail purchases.

Read more of this story at PBJ.com.



Photo Credit: National Constitution Center
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