For the second time in two weeks a "Trump" political sign was defaced in Egg Harbor Township.

Police are searching for the suspect who lit the sign supporting Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump on fire in front of a home on Spruce Avenue.

On March 2 the sign was spray painted with vulgar messages, and on Saturday the sign was doused with a flammable liquid and torched.

The Bargaintown Fire Company reported to the scene to extinguish the fire. Officials are still searching for the culprit.

If you have any information contact the Egg Harbor Township Police Department Criminal Investigation Bureau at 609-926-4051.
 

The brief warm-up started Tuesday with highs around 60. Clouds will stay locked in most of the day, but we could see a few breaks of sunshine later in the afternoon/evening. We could also see another round of fog tonight and early tomorrow.

Wednesday will be warmer! Around 70 with more sun and a Southeast wind, but just about partly sunny. Late evening showers Wednesday as a cold front moves through.

Saint Patrick’s Day will be cooler, in the low 60s, chance for some afternoon showers.

Friday will be cooler again, in the mid 50s, with another small chance for afternoon showers. Another cold front will move through, and this one will drop temps into the 30s for morning lows over the weekend! Highs Saturday will be around 49 and we stay dry.

Sunday is the official start to Spring!

Except. . . it will feel like Winter! Morning temps in the 30s with afternoon highs around the low 40s. As of Tuesday, a storm system will be approaching the coast Sunday, giving rain to the area, with a chance for a rain/snow mix if the moisture lingers late enough Sunday for temperatures to drop to freezing.

More updates to come. . . but even if frozen precipitation were to fall, it would be very hard for anything to accumulate, especially if it is mixed with rain.

We’ll have to watch the track of this system because latest model updates are trying to keep most of the moisture offshore now. Some models show this storm impacting the area, and some keep it too far South.

This will be updated and changing through the week. Either way, we do expect morning lows in the 30s, with below freezing temps North and West.
 

Officials have identified a man who was killed in a police-involved shooting in Chester over the weekend.

Keith Montgomery, Jr., 24, was struck multiple times during a shootout with police Saturday, according to investigators. Montgomery died from his injuries. The Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide.

The shootout began as a traffic stop when Chester Police responded to a report of a possibly stolen vehicle at Union and Parker streets just after 4 p.m. Saturday, officials said. When officers arrived, at least one person inside the vehicle opened fire, according to authorities.

"When the officers tried to stop it they didn't cooperate and there ended up being shots fired from the car and then back at the car," said Chester Police Chief James Nolan.

Officials say Montgomery was one of the men inside the vehicle though they have not yet revealed if he was the one who shot at the officers.  The second person in the car, a 19-year-old man, was wounded in the shootout but survived. One of the responding officers, Captain Alan Davis, was also shot in the chest and arm.

Captain Davis and the 19-year-old man were both taken to the Crozer-Chester Medical Center. Davis, a 26-year veteran of the police force, is currently in stable condition. Family members of the 19-year-old man who were outside the hospital told NBC10 he is stable as well. They also claimed the man is innocent and that police "got the wrong car."

A large crowd of community members gathered at the scene of the shooting Saturday evening. A confrontation and fight occurred between police officers and some members of the crowd leading to pepper spray being used. Police told NBC10 the scuffle began when the crowd pushed up against the barrier as officials removed Montgomery's body from the scene. Police said they detained two people during the scuffle but were able to eventually control the crowd.

WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

Residents told NBC10 they were concerned about transparency during the investigation in light of another deadly police-involved shooting in February.

"The question is back to the police," said Pastor Calvin Williams. "Who was at fault? Are ya'll gonna tell the truth? All we want is the truth. We the people of the city of Chester, we want the truth this time."

During a news conference Sunday morning, Chester Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland praised the hospital that saved Capt. Davis' life, offered prayers to the man injured in the shooting and asked that the community show restraint as authorities investigate the incident.

"If we go through the process, then the truth will be revealed," Kirkland said. "So we're asking the Chester community once again to practice restraint, practice patience and understand that once this is done ... the truth will come out."

Two people were hurt after a driver crashed into the back of a school bus in Burlington City, New Jersey Tuesday, according to officials.

Police say the man rear-ended a Cinnaminson School District Bus on Route 130 South and Lincoln Avenue. The male driver was injured in the crash and the school bus driver complained of back pain. They were both taken to the hospital.

Two students were also on the bus at the time but neither of them were hurt, according to police.

Officials continue to investigate. No charges have been filed.

A young girl is still alive thanks to an alert neighbor and responding firefighters after she fell into a creek in Bear, Delaware Monday night.

Officials say the 11-year-old girl was playing by herself near the Muddy Run Creek when she fell into the water. The creek, which is a branch of the Christina River, had a swifter current than usual because of heavy rain that had fallen that day. The girl held on to a tree stump as the water quickly rose to her armpits.

A woman who lives nearby on Evergreen Drive happened to be looking out of her upstairs window at the time when she spotted the girl. She immediately called 911 and then ran to get her neighbor Emil Gurecki. Gurecki then ran into the water to try and save her.

“I yanked off my shoes and jumped in and it went all the way up to my waist,” Gurecki said. “She was upset and she was crying. She was white-faced and her hands were a bluish color.”

Gurecki fought through the water but couldn’t reach the girl. Firefighters quickly arrived, put on dry suits and were able to get to her. They assured the girl she would be okay and eventually pulled her to safety. The girl was then taken to the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

“That water was freezing,” Gurecki said. “I couldn’t feel my legs and I was only in there a couple minutes. She might not have made it too long.”

Officials have not yet revealed why the girl was there by herself. New Castle County Police continue to investigate the incident.
 

Police say a woman fought off a man after he grabbed her and tried to drag her into the woods at Pennypack Park over the weekend.

The 31-year-old woman told police she was waiting at the bus stop on the 8300 block of Frankford Avenue Saturday around 10 p.m. when an unidentified man asked her what time it was. The man then grabbed her and tried to pull her into Pennypack Park, police said.

The woman managed to break free but the man then picked her up and tried again to drag her into the park, according to police. The woman said she continued to fight him off however and he finally dropped her and fled the scene.

The woman described the man as a black male between the ages of 18 and 24 standing 5-foot-4 with short hair. She also said he was wearing a dark blue shirt, blue jeans and dirty sneakers.

It was the second reported incident at Pennypack Park in the past week. A 22-year-old woman told police she was walking through the park on the 2800 block of Rhawn Street around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday when a man approached her from behind, placed duct tape over her mouth, handcuffed her wrists to her ankles and sexually assaulted her.

No arrests have been made in either incident. Police continue to investigate.

Police are searching for two suspects accused of beating a man outside a religious shelter, and threatening to burn the place down.

Police say a 46-year-old man and a 33-year-old man were outside the Philadelphia Brotherhood Rescue Mission building on the 400 block of East Girard Avenue Sunday at 5:09 a.m. when two unidentified suspects got out of a vehicle and approached them. The first suspect, who was armed with a baseball bat, broke the glass front door of the building and then chased the 33-year-old man, striking his right leg with the bat, police said.

“It was just shocking,” the 33-year-old man told NBC10 in an exclusive interview. ““I heard the door shattering and I saw him and it got me a little shaken up.”

The second suspect then took the 46-year-old man’s cane and hit him in the left shoulder several times, according to investigators. He then allegedly lit a plastic bag on fire and threw it at the 46-year-old. The two suspects then went back inside their vehicle, which police believe is a light-colored KIA. Before they drove off, one of the men allegedly said, “I am coming back to burn this place down.” They then drove east on Girard Avenue towards I-95, according to police.

The Philadelphia Brotherhood Rescue Mission (PBRM) is a faith-based organization that helps the homeless, the needy and those struggling with substance abuse and addiction.

“We have a holistic approach,” said Pastor Eric Dorsey, who works at PBRM. “We do faith-based, we do mental health and we do substance abuse treatment.”

Dorsey told NBC10 he thinks the attackers mistakenly believed one of the victims was involved in a separate incident at a nearby bar. Police have not yet confirmed this however.

The first suspect is described as a white male between the ages of 20 and 25 years old standing 5-foot-7 and weighing 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a plaid shirt and an orange baseball cap with what appeared to be a little league baseball bat on the front. The second suspect is described as a 50-year-old white male weighing 280 pounds with whitish gray hair wearing a gray shirt and jeans.

If you have any information on the incident, please call Philadelphia Police.
 

An elementary school student was suspended after officials say he was caught on video hitting and bullying another boy.

The 10-year-old victim, who we are not identifying, is a student at Main Street Elementary School in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania. The boy told NBC10 he was repeatedly bullied by a group of students. The latest incident, which happened on a school bus, was recorded on video and later posted on Facebook by the victim’s mother.

“My mom was crying a lot and I cry myself to sleep every night,” the boy said.

The boy told NBC10 he was scared to fight back fearing that the group of bullies on the bus would join in on the attack. The boy, who showed us pictures of bruises and scratches on his face from the repeated bullying, said he remembered the advice a police officer once gave him.

“She said you’re nobody’s punching bag and stand up for yourself,” the boy said. “You could choose two different ways to do it. Tell someone or fight back.”

The boy told his mother about the bullying. She said she tried repeatedly to get him out of the school.

“It hurts me to my bone to see another child hurt another child so bad like that,” the mother said. “He was really afraid and he would beg me and plead with me to go to that school because he said that once the kids knew there would be consequences.”

A spokesperson for the Chester Upland School District told NBC10 the student seen bullying the boy on the bus in the video was suspended.

“Bullying is cruel, unacceptable conduct, and we will not tolerate it anywhere within the jurisdiction of the district schools, including - by extension - our school buses,” said Chester Upland School District Superintendent Gregory Shannon. “We are conducting an investigation into this incident, and have already suspended the child captured in the video.”

Shannon also said the victim will be transferred to another school which will require a bus route change.

Friends and family are mourning a Philadelphia high school student who died of bacterial meningitis.

The 9th grade student, who has not yet been identified, attended George Washington Carver High School on the 1600 block of W. Norris Street.

School district spokesperson Fernando Gallard told NBC10 the teen passed away Tuesday morning. A meeting will be held at George Washington Carver at 6 p.m. Wednesday for parents. The school will open at a normal time. [[372187231, C]]

The School District's Emergency/Crisis Response Team will provide trained professionals at the school over the next few days to provide counseling and help for students and staff. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is also monitoring the situation.

The incident is the first meningitis death in Philadelphia this year. Meningitis symptoms include fever, headache, a stiff neck, nausea and vomiting. Patients may also be confused and sensitive to light. Experts say meningitis normally isn't deadly.

"If you are fully vaccinated you're going to be protected," said Dr. Stacey A. Gorski of the University of Pennsylvania. "If you're a health individual you're protected. It's most often those people who are immunocompromised, something wrong with their immune system." 

Learn more about bacterial meningitis HERE.

“SO YOU’RE TELLING ME THERE’S A CHANCE”

No, it’s not like that famous quote from the ridiculously stupid yet funny movie: “Dumb and Dumber." Jim Carrey’s character is told he has a “one in a million” chance to get the girl. And that’s enough to thrill him that “there’s a chance." Well, a meteorologist needs a bit more confidence to predict snow in the 2nd half of March-less than a week after back-to-back record 80+ degree days.

SPRING SNOWS IN PHILADELPHIA

Spring officially begins Sunday, March 20th, and that’s the day with the best chance of seeing snow (maybe overnight into the 21st as well). You may be surprised not only how often it has snowed after that date, but how much has fallen. Even on that very date.

March 20, 1958 saw not only the biggest single snowfall I’ve ever seen in our area (up to 50”!), but the biggest snowfall contrast from the coast (a mere 2-3” at some shore areas) to areas N&W of Phila. (30”+). Here is the weather map and snowfall map for that storm: 

And this was the result in the area of the 50”, the Morgantown exit of the PA Turnpike, where helicopters had to rescue many who were stranded:

NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION

Of course, I am NOT predicting a repeat of that freakish storm. I am saying that not only can it snow in late March-it can stick if conditions are right. There’s a lot of moisture available in spring, so if it’s cold enough, snow can pile up quickly. Most times, though, it just melts as it falls, or shortly after it stops.

We have seen measurable snows as late as April 27th (1967), and even fairly big snows up to April 9th (7” in 1917). And, in April, 1915, we actually got 19.4” officially IN PHILADELPHIA!

So, what are our chances this spring?

“WHAT DOES THE EURO SHOW?”

That’s the main question I have trained many of my viewers and readers to ask whenever there’s a chance of a coastal storm 3-10 days out. As we’ve shown many times, the European is simply the best overall model in the world, has been for more than 20 years, and will continue to be the best indefinitely. It is not perfect and never will be, but:
1)    It cannot be ignored – same as Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction”
2)    The ensembles of the EURO are even better than the EURO itself

So let’s start with the EURO:
Here are the forecast maps for Sunday 8am and Monday 8am…

Unfortunately, the European folks are quite stingy with the maps they provide for free: only every 24 hours, so we’re missing the crucial Sunday evening map to see how far offshore the storm tracks. But the point is that there is a storm, and that it is basically cold enough to snow, and the storm tracks off the coast, keeping the cold air in place. These are minimum requirements for such a storm to bring snow in spring.

The ensemble members (the model is run 51 times with slight changes in initial conditions) strongly agree with this basic analysis.

ANY OTHERS IN AGREEMENT?

The ensembles of the Canadian Model (another one that beats the U.S. GFS model overall) are in the same area:

The tiny red numbers are centers of the LOW pressure at 2 a.m. Monday from the various ensemble members. That’s an impressive “grouping” just off the coast more than 5 days in advance. The average position is in a favorable place for at least a close call of snow around here.

THE BOTTOM LINE

I didn’t bother to mention the U.S. model, which was recently upgraded. It’s not that far off the solutions shown above, but this far out, it has a pretty bad track record.

The European Model has also just been upgraded, with much higher resolution, and the forecasting world is pretty excited about seeing how it works out. This may be the first test of a Nor’easter. It did very accurately predict the monstrous rain amounts in Louisiana and Texas that led to the recent record flooding.

We’re still many days away from any potential snow. And remember, snow at this time of year can melt quickly. So don’t go canceling any plans at this point. But this is not just a “whim," and it’s not “hyping” to put snow in the 7-day forecast for late Sunday and Sunday night for at least part of our area. More updates are coming this week. Stay tuned.
 

Authorities say a two-vehicle crash on a major New Jersey roadway has left three people dead and two others seriously injured.

A 45-year-old man driving an SUV southbound on U.S.Route 9 in Old Bridge when he drifted into the oncoming lanes near County Route 516 and slammed head-on into a gold Honda Accord, police said. 

The SUV driver, who's from Howell Township, and the 36-year-old Accord driver, a woman from Freehold, were boith killed, police said. A 62-year-old man in the Accord was also killed, and two other women in the car, ages 62 and 86, were taken to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital with injuries. 

The crash happened just after 11 a.m., and investigators are still working to piece together what happened and what caused the SUV driver to go into the opposite lanes. 

Witnesses said good Samaritans pulled over on the highway to try to help. 

"There were people trying to help the guy out of the car and the car started to go on fire," said witness Catherine Murphy, who was working at the Bridge-Way Diner across the street at the time of the crash. "The truck was on fire, they were trying to get him out but I think he was dead already." 

She saw two people rescued from the Accord. 

"They had to cut the top off that car to get the people out," she said. 

It was evident early on that police and fire were responding to multiple fatalities. Witnesses saw the medical examiner take one body away.

Route 9 was shut down in both directions as investigators responded. The roadway partially reopened at about 2 p.m.

A 20-year-old woman was seriously hurt in a hit-and-run on a New Jersey roadway Tuesday evening, police say.

Police said the woman was hit by a vehicle near a Toys 'R Us store on Route 17 in Paramus at about 8 p.m. 

The vehicle did not stop. 

The victim was taken to Hackensack Medical Center, where she was listed in serious but stable condition. 

Philadelphia firefighters responded to a industrial area in the Port Richmond neighborhood overnight after a 6,000-gallon liquid nitrogen tank began leaking.

No one was evacuated from the area of Tulip and Tioga streets after the leak was reported around 1 a.m. Wednesday.

No injuries were reported as hazmat crews got the leak under control, said firefighters.