On Nov. 24, 2023, at 12:58 a.m., a Lower Merion Township police officer was driving when he spotted a white Honda CRV that was stopped at a curb outside the Main Line Reform Temple on 410 East Montgomery Avenue in the town’s Wynnewood section, investigators said.

The officer then spotted two women – later identified as Sarah Prickett, 39, of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, and Sam Penn, 25, of New York — walking towards the SUV. Investigators said at the time there were recent reports of religious signs being stolen or defaced in Lower Merion Township which raised the officer’s suspicions. The officer then approached the Honda and found Prickett, Penn and a third woman, later identified as Mariana Chilton, 56, of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, inside the vehicle, according to the criminal complaint. Investigators said the officer also spotted several pro-Israel signs inside the SUV.

The officer repeatedly told the women to lower the window, identified himself and asked the group about the signs inside the SUV, investigators said. Chilton then told him, “We are just taking them because we feel like it is a representative of genocide,” according to the criminal complaint.

When the officer told the women that the signs inside the vehicle belonged to the temple and that they had stolen them, Chilton allegedly replied, “Do you know what we can do sir, is we can just put them back.”

When the officer asked all three women for their identification, they allegedly became uncooperative and asked him why he needed their information.

Chilton told the officer she didn’t have her license or vehicle registration but gave him an insurance card for the SUV, according to the criminal complaint. The officer determined Chilton was the owner of the vehicle and had a valid license but had not registered it with her updated address.

After all of the women identified themselves, the officer moved the signs from the SUV, investigators said. One of the signs stated, “MLRT Stands With Israel,” two of the signs stated “We Stand With Israel,” and one of the signs stated, “Our Community Stands With Israel,” according to the criminal complaint.

On Nov. 27, 2023, at 9:33 a.m., the officer responded to the 500 block of Manor Road in Wynnewood for a report of a theft. The homeowner, Stephen Chopnick, told the officer he noticed someone had stolen his two “We Stand With Israel” signs from his front yard and he had last seen them four days earlier. Investigators later determined those two signs were the same signs that were found inside Chilton’s vehicle, according to the criminal complaint.

The officer then met with a woman who lived nearby. The woman showed the officer home surveillance video that captured Chilton’s Honda CRV driving past her home around the same time as the theft, investigators said.

That same day, the officer met with the executive director of the Main Line Reform Temple. She told the officer a security company that monitors the temple informed her that several pro-Israel signs had been stolen from the property. She later identified the stolen signs as the same ones that were found inside Chilton’s vehicle, according to the criminal complaint.

Chilton, Prickett and Penn were all arrested in connection to the incident.

Chilton is charged with conspiracy – theft by unlawful taking – movable property, conspiracy – criminal trespass, driving an unregistered vehicle, notice of change of name or address, failure to carry a license and receiving stolen property. Her case was moved to county court and is currently in the pretrial stage.

Prickett and Penn are both charged with theft by unlawful taking – movable property, receiving stolen property and criminal trespassing.

During an interview with NBC10 on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, Chopnick told NBC10 he had replaced the stolen signs with new ones that also support Israel.

“I wouldn’t take a sign down. I’ve certainly seen signs that I don’t agree with,” Chopnick said. “I assumed it was somebody who took a different view of the issues in the Middle East than I do.”

Chilton is a professor at the Dornsife School of Public Health at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She is also the director of Dornsife’s Center for Hunger-Free Communities, a research and advocacy center that focuses on developing solutions for hunger and economic insecurity. She also founded Witnesses to Hunger, a research and advocacy project that partners with experts on mothers and caregivers of young children who have experienced hunger and poverty.

Chilton also served as the co-chair of the National Commission on Hunger and was appointed to advise Congress and the United States Department of Agriculture on how to end hunger in America.

NBC10 reached out to Chilton’s attorney as well as Drexel University for statements. We have not yet heard back from them.

According to police, around 6:40 p.m. officers from the City of Chester Police Department responded to the area of 24th Street and Crosby Street after receiving reports of gunshots being fired.

Upon arrival, police said officers found a teen – later identified as 17-year-old Zaheem Sabree – laying on the street suffering from a gunshot wound to the left side of his head.

Police said Sabree was transported to the hospital were he later died from his injuries.

Police are now urging anyone with information regarding this incident to contact City of Chester Police Department Detective Michael Maher at 610-447-8428 or Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division Detective Sean Gallagher.

In a news release, Chester Upland School District confirmed that Sabree was a rising 12th grader and a dedicated member of the High School’s football prom since his sophomore year.

District officials wrote a statement saying in part:

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this heartbreaking and difficult time.

The shocking passing of Zaheem yesterday is a major loss for our school community and affects everyone from classmates to teachers who had the privilege of knowing him. His dedication and spirit as a member of our High School football program is irreplaceable and he will be missed by his teammates and coaches, who remember him not just as a player, but as a friend on and off the field.

Although school is not in session for the summer months, CUSD has put support services in place for staff and students since yesterday, and these services will be available through Wednesday, July 3.

Support services will be available at STEM Academy at Showalter, located at 1100 W. 10th Street, Chester, PA 19013. Additionally, anyone who needs services next week is encouraged to reach out to the district’s central administration office.”

Here are some of the places in Philadelphia, the suburbs, Jersey Shore, Delaware Beaches and beyond where you can catch some fireworks starting July 3rd and lasting into the Independence Day weekend.

(Note that many of the shows with starting times before dark likely won’t happen until after the sun goes down. Also weather could impact if the show goes on at the scheduled time.)

Philadelphia

We have to start the list with the biggest fireworks show of them all, right in the heart of Philadelphia of course.

Wawa Welcome America Concert and Fireworks

• Where: Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• When: July 4th after 9:30 p.m.

Pennsylvania suburbs

Bethel Township Fireworks

• Where: 3280 Foulk Road, Garnet Valley (Bethel Springs Elementary School).
• When: July 3, at dusk

July 3rd Fireworks Display in Conshy

• Where: Borough of Conshohocken
• When: July 3, at dusk (approximately 9:30 p.m.).

Upper Darby Township Independence Fireworks Show

• Where: Monsignor Bonner Archbishop Prendie, Drexel Hill
• When: July 3 at 9 p.m.

Tredyffrin Township 4th of July Celebration

• Where: Wilson Farm Park
• When: July 4th from 7 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.

Fourth Of July Celebration Kayak Tour

• Where: 1542 Mountain View Dr, Quakertown, PA 18951 (Nockamixon State Park)
• When: July 4th from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Also note: The experience costs $69.95

Narberth Fireworks

• Where: Narberth Park
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.

July 4th Fest at Sesame Place

• Where: Sesame Place Philadelphia, Oxford Valley, PA
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.
• Also note: Tickets start at $35.

Abington Junior and Senior High Schools

• Where: 900 Highland Ave., Abington
• When: July 4th at 9:15 a.m.

Aston Township 4th of July

• Where: 2881 Pancoast Ave, Aston (Sun Valley High School Athletic Fields)
• When: July 4th at 9:30 p.m.

Southampton Days Fourth Of July Fireworks Celebration

• Where: 1255 2nd Street Pike Southampton (Tamanend Park)
• When: July 4th, at 9:35 p.m.

Phoenixville Fireworks

• Where Dayton Street Field
• When: July 5 at 9:15 p.m.

Friday Summer Series + fireworks

• Where:  Stockton Avenue (between Bridge and Ferry streets) in New Hope
• When: July 5 at 7 p.m.

The Summer UWINEd + fireworks

• Where: 931 Stony Hill Rd, Yardley (Shady Brook Farm)
• When: July 6, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Also note: Admission is $20 online and $25 at the gate

Ridley Park Fireworks

• Where: Ridley Park
• When: July 6 at 7 p.m.

Jersey Shore

Lower Township Independence Day Festival 2024

• Where: Emerson Ave & Beach Dr, North Cape May
• When: July 3, fireworks will be launched at about 9 p.m.

Lighthouse and Fireworks Climb

• Where: Cape May Lighthouse, Cape May Point State Park
• When: July 4th from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Ocean City Fireworks

• Where: Ocean City Boardwalk
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.

Margate July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza

• Where: The beach at Huntington Avenue, Margate
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.

 Sea Isle Fourth of July Fireworks

• Where: 50th Street Beach
• When: July 4th 9:15 p.m. to 9:40 p.m.

Seaside Heights Fireworks Show

• Where: Anywhere on the Seaside Boardwalk
• When: July 4th at 9:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.

Stone Harbor Fireworks

• Where: The fireworks are launched from the 95th St beach and can be viewed from up and down the Stone Harbor beachfront.
• When: July 4th 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Wildwood July 4th Fireworks Spectacular

• Where: The Wildwood boardwalk,  Pine Avenue & the Beach
• When: July 4th at 10 p.m.

South Jersey

Medford Township Fireworks

• Where: 86 Union Street Medford, NJ (Freedom Park)
• When: July 3 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Haddon Township

• Where: Haddon Township High School Football Stadium (Haddon Township High School)
• When: July 3 at dark

Evesham Township 4th of July Fireworks Celebration 2024

• Where: 525 East Main Street Evesham, NJ 08053 (Savich Tract fields).
• When: July 4th from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Delaware

Hockessin 4th of July Parade and Fireworks

• Where: Swift Park, Piedmont Baseball Fields, Hockessin Library and Artesian Soccer Fields
• When: July 4th from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

University of Delaware Athletic Complex Fireworks

• Where: The University of Delaware Athletic Complex
• When: July 4th from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Fireworks Express

• Where: Greenbank Railroad Station, 2201 Newport-Gap Pike, Wilmington, DE 19808
• When: July 4th train boarding begins at 6:45 p.m., train leaves at 7 p.m.

Historic Downtown Dover Fireworks

• Where: Legislative Mall, Dover
• When: July 4th at 9:15 p.m.

Fireworks at Dewey Beach

• Where: Fireworks will shoot off from a barge over the Rehoboth Bay in Dewey Beach
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.

Rehoboth Beach Fourth of July Fireworks

•  Where: Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach 
• When: July 6, starting at 9:30 p.m.

Lehigh Valley (and beyond)

SteelStacks Fireworks

• Where: SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA 
• When: July 4th from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Fightin Phils Fireworks

• Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Reading PA
• When: July 4th, game starts at 7 p.m.
• Also note: Tickets to the games are required

Dorney Park July 4th Celebration

• Where: Dorney Park Allentown, PA
• When: July 4th at 9:30 p.m.
• Also note: $40 tickets are required to enter the park

City of Allentown 4th of July Celebration

• Where: 2027 Linden St., Allentown, PA 18102
• When: July 4th from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Shawnee Mountain Fireworks

• Where: 401 Hollow Road, East Stroudsburg, PA (Shawnee Mountain Ski Area)
• When: July 5, 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
• Also note: $15 per car with proceeds going to Shawnee Vol. Fire Co. #36

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education has reaffirmed the accreditation for the historically Black college.

Last fall, the Commission placed Cheyney on probation while citing deficiencies in areas including “ethics and integrity,” “design and delivery of students learning experience” and compliance with financial planning.

The Commission said Cheyney is now in “now in compliance with those standards”.

Colleges & Universities Jun 18

‘So many red flags': When colleges like UArts close, students are left scrambling

Delaware May 24

Delaware College of Art and Design to close its doors at end of spring semester

“While we agree with this decision, we remain disappointed by the process to arrive at this long-overdue outcome and will continue to advocate for equity and transparency,” the university said in a statement.

The Commission said Cheyney’s next evaluation visit is scheduled for 2030-2031

Here’s a full breakdown of the episode:

1st voter: Majesty Moreland of North Philadelphia

:45 – Thoughts on the presidential debate

1:10 – Lack of confidence after debate

2:02 – Thoughts on Biden and Trump

2:36 – Whether or not Biden’s age impacts her vote

3:30 – Whether or not she will vote for Trump

4:00 – Where the debate leaves her as a voter

4:47 – Why she voted for Biden in 2020

5:30 – Whether or not Democrats should change their candidate

6:13 – Thoughts on Vice President Kamala Harris

2nd voter: Irma Fralic of Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania

6:58 – Thoughts on the presidential debate

8:11 – Unanswered questions during the debate

11:20 – Whether or not she wants Biden and Trump to debate again

11:55 – Changing the party system

13:52 – Deciding who to vote for

3rd voter: Bill Schmidt of East Greenwich, New Jersey

15:36 – Thoughts on the presidential debate

16:52 – Thoughts on Trump’s answers during the debate

18:37 – Thoughts on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

20:45 – Who he would vote for today

21:13 – What he’s hoping comes out of the debate 

Battleground Politics with Lauren Mayk

Battleground Politics Jun 15

Sen. Steve Santarsiero speaks on securing votes for Biden in Bucks County

Battleground Politics Jun 15

Bucks County GOP Committee Chair Pat Poprik speaks on securing votes for Trump

You can subscribe to Battleground Politics on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever else you get your favorite podcasts. You can also watch or listen to every episode right here on NBC10.com, the NBC10 YouTube channel, and in rotation on our streaming channels.

Subscribe to Battleground Politics anywhere you get your podcasts: Spotify | Amazon Music | Apple Podcasts | Google Play (soon) | Art19 | RSS | Watch on YouTube

During a business meeting back on July 13, 2023, the Upper Merion Township Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance amending the township’s code to regulate the usage of single-use plastic products.

Phase one of the plan, which banned single-use carry-out plastic bags, plastic straws, and expanded polystyrene food service products at restaurants, went into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Township officials said the ordinance helps improve the environment by reducing unnecessary waste. Township officials also said stores and takeout spots can charge 10 cents for reusable bags to deal with rising costs.  

Businesses who violate the ordinance will first receive a written warning and will then be fined $50 for the first violation, $100 for the second violation and then $250 for the third and subsequent violations.

Tony Capone, owner of Angelo’s Pizza in King of Prussia, told NBC10 he’ll never charge his customers for bags. Despite not being a fan of the ban, however, he still stocked his business up with paper containers and paper straws.

“It’s a lot on us. Especially mom and shop places like us,” Capone said. “And if you go to fancy restaurants, they store a lot of plastic out there. Not that I go to fancy restaurants much. Because I cannot afford it.”

Debbie Biddle, a customer at Screwballs, a bar in King of Prussia, also told NBC10 she wasn’t a fan of the rule.

“I don’t like it,” Biddle said. “The reason being is everything else is in plastic, okay? You buy your vegetables. You buy your meats. Everything’s in plastic. So the consumer, I think is suffering with this.”

Christopher and Christina Cook — Connecticut residents who were traveling in the area and stopped at the King of Prussia Service Plaza — also weighed in on the plastic ban.

“We don’t get plastic bags in Connecticut. We haven’t for years. So, it’s not a big deal,” Christina Cook said. “Utensils is weird. I don’t like that. That’s not convenient for travelers. But the bag thing is not new for us.”

Other customers at the service plaza said they supported the ordinance, with one man calling it great for the environment.

Upper Merion Township is offering free reusable shopping bags for residents and customers at the Upper Merion Township building. The bags include a QR code which links out to more information on the town’s single-use plastic ordinance, which you can find here or in the document embedded below.

Twelve states and more than 500 cities across the country have implemented bans on single-use plastic bags. The bans have helped reduce litter and pollution, according to the research and policy center, Environment America.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Police said a tractor trailer was traveling westbound within a work zone at mile marker 31 on I-78 in Hamburg Borough shortly before 8:30 a.m. when it struck the center concrete barrier, pushing several sections of the barrier into the oncoming lane of travel.

A 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe and another tractor trailer traveling eastbound on I-78 both struck the damaged concrete barrier. The impact caused the SUV to roll over and land on its roof within the westbound lanes of the highway and one of the two passengers inside the vehicle was ejected, investigators said.

The victim was taken to the hospital and is being treated for serious injuries.

Three people — a 62-year-old male driver, 19-year-old male passenger, and 18-year-old female passenger — were inside the SUV at the time of the crash. All three are from Fleming Island, Florida, investigators said. State police did not specify which passenger was ejected during the crash.

Police also said a 28-year-old man from Herndon, Pennsylvania, was driving one of the trucks involved in the crash, a 2000 Peterbilt 379, while a 42-year-old man from Hidalgo, Texas, was driving the second truck, a 2018 Freightliner Cascadia.

Police have not yet revealed if anyone else involved in the crash suffered serious injuries.

I-78 was closed in both directions at the scene of the crash for several hours. It later reopened.

The “unprecedented leadership void” as of Friday in the Dauphin County clerk of courts office prompted the state Supreme Court to declare a “judicial emergency” and order the county’s president judge to appoint a temporary acting clerk. That person will serve until Gov. Josh Shapiro appoints an acting clerk, which is normally an elected position.

PennLive.com reports that the clerk of courts and the first deputy of the office resigned late Friday afternoon and the second deputy was fired. The abrupt departures followed “months of crisis” in the office that saw problems such as defendants stranded in jail, others picked up on bench warrants that should have been terminated and incorrectly recorded case dispositions and sentences, the outlet reported.

In May, the county’s president judge ordered the clerk of courts office to correct the problems or be held in contempt. A criminal contempt proceeding had been scheduled for Monday.

“While the clerk is an independently elected official, the efficient and effective operation of the office is critical to ensuring that the courts remain accessible,” Chief Justice Debra Todd said in a statement, also noting the need to ensure that “the essential recordkeeping function” of the office is maintained.

The abrupt departure of the clerk and two deputies necessitated “swift action,” the high court said.

Here are some of the places in Philadelphia, the suburbs, Jersey Shore, Delaware Beaches and beyond where you can catch some fireworks starting July 3rd and lasting into the Independence Day weekend.

(Note that many of the shows with starting times before dark likely won’t happen until after the sun goes down. Also weather could impact if the show goes on at the scheduled time.)

Philadelphia

We have to start the list with the biggest fireworks show of them all, right in the heart of Philadelphia of course.

Wawa Welcome America Concert and Fireworks

• Where: Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• When: July 4th after 9:30 p.m.

Pennsylvania suburbs

Bethel Township Fireworks

• Where: 3280 Foulk Road, Garnet Valley (Bethel Springs Elementary School).
• When: July 3, at dusk

July 3rd Fireworks Display in Conshy

• Where: Borough of Conshohocken
• When: July 3, at dusk (approximately 9:30 p.m.).

Upper Darby Township Independence Fireworks Show

• Where: Monsignor Bonner Archbishop Prendie, Drexel Hill
• When: July 3 at 9 p.m.

Tredyffrin Township 4th of July Celebration

• Where: Wilson Farm Park
• When: July 4th from 7 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.

Fourth Of July Celebration Kayak Tour

• Where: 1542 Mountain View Dr, Quakertown, PA 18951 (Nockamixon State Park)
• When: July 4th from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Also note: The experience costs $69.95

Narberth Fireworks

• Where: Narberth Park
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.

July 4th Fest at Sesame Place

• Where: Sesame Place Philadelphia, Oxford Valley, PA
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.
• Also note: Tickets start at $35.

Abington Junior and Senior High Schools

• Where: 900 Highland Ave., Abington
• When: July 4th at 9:15 a.m.

Aston Township 4th of July

• Where: 2881 Pancoast Ave, Aston (Sun Valley High School Athletic Fields)
• When: July 4th at 9:30 p.m.

Southampton Days Fourth Of July Fireworks Celebration

• Where: 1255 2nd Street Pike Southampton (Tamanend Park)
• When: July 4th, at 9:35 p.m.

Phoenixville Fireworks

• Where Dayton Street Field
• When: July 5 at 9:15 p.m.

Friday Summer Series + fireworks

• Where:  Stockton Avenue (between Bridge and Ferry streets) in New Hope
• When: July 5 at 7 p.m.

The Summer UWINEd + fireworks

• Where: 931 Stony Hill Rd, Yardley (Shady Brook Farm)
• When: July 6, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Also note: Admission is $20 online and $25 at the gate

Ridley Park Fireworks

• Where: Ridley Park
• When: July 6 at 7 p.m.

Jersey Shore

Lower Township Independence Day Festival 2024

• Where: Emerson Ave & Beach Dr, North Cape May
• When: July 3, fireworks will be launched at about 9 p.m.

Lighthouse and Fireworks Climb

• Where: Cape May Lighthouse, Cape May Point State Park
• When: July 4th from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Ocean City Fireworks

• Where: Ocean City Boardwalk
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.

Margate July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza

• Where: The beach at Huntington Avenue, Margate
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.

 Sea Isle Fourth of July Fireworks

• Where: 50th Street Beach
• When: July 4th 9:15 p.m. to 9:40 p.m.

Seaside Heights Fireworks Show

• Where: Anywhere on the Seaside Boardwalk
• When: July 4th at 9:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.

Stone Harbor Fireworks

• Where: The fireworks are launched from the 95th St beach and can be viewed from up and down the Stone Harbor beachfront.
• When: July 4th 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Wildwood July 4th Fireworks Spectacular

• Where: The Wildwood boardwalk,  Pine Avenue & the Beach
• When: July 4th at 10 p.m.

South Jersey

Medford Township Fireworks

• Where: 86 Union Street Medford, NJ (Freedom Park)
• When: July 3 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Haddon Township

• Where: Haddon Township High School Football Stadium (Haddon Township High School)
• When: July 3 at dark

Evesham Township 4th of July Fireworks Celebration 2024

• Where: 525 East Main Street Evesham, NJ 08053 (Savich Tract fields).
• When: July 4th from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Delaware

Hockessin 4th of July Parade and Fireworks

• Where: Swift Park, Piedmont Baseball Fields, Hockessin Library and Artesian Soccer Fields
• When: July 4th from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

University of Delaware Athletic Complex Fireworks

• Where: The University of Delaware Athletic Complex
• When: July 4th from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Fireworks Express

• Where: Greenbank Railroad Station, 2201 Newport-Gap Pike, Wilmington, DE 19808
• When: July 4th train boarding begins at 6:45 p.m., train leaves at 7 p.m.

Historic Downtown Dover Fireworks

• Where: Legislative Mall, Dover
• When: July 4th at 9:15 p.m.

Fireworks at Dewey Beach

• Where: Fireworks will shoot off from a barge over the Rehoboth Bay in Dewey Beach
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.

Rehoboth Beach Fourth of July Fireworks

•  Where: Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach 
• When: July 6, starting at 9:30 p.m.

Lehigh Valley (and beyond)

SteelStacks Fireworks

• Where: SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA 
• When: July 4th from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Fightin Phils Fireworks

• Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Reading PA
• When: July 4th, game starts at 7 p.m.
• Also note: Tickets to the games are required

Dorney Park July 4th Celebration

• Where: Dorney Park Allentown, PA
• When: July 4th at 9:30 p.m.
• Also note: $40 tickets are required to enter the park

City of Allentown 4th of July Celebration

• Where: 2027 Linden St., Allentown, PA 18102
• When: July 4th from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Shawnee Mountain Fireworks

• Where: 401 Hollow Road, East Stroudsburg, PA (Shawnee Mountain Ski Area)
• When: July 5, 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
• Also note: $15 per car with proceeds going to Shawnee Vol. Fire Co. #36

The crash occurred Friday morning on Rt. 422 East at mile-marker 188 in Lower Providence Township. A tractor trailer was traveling westbound when it crossed the median and struck a vehicle that was traveling eastbound, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

The vehicle that was struck by the truck then left the roadway and went down an embankment. The driver of the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials have not yet revealed the victim’s identity.

Both eastbound and westbound lanes on Rt. 422 were closed Friday morning due to the crash.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.

Upper Chichester Police said on Wednesday a unknown man and a woman approached a 74-year-old man with a 20 dollar bill calming that he had dropped it.

Léelo en español aquí.

When the man took out his wallet to show them he did not, one of the suspects pointed to the items in his wallet including his drivers license and bank card, according to police.

Police said the other suspect stood back and appeared to be video-recording the exchange. A short time later a large amount of money from fraudulently removed from the man’s bank account.

If you can identify either of the suspects you can contact Officer Venuti at 610-485-8400 or submit a tip here.

Aryan Anand, 19, is an international student from India who was attending classes at Lehigh University while on a full scholarship to the school, officials said.

The District Attorney’s Office in Northampton County said that Anand’s admission to the school was canceled in 2024 after officials discovered that he faked his father’s death in order to get the scholarship.

Anand allegedly created and submitted fake documents that included transcripts, financial aid, tax, income statements and a death certificate. He is also accused of making an email address and pretending to be a principal.

The investigation into Anand started after a moderator on the social media site Reddit notified Lehigh University of a post that was titled, “I have built my life and career on lies,” officials explained.

During the investigation led by the Lehigh University Police Department, the post was confirmed to be written by Anand. The investigation also found that his father was alive and living in India.

Anand was arrested on April 30, 2024, and charged with forgery, tampering with records, theft by deception and theft of services.

Anand was arraigned and his bail was set to $25,000. During a preliminary hearing on May 14, he waived his right to a hearing and his charges were moved to the Court of Common Pleas.

On June 12, Anand negotiated a plea deal where he pleaded guilty to one count of forgery and agreed to return to India.

Anand was placed into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

On Tuesday, in releasing the report, entitled TeenTALK, Henry discussed how she spend time with students in four districts throughout the state — Philadelphia, McKeesport, Hazelton, and Steelton-Highspire — in order to find what issues are on the minds of teenagers and how they feel instances of gun violence have impacted their lives.

“Our children are dealing with the destruction that guns cause nearly everyday,” Henry said. “We must do what we can to support them in response to their trauma and their fear.”

She said her office wanted to launch this report at the end of the school year, and during June as it’s gun violence awareness month, as a way to give schools time to read and review the report before finding out how some of the findings could be used in their districts.

“We hope that every school district in this great commonwealth sees something in this report that they can add to what they are already doing, build on and develop,” she said.

She said that in her meetings with students in ninth through twelfth grades, Henry learned that they have concerns over transparency over gun violence from school officials — especially as incidents occur — as well as have hopes to improve conflict resolution and address fears of retaliation in cases of gun violence.

“These were student led discussions,” she said. “We sat in a circle and these students shared with me their fears and concerns.”

Some students talked about their lived experiences of losing family members and other loved ones, and many expressed frustration with having to adapt to gun violence as a too-common occurrence in their lives, Henry noted in a statement on the report.

In fact, so far this year, according to the city’s controller’s office, 105 teenagers and others under the age of 18 were victims of gun violence — 17 of these juveniles died.

Henry said, a recurring topic in the ongoing discussions was that students who have experienced the trauma of gun violence instances in their own lives feel they need more time from school officials in order to process the incidents.

“These students want and need time to process the trauma of the gun violence they are seeing in their own lives,”

She said that students identified three areas where schools should focus on improvement: better communication between students and officials, more options for mental health services and more funding and resources for programs that can help address these issues, like social emotional learning and conflict resolution.

A full copy of the report is available here.

28-year-old Joshua Ortiz, of Allentown, pleaded guilty to attempted murder in April for his role in the shooting incident, officials said.

Ortiz has been sentenced to seven years and three months to 15 years in state prison.

The shooting happened on June 4, 2023, in the AutoZone parking lot on the 1800 block of South 5th Street after one group of people allegedly targeted another group.

A group of five people, that included Ortiz and his friend Edgar Gonzalez, was inside a sedan when they followed and threatened another group of people.

A physical altercation ultimately happened in the AutoZone parking lot where Ortiz started firing his handgun several times at the other group.

This is when a man, only identified as John Doe, came to offer a ride to the second group and fired back at Ortiz in self-defense, according to officials. Doe ultimately struck and killed Gonzalez.

Doe was found to be in legal possession of his gun and justified in using deadly force, officials said. He does not face any charges.

Ortiz was also shot and treated for a gunshot wound at the time, officials said.

Allentown Police Detective Ariel E. Vidal and the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force investigated this incident.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. filed paperwork Thursday to get on the ballot for the November election in swing-state Pennsylvania, the state’s election office said.

Kennedy’s filing comes six weeks before the Aug. 1 deadline, after which the paperwork can be challenged in court.

The campaigns of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump fear that Kennedy could play a spoiler role in what’s anticipated to be a close election, especially in Pennsylvania, the nation’s fifth-most populous state.

To qualify for the ballot in Pennsylvania, Kennedy must file 5,000 signatures of registered voters.

With its 19 electoral votes, Pennsylvania is a top-tier prize that has swung between the parties in the last two presidential elections. Both were closely contested: In 2016, Trump won Pennsylvania by 44,000 votes over Democrat Hillary Clinton, and four years later Biden beat Trump by 81,000 votes.

Libertarian Jo Jorgensen was on the ballot in 2020 and collected just over 79,000 votes, while three minor-party candidates on the ballot in 2016 — the Libertarian Party’s Gary Johnson, the Green Party’s Jill Stein and the Constitution Party’s Darrell Castle — and got nearly 190,000 votes combined.

Kennedy’s petitions could challenged in court by the two major parties, and both Trump’s and Biden’s campaigns have sought to portray him as an adversary. Legal challenges must be filed no later than Aug. 8.

Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and prominent anti-vaccine activist, abandoned his Democratic primary challenge to Biden last year and began campaigning as an independent.

Among the obstacles he faces is a requirement to secure ballot access state by state. That requires him to collect millions of signatures that must be verified by election officials before his candidacy is approved.

Kennedy’s campaign has previously said he has satisfied the requirements to appear on the ballot in 22 states, with a combined 310 electoral votes, though not all have affirmed that his name will be listed.

The Brandywine Valley SPCA announced a brand new program that aims to enrich the lives of shelter dogs, and expand their chances of finding a new family outside the shelter walls.

Animal lovers in the community are encourage take part in the new “Shelter Skip Day” program and volunteer their time to take an adoptable dog out on a fun outing.

Program organizers say participants can stop by BVSPCA Campuses in West Chester, New Castle, Dover, and Georgetown, and the Animal Rescue Center in Sussex County to choose and sign a dog out for an hour, an afternoon, or the whole day.

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Once participants sign up they will be given a packet of supplies, information and a list of dog-friendly places to visit on their day out.

Shelter Skip Day pick-ups can be made Tuesday through Friday noon to 4 p.m. or Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All dogs must be returned to the originating location an hour before closing time.

“We are so excited to offer this fun opportunity for dog lovers who want to spend time helping homeless animals, but may not be ready to adopt,” BVSPCA Chief Executive Officer Adam Lamb said in a statement. “We know that when dogs spend time out of the shelter, even for short periods, they are more likely to be adopted, and this program gives our communities a new way to engage with the dogs in our care.”

For more information about the program visit bvspca.org/shelter-skip-day.

A couple from Pennsylvania was killed on Thursday after getting caught in rip currents off a Florida beach while on vacation, officials said.

The couple was identified as Chester County resident Brian Warter, 51, and Erica Wishart, 48, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.

Warter and Wishart were on vacation with their six teenage children on Hutchinson Island when they and two of their kids were caught in the rip current, officials said.

Léelo en español aquí

A spokesperson with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office in Florida took to Facebook to share the sad news.

Officials with the sheriff’s office said that the two kids were able to break away from the current and they tried to help their parents.

Sadly, they were forced to return to shore without the couple due to the danger of the current, officials explained.

WPTV, sister station to NBC10, was able to connect with Warter’s parents who told them that they heard their son had jumped into the water trying to save some of the children from a rip current when it pulled him in.

The couple’s children called 911 for help, according to NBC affiliate WPTV in Florida.

Martin County Ocean Rescue officials were called to the beach around 1:30 p.m. and were able to find the couple to bring them back to shore before performing CPR, the sheriff’s office said.

The Sheriff’s Office said that life-saving efforts continued in the ambulance and in the hospital before the couple was pronounced deceased.

A deputy with the Martin County Sheriff’s Crisis Intervention Team is helping the children as they wait for family members to make their way to Florida.

Chester County father remembered

“We are at a loss for words about the whole thing,” one neighbor said.

Brian Warter is being remembered as a loving dad and a kind neighbor as his Chester County community mourns his loss.

“Brian was a very wonderful neighbor. He was a nice guy. He was friendly. He was funny and he was a good father,” the neighbor said. “We’re all sending our thoughts and prayers to the two boys.”

It’s coming as a complete shock to many who live on Warter’s street in Downingtown that their neighbor won’t be coming home again.

“He was warm, very considerate, bright man,” another neighbor shared. “He loved his children. He was very patient with them.”

Many from the school and the neighborhood say they’re working on plans to support the children who are all young adults.

Warter’s two boys are graduates of Downingtown East High School and many are asking how they can support the alumni.

Neighbors explained that Warter was very active in his boys’ schooling and even helped with the sports teams.

Warter’s neighbors tell NBC10 that he and Wishart had been dating for some time. She is originally from the Washington D.C. or Maryland area.

“We didn’t know Erica well, but, you know, it seemed like they had a wonderful relationship,” one neighbor said.

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Edward Decker, 46, of West Chester, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of abusive sexual contact on an aircraft. 

Court documents said on July 29, 2022, while on board an American Airlines flight from San Diego, California to Philadelphia, Decker intentionally touched the thigh and breast of a minor while she was sleeping.

The minor woke up from her sleep on this overnight flight to find Decker, who was seated in her row, with his hands and face under her clothes and on her body, according to court documents.

Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.

“The facts of this case are incredibly disturbing — a parent’s nightmare, really,” said Romero. “Not only should people feel safe putting their kids on a plane to get from Point A to Point B, everyone should feel free to close their eyes mid-flight without fearing a seatmate’s intentions. We and the FBI will continue to crack down on these crimes aboard aircraft, to support and ensure justice for the victims.”

Officials said sentencing is set for September and Decker faces a maximum possible sentence of three years imprisonment.

“This guilty plea demonstrates that those who commit sexual assault aboard aircrafts will be held responsible,” Special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia Wayne A. Jacobs said in a press release. “While our office will continue to aggressively pursue offenders, we encourage everyone to be aware of their surroundings while in flight and to report incidents of abusive sexual contact to their flight crew and the FBI.”

Madelyn DiBonaventura is a rising junior at Villa Maria Academy, who happens to be a competitive swimmer.

With a true passion for not only her sport but also water safety, she contacted Laura Milazzo Mackiewicz, Director of Volunteer & Civic Engagement at the YMCA of Greater Brandywine (YGBW), with an idea to address this topic within her community.

Madelyn’s idea, with the help of Mackiewicz and the YMCA staff, was brought to life as a bi-lingual water safety program for adults.

“It was a joy to work alongside Madelyn,” shares Mackiewicz. “Because of her passion for swimming and water safety, Madelyn wanted to fundraise to increase water safety skills in our community. We decided to focus on teaching adults because the YMCA is already well-known for offering swim lessons for children. We also offer lessons for adults – but isn’t widely known.” 

Along with offered swim lessons, there’s a free water safety program that emphasizes basic, life-saving water safety skills to local children. There’s no cost to families, as the program is funded by donations to the organization’s annual campaign.

“At a young age, Madelyn embodies many of our core values – responsibility, caring and respect. I’m so proud of her.” continues Mackiewicz.

With Madelyn’s pledge of $1,000 to cover the costs of the new adult program, ‘Safety Around Water’, YGBW partnered with the pediatric office of LCH Health and Community services to connect with adults who would be interested in participating.

LCH CEO, Ronan W. Gannon, said, “We were delighted to host the YMCA and the community at our West Grove Pediatric office to support water safety initiatives. The YMCA is a wonderful partner of LCH in West Grove and we are proud to collaborate with them in promoting health and safety for our community’s adults and children.” 

The program kicked off with a water safety informational session, with instruction offered in both English and Spanish. Participants then traveled together to the Jennersville YMCA to test their skills in the pool.

The program addressed all basic swimming and survival skills geared to educate participants on keeping themselves and their families safe around the water.

For many adults this is their first time being in a pool and even learning how to properly safe someone from drowning.

“It is easy to take water safety skills for granted – but the reality is that many adults in our community do not know how to swim or save a loved one from drowning,” ” shares John Holets, Director of Aquatics for the Jennersville YMCA, a YGBW branch. “We are proud to close the knowledge gap in our community because many drownings are preventable with better access to water safety skills.” 

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), drowning is the number one cause of death for children ages 1-4 in the United States. More than 15% of adults in our country do not know how to swim and over half have not had a swimming lesson.  

The program and annual campaign are officially underway at the YGBW. All donations benefit the Chester County community enabling the Y to give need-based scholarships for services like swim lessons, childcare and summer camp.

Click here to learn more about water safety at the YMCA.

Renee Jacques Brown Jr., 20, of Allentown, and Jahliel Joseph Branford, 18, of Allentown, are both charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit criminal homicide, aggravated assault, firearms not to be carried without a license, possession of an instrument of crime and reckless endangerment.

Police said Brown and Branford fired at a group of people along N. Nagle and Allen streets in Allentown back on Thursday, June 13, around 3:30 p.m.

An 11-year-old boy was shot at least once in the head. Police said the boy’s injuries did not appear to be life-threatening. He remains hospitalized a week later. Investigators believe he was an innocent bystander in the shooting.

No other injuries were reported.

Police identified Brown and Branford as the suspects in the shooting. Investigators said they found spent shell casings from two different semiautomatic handguns that they believe Brown and Branford illegally possessed.  

Neither man is in custody and nationwide arrest warrants were issued on Thursday, June 20.

Both men are considered armed and dangerous. If you come into contact with either suspect, don’t approach them but instead call 911. If you have any information on the shooting, call Allentown Police at 610-437-7721.

According to the Upper Merion Township Police Department, the first incident happened on Thursday, June 13, around 2:24 p.m. Officers responded to the PNC Bank, located at 107 E. Dekalb Pike, after receiving reports of a robbery.

Police said when offices arrived, they met with the victim and bank employees. The victim told officers that they had just left the outside ATM and were walking back to their car. As they walked through the parking lot, a man produced a knife and demanded their recently withdrawn cash.

The man fled the area and the victim was unhurt, police said. Officers were not able to immediately locate the suspect.

Police said the next day, Friday, June 14, around 1:25 p.m., officers responded to the area of the AAA- Mid Atlantic building located at 197 E. Dekalb Pike for another reported knifepoint robbery.

A man had approached another victim as she was in the parking lot and demanded her purse, according to police. She was also unhurt during the robbery.

Jun 16

Police investigating fatal motorcycle crash in KOP

Pennsylvania Jun 7

Man wanted after stealing $40,000 watch from King of Prussia Mall, police say

Police said the man fled the area with the purse and was last seen running through the lot.

A short time later, police said an Upper Merion Detective observed a man driving a small Toyota Yaris behind the Subway fast food restaurant in the same shopping center. This vehicle matched the description of the robbery suspect.

Police said detectives and officers quickly surrounded the car and detained the man, who is now identified as Jonathan Hemberger, 51, from Phoenix, Arizona.

Officers were able to review and positively identify Hemberger as the man wanted in both robberies, according to police.

Hemberger’s bail was set at $500,000. He was unable to post bail and was transported to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility to await further court proceedings, police said.

Abortion rights, suddenly a potent political force in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to leave such matters to the states, have found an unlikely champion in swing state Pennsylvania.

Sen. Bob Casey, who will appear on the November ballot beneath President Joe Biden as the Democrats both seek reelection, has begun doing something he’s never done before: attacking an opponent over abortion rights.

The senator, who once called himself a “pro-life Democrat,” accuses Republican challenger David McCormick in a new TV ad of wanting to “make abortion illegal even in cases of rape and incest” — a characterization McCormick says is wrong.

Speaking to an online gathering of the progressive women’s advocacy group Red Wine & Blue earlier this month, Casey warned that electing a Republican president and a new Republican Senate majority could result in bans on the abortion pill and contraception, even in Democratic-controlled states — or purple states like Pennsylvania — where abortion remains legal.

“You could have blue-state impact whether it’s a blue-state ban that affects contraception or whether it’s a blue-state ban when it comes to abortion because of mifepristone,” Casey said.

That’s quite a reframing for Casey, who like his father and Biden comes from an Irish Catholic family in Scranton. His father, who was a two-term governor of Pennsylvania, opposed abortion rights and signed legislation restricting abortion that spawned the landmark 1992 case Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

Decision 2024 Jun 19

Former President Trump holds rally at Temple University in North Philly

Decision 2024 Apr 26

Sen. Casey, challenger McCormick ready to debate in Pa.'s 2024 US Senate race

Sen. Casey, whose race is seen as crucial to Democrats’ effort to defend their razor-thin Senate majority, says the Supreme Court’s decision to strip women’s constitutional protections for abortion changed everything in the abortion debate and prompted a “pro-life Democrat” to support access to abortion.

Casey has suggested that “pro-life” never meant a complete ban on abortion without exception, at least to him. After the court’s forthcoming decision had been leaked, Casey supported Democrats’ legislation to keep abortion legal to the Roe v. Wade standard of barring abortion only after viability, around 24 weeks.

“Everyone in the Senate had a choice to make,” Casey told The Associated Press. “You had to decide, basically, whether you’d support banning abortion or not. And that was a choice you had to make. And the choice was also a choice about legislation. … And I decided that I would support advancing that bill and thereby not being in the ban-abortion column.”

He had broken with Democrats in the past in supporting bills to ban abortions after 20 weeks and to block federal funding for abortion.

But he also had emphasized reducing abortions through services that prevent unwanted pregnancies and help pregnant women and young mothers, a reason he has given for backing federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

When the court overturned Roe v. Wade, Casey slammed it as ripping away a constitutional right and a dangerous decision that wouldn’t stop abortions but would put women’s lives at risk.

Democrats have been happy to embrace Casey’s recalibrated position.

“I don’t believe he ever wanted those (pro-life) beliefs to ever stand in the way of access to abortion, and now his position matters more than it did just two years ago,” said Brittany Crampsie, a Democratic strategist.

Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis, who studies the history and politics of the abortion debate, said she thinks Casey had begun drifting from the anti-abortion movement well before the court overturned Roe v. Wade.

He was probably both pulled by a Democratic Party becoming more supportive of abortion rights and pushed by an anti-abortion movement becoming more aligned with Republicans and Christian conservatives, Ziegler said.

“If you take politics out of it, it’s possible that Casey has one of those purple positions on abortion that doesn’t tend to track with what either movement is doing,” Ziegler said.

Many Americans hold middle-of-the-road beliefs on abortion, Ziegler said, and Casey’s stance isn’t out of step with many lay Catholics. According to Pew Research Center surveys, 56% of U.S. Catholics say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Politically speaking, abortion rights has been a winner on the ballot since the court decision, even in red states such as Ohio, Kansas and Kentucky, where the outcomes favored keeping abortion access legal.

McCormick attacks Casey from the right. He accuses Casey of wanting to allow abortion “up until the moment of birth,” a refrain Republicans are using to attack Democrats’ legislation, which allows an exception for abortions after fetal viability in extremely rare situations when a doctor determines the life or health of the mother is at risk.

Democrats say doctors — and not the government — should be making such decisions.

Meanwhile, McCormick says he opposes abortion, with three exceptions — rape, incest and to save the life of the mother — and not just one exception, as Casey contends. McCormick also says he wouldn’t vote for a federal abortion ban.

Casey, now in his eighth statewide campaign, has never previously wielded abortion rights as a weapon. He has been on defense, however.

In the 2002 Democratic primary for governor, Casey told a radio interviewer that he favored one exception, to save the life of the mother. But, he said, if the Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade then he, if elected governor, would sign legislation with all three exceptions, including rape and incest, “and it would have the effect of reducing the number of abortions in the state.”

Casey ultimately lost to Ed Rendell, who received support from the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, which ran ads against Casey because of his opposition to abortion rights.

In Senate races, Casey’s Republican opponents have tried to poke holes in his “pro-life” bona fides by pointing out that he opposed proposals to halt federal payments to Planned Parenthood.

Casey in 2006 was first recruited by national Democrats to run when he still wore the label of “pro-life Democrat.” He hasn’t faced a serious primary challenger in his four campaigns for the Senate.

Republicans frame his evolution on the issue as pure politics. They say he changed his position to survive the party’s leftward drift and never truly opposed abortion, like his father did.

“I don’t know how you go from defending life to the ad he’s running against Dave McCormick,” said Matt Beynon, a Republican strategist who worked on Lou Barletta’s losing campaign against Casey in 2018.

Democratic strategists insist that Casey’s evolution is natural and reflects a generational shift in which abortion is discussed alongside health care and contraception.

Christine Jacobs, who founded Represent PA, an organization to help elect Democratic women to Pennsylvania’s Legislature, said Casey has spent years of thinking about it and talking about it with his staff.

Still, Democratic strategists are stumped by the question of whether Casey could have been the party’s unquestioned nominee in 2024 had he supported a ban when the party’s activists were mobilizing over abortion rights.

It’s an academic question now. But Jacobs — who, like Casey, grew up Catholic — thinks there would have been sufficient outrage.

“I think he would have had to pull out,” Jacobs said. “At least, I’d like to think that.”

The driver of the car likely had a medical emergency leading up to the crash, police said.

Léelo en español aquí

Police and first responders were called to the crash that happened around 11:45 a.m. at the corner of West Main and Stanbridge streets, officials explained.

When officials arrived to the scene, they found a man unresponsive in the intersection, police said. The vehicle involved in the crash was still there.

First responders tried to save the man’s life but when he was taken to a nearby hospital he was pronounced dead just after 12:45 p.m., officials reported.

Investigators say that the person driving the car was an elderly male who likely suffered a medical emergency before hitting the man as he was crossing the street in the crosswalk.

The elderly driver was taken to a nearby hospital where he is being evaluated.

The Montgomery County Detective Bureau is investigating the incident along with the Norristown Police Department.

Well, Netflix heard your wishes and is bringing a new immersive experience to Pennsylvania soon.

The streaming service just dropped their plans to open what they’re naming, “Netflix House.”

There will be everything from replica sets you’ll be able to explore as well as a chance to try various foods from your favorite shows. And shopping, Netflix says that there will be stores with exclusive merch.

Netflix says that it plans to open several locations, but the first two are set to open in King of Prussia as well as in Dallas in 2025.

“At Netflix House, you can enjoy regularly updated immersive experiences, indulge in retail therapy, and get a taste, literally, of your favorite Netflix series and films through unique food and drink offerings,” says Marian Lee, Netflix’s Chief Marketing Officer. “The venues will bring our beloved stories to life in new, ever-changing, and unexpected ways.”

Officials with the company say they chose King of Prussia because it is known as a popular shopping destination and is close to Philadelphia.

The upcoming Netflix House is expected to take over a former department store and be more than 100,000 square feet.

Netflix House is expected to be open all year with rotating themes and experiences.

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Bryan Kohberger was arrested roughly six weeks after the bodies of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were found at a rental homenear the Moscow campus Nov. 13, 2022. The students were stabbed, and investigators said they were able to link Kohberger — then a graduate student at nearby Washington State University — to the crime using DNA found on a knife sheath at the scene, surveillance videos and cellphone data.

A judge entered a not guilty plea on Kohberger’s behalf in a May 2023 hearing, and for the past several months Kohberger’s defense attorneys and Latah County prosecutors have been wrangling over the evidence and other data gathered throughout the investigation.

So far, 2nd District Judge John Judge has not set a trial date, noting that the case is particularly complicated in part because prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty if there is a conviction.

But that could change later this month. On Thursday, Judge scheduled a June 27 hearing to discuss the schedule for the rest of the case, including dates for the trial as well as for a possible sentencing.

A sweeping gag order has prevented Kohberger, attorneys on both sides, law enforcement officials and others involved in the case from commenting.

Earlier this month Judge said investigators working for Kohberger’s defense team would be added to a list of attorneys and defense experts who are allowed to review sealed DNA records that law enforcement used to narrow the the pool of potential suspects. The DNA was used for investigative genetic genealogy, in which material found at a crime scene is run through public genealogical databases to find a suspect or a suspect’s relatives.

In his June 7 order, Judge also said the defense team is not allowed to contact any relative who shows up in the records and who was not already known to them without advance permission from the court.

Prosecutor Bill Thompson had argued previously that the DNA records were not relevant because they were not used to secure any warrants and would not be presented at trial. But Judge disagreed, saying last year that the defense team had shown that they needed to review at least some of the records as they prepared their case.

Kohberger’s attorneys are also asking for a change of venue. The judge has yet to rule on that request.

Watch and listen to Lauren’s interview with Senator Steve Santarsiero here

Here’s a full breakdown of the episode:

:22 – Undecided Bucks County voter’s concerns over Biden, Trump

1:19 – Why Pat Poprik feels encouraged about the upcoming election

4:55 – Bucks County in the spotlight

6:12 – How Republicans are engaging with undecided voters

7:30 – Pat Poprik speaks on Biden

9:20 – Voter decisions and Nikki Haley voting trends

12:38 – Pat Poprik on abortion issue

15:05 – Upcoming plans and mail-in ballots 

Battleground Politics with Lauren Mayk

Battleground Politics Jun 15

Sen. Steve Santarsiero speaks on securing votes for Biden in Bucks County

Decision 2024 Jun 14

Democratic Pa. senator speaks on securing votes for Biden in Bucks County

You can subscribe to Battleground Politics on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever else you get your favorite podcasts. You can also watch or listen to every episode right here on NBC10.com, the NBC10 YouTube channel, and in rotation on our streaming channels.

Subscribe to Battleground Politics anywhere you get your podcasts: Spotify | Amazon Music | Apple Podcasts | Google Play (soon) | Art19 | RSS | Watch on YouTube

Watch and listen to Lauren’s interview with Bucks County Republican Committee Chair Pat Poprik here

Here’s a full breakdown of the episode:

:35 – Undecided Bucks County voter’s concerns over Biden, Trump

1:32 – Sen. Santarsiero on why he believes Biden will win Bucks County

3:03 – Biden’s chances of gaining Nikki Haley supporters

6:00 – Undecided Democratic voters

9:33 – Voter registration numbers and party performance

11:20 – Local engagement with voters

15:00 – The current situation in Harrisburg 

Battleground Politics with Lauren Mayk

Decision 2024 Jun 14

Bucks County GOP Committee Chair speaks on securing votes for Trump

Battleground Politics Jun 15

Bucks County GOP Committee Chair Pat Poprik speaks on securing votes for Trump

You can subscribe to Battleground Politics on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever else you get your favorite podcasts. You can also watch or listen to every episode right here on NBC10.com, the NBC10 YouTube channel, and in rotation on our streaming channels.

Subscribe to Battleground Politics anywhere you get your podcasts: Spotify | Amazon Music | Apple Podcasts | Google Play (soon) | Art19 | RSS | Watch on YouTube

The coroner’s office said on Thursday around 5 p.m., Athonly Fromillie of Canton Township was burning brush at his home when his clothing caught fire.

Lehigh County Jun 13

Police ask residents to avoid black bear seen roaming one town in Lehigh County

Pennsylvania Jun 1

Man dies of gunshot wounds near Allentown park

He was taken to the Lehigh Valley Hospital to be treated for his injuries, but on Friday, at 10 a.m. he was pronounced dead, officials said.

According to the coroner’s office, Fromille’s cause of death was due to complications of 2nd and 3rd-degree burns to his torso and legs.

No further information was released.

The Emmaus Police Department shared surveillance photos of the animal wondering the streets on Facebook and they have asked the public to leave it alone.

“Early this morning we had a visitor wandering through town. If you leave him or her alone you will be fine. The bear has an ear tag and the PA Game Commission has been notified. Thank you for your cooperation,” the Emmaus Police Department said in the Facebook post.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission says Bear attacks are extremely rare, however if you encounter one you should get back and stay calm.

If you see a bear, make some noise to alert the bear of your presence, giving it ample time and space to leave, officials say.

In a situation where a bear does come in for an attack you should fight back. Officials say bears have been driven away when people have fought back with rocks, sticks and other objects.

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Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom has partnered with Tommy’s Jerky & Smokies to create a signature line of coaster-inspired beef jerky.

Each type of jerky flavor pairs with one of Dorney’s top roller coasters, including the Northeast’s first-ever dive coaster, the Iron Menace.

“Tommy’s Jerky & Smokies have utilized their passion and energy for beef jerky to make something extra special,” Public Relations and Communications Manager at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom Ryan Eldredge said in a news release. “Whether your taste buds crave a good kick of seasonings and spices, or you just love roller coasters, this is something that guests will be excited to try and it’s unique to our park.”

The flavors and coasters featured are:

Iron Menace: Wild BBQ Beef Jerky – tangy and sweet barbecue flavor

Steel Force: Buttery Prime Rib Flavor Beef Jerky – includes black pepper finish

Hydra: Tender Teriyaki Beef Jerky – hint of sweetness

Possessed: Peppered Beef Jerky – smoky flavor with medium spice level

“This partnership is a perfect blend of fun and flavor. We can’t wait for park guests to experience the unique taste of our beef jerky while enjoying their favorite rides,” said Amy Bulick, President of Tommy’s Jerky & Smokies. “We are excited to provide bold flavors to compliment the thrilling experiences that Dorney Park offers to guests.”’

Interested in trying one of these hand-crafted snacks? They are available now at the park.

For more information about tickets, hours, rides and experiences visit dorneypark.com.

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According to police, on Sunday Upper Merion Police received a report after numerous trees were observed to be damaged along the Crow Creek Trail near the Sweetbriar Shopping Center, located at 216 W. Beidler Road. 

Police said two suspects were seen on surveillance ripping out recently planted trees from the ground along the trail.

After further investigation, police said a total of 62 trees are missing or had been damage.

Police describe the suspects as men in their late teens or early 20’s, they were seen on surveillance wearing backwards hats, backpacks and they appeared to be carrying fishing gear.

Anyone who may recognize the suspects is asked to contact the Upper Merion Township Investigations Unit at 610-265-3232.

Craig Tschudy died of diffuse traumatic brain injury that he suffered in York, a city of around 44,800 about 100 miles west of Philadelphia, when he was 26 years old, the coroner’s office said in a statement.

A homicide ruling means someone else caused a person’s death.

Tschudy “was reportedly assaulted with a baseball bat by unknown assailants at the time, a case of mistaken identity,” the coroner’s office said. No arrests were ever made, and the assailants, who fled, were never identified.

Tschudy died at a nursing home in Dallastown on June 5.

The coroner’s office said no charges will be filed because of the inability to identify the attackers. “However, this is ruled a homicide in manner of death as the injuries eventually contributed to Tschudy’s death 38 years later,” the coroner said in a statement. 

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• Greece closes Acropolis and other ancient tourist sites in heatwave
• N.J.’s top federal prosecutor testifies for government at Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial
• 2024 U.S. Open: How to watch, start times, biggest storylines

Police said the enforcement of the city-wide curfew will help to “reduce juvenile victimization and criminal activity and advance public safety.”

Parents are required to make sure their children are home between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. from June 1 through Aug. 31.

Delaware County Jun 11

Juvenile charged in slaying of Chester High student

Delaware County May 23

Man kills 2, injures 3 after arguing with co-worker at Chester business, DA says

Exceptions will be made for those commuting to work or school activities, interstate travel, or if they are accompanied by their guardian, according to police.

“This summer, the City of Chester Police Department is asking that parents monitor the activity of their children and ensure that they are following the established curfew. It is illegal for parents to permit their children to violate curfew hours,” the Chester Police Department said in a statement.

Police add that business owners could be fined if they allow unaccompanied minors into their establishments during the curfew.

Here are some of the places in Philadelphia, the suburbs, Jersey Shore, Delaware Beaches and beyond where you can catch some fireworks starting July 3rd and lasting into the Independence Day weekend.

(Note that many of the shows with starting times before dark likely won’t happen until after the sun goes down. Also weather could impact if the show goes on at the scheduled time.)

Philadelphia

We have to start the list with the biggest fireworks show of them all, right in the heart of Philadelphia of course.

Wawa Welcome America Concert and Fireworks

• Where: Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• When: July 4th after 9:30 p.m.

Pennsylvania suburbs

Bethel Township Fireworks

• Where: 3280 Foulk Road, Garnet Valley (Bethel Springs Elementary School).
• When: July 3, at dusk

July 3rd Fireworks Display in Conshy

• Where: Borough of Conshohocken
• When: July 3, at dusk (approximately 9:30 p.m.).

Upper Darby Township Independence Fireworks Show

• Where: Monsignor Bonner Archbishop Prendie, Drexel Hill
• When: July 3 at 9 p.m.

Tredyffrin Township 4th of July Celebration

• Where: Wilson Farm Park
• When: July 4th from 7 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.

Fourth Of July Celebration Kayak Tour

• Where: 1542 Mountain View Dr, Quakertown, PA 18951 (Nockamixon State Park)
• When: July 4th from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Also note: The experience costs $69.95

Narberth Fireworks

• Where: Narberth Park
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.

July 4th Fest at Sesame Place

• Where: Sesame Place Philadelphia, Oxford Valley, PA
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.
• Also note: Tickets start at $35.

Abington Junior and Senior High Schools

• Where: 900 Highland Ave., Abington
• When: July 4th at 9:15 a.m.

Aston Township 4th of July

• Where: 2881 Pancoast Ave, Aston (Sun Valley High School Athletic Fields)
• When: July 4th at 9:30 p.m.

Southampton Days Fourth Of July Fireworks Celebration

• Where: 1255 2nd Street Pike Southampton (Tamanend Park)
• When: July 4th, at 9:35 p.m.

Phoenixville Fireworks

• Where Dayton Street Field
• When: July 5 at 9:15 p.m.

Friday Summer Series + fireworks

• Where:  Stockton Avenue (between Bridge and Ferry streets) in New Hope
• When: July 5 at 7 p.m.

The Summer UWINEd + fireworks

• Where: 931 Stony Hill Rd, Yardley (Shady Brook Farm)
• When: July 6, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Also note: Admission is $20 online and $25 at the gate

Ridley Park Fireworks

• Where: Ridley Park
• When: July 6 at 7 p.m.

Jersey Shore

Lower Township Independence Day Festival 2024

• Where: Emerson Ave & Beach Dr, North Cape May
• When: July 3, fireworks will be launched at about 9 p.m.

Lighthouse and Fireworks Climb

• Where: Cape May Lighthouse, Cape May Point State Park
• When: July 4th from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Ocean City Fireworks

• Where: Ocean City Boardwalk
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.

Margate July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza

• Where: The beach at Huntington Avenue, Margate
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.

 Sea Isle Fourth of July Fireworks

• Where: 50th Street Beach
• When: July 4th 9:15 p.m. to 9:40 p.m.

Seaside Heights Fireworks Show

• Where: Anywhere on the Seaside Boardwalk
• When: July 4th at 9:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.

Stone Harbor Fireworks

• Where: The fireworks are launched from the 95th St beach and can be viewed from up and down the Stone Harbor beachfront.
• When: July 4th 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Wildwood July 4th Fireworks Spectacular

• Where: The Wildwood boardwalk,  Pine Avenue & the Beach
• When: July 4th at 10 p.m.

South Jersey

Medford Township Fireworks

• Where: 86 Union Street Medford, NJ (Freedom Park)
• When: July 3 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Haddon Township

• Where: Haddon Township High School Football Stadium (Haddon Township High School)
• When: July 3 at dark

Evesham Township 4th of July Fireworks Celebration 2024

• Where: 525 East Main Street Evesham, NJ 08053 (Savich Tract fields).
• When: July 4th from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Delaware

Hockessin 4th of July Parade and Fireworks

• Where: Swift Park, Piedmont Baseball Fields, Hockessin Library and Artesian Soccer Fields
• When: July 4th from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

University of Delaware Athletic Complex Fireworks

• Where: The University of Delaware Athletic Complex
• When: July 4th from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Fireworks Express

• Where: Greenbank Railroad Station, 2201 Newport-Gap Pike, Wilmington, DE 19808
• When: July 4th train boarding begins at 6:45 p.m., train leaves at 7 p.m.

Historic Downtown Dover Fireworks

• Where: Legislative Mall, Dover
• When: July 4th at 9:15 p.m.

Fireworks at Dewey Beach

• Where: Fireworks will shoot off from a barge over the Rehoboth Bay in Dewey Beach
• When: July 4th at 9 p.m.

Rehoboth Beach Fourth of July Fireworks

•  Where: Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach 
• When: July 6, starting at 9:30 p.m.

Lehigh Valley (and beyond)

SteelStacks Fireworks

• Where: SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA 
• When: July 4th from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Fightin Phils Fireworks

• Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Reading PA
• When: July 4th, game starts at 7 p.m.
• Also note: Tickets to the games are required

Dorney Park July 4th Celebration

• Where: Dorney Park Allentown, PA
• When: July 4th at 9:30 p.m.
• Also note: $40 tickets are required to enter the park

City of Allentown 4th of July Celebration

• Where: 2027 Linden St., Allentown, PA 18102
• When: July 4th from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Shawnee Mountain Fireworks

• Where: 401 Hollow Road, East Stroudsburg, PA (Shawnee Mountain Ski Area)
• When: July 5, 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
• Also note: $15 per car with proceeds going to Shawnee Vol. Fire Co. #36

The former congressman, currently facing federal fraud charges, has won a bid to make regular visits to the low-key Pennsylvania vacation destination after a judge on Tuesday granted his request to make excursions there.

An attorney for Santos last week asked Judge Joanna Seybert if Santos could make weekly trips to the Mt. Pocono area, specifically to the town of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. Santos’ travel is restricted as a condition of his release while he awaits trial. He is allowed to move within New York City, Long Island and Washington, D.C., as well as other trips provided he gives advance notice to the government, according to court records.

The legal filing said Santos had already been cleared to visit the Poconos but wanted to make weekly trips there this summer without submitting frequent travel requests to the judge.

A lawyer for Santos declined to comment on Santos’ summer plans in the Poconos. Reached by text message, Santos declined to say what he was doing in the Poconos, but responded: “Slow news day?”

Decision 2024 Apr 23

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Santos is facing a slew of criminal charges, including defrauding donors and lying to Congress. He has pleaded not guilty.

Santos was kicked out of the House in December after an ethics committee report found “overwhelming evidence” of lawbreaking, making Santos just the sixth member expelled by colleagues in the history of the chamber.

Rev. John Nguyen and Sister Carolyn of St. Maria Goretti Church in Hatfield, Pennsylvania went skydiving Monday as part of a fundraising challenge.

The duo agreed to make the leap of faith if the kids of the Youth Ministry Program reached their fundraising goal of $15,000.

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Since the goal was met, they skydived from a matching 15,000 feet and landed safely near a crowd of cheering church members.

All of the money raised will go toward the church’s youth program, which serves preschool kids through young adult-aged individuals not only in the church community but the greater community of Hatfield.

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Pennsylvania’s state Senate on Monday approved legislation that would outlaw the distribution of salacious or pornographic deepfakes, with sponsors saying it will eliminate a loophole in the law that had frustrated prosecutors.

The bill was approved unanimously and was sent to the House.

It comes as states are increasingly working to update their laws to respond to such instances that have included the victimization of celebrities including Taylor Swift through the creation and distribution of computer-generated images using artificial intelligence to seem real.

Under the bill, one provision would make it a crime to try to harass someone by distributing a deepfake image of them without their consent while in a state of nudity or engaged in a sexual act. The offense would be more serious if the victim is a minor.

Another provision would outlaw such deepfakes created and distributed as child sexual abuse images.

President Joe Biden’s administration, meanwhile, is pushing the tech industry and financial institutions to shut down a growing market of abusive sexual images made with artificial intelligence technology.

Sponsors pointed to a case in New Jersey as an inspiration for the bill.

The problem with deepfakes isn’t new, but experts say it’s getting worse as the technology to produce it becomes more available and easier to use.

Researchers have been sounding the alarm on the explosion of AI-generated child sexual abuse material using depictions of real victims or virtual characters. Last year, the FBI warned it was continuing to receive reports from victims, both minors and adults, whose photos or videos were used to create explicit content that was shared online.

Several states have passed their own laws to try to combat the problem, such as criminalizing nonconsensual deepfake porn or giving victims the ability to sue perpetrators for damages in civil court.

On Monday, June 10, Kenneth Shea, 37, pleaded guilty to murdering 57-year-old Elizabeth Shea in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania. Kenneth Shea was then sentenced to life in prison.

While reading a statement in the courtroom, Shea was in tears as he apologized to his slain wife and her sons. He also said he wanted to skip the trial to avoid putting the family through anymore pain.

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The murder of Elizabeth Shea

Springfield Township police responded to a Cromwell Lane home around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 10, 2024, to perform a wellness check on Elizabeth Shea after coworkers at a doggie day care reported that she hadn’t shown up for work that morning.

Springfield police officers entered the home through an open sliding door and noticed a cellphone “discarded in the toilet,” the criminal complaint said. Officers discovered the door to the main bedroom locked and then forced their way in.

Elizabeth Shea was found dead on the master bedroom floor with cut wounds to her head and neck.

The Cromwell Lane home had several security cameras installed and a home security system in place, authorities said.

Investigators “determined that an air conditioning unit had been pushed inside the residence, allowing access through the window,” the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office said. “In the residence, four hard drives from the home’s digital recording units and three cellphones had been discarded in the bathroom sink and toilet.”

Police were aware of a previous domestic violence incident at the home, the criminal complaint said. Following that January incident, Kenneth Shea was charged with simple assault.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.

In March, police served Shea with a protection from abuse order and he was evicted from the Cromwell Lane home, the criminal complaint said.

Uber ride helps police capture killer

Investigators turned the focus of the murder investigation onto Shea and his travel history the early hours of April 10.

“Detectives obtained Uber records that showed that Kenneth Shea had utilized the ride share service in the early morning hours of April 10, 2024,” the DA’s office wrote. “He was picked up at 12:36 a.m. at Comfort Inn in Feasterville-Trevose and dropped off at 12:55 a.m. on Wainwright Road, which is behind the victim’s residence. At 3:37 a.m., the defendant was picked up on Wainwright Road and returned to the hotel at 3:58 a.m., where video surveillance from the lobby showed him arriving and going to Room 314.”

Location records on Shea’s phone showed him in the area of the Bucks County hotel in the days leading up to the murder and later on April 10.

Around 6 p.m. that day, Bensalem SWAT officers stationed outside Shea’s room arrested him as he exited the room.

Investigators later obtained a search warrant and then found camouflaged pants consistent with the pants Shea was seen wearing when he returned to the hotel early on April 10 and what appeared to be blood stains on the bed, the criminal complaint said.

Shea had injuries to his right hand, including three small cuts to his right index finger, investigators said.

The (Johnstown) Tribune-Democrat reports that 48-year-old Brian Giles lived with Nancy Giles in an apartment in the Johnstown house before she went missing in October 2018. Her remains were found in May 2019 in a shallow grave near a trail on the Inclined Plane hillside in downtown Johnstown.

Jurors in Cambria County deliberated for about an hour Thursday before convicting Brian Giles of first-degree murder and aggravated assault in the death of Nancy Giles, the newspaper reported. As he was led from the courtroom, Giles said he wanted people to know he is innocent. Defense attorney Timothy Burns, who had cited his client’s report of mental health struggles, called the outcome “disappointing” and said the defense would explore its options.

On Friday, authorities searched Giles’ former residence in the city’s Kernville section after a report of a possible body. Coroner Jeffrey Lees confirmed that human remains were found in the basement, calling the death “highly suspicious” and vowing a lengthy and methodical investigation.

Lees said after an autopsy Saturday that the remains would be taken to Mercyhurst University in Erie on Monday for more forensic investigation, and after receiving those results and other information he would make a ruling on the cause and manner of death. Identification of the remains would be a top priority, he said.

Authorities have said that Jilly Todaro, Giles’ girlfriend after the disappearance of his wife, also lived at the apartment and disappeared in December 2020. Todaro remains missing and officials would not confirm whether the search is related to that case, in which no charges have been filed.

A message seeking comment was sent Sunday to Burns, who represented Giles in the trial over the death of Nancy Giles.

According to officials, police and fire crews responded to the Willie Wee Learning Center located on Norton Ave in Bristol Township around 2:30 a.m. after a 9-1-1 caller stated there was a fire and kids were trapped in the basement.

Upon arrival, officials said no one was found in or outside the building. The fire was contained in a storage closet in the basement and officials ruled it an arson.

Pennsylvania Jun 6

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The learning center is owned by Norton Ave Baptist Church, and a representative stated that homeless individuals have been found in the building in the past, officials said.

The learning center, along with several other buildings around it, is slated for demolition to make way for a three-story apartment building, officials said. One of the other buildings, formerly a pantry, was the site of another arson back in January.

Bensalem Township Police along with the Bensalem Fire Rescue and volunteers from other fire companies responded around 5 p.m. to “Top of the Ridge” trailer park on Gibson Road.

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SkyForce10 was over the scene after firefighters put out the flames.

The home was left charred from the fire, and the home next to it was damaged as well.

Police say that 45-year-old Joseph Stadler died in the fire.

No one else in the homes was hurt but a firefighter was treated and released from the hospital for smoke inhalation.

While investigators say the fire started in the home’s living room area, the cause is still being determined.

The Red Cross is working with residents who have been displaced because of the fire.

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Officers with the Darby Borough Police Department were called to a residence on Thursday for a reported stalking incident, officials said.

Darby police arrested 30-year-old Matthew Kwatyra with the help of officers from the East Lansdowne Police Department, police said.

Darby police chief Joseph Gabe Jr. took to the department’s Facebook page to share a photo of Kwatyra along with his vehicle.

Kwatyra drives a dark gray colored Audi SUV with Pennsylvania plate LYZ-1111. There is also a license plate frame on the back that reads “Wynnewood” in all capitol letters.

Officials are urging everyone to remain vigilant and to be aware of any suspicious devices that could track you.

Police in Darby say tracking devices let a person instantly see your location at any given time.

If you think you or someone you know is a victim of Kwatyra and his alleged stalking, please contact Darby Borough Police Department Det. Salvatore.

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That creature is Shelly and he lives in the ecology center at Scenic Hills Elementary School in Delaware County.

The Springfield School District recently announced plans to clear out that center and now people are not happy.

Parents and students say the outdoor ecology center is literally at the heart of the school. It’s a place students go to learn, take art classes, read and so much more.

The center is not only home to Shelly but also other animals such as mallard ducks and frogs.

“A tortoise at our school who is literally so cool and fun to learn about,” Scenic Hills Elementary third-grade student Violet Whitney said.

In a letter, the district said that they could no longer safely maintain the space without it costing taxpayers big for both capital investments and annual operational costs.

Additionally, the district laid out some other issues, including a large amount of fecal matter and urine near the children’s areas and artificial water features not being fenced, posing many hazards.

As of now, the plan is for Shelly to go home with his caretaker, a teacher who is retiring, according to the school district.

“Shelly has been here for the last 24 years. This ecology center has functioned successfully for the past 26 years,” parent of a third grader at Scenic Hills Elementary Kate Whitney told NBC10 during a rally the community held.

The district plans to also relocate some of the other animals and then eventually landscape the area. However, parents and students in the community are hoping the district reconsiders this decision.

A new petition has been organized to help save the center. For more information visit www.change.org/p/save-the-scenic-hills-ecology-center.

According to the Upper Merion Township Department, on Tuesday, May 28, around 3:35 p.m., officers responded to the Breitling store inside the mall after receiving reports of a theft.

Upon arrival, police said officers spoke to store employees and learned that an unknown man had entered the store and asked to see several different watches that were on display.

As a store associate removed a tray of watches from a locked display case, the man quickly grabbed a watch from the tray and fled out of the store, police said.

The man was last seen running into a back hallway of the mall, according to police.

Police describe the suspect as a tall man, with a muscular build and black goatee. He was last seen wearing a multi-colored “rugby style” long sleeve Ralph Lauren/Polo top, ripped jeans and sunglasses.

Anyone who may know the identity of this suspect is asked to contact the Upper Merion Investigations Division at 610-265-3232.

This is not the first time the Breitling has been robbed. Back in September, an unidentified man had made off with a luxury watch.

During that incident, police said the suspect had stolen a gold Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 valued at $43,500.

Republicans jeered at former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and former U.S. Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, who were introduced by state House Speaker Joanna McClinton on Wednesday as part of their tour across Pennsylvania to discuss the threat they say former President Donald Trump poses to democracy.

Lawmakers’ responses to the visiting officers underscores the deep division between how the parties view the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, as Democrats praised the former officers’ heroism and Republicans booed, according to people present.

“All Democrats stood and applauded the officers, while a majority of Republicans either remained seated — while not applauding — began booing or left the floor,” said Majority Caucus Chair Mike Schlossberg in a statement. “I do want to be clear, there were absolutely Republican members who did applaud and stand. But a majority did not.”

Dunn and Gonell have been vocal in denouncing the Jan. 6 attack and criticizing Trump’s rhetoric, and both invoked the former president in their statements about Wednesday’s demonstrations.

Both said it was “sad though unsurprising” that Trump allies “followed his lead in mocking the January 6 attack on the Capitol and embracing political violence.”

“It’s exactly why we’re out here campaigning for President Biden — because we and so many Americans are deeply concerned that history could repeat itself if Trump is not stopped,” they noted in statements.

Gonell told NBC News it was “shocking, but yet not surprising” that Trump supporting lawmakers would treat them that way.

“They just walk out, began jeering at us, and turn their backs on us,” Gonell said. “They literally turned their back on us, and then they’ll probably go on TV and say they support the police.”

Republican House Leader Bryan Cutler said that he “personally spoke to both of the former officers” on Wednesday, adding in the statement that he and other Republicans also took pictures with the pair.

Cutler attacked Democrats for using “their politicized actions in the House chamber to fundraise for their campaign coffers,” referring to a fundraising email sent later on Wednesday.

Across the aisle, Democrats slammed Republicans on X, calling their actions “a shameful show of disrespect for heroes” and “despicable behavior,” with one lawmaker writing that “there is no bottom.”

Rep. Greg Scott, a Democrat, said he was “in total shock” of Republicans’ actions.

“I hear them speak about being the party of law and order,” he said. “They would like the world to think they’re the party that backs the blue — but yesterday they made it clear. They back the orange man only.”

State Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, also a Democrat, said that the Republicans’ behavior was not partisan, rather “the behavior of somebody in a cult.”

“It was an embarrassing, inexcusable display of rude behavior towards those heroic officers,” Bizzarro said in a message to NBC News.

Gonell has testified that he though he could have died on Jan. 6 and detailed injuries sustained from the attack, some of which required surgery. He was repeatedly assaulted by multiple rioters and has spoken at the sentencing hearings of several of his assailants.  

Dunn has testified about facing racist slurs on Jan. 6. He encountered members of the Oath Keepers and testified during a seditious conspiracy trial involving members of the group. 

Congress blew through a March 2023 deadline for the installation of a plaque honoring officers who responded to the Jan. 6 attack.

This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News here:

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The fire department was called to the Care and Share Thrift Shoppes on Route 113 in Souderton after a person smelled gas, Ryan said.

Officials are staying on the scene until the gas company successfully repairs the leak, according to Ryan.

The store took to Instagram around 5:30 p.m. to announce that they were closing for the rest of the day on Thursday “due to circumstances beyond our control.”

A spokesperson said on their social media accounts that they plan to reopen on Friday morning.

SkyForce10 was over the scene just before 6 p.m. where at least four fire trucks could be seen in the parking lot of the store. First responders were visible outside of the building.

No injuries were reported.

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Frank Breneman, 71, of Lititz, has been arrested in connection to alleged sexual assault crimes that occurred in Lancaster County between 2004 and 2016, Pennsylvania State Police announced.

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Police said Breneman was charged Wednesday with rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, statutory sexual assault, and indecent assault of a child relating to two victims when they were between the ages of 4 and 11 years old.

During the course of the investigation, police said investigators identified an additional victim who recounted similar experiences with Breneman.

Some of the victims were former foster children of Breneman and were abused while living in his home, according to police.

Police ask if anyone has additional information regarding this case or the conduct of Breneman, please contact the Pennsylvania State Police, Lancaster Station Criminal Investigation Unit, Trooper Edward Zema by calling 717-299-7650.

Zachary Schrader, a recent graduate of Reading High School maintained perfect attendance from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Not only did he have perfect attendance, but he also graduated with straight A’s while attending 13th & Union Elementary, Northeast Middle School, and then rounding out at Reading High School, all while achieving greatness on the tennis court.

The school district said as a freshman, Zachary won county singles, the first time in 70 years for an RHS student-athlete.

Mr. Mike Fisher, RHS Boys Varsity Tennis Coach, stated, “His commitment to his education and his sport is an inspiration to all students. We are incredibly proud of his accomplishments and look forward to his future successes.”

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Montco student with autism wows crowd with talent show performance

Now Zachary is taking his talents to Lebanon Valley College, where he will continue to play tennis while pursuing a degree in physical therapy.

“I am grateful for the support of my family, teachers, and coaches throughout my time in the Reading School District,” Zachary said. “Their encouragement has been invaluable, and I am excited to continue my academic and athletic journey at Lebanon Valley College.”

Washington had guarded near the corner of Montgomery Ave and Union Avenue in Elkins Park, right by Myers Elementary.

Township officials said Washington left an indelible mark on the community, and now, when people drive through the neighborhood, they will see the sign that reads, “In honor of our beloved crossing guard.”

The street sign was revealed Thursday during which family and loved ones within the community gathered to honor Washington.

Washington’s son Phillip gave a tear speech about what his mother meant to the neighborhood and how much she loved her job.

“If Mom was here, she would want to say one thing. Make sure you do 15 through the school zone.” Phillip said. “Mom believed in the kids, she loved the kids, she loved the protection. Make sure you do 15 through any school zone; the kids are important; they’re our future.”

Alex is a student at Cedarbrook Middle School, and on Tuesday, he participated in the school’s talent show.

His mother, Hope Fishman, says he has autism, but that didn’t stop him from wowing the crowd with his performance of the song “Here I Go Again.”

He chose that song because it symbolizes freedom. Last year, he decided for the first time he didn’t want an aid anymore at school. So the song by Whitesnake has added meaning.

“Thank you so much for giving me the compassion and the love, and the help that you gave me and encouragement,” Alex said.

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The moment at the school’s talent show even surprised Fishman. She wasn’t there but has lost count of how many times she’s watched the video.

“Probably 200, over and over again,” Fishman said. “I show it to everybody. I mean people I don’t even know on the street. Can I show you something? Cause it just means so much to me. It does.”

Fishman tells NBC10 that Alex couldn’t communicate at the age of four. Not only is he now talking and thriving, but he is also singing one of his favorite songs.

“They told me he wasn’t going to be able to do something like this,” Fishman said “That he wasn’t going to feel anything. The first time they tell you you’re child has autism. There’s this list, can’t do this, can’t do that, won’t do this, won’t do that. I said to myself he’ll do this.”

Well, Alex is proving everyone wrong. The crowd went wild as he sang his heart out.

He felt welcomed and like he fit in, Fishman added. And she admits that’s all she ever wanted as a mother.