in olney, i'm bruce gordon fox 29 news. ♪ >>> all right. your fox 29 weather authority now. let's take life look at trenton. it is gorgeous out there. it is might nippy, though. however all things you know how life is everything changes that's wrapping. death and taxes about the on constant. was ben franklin our neck door neighbor here. >> i think so. >> kathy, winter rye in our doorstep feels like it today. >> it certainly does. something i always say nature always seeks a balance when it gets too warm, then it gets cold. when it gets too cold it evens back out and we're on warm turn. temperatures actually warming as winter begins. you can see a few clouds out there to the north and west of the city but all of the precipitation staying to the north a typical la nina pattern we talked about this with our winter forecast last month. for the beginning of winter everything will be riding to the north. that's been the case. so storminess moving toward chicago christmas night and we'll miss out that no white christmas unfortunately for the delaware valley. today temperatures only

>> i'm bruce gordon in folcroft with a story of grateful parents who believe they've gotten an early christmas gift. my story straight ahead. >> sean brace is here with a look what's coming up in sports. >> shane, with the signing of herrara for the next five years the phillies believe in the all star center fielder. general manager lists the reasons why coming up in sports. my guest list just tripled. my cookie exchange is super competitive. mine too. i want to go really big with my appetizers. we can do it without blowing our budget. oh yeah, this is great! my family really needs to be wowed this year! standing rib roast! wow. everything for the holidays. that's my giant. >> search is on phonies accused of robbing an elderly woman in rhawnhurst. that was trying to pay with the victim's debit card after he stole it. police say he took the 87-year-old woman's purse and groceries. this happened last week on the 2300 block of ripley street. no injuries were reported. if you recognize this guy, police want to hear from you. >> the man accused of shooting a folcroft borough police office

in a case, our bruce gordon likes to call, the debris debockle. pile of demolition rubble appeared in the backyard of this rental home. this is on the 200 block of spark street. after a tenant moved out several weeks ago, well, neighbors say it has become a magnent for rodents, a signal that the home is empty. >> this was a sunday. i doubt very seriously if anything happens until after, after the holiday. i really do. >> christmas present for you would be to get this mess out of here? >> yes, exactly. >> all right, so our bruce gordon made some phonecalls, city inspectors will visit the home early this morning, issue citations and require a clean up within two weeks. and also reached out to the property owner, and he says vandalism forced him to tear apart some of the property, but he promised he will have the mess cleared away by the end of the week. fox 29 our bruce gordon is getting results. >> speaking every action, today may be the day that north carolina gets rid of the very controversial bathroom bill. the governor there is calling on legis

so we sent out bruce gordon much he's getting results next. >>> all these folks are used to dealing with animal rescue and a malls keeping them healthy and safe. they had no idea their holiday seasowhere things come from? how they get here? what they're packed in? it's a lot of stuff. and these things add up. that's why we recycle. [vo:]it's nice to know that raymour and flanigan is proud to be a leading recycler- 17 million pounds of recyclable materials every year. turned from trash into treasure. so in the future, we will all have a more beautiful world. ♪ >> fox 29 getting results for homeowners in olney. pile of demolition rubble appeared backyard of this rem home on the 200 block of spark street after a tenant moved out several weeks ago. neighbors say it's become a magnet for rodents and a signal that the home is empty. >> christmas is sunday. i doubt very seriously if anything happens until after -- after the holiday. i real dollar. >> reporter: crest mass present for you would be to debt this mess out of here. >> exactly. >> merry christmas. bruce gordon made some phone calls

in leesburg, i'm bruce gordon fox 29 news. >>> lawyers for chaka fattah hope a judge will go easy on the former congressman at his sentencing. geek to jail for 17 to 21 years for racketeering convict. sentencing is monday. fattah served in congress for 22 years. he resigned last june after his convict. >>> good news for drivers in philadelphia tonight. it will be harder for tow truck companies to take your ride. city council passed a measure cracking down. customers complained tow companies have gouged them. the new rules will require cars illegally parked in private driveways around private property get ticketed before they can get towed. but owners of tow companies say the or nance unfairly lumps the good and bad operators together. >> i think we're all being grouped together. everybody has bad apples in their barrel. what do you do with a bad apple you take it out of the barrel so the other apples don't go bad. >> we need regulatory protocols in place that protects consumers and allows good operators to operate. >> council members asked city administrators to wait 30 days before e

so we sent out bruce gordon much he's getting results next. >>> all these folks are used to dealing with animal rescue and a malls keeping them healthy and safe. they had no idea their holiday season would be spent trying to keep up a family together. we have their story coming up next for goodness sake. ♪this holiday season, my good friend gave to me♪ ♪7 powerball tickets ♪6 match 6 chances ♪5 cash 5s ♪4 cash 4 lifes ♪3 pick 3s ♪2 mega millions (joe) happy holidays, rita. (rita) thanks, joe! (man) what a great gift! (announcer) pennsylvania lottery tickets make great gifts, like the new $1 million snow bank. (joe) happy holidays! ♪and best wishes from the lottery♪ >> fox 29 getting results for homeowners in olney. pile of demolition rubble appeared backyard of this rem home on the 200 block of spark street after a tenant moved out several weeks ago. neighbors say it's become a magnet for rodents and a signal that the home is empty. >> christmas is sunday. i doubt very seriously if anything happens until after -- after the holiday. i real dollar. >> reporter: crest ma

in allentown, bruce gordon fox 29 news. >>> have you seen this man? he's wanted for three armed robberies in philadelphia in the last month. these surveillance photos are from the first incident at a grocery store on the 2,000 block of north gratz street. police say he shot a customer while stealing money. no one else was injured in the other incidents. the fbi has joined police in looking for this suspected serial robber. >>> tonight prosecutors have charged a kensington mother with her two-year-old son's death. 23-year-old andrea worrell is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and obstructing justice. police responded to the 600 block of east clementine street tuesday night. they found two eighty three old zyair worrell who was lethargic. they took the child to st. christopher's hospital where he died a few hours later. police say he had a laceration to his liver, chest bruising, abrasions on his body and thc in his system. investigators say the motive in this toddler's death child abuse. >> to the trump transition tonight. new jersey gov

fox 29's bruce gordon is in allentown tonight with that story. >> reporter: a distraught fire victim she asked we not show her face. returned to the 400 block of north fulton street late friday afternoon to retrieve the few personal belongings not consumed by the blaze. >> trying to grab some thing from the first floor. some things of my kids from the second floor. my third floor is gone. >> fire was reported at 4040 mid block thursday night quickly spread in both directions along the third floor and roof areas. keeping firefighters from all over allentown busy for more than four hours. >> these homes were built around the turn of the century they're -- the wood dry for 100 years. once fire gets up into it it will start going left and right. >> reporter: only apparent casualty a pet dog. jason mellow returned on this day after to find his new pet python was alive and well. his home was the only one on this side of the block to be spared major damage. but mellow has no plans to return here to live. >> after all this we don't want to come back. >> reporter: you don't want to come back.

we found out -- zen bruce gordon and he's getting results next. >>> all right. cold weather is march on the homeless much it's difficult to find shelter. tougher to stay warm that. could explain two fires in new jersey's capital city. our hank flynn hit the road to check it out. don and i met because i'm a volunteer for meals on wheels. we had an instant connection. what was that? i said, "delivering to you is always a special treat." oh. company, companionship, food... we all need those things. when we get in that spot in life, it's kind of nice to have 'em there. (avo) through the subaru share the love event, we've helped deliver over one point four million meals to those in need. get a new subaru, and we'll donate two hundred and fifty dollars more. ♪put a little love in your heart.♪ >> frustrated community in olney turning to fox 29 to get results. neighbors have complained and complained about this demolition project on their block that left hyped well a small mountain of debris there. according to neighbors the trash has been there for months now, and

so we sent our bruce gordon out. he is getting results, coming up next. bob? >> good morning, everybody, we go for a ride. they've got road work here on the pennsylvania turnpike between downingtown, head in the toward that king of prussia area. and if you are getting out of town for the holiday, good morning, we're looking live from philly international. they're putting the smacks on the plane for you. we'll check with the airport, check the jam cams, and scotty's got that christmas forecast whether we come right back. where things come from? how they get here? what they're packed in? it's a lot of stuff. and these things add up. that's why we recycle. [vo:]it's nice to know that raymour and flanigan is proud to be a leading recycler- 17 million pounds of recyclable materials every year. turned from trash into treasure. so in the future, we will all have a more beautiful world. ♪ >> let's gets it together, you know, let's get some love going for 2017. >> yes, we all need love, right? let's talk about the weather forecast, temperatures right now, talking abo

. >> and bruce gordon live in chester county. bruce? >> reporter: iain, these may not look like santa's sleighs behind me but dozens and dozens of local teenagers actually as santa elves the effect will be just asthma gentlemen cal come christmas morning. my story straight ahead. >> residents in atlantic county town are shaken up after two murders in less than a week. police trying find the person who gunned down a man outside an apartment complex in hamilton township. >> fox 29's dave kinchen talked to some neighbors who knew the victim. >> i pulled the curtain back and heard the gunshots. it was as if the guy was like looking up at me at the window right her. >> reporter: robert coleman shows us where a man's body hit the ground last night after he heard four gunshots. one of them even piercing his window as he was watching tv in the woodlands condos in mays landing. >> i mean it was creepy. it was scary but you know what, i sat there and another young life snuffed out. >> it's devastating especially because he lived upstairs from me.

they spoke only to fox 29 our bruce gordon has their story. >> reporter: fire investigato investigators sifted through the black ken wreckage of 440 normal fulton street, cousins sherri bots and sarina shade arrived to the block for the first time since fire destroyed it. bots was overcome with emotion. isn't how? why? you know, why just how? >> flames erupted last thursday evening in a first floor back room of the row house bots and shade had just rented. with bots friend shade's boyfriend and the women's three children. bots says her friend was there eating pizza with her two kids when her six-year-old son noticed the names. within minutes a stretch of eight row homes was a blaze. no one was hurt. but half a dozen families lost most of what they owned. bots and shade lost everything. >> we can't even go back in the house. we can't see if there's anything salvageable. there's nothing left. >> reporter: almost immediately, friends and strangers reached out to help collecting donations, offering a place to stay. >> it was the next day somebody was handing me something. all we had was the

our bruce gordon is just back from allentown. bruce. >> reporter: this is the two of two cousins working single moms who rented a house and made it a home. fire destroyed that home and gave these cousins a chance to see human nature at its best and at its worst. as fire investigators combed through the charred ruins that were once 440 north fulton street, sheree bots and her country stood outside and watched. and wondered. >> how? why? you know, why? just how? >> everything is gone. >> lives of nearly of one on this block changed last thursday night when flames erupted in a first floor back room of the rented row home that the two had just moved into with their three children, shade's boyfriend and would bot to s friend. that friend 28-year-old with their kids eating pizza when the fire ignited. he called in a panic film what do you mean my house is gone. >> you have to hurry up and get home. >> you don't expect to come home and see your house up in flames. i pulled up and there was -- there was fire coming from all three of my w

fox 29's bruce gordon was there as it all went down. >> reporter: outside the capital some 200 protesters most of them peaceful braced subfreezing temperatures to bash donald trump as a russian puppet unfit for office. and to beg pennsylvania's 20 republican election tours to vote for anyone other than tru trump. >> he's a low class, vulgar, ignorant man. he's the bottom of our social -- social society. >> i came all the way from brooklyn, because i'm terrified about trump being elected as president. >> reporter: inside behind the heavily guarded doors of the state house chamber convened the election tours hand picked bite donald trump campaign and gop. under intense pressure from democrats an few republicans to break ranks. >> it's daunting to be buried under mail and e-mail and phone calls but it was more annoying than anything else. >> members of the college of election tours of the commonwealth of pennsylvania will come to or. actual vote heavy on ceremony and formality took less than an hour and was proceeded by republican calls for unity following the bitter divisive campaign. >> wh

our bruce gordon is live in olney. all right, bruce, i know you're doing something. >> reporter: well, you know, guys, it's a real simple rule of thumb especially when you live in urban 59. closer you live to your neighbors the more important it is for your to keep your property neat and clean. that's all the folks wanted here on the 200 block of spark street. how would you like to walk out your back door and see this looking back at you? well, just ask valerie bogs. first day when you came out and saw the mattress and box spring was your reaction? >> dand! you know. >> that was back in eight objection. when the latest tenants moved out of the rem home next door at 207 spark street. and before a kitchen's worth of demolished walls, flooring and cabinet tree was added to the pile. >> what goes through your mind as a property owner? you live in this neighborhood 20 years. [ laughter ] >> upping, we assume if you're a landlord you supposed to come clean up your mess. report. >> blocked driveway and come and get this mess

i'm bruce gordon, "fox 29 news". >> talk about strong young lady. still ahead this morning, here at 5:23. have you ever wanted to meet up with your friends for a night out? but you just can't finds them? well, uber has a solution for that. but, well, you actually want to use t we'll give you the details straight ahead. my guest list just tripled. my cookie exchange is super competitive. mine too. i want to go really big with my appetizers. we can do it without blowing our budget. oh yeah, this is great! my family really needs to be wowed this year! standing rib roast! wow. everything for the holidays. that's my giant. ♪ ♪ lend him a helping hand. ♪ put a little love in your heart. ♪ ♪ take a good look around... ♪ ...and if you're lookin' down, ♪ ♪ put a little love in your heart. ♪ ♪put a little love in your heart.♪ ♪ in your heart. (avo) the subaru share the love event is happening now and will have given ninety million dollars to help real people like these. >> french researchers studied about 1,000 people with asthma, they

at the federal courthouse, i'm bruce gordon, fox 29 news. >>> it's a trouble spot for drivers in one of the most popular spots in the city. if you stand here and watch long enough, you'll see this ramp is an accident waiting to happen. to night we're getting to the root of the problem figuring out what can be done about it. >> chilling crime rock the jersey shore. four women found dead 10 years have passed and their killer still has not faced justice. >> something tells me we might be sitting here 10 years from now, 20 year anniversary, and it will still remain unsolve. >> the erie similarities to a string of murders in another state and one man's theory about who police should track down. (my hero zero by lemonheads) zero really can be a hero. get zero down, zero deposit, zero due at signing, and zero first month's payment on select volkswagen models. right now at the volkswagen sign then drive event. >> two people went to the hospital after a shooting in burlington county. skyfox over the scene on plum tree lane in willingboro. one person was hit in the foot. we're not sure about t

in norristown, i'm bruce gordon fox 29 news. >> happening now a fight over bike lanes in the city. cyclists they don't feel safe. >> understandable. >> they want protect. drivers and business owners have had it with the hassle of driving to navigate around those lanes. >> dozens every people to turned out to sound off and sound off they did. brad sattin is live in center city. you were at that public meeting. i'm guessing you heard an earful. brad? >> reporter: we did hear an earful we're on spruce street this is the place one of the bike lanes much this is what they call an unprotected bike lane because there's no barrier between the cars and the bikes. in fact, across the city, there are only 2 miles of protected bike lanes but the mayor wants 30 miles in the next five years. think there are a lot of close calls between bikes and cars in philadelphia? >> i was hit by a car because there was not a protected bike lane. >> reporter: in fact when bicyclists were asked to raise their hands if they had something similar happen to them. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: most of the hands went

i'm bruce gordon, fox 29 news. >>> no better medicine. that's for sure op your radar tonight. not bad out there right now. but that is about to change. mike masco. >> unfortunately it's not going to be the white type of christmas more of a wet christmas eve expected by tomorrow. take look the ultimate doppler nothing going on across town you see this falling over south central pennsylvania this is not reaching the ground, however, we are expecting that the change as we go into the overnight hours he is special fool tomorrow here's the shot in old city towards market street it's 39 degrees with a southwesterly win coming at five. feels like temperature coming at 36. bar row row metric pressure starting to drop an indication of a storm about to moving in our direct. 3 degrees above average this afternoon. made it to 46 at philadelphia international airport. again, normally should be 43. last year 70 degrees. wow that felt great. here's what's going on right n now. we are watching that south wind with temperatures that are into the 30s. though i wanting to north and west because

bruce gordon explains, that's something that could happen only in philly. >> reporter: i'm bruce gordon. the saying in sports when older players start to lose their skills that father time is undefeated. if that's true then mother nature must be second in the standings. when ice and temperatures combine in just the right way, chaos ensues. every time. long tie flyers fans no doubt remember game three of the 1975 stanley cup finals at buffalo. warm air in unair-conditioned building met the ice on the ring, created a thick blanket of fog. yup, somewhere in that cloud is a puck and a bunch of players. this week we got brand new chance to see the science of ice and warm air in act. once again, the result was not pretty. >> yes i know you expected to see basketball. >> reporter: 76ers basketball game against sacramento at the wells fargo center was postponed due to moisture. moisture that seeped upwards from the flyers ice ring below through the sixers floor boards and on to the basketball court. apparently the temperature in the building got too warm for the ice to stay, you know, icy and t

bruce gordon is live outside that laundromat in upper darby tonight. bruce? >> reporter: call it an occupational hazard for anyone who odd hours, late hours, real early hours any kind of business that accepts cash. this thing could have ended tragically but it was bad enough as it was. >> the t and w laundromat was buzzing with customers midday monday. most of them blissfully unaware of the pre-dawn incident until told of it and shown video of it by reporters. >> that's her on the floor. >> yeah, i know her. >> you know her? >> yeah. that's very scary. >> here she is working hard 4:00 o'clock in the morning and these two scum bags stick her up. watch what they do to her. >> taken 3984 old employee was vacuuming out lint from drivers when a masked man and woman ended the business. the man through a gun and pointed it at the workers' head. >> keep quite or we'll kill you. that was a bad -- the conversation. keep quite or we'll kill you. >> security camera video shows the armed man dragging the worker into a boiler room where he rummages through her pockets as t

. >> fox 29's bruce gordon reports from old city. >> reporter: don't look now. but the 500 block of chestnut street is singing. part of it any way. five by 10-foot stretch of cobblestones right in front of independence hall is slowly becoming a gully through which cars and trucks bounce all day long. drivers have noticed. >> yeah. yeah, every day we go passed up and down. >> reporter: you've been through it before. >> yes, i hope it don't sing. >> it's already singing. [ laughter ] >> we going to be in trouble. >> reporter: i'll say. the ditch has been deepening for days. listen to this national park security officer as we drive by. >> he says he's been calling police for while. >> nobody seems to want to come. >> if you missed it he said nobody seems to want to come o out. magically once we start taking pictures of the mess someone traffic cones and a saw horse out in the street to keep unsuspecting drivers from damaging their rides. i reach out to the streets department. they tell me they're monitoring the situation along with the water department. once water

. >> as our bruce gordon reports, prosecutors want to prove a pattern of abuse while the defense says women are just jumping on the band wagon. >> reporter: bill cosby, 79 years older, frail, nearly blind, known from his iconic sitcom as america's dad. but also according to montgomery county district attorney kevin steele a serial sexual predator. steel described allegations from 13 women he hopes to bring to the witness stand at trial to establish what he calls cosby's lifetime of sexual assaults on young women. steel described what he called remarkable similarities in their stories. cosby be friending the women, mentoring them, then later drug and assaulting them. >> i believe i would be remiss if i didn't thank the individuals that have come forward. they showed great courage. >> reporter: in this case, cosby is charged with drugging and sexually assaulting andrea constand at his chelten hem mansion in 2004. there were no witnesses and constand delayed in coming forward to tell her story. if testimony from as many as 13 other accusers allowed, it could establish a pattern of behavi

one of the folks not abiding by that advice is our very own bruce gordon live now in center city. bruce? you're like cryogenically frozen for our eyes. >>> our advice, an order for me to be out here. >> i know. my travels this evening gave me a chance to talk with folks out in the elements by choice and frankly a number of folks bracing these frigid temperatures because they have simply nowhere else to go. >> on a night when the wind chill dipped into single digits some folks headed straight for the ice ring? right off the wind whipped delaware river. folks like sala lynch. >> only the hard core are here tonight. >> and you are hard core. >> york i'm hard core. >> reporter: so were meg and her two daughters laura and jessica. girls night out. frigid temps, they'll deal. >> not too bad. i mean you get used to it. >> reporter: you get used to getting kick in the teeth i guess, too. >> guess so. >> reporter: do you like being out in this kind of weather. >> no. >> reporter: is this something you're just doing -- >> for my mom and my sister. it's but i enjoy it. >> reporter: then thos

that where our bruce gordon spent the day. bruce, lots of noise but really no surprises. >> reporter: that's right, iain. election tours have been meeting throughout the day republicans or democrats depending on the winner of the popular vote in each state. in pennsylvania of course that was donald trump over hillary clinton. so far no word of any defections that despite angry protests like the one with saw at the pennsylvania state capitol. >> call it the last gasp of the dump trump movement. 200 protesters bracing subfreezing weather at the capitol to blast the president-elect as unfit for office and to call on pennsylvania's 20 republican election tours to choose someone anyone else. >> he's tolll tollly irrational. a narcissist. he's manipulative. he's a liar. >> i don't believe for a second that pennsylvania went from blue to red for this guy. so i don't believe -- >> you don't believe the vote total. >> i don't no i don't. >> reporter: behind the heavily guarded doors the state house chamber the lectors convened under he

. >> fox 29's bruce gordon has the latest on the investigation from upper darby. >> reporter: the t and w laundromat buzzing with customers midday monday most of them blissfully unaware of the pre-dawn incident until told of it and shown video of bite reporters. >> that's her on the floor. >> yes, i know her. >> reporter: you know her? >> yeah. that's very scary here she is working hard 4:00 o'clock in the morning and she's two scum bags walk in and stick her up. watch what they do to her. >> reporter: upper darby police superintendent michael chitwood says a 3984 old employee was vacuuming lint from dryers when a masked man and woman entered the business. the man through a gun and pointed it at the worker's head. >> keep quiet or we'll kill you. that was the conversation. keep quiet or we'll kill you. >> reporter: security camera video shows the armed man drag the worker into a boiler room he rummages through her pockets as the female accomplice rivals through the office. snatching more than $200 in cash and another 400 in quarters. at one point the cones spill over over the floor and

. >> fox 29's bruce gordon was at tonight's tribute from leesburg, cumberland county. ♪ >> reporter: they gathered at the leesburg volunteer fire company to say goodbye to their protector. new jersey state trooper frankie williams had been on the job in this community for less than a month. but these folks wanted to send a message. >> we are very dependent on them. we're very appreciative of them, and we pre inspect them very highly. >> reporter: trooper williams was driving on route 55 in millville city monday night responding to reports of erratic driver when a car driven by 61-year-old lloyd ruddily crossed the median and hit him head on. both men died in the crash. the local fire chief had worked with williams at a crash scene just the night before. remembered a caring profession professional. >> generally we try to keep a lane open so traffic is not convenienced he immediately said no, let's block this off so you're safe. we're all safe. the patients are safe. >> reporter: mourns interns gathered their lit candles in hand, the millville police chaplain recounted being pulled ove

fox 29's bruce gordon live outside the historic building and bruce, you've been trying to get answers for drivers. >> reporter: i got to tell you the streets had been crumbling like this back in 1766 the rebel against the government might have kicked off a decade earli earlier. nothing says colonial charm like cobblestones but nothing charming about what's going on along chestnut street. tourists out front of independence hall were pointing their cameras skyward on this day. at the iconic bell tower that rank in a new nation. we pointed our eyes street ward at the sinking stretch of cobblestones right out front of the statue of diss approving george washington. the ditch has been growing deeper for days. forcing motorists to crawl through it or veer around it. >> bad road. >> bad road. >> reporter: list september closely to the words of the national parks security officer as we drive passed. he says he's been calling police about the hazard for while now. >> nobody seems to want to come out. >> magically once we started taking pictures, someone put traffic cones and a safety barricade

bruce gordon is live at the montgomery county courthouse. bruce? >> reporter: lucy, it could now be days, more likely weeks, before judge steven o'neill makes his ruling. side deciding whether or all of 13 cosby accusers will be allowed to testify at this his only criminal sex assault trial. big cosby 79 years old, frail, nearly blind, known from his iconic sitcom as a america's d dad. but also according to montgomery county district attorney kevin steele, a serial sexual predat predator. in court wednesday, steal described allegations from 13 women he hoped of hopes to bring to the witness stan at trial to establish what he calls cosby's lifetime of sexual assaults on young women. steal described what he called remarkable similarities in their stories. cosby be friending the women, mentoring them, then later drugging and assaulting them. >> i believe i would be remiss if i didn't thank the individuals that have come forward. they showed great courage. >> reporter: in this case cosby is charged with drugging and sexually assaulting andrea constand

our bruce gordon is just back from allentown now with the story. bruce. >> reporter: investigators today rule this fire an accide accident. caused by improperly diss cared smoking materials. it's a ruling that brings no comfort to two women who work so hard to find a house and make it a home. >> fire investigators sifted through the blackened wreckage of 44 north fulton street cousins sherri botts and sharine in a shade arrived on the block for the first time since fire destroyed it. botts was overcome with emotion. >> how? why? you know, why? >> just -- how? >> flames erupted last thursday evening in a first floor back room of the row house botts and shade had just rented. with botts friend shade's boyfriend and the women's three children. botts says her friend was there eating pizza with her two kids when her six-year-old son noticed the flames. within minutes, a stretch of eight row homes was a blaze. no one was hurt but half a dozen families lot of most of what they owned. botts and shade lost everything. >> we can't even go back in the house.

fox 29's bruce gordon joins us live outside that laundromat in upper darby. bruce? >> reporter: this is scary stuff. if you or someone you know or love works late nights or very early hours, at a business that accepts cash, they could be become the targets of exactly what played out here at this marshall street laundromat in the pre-dawn hours today. by midday monday the t and w laundromat was back to business as usual. many customers hadn't even heard about the pete-dawn attack until reporters showed them video. >> you know her? >> i know the lady that work here, yeah. >> reporter: what goes through your mind when you think about what she may have gone through. >> that's very scar row. >> reporter: upper police superintendent michael chitwood after 4am a masked man and woman walked on 39-year-old female laundromat cleaning lint from dryers at the laundromat. the it's opened 24/7. >> the man drew a gun and tossed her floor. >> keep quite or we'll kell you. that was the covering. report roar armed man wrestle the worker into a boiler room where he rivaled through her

bruce gordon joins us in studio with a tale of friends and family and the power of music, bruce torque heal some horrific wounds. >> reporter: yeah, dawn, we got a chance to see today and to hear a courageous young woman who's risen above the tragic violence that played out right in front of her five plus years ago. ♪ >> reporter: take a good look at the talented young lady sparkling on screen on wednesday's q show on fox 29. her stage name is miss jay. 21 years old. sadly, she has been on your television before. >> i have little brothers noun i have to take care of them. i have to be mom and dad and i have to be the sister, and it's really tough. it's really hard. >> reporter: that was jessica nunez back in september of 2011 after a pair of gunmen walked into grocery store in west philadelphia robbed the place then shot to death jessica's mother, father and aunt. it took months for philadelphia police to arrest abraham muhammed and malik scott and several years more to take them to trial. threw it all, the community came together to help jessica and the rest of the surviving family

bruce gordon spent this day at a philadelphia firehouse to find the kindness of strangers at work on behalf of a very sick little boy and bruce joins us in studio with quite a story, bruce. >> reporter: dawn, boy gets puppy for christmas. you've seen the story before. but not this boy. not this puppy. most of all, not the circumstances that brought the two together. for a four-year-old boy battling brain cancer, ben is having a very good day. he and his big brother nathan just met the cute as button cavalier king charles spaniel his name is bentley who just might change their lives. >> talk right into that and tell mow was think about your new doggie. >> a dog. >> reporter: the story actually began several weeks ago when a stray dog was dropped off at this minute airy firehouse roaming around in traffic. firefighters quickly took a shine to the pooch named her squirt but knew they had to find a foster family while they searched for the rightful owne owners. you guessed it. ben and his family took the dog. fell in love with her then were devastated to learn the rightful owners had com

our bruce gordon is outside the montgomery county courthouse where he attended the hearing today. bruce? >> reporter: this is a huge call for judge steven o'neill who must decide whether there be all some or none of 13 witnesses to be allowed to testify against cosby. they are all cosby accusers in their own right. using them in the trial could paint bill cosby as a serial abuser a man with a history of bad acts against women. without those witnesses testimony this story becomes one of he said she said. fans shouted encourage many as bill cosby entered court tuesday morning for a hearing that will determine as many as 13 other accusers may testify at trial that they, too, were drugged and sexually assaulted by the legendary enter trainer. >> if they can, then miss con stan's testimony against mr mr. cosby it's one-on-one with no corroboration from other witnesses. so it's important that there be corroboration row. >> reporter: in this the only criminal case against cosby, he's charged with drugging and groping andrea couldn't can stand at his cheltenham mansion in 2004. there were

bruce gordon was inside the courtroom for the sentencing. he joins us live now from the federal courthouse. bruce, this really is a cautionary tail. >> reporter: yeah, federal judge harvey bartle the third certainly hopes so. he called fattah's years long stretch of criminal conduct astonishing. lectured fattah for abuse the trust of voter who's sent him to washington term after term. then the judge handed down a sentence that was described privately by one lawyer in the courtroom as about as good as fattah could have hoped for. >> chaka if a arrived at the federal courthouse knowing federal prosecutors asking for sentence of 17 to 22 years the. in the end punish many was half that length. 10 years in prison. >> i want to thank my legal team and i want to thank the support of my family and staff and friends threw this very tough time. >> thank you very much. >> no further comments. >> congressman shack at a fatt fattah. [ applause ] >> seeds for fattah's down fall were planned back in 2007 during his campaign for philadelphia mayor. he began

our bruce gordon joins us live in frankford tonight after speaking with some of those victims. plows? >> reporter: iain, this is a classic bad news, good news scenario. the bad news all those people losing just about everything they owned and at the holidays no less? the good news, a burning building think about this arc burning building full of sleeping men, women and children and no one died. we found tyrone kohl's shivering under red cross blanket nursing burns to his head and hands. he lost most of what he owns. >> but he's thankful. >> we all alive. so that's the most important thing. >> reporter: cole and 19 others were inside this frankford apartment building when it went up in flames around 4:00 o'clock tuesday morning. the frightening scene captured on neighbor's smart phone. cole says he was asleep in a third floor apartment and was awakened by screams. unable to escape down the stairs, he race to do a window to await rescue by firefighters. they arrived within minutes. though it felt like hours. >> what is going through your hyped at that point as you're getting out

our bruce gordon can explains that's something that could only happen in philly. >> reporter: i'm bruce gordon, there's a saying in sports, when older players start to lose their skills, that father time is undefeated. if that's true, then mother nature must be second in the standing. when ice and temperatures combine in just the right way, chaos ensues every time. long-time flyers fans remember game three of the 1975 substantial cup finals at buffalo. when warm air in an unair-conditioned building met the ice on the rink and created a thick blanket of fog. somewhere in that cloud is a puck and a bench of players. this week we got a brand new chance to see the science of ice and warm air in action. the result was not pretty >> i know you expected to see basketball. >> the sixers was postponed due to moisture. moisture, that seeped upwards from the flyers ice rink below through the sixers floorboards and on to the basketball court. apparently temperature got too warm for the ice to stay, you know, icy. and the result was a court too slippery to play on. it should go without saying that t

hi, i'm bruce gordon i have a new year's wish. philadelphia politicians can in 2017, do what they could not manage in 2016, keep noses clean. in a city where political corruption is much cliche as cheesesteaks or liberty bell our fearless leaders cannot figure out how to stick to the straight and narrow. in a few weeks the latest philly felon second district congressman chaka fattah will report to prison he was convicted for steals hundreds of thousands in charity donations and grant money to repay illegal loans tie todd fail 2007 mayoral bid and to maintain a lavish lifestyle. think about that for a minute. as a dem dmrat philly, fatah needed only to maintain a pulse in order to hang on to congressional seat chalk full of democrats and devoid of republicans he rarely face aid challenge in the primary or general election through 11 campaign cycles. his congressional salary approaches $200,000 a year and his wife once made far more than that as popular tv news anchor in town. apparently as is so ovrp the case is not enough. why doe

bruce gordon is going to tell the story. >> back in september of 2011, jessica nunez watched pair of gunmen rob her parents' west philadelphia grocery store, and shoot her mother, father and aunt to death. exhausted police investigation would lead months later to the arrest of two men, inch re him muhammad, malik scott, and several more years before the two would go to trial. >> it has been difficult. we've been waiting for justice. we've done a lot of things to, you know, catch this guy, through the process of healing. >> that process aided by community that rallied around jessica and the rest of the surviving family members. >> our neighbors are family members, people that don't even know us at all. they were about to help and that's the most amazing thing to us. so we will forever be grateful to that. >> unbelievable. well, music has been a big help for her and it is a past she shared with your father, and joined by the girl group, ambience, so domenique, right? >> yes, ma'am. >> domenique and nicole. >> yes. >> and you're miss jay. sorry what you have had to go through, especiall

our bruce gordon is live in frankford. bruce, many of the victims lost everything. >> reporter: they sure did, and at the holidays no less. the investigation into the cause every this fire underway at this hour. the good news, in a burning building full of sleeping men, women and children in the me dawn darkness no one lost their life. wrapped in red cross blanket nursing burns to his head and hands, tyrone cole is lucky to be alive. >> all my stuff is gone. i don't have no clothes. sneakers, nothing. so -- >> reporter: cole among two dozen people inside this frankford apartment building when it went up in flames around 4:00 a.m. tuesday. cole says he was asleep in a third floor apartment when he heard screams and headed for the window to await rescue. questions raced through his mine. >> if i was going to die or not. if they was going to get there fast enough to help me. >> reporter: firefighters? >> yeah. >> reporter: you didn't think you were going get out thereof. >> no, i thought i was going to have to jump out the wi

our bruce gordon was back in the montgomery county courtroom today. bruce? >> reporter: yeah, guys, this two-day hearing wrapped up moments ago. cosby left the courthouse and now we await the ruling from judge steven o'neill it could come within days more likely win at least a couple of weeks. he will have to decide how many if any of 13 cosby a sues sores will be a loud to testify at this the only criminal sex assault case against him. bill cosby america's dad or serial sex abuser in court wednesday morning county district attorney kevin steele detail cases of 13 young women who say cosby drugged and sexually assaulted them after are friending them, mentoring them and gaining their trust. steel argued cosby quote intentionally exploited women in diminish state and call it quote a lifetime of sexual assault on young women. cosby is charged in this case with drugging and sexually assaulting andrea constand at his cheltenham mansion in 2004. there were no witnesses to the incident and miss constand did not immediately come forward with her allegations. the pro

bruce gordon was in court today in montgomery county. live there right now. bruce, a decision on whether these women will be allowed to testify, of course, is a big o one. >> reporter: absolutely. no question about it. look, with these witnesses, accusers all, the state gets to paint a picture of bill cosby as serial abuse sore tells the story of a man with a history of bad acts toward women. it sets the stage for the specific allegations at this trial without that testimony the case becomes one of he said versus she said. >> bill cosby waived supporters shouting encourage many as he entered court tuesday morning cosby may need more than just the help of fans. prosecutors want to bring to the witness stand at his trial 13 women who claim cosby drugged and sexually assaulterred them in a manner similar to claims in this the only criminal case brought against the legendary entertainer. cosby' as cued of drugging then groping andrea constand at his cheltenham mansion back in 2004. there were no witnesses and constand did not immediately tell her story authoritie

bruce gordon joins us in the studio after very very emotional day. bruce. >> reporter: no question about it. attorneys for the two men charged in this case argued mistaken identity that witnesses had it all wrong and that the men's confessions were bogus. the jury didn't buy it and now after five plus years, jessica nunez has a tiny bit of closure. >> ♪ >> reporter: look carefully at the talented young lady lighting up the screen on wednesday's q show on fox 29 much she's 21 yearyears old and goes by the se name miss jay. sadly it was not her first time on television. >> we feel like we lost all we have so we just need help. >> reporter: back in september of 2011, jessica nunez watched a pair of gunmen rob her parents west philadelphia grocery store and shoot her mother, father and aunt to death. exhaustive police investigation would lead months later to the arrest of two men, ibrahim muhammed and malik scott it would be several more years before the two would go to trial. >> it's been difficult, we've been waiting for justice. we have done a lot o

. >> ask anyone out and about tonight like our own bruce gordon. he's been all over the city tonight. he's in center city now. bruce, it's nasty out there. >> reporter: yeah, specials whole that wind starts whipping up. question really important on night like this is real simple. can you go inside if you really need to do? the answer to that question, well, that's all the difference in the world. the difference between it being uncomfortable out here and put your life at risk. at the wind whipped blue cross river rink only the hearty were out on this night. fool hearty. we found this woman lynching up her skates. >> we thought the cold might scare people away and we get fresh ice. >> the smart people. >> your definition. >> meg was here with her two daughters part of annual girls night out bonding in the brutal cold. >> reporter: do you mind this weather. >> it's winter. winter is supposed to be cold. it's not snowing. it's not raining. it's blustery and it's nice. >> reporter: for everyone who was out in the elements by choice, there are others wh

our bruce gordon spoke to fire victims about what they endured and what they now face. >> reporter: we found tyrone cole suffering aunt red cross blanket. nursing burns to his head and hands. he lost most of what he owns. but he's thankful. >> we all alive. so that's the most important thing. >> reporter: cole and 19 others were inside this frankford apartment building when it went up in flames around 4:00 o'clock tuesday morning. frightening scene captured on neighbor's smart phone. cole says he was asleep in a third floor apartment and was awakened by screams. unable to escape down the stairs he race to do window to await rescue by firefighters. they arrived within minutes. it felt like hours. >> what's going through your mine at that point as you're getting out there going down that ladder from three stories. >> hurry up and get me down because i'm trying to get away from the fire and this place is as fast as. >> reporter: he was among a dozen people rescued. this woman asked we not show her face. she says the fire began in her second floor apartment where she was sleeping with her

. >>> our bruce gordon was in court this morning to watch the spectacular fall from power and joins us live outside the federal courthouse to tonight. bruce the sentence is actually far less than what the prosecutors wanted. >> reporter: the feds -- chaka at a fattah arrived at the federal courthouse flashing his ever. (smile. he would leave two hours later with that smile mostly in tack. though now facing 10 years behind bars. >> i want to thank my legal team and i want to thank the support of my family and staff and friends threw this very tough time. thank you very much. >> no further comments. >> congressman chaka fattah. >> reporter: seeds for fattah's political and personal implosion were planted back in 2007 during his failed campaign for philadelphia mayor. jury would find fattah accepted bribes and stole money to pay off massive campaign debts and to fund lavish lifestyle. the scandal led to his defeat in the 2017 democratic congressional primary he would quit his second district seat shortly after his june conviction on 18 corruption counts. the government had requested a sen

fox 29's bruce gordon is in allentown tonight with more on the devastating fire and the effect it's had on so many. bruce? >> reporter: yeah, dawn, fire investigators believe they know where this blaze ignited. they're still trying to figure out why. what started it as the expert do's their work, those who lost nearly everything are indeed trying to pick up the pieces. on this day after renovation crews were hard at work safeguarding what was left of the 400 block of north fulton street, eight row homes seven of them badly scorched by fire. the only place spared, the home jason mellow shares with his roommate an pet bull python. mellow watched the fire rage throughout night. >> see like a scary like a fire move back draft or something. yo, i never in my 30 -- i'm 30. i never seen a fire like that in my life. >> reporter: blaze was mid block around 8:00 thursday night and spread quickly outward in both directions from the third floor and roof area. the only casualty was a pet dog but nearly two dozen people were left homeless. including a woman who asked that we not show her face. >> i d

gordon, fox 29 news. >>> a federal judge has unsealed jury notes related to juror that was tossed from the corruption trial of former u.s. representative chaka fattah. us district judge harvey bartle said other jurors in the case complained the man was screaming and at times was uncooperative. the juror who has only been identified as lancaster county salesman apparently told a legal clerk that quote he was going to hang this jury no matter what. chaka fattah was sentenced to 10 years in prison this week for racketeering and corruption. >>> well, a bittersweet moment tonight for devoted south jersey teacher and her students. >> gale rubenstein has been the choir teacher at pemberton township high school for more than 30 years. to night it was her final winter concert. fox 29's joanne pileggi joins us live from pemberton much mrs. rubenstein had a lot of special visitors to night. >> reporter: she certainly did. we all know there are teachers and there are extraordinary teachers. well here at pemberton township high, one of the teachers, a veteran music educator, with over 30 years on t