WESTVILLE, N.J., (CBS) — He was Tony Soprano, the New Jersey gangster we hated to love.

Actor James Gandolfini, 51, died on Wednesday in Italy.

Tony Soprano quickly became an iconic character in American television.  Soprano the character was a tough man and a murderer, but James Gandolfini, the New Jersey born actor, was something entirely different.

PHOTOS: James Gandolfini Through The Years

That’s according to Langhorne actor Paolo Colandrea. He played the man in the Members Only jacket in the famous final episode of The Sopranos.

“In real life he’s a sweet person,” said Colandrea. “Really, really sweet person. Very family, very giving person. He’s very much a giving person.”

Colandrea was at the airport and he was on his way to Italy. He was planning to visit Gandolfini while there. He says he was stunned by the sudden loss of his friend.

“I spoke to him about five days ago. Wonderful, wonderful person. I have no words,” Colandrea said.

The popular TV series spawned Tony Soprano Pizza, the South Jersey chain that now includes about a dozen locations.  Tony Graffeo owns several of them including this one in Westville, New Jersey.

“We were big fans of the show, Sunday nights nine o’clock was a ritual. You know, make a pizza, go home, watch the show and, you know, every Sunday without fail,” said Graffeo.

Gandolfini is survived by his wife Deborah, their daughter and a son from another marriage.

PRINCETON, N.J., (CBS) – Eyewitness News spoke one-on-one with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Wednesday night.

Governor Christie and wife Mary Pat Christie arrived at Witherspoon Grill in Princeton for National Dine Out Day, raising money for the state’s Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund.

WATCH: Full Interview with Governor Christie and Mrs. Christie

“When folks need to rebuild their homes and insurance and FEMA money is done, we will be there to hopefully fill in the gaps,” said Mary Pat Christie.

Eyewitness News sat down with New Jersey’s first couple and talked about the storm, the new flood zones, the spotlight, and the criticism.

“I listen to the criticism and I take a lot of it in,” said the governor.  “But then at the end of it, the people elected me to make these decisions, so I’m going to make them.”

Still in the aftermath, the governor says there’s a dozen things he would have done differently.

“I would have gone to odd-even gas rationing more quickly than I did,” Christie said.  “I would have spent even more time out visiting places than I did at the beginning.”

And on President Obama, Governor Christie says despite his help during the storm, they’re still on opposite sides of the isle.

“I disagree with the President probably on 95 percent of what he’s done as President,” said Christie.  “But what he’s done here, I agree with him on he’s been a man of his word. If I stopped working with anyone who criticized me, I’d be sitting in my office by myself.”

And on a personal note, Mrs. Christie says the governor’s recent weight loss with Lap-Band surgery has been a role model for their household and others.

“Myself and the children are just really happy Chris is getting healthy, and I’m really proud of him,” she said. “As a family, we are really hopeful that this is working and every week is really positive.”

“I feel like I have some control over the situation now, which I felt kind of out of control for a long time,” said the governor.

On the menu, the governor had lobster bisque and Mrs. Christie had crab cakes for dinner.  So far, the relief fund has raised more than $37 million.

By: Elizabeth Hur

LOWER MERION, Pa., (CBS) – A Main Line manhunt that forced Villanova University into lockdown – ended with three suspects under arrest.

The suspects led police on a pursuit after holding up the National Penn Bank on High Street in Lower Pottsgrove.

“We’re not used to seeing police with their shotguns out and helicopters all over the place,” David Beifeld of Lower Merion said.

The all-out search for suspected bank robbers, considered armed and dangerous, left residents cautious but confident.

Chuck Myers said, “That was a little nerve wracking when I saw that.”

David Beifeld added, “The police? I want them to do their jobs. If my kids are safe in the house and that’s what they’re telling me, that’s wonderful.”

Fred Savitz said, “I feel totally comfortable knowing they got things under control.”

For hours, streets were closed and traffic slowed near the areas along Montgomery Avenue and Greenwood Court. Police say that’s where the suspects abandoned their vehicle and took off running. The chase began shortly before 3 p.m. in Lower Pottsgrove, continued through Upper Merion and ended in Lower Merion.

Sgt. Tim Walters of Lower Pottsgrove Police Department said, “Very alert off-duty police officer was going into work and his alert judgment picked up on this, heard the broadcast when it was sent out by Montgomery county radio: Two subjects entered the bank, armed with handguns. They got money out of the bank and also got money from an incoming patron who was there making a deposit,” Walters went onto explain, “He was coming down Route 422 close to Route 76, notified the county that he had a pretty good idea these might be our actors involved. As a result of that the ensuing agencies got involved, state police got involved.”

Josh Wada of Villanova said, “Right as we were getting into the front yard, they just told us to get back in and lock our doors.”

Hayley Wada of Villanova added, “They were picking up coins and other money that had been dropped in the neighbor’s house.”

By around 7 p.m., the search was over. Police confirmed they arrested three suspects and seized the alleged getaway car. Early on, police did tell us a fourth person may have been involved but that appears to have been a false alarm.

Walters explained, “We’re not sure about that, unconfirmed reports said there might have been a fourth person but we have no credible evidence at this time.”

Authorities say Lower Pottsgrove police worked with Upper Merion Police Department, Lower Merion Police Department and Radnor Police Department as well as the Pennsylvania State Police to capture their suspects. We are told, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office will now review the case and file the appropriate charges.

FURLONG, Pa., (CBS) – Residents reported a bear sighting in Bucks County on Wednesday – in a neighbor’s backyard!

The sighting was reported at Springtown Road and Winter Bridge Lane in Furlong.

(credit: Kelley Fitzpatrick Simkiss)

Eyewitness Kelley Fitzpatrick Simkiss took photos of the black bear climbing on top of a playground set in a neighbor’s backyard.

Residents say the bear eventually left.

It is the latest of several bear sightings reported in the area.

ALLENTOWN, Pa., (CBS) – Officials say firefighters found a body at an Allentown blaze on Wednesday night, but the death was unrelated to the fire.

The incident happened at about 8:30 p.m. at the 800 block of N. Jerome Street.

Chopper 3 HD was over the scene.

Allentown Fire Department officials say firefighters responded to a small fire and found the body of a 58-year-old man.  A portable electrical appliance appears to have started the blaze.

According to fire officials, the death is not related to the blaze.

Allentown Police and the coroner’s office are investigating the death.

Stay with CBSPhilly.com for the latest information on this developing story…

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — It’s been more than a year since the Uptown Theater began its first phase of renovations and progress has been slow…but steady.  To celebrate Black Music Month, the Philadelphia landmark is opening its doors to the public for a day of tours.

“It’s important for people to see the progress, but also to see it in it’s raw form,” says Linda Richardson, president of Uptown Entertainment and Development Corporation, which owns the theater on North Broad Street. She says $3 million dollars in funding has helped clean out debris and put a big dent in renovations for the six story education and development Tower – the building now has a stable infrastructure, workable stairs and historic windows installed.

Linda Richardson in lobby of Uptown Theater. (credit: Cherri Gregg/KYW)

“It had been vandalized – pipes, toilets, anything that could be carried was taken out,” she says.  ”That’s what this phase has been – to finish the roof on this side, put plumbing, electricity throughout the building.”

But a lot more needs to be done.  Richardson says progress has been slow because they have worked hard to preserve historical accuracy of the building.  Right now, there’s no working electricity, the elevator is installed, but not functional and you still need a hard hat for safety.  But there’s hope that will change soon.

“We anticipate the tower to be done in a few months,” says Richardson, who hopes to lease out the six stories of space to businesses.  ”We have the marble and the elevator and then the new electrical transformer to put in.”

As for the theater, it’s dark and there’s lots of debris from work being done. But squint into the darkness and you can see the historic stage and original theater seats, fodder for imagining the landmark in its former glory.

Second floor of tower. (credit: Cherri Gregg/KYW)

“The building was in such poor shape that for a time, we thought it would be so discouraging to show it,” says Richardson on why UEDC is providing tours for the third year in a row. “We believe that people who love the Uptown should see what it is and the shape that it’s in.”

She hoping that seeing the theater will help mobilize resources.  It’ll take $5 million to complete rebuild the first floor of the theater, which includes the stage, seating area, box office and lobby.  But the Uptown is more than just a theater.

“It represents the potential of North Philadelphia – in one building,” says Anthony Howard, who works across the street from the Uptown and grew up near Cecil B. Moore Avenue. “It’s beautiful, it has history, it has dust. But if we can figure out the Uptown, we can figure out North Philadelphia.”

Howard says he’s hoping to be one of the first in line to rent office space in the Tower.

“It’s an awesome building, when you’re upstairs you can see a beautiful view of the city,” he says, “If we- the artists, the business owners, the residents in the neighborhood don’t rebuild it, someone else will. I’m hoping that five, ten years from now people will smack themselves in the head and ask why they didn’t invest in North Philadelphia.”

Lobby of Uptown Theater. (credit: Cherri Gregg)

Richardson is hoping the same thing.

In the meantime, the Uptown is celebrating Black Music Month with several events beginning on Thursday night with its Rock n’ Roll Show and Music Appreciation Awards Ceremony. Friday – there will be free music in front of the Uptown at 2440 North Broad Street.  On Saturday, lunch and tours of the theater. Finally, on Sunday – the Uptown will be part of the African American Heritage tour.

For more on times, costs and other details, go to philadelphiauptowntheatre.org.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Police say a pregnant woman was injured in a triple shooting in North Philadelphia on Wednesday.

The incident happened at about 3:54 p.m. on the 2300 block of N. 10^th Street.

Philadelphia Police say a 32-year old woman, who is five months pregnant, was shot multiple times.  She was rushed to Temple University Hospital by police. 

A 29-year-old man was shot twice in the left elbow and twice in the left ankle.  He was taken to Temple University Hospital.

A 24-year-old woman suffered a graze wound to the right thigh.  She was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital.

Authorities say all three victims are listed in stable condition at this time.  The baby is also expected to be okay.

There is no word on suspects or a motive at this time.

Police are investigating.

PHOTOS: James Gandolfini Through The Years

Gandolfini died while vacationing in Rome, the cable channel and Gandolfini’s managers Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders said in a joint statement. No cause of death was given.

Governor Chris Christie released the following statement on the passing of the New Jersey native:

“It’s an awful shock. James Gandolfini was a fine actor, a Rutgers alum and a true Jersey guy. I was a huge fan of his and the character he played so authentically, Tony Soprano. I have gotten to know Jimmy and many of the other actors in the Sopranos cast and I can say that each of them are an individual New Jersey treasure. Mary Pat and I express our deepest sympathies to Mr. Gandolfini’s wife and children, and our prayers are with them at this terrible time.”

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez also released a statement:

“James Gandolfini was a distinctive, talented actor whose unforgettable performances made him a television icon. Through all of his success, James Gandolfini remained a proud New Jerseyan, a Westwood native and a Rutgers University graduate. His photograph has been displayed in my Washington, D.C. office for years as part of our New Jersey Wall of Fame. I am saddened at the news of his untimely death. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and all who were close to him.”

“He was a genius,” said “Sopranos” creator David Chase. “Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that. He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time. A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes.”

Gandolfini, who won three Emmy Awards for his role as Tony Soprano, worked steadily in film and on stage after the series ended. He earned a 2009 Tony Award nomination for his role in the celebrated production of “God of Carnage.”

“Our hearts are shattered and we will miss him deeply. He and his family were part of our family for many years and we are all grieving,” said Armstrong and Sanders.

HBO called the actor a “special man, a great talent, but more importantly a gentle and loving person who treated everyone, no matter their title or position, with equal respect.” The channel expressed sympathy for his wife and children.

Joe Gannascoli, who played Vito Spatafore on the HBO drama, said he was shocked and heartbroken.

“Fifty-one and leaves a kid — he was newly married. His son is fatherless now. … It’s way too young,” Gannascoli said.

Gandolfini and his wife, Deborah, who were married in 2008, have a daughter, Liliana, born last year, HBO said. The actor and his former wife, Marcy, have a teenage son, Michael.

Gandolfini’s performance in “The Sopranos” was indelible and career-making, but he refused to be stereotyped as the bulky mobster who was a therapy patient, family man and apparently effortless killer.

In a December 2012 interview with The Associated Press — a rare sit-down for the star who avoided the spotlight — he was upbeat about a slew of smaller roles following the breathtaking blackout ending in 2007 of “The Sopranos.”

“I’m much more comfortable doing smaller things,” Gandolfini said in the interview. “I like them. I like the way they’re shot; they’re shot quickly. It’s all about the scripts — that’s what it is — and I’m getting some interesting little scripts.”

He played Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in Kathryn Bigelow’s Osama bin Laden hunt docudrama “Zero Dark Thirty.” He worked with Chase for the ’60s period drama “Not Fade Away,” in which he played the old-school father of a wannabe rocker. And in Andrew Dominick’s crime flick “Killing Them Softly,” he played an aged, washed-up hit man.

There were comedies such as the political satire “In the Loop,” and the heartwarming drama “Welcome to the Rileys,” which co-starred Kristen Stewart. He voiced the Wild Thing Carol in “Where the Wild Things Are” and made a rare return to the TV screen with the HBO film “Cinemate Verite.”

He was mourned online by a flood of celebrity comments. “The great James Gandolfini passed away today. Only 51. I can’t believe it,” Bette Midler posted on her Twitter account.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to James Gandolfini’s family. An extraordinary actor. RIP, Mr. Gandolfini,” Robin Williams tweeted.

Deploying his unsought clout as a star, Gandolfini produced (though only sparingly appeared in) a pair documentaries for HBO focused on a cause he held dear: veterans affairs.

“Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq” (2007) profiled 10 soldiers and Marines who had cheated death but continued to wage personal battles long after their military service had ended. Four years later, “Wartorn: 1861-2010″ charted victims of post-traumatic stress disorder from the U.S. invasion of Iraq all the way back to the Civil War.

“Do I think a documentary is going to change the world?” Gandolfini said with characteristic modesty during an interview about the latter film. “No, but I think there will be individuals who will learn things from it, so that’s enough.”

His final projects included the film “Animal Rescue,” directed by Michael R. Roskam and written by Dennis Lehane, which has been shot and is expected to be released next year. He also had agreed to star in a seven-part limited series for HBO, “Criminal Justice,” based on a BBC show. He had shot a pilot for an early iteration of the project.

Gandolfini grew up in Park Ridge, N.J., the son of a building maintenance chief at a Catholic school and a high school lunch lady.

While Tony Soprano was a larger-than-life figure, Gandolfini was exceptionally modest and obsessive — he described himself as “a 260-pound Woody Allen.”

In past interviews, his cast mates had far more glowing descriptions to offer.

“I had the greatest sparring partner in the world, I had Muhammad Ali,” said Lorraine Bracco, who, as Tony’s psychiatrist Dr. Melfi, went one-on-one with Gandolfini in their penetrating therapy scenes. “He cares what he does, and does it extremely well.”

After earning a degree in communications from Rutgers University, Gandolfini moved to New York, where he worked as a bartender, bouncer and nightclub manager. When he was 25, he joined a friend of a friend in an acting class, which he continued for several years.

Gandolfini’s first big break was a Broadway production of “A Streetcar Named Desire” where he played Steve, one of Stanley Kowalski’s poker buddies. His film debut was in Sidney Lumet’s “A Stranger Among Us” (1992).

Director Tony Scott, who killed himself in August 2012, had praised Gandolfini’s talent for fusing violence with charisma — which he would perfect in Tony Soprano.

Gandolfini played a tough guy in Tony Scott’s 1993 film “True Romance” who beat Patricia Arquette’s character to a pulp while offering such jarring, flirtatious banter as, “You got a lot of heart kid.”

Scott called Gandolfini “a unique combination of charming and dangerous.”

In his early career, Gandolfini had supporting roles in “Crimson Tide” (1995), “Get Shorty” (1995), “The Juror” (1996), Lumet’s “Night Falls on Manhattan” (1997), “She’s So Lovely” (1997), “Fallen” (1998) and “A Civil Action” (1998). But it was “True Romance” that piqued the interest of Chase.

He shared a Broadway stage with Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis and Marcia Gay Harden in “God of Carnage” when he received the best-actor Tony nod. He was in “On the Waterfront” with David Morse and was an understudy in a revival of “A Streetcar Named Desire” in 1992 starring Alec Baldwin and Jessica Lange.

In his 2012 AP interview, Gandolfini said he gravitated to acting as a release, a way to get rid of anger. “I don’t know what exactly I was angry about,” he said.

“I try to avoid certain things and certain kinds of violence at this point,” he said last year. “I’m getting older, too. I don’t want to be beating people up as much. I don’t want to be beating women up and those kinds of things that much anymore.”

Share your thoughts on the actor below.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

The senator explained how there would still be state control in the wholesale sector, but no longer in retail.

McIlhinney says the idea that Pennsylvania does not have enough liquor licenses is false.

“There’s 14,000 liquor licenses out there right now where we can buy alcohol, which compared to other states, when you look at the top five in licensed outlets, we’re fourth,” the senator said.  “California has 39,000, Texas has about 20,000, Florida has 19,000.  But when you look at the per capita – the number of people – we’re number one with one license for every 880 people.  So the idea we don’t have enough licenses out there is false, we have plenty of licenses out there.”

McIlhinney explained what he focused on in the bill.

“What we need is the ability for those licensees to sell the products we want to buy, meaning to-go, bottles of wine and spirits, and different configurations of beer, not just in a case, and that’s what I was focused on.  Trying to utilize those licensees to sell the products that we sell currently only in state stores, and start breaking down the limitations we have on purchasing beer in Pennsylvania.”

Giordano asked the senator why the state should be in the business of selling alcohol.

“There’s 18 states that control the wholesale system. Utah and Pennsylvania are the only two retail-controlled states,” said McIlhinney.  “So what I’m saying right now is let’s get out of the retail business, so it’s only Utah left.  Let’s let these licensees that are already selling alcohol and dealing with underage drinking, dealing with people that are intoxicated, let them sell the products we sell in our state stores.  Close our state stores up, let these licensees sell it.  That’s going to increase the value of our wholesale system that we have right now.”

When asked why states are still involved in the wholesale system, McIlhinney said it because the states are making money, which replaces tax dollars.

To listen to the full interview, click here.

By Mike DeNardo, Jenn Bernstein

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — It’s a bittersweet day in the storied history of Germantown High School.

Today was the final graduation ceremony for the school — which is among two dozen Philadelphia schools permanently closing this year (see related stories).

The Class of 2013 is the final class for Germantown High.  After 99 years, the school will close its doors forever Friday.

While proud families of the graduates cheered, Vera Peeples-Primus, the head of the alumni association, fought back tears.

“I’m sort of at a loss for words,” she said today.  “It’s years’ worth of hard work.  And everyone talks about the negative and nobody talks about the positive.  And this particular class worked hard.”

“I graduated from Germantown High, and I’m just so hurt at the fact it’s closing!” said parent Deborah Goode.

“I always tell the students, before there was a Society Hill, before there was a downtown, there was Germantown,” said Principal Margaret Mullen-Bavwidinsi.

Many at the graduation fought to save the school.

“We were told as long as they excelled, we got off the list of most dangerous high schools, grades went up, attendance went up, that we would be fine, and all of that was a lie,” said Vera-Primus.

“I see a lot of help given to other schools, but Germantown, there wasn’t a lot of help given to Germantown,” said Jordan Gage, a graduate.

The Superintendent’s Office tells us there are approximately 650 students who attended this year, in a building that has the capacity for 2,218 students.

With approximately 2,900 high school age kids within the school’s boundary, the Superintendent’s Office says that means around 2,250 students chose not to attend Germantown High and are enrolled elsewhere.

Certain groups – like Action United – feel Germantown High, like others slated to close, didn’t have a chance especially with a large focus on charter schools.
“We need to be supporting district schools to do a good job and not just shutting them down..this is what’s going to damage the city of Philadelphia in the long run,” said Jesse Braxton.

Germantown is alma mater to Bill Cosby, Kevin Eubanks, and Judith Jamison. 

Principal Alexis Greaves said his 120 seniors will carry on the school’s memories.

“This group of people will not let this legacy die or stand still,” he told KYW Newsradio.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Mum is mostly the word from Mayor Nutter’s press office over word that Philadelphia Gas Works had a court place a lien on Nutter’s home in May because he hadn’t paid his gas bill.

A filing in Common Pleas court reveals that a lien was initiated by PGW against Michael Nutter on his home for owing around $500 for past gas bills.

A court filing on May 18th indicates the bill was paid and the matter was settled.

The mayor’s spokesman, Mark McDonald, said Nutter’s PGW account is now “current” and that his failure to pay previously was “a private matter” and refused to discuss how it came about that Nutter owed so much.

When asked if Nutter owing PGW sent a bad message to others who owe, McDonald said, “I don’t think it sends a message of one sort or another. The mayor tries to stay current on his bills like everyone else.”

PGW has a reputation for being aggressive in filing liens on homeowners who don’t pay their gas bills and that extends even to the Mayor.

By Mike Dunn

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The head of Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses and Inspections says demolitions of private property were not held to the same standards as when the city itself tears down a building.

That distinction was highlighted today as City Council opened hearings in this month’s deadly building collapse at 22nd and Market Streets (see related story).

City Council opened its own investigation of the collapse by questioning L&I commissioner Carlton Williams, who acknowledged that the safety standards for the city’s own demolitions — demolitions of city-owned properties — are stricter than what is demanded for private property.

The Market Street collapse involved a private contractor on private property.

“In a public demolition area, we take extra precaution relative to public safety?” councilman-at-large Jim Kenney asked Williams.

(Williams:)  “Absolutely.”

(Kenney:)  “Why wouldn’t we apply the same standard to a private demolition being done in the public right-of-way?”

(Williams:)   “It’s the responsibility of the contractor.”

And Everett Gillison, the mayor’s chief of staff, sounded the same theme in stating that the responsibility rests with the contractor.

“Just because we give someone a permit does not make us responsible,” Gillison told the City Council committee.   “They are the ones responsible for handling their issue.”

In the wake of the collapse, the mayor announced a sweeping overhaul of the regulations governing demolitions, including more stringent inspections and proof of demolition experience before a permit is issued.

Williams spent much of his time before the committee differentiating between what the new regulations call for, and the lesser standards that were in place when the Market Street collapse killed six.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A convicted serial rapist was sentenced to prison today for his knifepoint attacks on four women in Kensington in late 20111.

Marcos Camacho, 32, was been sentenced to what almost certainly amounts to a life sentence — 50 to 100 years in prison — for three rapes and one attempted rape (see previous story).

Prosecutors noted that the victims were especially vulnerable: all four were drug addicted, and three were prostitutes.

In his sentencing, Judge Charles Ehrlich noted that the victims lived in the shadows, and said that Camacho made it even darker for them.

Prosecutor Jack O’Neill says the defendant showed a devotion to doing wrong in a way that showed no concern for other people.

“He held a knife to their throat, he raped them, and threw them out into the winter cold, naked.  He did it over and over again in a small period of time, and he did it with no remorse at all,” O’Neill told reporters.

Camacho denied the charges at trial, but the jury rejected his testimony, and again at sentencing he claimed he was the victim of injustice.

But Judge Earlich rejected that, saying he believes Camacho is a sexually violent predator.

Last week, hundreds of teachers and students rallied at the governor’s office in Philadelphia in hopes that he would take notice and offer help with the budget crisis.

Wednesday, Corbett released a statement that read:

The Philadelphia School District has been seeking $120-million from the state (see related story).

By Ukee Washington

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — You’ve heard of a chili cook-off, but how about a guac-off? As in, a guacamole contest? This weekend’s competition will pitch chef against chef for a good cause.

The whole idea started with some young supporters of MANNA, the Philadelphia organization that makes meals for people with life-threatening illnesses. They gave us a taste of the upcoming competition.

There will be scooping, “smooshing,” spices, and of course, there will be snacking. It’s all part of MANNA’s first-ever guacamole contest. They’re calling it the “Guac-Off.”

“We were trying to find a way to fund MANNA,” said Katelyn Baron, of MANNA. “We decided on guacamole because it’s more of a fun, summery, delicious snack.”

Chef Adan Trinidad knows his guacamole. He’s the head chef at Jose Pistola’s Restaurant on South 15th Street in Philadelphia.

“My guacamole is very simple. It’s just smashed avocados with tomatoes, fresh herbs, salt and pepper and lime juice,” Trinidad said. “The fact that I’m from Mexico, we take it very seriously.”

Allison Flam is prepared for battle, too. So what if she’s only eight years old? She has her secret weapon: “Penzeys Spices Adobo.”

MANNA’s executive chef Keith Lucas makes a mean guacamole himself. But this time around, he’ll serve as one of the judges deciding who takes the guacamole trophy home.

“I loved it!” Lucas said. “I’ve never heard of a guacamole contest. Never been in one, surely never judged one.”

Ticket buyers will get to sample all the guacamole. Chips included. “And also we’re going to have a people’s choice award, so everyone who tries the guacamole will have a chance to decide who their favorite is,” Baron added.

Whoever wins, MANNA also wins.

The MANNA Guac-Off is Sunday, June 23, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Fleisher Art Memorial, 719 Catharine Street, Philadelphia. Tickets are available for $20 each.

For more info, visit: www.mannapa.org/mannas-first-annual-guac-off-competition

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) — As the Pennsylvania legislature continues working on a new state budget, advocates for the elderly in Montgomery County are marshaling their forces to lobby for more funding.

Today, the Advisory Council for the Office of Aging and Adult Services held a public hearing in Norristown.

At that hearing, the advisory council received lots of input on the most pressing needs of seniors and service providers.  And ultimately, all those issues revolved around funding.

“There’s  50 million dollars that we’re hoping for that is part of the lottery fund, and we are hoping that the governor and all our representatives will make sure that that money that has been promised to us will be coming to us as soon as possible,” says Council chair Alma Jacobs (third from left in photo, in light blue jacket).

Much of the funding would go to senior centers and in-home care.

Sarah Murnaghan, of Newtown Square, Pa., underwent successful double lung transplant June 12th at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. (See Related Story)

In a message posted on Facebook Wednesday afternoon, Janet Murnaghan provided an update on her daughter’s recovery.

“Great update: Sarah was able to move from an oscillator (type of vent) to a traditional ventilator. This is a big step towards being able to wake her. Few more hurtles to make but my heart is so full of joy and thanks!”

Following the surgery, Sarah’s family said the six-hour surgery went smoothly and Sarah did extremely well.

READ: Full Coverage Of Sarah’s Journey

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation is launching a new summer music series at the Race Street Pier, adjacent to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.

Jodie Milkman, with the DRWC, says the new summer concert series is called “Third Thursday, Live and Local,” and features live, local music the third Thursday of every month, through September.

“We’re going to test the waters and try 6-9 (pm), and hope people come down, party with us, and then continue to party along the waterfront,” she tells KYW Newsradio.

And officials are hoping to introduce more people to the venue.

“It’s just beautiful!” Milkman says.  “People are drawn to the waterfront, and the Race Street Pier makes you feel like you are in the river.  It’s a spectacular view.”

Scheduled performances, she says, include “Dice Raw, Lush Life, and others.  On July 18th, Young Robots, and in September we have Chill Moody, who’s up for all kinds of awards from MTV.  We’re very proud that he’s from Philadelphia.”

She says folks can picnic under the stars as they listen to the music.  And the price is right:

“They’re all great, free programming.  So come down, hang out, enjoy the scenery, enjoy the river, and have a great night on the waterfront!”

Listen to the full interview in this CBS Philly podcast (runs 7:31)….

For the compete summer lineup go to www.delawareriverwaterfront.com.

HK KYW NR

PHIALDELPHIA (CBS) — Philadelphia Traffic Court, long viewed as a swamp of political corruption (see related stories), is now history.

Governor Tom Corbett today signed legislation that transfers Philadelphia Traffic Court’s duties to Municipal Court.

Effective immediately, Traffic Court functions are under the supervision of Municipal Court, though the complete transition may take weeks or months.

State senator Dominic Pileggi (R-Chester County), the Senate majority leader, sponsored the legislation.

“Municipal Court will hire hearing officers to handle traffic cases,” says Erik Arneson, a Pileggi spokesman.  “There’s no set number, but we would anticipate it would be in the range of probably five to seven.  That’s the number of judges that Traffic Court had.”
Arneson says the three currently open seats on Traffic Court, for which elections had been planned in November, will not be filled.

“Those elections are canceled,” Arneson said today.

Two other Traffic Court seats will be eliminated when the terms of the current holders expire at the end of the year, and two others will disappear at the end of 2017.  But those temporarily remaining Traffic Court judges will be under the supervision of Municipal Court, which will determine their responsibilities.

Arneson says that while Municipal Court will get two more judges as a result of the change, it’s anticipated that hearing officers will decide most traffic cases.

The bill signed into law eliminates Traffic Court for practical purposes.  The state constitution will have to be amended to formally eliminate it, and that cannot happen until 2015 at the earliest.

Twenty-two-year-old Marquis Smith of Trenton was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison. But he could be freed within the year because he received credit for the 769 days he’s served since being arrested in May 2011.

The plea came after Mercer County prosecutors dropped the kidnapping and sexual assault charges. When Smith was charged, his attorney had claimed the girl made up the allegations to avoid punishment for not coming home and to get back at Smith for breaking up with her.

The teen said Smith held her prisoner in an attic without food.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

According to Gallup, 51.7 percent of workers in New Jersey and 54.4 percent of workers in Delaware are not engaged with their workplaces.

Gallup’s State of the American Workplace report, released last week, found that New Jersey ranked at 43 and Delaware ranked at 49 for states with the most engaged employees.

Results also showed that New Jersey and Pennsylvania were among the top 10 states with the most actively disengaged employees – both at 20 percent.

Gallup defines engaged employees as those who are enthusiastic about their work, not engaged employees are satisfied but emotionally disconnected and actively disengaged employees are disconnected and jeopardize team performance.

Louisiana topped the list for most engaged workers.

For more information, visit: www.gallup.com.

The Easton Area School Board approved the cuts Tuesday. They come after the eastern Pennsylvania district voted in May to pass a $134.3 million spending plan and a 1.7 percent tax hike.

Chief Operating Officer Michael Simonetta says about half the cuts will come through attrition.

Teachers’ union president Jena Brodhead says “cuts of any kind are difficult,” but that officials hope to keep educational programs intact.

The cuts also include 11 assistant coaches, seven custodians and other employees.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

ROME, Italy (CBS) — The newly elected mayor of Rome has Philadelphia ties and helped save hundreds of lives before answering the call to public service in his native land.

Dr. Ignazio Marino, who received nearly two-thirds of the votes cast in the recent mayoral election in Rome, served as a transplant surgeon at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia for four years.

Before he left to return to Italy to run for a senate seat, the Genoa-born Marino had performed some 200 organ transplants here and rose to the position of director of Jefferson’s transplant program.

His successor, Dr. Doria Cataldo, says Marino’s training as a physician prepared him for his new vocation.

“You have to learn how to be a good politician, besides being an excellent doctor, and that’s how you become successful in this field,” he says.

And Cataldo believes it’s not the last stop for his best friend.

“I would not be surprised if, in five years from now, he will be the next president of the country or the next prime minister,” Cataldo tells KYW Newsradio.

TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) — The American Cancer Society has issued its annual report on the efforts of states to curb smoking and overall tobacco use, and has found New Jersey dead last in terms of spending state money on programs to help people kick the habit.

New Jersey takes in $1 billion a year from tobacco, three-fourths of that from tax revenue.  But not one penny of that is earmarked for smoking cessation programs.

Ethan Hasbrouck, advocacy director for the American Cancer Society’s “Cancer Action Network,” suggests this area could use some help.

“South Jersey has a much higher smoking rate than is observed in the northern New Jersey area and, as a result, they also have some of the highest lung cancer rates,” he tells KYW Newsradio.

The group is aiming to have ten cents of every dollar raised in the state earmarked to help people quit smoking in one way or another.

Officials in New Jersey’s state health department counter with statistics of their own, showing New Jersey with the lowest adult smoking rates in the nation.  They say that federally funded efforts also provide options for those looking to quit.

Hasbrouck says he’s made his case to state officials, but hasn’t seen a lot of effort to change the current funding formula.

By contrast, Pennsylvania spends $14 million in state money each year on anti-smoking programs, and ranks 28th on the national list.

PAOLI, Pa. (CBS) — In the days since the NSA’s citizen surveillance program was leaked (see related story), a Chester County-based company has seen a surge in traffic to its website:  a search engine that’s an alternative to Google.

It’s what DuckDuckGo.com doesn’t do that’s key.

“We don’t track our users,” says founder and CEO Gabriel Weinberg.

He says people don’t intend to leave a digital trail, but that’s exactly what the big guys such as Google and Bing collect — and profit from, with the promise that they deliver more relevant results.

“All the big tech companies — when you visit a site, they’re storing information about what you do on that site,” he explains.  “What we do is we literally throw away the information that ties it back to you, so everything you do on our site is completely anonymous.”

He says searches on the site are up 70 percent since the “Prism” program was made public.

“To put that in more perspective, it took us 435 days — a little over a year — to go from one million to two million searches a day,” Weinberg says, “and only eight days — the last eight days — to go from two to three million.”

If the NSA or another government agency came knocking on their door, looking for information from their server farms around the world?

“If they actually somehow got all our data, it wouldn’t be useful to them,” says Weinberg.  “Which is why they never come to us.  Because all we have is completely anonymous stuff.  And we haven’t received an order.  The big tech companies, to their credit, they do try to defend these orders as much as possible, but the reality is if there is a valid court order, you have to hand over data.  And they store a lot of data that can be tied back to you, whereas we store none.”

Google says it handles more than three billion searches per day.  That’s plenty of personal habit for an upstart like DuckDuckGo to battle — with piles of advertising dollars also to be won.

“It is difficult to compete when there’s an 800-pound gorilla in the room,” admits Weinberg.  “But a lot of that is through word of mouth.  We focus on the instant-answer piece, where you can get information faster and with less effort.  People get on it, they like it, and start telling their friends and family.”

Weinberg invites you to compare results with your go-to search engine at DuckDuckGo.com.

More CBS Philly Tech News

A Manhattan judge found George Vincent Sr. and his son, George Vincent Jr., guilty of less-serious charges of promoting prostitution and money laundering. The two hadn’t denied they were pimps but insisted they never abused their prostitutes.

Several prostitutes testified on the Vincents’ behalf. They said they were one big happy family, enjoying a suburban life as “wife-in-laws” in Allentown, Pa., while commuting to New York by night.

Prosecutors argued at the nonjury trial that the women were too traumatized to admit they’d been abused. They played hours of wiretapped conversations in which the men threatened to assault them if they didn’t make enough money.

Defense attorneys called the mixed verdict a victory. They said they would appeal the convictions.

The loving relationship between pimps and prostitutes “was vindicated,” David Epstein, the son’s attorney, said outside court. “It’s a moral victory as well as a legal one.”

Prosecutors had no immediate comment.
(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

By Steve Beck, Oren Liebermann

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A technology outage has led to delays for travelers at Philadelphia International Airport Wednesday morning.

The technology glitch started around 4:45 a.m. and impacted United Airlines and American Airlines at only at PHL.

Philadelphia International Airport spokeswoman Victoria Lupica says the problem was resolved around 9 a.m.

The outage reportedly impacted the ticketing process, which created a delay for those traveling from the airport. United Airlines says the power outage took out their computer and phones.

Travelers that used E-tickets or those with information on their Smartphones were able to board their planes with proper identification. Those traveling internationally experienced issues.

There were reports that some travelers were at the airport since 5 a.m.

United Airlines says six round-trip flights were cancelled and flights before noon were delayed. They say all afternoon flights are back to normal.

Lupica says no flights were cancelled for American Airlines.

In a posting on its website, United writes that “fees for same-day flight changes are waived within 24 hours of original departure. For all other changes, the change fee will be waived, but a difference in fare may apply.”

Officials with the airport’s hospitality service were assisting those who were impacted by the glitch.

Lupica says the problem was caused by a connectivity issue. She says once PHL gets through the morning group of passengers, it’ll be “business as usual” for the rest of the day.

READ: CBSPhilly.com Travel Guide

POTTSTOWN, Pa. (CBS) — The Pennsylvania State Police is investigating a strange case of vandalism at a church in Montgomery County.

The vandalism happened on June 10th at the Saint Thomas More Roman Catholic Church on Pottstown Pike.

According to investigators, the vandals entered the church through an unlocked door. Once inside, the suspects discharged several fire extinguishers throughout the church and poured maple syrup from a pantry onto the church’s floors and pews.

The suspects stole a bottle of altar wine before fleeing.

So far, no arrests have been made. Anyone with information is urged to call police.

The investigation into the vandalism is ongoing.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A review of Philadelphia police department policies is getting underway, it begins in the wake of several police-involved shootings in the city.

In just one week last month, seven people were shot by police, six of them allegedly pointed guns at cops, the other had a knife.

But Commissioner Charles Ramsey says it was even before that, last November, that he began looking into a Department of Justice program called COPS, Community Oriented Policing Services, not to investigate individual shootings, instead more of an overview of things like training or department policies, in hopes of limiting the need for deadly force.

“There’s no easy answers. This won’t give us the satisfaction that there will never be another police shooting, that’s not the point,” Ramsey said outside police headquarters. “The point is to make sure I’m providing my officers with all the tools they need to be effective in their jobs. I’m very proud of what they do every day, but there’s always things that we can do to fine tune our operation.”

Next up is a meeting in Washington July 10th, then later next month a team will visit Philadelphia, the entire process expected to take about a year and a half.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Calling it a crime against humanity, a Philadelphia judge has imposed the maximum penalty on a 30-year-old purse snatcher, who targeted and destroyed the life of a 93-year-old woman.

The defendant was convicted of robbery and aggravated assault.

Judge Robert Coleman has sentenced defendant Antonio Santiago to 20 to 40 years in prison.

Santiago, a repeat robbery offender, was convicted in this case of targeting Estelle DiCamillo, who was on her way home from Easter Sunday services in Northeast Philadelphia.

Santiago knocked her to the ground breaking bones, took her purse and life as she knew it.

“She is a shell of what she used to be. She was vibrant, she took care of herself, she did everything. It’s like the life has been sucked out of her,” the victim’s daughter Mary Ann Kennedy said.

Kennedy also said she lost the mother she knew. DiCamillo never returned to her home of 46 years, and now, still in pain and on medication, she is living with her daughter.

Santiago still maintains his innocence.

WHITEMARSH TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) - Police report the driver of a car carrier apparently failed to see a height clearance sign and crashed into a low clearance railroad bridge on Flourtown Road in Whitemarsh.

That road remains closed and local detours are in place.

Work has been underway much of the night trying to remove the damaged car carrier and remove the cars it had been carrying.

No one was hurt. Engineers have examined the bridge which appears to be undamaged.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) - It may be a longshot, but KYW Newsradio has learned that talks are underway in an effort to shake loose some major federal dollars for Philadelphia schools.

A high-placed state legislative source says the discussions involve at least $120 million in Health and Human Service dollars that have been held back from Pennsylvania for a decade or longer by the feds, though the source cannot say why the money has been withheld or what is was originally earmarked for.

The source also doesn’t know anyone brimming with optimism about the outcome of the discussions. The feds would not only have to release the funds, but they would also have to agree to re-designate them for education.

The school district has been seeking $120-million from the state; there’s still no strong sign that kind of dough is in the offing from Harrisburg.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) - With less than two weeks before the legislature’s scheduled summer recess, Republican leaders in the GOP-controlled state Senate have taken the wraps off their proposal to reform liquor sales in Pennsylvania (see related story).

The state House months ago passed its’ liquor bill and now it’s the Senate’s turn to tackle the issue. The proposal from Bucks County Republican Chuck McIlhinney is different than the House version in major ways.

While it would allow for private retailers to sell wine and spirits, McIlhinney’s bill would leave it up to the LCB to shut down state stores.

“The financial viability of the store, their current lease situation, and whether or not the private sector has provided for the service in the area.”

But McIlhinney’s bill does not provide the kind of formula to close state stores as the House bill does, nor does it provide a timetable to sell off the state’s wholesale liquor operations.

But Senate Republican leaders say before they can worry about getting a liquor bill through the House, they have to find enough votes to get a measure through the Senate, something right now they admit they don’t have.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Sixteen-year-old Laejja has a big heart — she wants to help people. To do that, she wants to become a pediatrician.

“When I was little, my grandma — I used to live with my grandma and she always used to get sick,” Laejja says. “And it was to the point where I would know all her medicines by heart and stuff, because she would always get sick. And I was always the one that had to give her her asthma pump or the inhaler and stuff like that. Like, I always wanted to help her. I wanted to be a doctor at first, but then as I got older I fell in love with little kids, so then I’m like, why don’t I just help people and help kids at the same time — become a pediatrician?”

Laejja is looking for a forever family and she says she’s ready to let love into her heart.

“I don’t know, when you go places, you meet people and then you kind of keep a bond with them,” she says. “So no matter what that’s going to be your family regardless, because you became close to them. So, they’re always going to be there for you, so technically, that’s my family.”

(Larry Kane):  “So your family are your friends?

(Laejja):  “Yeah, it’s like all over. That’s my family.”

Now, Laejja is looking for someone to support her as she sets out on her career as a doctor.

For more information about adopting Laejja or any other “Wednesday’s Child,” go to the National Adoption Center’s web site, www.adopt.org, or call 215-735-9988.

“Wednesday’s Child” main page

———-

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - For one day, just today, two exceptionally rare Bay Psalm Books are being exhibited together, at the Rosenbach Museum and Library, 2008 Delancey Place, in center city.

Only 11 of the original 1,700 copies survive anywhere in the world today, according to Rosenbach director Derick Dreher.

“The Bay Psalm book is the first book printed in what is now the United States. It was printed in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1640,” he tells KYW Newsradio.

One copy is in the Rosenbach collection, and now it is on view with another copy belonging to the Old South Church in Boston.

The church’s copy is being auctioned by Sotheby’s this November. It’s about the size of a paperback, with black type.

“The paper is very malleable and fresh, as paper from that period was made from paper and linen,” says Selby Kiffer, international senior specialist for books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s.  “We’re out to make it one of the most famous books in the world, just like it is one of the most important in the world, and certainly one of the rarest and most valuable books in the world.”

How much might it fetch at auction?

“Well, our pre-sale estimate is fifteen to thirty million,” Kiffer says.

It will be sold to benefit Old South Church’s mission and ministries.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Today brings the first hearing in City Council’s own investigation into this month’s deadly building collapse on Market Street (see related story).

While the district attorney (related story) and OSHA probe the specifics of the incident, City Council is focused on broader issues such as permitting and inspections.

And as lawsuits stemming from the collapse are filed by victims, an official says the city is immune from financial liability.

Even if city regulations on demolitions were lax, it is considered unlikely that City Hall could be held liable in any of the lawsuits that result from the building collapse, because of the principle of sovereign immunity.

(City solicitor Shelley Smith, in file photo.)

“The city is immune from suit for tort liability except in eight specifically enumerated circumstances,” notes the mayor’s top attorney, solicitor Shelley Smith.

She says none of those eight circumstances — most of which involve city-owned properties or city-owned utilities — apply in this building collapse case.

“This building collapse does not fall into any of those enumerated exceptions,” she tells KYW Newsradio.

Private attorneys assessing the question say a victim who sues City Hall would need to prove the city showed reckless indifference toward the situation on Market Street.  That, they say, may prove difficult given that the current permitting and inspection regulations — which even the mayor now admits were insufficient — appear to have been followed.

And Smith says the lack of tougher regulations does not make the city liable.

“Failure to enact regulations doesn’t fall within any of the eight exceptions to immunity,” she explains.

But is the city’s apparent immunity fair?   Solicitor Smith says that in general, limits on any city’s liabilities are proper.

“The government, simply because we are here, and because it happened here, is not the insurer that nothing will ever go wrong.  To hold it responsible for each and every thing it might have failed to do, or people might think it should have done, is just not a reasonable or predictable allocation of taxpayer resources,” she says.

Six people died and thirteen others were injured in the collapse on June 5th.  Several lawsuits against the building owner and demolition company have already been filed, and more are expected.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) - Governor Corbett has signed a bill – spurred by a case in Montgomery County – that will ensure that crime victims or their representatives have a chance to appear in person before the state parole board when it is considering the release of an offender.

The legislation rocketed through the House and Senate after Montgomery County House Republican Mike Vereb championed the case of Ellen Gregory Robb, killed by her husband Rafael, who was set to be released in January after serving just six of a five to 10 year sentence (see related story).

Ellen Robb’s family and others successfully lobbied the parole board to rescind its decision, but were distressed to learn that they could not make their case to the board in person. Now a bill sponsored by Vereb will change that.

Vereb notes that victims and their families take part in the judicial process at every step.

“Why did our system close the door once thugs like Robb go to prison?”

asks Gary Gregory, the victim’s brother, who was present for the bill signing.

“For once in the state of Pennsylvania, and now memorialized in this law and going forward, victims will have the same footing as criminals.”

By: Oren Liebermann

MARGATE, N.J., (CBS) -Cleanup is underway after heavy rain caused flooding in shore towns in New Jersey.

The barrier island of Margate looked a lot different Tuesday.

Morning and afternoon storms flooded many of the lower lying streets, turning different blocks into their own islands.

“I had to move my smaller car into the driveway. The water was a foot high all the way down to the next house, but it’s a common occurrence here,” said resident Greg Imperiale.

Imperiale lives on Granville Avenue, a street he says floods all the time during heavy rain.  Of course everyone here remembers the last time it seriously flooded.  Compared to Sandy, Imperiale says this storm was manageable.

“During the storm it took them five days to pump out the school here, and you can see how big the school is. My house was totally destroyed,” he said.

The water was still deep enough to cause some problems.  A car died in the middle of Granville Avenue after trying to plow through a flooded road.

In Bellmawr on I-295, street flooding closed a ramp on the interstate, stranding one car and forcing a tractor trailer to retreat to higher ground.

Back in Margate, resident Paige Robinson says most people here know what to do when it storms.

“Nobody drove it but some people left, like that car over there, it was up to mid-tire,” said Robinson.

“It was really flooded. If a car was parked on the street, it was up to the underneath of their cars, maybe a little higher.”

The receding floodwaters returned the barrier island’s geography to normal and left neighbors here waiting for the next storm to pass through.

The incident happened at the Rite Aid Pharmacy located on Blackwood Clementon Road in Clementon on Sunday.

WATCH: Courtesy Gloucester Township Police

According to Gloucester Township Police, two suspects allegedly stole $600 worth of Mucinex, Aleve, Tylenol, and Zegerid by concealing the items down the front of their pants.

Authorities say the same two suspects are wanted in connection with an unsolved shoplifting at the same store in December 2012.

The first suspect is described as a thin, white male, approximately 20 to 25-years-old, with short thick brown hair. The second suspect is described as a thin, black male, approximately 20 to 25-years-old, with a light complexion.  Police say he wore a baseball cap in both shopliftings.

According to authorities, the suspects left in a four-door blue vehicle, possibly a Hyundai, with Pennsylvania tags.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the GTPD Anonymous Crime Tip Line at 856-842-5560 or  text an anonymous tip by texting the keyword GLOTWP and your tip message to 847411 (tip411).

PENNDEL, Pa., (CBS) – Hundreds of residents are without power after a car crash in Bucks County on Tuesday night.

The incident happened at about 10 p.m. on the 500 block of Durham Road in Penndel.

Chopper 3 HD was over the scene as police and utility crews responded.

Officials say a car collided with a utility pole, knocking out power.

Minor injuries were reported.

Officials says about 600 residents are without power in Middletown and Penndel.

Stay with CBSPhilly.com for the latest information on this developing story…