Brought the temperature down five degrees the last half hour. You can see the showers scattered around the area but there are some spots of heavier downpours. Lightning is taking a break but likely see more thunderstorm activity this morning and this afternoon. Delaware county into montgomery and portions of new jersey seeing that heavy downpour activity right now. Clouds over center city and we will see a rainy day ahead. Not an allday rain but the threat of rain will be with us all morning and then heavier downpours this afternoon. The temperatures will go from the low 70s where we are right now into the upper 70s at 9 00 and we will be topping out right around 80 degrees at lunch time today. Neighborhoodbyneighborhood forecast when im back in ten minutes and lets see how the rain is affecting roads this morning. Jessica boyington has first alert traffic. We are out in bordentown township. An Accident Route 30 northbound and groveville road. The major road that runs parallel to that would be 295. All green there so your best bet there. Can you take the new jersey turnpike over here but you want if invoice a toll road, 295 is your bet best. 95, rain covered roadways and possibly slippery conditions so give yourself extra time. We are losing that right hand shoulder due to the ongoing construction but these are the southbound lanes here and all lanes still open. 14 minutes for your drive time heading southbound from wood haven road up towards the vine street expressway. If youre heading out the door on the p. A. Turnpike, moving along. Eastbound, eastbound, 20minute trip from valley forge. In less than one minute, people looking to see pope francis snatched up 10,000 free tickets. Tickets for the popes sunday mass on the ben franklin mass went online at 8 00 last night and they were gone in 30 seconds earlier in the day, it took just seven minutes to people to reserve another 10,000 tickets for the festival of families at which the pope will also appear. You can still see pope francis parade down the parkway before the festival on saturday afternoon here is the route he will take. Down city hall and back to the Festival Grounds in front of the museum. President obama and the first lady will greet pope francis when he arrives in the u. S. Next week. The pope is scheduled to fly into Andrews Air Force base on september 22nd. President s almost never welcome visiting foreign leaders at st. Andrews but they say in this case, the president is making a papal exception. People who want to get from south jersey, you will be able to bring your bicycle to philadelphia if you walk it over the ben franklin bridge during the pedestrian only times. You have to walk your bike. You cant ride it. Also you cannot bring your bike on the patco train. If you do ride the train, keep this in mind. You have to collapse strollers because the trains are expected to be packed. Check our app what you can and cannot bring during the papal visit and you will find the popes itinerary and the road closures and mass transit changes. A man is expected to change his plea today. Barnes pleaded not guilty last november to kidnapping charges. Prosecutors expected him to change that ble plea this morni. They say he snatched the victim from the streets in german town and tied her up and held her in his trunk for a period of time before authorities tracked him down and rescued the victim three days later in m. D. The woman who kept disabled mental adults locked in basement will spendz the rest of her life in prison. Weston pleaded guilty. Prosecutors agreed to the life term eliminating a death sentence. Prosecutors say weston kidnapped adults to steal their Social Security number. Two others are awaiting trial in this case. Its here. The nfl season kicks off tonight right here on nbc10. Steelers versus patriots. Eagles fans will have to wait a few more days. The opening season for the birds is monday night but we are getting the Party Started night. Matt delucia is live where a Kickoff Party happens today, rain or shine . Thats right. Rain or shine because this is happening indoors here at the center here live in south philadelphia. The nfl season starting in just a few hours. No eagles on the field tonight. Its the patriots and steelers. But the fun does kick off here xkv ijz this evening. The Kickoff Party at xfinity live. The cheerleaders will unveil their new uniforms and players will come out to a pap rally. Check this out. I know they say when you love what you do, youll never work a day in your life. That is a new hype video released yesterday by the team. This one called its time to work. Its narrated by former safety Brian Dawkins and the twominute video already has more than 145,000 views on youtube. The 2015 nfl season kicks off tonight. Tom brady and the new England Patriots will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers and you can watch this game on nbc10 and it starts at eight8 30. The eagles start monday night in atlan atlanta. Matt delucia, nbc10 news. If you havent seen the new eagles hype video, its pretty awesome. My favorite line during it is good is a fourletter word to those reaching for greatness. How about that . I like that. Ill check that out. Speaking of football. A High School Football moment. We have new information about why the referee involved in this play wasnt supposed to be on the field in the first place. Preparing for the pope. How the papal visit will help the local economy including the merchants of a popup store to help sell pope memorabilia. I have a fourletter word for you, cato rain we have showers in the area. Its murky there. Your neighborhoodbyneighborhood forecast is just ahead. Here in vineland, new jersey, home of progresso, we love all kinds of chicken soups. But just one kind of chicken. Its white breast meat chicken every time. Because white breast meat chicken releases its flavor into the broth and absorbs more flavor from it. And in vineland, its all about flavor so if youre not going to make your own chicken soup tonight, do what we do. Make it progresso. 20 minutes before 5 00. A cloudy view of center city. Already getting some rain in the city and much of the rest of the area seeing some rain and some thunderstorm activity. 74 degrees right now at northeast philadelphia airport. The humidity is still elevated are wshowers in the area. Can you see them streaming past baltimore into pennsylvania and delaware. New jersey also getting some thunderstorm activity right now in Upper Cumberland county and heavy downpours through gloucester and camden counties and into northern burlington county. Heavy rain gloucester and mt. Pemberton getting heavy rainfall. S the downpours will be more numerous this afternoon and grab usual umbrella. Occasional showers and thunderstorms. The pocono mountains, 66 today. 70s for allentown. At the shores, wet weather. 82 degrees rehoboth and 82 vine land and scattered showers this morning. In the afternoons temperatures will peek in the low 80s for philadelphia and swedes buoro. We will go through the sevenday forecast with some more rain in store for us. A chance this weekend too and then things get nice. Ill have that when im back in ten minutes. Jessica boyington here with your first alert traffic. We are still watching this accident seen in bordentown township in route 130 northbound and accident scene here where the northbound lanes dealing with some delays and closed due to a double tractortrailer accident. Your bet bet for your alternate, take the new jersey turnpike but i wanted to get you out of there avoiding the toll road. 295 is in the green and youll be just fine there. 422 heading into Montgomery County everything still moving along there in. Eightminute trip headed eastbound through the schuylkill expressway and westbound lanes doing okay and wet and slippery conditions on the schuylkill expressway around montgomery drive but 14 minutes at the most if youre heading eastbound or westbound from the blue route toward the vine street expressway. Your trip into center city will be just fine. We currently have no weatherrelated delays at the Philadelphia National airport. Next ten minutes, check in with mass transit. We are following new information for you this morning. It involves a cab company of a cab driver who allegedly hit and killed a woman and man in center city on monday. You will see what we found when we looked into state records showing the cab companys history. Big changes could be coming to public bathroom you use in the city. Here in vineland, new jersey where progresso light soups are made, well never give up our cheddar, our cream, and especially our bacon. So we figured out a way to add rich ingredients like this into 22 light soups, all with 100 calories or less per serving. So if you want to eat light and not give up rich flavor, do what we do. Make it progresso. New details about the cab Company Whose driver hit and killed a man and woman in center city early monday morning. Nbc10 has learned the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has been investigating that company. State records show more than a dozen formal complaints were launched against rosemont taxi company the past five years and most had to do dealing with regulatory issues, no safety. We reached out to the company but no comment. This woman and a man were killed when a cab driver hit them early monday morning. Witnesses say the victims were crossing broad street at arch street on a red light when the driver struck them. Family and friends pay their final respects yesterday to a Philadelphia Police officer who was killed in an offduty hitandrun crash last month. A viewing and service for officer lamar poole were held in West Philadelphia yesterday morning. Poole was riding his motorcycle off due to yoty when he was hit killed. Vogwill police say hit poole and vogwill is charged with homicide by vehicle. The kentucky county clerk released from jail after refuse to go issue marriage licenses couldnt return to work as early as tomorrow. Kim davis was locked up for refusing to sign marriage listens of samesex couples. She has nod said if she will try to stop coworkers from irk licenses. If that happens the county deputy clerk said he will bay the law. Investigators say nine shootings within the last ten days in phoenix, arizona and happened within an eightmile stretch of interstate 10 in phoenix. A reward is being offered for any information leading to an arrest. We know more about the High School Referee who was tackled by two players in a game. He was filling in for another referee. His Attorney Says he is under a doctors care because of injuries he suffered when the players hit him. He says he did not use the racial slurs the players accused him of using. The local prosecutor is considered filing charges against the two players who have been suspended from school during this investigation. Happening today in philadelphia, lgbt leaders will have new legislation in philadelphia. Transgender advocates are behind the proposal. Northern california brush fire has grown to a thousand acres. Yesterday, the fire jumped a river and spread into a neighboring county. That prompted officials to issue mandatory evacuations for People Living nearby. Fire crews are fighting the flames on the ground and in the air. And right now nearly 14,000 people in that area; a5no carri0 a large area of rainfall moving through the region. Heavy downpours at noon in delaware and spotty showers in the philadelphia area at lunch time. But as we go into the afternoon, look at the rain moving in. Heavy rainfall. Some of the heaviest at 3 00 according to this computer model, right in northern burlington county. The showers and thunderstorms continue into the afternoon hours. Those areas that normally see flooding, low lying areas could see it later today with the heavy rain. Grab the umbrella. Showers and thunderstorms scattered this morning. Then the widespread heavier rainfall this afternoon all combines to keep the upper 70s and low 80s with northeasterly winds at 10 miles an hour. Tomorrow, a few showers in the morning and turning party sunny. 85 in the afternoon. This weekend we will see some sunshine and temperatures in the 80s saturday but there is a chance of some scattered showers and thunderstorms saturday and into sunday. Wont be all day rainfall either day. High of 78 degrees on sunday. Then we clear out for some gorgeous weather. Beautiful sunshine and low humidity with temperatures in the 70s monday, back into the 80s tuesday and wednesday. 9 minutes before 5 00. Jessica might like the rain but not when it slows down the road to work. Its been a while since we have had to use the windshield wipers out there. Rain causing slippery conditions. On the schuylkill expressway around Spring Garden street and Police Activity into the right hand shoulder. You can see the vehicles up here as well. All traffic moving through the area and eastbound drive time still okay. From the blue route up to the vine street expressway a 13 minute trip there. Bordentown township, route 130 northbound is closed at groveville road and involving two tractortrailers so a cleanup for quite sometime so your best bet is take 295. Mass transit, no delays so farp. Up next, we will have an update on another important reason for you to get a flu shot this year. We will tell you who it can protect besides you. Here in vineland, new jersey, home of progresso, we love all kinds of chicken soups. But just one kind of chicken. Its white breast meat chicken every time. Because white breast meat chicken releases its flavor into the broth and absorbs more flavor from it. And in vineland, its all about flavor so if youre not going to make your own chicken soup tonight, do what we do. Make it progresso. Here is another reason to get your flu shots. Researchers say it wont just protect you but older adults in your community. A study looked at more than 3 Million People over eight flu seasons and found that senior were 21 less likely to be diagnosed with flurelated illness if they lived in areas where more younger adults were vaccinated. A radiosho shonthon kicks o today. They are broadcasting from the hospitals new dream and raising money for research f q and raising money to help give children a happier hospital stay when they have to be there. Different things when a child comes through these doors make their stay as good as it possibly can be. That radiothon wraps up this afternoon. One mans decision to pay it forward helped Homeless Veterans get hot meals in camden. They fished out the food yesterday. Here is the story. The meals were prepared by a restaurant which recently held a contest for a thousand dollar gift certificate. Oakland Police OfficerBrett Mueller won. He is a veteran and he decided to donate the money to feed needy vets. The people for the poor says the gesture is great deal appreciated. It makes you feel good when you do something for those who arent as fortunate as we are. The donated money was able to feed about 100 vets. New castle county workers are being rewarded for sticking it out through tough times. The city council has approved a bonus for any fulltime employee on the job for at least 60 days. The county was forced to cut costs last year. But better than expected Tax Collections actually led to a surplus. Help arrived in time for dozens of firefighters who were about to lose their jobs in atlantic city. New jersey senators announced that 21. 5 Million Dollar grant yesterday. Its designed to keep 85 firefighters on the job. Those men and women were set to be laid off after four casinos closed last year. A facility is being built at the navy yard and they will relocate 190 jobs from glen mills and exton. Construction should be done by 2017 at the new facility. The roar to the shore. Motorcycle rally begins today. Its one of the largest gathering of motorcycle riders in the ndyau au they will head to wildwood between today and sunday. Lots of entertainment there for the bikers in town. Today is the final day of preliminary competitions at the miss America Pageant in atlantic city. Miss florida and Miss Louisiana won last night and sunday nights televised will be sunday night. Some scenes were intermediate in various counties. The movie tells the tale of who children who visit their grandparents but the elderly couples rare behavior begins to scare them. Nbc 10 news today at 5 00 a. M. Starts right now. Round one of wet weather moving in and there is heavy rain and thunder rolling through part of the area right now. Can you see it here on the radar and still more rain coming. Good morning. Welcome to nbc 10 news today on this thursday, im chris cato. Im tracy davidson. Lets find out more about the rain with meteorologist bill henley. We missed four inches in the last couple of months but getting heavy rain in the area and thunderstorm activity. Can you see it moving in this area moving into philadelphia. A few lightning strikes there with heavy downpours heading toward abington. Lightning strike to the east here and florence is getting heavier rainfall and brought the temperatures down and see nothing near the 90s today. 60s and seventh to start with. 72 degrees at philadelphia international. Cooler in roxborough. Rain and 71 degrees. Rain is coming down over Citizens Bank park and cubs in town tonight and not looking good for a ball game. Scattered showers and thunderstorms this morning. Look at those temperatures. 74 at 6 00 and 9 00, 79 and not much warmer at noon time with scattered showers in the area at lunch time. Heavier rain in store for us this afternoon. Your neighborhoodbyneighborhood forecast when im back in ten minutes. Now Jessica Boyington has a look at the traffic. Wet ronds and slads and slip conditions. Spring garden Street Police activity on the scene. Accident is up here eastbound lanes moving by that and westb