>> right now at 11:00, brand new information surrounding a mysterious death inside a center city hotel. tonight "eyewitness news" has learned the victim was a prominent doctor in philadelph philadelphia. and early christmas gift. something just happened at the gas pump that hasn't happened in six years. what it means for your holiday travel. also, making the season brighter for children all across our region. our joy of sharing toy fest

received an overwhelming response and we'll show you how your generosity is making a difference. good evening everyone. i'm jessica dean ukee washington is off tonight. we begin this evening with brand new details surrounding a disturbing discovery inside a center city hotel. sources tell "eyewitness news" a well-known philadelphia doctor was found dead at the rodeway inn at 12th and walnut street streets. "eyewitness news" reporter greg argos is live in center city with new information about this case. greg? >> reporter: jessica, sources say that doctor was a psychiatrist here in center ci city. his body found inside one of the rooms here at the rodeway inn near 12th street and walnut. a belt we're told tied tight around his neck. feet from the christmas tree in the rodeway inn lobby on 12th and walnut two philadelphia homicide detectives pour over hotel paper work. part of their investigation into the death of a 75-year-old man. >> i mean i knew the news came

cameras at the rodeway inn it wasn't going to be for something good. >> reporter: dan main nel low is visiting philly from scranton staying at this very hotel and says of one is staying very quiet about what happened here inside one much the rooms. >> we came into the hotel. got here. all these news cameras. obviously something and the lady at the front desk acted like she didn't know anything. >> sources close to the investigation say the victim at a prominent psychiatrist who's offices are near 14th and wall net. the 75 year old victim was found with a belt around his neck on the fifth floor of the hotel sometime near 12:00 this afternoon. at first police thought this was case of someone accidentally strangles him or herself during a sex act. but police quickly rule it a homicide calling detectives in around 3:00 p.m. sources say the motive may be robbery. >> i would say it's not necessarily all that surprising. crazy things happen everywhere. >> reporter: in this case the crazy thing is murder and for

david fine man who work at the adjoining restaurant such a crime is often not seen here. >> it's surprising in this neighborhood for sure. >> reporter: as for the victim's name police have not yet release it. we're told by investigators that could come as early as tomorrow morning. we're live here in center city, i'm greg argos cbs3 "eyewitness news". >> greg, thank you. winter officially begins in about 45 minutes but does not feel like winter out there. meteorologist kate bilo is live on the sky deck. kate, how does it feel right now. it actually feels great out here. i've got the scarf and the gloves on just because it's christmas week i feel like i should. but you really don't need all the winter gear here tonight. and you won't need it for the rest the week. as soon as we start winter we also kick off a major warmup as temperatures soar back into the 60s and 70s for the remainder of the week. but it comes along with some rain. take a quick look at storm sca scan3. through showers off to the west not getting in here just yet. a lot of moisture back to the

south and west and all that rain will eventually come through our area in two separate waves. i'll tell you more about that when i join you and side. item which are right now mid 50s in philadelphia. in late december at 11:00 o'clock at night. that is amazing. but with what's more amazing some of the records we'll break later on this week. i'll have all those details for you coming up much jessica. >> amazing indeed. kate, thanks so much. all this warmer than normal weather means a slow start to the flu season but doctors say we should still be prepared. experts say the flu season could get a kick start with the holidays as we all spend more time in close contact with friends and family. today the pennsylvania physicians general went over some preventive measures like getting vaccinated. >> but it doesn't mean that the flu isn't here and going to continue to come. so we want people to remain concerned, to remain vigilant and we want people to get their flu vaccine. >> doctors say right now is the time to get that flu shot. it takes about two weeks to

provide protection and they are expecting to see more cases in january. charges have been filed against thee members of the the colwyn borough fire company accused of of stealing more than $50,000 from the company. "eyewitness news" reporter david spunt is live in media tonight with more on this. david? >> reporter: jessica, all three members of the that fire department are in custody tonight. this investigation began almost one year ago and tonight this is just another black mark on laundry list of problems facing the colwyn borough. colwyn fire president betty and her daughter lauren turned themselves in monday night. they along with fire chief gary bryce are accused of stealing more than $50,000 from the borough. now all three are behind bars. >> i think this is a good first step but it's a first step. a lot of stuff going on there. this is like the tip of the iceberg. >> reporter: former colwyn council member jesse, told "eyewitness news" his hometown just isn't what it used to be. earlier this year borough manager paula brown lock herself

inside the borough hall following fighting. she left her post. she went to authorities and alerted them to the alleged fire department behavior. >> our volunteers but it's not a license to steal being a volunteer. >> delaware county da jack whelan nounsed the three arres arrests. he claims chief bryce and the two women wrote themselves checks and made cash withdrawals with borough funds. >> we do believe we have sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt each and every element of the charges that we've lodged today. >> reporter: state auditor general's officer got involved and released findings of a three year audit. according to that office almost $90,000 was mismanage. >> that state audit is part of a separate state investigation jessica meanwhile district attorney jack whelan says that his investigation here in delaware county will continue. reporting live tonight in media, david spunt cbs3 "eyewitness news". >> david, thank you. we now know more about the

victims killed in a fiery crash in northeast philadelphia. 25-year-old ba barton 22-year-od and a third woman died early sunday morning when their car slammed into the back of a parked tractor trailer on torresdale avenue. authorities say that trailer was parked legally but one local lawmaker still it still prompt questions. >> i think we have to look at regulations on where we park any kind of these tractor trailers and then not knowing what's inside them, what possibly could be inside them, presents a big danger to the community and to our first responders. >> this particular tractor trailer was filled with an herbicide. police are trying to figure out why a woman deliberately smashed her car into a crowded sidewalk on the las vegas strip, not once but twice. police say 26-year-old lakeesha hold away plowed into crowds on the sidewalk with a three year old in her car.

authorities estimate she was driving between 30 and 40 miles an hour. 32-year-old jessica, of arizona died. dozens more were injured. police say hold away now facing a murder charge had recently moved to the area from oregon and was living in her car. >> it looks like sean even trying to stop the car. she had both of her hands on the wheel and she was looking straight forward. >> she accelerated again and just kept mowing everyone down. >> five members of the delaware valley wrestling team were hit by the driver including the coach and athletic director. all were treated and released g we have learned tonight new york city detective is among six american troops killed by suicide bomber in afghanistan. new york city police commissioner bill, says detective joseph let me was a 15 year veteran of the force. the american service members were stopped at a local meeting point while on patrol with local forces. that's when a suicide bomber drove a motorcycle packed with explosives into that group.

taliban took credit for the tack which happened near bag ram airfield the largest us base in afghanistan. there is now one less republican candidate in the race for the white house. lindsay graham ended his campaign today. the south carolina senator made the announcement in a video saying he remains focused on bolstering our national securi security. graham that trouble gaining support in the polls after entering the contest back in june. former first daughter chelsea clinton shares a big announce many on social media. she tweeted this picture of her daughter this afternoon writing next summer charlotte is going to be a big sister. feeling very blessed and grateful this holiday season. >> both bill and hillary clinton tweeted they are excited about their second grandchild. it was a very special day here at cbs3. generosity was on full display during our joy of sharing toy fest campaign and our vittoria woodill is live where all the goodies are now being stored. vittoria. >> reporter: that's right. we are live here not not too far

away from city avenue and the bala cynwyd avenue. as you notice behind me all of these toys here are a lot of the this were collected all day long as we celebrated cbs3's toy fest in partnership with the salvation army. it's been an amazing day and we're going to give you a look at the whole day coming up. you do not want to miss it. also, ahead, with the fourth time be the charm for the space x team? we'll tell you about the dramatic and historic moment tonight's rock launch. >> kate. >> temperatures are rising but so are our chances for rain every day. look at all of this moisture across the eastern half of the country. most of it off to our south but not for long. we'll time out the rain and the rising temperatures. i'll tell when you records could fall coming up. also a family owned business a staple in one local commune will soon be closing its doors for good. why the owners say mother nature played a role in their difficult decision. plus this -- >> it's all fun and games right

now but tomorrow things get serious. it is the boca bowl. temple, toll lido. we'll hear

>> three, two, one, zero, lift off -- >> success for space x the company launched falcon rocke tonight with 11 small satellites on board. this is its first mission since unmanned rocket exploded shortly after lift off last june. also for the first time tonight, space x safely landed the leftover booster back on land cape canaveral air force base. >> aaa says the average price for gas has dropped blow $2 per gallon for the first time since 2009. aaa he have mates americans have saved $115 billion on gas this year compared to last year. that's aut $550 for every us driver. a report from the jp morgan chase institute finds most

people are spending that extra cash. good news here, gas prices expect totter stay low in january. so let's take a look around the region. a gallon of regular is averaging $2.20 here in pennsylvania. in new jersey, $1.88 and in delaware $1.97. >> a family business in south jersey shutting down after more than a century in business. the sixth generation family members who run the kirby's brothers animal feed store in hem forward will be the last. the family has been producing and selling animal feed for 140 years and they say the slow decline of area farming resulted in fewer customers. >> it's like a second house, you know. second home. so i never had to be without it so i don't know what it will be like when it's not there. >> i was hoping to be able to hand it down myself but it's not in the cards. >> the kirby family's name is highly visible in that community including kirby's mill school,

the stores last day is decembe december 31st. ♪ this holiday season we have proof it's better to give than to receive. our joy of hearing toy fest campaign was today and thanks to you it was a huge success. cbs philly partnered with the salvation army, u.s. o and boys and girls club to collect toys for kids in our region you see this time lapse video showing the salvation army truck filling up with goodies throughout the day. our vittoria wood sill live at the salvation army in wynnefield heights were all of those toys are now being sorted. tori. >> reporter: that's right. they're all being sorted and you missed all of the elves working as we were here putting things together. we had a lot of the volunteers that were sorting all of the toys and displaying them as you see here getting ready for those to be making the christmas memory even more memorable for lost deserving kids. not only that you saw in that

time lapsed video how much activity we had at the cbs3 studio. take look at how even more of an impact and even more activity was happening today at such a successful event. watch this. >> it's toy fest with the sal vague army. >> ♪ that's right. tis the season for giving and loading every last inch of that salvation army truck with toys galore for tons of little girls and boys. all day long, philly fans, friends to cbs3, some of our own, kids, families and fanatics today had the right idea about christmas. that is christmas in the heart that puts christmas in the air. like ronnie who's battling lou chem ya. but came with a purpose towards those boxes not for himself but for other kids. >> he's been saving too to get a wii but he's going to donate the

money. >> oh, mgosh. >> he has two toys. >> or doris green pinckney who took a bus to our cbs3 studios the 1555 hamilton street to show all kids out there, that she's thinking of you. >> children all over the world, you know, they need help and everything. i have 28 great grands. and i have five great great grands. i thought if i can do it for my church, i can do it for all the kids. >> being that it is a season of giving, the thought of getting? >> more gave and gave and gave and truck after truck after truck pulled into our parking lot and unloaded what will be christmas for so many deserving kids and families. like families from the boys and girls club. >> it's a great help. it's very very appreciated to the boys and girls club for all they do for me and my family. >> reporter: families proudly serving hahn nobody rally leaning on the assistance of the uso. >> if there's a group of people that ask for nothing, but give

so much, it's our mill tar families. >> and so many more who rely on the salvation army for a helping hasn't. and really you're not just helping them, you're helping us all. >> it restores my failing in mankind. it really does. that people do care about others. that people do want to help those who are less fortunate than them. it's really very very heart worming for me. >> today the message of christmas was we are never alo alone. >> merry christmas! that's right. the salvation army work so hard to do the most good and i really have to give kudos to everyone out there that had participated because we really did something great and so good for our community for our own here in the area and i think all of us should be really really proud jessica and kate as well. i mean, what an amazin amazing . it was a great day vittoria and so wonderful to see the community coming out to help as you said the kids who are all

the time in our neighborhoods out there. thanks so much have you tore y kate you were outside a lot of this as well. you met that one little boy. >> that one little boy. he touched my heart. his name was joe ronnie vittoria showed him and he's battling leukemia. he actually saved up to buy a wii and decided to take all the money he saved and donate it to joy of sharing. >> that's when we all got a te tear. >> what amazing kid. a great day. we love this time of the year it may not feel like the christmas season. temperatures above average once again today. but certainly felt like it here at the cbs broadcast center today. let's take lookout side take to you our brand new camera this is live a top the iconic hotel bethlehem up in bethlehem in northampton county. i like to refer to this as my hometown in law. my husband grew up there. my in laws give up there. you can see it's all lit up. they got the lights on the trees if you've never been to bethlehem this time of the year you got to go much eighths great town especially at christmasti

christmastime. and winter officially begins in just about, what, 20, 25 minutes or so. 11:48 p.m. that means today was the shortest daylight of the year. nine hours and 19 minutes compare that to june the summer solstice the day lasts 14.5 hours. so today was short. now we start getting longer. we do have rain on the radar. you can see all this yellow and green off to the south all living up with southwest flow. the southwest winds bringing the warmth our way but also bringing the rain what to expect tomorrow. periods of light rain mainly in the morning. we're lookin looking at about tf an inch to a quarter of an inch. at least some light rain. a little soggy gloomy tuesday even as we head back to the 60s. live on the neighborhood network we're looking at temperatures in the low to mid 50s right now well above average normal lows this time of the year are in the upper 20s. nowhere close to that. our warming trend continues. 60s for tuesday. mild with showers. wednesday another system lifts up from the south it will bring that big push of warm air. we're still in the mid 60s 1 degree off a roar wednesday.

thursday is when the warmth really is most noticeable christmas eve highs in the 70s and it's never been there before on christmas eve our record set last year, 64. so take a look at tomorrow. a little bit of light rain through the morning hours. right into the early afternoon. late afternoon we try to clear it out by 5:00 p.m. but again op hespecially in the afternoon moe rain lifting up from the south. overnight it's mild at 49 degrees. just a light shower through the overnight hours. we'll jump ahead to christmas. christmas eve 72 degrees that's a record breaker. christmas day confidential her but beautiful with who's in the low 60's and we have a cold moon christmas morning. full moon. first christmas morning full moon in nearly 40 years much it's the moon. it won't live up to its name this year. 61 degrees on friday. showers return for the weekend little gloomy through the weekend maybe showers for that eagles game and the start of kwanzaa on saturday. but take a look christmas day it's not a record break consider but the nicest day in the forecast lots of sunshine temperatures in the low 60s. you're warmest day christmas eve

thursday. >> always nice to see the sun. don and i neither of us mind the warm weather. >> some people want flurries. no. it's okay. the warmer the better. we're talking about sports. talkintalking bow the birds. why the eagles need to have amnesia. a report on the temple owls from boca rah ton. fine out if the flyers can start their holiday vacation with a

>> flyers have five days start tomorrow. south philly we go. pick it up in the second. down three-one. vorachek to simmonds he lights the lamp the flyers down by one. third period flyers on the power play. vorachek shoots and simmonds uses his leg for the deflection and the goal. whatever works. finding a way to get it done. over three minutes left and shot no from the slot. flyers within four-three.

happy vacation to the fly guys. abracadabra hocus-pocus eat guess could use a john dorenboss magic trick to make that 23-point sin can he again the cardinals go it way. they need to focus on the task at hasn't. the birds host the nfc east washington redskin saturday night in order to get their minds right they'll try to forget they gave up 40 parts to arizona with 230 rushing yards. time to move on. >> two games left. do or die situation. next week is big game. if you don't win that it won't be good for. >> this is what he's talking about. season comes down to saturday when they host washington. if they win, they have a chance to take the inform fc east. if they lose, they're eliminated from playoff contention. eagles, redskins saturday night at 8:00 right here on cbs3. we'll get you ready with our pre-game show startin starting . temple takes on tow heed dough in the boca rah ton bowl tomorrow night the fifth bowl

game appearance in school hit reach lesley made the trip to boca and she has this report. >> anybody that loves temple we have a chance now to get to 11 wins. >> win or lose from matt ruhle and his team the boca bowl experience one they'll remember forever. >> so much fun. so much -- go out and relax and have have days for your elf. >> the last few days have been fun. top the battle of the boca bowl. >> to have 11 wins here to get 11 wins, you know, something that temple has never done and. >> there's a lot to be said for the emotion factor heading into bowl game especially for the seniors much. >> it's finally coming to an e end. it sort of hasn't hit me. it had hit me once i'm out on the field with these guys and try not to let my emotions get the best of me. >> forehead coach matt ruhle win means everything. >> everyone knows the main guys

that have tons of accolades but it's everyone of them. they all bled together and all sweated together and work together and i couldn't be more grateful aft that game, win, lose or draw that will be emotional moment for me. >> i'll get my prediction from hooter. flap once if they lose. twice if they win. who is it going to be? and there you have it. >> lesley van arsdall, "eyewitness sports"? >> all right. lesley. a double flap. >> double flap. it's got to be true. >> he says so. >> that's right. >> okay. >> we'll be right back.

♪ i'm stayinged in bag ram. what ton give a shout out to my familiar and friends back home in pennsylvania. see you guys soon. happy holidays.

>> new tonight an exciting christmas surprise for some very deserving young people. "eyewitness news" at dicks sporting goods in king of prussia. 20 kids got a $200 gift card to spend at the store. and they did it all while spending a little time with jahlil okafor and isaia cannon from the 76ers. they get it from the believe and achieve foundation. their mission is to helpless fortunate children. so fun night for everybody. we'll be right back.

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less than perfect... we give you five days to change your mind. sorry. thanks for watching "eyewitness news" tonight at 11:00. for kate, don and everyone here i'm jessica dean. you can always find us at cbsphilly.com. up next the late show with stephen coluber. have a great night. we'll see you tomorrow. ♪ >> announcer: the following is a paid presentation for cize, brought to you by beachbody. >> get ready to cize it up. [ beat drops ] [ people cheering ] are you ready to dance? 5, 6, 7, 8! >> ♪ on my wayn