conrail and the city of philadelphia began monday to clear the tracks.emoving mountains of trash including thousands of drug needles and hacking down vegetation in which junkies would hide. despite the horrendous conditi conditions conrail general counsel insists they have not ignore the problem. >> we've clean it up on numerous occasions but win a few weeks it comes back. >>> users driven off the track bed will be offered help with their addiction, homelessness with job search. >> we'll work with residents of kensington and fair hill to take back their neighborhood and bring back a positive change to this community. >> reporter: the area will be fenced off, sealed and patrolled heavily by police. >> if the demand for the drugs are here, then the suppliers will be here. if we can get the people to help they need the demand had go down and the sly will go down report rot addicts driven there this area will flood surrounding neighborhoods bringing their problems with them. >> go elsewhere. if they can't do it there they'll do it somewhere else. me myself p

conrail in south philadelphia, conrail problems in kensington where we have reported extensively on the heroin, land back there that they promised to clean up. conrail has some legacy issues in philadelphia for sure and that creating the area here hidden where people think they have a right to threaten cops by painting stuff back here very cowardly by the way in the spot where no one would see it and, of course, we are showing this and probably giving them more visibility then they with ever get by just leaving it back here, karen and thomas. >> you have mixed feelings about all that. >>> police are investgating multiple fires that have broke own you the in the center city apartment building, they think this could be arson. it could be happening, after a fight broke out in eight days. this is here at the sterling apartment homes at 18th and jfk, last one was on friday, all of them have been set on the lower floors. 500 people that live there. there is three different fires that seem to be escalating with each fire, people still, hearing one noise in the middle have the night and they ru

. >>> it is notorious swath of land, conrail announced clean up of this stretch of tracks known as hot bed for heroin addicts, in total the project will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and tough to gauge how successful it will be in the end it is a piece of land, thick brush with trash beside railroad tracks on conrail's private property. the space that channels through kensington and fair hill is notorious for sheltering philadelphia's hardest addicts. >> it covers a lot of ground here. >> reporter: joslin hill gave us walking tour showing us beginning of the massive clean up, one that comes with a eviction notice for those living along the tracks. >> we want to make sure that we are being sensitive to the folks that were, you know, on the property where they are living here or whether they are just coming during the day >> reporter: two blocks away epicenter of the opioid crisis an area teaming with children, officials outlined, the steps of recovering. >> we're limb nateing the situation that attracted drug users to the neighborhood from across the region and northeast part of

conrail will pay for the cleanup aimed at shutting down philadelphia's largest open air drug den. >>e're not just going clean up and leave. we're here for the long term. the cost is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. the city of philadelphia will help with the cleanup at a cost of about $90,000 for security, waste removal and building secure fences. >> the whole key is to be able to get them to stop going down there where they get hit down into the track area where we can't find them. >> reporter: the efforts come on the heals of a dea report that found fatal did you go overdoses skyrocketed 37 percent in 2016. a journey not just to curb the sale illegal narcotics but also focused on getting help for the addicts by supplying recovery and housing resources for those in need. >> people under the bridge they need our help. they're fighting a disease and an ailness. they're somebody's child, family member. >> reporter: conrail says they've tried multiple times to clean up this area as recently as 2013 and 2015 but they say within weeks the drug dealers and addict re

a conrail track bed stretching from second and indiana to lehigh and aramingo.here her row wip addicts like 31-year-old jillian go to feed their sickness. >> it's a shooting gallery. it's absolutely ridiculous. >> reporter: jillian injects heroin into her feet to hide the marks. she got into prostitute to make the hadn't. >> do you want to quit. >> i never want to keep using it's to the point i don't even get high any more. i just maintain. >> reporter: now hope. conrail and the city began monday to clean the tracks removing mountains of trash including thousands of drug needles and hacking down vegetation in which junkies would hide the scope of the mess make it clear this problem was years in the making. >> we have done numerous clean ups in this area over the years. this is the first time where we've really had comprehensive plan that gives it a chance of sustaining itself. >> reporter: city officials say addicts driven off the track bed will be offed social services, help with addiction. homelessness, job searches. >> today we are taking a big step in what w

i showed you this before you can see cars coming, they drive under the conrail track is here. they also use this as a local landfill and despite all of the no dumping signs, everything is dumped back here you can see tv in between road closed signs and lots of construction material, and who knows what else because not only is this stuff, this didn't fall down from the conrail thing but there is police officer going by now. as we walk around this and police have to see threats against their lives here on these pillars, thinks on almost every pillar walking down the street here and police are coming and maybe saw our 4:00 o'clock report but it is on all of the pillars and even on this business and we found name of the business is called sky line beauty supply, and it is a big warehouse, a block long, so, when somebody came over here to spray paint it here as they put it up and took time to do this they did it right under one to the right and another surveillance camera to the left, chances are if the police come here today they will get better video then one we will show you rig

conrail is brings in equipment and setting up a staging area.t's part of a joint agreement between conrail and the city to secure the area that's been home to drug abusers for years. city social services will off every feed, housing and drug treatment for people in need. >>> today is the last day for three jc penny stores in the area. they will shut down for good after closing time tonight. it's part of a company wide downsizing. the three local closures impact about 5,000 jobs. >>> mega millions jackpot has climbed to more than $300 million. no one won the top prize friday. the next drawing is tomorrow night at 11:00. >>> in pennsylvania, liquor prices could be going up. the liquor control board gave suppliers to cut the amount they charge the agencies. if they don't go along, the lcb will raise the cost of 450 different bottles of wine and booze by the end of august. at a h liquor control board official said that most suppliers had been willing to negotiate. >>> new jersey governor chris christie making headlines after an incident at a basebal

. >> philadelphia officials and conrail have started the massive project of cleaning up a notorious open air heroin market. drone6 flew over the area in kensington as work got under way. "action news" first told you about this haven for drug addicts back in april investigative reporter wendy saltzman has details on the cleanup. wendy. >> reporter: sharrie, right here is where that work began at 7:30 this morning cleaning up trees and debris along this stretch that has been dunned dunned -- dubbed ground zero for philadelphia's heroin epidemic. the work will span about a mile and a half until they get to the worst part of the track. aings news first got a behind the scenes look at the tracks in april. the ground covered in an estimated 500,000 used syringes. addicts come here in some cases they call it home where they buy and sell drugs and shooter up in areas like the lounge. >> a mirror over here where they cut their drugs. >> reporter: it's impossible to know how many users have died here. officers say it's hard to respond among the brush and debris. >> when you're down in the tracks w

last week the city and conrail reached an agreement to clean up and secure the property. it is believed that up to a million syringes have been dumped here. conrail is moving in heavy equipment to start the process to get rid of syringes. >>> while the storm left a jersey shore town beach looking like a lake. heavy rains left standing water in margate where the army of jer controversial dunes project. >> they said the water would st would not be a problem. it is a problem. >> residents plan to address the issue on thursday, the dune project is expected to be finished labored. >> david murphy i'm kicking myself for not getting in a run because this was the weather to do it. >> reporter: you were at the eagles open practice expifers at the phillies -- and i was at the phillies, you couldn't have better weather. looking outside, no rain, sunshine on the way up over the horizon. stars out there over the commodore barry bridge. comfortable conditions as you step outside, as well. 59 in allentown for example. in philadelphia, 66 degrees, low humidity across the region this morn

because we are giving this a lot more visibility then it would get back here hidden under the old conrail tracks where road is closed and people come to dump old tv and tires that we see here but is there message on the pillar, there it is on one of the concrete barriers as well and these messages are spray painted like this for eight blocks here in, south philadelphia. in fact not too far. do you see that person they would never see this driving that way, if we weren't putting it on tv but reason wearies you cannot have disturbing messages like this. they are threatening if you think bit and sometimes people take these messages to heart and try to kill police which you see in the city a few times. this is second time, second month in a report we have seen stuff like this spray painted in south philadelphia. >> people's right to think what they want to think and they can say what they want to say but message itself is disturbing because it is advocating violence against police officer. we don't want violence against anybody but that specifically targeting police officers so we are concern

begin monday on the area known as elmento, it's why the city and the railway signed on a deal where conrail will clean up the area removing the needles and repair the fencing in exchange, the city will provide police protection and haul away the trash. >>> if you use new jersey transit the atlantic city rail line you may have to plan for another way to commute. a garbage truck hit the rail bridge east of the pennsauken transit center. new jersey transit centers say they have to suspend service between philly and cherry hill and have to make repair, substitute bus service will be in effect and you can find details on the website at fox 29.com. >> the administrations of the united states and russia may be not so buddy any longer, the u.s. congress stepped in and proposed sanctions against russia, vladimir putin has responded he announced that 755 u.s. diplomats and staffers in his country have to leave. the house of senate voted almost unanimously to slap new sanctions for its interference on last year's election, a bill president trump is expected to sign. >> president made it clear very soo

. >>> officialness conrail and city of philadelphia are announcing a comprehensive clean up plan on the train track from his kens to go ton fair hill an area men as hang out for heroin addicts. this project was announce today and includes new fencing and an additional police officers to supplement conrail 's own security force. city will also set up a temporary social services hub at nearby trailers to provide food, health cleanings and information for those struggling with addiction. >> in cleaning and security this property which has posed a challenge to the surrounding neighborhood for decade, we will work with residents of kensington and fair hill to take back their neighborhood and bring back a positive change to this community. >> city officials described it as a long journey and say clean up and increased police presence will eliminate drug trade that has long hit the neighborhood. >>> three people, including two police officers are recovering from this head on crash in west philadelphia it happen, just before 1:00 this afternoon at 59th and market streets. police say officers we

spokesperson for conrail say they will get to begin to clean up smaller area known as camp, area known to hoe drug dealers, users and home less people which is why city and railway signed a deal where conrail will clean up the area removing needles, repair fencing. in exchange city will provide police protection and hall off the trash. >>> another head up, bob told but earlier, if you use nj transit rail lines you might to have plan for another way to commute this morning, back on friday garbage truck hit the rail bridge east of the transit center. nj transit center say they have to suspend services between philadelphia and cherry hill as they make those repairs. substitute bus services will be in effect and we will have details on fox 29.com and bob will give you another update in a moment. >>> lets get to this developing story at 5:08 incoming trump chief of staff john kelly expected to start his new job today this comes after reince priebus resign from the job last week. meanwhile there may be more tensions between u.s. and russia. u.s. congress stepped in and proposed sanction as b

a million drug syringes have been dumped on the property own by conrail. crews are moving in heavy equipment to start the cleaning process there will be temple social services hub where an addict can find help if they need it. >>> no comment from chris christie after his caught on video confrontation at a ballpark. he was walking to his seat during the brewers cubs game yesterday when he turned around to have words with a cubs fan. that man reportedly called the governor a hypocrite that's when he got into his face. >> initially he was going up the stairs, i yelled his name, away quite a bit past me and 30 feet away, i called him a hypocrite, because it needed to be said. he turned around and walked toward me and got up in my face, what seemed like a long time, it was probably 30 seconds or a minute. >> christy was in milwaukee this weekend to watch the brewers cub series his son andrew works in the brewers front office. >>> a dozen inmates escape during a jailbreak in alabama. we have details on the manhunt up. >>> college students are scrambling after th

spokesperson for conrail say they will begin clean up, known as camp. known to host drug dealers, home less people, drug users, which why is the city and railway signed a deal where conrail will clean up the area removing needles and repair fencing. in exchange the city will provide police protection and hall off the trash. >>> if you use nj transit's atlantic city rail line you might to have plan for another way to commute this morning, on friday, garbage truck hit the rail bridge east of the pennsauken transit center. nj transit says they have to suspend services between philadelphia and cherry hill as they make those repairs. substitute bus services will be in effect. we will have details on fox 29 .com if you want to check it out. >>> 4:08. to a developing story there may be more tensions between u.s. and russia. congress stepped in and proposed sanction as begins russia last week. well, now president putin has responded and announcing that 755 u.s. diplomats and staff ers in his country must now leave. the house and senate voted almost unanimously

they are not brave going under these dark conrail tracks but if you had not furnished your home yet we have a couple lazy boys available on the sidewalk as you can see back to back red, black, i don't know what your collar scheme is but we will do some shopping for you if you need any extra furniture. >> steve, i'm working on a theater room. >> burgundy would be fabulous, lovely, thank you. >>> 5:37. majority leader mitch mcconnell says it is time to move on after latest health care plan is shot down in the dramatic vote earlier this morning. >> lets get down to washington d.c. and figure out what the latest is, garrett teny joins us is there a next step what happens. >> no audio. >> garrett is a very dapper man but we cannot hear him. >> nice suit. >> great looking individual and i'm sure very knowledgeable we will have more, in washington we will have more updates on that. whole fall out can you hear us now, sorry. >> i can hear me. >> dawn hear me. >> yes, there we go. >> we can introduce the gentlemen next to him, engineer miking him. >> we have all forgotten a mike a time or two.

a deal, here's the deal, conrail will clean up the area removing the needles, and repair the fencing that has been coming down, in exchange, the city will provide police protection and hall off the trash. >>> well, first day on the job for the new white house chief of staff. does he have any experience being a chief of staff? well, he is a general. john kelly, and his plate is already brims. >> you think bit, charged with bringing order to the administration and he has a number of hot spot flare-ups around the world. >> that is true, caroline he is as busy as you are, caroline. >> reporter: i can only imagine he gets sworn in at 9:30 this morning an has to hit a ground rubbing. cabinet meeting at 10. he will be off and running. top supporters are hoping this new direction at the white house will reign in the chaos of the last six months. general kelly moves from the cabinet to the west wing this morning if we can protocol, pecking order, order, discipline and a chief of staff that empowers the staff to succeed, i know general kill haze done that on the battle feel. we have faith that

. >>> tomorrow, conrail will begin bringing in equipment for a massive cleanup on a stretch of tracks in kensington. the area is littered with hundreds of thousands of needles used by people addicted to heroin. social services will be available and offer food, housing, and drug treatment for people in the area. >>> we have two first alert traffic updates that could impact your commute this week. if you take n.j. atlantic city rail lines, service is suspended for two weeks between philadelphia and cherry hill for repairs. back on friday, a truck slammed into a rail bridge. crews will spend the next two weeks repairing that bridge. and bridge construction could cause backups near lincoln university. construction starts tomorrow on the bridge that brings university road over u.s.-1 and upper oxford township. university road will be closed between baltimore pike and penn grove road. >>> up next, the fight for comfort. a legal win for anyone who has ever had to squeeze into an airplane seat. >>> explosive protests, deadly riots and violence across one country tonight, all because of a cont

conrail is moving in heavy equipment to start the process of removing they say syringes. >>> turning to business this monday morning, the courts are attempted to stop shrinking seat space on airlines. maribel aber is live at the cnn center in new york, great news for frequent flyers maribel. >> no matter how tall or small you are, we want the room. faa will review the size of seats on airlines. small seats can put passengers' health for blood clots. airlines say adding extra seats offer about her fares for travelers. any new faa regulation would bypass the need for action from congress. 89 dow was up on friday, futures are pointing to a higher open. this week consumer spending and factory and jobs report due out. it's a sad day for the jc penny stores at king of prussia and willow grove. they need been trying to liquidate merchandise. back over to you. >> time to turn to david murphy. it was a glorious weekend. >> reporter: it wasn't it beautiful? you'll get more of that today. storm tracker 6 live double scan shows we're dry, looking outside, we have sky6 live hd, there's the commod

great summer in the mid '70s because after penn central went bankrupt they formed a company called conrail which many of you will remember but it continued to struggle mightily and the next step was to relieve them of what really were money losers and that was the commuters operations, and then with that came chicago metro and some other things. the first lesson is one that's fairly simple. when people talk about bringing private companies in to run passenger trains and, gee, wouldn't that be a lot better, you know, history has already told us they couldn't do it. so it's not a question of, you know, ability to run a good organization, and i'll touch on that. it's really a question of fact that in particular, the long distance but in general rail passenger transportation is not a particularly good business mod model, okay? asset intensive, relatively high labor costs, and you know, you don't turn equipment that well and you maintain your own infrastructure which is quite expensive. so that's lesson one. but lesson two and the thing i really want to touch on is that amtrak was created -- an

officials believe up to a million syringes have been dumped on this property owned by conrail near trenton and lehigh. the railroad company reached an agreement last month with the city to remove the trash. crews are now moving in heavy equipment to start the cleaning process but officials say this is just the beginning >> this journey is about the people that are trapped in here, who live in the neighborhood in a working class, poor working class neighborhood who deserve safe streets. this is about the folks who come here who think it is okay to come to kensington to buy drugs. >> in addition to the cleanup there will also be a temporary social services hub where addicts can get help. >> right now tropical storm emily is hammering parts of florida with rain and wind. emily made landfall this morning just south of tampa bay and is moving east across the central part of the state. many areas were expected to get between two and 4-inches of rain with some communities seeing nearly a foot. nearly half of florida is that under a state of emergency because of the storm. >> here at home though t

police are still looking for the shooter. >>> today in philadelphia, conrail is preparing to clean upre for decades. i'm vai sikahema. we'll have the latest in 25 minutes. now back to the "today" show. we'll see you at the bottom of the hour. fios is not cable. we're a 100% fiber optic network. and with the new fios gigabit connection... you get our fastest... internet ever. with download speeds up to 940 megs - 20 times faster than most people have. switch to fios gigabit connection with tv and phone for $79.99 a month online for the first year. plus hbo for one year and multi-room dvr service for two years, all with a two-year agreement. and switching has never been easier. get out of your contract with up to a $500 credit to help cover your early termination fee. go to fiosgigabit.com ♪ ♪ be a powerful force. nature valley >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. ♪ do you wish >> it's here, everybody. n day monday. july 31st. >> fun day monday. >> you like a fun day monday. >> when do i get to come