The Pulse of CBS Philadelphia: Dec. 4-8
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- This week, police in Philadelphia are searching for another escaped prisoner, our own Aziza Shuler shared her journey with alopecia and much more.
Here's what our team worked on recently:
Gino Hagenkotter escapes from Philadelphia prison, manhunt underway
Police are searching for inmate 34-year-old Gino Hagenkotter, who escaped from the Riverside Correctional Facility in Northeast Philadelphia last week. He was in prison on theft and burglary charges, according to the city.
RELATED: Video shows Gino Hagenkotter after escaping Philadelphia prison; reward offered for info
Hagenkotter escaped while he was working on a detail assignment in the orchard on prison property as part of a good behavior program. Hagenkotter, who was being watched by a prison guard, asked the guard if he could use the bathroom and made his escape.
The 34-year-old is still on the run. Officials are offering $2,000 for information that leads to capturing Hagenkotter.
RELATED: With another prison escape in Philadelphia, what changes are being made?
Abington Raiders play in Pop Warner Super Bowl in Disney World
The Abington Raiders headed to Orlando to play a team from Santa Cruz, California, in the quarterfinals match of the Pop Warner Super Bowl at Disney World.
The 10 year olds feel they have a good grasp of what it will take to win it all.
Fostering Hope Delco's closet in Norwood gives free essentials to families in need
Being a parent is not an easy job, and parents of foster children face unique challenges. One Delaware County nonprofit is helping lighten the load by providing free essentials to families in need.
The foster closet is full of T-shirts, pajamas and shoes. There are also winter coats, hats and gloves. It's a place where foster parents can shop free of charge.
"It is something that we know will go a long way within a family and in a child's life," Tristan Gansky said.
Gansky is the founder of Fostering Hope Delco, the nonprofit that runs, what she calls, "the closet" in the basement of Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church in Norwood.
CBS News Philadelphia's Aziza Shuler shares her alopecia journey: "So much fear and anxiety about revealing this secret"
For most of her life, CBS News Philadelphia anchor Aziza Shuler kept her struggle with alopecia — an autoimmune disease affecting more than 300,000 people in the United States every year — a secret.
"I just thought, okay, that's something that I'm going to keep buried," Shuler said.
Her battle with alopecia began when she was 12, when she says she woke up one day with a bald spot, then lost all her hair within a year. She wore a wig, personally and professionally, to conceal it.
But in September, during alopecia awareness month, Shuler revealed to viewers that she has the condition, describing how she would spend hours in the mirror meticulously styling her hair so that her wig would appear as natural as possible.
"But I'm tired," she said on air. "I'm tired of hiding and I'm tired of living in fear and that starts with living without my wig."
Looking back on the announcement, she said it still makes her emotional.
"I can't believe I harbored so much fear and anxiety about revealing this secret that no longer is a secret now," she said.
Kate Bilo lit up the night at the 2023 Rittenhouse Square Tree Lighting Ceremony
At this year's Rittenhouse Square tree lighting ceremony, our own Kate Bilo, meteorologist, joined Santa Claus and the Center City community to ring in the holiday season. "What an amazing night it was, as always," Bilo said.
Santa even had a compliment for the city of Philadelphia: "It's my favorite place to come," he said.
Old Saint Nick also dished on who from the CBS News Philadelphia team made the nice list this year.
