The Walmart on W. Main St. in Avon was evacuated due to a suspicious package.

Police responded to the store around 12:30 p.m. Sunday. They asked everyone inside the store to evacuate and also evacuated the large parking and prevented anyone coming off of the busy Route 44 from coming in.

The SWAT team and fire department also assisted.

During the investigation, police received a call that someone had left a bag in the area. That bag turned out to be the package they were investigating.

The scene was cleared and the store and parking lot reopened around an hour after the original call.

Firefighters battling the 20,000-acre Silver Fire have lifted most evacuation orders and had the blaze 90 percent contained Sunday night, estimating full containment Monday.

The 30-square-mile blaze in Riverside County has injured 11 firefighters - including one Sunday - and one civilian. The civilian suffered severe burn injuries, authorities said. Some 48 structures were destroyed, including 26 homes, one commercial building and 21 outbuildings.

Eight other buildings were damaged, including two homes and six outbuildings.

Photos: Viewer Images | More Fire Images | Send Us Your Fire Photos

Most evacuation orders were lifted by Sunday morning, though some campgrounds and an RV Park remained closed. Evacuation centers for residents and their animals closed Sunday afternoon.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

The Silver Fire broke out on Wednesday off a highway south of Banning, 90 miles east of Los Angeles.

Two other smaller fires, meanwhile, continued to burn in Southern California.

The Sharp Fire in the mountain community of Wrightwood scorched 163 acres and was 75 percent contained. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries and evacuations were ordered for some areas.

A fire that scorched about 100 acres in Santa Clarita near Bee Canyon, close to where the Powerhouse Fire burned earlier this summer, was 70 percent contained Sunday morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

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Crews have been working on fixing a water main break at the intersection of West Main Street and Judd Street since Friday afternoon.

According to police, it all started when a car hit a fire hydrant  at around 3:45 p.m.

The break caused minor flooding and residents were left with extremely low water pressure.

City Officials said Waterbury Hospital did not have phone service for 24 hours Saturday and doctors were reached through their cell phones. Their system is now back up.

The Waterbury Fire Department is taking some extra precautions since another hospital is located nearby. St. Mary's Hospital has to maintain a certain pressure for their sprinkler system to work so fire officials sent a tanker truck full of water to be used in case the pressure drops.

People who live in the area call the issue inconvenient, but are relieved crews are working quickly to fix the problem.

"Very low pressure or no pressure at all, yet the city of Waterbury has been working on it," said resident, Kent Goosby.

West Main Street is currently closed between the intersection of Willow and Sperry Streets as workers make the necessary repairs.

Crews are expected to continue their work through the night and into Monday morning.

Police said the driver who hit the fire hydrant fled the scene and has not yet been caught.

San Diego teenager Hannah Anderson – who was recovered by authorities in Idaho backcountry Saturday after six days of a widespread Amber Alert search -- has reunited with her father, her family confirmed on Sunday.

On Saturday, 16-year-old Hannah, of Lakeside, was found with kidnap and murder suspect James Lee DiMaggio, 40 – at a campsite north of Morehead Lake in Idaho backcountry.

Officials said U.S. Marshals flying an airplane above the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness spotted a tent in the area. They then called in an FBI SWAT and Hostage Rescue Team to move in on the campsite.

Agents were able to safely recover Hannah.

DiMaggio – the man authorities believe abducted the teenage girl after killing her mother and brother in the unincorporated community of Boulevard near San Diego on Aug. 4 – was killed at the scene.

TIMELINE: Search for Hannah Anderson

Few details were released by the FBI on how, exactly, DiMaggio was killed. San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore said he was shot and killed by an FBI agent at approximately 4:20 p.m. PT. It is unclear if DiMaggio returned fire, as that part of the investigation is ongoing.

After San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore announced that Hannah had been found safe in Idaho, Gore said the teen’s father, Brett Anderson (pictured below), was expected to travel to Idaho to reunite with her.

“[Brett] is elated that we found his daughter alive,” Gore said in Saturday’s press conference.

In a separate press briefing out of Idaho on Saturday following the recovery of Hannah, Valley County acting Public Information Officer Andrea Dearden said the teen appeared to be unharmed and was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

On Sunday, Dearden said Hannah’s current location would not be disclosed due to safety and security reasons.


Hannah and DiMaggio were the subjects of an Amber Alert that spanned six states – California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Idaho – with millions on the lookout for a blue Nissan Versa with California license plates driven by DiMaggio.

DiMaggio is suspected of killing Hannah's mother, 44-year-old Christina Anderson, and her 8-year-old brother Ethan Anderson, both of Lakeside. Their bodies were found on DiMaggio's property east of San Diego where a log-style cabin and detached garage burned to the ground on Sunday.

After the fire, Hannah went missing and was believed to be traveling with DiMaggio.

The pair was spotted by a horseback rider in remote, backcountry terrain near Cascade, Idaho, and Morehead Lake on Wednesday.

Once law enforcement honed in on the area, they discovered DiMaggio’s vehicle – the Nissan Versa listed in the Amber Alert – in the very rugged terrain of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, covered in brush.

This led to an extensive search of the backcountry led by more than 200 federal, local and state law enforcement officials.

Finally, on Saturday, Hannah and DiMaggio were found by officials near the site of where the horseback rider had initially spotted the pair on Wednesday.

Complete Coverage:

• Hannah's Family Calls DiMaggio's Death "Fitting"
• Officials ID Second Victim in Boulevard Fire
• Kidnapping Suspect May Have Homemade Explosives
• Father's Plea to Missing Kids
• Friends Pray for Safe Return of Missing Kids

The four horseback riders who spotted missing San Diego teenager Hannah Anderson and the man accused of abducting her, James Lee DiMaggio, in Idaho backcountry, publicly shared their story of the crucial sighting on Sunday.

The horseback riders – two married couples who hail from Sweet, Idaho – included Mike Young, 62, and wife Mary Young, 61, as well as Mark John, 71, and wife Christa John, 68.

The four riders saw Hannah and DiMaggio on Wednesday in rugged Idaho backcountry near Cascade and Morehead Lake. They had a couple of brief interactions with the duo, but saw no immediate reason to be alarmed.

At the time, the Youngs and Johns were not aware of the widespread Amber Alert involving Hannah and DiMaggio.

However, on Sunday, all four riders said the pair seemed completely out of place in the Idaho backcountry – almost even “lost” in the rugged terrain.

TIMELINE: Search for Hannah Anderson

 “They were like a square peg in a round hole – they didn’t fit,” said Mark John, a former county sheriff and retired Army officer. “[DiMaggio] may have been an outdoorsman in California, but he was not an outdoorsman in Idaho – he didn’t fit.”

Mark said what immediately stuck out was that Hannah and DiMaggio did not seem to want to talk with the group. He said this seemed strange, because in the backcountry, people you run into are usually quite friendly and talkative.

“In the backcountry, you exchange pleasantries. These people did not want to talk,” he said.

“Usually when you encounter people in the backcountry, you have a good conversation about where they’ve been and where they’re going,” said Mike Young. “They didn’t want to talk.”

Mike was the first in the group to interact with Hannah and DiMaggio.

He said the teenager looked like she was “trying to turn her face away” from the group and had a frightened look on her face. In that moment, Mike said he just thought Hannah may have been afraid of the horses.

Mike said he only spoke with DiMaggio, but Hannah never spoke once during their brief interaction.

Still, Mike said a “red flag” went up, and he had a “gut feeling” that the pair didn’t belong in the wilderness.

For starters, DiMaggio told him that he and Hannah were on their way to a nearby lake. However, Mike said the pair was walking in the wrong direction.

Mike also said the pair didn’t seem appropriately dressed or well-equipped for the rough terrain.

He said Hannah was wearing pajama bottoms or sweatpants and tennis shoes, while DiMaggio was wearing a gray sweatshirt, tennis shoes and a backpack.

“I spend a lot of time in the backcountry, and you don’t often run into people wearing pajamas,” said Mike.

Mike said the pair had set up a two-man tent along a dry, dangerous ridge nearby, which also seemed a bit strange, as there was no water in the area. Mike said they looked like they had been camping for about a day or so – not very long.

He approached the pair as the group of riders was coming up a trail, and DiMaggio and Hannah wound up following the riders to a nearby lake.

When Mark approached the pair on horseback, he saw Hannah with her feet in the water and tried to make small talk with her. He said she ignored him and turned away.

As the teenager turned away, Mark said he heard her say, “Looks like we’re all in trouble now.”
Mark said the pair’s camping gear looked brand new, as if they had just bought it.

He said later that night, as the group of horseback riders discussed their interaction with Hannah and DiMaggio, they started getting a strange, suspicious feeling.

When Mark got home and turned on the news, he saw the Amber Alert and realized they had spotted Hannah and DiMaggio.

“I told my wife, ‘That was the girl we seen up there on the mountain.’” he recalled.

Mark called authorities and reported the sighting -- a critical tip that would eventually lead more than 200 federal, state and local law enforcement officials into the rural backcountry area to ultimately find Hannah and DiMaggio.

Meanwhile, Mary Young and Christa John also shared a few details about their encounters with Hannah and DiMaggio.

When Mary approached the couple on horseback on the trail, she said it appeared that DiMaggio had moved in closer to Hannah and may have had his arm around her waist. Mary said the girl appeared frightened.

When she saw the pair again at the lake, she attempted to ask Hannah why she had her feet in the water, but the teen turned her head and mostly ignored her.

“They did not want to walk with us,” said Mary. “They wanted to be left alone.”

Christa said the group got a “prickly” feeling after interacting with the pair, like something just wasn’t right.

She said the pair followed the riders into the lake quickly, and Hannah seemed sort of panicked.

She said it was simply their duty to alert authorities and report what they had seen and felt.

“For us to be there at the precise time to interact with them is one [chance] in a trillion. It was a once in a lifetime event,” said Christa. “If you had been there, you would’ve felt the same thing [about them].”

In the end, Mark said the group was thrilled and relieved to learn that Hannah was found safe by authorities in Idaho.

He said they had hoped all along that their tip to authorities would help and not hinder the search efforts.

“We were nervous at first, of what the outcomes might be,” he added. “It makes me feel really great that the girl was found safe.”

On Sunday, Valley County acting Public Information Officer Andrea Dearden said the Youngs and Johns played a truly crucial role in the safe recovery of Hannah.

“These are the four people who played the most critical role in the investigation, in bringing Hannah home safely,” said Dearden.

On Saturday, hundreds of searchers used helicopters, horses and all-terrain vehicles to scour roughly 300 miles of Idaho backcountry for any sign of Hannah and DiMaggio.

Ultimately, U.S. Marshals flying an airplane above the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness spotted the pair’s tent in the area. They called in an FBI SWAT and Hostage Rescue Team to move in on the campsite.

Shots were fired, and DiMaggio was killed. Agents were able to safely recover Hannah.

DiMaggio is suspected of killing Hannah's mother, 44-year-old Christina Anderson, and her 8-year-old brother Ethan Anderson, both of Lakeside. Their bodies were found on DiMaggio's property east of San Diego where a cabin and detached garage burned to the ground on Aug. 4.

On Sunday, Dearden said FBI agents were still at the campsite in Idaho backcountry gathering evidence and processing the scene. For safety and security reasons, Dearden offered no information about Hannah’s current whereabouts, but said she is safe.
 

Complete Coverage:

• Hannah's Family Calls DiMaggio's Death "Fitting"
• Officials ID Second Victim in Boulevard Fire
• Kidnapping Suspect May Have Homemade Explosives
• Father's Plea to Missing Kids
• Friends Pray for Safe Return of Missing Kids

James Lee DiMaggio, the man suspected of abducting Lakeside teenager Hannah Anderson after killing her mother and brother, appears to have a troubled family history.

According to San Diego Superior Court records, DiMaggio’s late father – James Everet DiMaggio – had a criminal record.

Court records show that two felony cases were filed on July 18, 1989, and on August 9, 1989, in San Diego’s East County. It is unclear it those particular cases are related.

Records show another felony case was filed against James Everet DiMaggio on February 14, 1990, in downtown San Diego.

TIMELINE: Search for Hannah Anderson

According to a February 1990 article published in “The Tribune,” James Everet DiMaggio was charged with attempted murder stemming from the beating of two people at an El Cajon motel on Christmas Day, 1989.

The archived article says 35-year-old James Everet DiMaggio disappeared shortly after victims Cynthia Marie Bryant, 32, and David Aaron DeBord were attacked with a baseball bat at the Ha’Penny Inn on Main Street.

James Everet DiMaggio wound up turning himself in to police nine days after the attack, the article states.

The article references DiMaggio’s preliminary hearing on the case, which took place in February 1990.

A visibly scarred Bryant testified at the hearing, saying she had arranged for James Everet DiMaggio – whom she knew as “Jimbo” – to buy crystal methamphetamine on Christmas Eve.

Bryant said she, DeBord and James Everet DiMaggio all injected crystal meth in the El Cajon motel room, staying up all night the article said.

Then, on Christmas morning, things turned.

The two men argued over her, Bryant testified.

While in the bathroom she said she heard a yelp and when she walked out, she saw DeBord lying face down on the floor in a puddle of blood, the article said.

Bryant testified that a “deranged” James Everet DiMaggio then attacked her with an aluminum baseball bat, saying “he had nothing to lose.”

Her arm was broken and she was struck in the head with a bat. Bryant said she fell to the floor, and then James Everet DiMaggio allegedly placed tape over her mouth and tied her up with extension cords.

Bryant lost consciousness, and when she awoke she left the room and called police the article stated.

At the time of publication, the February 1990 article stated that James Everet DiMaggio was in jail, serving a two-year sentence stemming from an unrelated case.

That particular case included breaking into an ex-girlfriend’s home and holding the woman and her daughter at gunpoint after a dispute over a new car. He pleaded guilty to burglary in that case, the article said.

In the newspaper clip, James Everet DiMaggio is described as a former car salesman who worked at a car dealership in El Cajon. He was described as a divorced father of two.

James Everet DiMaggio wound up committing suicide more than a decade ago on Aug. 10, a family friend confirmed.

Meanwhile, his son -- kidnap and murder suspect James Lee DiMaggio of Boulevard -- was killed in the Idaho backcountry near Morehead Lake on August 10, 2013.

James DiMaggio is suspected of killing Lakeside resident Christina Anderson, 44, and her son, Ethan Anderson, 8. Their charred bodies were found on DiMaggio's property east of San Diego where a log-style cabin and detached garage burned to the ground on Aug. 4.

After the fire, DiMaggio fled San Diego with Hannah Anderson, 16, Christina's daughter and Ethan's sister. Authorities believed he may have abducted the girl, and officials issued an Amber Alert that spanned across six states.

Ultimately, the pair was spotted in Idaho backcountry near Morehead Lake by a group of horseback riders, who then tipped off law enforcement officers.

On Saturday, officials honed in on Hannah and DiMaggio and found them at a campsite in rugged terrain. Hannah was recovered by officials, while DiMaggio was killed at the scene.

Police are looking for the person responsible for shooting a 23-year-old man in New Haven Sunday night.

According to investigators, Jordan Rambert, a performer, was passing out flyers to promote one of his shows at a nearby basketball tournament when he was shot in the back at close range.

The incident happened at around 6:00 p.m., at Ivy and Butler Streets.

Rambert was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital where he is listed in critical condition, but stable condition, said police.

Police do not have a motive or suspect at this time. If you have any information, call New Haven Police at 203-946-6316.


 

A white van hit part of the Hartford Federal building after running over a bicyclist Sunday night, according to police.

A driver in his late 70's was driving on Main Street near Linden Place when he lost control of his vehicle.

Police said the driver struck a male bicyclist who was on the sidewalk and then hit the concrete facade of the Abraham A. Ribicoff United States Court House.

The driver was not hurt, but the bicyclist in in critical, but stable condition at Hartford Hospital, said police.

Officers on scene gave the man a sobriety test. Police said the driver was not drunk.

Apple is expected to release its latest iPhone at an event on Sept. 10, according to the technology blog, AllThingsD.

The technology giant is also rumored to release a new lower-cost iPhone along with the new model it reportedly plans to release.

There has been speculation about the addition of a fingerprint sensor, in addition to the release of the new iOS 7 operating system. The software update includes a new redesign of the overall look of the iPhone's menu and icons, as well as other smaller updates such as improved notifications and better ways to organize photos, according to AllThingsD.

The software update will reportedly be available for several recent iPhones, iPads and iPod touch devices.

Apple is also expected to launch the next version of its Mac OS X, known as Mavericks.
 

Relatives of a San Diego teenager who officials say was abducted by a family friend and driven to the Idaho wilderness told NBC 7 it's fitting the suspect was killed by law enforcement.

Hannah Anderson, 16, and the man accused of abducting her and killing her mother and brother just days earlier, James Lee DiMaggio, 40, were located Saturday afternoon north of Cascade, Idaho.

An FBI agent shot and killed DiMaggio at a campsite San Diego County sheriff’s deputies said.

Read: Missing San Diego Teen Found Safe Suspect Killed

The teenager, while appearing to be in good condition with no serious injuries, was airlifted out of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness area and flown to a nearby hospital where she could be treated by medical staff and crisis counselors.

Hannah's condition was unknown and family members weren't sure what the teenager witnessed or experienced.

"She's the only one that can tell us and we'll go from there when she's ready," said maternal grandmother Sara Britt.

Earlier in the day Britt and other relatives went to the Lakeside, Calif., apartment where Christina Anderson, 44, lived with Hannah and her 8-year-old son Ethan.

They planned to pack up everything; they don't want Hannah to ever go back to that apartment again.

Britt held a little stuffed SpongeBob Square Pants. The toy was Ethan's. She said she's going to sleep with it from now on.

While packing up the apartment, Britt got a call from Hannah's father, Brett Anderson. He was crying and told her to come over to his home.

Once there, she was informed that FBI agents moved in on the pair around 4:20 p.m. PT. Hannah was found alive and DiMaggio had been shot and killed. 

After six days of a widespread Amber Alert more than 200 state and federal law enforcement officials were tipped to the Idaho backcountry after a fortunate sighting from a horseback rider Wednesday.

The man told officials nothing was alarming about his conversation with the adult male and teenaged girl but it seemed odd. After seeing the Amber Alert information, the horseback rider called in the information to authorities.

Relatives said they were gathering reward money to thank him for that fateful tip.

"Can't pay him enough for the life of my granddaughter," she said.

On Friday, officials discovered DiMaggio’s blue Nissan Versa covered by brush. They then brought in dozens of law enforcement officers to scour the rugged terrain by air, horse and all-terrain vehicles.

Then Saturday, U.S. Marshals flying a plane over the area of Morehead Lake spotted a tent.

An FBI SWAT and task force team moved in. DiMaggio was shot and killed and Hanna Anderson was flown to safety. Officials did not reveal if Hannah Anderson said anything to officials once she was found.

Timeline: Search for Hannah Anderson

Homicide detectives believe DiMaggio planned the violence that played out this week beginning with the arson Sunday evening.

Christina and Ethan Anderson were found on DiMaggio's property in Boulevard where a log-style cabin and detached garage burned to the ground. The boy’s body was so badly burned it took the county medical examiner’s office several days to positively identify him through DNA extraction from his bone marrow.

"We had to put the murder of Ethan and Tina on hold in the back of our minds because we had to totally focus on Hannah," Britt said. "So now we can take the time to grieve my daughter and grandson.''

Hanna’s grandmother said she never saw anything in DiMaggio that would’ve hinted in the death of her daughter and grandson and the abduction of Hannah.

“People like that, it’s in them anyway and they work that to their advantage. They’ll show you the good person they are to work their way into your family and into your children’s lives,” she said.

Family members say the fact that DiMaggio was killed is fitting. Britt was relieved her granddaughter won't have to deal with anything in court.

The teenager's relatives wanted to thank everyone for their prayers, support and love.

"Everyone had a place in helping us get her home," Britt said.

A 2-year-old boy kidnapped from a Rhode Island home where police made an early morning discovery of two bodies was found Sunday night "in good health," police said.

Johnston Deputy Police Chief Daniel Parrillo said the boy was found in Providence, but he would not provide any other details on the circumstances.

The search for the boy, Isaiah Perez, began after the two bodies were discovered about 5:20 a.m. at a home in Johnston, a town of 30,000 residents less than 10 miles from Providence.

Two men were arrested in the double homicide and Isaiah's abduction, while police had continued their search "any place and every place" for the child, Parrillo said.

Parrillo said investigators believe the two were killed between 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. and the boy was taken from the home. The names of the two dead were not immediately released.

By the afternoon, Malcolm Crowell, 22, was arrested in Fall River, Mass., and Daniel Rodriguez, 27 or 28, was arrested that evening in Providence, Parrillo said. Both suspects are from Providence, but Parillo would not say why police suspect the two or how they are related to each other or to the victims.

Investigators were working to determine the relationships among the boy, his abductor and the two homicide victims. Parrillo said it was unclear whether the boy's abductor was living in the home, was a guest or was uninvited.

"What he was doing there, we have no idea," Parrillo said earlier in the day. "We don't believe the child was harmed, and we're just hoping that he will be safely returned."

When the boy went missing, a nationwide Amber Alert was issued that identified the child and also named Crowell as a suspect.

Massachusetts State Police spokesman Dave Procopio initially said Crowell was captured in Fall River. But Procopio later backtracked and would only say he was told the man in custody wasn't involved in the child's disappearance.

Parrillo said Sunday evening that he couldn't explain the confusion among Massachusetts State Police surrounding Crowell's status as a suspect.

Associated Press/NBC Connecticut
 

Three people are safe after a fire in Wallingford this morning, but a blaze in the garage at 860 Clintonville Road spread to the house, causing damage to a car and the screened-in back porch, officials said. 

The fire department was able to extinguish the fire quickly, the fire chief said.

One firefighter sprained his ankle while fighting the fire.

Investigators are working toward determining the cause of the fire.

The American Red Cross has been called in to assist the residents.

Dognappers were caught on video grabbing six puppies out of the back seat of a woman's car last week while she paid a bill at a Southern California animal hospital.

The 6-week-old American bulldog puppies were bred to be service dogs for the disabled. The owner is a hearing-impaired woman.

The theft also puts the dogs' health at risk - the puppies were still too young to be separated from their mother, whose milk they need for nourishment and immunity.

The owner, Ryan Fingerle, said the puppies' mother has been visibly upset.

"She mopes around the house ... looking for puppies," she said.

The video shows a man walking through a parking lot in Highland Park and stopping suddenly as he peers into the car window. He looks around, walks off and returns with a friend.

The man opens the car's unlocked rear door and they ran off with a dog bed and all of the pups on it.

A witness reported seeing the men throw some of the puppies over a fence. That led to the recovery of three of the puppies.

The puppies were worth an estimated $1,000 each.

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A massive sinkhole caused a section of a resort villa near Disney World in central Florida to partially collapse early Monday, and another section of the villa was sinking, authorities said.
 
About 30 percent of the three-story structure collapsed around 3 a.m. Monday, Lake County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Tony Cuellar said. The villa at the Summer Bay Resort in Clermont had already been evacuated and no injuries were reported.

Seffner Restaurant Evacuated After Possible Sinkhole
 
The sinkhole comes five months after one elsewhere in Florida killed a man.
 
Monday's sinkhole, which is in the middle of the villa, is about 40 to 50 feet in diameter, Cuellar said. He said authorities think it was getting deeper but couldn't tell early Monday if it was growing outward.

The villa houses 24 units and about 20 people were staying in it at the time, Cuellar said.

Sinkhole Forces Tampa Area Family From Home
 
Authorities were called to the scene, about 10 miles west of Disney World, late Sunday where they found that the building was making popping sounds and windows were breaking.
 
A nearby villa was also evacuated as a precaution, Cuellar said.
 
Witnesses told The Associated Press they could hear a cracking sound as the villa began sinking. A large crack was visible at the building's base.

Video Released of Sinkhole That Killed Man in Seffner
 
Luis Perez, who was staying at a villa near the sinking one, said he was in his room when the lights went off around 11:30 p.m. He said he was on his way to the front desk to report the outage when he saw firefighters and police outside.
 
"I started walking toward where they were at and you could see the building leaning and you could see a big crack at the base of the building," said Perez, 54, of Berona, N.J.

Florida has a long and ongoing problem with sinkholes, which cause millions of dollars in damage in the state annually. On March 1, a sinkhole underneath a house in Seffner, about 60 miles southwest of the Summer Bay Resort, swallowed a man who was in his bed. His body was never recovered.
 
But such fatalities and injuries are rare and most sinkholes are small. Sinkholes can develop quickly or slowly over time.
 
They are caused by Florida's geology - the state sits on limestone, a porous rock that easily dissolves in water, with a layer of clay on top. The clay is thicker in some locations making them even more prone to sinkholes.
 
Other states sit atop limestone in a similar way, but Florida has additional factors like extreme weather, development, aquifer pumping and construction.

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Darien police have arrested a Pennsylvania man accused of trying to run his stepchildren down in a car and smashing the windows of his estranged wife’s SUV.

Police said Hollis Ross, 58, of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, is accused of racing a late-model Lexus sedan across several lawns on Sunday afternoon and hitting his estranged wife’s late-model Lexus SUV, which was parked in the driveway on Casement Street.

Ross' stepdaughters were standing by the car at the time and police said information obtained at the scene supported the allegation that Ross was attempting to intentionally hit the women, police said.     

The women narrowly escaped by diving into bushes and other landscaping along the driveway. 

After the crash, Ross got out of his vehicle, holding a yellow framing hammer, and smashed the window of his estranged wife’s SUV, police said. 

The two adult children ran into the house and locked the door while another family member called 911, police said.

Police responded to the report of a domestic violence incident at 1:16 p.m. and found that both vehicles were heavily damaged.

When officers arrived, Ross surrendered and admitted to officers that he had been drinking alcohol, police said.

He was given field sobriety tests and did not pass.      

Police said the State of Pennsylvania issued a protective order prohibiting any contact between Ross and his estranged wife.

As of Sunday night, Ross was being held at the Darien Police Department under a $500,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned in Stamford Superior Court on Monday, August 12, 2013.      

Police said Ross also endangered a pedestrian who had been walking in the area. 
 
Ross was charged with two counts of criminal attempt at manslaughter in the first degree, violation of out of state protective order, reckless endangerment in the first degree, criminal mischief in the first degree, operating under the influence of liquor/drug, or both and breach of peace.

The William R. Cotter federal building at 135 High Street in Hartford was evacuated for a while on Monday morning after a suspicious package was reported, police said.

Hartford police bomb squad responded and the scene is now clear .

Police shut down nearby streets. as they investigated.
 

After much hoopla and publicity, the woman who claimed to be a distant relative of American aviator Amelia Earhart revealed Friday the pair is not related.

"After hiring a team of researchers, I learned today that though we share a name and a love of flight, the first Amelia Earhart and I are not from the same family," Amelia Rose Earhart wrote on her Facebook page.

The 30-year-old weather and traffic co-anchor for NBC Denver affiliate KUSA has gained nationwide attention since announcing that she would embark on her own around-the-world flight next summer to honor her "very distant" relative and "namesake."

Earhart and a co-pilot plan to circumvent the globe in June 2014 in a Pilatus PC-12NG, starting in Oakland, Calif.  The 14-stop, 480,000-mile journey will take the pair over Howland Island where the late Earhart and her co-pilot were supposed to land before they vanished over the South Pacific in 1937.

The modern Earhart hopes to become the youngest woman to fly around the world.

"I've been having this conversation my entire life," Earhart said of her famous name on the "Today" show on Aug. 2. "It always comes up. When I think about the best way to honor being a namesake of Amelia, it's all about adventure."

Earhart said on her Facebook post that she has no plans to abandon her planned flight around the world next year and remains committed her cause of helping young girls to "purse their dreams of flight."

Check out the full Facebook post:

A note from my heart... Thank you for reading. Amelia Earhart once said: "You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward." She sure was right.Years ago, I hired a genealogist to look into the link between myself and the first Amelia Earhart, and for the past 10 years, I had the understanding that we shared a distant common ancestry. As many of you may know, I am in the process of recreating her historic flight around the world. As a part of this process, it became clear it was time to determine the EXACT connection between the two of us. After hiring a team of researchers, I learned today that though we share a name and a love of flight, the first Amelia Earhart and I are not from the same family. While the news was a jolt, it DOES NOT change my commitment to the the flight or to the mission of The Fly With Amelia Foundation, which is to enable young girls to pursue their dreams of flight. I am so thankful for all the encouragement and support I have received and I am really looking forward to sharing my recreation of Amelia's flight around the world with all of you. -Amelia

East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo and his office have received several inquiries from people who want to make donations to help the victims of the plane crash on Charter Oak Avenue in East Haven on Friday and an account has been set up. 

Checks should be made payable to “East Haven United” and can be dropped off or mailed to the following locations:

• Old Stone Church, 251 Main Street, East Haven, CT 06512. The phone number is 203-467-2907
• St. Vincent DePaul Church,  80 Taylor Ave East Haven, CT 06512. The phone number is 203-467-6394
• East Haven United c/o P.O. Box 120085, East Haven, CT 06512.
   

The rodeo clown who wore a Barack Obama mask during a show at the Missouri State Fair has been permanently banned from performing at the event ever again.

The Missouri State Fair apologized for the weekend rodeo stunt mocking Obama that has been slammed by state officials from both parties.

The state fair commission unanimously approved the motion, according to a statement.

Video of the state fair incident aired by NBC affiliate KSHB showed a rodeo clown standing in the middle of the arena wearing an Obama mask, while an announcer rallied the crowd into a frenzy by saying, "We're gonna smoke Obama, man."

A bull was unleashed from the bullpen, but the Obama clown left the arena about 15 minutes later after the bull got too close, according to The Associated Press.

Spectator Perry Beam told KSHB that the crowd "went wild" during the stunt.

Beam said he witnessed another clown running up to the one wearing the Obama mask and played with the lips on the mask.

"Like an effigy, at a Klan rally," Beam told the "Today" show by phone. "There would have been no reason to mess with his lips if he would have been a white president."

Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill called the rodeo antic "shameful" and "unacceptable."

"I condemn the actions disrespectful to POTUS the other night," tweeted Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. "We are better than this."

The Missouri State Fair agreed in a statement to NBC News that the performance was disrespectful. "We strive to be a family friendly event and regret that Saturday's rodeo badly missed that mark."

Lt. Gov. Kinder sent a follow-up tweet calling for Gov. Jay Nixon to take action.

I love the @MoStateFair and will attend this week. I implore @GovJayNixon to hold the people responsible for the other night accountable.

— Peter Kinder (@PeterKinder) August 11, 2013

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The Shelton Fire Department is responding to a boat accident on Lake Housatonic, near Indian Well State Park.

Whether there are any injuries is not known.

No additional information was immediately available.

Check back for updates.