2 Get Life in Prison After Fatal Florida Mall Shooting

Published November 02, 2010

| Associated Press

MIAMI-- Two men convicted of charges arising from the shooting death of an armored truck guard at a suburban Miami mall have been sentenced to life in prison.

A federal judge in Miami sentenced 25-year-old Emmanuel Maxime and 26-year-old Dwight Carter on Tuesday.

Maxime was convicted in August of conspiracy, robbery and using a firearm in connection with the robbery. Carter was convicted a month earlier on counts of using a firearm in connection with the robbery, drug trafficking and causing the death.

Authorities said 51-year-old Carlos Alvarado, who worked two security jobs to support his family, was killed in the Dec. 1, 2008 shooting at the Dadeland Mall.

In February, two women who served as lookouts were each sentenced to about 20 years in prison.

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Methane Forces Investigators Out of West Virginia Mine

Published November 03, 2010

| Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Government investigators evacuated Massey Energy Co.'s Upper Big Branch mine after encountering methane gas while searching for clues to the deadliest U.S. coal mine explosion in four decades.

Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration spokeswoman Amy Louviere says the evacuation occurred Monday.

She says methane started to accumulate while crews were pumping water from a flooded section of the southern West Virginia mine.

Methane occurs naturally in coal seams and poses one of mining's greatest hazards. The gas can explode at concentrations between 5 percent and 15 percent of the atmosphere.

MSHA suspects the Upper Big Branch explosion started with a methane ignition. The April 5 blast killed 29 coal miners.

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Pennsylvania Man Breaks Into Empty Home, Lives There 3 Days, Cops Say

Published November 03, 2010

| Associated Press

LEBANON, Pa. -- Police have charged a central Pennsylvania man with breaking into an unoccupied home and living there for three days.

State police say 23-year-old Adam Rodriguez duped a construction company into thinking he would purchase the $450,000 home in North Annville Township, Lebanon County. Instead, police say Rodriguez broke in, changed the security code on the garage door and moved in his furniture.

Rodriguez was arrested Monday and charged with burglary, criminal trespass and theft of services. He was awaiting arraignment.

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Small Automakers See Big Gains in October Sales

NEW YORK –  A handful of automakers reported Tuesday that their U.S. sales increased in October from a year ago, but the final tally won't be in for another day.

October sales are expected to come in slightly below 1 million vehicles, hitting around 12 million on a seasonally adjusted annual sales rate. Sales in October were uneven, coming in strong some days and really weak on others.

Election day split the reporting of auto sales, with the larger automakers, including Ford Motor Co. and General Motors, expected to come out with their numbers Wednesday.

Hyundai Motor America, the largest automaker to report Tuesday, said its U.S. sales rose 38 percent last month to 42,656 vehicles from 31,005 the previous year.The gain was led by sales of the Sonata, which totaled 17,505. That was more than double a year ago. The automaker introduced turbo and hybrid versions of the model.

Kia Motors America said its sales increased 39 percent to 31,199 vehicles, while the BMW Group said it saw a gain of 13 percent to 23,222 vehicles.

Subaru's sales rose by a quarter to 22,720 vehicles, boosted by sales for its Outback, Forester and Legacy Sedan models. And Volkswagen's Jetta pushed the company sales up 18 percent in October to 20,084 autos.

Smaller automakers Porsche Cars North America Inc. and Suzuki Auto also booked gains in October sales.

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Attorneys Cite Mitigating Factors in Deadly Conn. Home Invasion

Published November 03, 2010

| Associated Press

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Attorneys for a Connecticut man convicted of a deadly home invasion say he should be spared the death penalty because he was in a "state of intense rage, despair and confusion" during the crimes and is deeply remorseful for what he did.

Attorneys for Steven Hayes filed a list of mitigating factors in New Haven Superior Court on Wednesday.

Hayes was convicted last month of murdering a woman and her two daughters in a home invasion in Cheshire in 2007.

The defense also cited Hayes' abusive childhood and history of drug addiction. Hayes' lawyers say his co-defendant was the mastermind.

The jury must weigh the mitigating factors against aggravating factors cited by prosecutors, including the heinous and cruel nature of the deaths.

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Gas Explosion Levels Boston Home, No Injuries Reported

Published November 03, 2010

| Associated Press

BOSTON -- A utility official says a home in Boston exploded after construction crews accidentally struck a natural gas line.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

NStar spokeswoman Caroline Allen says the explosion occurred around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. She says a contractor for the Boston Water and Sewer Commission was installing a water main at the intersection of Danny Road and Reynolds Street in the Hyde Park neighborhood when the crew hit the gas line.

Gas was released into the home and it exploded.

Broadcast reports Wednesday morning showed the house completely flattened with debris spread around the area and a plume of smoke rising from the wreckage.

The house is not far from Boston Mayor Thomas Menino's home.

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No Serious Injuries After Calif. Inmates Brawl

Published November 02, 2010

| Associated Press

NORCO, Calif. -- Authorities say about eight inmates suffered minor injuries during a brawl at a California state prison that was quickly dispersed.

Lt. Brian Davis of the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco says a small fight in the food line Tuesday morning led to a much larger one in a TV and gaming area in the afternoon.

He says the seven or eight inmates who suffered cuts and bruises were the ones involved in the fight. No one was seriously hurt or taken to a hospital, and no staff members were injured.

Davis says guards used pepper spray to stop the brawl in about eight minutes.

The prison about 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles houses about 4,200 inmates, most of them low-level offenders.

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