Twin sister of missing Atlanta blogger pleads: 'Let us know you're OK'

HOUSTON, Texas -- The twin sister of a missing Atlanta woman looked into a news camera Sunday night and pleaded with her sister to call.

"Everyone just wants to know that you're OK," Catherine Erickson said.

Her sister, Victoria Moon Erickson, 31, vanished Jan. 21 while travelling through Houston. 

Catherine said during a news interview that Vicky may have just wanted to get away, to be alone.

That wouldn't be unusual, she said.

But she said Vicky has never left without telling anyone.

Police in Houston are not ruling out kidnapping.

Vicky had been travelling the country on a personal adventure, and writing her blog, called "Permission to Heal."

"It's not unlike her to want to get away for awhile," Catherine said.

Catherine is in Houston to help search for Vicky, and she spoke of how Vicky is a committed vegan and an enthusiastic vegan chef.

Most recently Vicky was helping in the kitchen of a raw-food restaurant in Houston.

Suddenly, she disappeared -- taking nothing with her.

"No car, no cell phone, no laptop, a majority of clothes and shoes left behind," Catherine said.

She also left her dog behind.

Catherine said maybe Vicky just wanted to "go off the grid" as she put it -- one more adventure.

Their foster brother, Paul Samford, posted on Reddit, asking for people to help look for her. And he said during a phone interview that he's always been worried about Vicky travelling alone.

"When she and I would talk about any of those kind of things, I would let her know that I didn't think that was the safest, greatest idea. But she's fearless. She's just fearless, she always has been."

And not knowing anything about Vicky's disappearance is agony for the family.

"We just want to know that you're safe and you're welcome back any time," Catherine said into the camera, beginning to cry. "I love you, okay?"

Catherine and Vicky will turn 32 on Tuesday, January 29.

Investigators in Houston are looking into everything -- people Vicky has met on her travels, possible issues with her health and medication. There is no end to online speculation about the case, but so far there is very little definitive information about what happened.

Catherine said she is convinced Vicky can survive and thrive in any adverse situation.

"One of the first things that came to mind were her survival skills," Catherine said. "My sister's the strongest person I've ever had the privilege of being close to."

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Thieves use car to smash into Foot Locker

ATLANTA -- Burglars used a car to smash into an Atlanta shoe store and steal merchandise early Monday.

The robbery happened shortly before 3 a.m. at the Foot Locker on Metropolitan Parkway.

Atlanta Police dispatchers said the thieves drove a Dodge Intrepid into the front of the store, breaking a window. They got into the store through the broken window.

Atlanta Police Sgt. Greg Lyon said store security video showed the suspects backing the Dodge into the store. About 15 suspects took clothing and shoes before escaping in a getaway car, which appeared to be a dark red Chevrolet pickup truck with a bright light bar on its back end.

The Dodge used in the robbery was reported stolen out of Clayton County, Lyon said. It was found abandoned in the Foot Locker parking lot.

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Jury wanted to indict JonBenet Ramsey's parents

JonBenet Ramsey (File Photo)

BOULDER, Colo. -- There's new information in the JonBenet Ramsey case.

The grand jury actually voted to indict her parents in 1999. That's according to an article published in the Boulder Daily Camera over the weekend.

There was reportedly no indictment because the district attorney didn't believe he had enough evidence to prosecute the case.

JonBenet was a 6-year-old beauty queen found murdered in her parents' Colorado basement in 1996. 

Her parents moved to metro Atlanta after her death. JonBenet and her mother are both buried in Marietta.

The Boulder D.A. cleared the Ramseys and their adult son of any wrongdoing in 2008.

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A new look for 11Alive

WXIA -- 11Alive has a new graphic look. 

In the top bar of the new graphic box you will find story information as well as the name and title of someone being interviewed. 

The second bar is the new Rundown, which is now called the Line Up.  The next three stories coming up will be shown.

The third line is where headlines, traffic information, weather, social engagement and breaking news can be found.

If the wording on the graphics seems to be cut off on the screen, or if you never see the third line, your television setting may need to be changed. In most cases, this is caused by the viewing option for the screen to be on a zoom or stretch setting. To put your screen in the right aspect ratio, cycle through the screen options until you see the correct full image.  Most remotes have a button that can be used to change this setting.  Check out the photo to see if your remote has one of these options. If you can't find this on your remote, you will need to enter your television menu setting to make the change there.

The new look comes after extensive research and based on viewer feedback

Here are some highlights of what we learned in the research to help design the new look:
-Color coding various types of news - research has told us that viewers want things simplified and organized. It visually allows people to know what type of story we are doing or about to do.
-The Lineup - Integrating what is on the air with what is immediately coming up next.  Allowing the viewers to count on us to always be able to know what the upcoming three stories are.
-Balancing the right amount of graphical information on the screen at one time.  Research says viewers don't just want a word or two to name the story.  They want enough information to help them understand what the actual news is and what is the most updated information.  

Along with the new graphics, viewers will hear new music being used in productions.

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Rapper Rick Ross' Rolls Royce reportedly rams building in Fla.

Skycam images from WTVJ show a Rolls Royce, reportedly owned by rapper Rick Ross, after it hit a building in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. (WTVJ Miami)

MIAMI (WTVJ) -- Fort Lauderdale Police are investigating after a shooting led to a Rolls Royce crashing into an apartment building early Monday.

Police officials say shots were fired around 5 a.m. in the area of Southeast 15th Avenue and E. Las Olas Boulevard

The silver Rolls Royce was traveling eastbound on Las Olas when another vehicle opened fire on it, police said.

When the Rolls tried to get away, it crashed into the building at 311 Southeast 15th Avenue. Neither of the two people inside were injured, police said.

Police are still looking for the gunman or gunmen.

The names of the victims inside the Rolls weren't being released because they're in fear for their lives, police said. Witnesses said rapper Rick Ross was inside the Rolls.

"The occupants of the vehicle have asked for their information to be withheld from being released," Fort Lauderdale Police spokeswoman Det. DeAnna Garcia said. "They obviously, with everything that just took place, are fearful for their lives and their families lives."

Witnesses said they heard as many as 20 shots.

(WTVJ Miami)

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College Football Hall of Fame breaks ground Monday

Artist's rendering of Atlanta's College Football Hall of Fame (Courtesy Atlanta Business Chronicle)

ATLANTA -- The new College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta is scheduled to break ground on Monday in the city's downtown area.

The hall is scheduled to open in the fall of 2014 in Centennial Olympic Park.

The National Football Foundation, which runs the Hall of Fame, announced this week's groundbreaking in December.

The new site in Centennial Olympic Park is near the Georgia Dome and World Congress Center. The College Football Hall of Fame was located in South Bend, Ind., near the campus of Notre Dame, for 17 years. It closed last year.

The NFF announced three years ago that the hall was moving from Indiana, but fundraising issues forced several delays in the project.

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Flowery Branch HS searched after Instagram threat

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Investigators combed through Flowery Branch High School Monday morning after a threat was made against the school on a social networking site.

The unspecified threat was made on Instagram Sunday night, according to Hall County Sheriff's spokesman Gordon Higgins.

Police searched the school building, but found nothing, Higgins said.

The school was never placed on lockdown.

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