seen with kristin. the smart family hiring a private detective to follow him. but florez denied involvement and was not charged. no physical evidence ever tied him to kristin. smart's parents saying we are confident that the person of interest will soon be held accountable for taking her life and harboring her remains. investigators blocked off an area behind me about the size of a football field. they say the dogs zeroed in on three different locations and they're hoping they find something before the fall semester starts if two weeks. abc news, california. world war ii pilot, elaine harmon, has finally gotten her wish to be buried at arlington national cemetery. harmon was one of the women, one of the air force service pilots in a group of female pilots who flew military planes in noncombat missions. >> they were not eligible at

something her family worked hard to change. >> our grandmother loved her country so much that she was willing to risk her life for it. that her time wasn't just a page in the history books. it was a job that she did that she felt compelled to do and she did it every day knowing that it was dangerous. >> and it actually took an a kt of congress to allow harmon's burial at arlington. >> it's amazing it took that long, and that much effort. and the flag that became a symbol of america's unbreakable spirit after the september 11th attacks and was lost for years has now been found. >> a photo was taken on that day showing three firefighters raising the american flag at ground zero. then the flag disappeared for years until a mystery man turned it over to officials in washington state. it will be unveiled today during a ceremony at the 9/11 memorial. >> that flag, that photo is so iconic, and there are statues replicating it, one of them down in southern manhattan.

gone for this long. >> it's unclear how it ended up in washington state. and right now the beacon lights down in new york city have been lit ahead of the 15th anniversary of 9/11 on sunday. >> a tribute first debuted on march 11, 2002, just six months after the attacks. it's carried on as an annual tradition ever since. coming up, the much anticipated unveiling of the iphone 7. >> hear the one thing everyone is buzzing about this morning about what the phone does not have. you're watching "world news now." >> "world new now" continues

apple has finally held the much-anticipated event launching

>> but it seems the one thing everyone is talking about this morning is what the new phone doesn't have. >> reporter: expectations were running high as apple announced its new products wednesday, the most anticipated? >> it's the best iphone that we have ever created. >> reporter: apple's iphone 7 and iphone 7 plus. the now water resistant cell phones will come with new dual cameras, a redesigned forced sensitive home button. longer battery life than the previous models and the most talked about new feature -- the elimination of the headphone jack. instead it comes with ear pods that connect to the lightning

believe will take users time to get used to. >> anyone who owns the device adapted to change. the removal of the headphone jack will be controversial for a few weeks or months. anyone who upgrades is going to have to adapt. >> reporter: apple is also getting an upgrade for the watch. it has a built-in gps. you're probably wondering about the cost of the phones. the iphone 7 starts at $649. the plus, $769. preorders start on friday, september 9th. abc news, los angeles. diane and nick? now, an apple quiz for you. how many iphones have they sold since they launched in 2007? don't look at your notes. >> about a billion. >> how many cameras does it have? >> two. >> how many megapixels? stop looking at your notes. >> i don't know, but i know you get a 10x digital zoom. >> how many l.e.d. lights on the flash? >> probably -- this is not -- this is a pop quiz, and i was not warned about this. >> four.

anticipated launch. the new cast of "dancing with the stars."

? sounds like a little bit of a throwback song. >> it do. ? sounds like a little bit of a throwback song. >> it does. >> we are now just days away from the season premier of "dancing with the stars." >> and an early cast party gives us a closer look at the contestants and professionals. wabc-tvs sandi kenyan was there. >> reporter: it was billed as a cast party and the footwork looked pretty fancy for contestants who haven't been working with their professional

>> we just had our second rehearsal yesterday. so we're kind of behind, in fact, really behind everyone. but he's been so awesome. he's in it to win it. >> vanilla ice and others found a respite at planet hollywood before resuming their rehearsals. >> i'm doing it for my mom. my mom passed away about three years ago, and i wanted to -- i promised myself i'd keep doing things to make her proud, and she would be tickled pink to see me doing the show. because it's way out of my comfort zone. >> reporter: laurie hernandez won gold and silver rio. so will that help her win the trophy? >> it definitely helps being flexible, i can move a bit better. >> reporter: for another member of team usa, the stakes are higher. swimmer ryan lochte was caught in a lie in rio, claiming he had been robbed when he hadn't been. is this a dance towards redemption for you? >> you know, i think so. you know, what happened, it's in the past. it's time to move forward, and really just work on my dancing

but, yeah, this is a redemption. >> reporter: this season marks the return of derek huff to the dance floor paired with marilou henner. one of two tv icons in this cast. >> it all feels like a dream right now. >> reporter: maureen mccormick will be known as one of the brady bunch, but she's such a good she doesn't mind people coming up to her every day and saying marsha, marsha, marsha. she even told me i could go ahead and say it if i wanted to, but i figured i'd give her a break. >> totally would have gone for it. our thanks to sandi kenyon from wabc here in new york. season 23 starts monday. kenyon

i'm feeling confused. i'm feeling like i need to know where my son is and they're giving me no information. breaking right now.... concerned parents kept up all night waiting outside walter johnson junior high school after mercury was found in the school's gym. our crews were out at the scene all night as 12-hundred students were realeased one by one from the school after being checked out by the e-p-a. 13 action news reporter parker collins is there near buffalo and alta...let's e him. parker ad-libs sonja palmer, parent 10:20:15-10:20:25 "i can just imagine how they're feeling inside and how their families are feeling that are not here but at home waiting for them as well as the parents out here