Free

The PE Sneak Peek: Nov. 22, 2013

Here's a look at the stories that are keeping our reporters busy Friday: * She kicked up a ruckus at a hospital, jumped from a moving car, and had an astounding blood-alcohol level, police say. Read our online report and look for more Saturday. * A burglar had a simple method, police say: He knocked on the door. If nobody answered, he broke in. * You won't see this from the car: A striking aerial view of a local bridge under construction.

Bomb squad says suspicious item was a burrito

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- What turned out only to be a burrito caused a minor scare at an Oklahoma City police briefing station. Oklahoma City Police Capt. Dexter Nelson says a man discovered a Thermos-type container in his lawn Thursday afternoon and brought it to a police briefing station. Nelson says the container was heavy and had tinfoil protruding from the lid, so the man considered it suspicious. The Oklahoman reports that officers told the man to leave the container outside and the police bomb squad X-rayed the item. The analysis determined that it was only a burrito.

Boy, 14, raped and killed popular teacher, DA says

SALEM, Mass. (AP) -- A 14-year-old Massachusetts boy used an object to sexually assault his popular high school algebra teacher before killing and robbing her, according to an indictment issued Thursday. Philip Chism has been held without bail since shortly after the Oct. 22 slaying of 24-year-old Colleen Ritzer, whose body was found behind Danvers High School after she never returned home from school. "The indictments returned today detail horrific and unspeakable acts," Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said.

Deadly 'knockout' game may be behind 2 Pa. attacks

ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) -- Police across the U.S. are investigating whether a string of random attacks on pedestrians are part of a violent game called "knockout." Authorities say the goal is to knock a random pedestrian unconscious with a single punch. In Lower Merion, in suburban Philadelphia, two possible "knockout" attacks have been reported this fall. In September, an elderly man was knocked down while mowing his lawn, causing a serious injury. In late October, a 63-year-old man was punched while walking his dog. Two 19-year-olds are charged in the second assault.

Thief steals 240 pounds of kitty litter from shelter

SALISBURY, Mass. (AP) -- Kittens doing the potty dance at a Salisbury shelter had good reason. Officials at the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society say someone stole the shelter's entire supply of kitty litter over the weekend. Liz Pease, director of operations, says five or six 40-pound bags of wood pellets, which are used as kitty litter, stored in the shelter's unlocked shed behind the main building were taken. The bags cost about $6 each.

The PE Sneak Peek: Nov. 21, 2013

Here's a look at the stories that are keeping our reporters busy Thursday: * A burglary victim offers a different kind of reward. Read our online report and look for more on the burglary Friday morning. * A drunken college student upsets a Unity dance with her antics, police say. * An accident victim emerges from an induced coma and is back on his feet. * Do not knock: One town starts a list that lets residents ban salesmen from coming to their doors.

5 children found in car pulled from pond, hospitalized, but alive

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (AP) -- A car veered off a rain-slicked highway ramp in suburban Minneapolis early Thursday, landing in a nearby holding pond and trapping five children underwater for 25-45 minutes until a tow truck could pull it out, authorities said. The Minnesota State Patrol identifies the driver as 23-year-old Marion Guerrido, of Brooklyn Center. She was not seriously injured.

Pa. mayor nixes smoking ban, citing own 'research'

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) -- A western Pennsylvania mayor has vetoed a measure to ban outdoor smoking in public places saying he believes outdoor smoking is a civil liberty, and saying his own "research" suggests the cancer risk for exposure to secondhand smoke outdoors is a "red herring." Punxsutawney Mayor James Wehrle tells WJAC-TV that people complain that secondhand smoke makes their clothes smell and bothers their children but says, "I think in open air, people can get out of the way."

Sarah Palin's official mayoral SUV listed on eBay

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Sarah Palin's Alaska hometown is auctioning an SUV she drove when she was mayor, years before she skyrocketed to fame. The small town of Wasilla listed the 1999 Ford Expedition with 74,188 miles on eBay Monday with a minimum bid of $10,000. The listing's photo shows the tan SUV with a cardboard cutout of Palin in the driver's seat. A 1999 Ford Expedition in excellent condition at that mileage has a Kelly Blue Book value of $2,318 in the Wasilla area. But city officials are hoping Palin's role in history will bring out fans willing to pay a lot more.

Pages