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Mom's 'heart is broken' over teacher killing

DANVERS, Mass. (AP) -- The mother of the Massachusetts teenager accused of killing his teacher inside a school bathroom is brokenhearted over the educator's death and seeks prayers for her son, according to a statement released Saturday by her son's defense attorney. Diana Chism also asked for prayers for the family of slain Danvers High School teacher Colleen Ritzer, saying her "heart is broken for the Ritzer family and the loss of their daughter and sister."

No more Heinz ketchup at McDonald's?

McDonald's has lost its taste for Heinz ketchup. The fast-food giant said in a statement Friday that it is cutting ties with the condiment company after 40 years due to management changes there. A former Burger King CEO became head of Heinz in June after the company was bought by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital. 3G, a Brazilian investment firm, also controls Burger King. The impact of the change may be tasted more overseas. In the U.S., McDonald's uses Heinz products only in Pittsburgh and Minneapolis restaurants.

Actor: Store stopped me because I'm black

NEW YORK (AP) -- A black actor on the HBO drama series "Treme" (treh-MAY') says he was stopped because of his race while buying sunglasses at a New York City Macy's department store and has filed a lawsuit against it. Robert Brown's lawsuit comes after two other black shoppers made similar claims against Barneys New York this week. Brown's lawsuit was filed Friday in state Supreme Court in Manhattan. It says he was stopped by police at the Macy's Herald Square store after employees contacted authorities about possible credit card fraud.

AP: 100s of Dakota oil spills kept quiet

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- North Dakota, the nation's No. 2 oil producer behind Texas, recorded nearly 300 oil pipeline spills in less than two years, state documents show. None was reported to the public, officials said. According to records obtained by The Associated Press, the pipeline spills, many of them small, are among some 750 "oil field incidents" that have occurred since January 2012 without public notification. "That's news to us," said Don Morrison, director of the Dakota Resource Council, an environmental-minded landowner group with more than 700 members in North Dakota.

The PE Sneak Peek: Oct. 25, 2013

Here's a look at the stories that are keeping our reporters busy Friday: * A bad surprise: A food manufacturer will close a plant here, taking more than 100 jobs out of the area. See what we have on the story so far. * Names of more suspects in a local drug ring come out, and wait until you see how much the feds say they have laundered. Check back soon for details.

5 people injured in ride mishap at state fair

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Five people were injured on a carnival ride known for its wild twirls and flips at the North Carolina State Fair, and officials were trying to determine Friday exactly what caused the accident. Two people remained hospitalized in critical condition after the "Vortex" started up again as riders were getting off late Thursday evening, officials said. Three other people sustained less serious injuries.

Former doctor guilty in expectant mom's drug death

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A former Ohio doctor accused of killing a pregnant woman last year by injecting her with heroin after she answered a Craigslist ad pleaded guilty Thursday in her death and that of her nearly full-term unborn child. Ali Salim entered the pleas in Delaware County Court north of Columbus ahead of his trial scheduled for next week. He faces 37 years in prison at a December sentencing.

Woman who donated kidney weds organ's recipient

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (AP) -- A central Indiana woman who promised to donate one of her kidneys to a man she barely knew has married him three years after his successful transplant surgery. Chelsea Clair and Kyle Froelich met at a 2009 car show when he was 19 and she was 22. Clair learned that day that Froelich had a serious kidney disease -- and she told him then and there she would give him one of hers. She underwent the necessary tests and ended up being a near perfect match. Three years ago, she donated one of her kidneys to Froelich.

The PE Sneak Peek: Oct. 24, 2013

Here's a look at the stories that are keeping our reporters busy Thursday: * The FBI took a local businessman into custody early this morning, sources say, and our police reporter is digging out the story. Check www.pressenterpriseonline.com later today for more. * The case is dismissed against a man who had been charged with molesting a little girl. * A man who couldn't shut up now fails to show up on charges of harassing a university professor. Find out what the judge thought of that. * One of the women charged with taking a baby in a tangled case is in court this afternoon.

Town reels after student, 14, allegedly kills teacher

DANVERS, Mass. (AP) -- She had a bright smile, a penchant for pink and an admitted overenthusiasm for the subjects she taught. The lanky boy was just a decade younger, new to the school, with a pleasant manner but little to say. Sometime on their last day at the school together Tuesday, prosecutors say, teacher Colleen Ritzer and 14-year-old student Philip Chism crossed paths, and he killed her.