LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The world is not a safe place. It remains dangerous.”
Republican Mitt Romney,
targeting for criticism automatic cuts to federal spending, particularly defensespending reductions Article, this page
Gunman among Minneapolis dead
MINNEAPOLIS - A gunman who opened fire inside a Minneapolis sign company was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Thursday and was among “several” people killed in the shooting, the city’s deputy police chief said.
Police had previously said at least two people were killed and four were wounded during the afternoon shootings at Accent Signage Systems, which is in a largely residential area on the city’s north side.
“We do have several victims inside that are dead,” Minneapolis Police Deputy Chief Kris Arneson said during an evening news conference two blocks from the company. But when pressed to say how many, Arneson refused and said police were still investigating.
Hennepin County Medical Center was treating three people from the scene, all in critical condition, spokesman Christine Hill said. She said the hospital wasn’t expecting more patients with critical injuries.
Officers received a 911 call about 4:30 p.m. from inside the business that there was a shooting.
Settlement OK’d
on storm trailers
NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge gave his final approval Thursday to a $42.6 million class-action settlement between companies that made and installed government-issued trailers after hurricanes in 2005 and Gulf Coast storm victims who contended they were exposed to hazardous fumes while living in the shelters.
U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt ruled from the bench after hearing from attorneys who brokered a deal resolving nearly all remaining court claims over elevated levels of formaldehyde in trailers provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Roughly 55,000 residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas will be eligible for shares of $37.5 million paid by more than two dozen manufacturers. They also can get shares of a separate $5.1 million settlement with FEMA contractors that installed and maintained the units.
Charges expected over drug-lab fakes
BOSTON - Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said Thursday that he expects criminal charges will be filed in an investigation of misconduct by a state lab chemist who admitted faking drug sample results, forging signatures and skipping proper procedures.
Speaking to reporters, Patrick said he shut down the drug lab soon after learning of admissions chemist Annie Dookhan made during an interview with state police at the end of August. The governor said he finds it troubling that Dookhan and her supervisors “did not seem to understand the gravity of this.”
State police say Dookhan tested more than 60,000 drug samples covering 34,000 defendants during her nine years at the lab. She resigned in March during an internal investigation by the Department of Public Health, whichran the lab up until July 1.
When asked why Dookhan has not yet been arrested, Patrick referred to a criminal investigation being conducted by Attorney General Martha Coakley.
Coakley’s spokesman, Brad Puffer, said the criminal investigation “remains active and ongoing.”
Front Section, Pages 4 on 09/28/2012