U.S. soldiers fired bullets that killed editor’s son

U.S. soldiers fired bullets that killed editor’s son

BAGHDAD — The U.S. military said Friday that bullets fired by American soldiers killed the 14-year-old son of the chief editor of a U.S.-sponsored newspaper during a gunbattle this week in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.

The military said Arkan Ali Taha was hit when soldiers came under heavy gunfire from a passing taxi and shot back. The boy was riding in the cab and the driver was later taken into custody, the statement said.

The father said his son was not involved with extremist groups and didn’t know how to use weapons. He said the boy had hired the cab to bring a set of keys to the newspaper.

U.S. peppers safe to eat

WASHINGTON — Only jalapeno peppers grown in Mexico seem to be implicated in the nationwide salmonella outbreak, the government announced Friday in clearing the U.S. crop.

The Food and Drug Administration urged consumers to avoid raw Mexican jalapenos and the serrano peppers often confused with them, or dishes made with them such as fresh salsa.

“You’re going to have to ask the person you’re buying it from,” said Dr. David Acheson, the FDA’s food safety chief, who is advising restaurants and grocery stores to know their suppliers and pass that information to customers.

Teens charged in slaying

PORT CARBON, Pa. — Three white teens were charged Friday in what officials said was an epithet-filled fatal beating of an illegal Mexican immigrant in a small northeast Pennsylvania coal town.

Brandon J. Piekarsky, 16, and Colin J. Walsh, 17, were charged as adults with homicide and ethnic intimidation in the July 12 attack on Luis Ramirez.

A third teen, Derrick M. Donchak, 18, was charged with aggravated assault, ethnic intimidation and other offenses. All are from Shenandoah, where the attack occurred.

The suspects played football at Shenandoah Valley High School; Donchak, now enrolled at Bloomsburg University, was the quarterback last season.

Punch led to shooting

PHOENIX — The most seriously wounded of three people shot in a community-college computer lab had punched the gunman in the face before he opened fire, police said Friday.

Isaac Deshay Smith, 19, had beaten the suspect, Rodney Smith, in a fistfight in December and the two unrelated men had gotten into verbal confrontations every time they met since, Phoenix Detective Reuben Gonzales said.

On Thursday, police said, Isaac Smith punched 22-year-old Rodney Smith in the face during a confrontation at South Mountain Community College.

Rodney Smith, a former student at the school, responded by opening fire with a handgun, according to a probable cause statement released Friday.

California bans trans fat

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California on Friday became the first state to prohibit restaurants from using artery-clogging trans fats in preparing their food.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation that will ban restaurants and other retail food establishments from using oil, margarine and shortening containing trans fats.

In a statement, Schwarzenegger noted that consuming trans fat is linked to coronary heart disease.

Violations could result in fines of $25 to $1,000. Food items sold in their manufacturers’ sealed packaging would be exempt.

New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle and Montgomery County, Md., have ordinances banning trans fats, but California is the first state to adopt such a law covering restaurants.

Man killed in shootout

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — A man who had threatened a Christian radio station was shot and killed by police Friday after he fired at officers with a rifle and tried to run them over with his sport-utility vehicle, authorities said.

WTLR station manager Mark VanOuse said the station received a tip around 10 a.m. that someone armed with a shotgun was asking people for the address of the radio station and for money.

Police got the same tip and went to the station, Centre County District Attorney Michael Madeira said.

Officers intercepted the man as he arrived at the station, where he began shooting at police outside, ramming police cars and trying to run over officers on foot, witnesses said. After an exchange of gunfire, the suspect was shot dead in his white Ford Bronco, Madeira said. No one else was wounded.

Associated Press