Trick-or-treating boy, 12, is hit, killed by gunfire

Trick-or-treating boy, 12, is hit, killed by gunfire

SUMTER, S.C. — A 12-year-old boy trick-or-treating with his family in central South Carolina was shot from inside a home Friday and killed, and his father and brother were wounded by the gunfire, authorities said.

The shooting suspect, Quentin Patrick, was in custody, a jail official said. Patrick, 22, has been charged with murder and three counts of assault and battery with intent to kill. The jail official said she didn’t know whether Patrick had an attorney and his telephone number was unpublished.

The family was headed home from a city-sponsored event downtown when they decided to stop at a few homes, Sumter Police Chief Patty Patterson said. The father and his four children approached a home with a porch light on about 8:30 p.m. EDT while their mother waited nearby in a vehicle.

As the family was at the door, they thought they heard fireworks. The 12-year-old boy, his father and brother were all hit by the gunfire.

Wildlife officials kill garbage-raiding bear

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Wildlife officials in Alaska have killed a 200-pound black bear that was raiding garbage in a home driveway while children were trick-or-treating in the Anchorage neighborhood on Halloween.

Officials say children were never in any immediate danger.

At corrections center, inmates are going ‘green’

LITTLEROCK, Wash. — Of all the things convicted murderer Robert Knowles has been called during his 13 years behind bars, recycler hasn’t been one of them.

But there he was one morning, pitchfork in hand, composting food scraps from the main chow line and coffee grounds from prison headquarters — doing his part to “green” the prison.

“It’s nice to be out in the elements,” said Knowles, 42, stirring dark, rich compost that will amend the soil at the small farm where he and fellow inmates of the Cedar Creek Corrections Center grew 8,000 pounds of organic vegetables this year.

Inmates of the minimum-security facility, 25 miles from Olympia, the state capital, raise bees, grow organic tomatoes and lettuce, compost 100 percent of food waste and even recycle shoe scraps that are made into playground turf.

Will Chrysler end up running out of pavement?

DETROIT — In crises past, Chrysler has somehow managed to stamp out a blockbuster hit vehicle to pull itself away from the cliff’s edge.

But as it faces a possible sale to another automaker and what may be the most serious problems in its 83-year history, industry analysts say there’s nothing in the current product portfolio that looks like a savior.

Chrysler’s U.S. sales are down 25 percent through September, the worst decline of any major automaker. Losses are mounting: well over $1 billion for the first half of the year. Things are so bad that Chrysler LLC wants to shed a quarter of its salaried work force, and its owner, Cerberus Capital Management LP, is talking with General Motors Corp. and others about a sale.

The company’s market share has dwindled from 16.2 percent in 1996 to 11 percent this year, according to Ward’s AutoInfoBank.

Fox decides to cancel ‘King of the Hill’ comedy

LOS ANGELES — “King of the Hill” is over the hill at Fox, which is canceling the long-running animated comedy.

Final episodes of the half-hour series, now in its 13th year, likely will air during the 2009-10 season, Fox said Friday. The network recently ordered 13 new episodes, and animated series have a long production schedule.

“King of the Hill” chronicles the life of blue-collar family man Hank Hill of Texas and his family and friends. Hank is voiced by series co-creator and executive producer Mike Judge. Others in the cast include Kathy Najimy, Brittany Murphy and Stephen Root.

The picture is brighter for another Sunday night animated show on Fox, “American Dad,” which was renewed for its fifth season. It has posted single-digit ratings gains among advertiser-favored young adult viewers and total viewers.

Ratings for “King of the Hill” have been relatively flat early this season.

Associated Press