No criminal conduct in Sean Levert’s death

No criminal conduct in Sean Levert’s death

CLEVELAND — Prosecutors in Ohio have determined that there was no criminal conduct involved in the March death of R&B singer Sean Levert, who was in jail when he fell ill.

Levert, a member of the 1980s R&B trio LeVert and son of lead O’Jays singer Eddie Levert, died March 30 after he was taken from the Cuyahoga County jail to a hospital.

Prosecutors announced their findings Tuesday after reviewing an internal investigation conducted by the sheriff’s department.

The coroner previously ruled that the 39-year-old Levert died from complications of sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease.

Levert’s widow filed a wrongful death lawsuit in June accusing county jail officials of neglecting his medical needs.

Serena Williams to serve up memoir

NEW YORK — A memoir by Serena Williams will be released in 2009 by Grand Central Publishing, which beat out a handful of other publishers bidding for the life story of the No. 1 ranked women’s tennis player.

“Serena Williams is one of the world’s most remarkable athletes,” Grand Central editor Karen Kosztolnyik said Tuesday in a statement.

“We’ve watched her rise to No. 1 despite physical and emotional setbacks, and her hard work and determination have inspired legions of fans young and old. Serena will give her memoir a strong motivational slant.”

Financial terms for the book, currently untitled, were not disclosed, although a publishing official with knowledge of the negotiations said bidding reached at least $1.3 million.

Williams, 26, has won nine Grand Slam titles and, with sister Venus Williams, won a gold medal in women’s doubles at the recent Olympics in Beijing.

Today’s birthdays

Actress Elvira is 57. Comedian Rita Rudner is 55. Puppeteer Kevin Clash (Elmo on “Sesame Street”) is 48. Director Baz Luhrmann (“Moulin Rouge”) is 46. Singer BeBe Winans is 46. Actor Kyle Chandler (“Early Edition”) is 43. Rapper Doug E. Fresh is 42. Actor Malik Yoba (“New York Undercover”) is 41. Actor Matthew Settle (“Gossip Girl”) is 39. Rapper Vinnie of Naughty By Nature is 38. Singer Anastacia is 35. Singer Marcus Sanders of Hi-Five is 35. Singer-actress Nona Gaye is 34. Drummer Chuck Comeau of Simple Plan is 29.