Jury chosen in Drew Peterson trial

Jury chosen in Drew Peterson trial

JOLIE T, Ill.

A poet, letter carrier and motorcycle enthusiast made the final cut Tuesday onto the jury for former suburban Chicago police officer Drew Peterson’s murder trial.

The newly selected jurors get this week off as attorneys prepare their opening statements, set for Tuesday.

Peterson, 58, was charged in the 2004 death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, after his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, disappeared in 2007.

Ghana’s president dies; VP sworn in

ACCRA, Ghana

President John Atta Mills’ election victory secured Ghana’s reputation as one of the most mature democracies in West Africa, a position further solidified Tuesday when the vice president took over only hours after the 68-year-old president died five months before finishing his first term.

John Mahama’s swift inauguration underscored Ghana’s stability in a part of the world where the deaths of other leaders have sparked coups.

Government officials did not release the cause of Mills’ death, which came three days after his 68th birthday.

Sherman Hemsley dies at age 74

EL PASO, Texas

Sherman Hemsley, the actor who made the irascible, bigoted George Jefferson of “The Jeffersons” one of television’s most memorable characters and a symbol for urban upward mobility, has died. He was 74.

Police in El Paso, Texas, said late Tuesday that Hemsley was found dead at his home. The cause of death is pending.

The Philadelphia-born Hemsley played the blustering black Harlem businessman on CBS’ “All in the Family” before he was spun off onto “The Jeffersons,” which in 11 seasons from 1975 to 1985 became one of TV’s most successful sitcoms — particularly noteworthy with its mostly black cast.

Hemsley later starred in the sitcom “Amen.”

‘Batman’ star visits Colo. victims

AURORA, Colo.

Christian Bale, star of the “Batman” trilogy of movies, paid a surprise visit Tuesday to injured victims of the recent shooting rampage in Aurora, Colo. The shooting occurred during a midnight screening of the latest “Batman” film, “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Twelve people were killed and 58 were injured in the early Friday attack; a suspect was arrested in a nearby parking lot afterward.

Bill Voloch, interim president of Medical Center of Aurora, told The Denver Post that Bale spent about 21/2 hours Tuesday at the hospital, where he met with seven shooting victims. Five are being treated at the center; the two others came from Swedish Medical Center to meet with the British actor.

Actor Chad Everett dies of lung cancer

LOS ANGELES

The star of the 1970s TV series “Medical Center” who went on to appear in such films and shows as “Mulholland Drive” and “Melrose Place” has died. Chad Everett was 75.

Everett’s daughter says he died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles after a year-and-a-half-long battle with lung cancer.

His acting career spanned more than 40 years and included guest-starring roles on such TV series as “The Love Boat,” “Murder, She Wrote” and “Without A Trace.” He most recently appeared in the TV series “Castle.” His film credits include “The Jigsaw Murders,” “The Firechasers” and director Gus Van Sant’s “Psycho.”

Everett is survived by his two daughters and six grandchildren. He was married to actress Shelby Grant for 45 years until her death last year.

Combined dispatches