LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY "Every enrollee in a private Medicare plan is a potential source of substantial profits." David Lipschutz,
a lawyer at the nonprofit California Health Advocates, on the use of predatory sales practices by private insurers Article, 11A
Man accused in runaway case caught
ORLANDO, Fla. - A sex offender accused of running off with a 15-year-old Florida girl and then releasing her at a Wal-Mart store last week has been arrested, police said Saturday.
William Joe Mitchell, 46, was arrested by Virginia State Police at a gas station in Winchester, Va., according to the Polk County sheriff's office in central Florida.
No further details were immediately available.
The girl sneaked out of her house before dawn Monday.
Her disappearance spurred a statewide manhunt that ended a day later. She told friends she was running away for love, to be with a boy she met online. She believed Mitchell was in his early 20s.
Police believe heavy publicity in the hours after the girl disappeared pressured him into dropping her off at a Wal-Mart in the Florida Panhandle.
Mitchell had 14 prior arrests ranging from burglary and bomb threats to lewd and lascivious conduct, police said.
UAW, Chrysler try to reach agreement
DETROIT - Negotiators with the United Auto Workers union and Chrysler LLC were at the bargaining table Saturday as efforts to reach a tentative contract agreement intensified.
Chrysler spokesman Michele Tinson confirmed that both parties were talking. A message was left for UAW spokesman Roger Kerson seeking comment.
The UAW reached a tentative agreement with General Motors Corp. on Sept. 26 but the agreement must be ratified by a majority of GM's UAW members to take effect. Members began voting last week and are expected to wrap up votes by Wednesday.
A person briefed on the talks said late Friday that the UAW selected Chrysler as its next bargaining target and would turn to Ford Motor Co. last. The person requested anonymity because the talks are private.
A message was left with Ford spokesman Marcey Evans seeking comment.
Police say boy driver, 11, led chase
BOUTTE, La. - An 11-year-old boy led police on a chase that reached speeds of more than 100 mph, leading to charges for him and his parents, who are accused of letting him drive for months, state police said.
Leona Calloway, 32, and Rodney Brown, 46, were charged with improper supervision of a minor and allowing an unlicensed minor to drive. Officials booked the boy, who was not identified because of his age, with felony flight from an officer, reckless driving, speeding, passing on the shoulder, improper lane usage and having no driver's license.
Neither the parents nor the boy were jailed, and the child was released to the custody of an aunt, said state police spokesman Joseph Piglia. The parents' phone rang unanswered Saturday.
The chase started at 6:30 a.m. Friday on Interstate 310 on the outskirts of New Orleans when a state trooper recorded a sport utility vehicle going 80 mph in a 60-mph zone, Piglia said.
Bank robber charged in 2 guards' deaths
PHILADELPHIA - A convicted bank robber charged with killing two armored-car guards had spotted the vehicle on the road and followed it to an ATM, where he shot them as they serviced the cash machine, a homicide detective said Saturday.
Mustafa Ali, 36, of Philadelphia, killed the retired Philadelphia police officers without saying a word, police said.
"He follows the truck, he sees an opportunity and he takes it," said the detective, who worked on the case but requested anonymity because he is not a supervisor and is not authorized to comment publicly.
Ali was scheduled to be arraigned over the weekend and will likely be ineligible for bail. He was arrested on an unrelated charge Friday afternoon and was later charged with two counts of murder, robbery, a firearms charge and other charges after giving a statement.
Surveillance tape from the Wachovia bank's security camera and another northeast Philadelphia business showed the robber getting out of his car and putting on gloves before killing William Widmaier, 65, and Joseph Alullo, 54, according to police.
Front Section, Pages 6 on 10/07/2007