Across the Southeast

Protesters skip start of church's meeting

LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. - A meeting of United Methodists who want gays welcomed in all aspects of church life started quietly Friday with police on hand to deal with expected protesters who never appeared.

"I don't know if it's a combination of the gas situation, storms or weather ... ," said Steve Staley, the chief of security at the Lake Junaluska conference center. "I wonder if some of the people who talked the big talk had little to back it up with."

The Ku Klux Klan and conservative groups, along with Methodists unsettled by the attempt to change church doctrine on homosexuality, had indicated they would protest to show their dissatisfaction.

Senators panned for missing lottery vote

RALEIGH, N.C. - The two Republican senators who missed this week's vote on the lottery are hearing from angry voters opposed to the game.

State Sen. Harry Brown, R-Onslow, was on his honeymoon when the vote was taken. Sen. John Garwood, R-Wilkes, stayed home after he went to the hospital last week with an infection, but suspects he'll still lose votes.

"It's going to cost me some votes, and the Baptist church will do what they can. But they're going to have to find somebody that can beat me," Mr. Garwood said.

Inmates charged with false imprisonment

PANAMA CITY, FLA. - Three Bay County Jail inmates were convicted Thursday of false imprisonment for holding three nurses hostage, but they were acquitted of the most serious charges against them, including kidnapping.

One of the nurses and two inmates were wounded, all by police bullets, when a sheriff's SWAT team ended a 12-hour takeover in the jail's dispensary that began Sept. 5 and ended the next morning.

Sentencing is Tuesday.

The inmates face sentences ranging from probation to five years in prison, although that time could be doubled if they are deemed habitual felony offenders.

Company's expansion will create 200 jobs

WILMINGTON, N.C. - General Electric Co. will expand its nuclear power and jet engine businesses in Wilmington, creating 200 jobs by 2009, the company announced.

GE will move inspection and field services for its nuclear division from Memphis, Tenn., and San Jose, Calif., and add production lines to its aircraft manufacturing parts plant.

Each division would add about 100 jobs as part of the $78 million investment, the company said.

Overall, 50 of the 200 jobs would come from Tennessee and California.