In the Nation

CALIFORNIA

Children held captive, authorities say

Authorities say an after-school program assistant kept 14 children inside a California classroom while appearing to be hallucinating on drugs.

San Diego County Sheriff's Lt. Chris May said deputies arrested Linda Lira, 31, on Wednesday after staffers at Lemon Grove Academy forced their way into the classroom to free the children. Lira did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment sent through the jail system.

May said the students called for help using Lira's unattended campus radio.

Officials said that once the staff removed the children, Lira barricaded herself in the classroom alone, using desks to block the door, and dressed and undressed herself.

Lira was arrested on 14 counts of child endangerment and 14 counts of false imprisonment. She is due to be arraigned Monday. - AP
MISSOURI

Attackers cite Brown

Police are searching for three young men after a light-rail passenger in St. Louis was attacked after being asked what he thought about the "Mike Brown situation." Officers released details Friday after a passenger who wasn't involved posted video of the attack on social media. The victim, 43, told authorities that one of the men asked to use his cellphone. When he refused, the man asked what he thought about the Brown "situation," then punched and kicked him. - AP
MINNESOTA

Flu hits turkeys

A second Minnesota turkey farm has been struck by a form of bird flu that's deadly to poultry and will lose 66,000 birds, state and federal officials said Friday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the virus hit a flock of 22,000 turkeys at a commercial farm in Lac qui Parle County of western Minnesota. It was the state's second confirmation of the highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza strain. - AP