Nation briefs 10/23/02

McDonald's profits drop 11 percent

CHICAGO -- McDonald's Corp., again reporting lower profits, said Tuesday it will pare new restaurant openings nearly in half in 2003 and invest more heavily in its sluggish U.S. business.

Third-quarter earnings dropped 11 percent over the previous year, McDonald's said, reflecting lower sales in the United States, Germany, Britain and Japan at restaurants open at least a year.

The hamburger giant, struggling amid the glut of U.S. restaurants and perceptions of poor service, also said it needs a "significant improvement" in sales to achieve its full-year earnings target.

The Oak Brook, Ill.-based company said it now plans to open 600 traditional McDonald's restaurants worldwide next year, down from 1,050 in 2002, including just 100 in the United States -- less than a third of this year's total.

NYC mayor announces new digital 911 system

NEW YORK -- The city is installing a new digital 911 system that could help protect victims of domestic violence by giving the courts immediate access to recordings of emergency calls.

Currently, recorded calls are located manually, and tracing, retrieving and transferring the calls to cassette tapes takes about three months. That sometimes leaves prosecutors with little evidence during bail hearings and requests for orders of protection.

The new system will store calls digitally. The program will be tested in Brooklyn for the next 90 days before going citywide. The tapes also will be available for cases involving other crimes.

Florida man must tell court about missing girl

MIAMI -- A relative of one of Rilya Wilson's caregivers pleaded guilty to theft and fraud charges Tuesday under a plea agreement that requires him to tell investigators everything he knows about the missing girl.

Leo Epson, 39, was facing up to six years in prison for a felony grand theft and misdemeanor fraud charges unrelated to the disappearance of the young girl in January 2001.

Prosecutors wanted Epson, son of caregiver Geralyn Graham, to plead guilty and serve a year in jail, followed by five years of weekly contacts with a probation officer.

Geralyn Graham and Pamela Graham, who claim to be sisters, had custody of Rilya under state supervision. The women say Rilya was taken by a child protection worker in January 2001, but the state denies that. The state finally learned the girl -- whose sixth birthday was last month -- was missing in April.

Allies bomb command site in Iraq no-fly zone

WASHINGTON -- Allied planes bombed a military air defense site in the northern no-fly zone over Iraq on Tuesday after taking fire from Iraqi forces, defense officials said.

The bombing brought to 51 the number of days this year that such strikes were reported by the United States and the United Kingdom coalition, whose mission is to patrol two zones set up to protect Iraqi minorities following the 1991 Gulf War.

Coalition planes targeted precision-guided weapons at "elements of the Iraqi integrated air defense system" after taking anti-aircraft artillery fire from sites northeast of Mosul, said a statement from the U.S. European Command.

Former Pa. school head, wife, found slain in home

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- A former superintendent of State College public schools and his wife, a teacher, were bludgeoned to death, police said.

Investigators discovered the bodies of William Opdenhoff and his wife, Georgeann, early Monday in the living room of their College Township home after being alerted by a relative who could not reach them by telephone, police said.

Both died of blunt force trauma to the head, Judith D. Pleskonko, Centre County chief deputy coroner, said Tuesday. There was no sign of forced entry into the ranch-style house, authorities said.

Investigators were trying to locate the couple's 24-year-old son, Daniel. Police declined to say if he was a suspect, but urged anyone who sees him "not to make contact" but to notify police immediately.

-- From wire reports