Around the Nation

Suspect in killings held in Kentucky

MUSES MILLS, Ky. — A man suspected of fatally shooting two persons and wounding a third before taking his ex-wife hostage was captured early yesterday, Kentucky State Police said.

The hostage, 27-year-old Bonnie Butler, was found uninjured, troopers said. One of those killed was described as the father of her unborn child.

Roy Pollard Jr. was arrested about three miles from the scene of the shootings at a house in a remote area of Fleming County in eastern Kentucky, Trooper Ralph Lockard said.

Mrs. Butler was found about an hour before Mr. Pollard’s arrest when she went to a farm and called police, Trooper Lockard said.

Mrs. Butler, 27, was talking with investigators and was treated after being outdoors overnight in temperatures in the low to mid-30s, Trooper Lockard said. “She was in good shape,” he said.

Clinton adviser faces drunk-driving charge

NASHUA, N.H. — A senior adviser to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was arrested and charged with aggravated drunken driving a day before the New Hampshire primary.

Nashua police said Sidney Blumenthal, a longtime friend and adviser to Mrs. Clinton, New York Democrat, was arrested Monday after an officer pulled over a car traveling 70 mph in a 30 mph zone. Mr. Blumenthal, 59, is a journalist and former White House adviser to President Clinton. He is now serving as an unpaid senior adviser on Mrs. Clinton’s presidential campaign.

“I asked if he was here with a campaign. He said he was here with Clinton,” Sgt. Mike Masella, one of the arresting officers, told newsweek.com.

Officers said they administered a field sobriety test, which Mr. Blumenthal failed. He spent about four hours at a police station before he was bailed out Monday morning, Sgt. Masella said.

Mr. Blumenthal will be arraigned later this month. His lawyer, Raymond Mello of Nashua, did not respond to a message left at his office yesterday.

Man charged with killing wife, children

MASON, Ohio — Police yesterday charged a man with killing his wife and their four children, who were pulled from their burning home the night before.

Michael Veillette, 34, was charged with four counts of aggravated murder, one count of murder and one count of aggravated arson in the Friday night fire, Officer Troy Nelson said.

Mr. Veillette also had been stabbed and remained in stable but serious condition yesterday at University Hospital in Cincinnati, Officer Nelson said. He wouldn’t speculate on how Mr. Veillette was injured.

Nadya Ferrari-Veillette, 33, was killed with her children, Marguarite, 8, Vincent, 4, and 3-year-old twins Jacob and Mia, Officer Nelson said.

Near-collision on runway investigated

ATLANTA — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a near-collision of two airplanes on the runway at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday.

Investigators said they think an Atlantic Southeast Airlines flight bound for Greensboro, N.C., ignored orders from the control tower to stop its taxi across the runway, and it was within seconds of running into a Mexico-bound Delta Air Lines Inc. jet, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said.

The ASA pilot acknowledged the orders and repeated them back to controllers in the tower but did not stop, Miss Bergen said.

Air traffic controllers estimated the planes were within 1,250 feet — or about two to three seconds — of colliding. Both continued on their scheduled flights and arrived safely at their destinations, airline officials said.

From staff reports and wire dispatches