National news briefs

N.C. man charged with arranged rape

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — A man has been arrested and charged with raping a North Carolina woman in an attack allegedly arranged by the victim's husband on Craigslist, police announced Saturday.

The online classified service helped authorities locate 39-year-old Rodney Liverman Sr. of Norwood and he was taken into custody at his home Friday, Kannapolis police said.

Liverman is charged with first-degree rape and three other sex offenses and remains in jail on a $250,000 bond, police said. His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday.

Police said that on May 31, a man entered a home in Kannapolis with a knife and went into the woman's bedroom, demanded money and ordered her to take off her clothes before raping her.

The victim's husband was also in the room and backed away, watching the attack, investigators said. The husband was charged earlier with first-degree rape and remains in jail on a $200,000 bond. The Associated Press does not generally identify victims of sexual assault and is not naming the man to avoid identifying his wife.

Gas leak blamed in fatal N.C. explosion

GARNER, N.C. — An explosion that killed three workers at a North Carolina Slim Jim plant was caused by a natural gas leak that ignited in a room housing vacuum pumps for sealing the snacks, authorities said Saturday.

It will now be up to state and federal workplace investigators to determine how the leak happened and what caused it to ignite in Tuesday's blast at the ConAgra Foods Inc. plant in Garner, said Earl Woodham, an agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fireams and Explosives.

ATF agents believe the gas was sparked by a piece of equipment such as a fan motor or thermostat, but Woodham said another cause, like static electricity, couldn't be ruled out. The ATF concluded the explosion was an accident and closed its criminal investigation.

Six Flags Inc. files for bankruptcy

NEW YORK — Amusement-park operator Six Flags Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection on Saturday and is seeking an expedited approval from the court of its pre-negotiated reorganization plan.