State briefs

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- An Asheville man has been charged in the hit-and-run death of an elderly Minnesota couple a week earlier, Asheville police said.

Jerry Lee Ward Jr., 24, was charged Sunday with two counts of felonious hit-and-run and one count of reckless endangerment in connection with the Jan. 12 deaths of Carol and Bernard Budish of Robbinsdale, Minn.

Police said Ward apparently tried to cut up the car to hide the evidence. Several parts of a 1986 Honda Prelude were found after a man tipped off police that a car was being cut up.

Ward denied being in the accident at first, but later took responsibility, police said. He told officers that he was looking at the gas gauge or talking to a 15-year-old boy that was in the car with him and failed to see the couple in the road.

Officers have not determined why Ward he didn't stop.

Ward also said he began dismantling the car the evening of the accident, police said.

The Budishes, both 82, were crossing U.S. 70 to get back to the motel where they were staying when they were struck in front of a restaurant just after 7 p.m. They were hit by two cars in succession and the person driving the first car fled.

Ward has a criminal history that includes charges of larceny of a motor vehicle, possession of stolen goods and several counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle between 1994 and 1996.

Two Minnesota companies on list of best places to work

NEW YORK (AP) -- Two Minnesota companies are included in Fortune Magazine's latest list of the 100 best places to work, the magazine said Monday.

Medtronic Inc., based in Fridley, Minn., was ranked 73rd, up from 83rd last year, and privately held Carlson Cos., based in Minnetonka, Minn., was ranked 81st. This is Carlson's first time on the list.

Carlson Chief Executive Marilyn Carlson Nelson and Medtronic Vice Chair Dr. Glen Nelson are husband and wife.

The rankings will be in the magazine's Feb. 4 issue.

The Fortune list is compiled annually through reviews of company benefit programs, policies, and cultures by authors Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz of the Great Place to Work Institute in San Francisco.

Fortune's selection process also included a survey of 250 randomly selected employees from each company who evaluated management and pride in their work, and submitted written comments about their workplace.