PETERBOROUGH, N.H.

Ball bearings plant blast injures at least 15 workers

At least 15 people were injured in an explosion Mondy at a ball bearings plant. Most were treated at a hospital and released.

New Hampshire Ball Bearings Inc. spokeswoman Kathy Gerrity says it’s unclear what caused the explosion in Peterborough, a town that was the inspiration for Thorton Wilder’s play “Our Town.”

Monadnock Community Hospital spokeswoman Laura Gingras says 15 people were treated there. She says two have been flown to other hospitals and the rest have been released.

The southwest New Hampshire plant employs 700 people.

DIAMOND BAR, Calif.

Wrong-way freeway crash claims lives of six people

Four members of a family were killed in a wrong-way freeway crash in California that also took the lives of two other people, including the sister of a woman arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and manslaughter, authorities said Monday.

Two people in a Ford Explorer died at the scene of Sunday’s early morning crash on Route 60. Two other family members in the SUV were declared dead at a hospital. All four were from Huntington Park.

Two other victims were passengers in a Chevy Camaro that authorities said was driven by 21-year-old suspect Olivia Culbreath of Fontana. Her sister and another female passenger were declared dead at the scene.

HONOLULU

Drugs in mannequin heads lead agents to three men

Three mannequin heads found inside a UPS parcel mailed from San Bernardino, Calif., to Honolulu each had two pounds of methamphetamine stuffed inside it. Now, three men in Hawaii face drug charges.

According to a criminal complaint, authorities in Riverside County in California intercepted the parcel. After the drugs were discovered, the contents were mailed via FedEx to federal agents in Honolulu, where an undercover agent posing as a deliveryman delivered the parcel.

NEW ORLEANS

Nagin corruption case jury to resume deliberations

The jury in the corruption case of former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ended deliberations for the night Monday. There was no indication when they might reach a verdict in the case, which involves 21 criminal counts.

In closing arguments, prosecutors said testimony and evidence shows Nagin was “on the take” during his two terms. Nagin’s lawyer told the jurors that key prosecution witnesses’ credibility is in question because of deals they made with prosecutors.

LOS ANGELES

Two sushi chefs plead guilty in plot to sell whale meat

Two sushi chefs who served whale meat at a now-shuttered Santa Monica restaurant pleaded guilty Monday to misdemeanor charges for their part in a scheme to import and sell cuts of whale including tail meat and “whale bacon.”

Chefs Susumu Ueda and Kiyoshiro Yamamoto were indicted in early 2013 along with Typhoon Restaurant Inc., the parent company of the restaurant the Hump. The restaurant closed in 2010 after a sting operation revealed that whale was being served off-menu to customers.

Whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.