JOPLIN, Mo.

Mosque burns to ground in second fire since July 4

A mosque in southwest Missouri burned to the ground early Monday in the second fire to hit the Islamic center in little more than a month, and investigators spent the day combing through the wreckage searching for evidence of arson.

No injuries were reported, but the Islamic Society of Joplin’s building was a total loss after the blaze, first reported at about 3:30 a.m., the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said. As of late Monday, nobody had been arrested in connection with the fire.

While investigators did their work, a small group of Muslims gathered for an evening prayer on the lawn of the destroyed building.

“This is what we stand for,” said Dr. Ahmed Asadullah, a member of the Islamic Society of Joplin. “Freedom of religion. Freedom of speech.”

A fire at the mosque reported around the same time on July 4 has been determined to be arson, but no charges have been filed.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.

Bodies of two missing boys are found in nearby river

The bodies of two missing New Jersey boys were found in the Raritan River late Monday afternoon, nearly a day after the two best friends went missing.

The body of 10-year-old Francisco Perera was found around 3 p.m., near the base of the Route 27 bridge in nearby Highland Park, New Brunswick police Capt. J.T. Miller said. The body of 11-year-old Devine Nicholas was found about three hours later, not far from where Perera was located.

The two New Brunswick boys, who were last seen early Sunday night, had been the subjects of an intense search involving numerous law enforcement agencies. It was not immediately clear what caused their deaths, and authorities would not provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

Carol Leonard, Nicholas’ mother, told reporters that her son did not know how to swim.

Leonard said that to the best of her knowledge, the boys did not regularly go to the Raritan’s banks.

“They didn’t have any business going to the river,” she said.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras

As Ernesto approaches, Nicaraguans flee coast

Tropical Storm Ernesto moved closer to the Central American coast Monday evening as authorities in Nicaragua evacuated some people from low-lying areas and Honduras considered evacuations.

With Ernesto predicted to stay at sea while passing along Honduras’ northern coast, authorities were monitoring the storm and would decide soon whether to evacuate people, the country’s Contingencies Commission said.

Officials in Nicaragua evacuated hundreds of people living along the coast and near the border with Honduras, Guillermo Gonzalez, who is in charge of the country’s emergency services, told local television.

Ernesto could drop up to 5 inches of rainfall along Honduras’ coast and the northeastern shores of Nicaragua, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

The center’s forecast said rain could begin falling late Monday or early Tuesday.

WEST HARTFORD, Conn.

Doctor remarries five years after wife, daughters slain

A Connecticut doctor whose wife and two daughters were killed in a 2007 home invasion has remarried.

Dr. William Petit, 55, wed 34-year-old photographer Christine Paluf on Sunday. About 300 people attended the ceremony in West Hartford and the reception in Simsbury, said Rick Healey, a friend and family spokesman.

Paluf met Petit while working as a volunteer for the Petit Family Foundation, a charity set up by Dr. Petit in memory of his family after the killings in Cheshire. The foundation helps educate young people, improve the lives of those with chronic illnesses and protect those affected by violence.

Two men, Joshua Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes, are awaiting execution for killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, inside their suburban home.

Hawke-Petit’s mother, Marybelle Hawke, has said her family welcomed the engagement and encouraged Petit to find peace and joy in his life.