USA

For the first time, Ohio police identified a suspect in the two dozen sniper shootings that have terrorized Columbus-area motorists for months. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office said Monday it is searching for Charles McCoy Jr., whose house has been for sale near the scene of the only fatality. No evidence was shared about what led investigators to pursue the stocky white male. A warrant for his arrest has been issued for firing two rounds into an occupied residence near I-270, the scene of most of the shootings, the latest of which occurred Feb. 14.

An American soldier who served in Iraq but refuses to return surrendered to military police at Hanscom Air Force Base near Boston. A member of the Florida National Guard who is "active duty Army," Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia of Miami Beach said he'll seek conscientious objector status. Mejia returned from Iraq in October after serving about five months. During that time he was caught in an ambush in which innocent civilians were killed.

Martha Stewart, who is awaiting sentencing for her role in a stock-trading scandal, stepped down Monday as chief creative officer and a board member of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. She will assume a new post, founding editorial director, that keeps her involved in developing new products.

The AFL-CIO, saying it's concerned about the loss of thousands of factory jobs overseas, asked the Bush administration to impose economic sanctions against China for its alleged violations of worker rights. Meanwhile, a new survey by Manpower Inc. found 28 percent of companies expect to hire more people in the second quarter.

The National Headliner Awards, presented as part of one of the oldest and largest annual contests in journalism, have recognized the work of several Monitor staff members: Clay Bennett won for the year's best editorial cartoons, an honor he also received in 1999 and 2000. Reporters Liz Marlantes and Abraham McLaughlin took second place in the News Service category (for papers up to 75,000 circulation) for their "Vox Americana" series on public attitudes about the impending war in Iraq. Mark Clayton won second place for five separate articles on higher education.