Heroin kit found near singer

Seattle Heroin paraphernalia was found with the body of Layne Staley, the singer of the grunge rock group Alice in Chains, police said Sunday.

Authorities said Staley, 34, lay dead in his north Seattle apartment for two weeks, his body surrounded by heroin-injection paraphernalia, before a relative discovered him.

Foul play was not suspected, and there was to be no criminal investigation, Seattle Police spokesman Duane Fish said.

“There was nothing suspicious about the death. It appears to be overdose or possibly a natural death,” Fish said.

Harding cited for DUI

Battle Ground, Wash. Former figure skater Tonya Harding crashed her pickup into a ditch early Saturday and was cited for drunken driving after failing a sobriety and breath test, police said.

Neither Harding nor her passenger was hurt in the 1:30 a.m. accident, in Battle Ground, northwest of Portland, Ore.

Authorities did not release Harding’s blood-alcohol content.

Harding was implicated in the 1994 knee-whacking of rival skater Nancy Kerrigan. Two years ago, she was sentenced to three days in jail for hitting her boyfriend with a hubcap during a drunken argument.

In January, a judge ordered her to vacate her home near Camas, Wash., for failing to pay rent.

Last month, Harding achieved a triumph of sorts when she pummeled Paula Jones in the ring during Fox’s “Celebrity Boxing” special.

Dogged pursuit of homework

Shreveport, La. Fifteen-year-old rapper Bow Wow will headline a celebration for honor students today at Southern University-Shreveport, giving a rap about staying in school and off drugs.

Bow Wow, born Shad Moss, will give a brief talk about staying in school and saying no to drugs. His mother has said she makes sure he does his homework, even while on tour.

Bow Wow, who recently dropped the Lil’ from his name, is known for his hit single “Bounce With Me” from his 2000 debut album “Beware of Dog.”

Yodeler sues Yahoo!

Los Angeles Wylie Gustafson, noted yodeler, singer and leader of the band Wylie & the Wild West, has sued Yahoo! for copyright infringement.

Gustafson yodeled for Yahoo! in 1996. He received a one-time payment of $590, but said he was not advised that his yodel would be used by Yahoo! in any other commercials.

In his lawsuit, filed last week in federal court in Los Angeles, Gustafson said Sunnyvale-based Yahoo’s continued use of his yodel without compensation amounts to copyright infringement.

Yahoo! officials said they have not seen the lawsuit and do not comment on legal matters.