A document filed in U.S. District Court in Savannah said both sides agreed to drop the lawsuit "without any award of costs or fees to any party." No other details of the agreement were released. The judge in the case had not signed an order to finalize the dismissal.

Former employee Lisa Jackson last year sued Deen and her brother, Bubba Hiers, saying she suffered from sexual harassment and racially offensive talk and employment practices that were unfair to black workers during her five years as a manager of Uncle Bubba's Seafood and Oyster House. Deen is co-owner of the restaurant, which is primarily run by her brother.

The dismissal deal came less than two weeks after Judge William T. Moore threw out the race discrimination claims, ruling Jackson, who is white, had no standing to sue over what she said was poor treatment of black workers. He let Jackson's claims of sexual harassment stand, but the deal drops those also.

The lawsuit would be dismissed "with prejudice," which means it can't be brought again with the same claims.

"While this has been a difficult time for both my family and myself, I am pleased that the judge dismissed the race claims and I am looking forward to getting this behind me," Deen said in a statement Friday.

Jackson also issued a statement that backpedaled on assertions that Deen held "racist views."

"I assumed that all of my complaints about the workplace environment were getting to Paula Deen, but I learned during this matter that this was not the case," Jackson said in the statement, which was confirmed by her attorney. "The Paula Deen I have known for more than eight years is a woman of compassion and kindness and will never tolerate discrimination or racism of any kind toward anyone."

It wasn't Jackson's racism allegations, but rather Deen's own words that ended up causing serious damage to her public image and pocketbook. The lawsuit got little public attention for more than a year until Jackson's lawyer questioned Deen under oath in May. A transcript of the deposition became public in June, and it caused an immediate backlash against Deen.

Deen was asked if she has ever used the N-word. "Yes, of course," Deen replied, though she added: "It's been a very long time."

Within a few days, the Food Network didn't renew Deen's contract and yanked her shows off the air. Smithfield Foods, the pork producer that paid Deen as a celebrity endorser, dropped her soon after.

Retailers including Wal-Mart and Target said they'll no longer sell Deen's products and publisher Ballantine scuttled plans for her upcoming cookbook even though it was the No. 1 seller on Amazon. Deen also parted company with her longtime New York agent, Barry Weiner, who had worked to turn Deen into a comfort-food queen since she was little more than a Savannah restaurant owner and self-publisher of cookbooks.

The judge issued an order Friday saying he still plans a hearing on whether Jackson's lead attorney, Matthew Billips, should be sanctioned for what Deen's lawyers called unprofessional conduct in the case. In earlier court filings Deen's lawyers said Billips threatened Deen with embarrassing media exposure, made inappropriate comments about the cook and the lawsuit on Twitter and purposefully asked Deen embarrassing questions that weren't relevant to the case during her deposition.

However, a filing by Deen's attorneys asked the judge to drop their motion for sanctions against Billips.

Billips declined to comment on the lawsuit resolution other than to say "the matter has been amicably resolved." Deen attorneys Grace Speights and Harvey Weitz did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Forbes magazine last year ranked Deen as the fourth-highest-earning celebrity cook last year, figuring she had hauled in $17 million. Her company Paula Deen Enterprises generates total annual revenue of nearly $100 million, according to Burt Flickinger III, president of retail consultancy Strategic Resource Group.

In her statement Friday, Deen said that "those who truly know how I live my life know that I believe in kindness and fairness for everyone." She also promised to take a closer look at how her employees are treated.

"I look forward to getting back to doing what I love," she said.

In her lawsuit, Jackson had claimed Hiers frequently made jokes containing racial slurs at work and prohibited black workers from using the restaurant's front entrance and customer restrooms. She said she was personally offended because she had biracial nieces.

Attorneys for Deen said in court filings that Jackson's lawsuit was based on "scurrilous and false claims."

They said before Jackson filed suit, she threatened to embarrass Deen publicly unless she paid the ex-employee "huge sums of money."

2 Chainz, whose real name is Tauheed Epps, and the others were arrested on a charge of obstructing a police officer and booked into the Oklahoma County Jail on Thursday morning, Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow said.

But by Thursday afternoon, all 11 had paid the $2,000 bail and were released from custody, Oklahoma County Sheriff's spokesman Mark Myers said.

The 35-year-old rapper performed with Lil Wayne and T.I. in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. Police stopped 2 Chainz's tour bus around midnight near Interstate 40 because of an illegal taillight and noticed drug use, though Wardlow wouldn't go into specifics.

The driver was arrested, "but as he got off the bus, the interior door shut and locked and obviously our officers could not get in there," she said.

The remaining people on the bus refused to leave the vehicle, so officers towed it to a nearby police training facility about four miles away, Wardlow said.

Investigators obtained a warrant and all 11 people came off the bus around 9 a.m., Wardlow said. They were then arrested on the charge and booked into jail.

Wardlow also said investigators found narcotics on the bus, but don't know to whom those belonged. She said more charges could be filed later.

The Atlanta-based rapper, initially known as Tity Boi, was a member of the rap duo Playaz Circle before going solo. His 2012 debut album, "Based on a T.R.U. Story," topped the Billboard charts. His new album, "B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time," is set to be released next month.

Earlier this year, 2 Chainz was acquitted of marijuana charges he faced after a traffic stop on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

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Follow Kristi Eaton on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kristieaton.

The list is compiled using data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide.

Hardcover Fiction Last Week

1. "The Cuckoo's Calling" by Robert Galbraith (Mulholland, $26.00) 20

2. "Inferno" by Dan Brown (Doubleday, $29.95) 3

3. "First Sight" by Danielle Steel (Delacorte, $28.00) 2

4. "The English Girl" by Daniel Silva (Harper, $27.99) 1

5. "And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead, $28.95) 4

6. "Second Honeymoon" by James Patterson and Howard Roughan (Little, Brown, $28.00) 6

7. "Hidden Order" by Brad Thor (Atria, $27.99) 5

8. "Light of the World" by James Lee Burke(Simon & Schuster, 27.99) -

9. "Bombshell" by Catherine Coulter (Putnam, $26.95) 7

10. "The White Princess" by Philippa Gregory (Touchstone, $27.99) -

Hardcover non-fiction

1. "Happy, Happy, Happy" by Phil Robertson (Howard Books, $24.99) 1

2. "Lean In" by Sheryl Sandberg (Knopf, $24.95) 2

3. "Zealot" by Reza Aslan (Random House, $27.00) 7

4. "This Town" by Mark Leibovich (Blue Rider Press, $27.95) 3

5. "The Duck Commander Family" by Willie & Korie Robertson (Howard Books, $23.99) 5

6. "Life Code" by Dr. Phil McGraw (Penguin, $26.00) 6

7. "Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls" by David Sedaris (Little, Brown $27.00) 8

8. "Grumpy Cat" by Grumpy Cat (Chronicle Books, $12.95) -

9. "American Gun" by Chris Kyle (William Morrow, $29.99) 9

10. "Dad Is Fat" by Jim Gaffigan (Crown Archetype, $25.00) 10

Week that ended July 28, 2013, powered by Nielsen BookScan (c) 2013 The Nielsen Company.

(Editing by Patricia Reaney and Doina Chiacu)

UT San Diego cites (http://bit.ly/11oH5BJ) a preliminary investigation report that finds a group of skydivers were trying a multiple person maneuver over Riverside County on Saturday when one of them became entangled in a parachute.

The man was unable to free himself and fell to the ground.

Police found him in the backyard of a Lake Elsinore home. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The man was identified as Ken Oka of Mira Loma.

The newspaper says police and the Federal Aviation Administration are conducting independent investigations.

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Information from: U-T San Diego, http://www.utsandiego.com

Coach Bo Pelini starts his sixth season in Lincoln with one of the nation's most dynamic offenses and a young defense that will benefit from playing its first five games at home.

After having to cope with rigorous conference schedules their first two years in the Big Ten, the Huskers are set up for success. UCLA is the only real non-conference test. Big Ten favorite Ohio State and three-time defending champion Wisconsin aren't on the regular-season schedule, replaced by Illinois and Purdue.

It probably will be November before anyone knows how good the Huskers are, after they play Northwestern at home and Michigan and Penn State on the road.

"It would be really great to go out as a champion," senior offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles said. "That's the expectation we have, to win the Big Ten championship. That's what we came out with last year and that's what we're coming out with this year. Win them all the way. That's the way we've set out, to be perfect."

The Huskers open Aug. 31 at home against Wyoming.

Five things to watch as the Huskers bid for their first conference championship since 1999:

1. MARTINEZ MAGIC: Taylor Martinez already has started a quarterback school-record 39 games and has helped lead Nebraska to 29 wins. All that's missing is a championship. Martinez needs 2,409 yards passing and 142 yards rushing to join Colin Kaepernick as the only other player in FBS history to reach career marks of 9,000/3,000. Martinez's speed and elusiveness are his calling cards, but he's an improving passer. His accuracy went from 56 percent to 62 percent.

2. HANG ON TO THAT BALL: Considering Nebraska was 108th nationally in turnover margin last year, it was nothing short of amazing the Huskers had the eighth most-productive offense. The Huskers committed 35 turnovers only Idaho had more and just two players in the nation had more than Martinez's 20. Over the past three seasons, Nebraska is 18-1 in games in which it is plus-turnovers and 11-11 when it is even or minus-turnovers. "It's an astounding stat," running back Ameer Abdullah said. "You hear that and see how deadly we are when we don't turn the ball over. It kind of fuels your fire and makes you want to cut down on those turnovers."

3. ON THE LINE: Nebraska has its most experienced offensive line in a long time and goes two deep at every spot. Spencer Long is an Outland Trophy candidate after making first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-American in 2012. Sirles returns at right tackle and has started 28 games. Brent Qvale started 13 times at left tackle last season and has played in 40 games. Junior-college transfers Matt Finnin and Chongo Kondolo could be factors early.

4. THESE GUYS CAN CATCH: Kenny Bell, Jamal Turner and Quincy Enunwa lead what might rank among the nation's best receiving corps after combining for 124 catches for 1,750 yards and 12 touchdowns. All eight of Bell's TDs covered at least 25 yards, and he could make a run at becoming the first Nebraska receiver to go over 1,000 yards in a season.

5. FRONT SEVEN QUESTION: If there's a major concern, this is it. Defensive end Jason Ankrah is the only returning starter on the line. Randy Gregory is a celebrated junior-college recruit who figures to start opposite Ankrah. Gregory was so impressive in early practices that linemate Thad Randle called him "a freak." Randle is pretty much a lock to start at one tackle spot. Six young players are vying for the other. David Santos and Zaire Anderson are the most experienced linebackers.

Predicted finish:

Big Ten Legends Division: First.

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Online:

AP college football site: http://collegefootball.ap.org/

TOLEDO, Ohio (Reuters) - A man in western Ohio found nearly 300 pounds of marijuana stuffed into a Mexican-made gun-storage safe that he recently purchased on the Internet, authorities revealed on Sunday.

The 1,000-pound steel safe, ordered from Champion Safe Co. of Provo, Utah, was made in Nogales, Mexico, and shipped by truck from Mexico to Champion's warehouse near Mansfield, Ohio, Shelby County Sheriff John Lenhart said.

The safe was delivered on June 19 to the customer in western Ohio by an independent driver working for Champion, Lenhart said.

The marijuana, tightly wrapped in 10, 28-pound packages, has an estimated street value of $420,000, according to Lenhart. He said the truck's shipment contained 25 to 30 safes, and that all the others were free of drugs.

Lenhart said his office has been working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on the case and had decided not to reveal it publicly to avoid impeding the investigation. Authorities are not releasing the name of the customer for personal safety reasons.

The driver who delivered the safe to the customer has been cleared of any wrongdoing, but the driver who delivered the shipment from Mexico to Ohio is missing, according to Lenhart.

He said the DEA normally would not be interested in what is considered by federal agents to be a relatively small amount of marijuana. But the DEA is interested in learning more about the delivery method and size of such an operation.

"It's a pretty decent way of smuggling," Lenhart said. "My guess is that it's not the first time it's happened."

(Reporting and writing by George Tanber; Editing by Steve Gorman and Paul Simao)

An appeal court in Frankfurt has upheld the disqualification of Swedish winner Mattias Ekstroem in a German Touring Car championship (DTM) race but decided not to promote second-place finisher Wickens, who drives for Mercedes.

Ekstroem was disqualified after his father poured water into the pocket of the Audi driver's overalls prior to weighing, violating rules that state that no materials or substances can be added.

"The court decided that the fifth round of the season won't have a winner," the DTM said after the ruling on Tuesday evening. "So Wickens...in second position will be the best-placed driver of the Norisring race."

The DTM could give no official explanation for why the water was poured. Media speculation suggested Ekstroem's father might have wanted to cool down his son on a hot afternoon or add weight by soaking the overalls.

The court decided no other driver should move up in the rankings because Ekstroem had enjoyed no advantage on the track.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Clare Fallon)

Ryder returned a positive sample after being tested following a match for provincial side Wellington Firebirds against Northern Knights on March 24, the Sports Tribunal said in a release on its website (www.sportstribunal.org.nz).

Ryder tested positive for 1-Phenylbutan-2-amine (PBA) and N, alphadiethyl-benzeneethanamine (DEBEA), both of which are banned in competition, and was subsequently handed a six-month provisional ban on April 19.

Even though Ryder will be free to play again from October 19, the batsman said he was "devastated" by his situation.

"Whilst everyone is aware of my well documented battles with alcohol, it's important for me to state that I abhor drug use of any kind, both recreational and performance-enhancing in sport," he said in a statement on the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association website (www.procricket.co.nz).

He added to Fairfax Media that he felt "fortunate", having been worried that his cricket career might have been over.

"Six months was what I was hoping for. It wasn't the worst I could have got," he said.

The tribunal's decision, released on Monday, said the relative lenience of the ban was because it accepted Ryder's reasons for taking supplements.

"The mandatory penalty for this violation is two years' suspension," it read.

"However, the suspension can be less if the athlete establishes how the prohibited substances got in his system and that the taking of the prohibited substance was not intended to enhance his sport performance."

The tribunal added: "We do not need to detail Mr Ryder's evidence other than to say that he expressed a sensitivity arising from public comments about his weight and, as he was in a good space at the time about his cricketing form, he had decided to make a further attempt to reduce weight."

ROLLERCOASTER CAREER

The decision may raise eyebrows in New Zealand, where Ryder's travails in a rollercoaster career have been a constant source of controversy.

A burly lefthander who stepped away from test cricket last year to deal with personal issues, Ryder has struggled with weight problems throughout his career, along with alcohol and discipline issues.

Days after being tested while playing for Wellington, Ryder was subject to a vicious assault outside a Christchurch nightspot which put him in hospital with critical head injuries.

He is expected to resume his provincial career with Otago later this year.

New Zealand's top anti-doping authority Drug Free Sport NZ (DFSNZ) said it accepted the conclusion that 18-test batsman Ryder was not intending to enhance performance but added that he "had failed to heed clear warnings he had received".

"This is doubly disappointing as DFSNZ, NZ Cricket and the Cricket Player's Association had collaborated to institute an education programme for first class cricketers and Ryder had been part of that programme," chief executive Graeme Steel said in a statement on their website (www.drugfreesport.org.nz).

"Supplements are a minefield for athletes as, while benefits are invariably overstated, accurate information about contents and their status under sport rules is frequently insufficient."

Doping cases have been relatively rare in cricket compared to other sports but a number of high-profile players have failed drug tests.

Pakistan pacemen Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, who is currently serving a seven-year ban for spot-fixing, both tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs but had bans overturned on appeal.

Former Australia spinner Shane Warne was famously banned a day before the start of the 2003 World Cup and sent home after testing positive for a banned diuretic.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A law allowing marijuana to be used for medical purposes in Illinois was signed on Thursday by Governor Pat Quinn, making it the second most populous state in the country after California to permit medicinal use of the drug.

"Over the years, I've been moved by the brave patients and veterans who are fighting terrible illnesses," Quinn said. "They need and deserve pain relief."

The law, which takes effect January 1, allows patients diagnosed with one of 35 medical conditions such as cancer, Parkinson's or lupus to use marijuana as recommended by an Illinois licensed physician.

The four-year program, which supporters call the strictest in the nation, requires a doctor's written certification, registered patient photo identification cards and an electronic verification system.

The senate sponsor for the bill was Bill Haine, a downstate Democrat who is a former prosecutor. The bill passed the Illinois house and senate this past spring.

"We are ensuring only those suffering from the most serious diseases receive this treatment," said Haine. "This law takes additional steps to prevent fraud and abuse."

Nineteen other states plus the District of Columbia have effective medical marijuana laws, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a non-profit Washington, D.C.-based group. The project does not count Maryland on the list because it only allows for a "very limited research program," according to spokesman Morgan Fox.

Under the Illinois law, patients would be limited to 2.5 ounces (70 grams) of marijuana every two weeks. The marijuana must be grown and distributed in Illinois, kept in a closed container and not used in public or in front of minors.

Jim Champion, a veteran afflicted with multiple sclerosis, was among those who spoke with Quinn while he was considering the bill, according to Quinn's office.

"I use medical cannabis because it's the most effective medicine in treating my muscle spasticity with few side effects," Champion said. "My wife shouldn't have to go to drug dealers for my medicine. Neither of us deserve to be criminals."

Those who use, grow or sell the drug must be fingerprinted and undergo background checks. Landlords and employers could ban its use on their property. Users suspected of driving under the influence face the loss of not only their driving privileges, but also their marijuana-use permits.

Under U.S. federal law, marijuana is considered an addictive substance and distribution is a federal offense. The administration of President Barack Obama has discouraged federal prosecutors from pursuing people who distribute marijuana for medical purposes under state laws.

(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski. Editing by Andre Grenon)