Central Administrator - News Room Administrators AdministratorWILMINGTON, N. C. A North Carolina man found the tip of a severed human finger in a container of frozen custard.

Wendy's International Inc. offers $100,000 reward (doubled from its original offer) for information leading to the origin of a human finger found in a bowl of chili from a California Wendy's last month. According to Wendy's President and Chief Operating Officer, Tom Mueller, the company's franchises and employees have done nothing wrong, yet are paying a high price for the finger incident - specifically those in the San Jose, CA. area where the finger appeared in a customers chili order. Workers have been either laid-off or had their hours reduced. "Our brand reputation has been affected nationally," Mueller said. "We are determined to find out what really happened in this incident. " There have been no reports of finger or hand accidents in any Wendy's restaurant and all employees passed lie detector tests, Wendy's confirmed in a statement Friday. Anna Ayala, the customer who discovered the finger in her order, dropped her legal claim against the fast-food chain. Official conducted a search of her residence as part of the investigation, but have not released any details.

39-year old Anna Ayala claims to have found part of a human finger in chili she purchased at a Wendy fast food restaurant, but now she is reconsidering her lawsuit against the hamburger chain. Ayala's lawyer says initially his client was upset saying the incident "has caused her great emotional distress and continues to be difficult emotionally. " However, she apparently has had a change of heart. On March 22, Ayala says she discovered a portion of a finger measuring about 1

A deliveryman is rescued after being stuck in an apartment building elevator in the Bronx for three days. Authorities say 35-year old Ming Kuang is in stable condition at a local hospital being treated for dehydration. Police say Friday night Kuang was making deliveries for the Happy Dragon restaurant where he has worked since arriving from China two years ago. When he did not return after completing his third and final stop, they became concerned. Coworkers located only his bicycle in front of the building where he made his last delivery. Investigators searched in and around the 871-unit Tracey Towers apartment building with bloodhounds and going door-to-door inquiring about Kuang's whereabouts. Cadaver dogs also searched in nearby Cortland Park, the Jerome Park Reservoir, and the Woodlawn Cemetery. An alarm set off in the elevator early Tuesday morning led police to Chen, who contacted authorities using the intercom. Officials are unclear if the alarm had malfunctioned earlier. Investigators say the elevator car became stuck between the fourth and fifth floors. Mechanics were eventually able to override the system and locate Chen who gulped down water upon being freed. Chen speaks little English, but was able to convey to authorities how long he had be stuck by swirling his finger around on his watch. Family members tell police Chen came to the United State illegally from southeastern China where his wife and 12-year old son still live. He paid smugglers $60,000 to bring him to America. He has worked at the Happy Dragon making 40 to 60 deliveries daily working six days a week. The last delivery he made before being stranded was to an off-duty police officer that lives in the building.