LOS OLIVOS, Calif. (AP) – Michael Jackson has closed the house on his Neverland Ranch and laid off some of the employees there but has not completely shuttered the sprawling estate, the pop star’s spokesman said.

“It is public knowledge that Mr. Jackson currently resides in the Middle Eastern country of Bahrain,” Jackson spokeswoman Raymone K. Bain said late Thursday in a statement. “He therefore decided to close his house and reduce his work force.”

The action came a day after state labor officials announced that Jackson had agreed to pay his Neverland Ranch employees hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages, avoiding a lawsuit by the California Department of Industrial Relations.

Employees who received their back pay Thursday were told they were being laid off because Jackson had shut down the ranch, syndicated TV news magazine “Entertainment Tonight” reported on its Web site Thursday.

But Bain indicated the ranch was still operating, at least on a limited basis.

“Reports indicating that Neverland has been closed or “shut down’ for good are inaccurate,” she said. A call to the ranch’s manager, Joe Marcus, was not immediately returned.

Bain’s statement, which did not indicate what plans Jackson has for the estate’s future, concluded: “There will be no further comments regarding this matter.”

Authorities told Jackson’s representatives last week they had received complaints from at least 30 workers who had not been paid since Dec. 19 and were owed $306,000 in back wages. Jackson also was told he would have to pay about $100,000 in penalties.

RINGWOOD, N.J. (AP) – Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke in the TV series “The Dukes of Hazzard,” faces a drunken driving charge in northern New Jersey, authorities said Friday.

Wopat was arrested in Ringwood and charged with driving while intoxicated and reckless driving, said Bill Maer, a spokesman for the Passaic County sheriff’s department.

He was pulled from a Ford Bronco Wednesday night after hitting orange traffic cones and nearly striking a Ringwood police car sent to an accident, Maer said.

Wopat, 54, of West Milford, was released into the custody of his girlfriend, Maer said.

In the TV series, which aired from 1979 to 1985, Luke Duke and his cousin Bo, played by John Schneider, were known for driving a speedy 1969 Dodge Charger, the General Lee.

A movie based on the series was released last year.

In recent years, Wopat has worked on Broadway.

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Three 6 Mafia could be making an appearance in Pittsburgh as early as next month – to be deposed in a lawsuit by a fan who was injured at one of their concerts.

Ramone Williams claims in his lawsuit that he was beaten as the rap group sang “Let’s Start a Riot” at an Aug. 26, 2003, concert at a now-defunct Pittsburgh nightclub.

Williams, then 19, alleges that before the song was over, he was thrown to the floor, hit with a chair, stomped on and kicked in the face. His injuries included a fractured jaw.

His lawsuit claims the club neglected to warn patrons or protect them from violence and should not have permitted an underage customer to enter.

It also accuses the rap group of failing to warn of violence, for inciting the audience and failing to stop the violence.

Williams’ lawyer, James E. DePasquale, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a story for Friday’s editions that he expects Three 6 Mafia to answer subpoenas by the end of April to be deposed for trial, which could begin by November.

Three 6 Mafia, from Memphis, Tenn., won the Oscar for best original song this year for “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp,” from the film “Hustle & Flow.”

John E. Hall, the group’s Pittsburgh lawyer, declined to discuss pending litigation, but has said the group members deny all the accusations.

Three 6 Mafia group members include Jordan “Juicy J” Houston, Paul “D.J. Paul” Beauregard and songwriter Cedric Coleman.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Kenny Chesney will perform at football and soccer stadiums in several U.S. cities this year, including a July 8 show at Nashville’s Coliseum.

“The last time I played this stadium was with George Strait,” the 37-year-old country superstar said Thursday at the stadium where the Tennessee Titans NFL football team plays.

That concert was back in 2000, before Chesney became one of the top-selling touring acts of any musical genre. Last year he grossed $63 million, fourth among all touring acts, and his attendance of 1.2 million was second only to U2.

Gretchen Wilson, Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich and Little Big Town will open the concert.

Chesney also will perform at professional football stadiums in Seattle (June 24), Boston (July 16), Detroit and Tampa, Fla., and at professional soccer stadiums in Dallas, Chicago, Columbus, Ohio, and Los Angeles. Dates weren’t yet announced for all the shows.

Wearing a blue ball cap instead of his trademark cowboy hat, the Knoxville native said he’s excited about the Nashville concert.

“It’s been my hometown for 14 years,” he said.

Recalling one of his earliest performances in the city, at a small club with a tip jar in front of him, he said, “Being able to do the kind of things we’re doing today makes you very appreciative.”