News Headlines

HOMICIDE CHARGE FILED IN THE DEATH OF BLAIRSVILLE TODDLER

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:15:00 GMT

Indiana County District Attorney Pat Dougherty says the 22-month-old boy who died on Sunday at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh was suffocated by his mother’s husband.

27-year-old Juan Campbell of Susan Drive in Burrell Township is charged with criminal homicide in the death of Malachi Patterson, and Dougherty says that while he intends to seek a conviction for first degree murder, it is too early to tell whether or not he will seek the death penalty. He will wait until the investigation is complete and make his decision when Campbell has his formal arraignment.

As outlined by the D.A. and state trooper John Matchik, after Malachi’s death Campbell changed his version of what happened early last Friday. He had earlier claimed he had the toddler and his own 6-year-old son in bed with him and he noticed that Malachi was not breathing. Now, he says that the boy was fussy, so he put him on his own chest and went back to sleep, but Malachi rolled off and possibly struck his head on a nightstand as he fell to the floor. When he would not stop crying, Campbell put his hand over his mouth to get him to quiet down.

Matchik said yesterday that doctors said that bruising from the boy’s left ear and cheek to the tip of his nose and nostrils strongly indicated abuse by placing of the hand over the mouth and nostrils.

Malachi’s mother, Jamie Patterson Campbell, was a patient at the Indiana Regional Medical Center at the time of the incident, having just given birth. She has custody of the three remaining children, including Campbell’s son.

PRIMARY ELECTION DAY

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:08:00 GMT

It is Primary Election day inPennsylvania, with many important local races being contested. There are no changes in polling places to be reported today, so voters will go to their normal election site to make their selections between7 AMand8 PM.

Among the many local races are borough council and township supervisors, mayors, and tax collectors, which have been a hotly-contested topic this year. In White Township, for instance, there are three Democrats and nine Republicans running for the position held for many years by Melvin O’Keefe.

The county’s school boards also will be reshuffled this year. One of the most contentious primary campaigns has been the Indiana Area School Board, where ten candidates are vying for five seats. Two candidates are seeking a single two-year term and the other eight are after the four four-year terms.

HEARING TODAY FOR SEX OFFENDER CHARGED WITH INDECENT ASSAULT

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:46:00 GMT

There’s a preliminary hearing scheduled today for a northern Indiana County man accused of failing to comply with his registration requirements as a sex offender, and with three felony charges related to sexual assault of a young person.

50-year-old Irwin Leroy Miller, who lives along Juneau Road outside of Punxsutawney, is scheduled to appear at 9:00 a.m. before District Judge George Thachik to face two counts of indecent assault of a person younger than age 13 and one count of corruption of minors. Miller is also charged with two counts of failure to comply with registration requirements of a sexual offender.

No details are available on the most recent sex charges against Miller, except that they occurred on June 10^th last year. His failure to register dates back to July 19^th.

Miller was convicted of aggravated indecent assault in January of 2003 and is required to register his address with police for the rest of his life.

NO TAX HIKE FOR MARION CENTER SCHOOLS

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:58:00 GMT

The Marion Center School Board appears to be ready to pass a final budget that will hold the line on property taxes. For the fourth straight year, the board has passed a preliminary budget that includes no tax increase for the citizens. Under the spending plan, which is for just over $22 million, taxes will remain at 102.48 Mills. The tentative budget was passed by an 8-1 vote, with Lori Marshall the lone no vote.

Board President Greg Sacco said that while they haven't enacted a lot of cuts, they have been mindful of opportunities for savings, especially a bond refinancing. The district will also take advantage of retirements of longtime staff members who draw on the high end of the salary scale. Sacco also said they will always be mindful of possible savings opportunities.

The final budget is expected to be passed at the board meeting in June.

NUMBER OF DEFICIENT BRIDGES FALLS ACROSS THE STATE

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:56:00 GMT

Although the state still leads the nation in structurally deficient bridges, Pennsylvania is make progress. The number of state-maintained bridges that are deficient stands at 4,500, down from 5,600 in August of 2010. In Indiana County, there are 136 structurally deficient bridges, representing nearly 32 percent of the bridges across the county.

In our neighboring counties, Jefferson County has 43 deficient bridges, representing around 16 percent. Cambria County has 35 structurally deficient bridges, for around 11 percent. Armstrong County has 85 deficient bridges, representing around 23 percent and Westmoreland County has 173 bridges that fall into that category, representing around 23 percent.

A bridge is designated as “deficient” if any of three elements: superstructure, substructure or its deck are judged by inspectors to be in poor or worse-than-poor condition. PennDot will release a report in the next few weeks on what projects across the state will be funded through increased transportation revenue which is expected in the next state budget.

NEW REPORT DETAILS BREAST CANCER TREATMENT

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:56:00 GMT

A new report from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council details the treatment options available to those diagnosed with breast cancer, while also analyzing the cost of each procedure. The report states that more than 13,000 Pennsylvania women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and more than 2,000 died from the disease.

Nearly 11,000 women had surgery to address breast cancer in 2011, with a rise in both mastectomies and lumpectomies. The majority of women, 58 percent, who had surgery to address breast cancer were over the age of 60. Only three percent were under the age of 40. The study also breaks down breast cancer surgeries into the counties they took place in. Indiana County has a surgery rate of 17.6 per every 10,000 women. That’s in line with neighboring counties such as Armstrong (16.7) and Jefferson (15.4.)

Other neighboring counties have higher rates, including Cambria at 19.5, Clearfield at 21 and Westmoreland County with 21.7. Also detailed in the study is what is known as a prophylactic mastectomy, where a woman decides to have a voluntary mastectomy due to a family or personal history of breast cancer, or a presence of a predictive gene. Just 94 women elected to have the procedure in 2002, compared to 455 women in 2011. As for payment, Medicare and Medicaid fee-for-service programs paid for 28 percent of inpatient mastectomies in 2010, amounting to $4.6 million. The median age for a Medicare mastectomy patient in 2010 was 73 and the program paid on average $5,100. The average age for a Medicaid program patient was 50 years old. The program payments averaged $7,445 per women and added up to more than $850,000 for the year.

IRMC SHOWS GAINS IN PATIENT REVENUES

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:23:00 GMT

The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council has released a report on the relative financial health of hospitals across the state, and they show hospitals in our area holding their own as they deal with a rapidly changing health care dynamic.

Indiana Regional Medical Center, which is listed in Region Three, showed fiscal year 2012 revenue of $133,345,000, an increase of over $3 million from the year before, and about $8 million more than it earned in each of the previous two years. That equates to a three-year-average change in net patient revenue of 2.17 percent. IRMC’s net operating margin was 2.2 percent. Region Three consists of Indiana, Cambria, Blair, Somerset, and Bedford counties. The two biggest hospital groups in the region are Conemaugh Memorial and Altoona Regional.

Among area medical centers, Conemaugh showed a gain of about $2 million in patient revenue in fiscal 2012; Excela Latrobe increased by just under $2 million. Punxsutawney Area’s revenues were off by just under $1 million (from $30.2 million to $29.25 million); Armstrong County Memorial Hospital gained about $3 million.

TRIAL TO BEGIN FOR MAN ACCUSED OF CHURCH BURGLARIES

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:54:00 GMT

Jury selection gets underway today (8:30 AM) for a Seward man facing numerous felony charges for breaking into multiple homes and churches in the Armagh area last fall.

32-year-old Gregory McAdoo is accused of breaking into several churches and homes along with 22-year-old Nathan Yanity between November 15^th and the 30^th last year. They were caught by an Armagh homeowner as they tried to get into his place in December. The resident held them at gunpoint but let them go after they told him their names, which turned out to be fake. The homeowner later identified them from photos and they were taken into custody after several days as fugitives. Yanity’s mother and sister were also charged with harboring them or misleading police during the search.

Yanity pleaded guilty to multiple charges and will be sentenced on June 10^th. McAdoo, whose address is listed as Indiana but who was staying at Yanity’s mother’s home in East Wheatfield Township at the time of the crimes, will be tried before Judge William Martin.

ASSAULT SUSPECT SURRENDERS TO STATE POLICE

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:29:00 GMT

AnIndianaman accused of assaulting another man and threatening to burn down his house turned himself in to state police yesterday and is in the Indiana County Jail.

20-year-old Michael Markel Jr. is charged with terroristic threats, two counts of simple assault, and harassment in the attack on the 42-year-old victim, who has not been publicly identified. Police don’t say what the relationship is between the two men, except that they are related.

The incident happened Friday afternoon at a home in the 400 block ofFleming Road in White Township. Police say that during an argument, Markel threatened to burn down the home, then picked up a stone as if to throw it at the victim. He then struck the man, wrestled him to the ground, and shoved his face into a brick sidewalk. The victim suffered minor injuries. Markel fled the scene and was at large until yesterday.

Markel was already awaiting court action after his arrest for harassment on May 1^st.

TWO CAR CRASH HURTS BOTH DRIVERS

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:43:00 GMT

Two people suffered major injuries in a crash at the intersection of Routes 210 and 954 in North Mahoning Township Friday night.

State Police out of Punxsutawney say 23-year-old Morgan Fetterman of Rossiter was going north on Route 210 and nearing the intersection when he ran the stop sign and hit a car driven by 47-year-old Tara McSparrin of Dayton, PA. Both cars went across the right-hand lane before Fetterman’s car hit a utility pole. Both cars stopped in the southbound lane.

Fetterman was taken to Allegheny General Hospital by life-flight for treatment, while McSparrin was taken by STAT-Medivac to UPMC-Presbeterian. Fetterman will be charged with failing to stop at a stop sign.