An illegal alien from Vera Cruz, Mexico, was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh to 10 months and six days in jail for violating federal immigration laws.
Salvador Delfin-Colina, 35, who was living illegally in Olathe, Kan., was stopped on May 27 as he drove along Interstate 80 in a pickup truck carrying nine other illegal Mexican aliens. He told state police he was traveling from St. Louis to New York City for a church function.
He later admitted to entering the United States illegally earlier that month in Arizona. He also admitted that he has illegally entered the United States about 10 times, prosecutors said.
OaklandCarlow plans program on domestic violence
The opening ceremony for the Clothesline Project at Carlow University, featuring hundreds of T-shirts designed to represent the feelings of victims of domestic violence, will be Wednesday.
The program will begin at noon in the atrium of the A.J. Palumbo Hall of Science and Technology at Carlow, Fifth and Craft avenues in Oakland. The local project was inspired by the National Clothesline Project, which began in 1990 in Hyannis, Mass.
For more information, call (412) 578-2095.
UptownMan shoots self while riding through tunnel
Pittsburgh homicide detectives are investigating the shooting death of a man overnight Friday in the Liberty Tunnels, apparently from a self-inflicted injury.
Police said a car with four occupants was headed outbound in the tunnel when one of the backseat passengers pulled out a handgun and shot himself in the head.
The Allegheny County Coroner's Office identified the man as Victor Muto, 26, of Pittsburgh. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Mercy Hospital, Uptown, police said.
An autopsy was scheduled to be performed today.
Mercy Hospital to host adult CPR workshop
Mercy Hospital will host an American Heart Association CPR course at 9:30 a.m. April 23 in the hospital's Sister M. Ferdinand Clark Auditorium at 1400 Locust St., Uptown.
Participants will learn the basics of adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation and what to do about an obstructed airway.
Cost is $5 per person. Advance registration is required by calling (412) 232-5855, or by visiting www.mercylink.org/ems .
BeechviewPassenger dies in head-on crash
A head-on crash on West Liberty Avenue in Beechview early Saturday killed a 29-year-old Mt. Washington woman.
Tina M. Duncan died from blunt force trauma at 2:20 a.m., the Allegheny County Coroner's Office said. Police said Duncan was a front-seat passenger in a car with two other occupants. The driver of the other car was traveling alone.
Police are investigating the cause of the crash. It was unknown whether there were any other injuries.
DowntownTown meeting to focus on superintendent search
A+ Schools, a community group that advocates for improving student achievement in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, will host "Choosing Our Next Superintendent: A Community Discussion" from 5 to 8:30 p.m. April 28, on the 31st floor of the Regional Enterprise Tower, 425 Sixth Ave., Downtown.
The district is conducting a national search to replace Dr. John Thompson after the school board decided to buy out the remainder of his five-year contract.
The town hall meeting, to be moderated by Michael Kumer, executive director of Duquesne University's Nonprofit Leadership Institute, is free and open to the public.
Child care will be provided on site. Space for the event is limited. Anyone wishing to participate should RSVP by April 25 to (412) 258-2660, or online at www.aplusschools.org/rsvp.html .
Allegheny CountyLiteracy council seeks teachers of basic skills
The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council is seeking volunteers to teach basic literacy -- reading, writing, math and computer skills -- and English as a second language to adult students throughout Allegheny County.
The council is offering a workshop for volunteers from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 14 and 21 at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church on the South Side.
The English as a second language workshop will be held at the Wallace Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1146 Greentree Road, Green Tree, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. May 17, 19, 24 and 26. For details, call (412) 661-7323.
Medical corps needs health care professionals
Active and retired medical and health-allied professionals are being recruited by the Allegheny County Health Department for its voluntary Medical Reserve Corps.
County Health Director Dr. Bruce Dixon said his department is creating a group of volunteers -- including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, veterinarians, behavioral health professionals and others -- who can be called upon in the event of a public health emergency.
Creation of the corps is being funded by a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For details, call the health department at (412) 578-8349 or visit www.achd.net .
Region Butler CountyPennDOT to close Route 28 lane
PennDOT will shut down one lane of Route 28 near Freeport starting Monday for about four months.
One northbound lane will close Monday in Buffalo during reconstruction of two miles of the highway in Butler and Armstrong counties. The project also will replace the surfaces of the exit and entrance ramps at the Route 356 junction.
PennDOT hired IA Construction Corp., of Concordville, for $2.6 million to do the work. Construction is scheduled to last through July.
Western PennsylvaniaPennDOT tells drivers to be alert to workers
PennDOT is advising motorists to be aware of highway maintenance workers on bridges in Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Indiana and Jefferson counties from now through June 30.
PennDOT workers will be cleaning 1,620 state-owned bridges to remove salt, dirt and other materials to prevent premature deterioration.
Crawford CountyShields to be president of Pitt-Titusville
William A. Shields will become president of the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville, effective Aug. 1.
Shields, now the interim president of the University of Maine at Presque Isle, is a Pitt alumnus with nearly 30 years of experience as a college and university administrator.
Shields was interim president of Pitt's Bradford campus from 2002 to 2003, when he supervised several construction projects and oversaw a $16 million capital campaign. He previously served as president of Rockford College in Rockford, Ill., from 1992 to 2002; and the College of Great Falls in Great Falls, Mont., from 1977 to 1992.
Shields will replace Mike Worman.
Cambria CountyDistrict attorney hopes to reinstate conviction
The Cambria County district attorney is seeking to reinstate the first-degree murder conviction of a death row inmate accused of killing an 80-year-old woman.
District Attorney David Tulowitzki said he has filed a notice of appeal in the case against Ernest Simmons, 47, who was convicted in 1993 of robbing and killing Anna Knaze in her Johnstown home in May 1992.
Tulowitzki is asking the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia to overturn the ruling of federal Judge Sean McLaughlin, who in February ordered a new trial for Simmons. The judge said prosecutors withheld evidence.
Robert Dunham, Simmons' attorney, could not be reached for comment.
Fayette CountyWelfare official outlines early childhood initiatives
A state deputy welfare secretary Saturday outlined state initiatives in early childhood care and education, offering insight on new plans by the administration of Gov. Ed Rendell.
Speaking at Penn State's Fayette campus near Uniontown, Harriet Dichter said Rendell is proposing a $30 million investment in Head Start -- twice the amount in last year's budget.
She also discussed the "Keystone Stars" program -- a series of steps child care providers can take to show they have improved quality through training and meeting standards -- and the "Keys to Quality" initiative that will examine what local communities need for early childhood education and training of child care providers.
"This is a major reorganization of our approach, and a major change," Dichter said. "It's really trying to put the leadership back where it belongs."
