News briefs: Man dies from jump off Union Railroad Bridge
A man died Thursday evening after jumping from a railroad bridge over the Monongahela River and disappearing beneath the water, emergency officials said.
The man, whose identity was being withheld pending notification of relatives, was pulled from the water less than an hour later and pronounced dead at Jefferson Hospital.
Rescue workers were called at 5:50 p.m. for a report of a boater lost in the water near the Union Railroad Bridge that spans the river between Lincoln and Clairton, said Scott Noga, assistant chief of the Lincoln Borough Volunteer Fire Department. The bridge is at least 40 feet above the water, Noga said.
"We were told he jumped out of his boat, swam to the bridge, climbed up and jumped off," Noga said.
"Some power lines run along the bridge support. We were told his foot got hooked on the outside power line and he flipped over into the water. He never resurfaced."
Rescue boats from Lincoln, Glassport, Blaine Hill, Boston, Buena Vista and Elizabeth took part in the rescue operations. A STAT MedEvac helicopter, which searched the waters from the sky, and emergency medical personnel from Lincoln, Elizabeth Township and Liberty Borough also assisted, Noga said.
"We had a fast response. This was a relatively quick recovery compared to most," he said.
Firefighter injured in multi-building fire
Firefighters from eight Beaver County fire departments were battling a multi-alarm fire that erupted Thursday night in Beaver Borough, emergency dispatchers said.
Initial reports indicated that at least two homes and a third building — possibly a garage — were on fire along Lincoln Avenue. One firefighter was reported injured, but the severity of the injuries was not available.
Speeding likely before fatal crash in park
A Westmoreland County man appears to have been speeding when he crashed his car into a tree in Schenley Park, killing his passenger, a University of Pittsburgh student who was about to graduate, Pittsburgh police said Thursday.
Po Chen, 21, of Export, remained hospitalized yesterday at UPMC-Presbyterian, Oakland. His passenger, Laikwan Lau, 22, of Oakland, died at the scene of the crash from head and chest injuries, the Allegheny County Coroner's Office said.
Lau was a psychology major at Pitt who was eligible for graduation this month, a university spokesman said.
Chen's Toyota Corolla slammed into a tree as it came out of a curve on Schenley Drive near Tech Street at 10:22 p.m. Wednesday, investigators said. Officer Peggy Rothert of the city's accident investigations unit said it appears Chen was speeding. However, no determination of how fast he was driving has been made.
Rothert said she did not know if either Chen or Lau were wearing seat belts.
$202,000 grant awarded to CMU
Carnegie Mellon University has received a $202,000 grant from the National Science Foundation as part of a nationwide program to increase the number of computer security and information assurance professionals. Last year, CMU received a grant to pay for scholarships under the program. This year, the money will be targeted to expand CMU's capacity to offer degree programs.
Vegetarian society sets annual picnic
The Pittsburgh Vegetarian Society and Animal Advocates will host their annual picnic from 1 to 6 p.m. Aug. 18 at the Veterans Pavilion at Schenley Park in Oakland.
The picnic will be held rain or shine. The covered pavilion can accommodate 170 people.
For details, call (412) 734-5554 or (412) 928-9777.
Library schedules Cornfest this month
The Carrick branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is sponsoring the 2002 Carrick Cornfest, scheduled for noon Aug. 17 at Phillips Park.
Scheduled activities include games and a book sale.
For more information, call (412) 882-3897.
Museum on track to get out of debt
The Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum has raised $35,000 since May to help satisfy outstanding debts of about $650,000.
Executive Director Cummins McNitt said much work remains to return the museum and Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark to solvency. Officials with the fund-raising campaign said they intend to raise $300,000 by the end of October.
The museum has been hailed as a model for transit exhibits and is home to the last running K-4 steam engine in the world, which now is being restored for $1 million.
Settlement reached in 9-year-old's death
The parents of a 9-year-old Delaware boy killed when a teenager's makeshift cannon exploded have reached a settlement with the teen.
In January, the parents of Kyle Dolan, of Wilmington, Del., sued 15-year-old Jonathan Hileman, of Logan Township.
The parents, Kevin and Shelly Dolan, will receive $170,000 in the settlement approved by Blair County Judge Thomas Peoples.
Dolan was killed instantly at an Independence Day party on July 3, 2001, when a steel pipe cannon loaded with gunpowder and a marble broke loose from its stand and struck the boy in his face.
Hileman was charged with a fireworks violation and placed on juvenile probation.
Cash-strapped city reports a surplus
For the first time in more than 30 years, the city of Erie is taking in more money than it's spending.
Mayor Rick Filippi unveiled a midyear budget that shows a $405,100 surplus, about $20,000 more than he anticipated in July. One year ago, Erie was facing a $750,000 deficit.
Filippi attributed the savings to several factors, including monitoring police overtime. Last year, police overtime expenses exceeded the budget by almost $600,000.
Discretionary expenses also were cut by 5 percent in every department under Filippi, and officials said the city has increased its collection of fees.
I-90 interchange named for trooper
An interchange on Interstate 90 has been named for a state police trooper who was fatally injured while trying to assist a motorist during a snowstorm.
Officials dedicated the interchange near Exit 34 to Matthew R. Bond, a 28-year-old trooper who died in January 2000.
Bond was injured when his police cruiser was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer during a snowstorm. He and his partner had stopped on I-90 near Exit 34 to assist a stranded motorist. Bond died the following morning.
Unique building may get restoration
It doesn't percolate or have a pause-and-serve feature, but a 75-year-old building shaped like a coffee pot could be in line for a restoration.
The building, on Route 30 just west of Bedford, is one of five restaurants remaining in the country that were built in the shape of coffee or tea pots. It was built as a tourist attraction.
Although it's fallen victim to disrepair and age, people still visit. Over the years, it has been a restaurant, an ice cream parlor and a bar.
A feasibility study, to be completed by November, will determine the costs of restoration and suggest possible uses. Suggestions already include making it a historic attraction with exhibits or a Starbucks coffee shop.
