Settlement reached over Wynette's death
The remaining legal challenge over the death of country music star Tammy Wynette has been resolved in a secret, out-of-court settlement between her daughters and a Pittsburgh doctor.
Lawyers for each side confirmed that they have reached a confidential agreement over claims by the singer's four daughters that Dr. Wallis Marsh, a liver transplant surgeon at UPMC Presbyterian in Oakland, contributed to Wynette's death in 1998.
"Both parties are quite happy that it's over and done with," said Wilbur McCoy Otto of Pittsburgh, Marsh's attorney.
Wynette, best known for her hit "Stand By Your Man," died at age 55 of heart failure caused by chronic blood clots. She suffered for years with painful stomach ailments and was treated for addiction to painkillers.
Marsh prescribed the painkiller Versed to the singer. The daughters were seeking $50 million, claiming that he mismanaged her case. They also sued the pharmacy Care Solutions of Nashville for delivering the painkiller and Wynette's last husband, George Richey, for helping to administer it.
The daughters — Tina Jones, Jackie Daly, Georgette Smith and Gwen Nicholas — removed Richey from the lawsuit after he asked that Wynette's body be exhumed for an autopsy to help clear up questions about her death. In October, a federal judge dismissed Care Solutions from the case.
Nashville Medical Examiner Bruce Levy ruled in September that Wynette died of natural causes, updating his 1999 opinion that the cause of death was undetermined. Levy changed his ruling based on new research provided by Wallis' lawyer on the effects of embalming fluid on the breakdown of Versed.
Region
Light-rail service will be shut down along the Port Authority's Library line this weekend while crews work on the Milford Street Bridge and install a crossover at the end of the line.
Shuttle buses operating on the same schedule as the 42L will provide service between the end of the line and Washington Junction Station. Inbound passengers can board trolleys there and outbound passengers can make a free transfer to shuttle buses.
The closure will last throughout Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call Port Authority customer service at (412) 442-2000 or (412) 231-7007 for the speech or hearing impaired.
Oakland
The Pittsburgh Council for International Visitors will unite international students attending regional universities and volunteer host families on Sunday for a spring potluck dinner.
The event, which will feature an international talent show, will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the William Pitt Union on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Oakland.
The dinner is designed to celebrate cultural diversity by bringing together students and professionals from more than 20 countries worldwide with local volunteers.
For more information, call (412) 624-7800.
Region
The state Department of Transportation's Engineering District 10 and the Motor Carrier Enforcement Division have launched the largest truck safety enforcement blitz in the state.
Interstates 80 and 79 in Clarion, Jefferson, Mercer and Lawrence counties are the targeted highways during Operation WASP. During the operation, random safety inspections will be conducted by 60 motor carrier enforcement officers.
In 2000, Pennsylvania motorists were involved in 8,145 heavy truck crashes, resulting in 161 deaths.
Centre County
Penn State officials are considering adopting a tiered tuition system that would increase tuition for incoming freshmen at a higher rate than the hike for other students, a university spokesman said Wednesday.
Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said university officials have not decided what the tuition increase would be, and he said the tiered tuition plan is just one that is being considered to help offset proposed cuts in state appropriations. Penn State's board of trustees will approve tuition rates for the coming year in July.
Kendig said a tiered system would not guarantee that returning students never see a tuition hike, but it would keep tuition for upperclassmen more in line with what they paid when they entered the university.
Gov. Mark Schweiker's proposed 2002-03 budget calls for a 5 percent cut in funding to state-related institutions, which include Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh.
Last year, tuition at Penn State increased by almost 8 percent. Tuition for a Pennsylvania resident at Penn State's main campus in State College is about $7,000 per year.
