PENNSYLVANIA

Pittsburgh: Mold shuts down UPMC Presby ICU

A mold infestation caused UPMC Presbyterian’s cardiothoracic intensive care unit (ICU) to shut down Monday after a patient tested positive for mold in an exterior wound. The ICU was closed and 18 patients were relocated so there could be an environmental cleanup.  

Pittsburgh: Fetterman announces plan to join Senate race

John Fetterman, mayor of Braddock, formally announced Monday his plan to run for the Democratic nomination for the U.S Senate seat. Fetterman joins Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak and Katie McGinty, former chief of staff to Gov. Tom Wolf, in the race against Republican Pat Toomey, who currently holds the Senate seat.

Greene County: Settlement reached for Dunkard Creek fish kill

In 2009, pollution discharges from mines owned by Consol Energy near the West Virginia border killed more than 60,000 fish and animals in Dunkard Creek. Murray Energy Corp., which bought the mines, will now pay a $2.5 million settlement to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Franklin County: School bus erupts into flames

During the Monday morning school commute, a Chambersburg Area School District bus underwent apparent engine malfunction and burst into flames. All students were evacuated from the bus safely.

Harrisburg: Protection from abuse orders in question

After the murder of Stacy Pennington, people are debating whether a protection from abuse (PFA) order is enough. A PFA orders an abuser to avoid all contact with the victim, but Peg Dierker, executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, says that a judge can set other terms such as anger management classes or GPS tracking of the abuser.

Reading: Asylum detention center criticized by human rights activists

Pending asylum cases, immigrant families are incarcerated at a facility in Berks County, one of only three family detention centers in the nation. A report by Human Rights First alleges the facility violates several laws, such as detaining children under age 9, and hosts of other sanitary and safety problems.

NATIONAL

History professor shot and killed in Mississippi

Federal and local law enforcement officials are searching for the shooter who killed Delta State University history professor Ethan Schmidt in his office Monday. Authorities say another professor, Shannon Lamb, is a person of interest in the case and is also believed to be the suspect in the murder of a woman earlier Monday morning.

California wildfires remain out of control

Thousands of residents have fled a combined 270,000 acres as firefighters continue to control three major fires that spread through some of California’s forests. The Valley Fire has left one dead as of Monday and families continue to search for missing relatives.

Kim Davis says she is forced to disobey God

Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, recently jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, returned to work Monday, but said that she was forced to choose between conscience and freedom. Davis said that she would not interfere with deputy clerks issuing marriage licenses to these couples.

IN OTHER NEWS

Mom in coma saved by newborn baby

Shelly Cawley had an emergency C-section in Concord, N.C., that sent her into a near-fatal coma. Nursing staff at Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast had an idea to try skin-to-skin contact between Cawley and her healthy one-week-old, and the mother soon woke up.

The daily report was compiled by Christine Manganas and Stephanie Roman, PublicSource interns. You can reach them with questions or suggestions at cmanganas@publicsource.org and sroman@publicsource.org.

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