Friday, January 09, 2004

 

Around Pennsylvania ...

From the Erie Times-News: Doctor charged in death; authorities say illegal prescription contributed to patient's overdose

Dr. David A. Klees was arrested on a count of involuntary manslaughter and 12 other charges. Erie police and state drug agents on Thursday arrested Klees, 46, charging that his recklessness or negligence in writing an illegal prescription helped caused the death of 40-year-old Erie resident Sherry Lee Ziroli. She died May 17 of an accidental overdose of painkillers other than OxyContin.

Police also allege that Klees wrote illegal prescriptions, including those for the highly addictive OxyContin, to 11 other patients. Some of them had to enter drug detoxification programs once they left Klees' care, according to arrest records.

From the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader: Landlord's view may get soldier's family evicted

Even before he sets foot in Iraq, Staff Sgt. Mark Brown has a battle on his hands as his landlord tries to evict the soldier's family from their home. The dispute stems partly from Staff Sgt. Brown's refusal to pay an extra $100 a month in rent to allow his mother-in-law to move in for up to 18 months while he is on active duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

From the Butler Eagle and the Pocono Record: Fatal crash driver objects to carrying photo of victim

A woman who caused a crash that killed a wrestling coach and left his pregnant wife in a coma has objected to carrying a photo showing the dead man in his casket.
Jennifer Langston smashed her truck head-on into a pickup truck carrying Glenn Clark and his wife in June 2002. The crash in Butler County killed Clark and his wife, Annette, remains in a coma. The Clarks' son was delivered by Caesarean section and is being raised by relatives.

Langston pleaded guilty in September to vehicular homicide, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and driving at an unsafe speed. A judge ordered Langston to carry a picture of Glenn Clark for five years but her attorney said the "spirit of the agreement" was that the photo be of Clark when he was alive.
Instead, Clark's parents gave court officials a photo of their son in his coffin. Langston asked the judge and prosecutors to allow her to carry a photo of Clark while he was alive and Butler County District Attorney Tim McCune agreed to have the family provide one.

From the Centre Daily Times in State College: Assault may not disqualify teacher
A math teacher's guilty plea to simple assault should not necessarily disqualify him for a teaching certificate, Commonwealth Court ruled Thursday, sending the case back to the state Education Department for further review.

Andrew John Bowalick Jr., a substitute teacher in Lancaster County, had challenged the agency's ruling that his criminal conviction by itself amounted to evidence of "moral turpitude," prompting the revocation of his teaching certificate.

The three-judge panel reversed the decision, saying the department's Professional Standards and Practices Commission must first conduct a hearing to examine the facts of Bowalick's case.

posted by Anne 1/09/2004 04:38:00 AM