Latest news with #Windber-based
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Five candidates emerge as sole candidate for November district judge races
WINDBER – Of the two women who sought to fill a district judgeship in Windber, Kayla Kormanik-Lucas emerged the lone candidate after the primary election Tuesday, unofficial election results show. Kormanik-Lucas, of Ogle Township, advances to the Nov. 4 general election unopposed: she sailed through the Republican primary as the only candidate on the ballot and defeated local attorney Amy Thomas, of Paint Township, in the Democratic primary Tuesday. Candidates are permitted to cross-file for the seat, which has a six-year term. Kormanik-Lucas won 582 votes to Thomas' 279 votes in the Democratic primary. She also won 1,417 votes on the Republican side, where she was uncontested. 'I'm honored that the people of my district trust me to move forward on both sides of the ticket,' said Kormanik- Lucas, a Widener Law School graduate who works as a contract administrator for a local defense firm. She said her victory Tuesday was the culmination of several months of hard work. 'I made an honest run with integrity,' she said. 'I met people (Tuesday) at the polls. It was great to see people come out.' After the November election, Kormanik-Lucas will serve in the judge's seat, serving communities in the Windber Area and Shade-Central City school districts, succeeding District Judge William Seger, who is retiring at the end of the year. The Windber-based district judge seat includes communities in the Windber Area and Shade-Central City school districts. 'I have always felt called to public service,' she said. Thomas said she was thankful to her supporters, but disappointed in recent TV news coverage of the race. 'First and foremost, l'm incredibly grateful to everyone who supported me in this race,' Thomas said. 'Unfortunately, this race was never just about qualifications – it became clear early on that I was also up against media bias and misinformation. The coverage I received was often one-sided and failed to reflect the truth about my record and my character. 'I've overcome significant personal challenges and was fully cleared of past accusations, yet that didn't seem to matter to those determined to discredit me,' she said. 'Despite the loss, I remain committed to serving this community and will continue looking for ways to make a meaningful, positive impact. This was just one chapter – not the end of the story.' A New Centerville judge's seat, in Somerset's District 16-3-05, also had two challengers – both cross-filed – with one winner on both tickets. Patrick Svonavec, of Milford Township, secured that primary victory Tuesday over Daniel Lewis, of Confluence Borough. Svonavec is a longtime attorney with experience practicing at the Common Pleas and federal court levels. Lewis is a longtime state constable in the region. Svonavec won 191 Democratic votes to Lewis' 100. On the Republican ticket, Svonavec won 596 votes to Lewis' 473. District 16-3-05 includes the townships of Black, Jefferson, Milford, Middlecreek, Upper and Lower Turkeyfoot and Casselman, Confluence, New Centerville, Rockwood, Seven Springs and Ursina boroughs. The office was previously held by Sandra Stevanus, who retired last year. In Cambria County, two men sought election to District 47-3-01, which has been held by longtime District Judge Mary Ann Zanghi. William 'Bill' Hines Jr., of Nanty Glo, a longtime law enforcement officer now working as a Cambria County detective, won the primary on both party tickets. His opponent, Aaron Ling, of East Conemaugh, is a former Cambria County public defender who has worked as a full-time assistant prosecutor with the Somerset County District Attorney's Office since 2020. Hines won 779 votes on the Democratic ballot to Ling's 401. On the Republican side, Hines won 958 votes to Ling's 422 votes. District 47-3-01 includes Browns- town, East Conemaugh, Franklin, Nanty Glo and Franklin, in addition to the townships of East Taylor, Jackson, Lower Yoder, Middle Taylor and West Taylor. For Cambria County judge, District Attorney Greg Neugebauer cruised through unopposed primary on both tickets for the position. He won 9,851 votes on the Republican ticket and 7,980 votes on the Democratic ticket. In November, he is seeking a seat that has been vacant since former Judge David Tulowitzki retired in 2023. In Somerset County, District Attorney Molly Metzgar also ran unopposed in her Republican bid for a county judge seat vacated in late 2023 by former President Judge Gregory Geary. Metzgar, of Somerset Township, won 7,359 votes Tuesday on the Republican ticket. Russ O'Reilly is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
Pathologist: Issues from brain trauma killed SCI-Somerset sergeant
SOMERSET, Pa. – Sgt. Mark Baserman's SCI-Somerset colleagues' eyes filled with tears Wednesday in court, recalling the moment they found him beaten and bloodied in 2018. And the Windber-based forensic pathologist who examined Baserman's body 11 days later testified Wednesday that he observed layers of trauma to the corrections sergeant's head and brain. That trauma, and the swelling it caused, created what ForensicDx pathologist Curtis Goldblatt described as a deadly 'domino' effect of complications that led Baserman's condition to decline in the days after he was hospitalized. 'All the dominoes that fell from the initial (trauma) led to all of these problems' Baserman suffered, Goldblatt said, listing breathing difficulties and liver failure among them. 'There was a very significant amount of trauma to every lobe of his brain.' The second day of trial Wednesday in Somerset County District Attorney's Office prosecutors' homicide case against Paul Jawon Kendrick focused largely on the aftermath of the attack on Baserman. Jurors heard testimony from corrections officers, medical caregivers and, lastly, death investigation experts who determined blunt-force trauma complications claimed the corrections sergeant's life. 'Trying to keep him awake'Baserman, 60, was attacked Feb. 15, 2018, during a recreation period inside an institutional 'day room' at SCI-Somerset. Kendrick, 29, is accused of delivering the fatal blows blamed for causing his death 11 days later – with the Somerset County District Attorney's Office seeking a first- degree murder conviction and, if successful, a death sentence. They've argued that Kendrick was angry about Baserman taking his towel that day, and that he laced up his often 'loose' boots with the intent to kill Baserman. In court Wednesday, one veteran officer testified she was working inside a nearby prison unit when the words 'Baserman down' sounded over her emergency radio. Corrections Officer Tina Kopelic said she rushed to help. She took over first aid, concentrating on Baserman's badly injured head. Her voice cracked and tears fell as she told the courtroom she emptied a first-aid kit trying to clot Baserman's wounds on the day room's floor. Kopelic said another guard's shirt was used to apply pressure to his head. 'I was telling him to stay with us, trying to keep him awake,' Kopelic told Somerset District Attorney Molly Metzgar. An SCI-Somerset nurse testified she transported Baserman to an in-house medical room and then spent approximately 20 minutes with him. She placed a thick, absorbent bandage on his head wound before an ambulance crew arrived. Another officer, now-SCI-Somerset Sgt. William Durst, said he responded to Baserman's unit to find his colleague alert and talking, but not moving. Kendrick was already in handcuffs nearby, he said. Durst told Somerset County District Attorney's Office Trial Deputy Christina DeMarco-Breeden that he noticed blood on one of the inmate's Timberland work boots. Durst accompanied Baserman to what is now UPMC Somerset. He recalled Baserman being confused about the incident – and, most of all, worried whether he'd be OK. Over the several hours they spent at Somerset Hospital, Durst said he saw worrying signs. A man Durst described as typically quiet, punctual and often funny seemed less alert. At one point, he spit up blood onto the floor, Durst added. 'I lied to him in every way to keep him calm, cool and collected,' Durst recalled on the witness stand, saying he now regrets lying. 'I told him he looked OK.' Decline, discoveriesA nurse testified she provided care to Baserman at the hospital – and UPMC Somerset Dr. Salvatore Lanasa said he stitched his forehead. But both said it became clear Baserman needed trauma care after he was spotted extending his arms with a sudden involuntary reaction. His palms faced outward, a posture that signaled a brain injury, Lanasa said. He said the medical team decided to transport Baserman to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma hospital, after a scan showed signs of blood on his brain. Defense attorneys Tim Burns and Edward 'E.J' Rymsza asked questions about the timetable and length of time Baserman spent at the prison after the assault and at Somerset Hospital. During cross-examination, Lanasa confirmed to Rymsza that Baserman was prescribed anti-clotting medication prior to the incident – and acknowledged that would thin his blood and could make any bleeds 'significantly' worse. Goldblatt had the same response about blood-thinning medication, saying that included internal injuries. Goldblatt said blood found on the surface of Baserman's brain could increase pressure and reduce space for the injured brain. But he also pointed to fluid that was putting pressure on the brain stem, and Baserman's involuntary 'posturing,' as a sign he was suffering from 'very serious' trauma to the area where the brain connects to the spinal cord. Given that the brain stem plays a critical role in heart and respiratory functions, it explains why Baserman's condition declined over the days that followed, Goldblatt said. He needed oxygen to breathe, he said. Baserman's blood pressure dropped and his liver and kidneys were failing, leading to dialysis before his death. '(Those complications) led to multi-system failure, including his death,' the pathologist said. An infection Baserman developed while on a respirator created another complication, something Goldblatt said could have also caused additional swelling. Goldblatt and Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees both concluded that complications from blunt-force trauma caused Baserman's death. Lees, who testified knowing Baserman for years through their prior roles at a local fire and EMS department, said he ruled the man's death a homicide after receiving Goldblatt's report and talking with medical staff and law enforcement officials. First Assistant District Attorney Thomas Leiden showed jurors images of Baserman's head injuries in court, including injuries to both sides of his head and swollen ears that Goldblatt said indicated trauma. Rymsza cited the fact that Goldblatt cited 'medical complications' from the blunt-force trauma injury as Baserman's cause of death. But Goldblatt indicated that wasn't rare. He was also asked if he reviewed all of Baserman's medical records – and about why the corrections officer was prescribed blood thinners. Goldblatt said Baserman had a stent in his chest due to prior heart issues. Lieden asked if Baserman's blood thinners were discontinued at Conemaugh due to his injury- related complications after the attack. Goldblatt confirmed it. Lees said it had been a few years since he saw Baserman prior to his death – but as he looked at photos of the man's badly deformed ears, the coroner said it wasn't a longstanding issue. 'That's something I would have noticed before,' he told Leiden. Testimony is expected to continue Thursday in court.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Second wave of flu sends hospitalizations surging; vaccines urged
WINDBER, Pa. – A surge in flu-related hospitalization across western Pennsylvania – the highest statewide since 2010 – has some health centers reintroducing mask mandates. Others, including officials at Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center, urged the public to consider flu vaccinations, especially for the young and very old who are at higher risk for complications. Dr. David Csikos, who serves as chief medical officer at the Windber-based medical center, said the rising caseload is particularly concerning for people already dealing with chronic issues – such as diabetes, heart disease and lung issues. Dr. David Csikos Dr. David Csikos 'That's where the risk is greatest. That's where we're seeing a lot of our cases,' Csikos said, noting the influenza's respiratory symptoms have a more severe impact on people who already have compromised health. His advice: It's not too late to get vaccinated. 'The vaccines are safe and effective,' he said, noting they work to prevent severe complications from developing with the virus. Csikos said the virus spreads annually in the colder months, and he continues advising people to get flu shots until late March. Mandates issued Several eastern Pennsylvania hospitals were operating under masking mandates for patients, visitors and staff, including University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia. UPMC's Western Maryland facilities were also under a mask mandate this week, but that did not apply to health centers in Pennsylvania, hospital officials said. UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at John P. Murtha Pavillion Dr. Michael Voloshin, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at John P. Murtha Pavillion medical oncologist, shown here at the facility on Somerset Street in downtown Johnstown on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. Still, UPMC hospitals issued a statement 'strongly encouraging' masking inside all of its facilities. 'UPMC is seeing an increase in cases of respiratory viruses, including (COVID-19), influenza and RSV. To protect the health and safety of our employees, patients and visitors, everyone in our health care facilities is strongly encouraged to wear effective masks, which reduce transmission of respiratory viruses in health care settings,' UPMC officials said in a statement sent to The Tribune-Democrat. UPMC has hospitals in Pittsburgh, Bedford, Altoona and Somerset, as well as its Johnstown-based cancer center, among others. Flu cases surge The Department of Health's respiratory virus dashboard showed influenza cases surging this month. Cambria County's caseload rate was the highest in the region, with 1,234 cases reported for every 100,000 people. Nearby Somerset County had a rate of 264 per 100,000, Department of Health figures showed. RSV cases have also been high, but are declining statewide, while emergency visits for COVID cases are low statewide, CDC data indicates. Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center officials confirmed both COVID and flu cases were up in February, but 'not beyond levels we would expect this time of year,' Marketing and Communications Director Tammy Barbin said. She said hospital officials were monitoring the situation, and that masking remained voluntary as of Tuesday. 'Waning immunity' Health officials noted the statewide trend was particularly alarming for children 4 years old and younger. Just over 5.3% of the Southwest Region's emergency room visits were due to influenza cases. Within the same southwest corridor of Pennsylvania, confirmed cases almost doubled, from just over 1,700 in mid-January to 3,030 Feb. 1, data show. Csikos said a decline in vaccinations this flu season is likely playing a role. For example, CDC figures show the percentage of children who are vaccinated this season was down to less than 45%, compared to almost 60% in 2019. 'There's a waning immunity level (across the nation),' he said. Csikos said Windber medical officials are also monitoring cases locally and will consider reimplementing masking procedures inside its facilities if caseloads continue to climb.
