Morning Roundup: Mars woman charged with homicide after deadly Butler Township wreck

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, June 8:

Mars woman charged with homicide by vehicle after deadly Butler Township wreck

A woman who was driving one of the vehicles involved in a fatal crash in Butler Township Tuesday was charged with homicide by vehicle, DUI, reckless driving, careless driving and failure to stop at a red signal, according to court documents.

Police said Julie Parison, 51, of Mars, was driving south on Route 8 when she crashed a Ford Fusion into the back of a Chevrolet Trailblazer, which was stopped at the red light at the intersection of Route 8 and Litman Road. The impact then pushed the Trailblazer into a Chevrolet Malibu that was stopped at a red light in the northbound lanes.

The Trailblazer’s driver, a 53-year-old woman who has not been identified, was taken to the hospital by medical helicopter, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. Her passenger, Kevin McAttee, 61, of Saxonburg, was killed.

A 59-year-old man driving the Malibu also was injured, but the extent of his injuries are unknown.

The crash came after Parison had allegedly been driving the wrong way on West New Castle Street, police said.

An officer who responded to the wreck said in the criminal complaint that Parison’s eyes were glossy and red with pinpoint pupils, her speech was slurred and there was a strong odor of alcohol on her breath. Parison told the officer she had drank four Four Lokos before the wreck, according to the complaint.

According to court documents, Parison is awaiting a preliminary hearing.

Poor air quality expected again

The Pittsburgh region is forecast to see another day of poor air quality Thursday.

The National Weather Service said the area is expected to see code orange Thursday as smoke from wildfires in Canada impacts the region.

The entire commonwealth was classified as a code red Wednesday.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has warned that the poor air quality can particularly impact people with heart disease, people with lung disease, older adults, children and teens, people who are pregnant and people who work outdoors. Health officials have urged everyone to avoid strenuous outdoor activities and keep outdoor activities brief.

Person hospitalized after crash near I-279 exit

One person was hospitalized after a car flipped over near an exit from I-279 North Wednesday.

Trib news partner WPXI reported the car was flipped onto its roof on the exit to Bellevue.

Additional information, including the extent of the person’s injuries, were not immediately available.

Pittsburgh’s nonemergency 311 phone line, other phone numbers out of service

Pittsburgh’s nonemergency 311 phone line is currently out of service, city officials said in an alert posted to their webpages Thursday morning.

The outage also is impacting the city’s finance, OneStopPGH, service desk, Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, Department of Public Works, environmental services and recycling phone lines, as well as the mayor’s office.

Officials said the outage occurred with the Twilio services the city uses to operate those phone services.

Officials said they are working on the issue and will announce when it has been resolved.

Hospital employee facing charges after police say she kicked juvenile patient

An employee of Southwood Psychiatric Hospital in Canonsburg is facing charges after police say she kicked a juvenile patient in April.

Tamika Jones, 40, of Monongahela, was charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, striking a care-dependent person and simple assault.

North Strabane Township Police said officers met with the hospital director, who showed them video of the assault. The hospital had suspended Jones on the day of the incident in April, according to police.

Police said the video showed Jones using her arms and hands to push the unidentified juvenile patient to the ground. The patient, police said, then began to slide towards Jones, at which point Jones used her foot and leg to kick the patient in the face and head. The video then shows the juvenile’s head propel back to the wall, according to the criminal complaint.

A second staff member who witnessed the incident and reported it to the hospital director told police there was no apparent reason for hitting the patient.

According to the criminal complaint, Jones later told police that the patient began to move toward her and tried to kick her, and she had raised her foot and leg to defend herself.

Court records indicate Jones was arraigned and released Tuesday and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 18.

Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers delayed

The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program voucher distribution originally slated for this month will be delayed due to a printing issue at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

The program this year will provide $50 in vouchers to eligible county residents age 60 or older whose annual income is at or below $26,973 for a one-person household or $36,482 for a two-person household.

The vouchers are redeemable through November 30 at participating farmers markets and farm stands, including Pittsburgh CitiParks farmers markets. The vouchers can be used to buy produce that is grown in the commonwealth or purchased directly from a Pennsylvania farmer.

County officials said they would announce a new distribution date once they know more.