U.S. Youth Suicide rates spike in 2004

After declining U.S. youth suicide rates from 1996 to 2003, the numbers increased 14.5 percent in 2004. A Carnegie Mellon statistics professor is trying to understand why. Dr. Joel Greenhouse says the jump was first looked at as an statistical anomaly. Common risk factors such as substance abuse and the use of firearms have not changed in 10 to 19-year-old youths.

However, one possible influence is the Food and Drug Administration's "black box" label on antidepressants, initiated in 2004. Others include the increased use of internet social networks and increases in suicide among U.S. troops. Suicide statistics declined in 2005, but Dr. Greenhouse says those rates are still well above the previous regression.

Specter on McCain's Chances in PA

Pennsylvania's senior U.S. Senator Arlen Specter says the Republican Party has a "little healing" to do at its convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Specter told DUQ that the whole party has to pull together but in order for John McCain to win, the Republicans must appeal to independents and Democrats. Specter says he has high regard for Democratic Presidential nominee Barrack Obama whom he calls "a phenomenon as an orator and campaigner" but he says it comes down to McCain's experience. Specter says both McCain and Obama have a shot at winning Pennsylvania and he believes the four suburban counties around Philadelphia could be key to a McCain victory in Pennsylvania.

PA Sends Help to Gulf Coast

Emergency and rescue workers from Pennsylvania are in Louisiana and Mississippi this week as the Gulf Coast rebounds from Hurricane Gustav.
The state Bureau of Emergency Services sent 250 people and 60 ambulances to help.
Before Gustav hit, Pennsylvania Strike Team members evacuated patients from Louisiana hospitals. Then, while Gustav touched down on Monday, the group took shelter about four hours away. Joe Schmider directs the Pennsylvania E-M-S. He says Tuesday the emergency workers moved on to Thibodaux, a small bayou city in southeastern Louisiana.

"Where they are going to triage, transport and treat patients that are coming in. They are setting up and waiting on patients coming in. There is a command system down there and they are apart of that, this is their mission right now to set this receiving center up."

He says Gustav's force and damage was far less than predicted, so it's unclear how many patients will need the care, medication and natural-disaster assistance the team is trained to provide.
Schmider says the effort will cost about 2 million dollars, money that will likely be reimbursed after Louisiana receives federal assistance.
A Pennsylvania-based -- federal urban search and rescue team is also in the Gulf Coast, helping out in Pearl, Mississippi.

CLPGH Gets Grant to Digitize

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has picked up a 600-thousand dollar grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to tackle a massive digitizing project. The money will be used to first catalog and then digitize the library’s iron and steel collection. The materials dating back to the 1800’s are housed at the Allegheny depository on the north side. Library director Barbara mistick says the more than 400-thousand pages in the collection need to be preserved because the space is not climate controlled and already about 20% of the collection is “too fragile to touch.” Once the items are digitized they will be put on line where readers can add annotations to the collection. Along with books about steelmaking the collection holds catalogs from area steelmakers.

Duquesne City School Teachers Strike

Classes are canceled indefinitely in the Duquesne City School District after teachers struck today in a dispute over salaries. The dispute is over a wage re-opener not the full contract. The teachers union wants a 19% pay hike this year. The Allegheny Intermediate Unit, which is the governing body for the distressed district, has offered 3%.
Butch Santicola, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, argues that even with a 19% increase, the Duquesne teachers would still be the lowest paid in Allegheny County. But, A-I-U Solicitor Bill Andrews says that Duquesne is the only bankrupt district in the county and is 1 of the 2 poorest districts in the state. Andrews says giving a 19% salary hike will hinder achieving the goal of a viable district. The two sides are waiting for a state mediator to call them back to the bargaining table.

Elections Board Tosses Ballot Questions

The Allegheny County Elections Board has eliminated two ballot measures dealing with the 10% drink tax enacted this year to subsidize public transit. Three county judges ruled that questions were not legal because only County Council can lower or raise taxes. The judges heard the case because the Elections Board' regular members had declared positions on the ballot measures and recused themselves. The proposed referendum by opponents of the drink tax, Friends Against Counterproductive Taxation (FACT), would has asked voters to reduce the tax from 10% to point-5 percent. Another referendum put forth by Democrats on Council would have asked voters if they wanted to eliminate the drink tax in favor of higher property taxes. Kevin Joyce, a board member of FACT, says the county code indicates that only Council can raise or lower property taxes but doesn't mention other levies like the drink tax. Joyce says their next step is to appeal to Common Pleas Court.

PA Delegation at GOP Convention

The Republican National Convention gets back to normal today after a truncated version yesterday because of concerns over Hurricane Gustav striking the Gulf Coast. Pennsylvania's delegates and their colleagues from across the nation are to hear today from President Bush, via satellite from the White House, plus former Senator Fred Thompson and Senator Joe Lieberman, who 8 years ago was the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee.
Pennsylvania's 74 member delegation is composed of 61 elected directly by voters, 10 chosen by the Republican State Committee, the national committee man and national committee woman, and the chair of the Pennsylvania Republican Party. The chair is Robert Gleason, Jr. He says Pennsylvanians side with John McCain on many issues and that a lot of Hillary Clinton supporters will switch sides and vote Republican in November.
Geneva McKee is retired as Monroeville's tax collector. She's excited to take part in her first national convention. She says McCain has the right experience but it will take a lot of hard work to get the word out about McCain's positions on the issues.

Biden Cancels Appearance in Parade

Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden canceled plans to appear in Pittsburgh's Labor Day parade. Biden says he did so out of respect for people affected by Hurricane Gustav. He kept on his schedule an appearance in Scranton later in the day. Several other public officials participated, including Governor Ed Rendell and U.S. Senator Bob Casey.

Western Pennsylvania native Richard Trumka also marched. He's the Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO. He says Labor Day takes on a special significance during a presidential election year.

Pittsburgh's Labor Day parade is one of the nation's largest. It was expected to draw around 60,000 people.

Pittsburgh Promise gets new Director

A former Presbyterian minister and founder of The Pittsburgh Project officially take the post of Executive Director for The Pittsburgh Promise. Saleem Ghubrill says he will be more than just a fundraiser. He says he wants to make sure the students are not just being offer money to college but also an education that will allow them to succeed when they get there. Pittsburgh Promise offers scholarships to Pittsburgh Public school students. The money is meant to be “last mile funding” after all other sources are exhausted. Pittsburgh Promise is currently in the process of raising 90 million dollars to match a challenge gift.

PPU Teacher/Blogger in MN

A Point Park University faculty member is in Minnesota this week teaching mass media students about political coverage. While Associate Professor Anthony Moretti is there he is also writing a blog. The blog will focus not on the speeches (when they resume) or policy announcements but on the other things that are happening in and around the convention center. Things he says the major media outlets will not be covering. He says there are other outlets for people to hear the speeches so he will focus on things such as rallies, the media tent and traffic jams. Items he thinks will give the readers a flavor of what is happening in St Paul. Moretti is at the convention as part of a fellowship with the Washington Center for Internships and Seminars Program.