[naviga:h2]Suit blames hospital linens for mold death[/naviga:h2]

PITTSBURGH — A lawsuit blames linens for causing the mold-related death of a leukemia patient at a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center hospital.

Thursday’s lawsuit claims that Katherine Landman’s October 2015 death is the seventh at a UPMC hospital allegedly caused by linens provided by Paris Cleaners, of DuBois, and the first filed in a death at UPMC Shadyside hospital. The other allegedly mold-related deaths occurred at UPMC Presbyterian and Montefiore hospitals.

UPMC issued a statement saying its hospitals “are safe, and our ongoing monitoring and testing show no evidence concerning mold infections.” Paris also issued a statement saying federal and state investigators have “both said the facts don’t support the conclusion that these infections resulted from exposure to linens.”

The lawsuit by the New Castle woman’s family contends she contracted a deadly mold infection after a bone-marrow transplant.

,h2>Laborer killed working on home[/naviga:h2]

PITTSBURGH — A laborer has been killed after coming into contact with electricity while working on a Pittsburgh home.

The Allegheny County medical examiner and Pittsburgh police were continuing to investigate the death of 21-year-old Dakota Marshall of Ford City.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration was also investigating, though a spokesman wouldn’t say what kind of work Marshall was doing, or who he was employed by at the time.

A city public safety spokeswoman says Marshall was moving some planks when he was “exposed to electricity.” The medical examiner says that happened shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday.

The medical examiner didn’t immediately rule on the cause of manner of death.

[naviga:h2]Hearing set for boarding house fire[/naviga:h2]

PITTSBURGH — A preliminary hearing is set for a woman charged with setting a Pittsburgh boarding house fire that killed its owner and two other residents.

Forty-four-year-old Latoya Lyerly is charged with criminal homicide and arson in the Feb. 17, 2016.

Seventy-three-year-old Derlyn Vance owned the house and died along with two other residents.

Lyerly’s public defender hasn’t commented on charges that Lyerly told police she set the fire because the boarding house was “filled with demons.” But police say she also acknowledged threatening to burn it down after Vance told her to turn down her radio the night before.

The preliminary hearing set for today has been delayed several times while Lyerly received mental health treatment.

[naviga:h2]Teacher found not guilty sues police[/naviga:h2]

PITTSBURGH — A Pennsylvania high school teacher who was found not guilty of intimidating a female student who accused another teacher of having sex with her has filed a lawsuit.

Drew Zoldak alleges the Borough of Plum and its police force violated his civil rights by charging him with witness intimidation.

The suit, filed Wednesday, seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Three former Plum High School teachers — Joseph Ruggieri, Jason Cooper and Michael Cinefra — are in prison for sexual assault and other charges related to inappropriate relationships with female students.

During Zoldak’s trial last June, prosecutors argued the in-class remarks by the 41-year-old “broke” the victim and were meant to discourage her cooperation against Ruggieri.

Zoldak’s attorney said the remarks weren’t a crime.