STATE
GREENVILLE — A worker who died after a fuel oil tank exploded at an industrial park has been identified.
The Mercer County Coroner's Office says Tuesday that 37-year-old Brian Krauss died of head and pelvic injuries after the explosion threw him from an elevated walkway. The death was ruled accidental. The explosion happened Monday evening at Brownies Oil in the Reynolds Industrial Park in Mercer County.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also investigating the accident.
Nearby propane tanks weren't involved in the blast, and firefighters say damage to the oil company appeared to be minimal.
PITTSBURGH — A math teacher is suing a public school support agency seeking benefits for his same-sex partner.The lawsuit filed Tuesday on behalf of 47-year-old Bradley Ankney argues he's unfairly being denied benefits, which are available to heterosexual colleagues who can legally marry in Pennsylvania.The Allegheny Intermediate Unit provides benefits to married partners, and Ankney contends the policy discriminates because gays can't legally marry in Pennsylvania. However, the intermediate unit doesn't provide benefits to unmarried heterosexual partners, either.
PITTSBURGH — A Western Pennsylvania man is having an unusual dispute with his landlord over a hand-painted “Impeach Obama” sign.Brent Kovac says he put the sign up outside his Pittsburgh-area strip mall office last week, and that within 48 hours it had been painted over by his landlord. Kovac says he's rented the space for nine years and has hung political signs before. He painted the same message again on Monday night, several days after it had been painted over. Kovac is president of a local Republican Committee.
