ALTOONA — Ann Romney, wife of the Republican Party’s presidential nominee, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, is scheduled to speak at the Blair County Convention Center on Monday.

The gathering will be a fundraiser for Romney’s campaign. The Blair County Republican Party plans to announce more details about the event before the weekend.



Hollsopple woman accused of assault

HOLLSOPPLE – A Hollsopple woman was jailed Tuesday after police said she assaulted a woman in a dispute over money.

Conemaugh Township police said Samantha Ann Rodriguez, 35, of the 400 block of Maple Springs Road, allegedly assaulted the woman after she refused to give her $50 and her car keys.

The woman suffered injuries to the left side of her head, police said.

She was treated at the scene by EMS.

Rodriguez was arraigned by on-call District Judge Sandra Stevanus of Confluence and charged with simple assault and harassment. She was taken to the Somerset County Jail after failing to post $1,500 bond.



Events will honor Coming Out Day

The Human Rights Campaign will hold two events in the area in honor of National Coming Out Day.

• Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, Richland Campus, will host the Keystone Alliance/Gaylife Newsletter’s Coming Out Day Forum & Trevor Project at 6 p.m. today in the college’s auditorium.

• Pitt-Johnstown’s Programming Board, the Keystone Alliance and the UPJ Alliance Club will sponsor a lecture by activist Zach Wahls, known for his “My Two Moms” speech at the Iowa House of Representatives in January 2011, at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 in Heritage Hall in the Living Learning Center on the campus.

Both events are free and open to the public.

Originating in 1988, National Coming Out Day is designed to offer people all over the country an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the importance of civil rights for those in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.



Conemaugh: No links to meningitis

Amy Bradley, director of marketing for Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, said in a statement that practitioners at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center have never used products from the pharmacy at the center of the meningitis outbreak.

Federal health officials say 11 people have died as a result of the rare meningitis outbreak, which has now sickened more than 119 people in 10 states. The presumed contaminated steroid injections were used to treat back pain.

“We treat a lot of back pain at the Conemaugh Health System through neurosurgery, interventional radiology and our pain clinic,” Dr. David Carslon, chief medical officer, said. “So it is understandable that many of our patients have concerns. We want to reassure them that ... Conemaugh Health System does not purchase any products from the Massachusetts compounding pharmacy, which shipped the vials of the potentially contaminated product.”



St. Francis to host cyberbullying seminar

St. Francis University computer science department will host Cyberbullying Intervention and Prevention at 4 p.m. Friday in the DiSepio Health and Wellness Center, Room 213.

The seminar will feature guest speaker Tina Meier, executive director for Megan Meier Foundation, who will address the audience via Skype. In 2006, Meier’s life took a devastating turn when her 13-year-old daughter, Megan Taylor Meier, took her own life after being cyberbullied by an adult neighbor.

Teachers, students, parents and guardians of all ages are encouraged to attend. The event is free and open to the public.



Red Ribbon rally will be held Friday

A Red Ribbon rally will be held at 9 a.m. Friday in Court Room One of the Somerset County Courthouse.

The event, sponsored by Twin Lakes Center, will recognize winners of red ribbon contests – including poster, banner and essay contests. Youth from every school district in the county were invited to participate in the contests.



Flu vaccine to be offered at UPJ

Pitt-Johnstown’s Office of Health and Wellness Services has partnered with Cambria County Emergency Management Services to hold a seasonal influenza vaccine clinic on Friday.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Cambria Room (lower level of the Student Union).  

The clinic is free and open to the public.

Participants must be over the age of 6 months and should not have an allergy to chicken eggs, a history of severe reaction to the flu vaccination, moderate-to-severe illness with fever or a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

No advance registrations are required.

For additional information, call the Office of Health and Wellness Services at 269-7110.



American Legion to host blood screening

A multiphasic blood screening will be held from 7 to 9 a.m. Saturday at the American Legion, Ashcroft Avenue in Cresson.

Testing will be done by Conemaugh Medical Center Department of Laboratory Medicine.

The cost is $30.

Additional tests offered include PSA and hemoglobin A1C, each for $20.

A 12- to 14-hour fast is recommended. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 472-6056 and leave a message.



Breast cancer seminars planned

SOMERSET – Breast cancer awareness seminars will be held from 1-2 p.m. and 6-7 p.m. Tuesday in The Georgian Inn of Somerset.

Nurse Suellen Lichtenfels, director of women’s health at Somerset Hospital, will talk about risk factors, early diagnosis, self-breast examination and more.

It is sponsored by Your Health Insurance Shop and the hospital. Registration for the free event is required by Friday at 445-4943 or (800) 491-3642.



Railroad-crossing safety to be discussed

State Rep. Carl Walker Metzgar, R-Somerset, will host a roundtable discussion on railroad-crossing safety at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Somerset Public Safety building, 340 W. Union St.

Metzgar will be joined by Randy Cox, Somerset’s chief of police; Rick Lohr, Somerset County director of emergency services; Joe Betta, Somerset County commissioner; along with representatives from railroads, PennDOT, state

police and other community leaders.

The goal of the event is to reduce accidents at railroad crossings.



Fire & Safety Day set for Saturday

The Johnstown Home Depot will hold its annual Fire & Safety Day event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the store’s parking lot.

Local fire departments and EMS units will participate and free blood pressure testing will be offered.

The Richland Police Department will have K-9 demonstrations and will offer instruction on school bus safety, safety around strangers and car seat use.

The Cambria County Department of Emergency Services will offer information and Conemaugh Health Systems’ trauma department will be represented.

Home Depot will offer a kid's workshop and face painting. The AmeriServ bear will hand out children’s fingerprint kits and Blue’s Fire Extinguisher service will display its safety products.

The day will conclude with a fire and EMS parade around the parking lot.

The event is free and open to the public.

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