EBENSBURG — Cambria Township supervisors learned this week that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to ban a methadone clinic from moving in.
The township planning commission had asked for a legal opinion, partly because of publicity about recent court rulings and partly because a methadone clinic applied in 2000 to locate in the Cambria County Industrial Park.
Township Solicitor Dennis Govachini told supervisors that the courts have found that patients in drug treatment are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and that banning such clinics and their patients was illegal.
And despite fears of crime, and two fatal accidents involving clinic patients, Govachini said the courts require objectivity.
Pennsylvania citizens and local governments “must look to objective evidence in the record of any dangers posed by methadone clinics and patients,” Govachini said, in his opinion.
“Arguments that methadone clinics were linked to increased crime, concerns about heavy traffic, loitering, noise pollution, littering, double parking and jaywalking were dismissed (by the court),’’ he said.
Cambria Township has no current applications for a methadone clinic, or similar facility, he said. But the 2000 application was for treating methadone patients within a 15-mile area of Ebensburg from 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The reasons for rejecting that application at the time would no longer be valid, the solicitor told supervisors.
“It would appear that we will have to deal with a methadone clinic in light of our existing ordinances,” he said.
Clinics in the region have come under fire in recent years because of these two accidents:
• A 22-year-old Patton woman’s car went out of control July 25 on Route 36, killing two pedestrians. The driver later told police she was on her way home after being treated for heroin addiction at a Clearfield County methadone clinic.
• The owner of a Richland Township clinic was one of three parties sued in the aftermath of a 2004 crash in which its patient was killed while driving home to Altoona after receiving methadone treatment.
State Health Department officials say the state’s 47 clinics are intensely monitored and more clinics are needed.
Local News
It’s tough to ban methadone clinic, township told
- Local News
-
-
Johnstown man charged with giving fatal Methadone dose to girlfriend
A Johnstown area man has been charged in the death of his girlfriend, who died in August from an illicit drug that he allegedly gave to her while she was a patient at Indiana Regional Medical Center.
-
Somerset County teacher accused of using insulting names
School board members and administrators say they’re still investigating whether a teacher called her eighth- and ninth-grade algebra students names like “retard,” “idiot” and “moron.”
-
Seward tax preparer set to plead in federal court
A Westmoreland County tax preparer is scheduled to plead guilty or no contest to charges that he filed fraudulent income tax returns for his customers and asked some of them to lie to Internal Revenue Service investigators.
-
Blogging with heart
Anyone else have this issue: The more I know, the more I want to learn.
As I am writing my heart month stories for this week’s packages, I occasionally come across a term or description unfamiliar to me. So I look it up. And then the definition or article has something else that sounds important, so I look that up. -
Police probing financial irregularities at Indiana County parish
State police say they’re investigating financial “irregularities” at a Catholic parish with five worship sites in Indiana County, after the local diocese reported the problems to police.
-
Video: Young bear, wolf play together
It’s like something out of a children's book: A bear cub meets a wolf cub and they become the best of friends. Even though they are different species and ferocious predators, the unlikely couple stays pals for life.
-
Two Cambria district judge offices to be cut
Two of Cambria County’s 10 magisterial districts could be eliminated as President Judge Timothy Creany looks at realigning boundaries to cut costs while taking into consideration caseloads of the district judges and population changes.
-
Westmont couple inseparable, even in death
People who knew James and Marjorie Landis of Westmont said the two were nearly always together.
-
Company buys valuables from people ready to unload
Jan Hagerich’s buffalo nickel was “healthy” – which was unhealthy for her finances.
-
Special Olympics return to region
More than 300 athletes eager to show off their skills, along with 135 coaches, will be coming to the region to take part in the 2012 Special Olympics Pennsylvania Winter Games.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Johnstown man charged with giving fatal Methadone dose to girlfriend
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
