Worker dies on Mon-Fay Expressway

A man working on power lines along the Mon-Fayette Expressway construction project in Fayette County apparently was electrocuted Tuesday morning, becoming the second worker to die on the toll road in less than three months, state police said.

Ralph W. Greely, 51, of Monessen, died at Brownsville Tri-County Hospital shortly after the 10 a.m. incident while working on the power lines near Simpson Road in Redstone Township, state Trooper Louis Serafini said.

Greely, an employee of U.S. Utility Contracting Co., was installing power lines while in an aerial bucket truck when investigators think he touched nearby live wires and was shocked. A cause of death is pending an autopsy, and state police are continuing to investigate.

He is the second construction worker in recent months to die while working on the expressway project linking Uniontown to Brownsville. Gilbert Eutsey, 58, of Dawson, died of asphyxiation on Oct. 20 when a wood chipper fell on him while working on the toll road.

Weirton Medical Center cutting work force

Weirton (W.Va.) Medical Center is reducing its work force by about 36 full-time employees, the hospital announced Wednesday.

The total number of employees affected by the reduction is unknown because of contractural layoff and bumping procedures.

The reduction will affect union, nonunion and management positions across a number of departments and is expected to result in an annual savings of $2 million.

Joseph P. Endrich, president and chief executive officer, said the reduction was the result of a five-month operational review to identify areas where the medical center could provide patient care more efficiently at a lower cost.

The reduction will be carried out over the next month.

Hospital operations, including staffing levels, were compared to more than 400 similar hospitals.

Endrich said the review identified $2 million in savings that could be achieved without sacrificing services or quality of care.

He further stated the efficiencies that result will "not only improve our financial performance, but will position the Weirton Medical Center for continued growth in the next few years."

Lane closures to affect Parkway motorists

Intermittent, short-term single right-lane and shoulder closures will occur on the Parkway West in Allegheny County on Saturday, weather permitting.

The brief closures and restrictions are necessary as contractor crews conduct guardrail repairs. All exits will remain open. Work and restrictions will occur between 7 a.m. to noon Saturday on the inbound parkway with the right lane closed in various locations between the Carnegie and Greentree exits.

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