Pittsburgh

Midwife ordered to trial in death of baby

At a hearing that drew busloads of Amish protesters, a judge Thursday ordered a midwife to stand trial in the death of an infant after a home delivery.

The order that Judith Wilson, 48, face an involuntary manslaughter charge came a year after the county coroner recommended prosecution, saying Wilson did not do enough to help the baby when the feet-first delivery began.

Isaac Daley died Nov. 21, 2002, two days after he was born at the home of his parents, Jonathan and Heather Daley. The Daleys have said they oppose criminal charges.

“She provided the standard of care that we wanted,” Jonathan Daley said.

Allegheny County Coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht said Wilson should have overruled the parents and recommended medical care after the boy remained in the birth canal for about 90 minutes.

Washington

One climber dead, one injured on Rainier

A firefighter who had climbed Mount Rainier more than two dozen times died Thursday after a fall high on the peak, the second death in roughly two weeks on one of the mountain’s most dangerous routes.

The man’s climbing partner was rescued by helicopter and flown to a hospital for treatment of a hand injury.

Jon Cahill, 40, a fire captain and father of four, fell 200 feet on Liberty Ridge, about 11,300 feet up the 14,410-foot peak.

Rescue climbers and an Oregon National Guard helicopter rushed to reach him, but by the time the helicopter arrived, he was dead, said Mount Rainier National Park spokesman Barry Fraissinet.

The Black Hawk helicopter picked up Cahill’s partner, Mark H. Anderson, 33, and flew him to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was in satisfactory condition.