Jacob Tierney stories, Page 11
DEP issues code orange air pollution alert for Southwestern Pa.
Children, the elderly and those with respiratory issues should be careful and limit outdoor activity on Saturday, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. Most of Southwestern Pennsylvania will be under a code orange designation for ozone, the DEP said. Orange is the third level of a four-tier air...
Elliott Group to close Rostraver facility, impacting 40 jobs
Elliott Group is permanently closing its center in Rostraver, which employed about 40 people, the company announced Thursday. “The decision to close our Belle Vernon facility was a difficult but necessary step to sustain Elliott’s auxiliary products portfolio while reducing the fixed costs associated with maintaining a separate, stand-alone operation,”...
Greensburg Community Development Corporation introduces grant program 5 years in the making
The Greensburg Community Development Corporation is rolling out a new grant initiative it hopes will spur more development projects in the city. The corporation this summer awarded a $15,000 G-Fund grant to City Cribs LLC for renovations made to 136 S. Pennsylvania Ave. It was the first G-Fund grant, and...
Greensburg lifts limits on food trucks, hopes more business rolls into city
Speal’s on Wheels was one of the first food trucks to operate in Greensburg, with owner Terry Speal serving late-night grub to college crowds in the city since 2016. High registration fees and limited hours kept most food truck operators out, but that just meant less competition for Speal. “The...
Pet Adoption League founder arrested after struggle at Yukon shelter
South Huntingdon resident Barbara Flanigan has been arrested again after yet another confrontation with the animal rescue organization she founded, days before the organization was set to move out of her life. Flanigan, 71, allegedly trespassed in the headquarters of Pet Adoption League and threw a punch at league Director...
Westmoreland County passes 1,000 coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County had 16 new covid-19 cases, bringing the total case count to 1,010, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Monday. The count includes 982 confirmed cases and 28 probable cases. There were no new deaths Monday. The county’s coronavirus death counts remains at 39, according to the department. Monday...
Pennsylvania reports 7 new coronavirus deaths, 328 new cases
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Monday reported 328 new coronavirus cases and seven new deaths. That brings the state’s total case count to 95,742, with 6,911 deaths. The state considers 635 patients as probable cases, but they are not confirmed. Monday’s state report doesn’t include new numbers for the...
Thousands still without power from Friday’s thunderstorms across region
Thousands of residents in Southwestern Pennsylvania woke up Saturday morning with no electricity in their homes as a result of severe thunderstorms Friday night. West Penn Power Co. in Greensburg said that about 5,240 customers in Allegheny, Westmoreland, Fayette, Washington and Greene counties were without power as of 9 a.m....
Trafford councilman says he will not resign over comment regarding health secretary’s gender
A Trafford councilman said he is sticking around after a fellow council member asked him to resign over derogatory Facebook comments regarding Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine. Zack Cole last month responded to a Father’s Day greeting post on Gov. Tom Wolf’s Facebook page by wishing a Happy Father’s...
Fireworks show at Westmoreland Fairgrounds raises money for fire departments, fair board
Thousands of people attended a drive-in fireworks show at the Westmoreland Fairgrounds to celebrate Independence Day, donating more than $4,000 to benefit local fire departments and the county fair board. “It was a big success,” said Jessica Skinner, who helped organize the event with her fiance, Marcus Wisneski. “I think...
Pittsburgh researchers seek blood plasma donations as coronavirus research expands
Pittsburgh area doctors and blood banks are looking for blood plasma — and lots of it — from patients who have recovered from covid-19. Blood plasma from recovered patients is being used to treat those who are fighting the disease in Western Pennsylvania and across the country. Allegheny Health Network,...
Greensburg Fire Department to host milk giveaway
Need milk? Schneider’s Dairy, the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department and the American Dairy Association North East have a truckload to give away. The organizations will host a drive-through milk giveaway Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of Robert F. Nicely Elementary School in Greensburg. There...
Penn-Trafford School District announces school reopening plan
Penn-Trafford School District plans to reopen for all students when the school year begins, though distance learning will still be available for those who wish to stay home. The school board this week approved their reopening plan, though district leaders said they will remain flexible as the coronavirus pandemic continues....
Greensburg Salem keeps taxes flat, cuts librarians and band teacher
Parents, students and alumni who advocated for the preservation of programs at Greensburg Salem School District say they’re disappointed by the district’s decision to keep property taxes flat while cutting library and band positions. “A one-mill tax increase could have fixed so much,” said Sara Deegan, a parent of two...
Pitt researchers find 4 coronavirus mutations arrived early in Pittsburgh, say pandemic could have been much worse in region
University of Pittsburgh researchers are studying tiny genetic differences in coronavirus samples to determine how the virus got to Pittsburgh and the region along with how it’s spreading — and they’ve found the early weeks of the pandemic in Southwestern Pennsylvania could have been much worse. “Why I think this...
Robinson Rent-A-Center manager says she lost her job for obeying stay-at-home order
A former Rent-A-Center employee who worked in Robinson has started legal proceedings against the company, saying she lost her job for refusing to come into work during Pennsylvania’s coronavirus lockdown. Tiffany Sager this week filed an arbitration demand seeking lost wages and punitive damages against the company. Sager worked as...
Westmoreland County wants to shutter 2 district court offices
The Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas plans to close district courts in Mt. Pleasant and Penn townships by next year. This decision was made due to dwindling population and caseloads, according to the county’s new Magisterial District Court Redistricting Plan, released Friday. The move would save the county an...
Westmoreland County reports 9 new coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County has nine new covid-19 cases and no additional deaths, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Friday. The countywide case total is now 587, with 38 deaths, according to the department. There have been no reported coronavirus deaths in Westmoreland County since May 18. More than 16,000 county residents...
600 new coronavirus cases, 22 deaths reported in Pa.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Friday reported 600 new coronavirus cases and 22 new deaths. That brings the state’s total case count to 84,370, with 6,597 deaths. It is the largest, single-day increase since June 12, part of a jump that’s been ongoing for about two weeks. Pa. coronavirus...
Westmoreland County has 15 new coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County has 15 new covid-19 cases and no additional deaths, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Thursday. The countywide case total is now 578, with 38 deaths, according to the department. There have been no reported coronavirus deaths in Westmoreland County since May 18. It was the fourth day...
Pennsylvania reports 39 new coronavirus deaths, 579 new cases
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Thursday reported 39 new covid-19 deaths and 579 new cases in the state. That brings the state’s total case count to 83,770, with 6,557 deaths. The state considers 631 patients as probable cases, but they are not confirmed. Pa. coronavirus by dayInfogram More than...
Trafford councilman criticized for transphobic joke about state health secretary
A Trafford councilman is under fire for making a comment he deemed a joke about Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine’s gender on Gov. Tom Wolf’s Facebook page. Wolf on his Facebook page Sunday wished a happy Father’s Day to all Pennsylvania dads. Zack Cole, a Republican councilman who chairs...
Verona woman struck and killed by a train in Homestead
A Verona woman was struck and killed by a train in Homestead Tuesday afternoon, according to Allegheny County Police. The victim was identified as Angela M. Martin, according to the county Medical Examiner’s office. Witnesses told police that Martin, 65, was attempting to cross the road near the corner of...
Increase in Westmoreland coronavirus cases not a worry — yet
New coronavirus cases in Westmoreland County have climbed steadily since last week, including 11 reported Sunday and 16 on Monday — the first daily double-digit increases since late April. Officials say the spike is not yet cause for concern. “Obviously, the virus is still out there, and there is still...
Officials report 16 new coronavirus cases, no new deaths in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County has 16 new covid-19 cases and no additional deaths, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Monday. The countywide case total is now 546, with 38 deaths, according to the department. There have been no reported coronavirus deaths in Westmoreland County since May 18. More than 14,500 county residents...

