Jacob Tierney stories, Page 16
Grocery shoppers keep their distance as stores adopt new coronavirus measuresVideo
Caution tape blocking entrances, shoppers wearing masks and stickers placed on floors — all signs of grocery shopping’s new normal as stores adapt to the spread of coronavirus. “We’re slowly starting to see people adapt their own behaviors and really realize the gravity of the situation,” said Jannah Jablonowski, spokeswoman...
Westmoreland County treasurer buys historic Greensburg building
Westmoreland County Treasurer Jared Squires has purchased a long-vacant, five-story building in downtown Greensburg, with plans to turn it into a dance studio, office space and apartments. Squires’ company, Line 6 Inc., bought 205 S. Pennsylvania Ave. from the Greensburg Community Development Corp. for $95,000. “I’ve seen this building a...
Pittsburgh police investigating vehicle shooting in Hill District
Pittsburgh police are investigating the shooting of a vehicle and home on Wylie Avenue in the city’s Hill District. The city’s ShotSpotter system alerted officers to a shooting near the 2100 block of Wylie Avenue around 10:10 p.m. Tuesday. Officers found a vehicle on Erin Street had been hit multiple...
Hempfield bicyclist with history of petty crimes charged with throwing traffic cone into creek
A Hempfield man who spent nearly two years in jail awaiting trial for obstructing traffic on his bicycle has been arrested again, this time for allegedly throwing a traffic cone into a flooded creek in Greensburg. City police said security footage showed David Smith, 60, riding his bike at Lynch...
Pittsburgh priest exposed to coronavirus tests negative
A priest in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has tested negative for coronavirus after coming into contact with someone exposed to the virus, according to the diocese. Despite the negative test result, the Rev. Thomas Gramc will still undergo a voluntary 14-day quarantine out of an abundance of caution, the...
Allegheny Technologies to close Beaver County steel plant, citing Trump’s tariffs
Allegheny Technologies Inc. will shutter its Beaver County stainless steel plant in June, citing the Trump administration’s steel tariffs as the reason for the closure, the company announced Tuesday. The A&T Stainless Direct Roll Anneal and Pickle operation in Midland employs about 70 workers, most of whom are represented by...
More than 600 inmates released from Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh to slow pandemic
Officials have released 622 inmates from Allegheny County Jail over the last two weeks in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus by reducing crowding in the jail, according to Allegheny County. That’s more than triple the 189 inmates that were slated for release March 19, and roughly one...
6 residents, 1 staff at Ligonier Gardens nursing home test positive for coronavirus
Six residents and a staff member of Ligonier Gardens Personal Care Home have tested positive for coronavirus, according to Bethlen Communities, the nonprofit organization that operates the home. Two other Bethlen employees who don’t work at Ligonier Gardens also have tested positive. One works in transportation, the other in home...
North Huntingdon businessman believed in family, community
C. Gary Dinsel believed in setting goals and sticking to them. He set four big goals over the course of his life: finishing high school, finishing college, raising a family and making a difference in the world as a businessman. He accomplished all four, according to his wife, Barbara Dinsel....
Traffic plummets, business suffers on Route 30 during pandemic responseVideo
Route 30 usually is a place of perpetual traffic jams, but for the last week it’s looked more like a “ghost town,” according to Brandon Irdi, assistant manager at the Advance Auto Parts on Route 30 in Hempfield. Traffic has declined dramatically as the coronavirus pandemic forced many businesses to...
Giant Eagle employees in New Kensington, North Huntingdon and Wexford test positive for covid-19
Employees at five Giant Eagle stores have tested positive for coronavirus, including stores in New Kensington, North Huntingdon and Wexford, the company announced Friday. All five of the affected grocery stores have been thoroughly sanitized and are open for business, the company said in a statement. “Like other essential businesses,...
Greensburg restaurants giving away gift cards to help closed businesses
Ordering takeout at a Greensburg area restaurant this week could score you a gift card to one of the local businesses that have closed during the coronavirus pandemic. The Greensburg Community Development Corp. and the Downtown Greensburg Project have teamed up for the giveaway, buying about $1,000 worth of gift...
Greensburg to ratify coronavirus state of emergency already in effect
Greensburg council will meet Friday to make the city’s coronavirus emergency declaration official. Mayor Robert Bell declared a state of emergency last week, but council is required by law to vote to ratify the declaration. Bell said Friday’s 10 a.m. meeting is expected to be brief. The emergency declaration is...
Uniontown lawyer suspended after charges of money laundering
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board will temporarily suspend Uniontown attorney Tancredi Williams Calabrese, who was arrested last month on charges of money laundering. “It has been found that his continued practice of law is causing immediate and substantial public or private harm because of his misappropriation of entrusted...
Primanti’s to give out free beer with takeout orders for 1 day
If you order Primanti Bros. to go Thursday, the restaurant chain will throw in a free beer — and bring it to your car. The company turned its bartenders to “cartenders” as restaurants shut down in-house dining during the coronavirus pandemic. “As we were going through this crisis, we tried...
Pennsylvanians stock up on medical marijuana as state lifts regulations during pandemic
Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana patients have been stocking up during the coronavirus pandemic, and the state temporarily has loosened regulations to make it easier for them to get product. “The influx of patients is at an all-time high this week. We’re seeing so many new patients,” said Chris Kohan, co-founder of...
PennDOT reopens 23 rest stops on Pennsylvania interstates
PennDOT has reopened 23 of the state’s 30 rest areas, which had been closed to slow the spread of coronavirus. The department partially reopened 13 facilities last week but kept indoor restrooms closed while providing portable restrooms and handwashing facilities. Those 13 are among the 23 rest areas returned to...
Hempfield couple who tested positive for covid-19 after cruise describe what it’s like to have virus
Lisa Duffy thought the cigarette smoke in the casino of the Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship was responsible for the nagging cough she developed late in her trip to the Caribbean. When the ship docked March 14 in Port Canaveral, Fla., she felt great, with none of the fatigue she usually...
About 200 attend Hempfield’s Word of Life Church amid coronavirus shutdownVideo
About 200 people gathered to worship Sunday at Word of Life Church in Hempfield at a time when most other churches either canceled or livestreamed services and when government officials are urging gatherings of 10 or more people to be halted. Senior Pastor Tom Walters said he understands other churches’...
Excela Health, St. Clair Hospital prohibiting most hospital patient visits to slow coronavirus
Two hospitals in the region are prohibiting people from visiting patients in an effort to to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Excela Health’s new policy took effect Saturday and only allows patients and staff in the inpatient, outpatient or emergency departments of its facilities. Beginning on Sunday, visitors will...
Five injured in Forward Township crash
Five people were injured in a single-vehicle crash in Forward Township on Friday night, according to the Gallatin Sunnyside Volunteer Fire Department. Three of the patients airlifted to the hospital, according to the department. The crash happened around 11 p.m. on the 200 block of Bunola River Road. The car...
Greensburg loosens parking restrictions during coronavirus pandemic
Greensburg will ease up on parking tickets during the coronavirus pandemic, the city police department announced Wednesday on Facebook. Drivers will be allowed to park at meters without paying for up to one hour, according to the announcement. The move is being made to help local businesses, which are struggling...
Shop ‘n Save changing hours over pandemic; offers special shopping for seniors, disabled
Shop ‘n Save grocery stores in Greensburg, Murrysville and Latrobe will close earlier to allow staff to deal with the coronavirus-driven surge in business. They also will open earlier to give seniors and those with disabilities exclusive shopping time. The new hours start Monday and apply to the Charley family...
Nobody hurt in rollover crash in Hempfield
Nobody was hurt when a vehicle flipped and landed between two homes in Hempfield Township Tuesday evening, according to Westmoreland County 911. The single-vehicle crash happened at 8:19 p.m. on the 1000 block of Carbon Road, a dispatcher said. The SUV was coming around a curve when it lost control...
Greensburg closes all municipal facilities to public to prevent coronavirus spread
Greensburg will close all city facilities to the public “until further notice” effective Wednesday, though some city employees will report to work as usual and the rest will work from home, officials said. City leaders decided on the policy after meeting with county health officials and representatives from Excela Health...
