Jacob Tierney stories, Page 20
Legal online poker in Pennsylvania makes $2.5 million in 1st full monthVideo
Pennsylvania’s first legal real-money poker website made $2.5 million in December, according to the latest figures from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. PokerStars PA launched in November. It’s a partnership between Mount Airy Casino Resort in the Poconos and PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker company. Online poker accounted for...
Southwest Greensburg searches for new manager
Southwest Greensburg is looking for a new manager. “My wife and friends were all retired, and it’s time for me to join the fun,” said Corry Sheffler, 64, who has been the borough manager since 2011. He’ll be stepping down at the end of February. Sheffler wears a lot of...
State attorney general: Washington County woman kept sister in wooden cage
A Washington County woman allegedly kept her 53-year-old sister in a wooden cage with a dirty mattress, according to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. His office charged Leona Biser, 51, of Vestaburg, with neglect of a care-dependent person, abuse of a care-dependent person, recklessly endangering another person, unlawful restraint, and...
Greensburg Salem school board to vote on asbestos inspection, Chinese exchange program
The Greensburg Salem School Board will vote on a routine asbestos inspection and an exchange program with Chinese students at its monthly meeting Wednesday. If approved, Volz Enviromental Services of Harmar would perform the required three-year asbestos inspection at a cost of $2,050. In the proposed exchange program, Chinese students...
Former Westmoreland museum chairman loved art, family
If there was a painting of Western Pennsylvania anywhere in the world, chances are Bruce Wolf could track it down. The former natural gas executive loved art, especially works that depicted his beloved hometown of Pittsburgh. “One of his goals was to collect and retain artwork of Western Pennsylvania and...
Report: Greensburg development snarled in red tape
Regulations governing construction and development in Greensburg are riddled with red tape, unnecessary complexity, redundancies and contradictions, according to a new city-commissioned report. The planning department wants to change that as soon as possible, planning director Jeff Raykes said. Greensburg hired planning consultant Denny Puko, who wrote a 25-page report...
Greensburg to amend legal documents after former police chief disputes retirement account
Greensburg will amend its responses to two lawsuits because of concerns by former police chief Walter J. Lyons, who said the documents gave an inaccurate account of his 2016 retirement. Lyons is not a part of either suit, but he was mentioned in both. Former planning director Barbara Ciampini and...
Latrobe runner knows it’s never too late to get moving
Darlene Upson was 53 years old the first time she ran in a footrace. After crossing the finish line five miles later, she swore she’d never do it again. “I couldn’t walk for three days,” the Latrobe resident said. “I said to myself, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me —...
Police: 4 suspects shoot up Fayette County home, almost hit baby
Two men, a woman and a 1-year-old girl were woken by gunshots in the early morning of Dec. 29, according to state police. Six shots were fired into a Connellsville, Fayette County home, missing the victims by a few feet. According to police, there were four shooters. Investigators don’t know...
Family mourns man killed in crash near Westmoreland Mall
A Latrobe family is mourning the loss of Justin Bibel, 29, who was killed in a crash on Route 30 near the Westmoreland Mall. Bibel died Thursday in UPMC Presbyterian hospital, according to his wife, Monica Lea Bibel. “He was a good guy, he was funny, he was laid back,...
Police: Clairton man arrested with more than 200 stamp bags of heroin
Allegheny County Police have arrested a Clairton man accused of selling heroin, fentanyl and cocaine in the Mon Valley. Damian Graves, 47, allegedly possessed 140 stamp bags of suspected heroin mixed with fentanyl and 16 rocks of crack cocaine when police arrested him in West Mifflin on Thursday evening. Officers...
2 companies competing for Greensburg code permits, inspections
Greensburg now has contracts with two third-party companies to handle building permits and inspections. The city is asking developers to choose which they’d prefer working with — Millvale-based Code.sys, which has handled inspections since 2015, or the newly contracted Code Enforcement Agency (CEA) of Jefferson Hills. “We’re shifting from bossing...
Greensburg residents ‘adopt’ nearly 350 fire hydrants
There are almost 350 fire hydrants in Greensburg, and they all have been “adopted” after a six-year campaign, according to Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department President Rick Steele. The department launched the “Adopt-A-Hydrant” program in 2014, asking residents to contribute to the cost of high-visibility markers, which stick up above hydrants...
Greensburg pavilion reservations starting soon, will be cheaper for some
It’s almost time to sign up for pavilion rentals in Greensburg, and some people living near the city will see a discount compared to years past. As always, rentals are cheaper for residents. But, this year, officials expanded the definition to mean anyone living within the Greensburg Salem School District,...
Police investigating death of man hit by a train in Swissvale
Authorities have released the identity of a man who died after being hit by a train in Swissvale on Monday evening. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said Walter Gunter, 45, of Rankin died as a result of injuries he suffered after being struck by the train at around 5...
Westmoreland residents take first steps on fitness resolutions at 5k run in DerryVideo
Some Westmoreland County residents spent the first weekend of 2020 taking the first steps toward their fitness resolutions. About 150 people participated in the Resolution Run on Saturday morning at Keystone State Park in Derry. “It’s a good way to gauge our level of fitness, or non-fitness, and see how...
Police: Squirrel Hill man chased home invaders in car
An unidentified Pittsburgh man told police he got in his car and chased four home invaders to Monroeville before they got away, according to the Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety. The man said four unknown men kicked down the door of his Beechwood Boulevard home in Squirrel Hill and robbed...
Man shot while driving in McKeesport
Two suspects shot a man who was driving in McKeesport on Friday night, according to Allegheny County Police. A bullet grazed the unidentified 23-year-old victim in the head. He is in the hospital with non life-threatening injuries. He was driving on Soles Street around 11 p.m. when two unknown people...
Penn Township targets growth with comprehensive plan
Penn Township last adopted a comprehensive plan for the community in 2005. A lot has changed since then. Officials hope an updated plan will position the community for growth in the decade ahead. New housing developments are cropping up all over the township. Plans for a high-speed rail line, once...
One injured in Ligonier fire
One person was taken to the hospital after a house fire in Ligonier on Tuesday, according to Westmoreland County 911. The fire started in the basement of the Griffith Street home, a dispatcher said. It was reported at 4:12 p.m. and was quickly extinguished by Ligonier’s Waterford Fire Department and...
Baseball merger coming to Greensburg, South Greensburg and Southwest Greensburg
Greensburg, South Greensburg and Southwest Greensburg are joining forces, combining their youth baseball programs in an effort to save the struggling sport. “All of our programs were dying off,” said Southwest Greensburg recreation Chairman Miles Webb. Starting in the spring, the newly created Greater Greensburg Athletics organization will administer baseball...
Week in Review: Wilkinsburg shooting, school zone speeders, Uber test trackVideo
Here’s a look back at some of the top stories of the week. Suspect killed by police in Wilkinsburg A Wilkinsburg man was fatally shot by a police officer after firing at Wilkinsburg police during a foot chase early Sunday. Romir Talley, 24, was the suspect who died, according to...
Greensburg denies age discrimination in response to lawsuits
Greensburg officials said two former city employees were dismissed because of job performance, not their age, according to court filings in age discrimination lawsuits. Barbara Ciampini, 58, and Frank Lehman, 59, who respectively worked as planning director and recreation director, filed their federal lawsuits in October. The city finally filed...
2 rescued, 15 homeless after North Versailles apartment fire
Three people were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and 15 left homeless after a fire at Versailles Castle Apartments on Lincoln Highway in North Versailles, according to West Wilmerding Volunteer Fire Department Chief Merle Pusey The fire started around midnight. Two people were trapped on the second floor....
Man killed in Marshall Township crash with mail truck
A 53-year-old man was killed in a crash between an SUV and a tractor-trailer on Route 19 in Marshall Township early Friday morning, according to the Northern Regional Police Department. The tractor-trailer was carrying bulk mail. The SUV went under the mail truck, and the driver of the SUV was...
