Jacob Tierney stories, Page 6
‘The Queen’s Gambit’ sparks chess boom in Pittsburgh
When “The Queen’s Gambit” became a smash hit on Netflix, a chess institute in Pittsburgh with a similar name got plenty of online attention — both good and bad. “We’ve been getting so many tags on social media, and specifically Twitter,” said Ashley Lynn Priore, president of The Queen’s Gambit...
Pennsylvania opens permit process for 2021 hemp season
Farmers who want to get an early start on plans to grow hemp in 2021 can submit their applications to the state by mail starting Saturday. Online applications for growers and processors will open in January. The state has made it easier for small farmers to get in on the...
Greensburg plans inventory of blighted city properties
There are more than 6,000 parcels of land in the City of Greensburg, and Westmoreland County employees soon will examine all of them to figure out which are blighted. The city received a $10,000 grant from the Realtors Association of Westmoreland, Indiana and Mon Valley to partner with the county...
Ethics commission fines former Belle Vernon Area superintendent for violationsVideo
The Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission this week fined a former superintendent of the Belle Vernon Area School District $1,250 for numerous ethics violations. The commission said John Wilkinson, who resigned in 2018, borrowed several pieces of district equipment for his personal use, including a generator, circular saw and cement mixer....
Ace Hardware in Greensburg closes for good, citing pandemic
The Ace Hardware in Greensburg has closed after a decade on East Pittsburgh Street. Sales plummeted when the coronavirus pandemic hit and lockdowns were put in place, said owner John McCullough, owner of New Kensington-based Thrift Supply. “We’ve just seen our customer base drop, and our business drop, and we...
Olives & Peppers opening at historic Greensburg train station
It’s been more than three years, but the long-awaited Olives & Peppers restaurant finally is set to open Thursday in the historic Greensburg train station. “It did take us a little longer than we had hoped, but we are really excited to open,” said Emily Williams, part of the family...
Cold weather shelter program returns to Westmoreland County
Three Westmoreland County nonprofits have teamed up again to provide a place for those who need to come in from the cold. United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Welcome Home Shelter in Greensburg and Union Mission in Latrobe will provide cold weather shelters from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. on nights...
National Guard providing covid-19 assistance at Twin Lakes Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Unity
The Pennsylvania National Guard has spent the last several days at Twin Lakes Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Unity, providing emergency assistance to the facility because of the coronavirus outbreak. The staff assistance mission at Twin Lakes started Saturday. It is scheduled to end Wednesday. A group of eleven guard...
Allegheny County courts postpone most in-person hearings as covid cases rise
Most in-person hearings in Allegheny County courts will be postponed until after Friday, Dec. 4 due to the rising number of coronavirus cases, according an order issued Friday from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Western District. “Due to the rising number of positive covid tests in Allegheny County, further efforts...
Overly’s Country Christmas brings holiday tradition to Westmoreland Fairgrounds during pandemicVideo
Almost nothing this year is normal, but at Overly’s Country Christmas, the lights still twinkle, the carols still play and Santa Claus still waves to excited children who lean out their car windows for a better look. The show opened Thursday at the Westmoreland Fairgrounds in Mt. Pleasant Township. The...
Parking deal clears path for 99 new apartments in Greensburg
Greensburg has cleared the path for 99 new apartments to be built downtown by agreeing to a deal that would allow residents to park in one of the city’s lots — but only at night. The decision waives Greensburg’s usual parking requirements. Instead, developer Urban Communities will lease the Buncher...
Greensburg Salem School District moving to remote-only classes as coronavirus cases rise
All Greensburg Salem School District schools are shutting their doors and moving to full remote classes Thursday, the district announced Wednesday. The closure will last through Nov. 30. The district’s decision was made due the rising number of coronavirus cases in schools and the community, according to the announcement. Three...
Live! Casino holds ribbon-cutting ceremonyVideo
VIPs got a glitzy first look of the new Live! Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield’s Westmoreland Mall at an invite-only ribbon-cutting party Tuesday ahead of the full opening next week. The guest list included state and local lawmakers along with their family and friends, who were among the first to gamble...
Westmoreland County back in ‘substantial’ virus risk category as cases skyrocket statewide
Last week it appeared Westmoreland County’s coronavirus surge might by on the decline, with its transmission risk dropping just under the threshold that divide a “substantial” risk from a “moderate” one on the state’s Early Warning Monitoring System. That appearance was an illusion. Cases again spiked, and the previous week’s...
4 libraries in Westmoreland, Allegheny counties will split $2.3 million in state grants
Four local libraries received a helping hand in their renovation efforts thanks to $2.2 million in collective grants from the state Department of Education. “We’re just so excited about this grant, we’re over the moon,” said Jamie Falo, executive director of Greensburg Hempfield Area Library, which received $748,145. The money...
‘Welcome Everyone Westmoreland’ initiative aims to boost diversity, population in county
Westmoreland County’s population is dwindling, and members of a new initiative hope to help reverse the trend by making the region more welcoming to a more diverse group of people. “We are losing people, people are not coming into the county, and I fear it’s going to be the continued...
Support for marijuana grows: see the latest states to legalize
As voters in more U.S. states this month legalized recreational marijuana use, longtime pot-friendly Oregon became the first state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of other drugs — including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman said he thinks Pennsylvania should be a leader in drug reform,...
Penn-Trafford School District reports 7 new coronavirus cases
Penn Trafford School District has reported seven new coronavirus cases among staff and students this week, bringing the total number of cases in the district this year to 41. Here’s a breakdown of the new cases: • Two students at Penn Trafford High School; • Two student and one staff...
Greensburg budget would keep taxes flat despite ‘revenue killer’ pandemic
Greensburg City Councilman Randy Finfrock likes to pepper his annual budget presentation with jokes to keep it interesting for his fellow council members and residents. “That’s not happening this time,” Finfrock said Monday. “This is a difficult budget, it’s a difficult year.” Council is considering a budget that would keep...
Pa. medical marijuana advisory board nixes new qualifying conditions as industry booms
Medical marijuana in Pennsylvania is more popular than ever, this month surpassing $1 billion in all-time sales from dispensaries to patients. The state’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Board noted the landmark at its quarterly meeting Tuesday before debating whether to add new medical conditions to the list of reasons Pennsylvanians can...
School districts mull options as Westmoreland coronavirus rates inch down
State data show Westmoreland County’s coronavirus transmission risk dropped a bit, which means school districts once again may face difficult decisions about how to educate students in the weeks and months to come. The county’s latest reported seven-day coronavirus incidence rate was 99.8. That means about 0.998% of county residents...
UPMC to open Specialty Care Center in Greensburg
UPMC is expanding in Greensburg with a new facility housing 14 specialists providing general surgery, cardiac care, sports medicine and other outpatient services. The 2,520-square-foot UPMC Specialty Care Center at 410 Pellis Road houses physicians as well as a primary care practice. It had a soft opening in June with...
Greensburg nixes Holiday Parade over coronavirus concerns
The holiday season in Greensburg will be a little less merry in 2020. Go figure. The city canceled its traditional Holiday Parade because of the coronavirus pandemic. “We couldn’t guarantee people’s safety,” said Mayor Robert Bell. “With the spike in covid cases, not just in Greensburg but in Westmoreland County,...
Sen. Pat Toomey: Trump claims ‘very disturbing,’ no sign of widespread election fraud
Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania criticized President Donald Trump’s baseless allegations of election fraud in an interview with “CBS This Morning” on Friday, saying that there is no evidence of widespread wrongdoing in his state. “The president’s speech last night was very disturbing to me because he made very,...
Pittsburgh diocese provides school coronavirus updates, St. Louise de Marillac to close temporarily
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh provided an update on coronavirus-related developments at several schools Friday, including the closure of St. Louise De Marillac Catholic School in Upper Saint Clair. The diocese previously reported that students in an eighth-grade homeroom had been sent home and St. Louise De Marillac’s football program...
