Jacob Tierney stories, Page 15

The Westmoreland County Bureau of Parks & Recreation canceled all scheduled events through June. “Following increased and overwhelming concerns about the covid-19 virus, we felt this was the best way to protect the health and safety of everyone in our community,” the bureau said in a statement. “We are very...

First Christian Church of Greensburg has delivered sweet treats to people in need for decades, but members have had to change up their tradition because of the coronavirus pandemic. “We didn’t skip a beat, honestly,” said the Rev. John Owen, church pastor. For more than 20 years, church members baked...

Scientists don’t know much about the newly-dubbed “crazy beast” that roamed the world about 66 million years ago. What they do know is thanks to a newly-discovered fossil in Madagascar and work from an international team of researchers that included John Wible, curator of mammals at Carnegie Museum of Natural...

Connellsville resident Mary Frazier celebrated her 100th birthday in style with a parade of firefighters and police officers outside her apartment balcony. Frazier lives at Connellsville Towers senior community, where community manager Leah Bierer and her staff organized the celebration. Well-wishers were encouraged to drive through Connellsville Towers on Thursday...

Putting up a billboard is a lot like drilling for oil, according to Ben Wallace, chief operating officer of Penneco. He’d know. Penneco is a Delmont-based oil and gas company with a subsidiary — Penneco Outdoor Advertising, which owns about 30 billboards across southwestern Pennsylvania. Both sides of the business...

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank plans to serve food to about 1,500 families at a drive-up distribution event at Big Butler Fairgrounds on Tuesday. The event is a partnership between the food bank, Alliance for Nonprofit Resources, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office and Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association....

Reportage on the aftermath of the Tree of Life shooting, a little-known AIDS research study, and the legacies of some of Pittsburgh’s most iconic radio personalities were among the many Trib Total Media pieces nominated for the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania’s Golden Quill Award. The Trib earned 24 nominations....

More than 78,000 self-employed Pennsylvanians have applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance since the state introduced the program last week — but several who were interviewed say the process has been marred by confusion and technical glitches. “You’re just kind of in the dark, and just hoping that something comes through,”...

Few people knew more about fire safety than Bill Anderson, former assistant chief with the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department. “If I knew what he forgot, I’d be a brilliant man,” said Al Rosatti, another emeritus assistant chief and close friend of Anderson. “He was a highly intelligent individual.” Anderson taught...

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg is planning free virtual webinars to help parents explain the coronavirus pandemic to their children. The first event, scheduled for April 24, will provide talking points for parents. It will be hosted by Paul Niemiec, director of counseling at Catholic Charities. Those interested...

Nearly all Pennsylvania restaurants have laid off employees during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey by the National Restaurant Association. Primanti Brothers furloughed more than 1,500 employees across its nearly 40 locations, though it has since hired several hundred back, according to Adam Golomb, the Pittsburgh-based chain’s chief marketing...

When the Westmoreland County Blind Association announced it had masks for sale for $3 apiece, the response was predictable but still overwhelming, said Executive Director Tim Miller. “When I got in, the phones were ringing nonstop, and they really haven’t stopped since,” he said. As of Monday afternoon, the association...

Pittsburgh Technology Council will conduct a live online video interview with Dr. Louis Falo, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researcher who’s leading a team developing a coronavirus vaccine. The meeting, hosted on Zoom, is part of the council’s “Business as Usual” series, which features live daily calls with...

Coronavirus may have prevented any parties celebrating 4/20 — the unofficial holiday of marijuana — but legal pot sales in Pennsylvania remain strong during the pandemic. “Now you have things like stimulus checks hitting,” said Chris Kohan, co-founder of The Healing Center, which has dispensaries in Monroeville, Washington and Cranberry....

Greensburg Salem School District has postponed its graduation ceremony until June — though plans for the big day are subject to change depending on the status of coronavirus-related restrictions. The district also plans to replace prom with a Senior Ceremony. The current plan is to allow only the Class of...

A new online map provides at-a-glance zoning information for developers and property owners in Greensburg. The tool is the latest effort in the city’s ongoing campaign to reduce confusion and red tape in development. It allows people to search for specific properties and see zoning districts at a glance. It...

The office of Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro partnered with several banks to help Pennsylvanians who face financial hardships as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Banks participating in the PA Care Package initiative will offer a 90-day grace period for mortgages, auto loans and other consumer loans. They will...

Pennsylvania State Police arrested two people for allegedly growing hallucinogenic mushrooms in an Indiana Borough apartment. The suspects are a 39-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman. Charges are pending, and police have not identified the suspects to the public. Investigators received a tip about the apartment on the 900 block...

Coronavirus has changed almost everything, but some people who work in Greensburg say they’re still facing one all-too-familiar scenario: parking tickets. “I think it’s ridiculous that we’re being ticketed during a pandemic,” said Tracy Scott, who works at the Welcome Home shelter on South Maple Avenue. She’s been given several...

YWCA Westmoreland County appointed a familiar face as its new interim executive director. Gina McGrath has been with the organization since 1998, previously serving as technology instructor, IT director, and senior program director. She replaces Cindy Leonard, who recently departed the organization after working as executive director since 2018. “Both...

Western Pennsylvanians woke up to April snow showers Friday morning. The National Weather Service station at the Pittsburgh International Airport measured one-tenth of an inch of snow. Some areas, like Saxonburg and Butler County, reported more than an inch, NWS meteorologist Lee Hendricks said. Though it might be spring on...

Pittsburgh police are investigating a shooting Monday night in the city’s Arlington Heights neighborhood. A man and woman were taken to the hospital in stable condition. Police responded to a ShotSpotter alert on the 3200 block of Arlington Avenue. First responders saw a vehicle that had been struck by multiple...

Pittsburgh firefighters extinguished a 2-alarm fire early Tuesday morning at a business on the 4500 block of Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield, according to the city Department of Public Safety. Officials said the fire started on the first floor shortly after 4 a.m. It was quickly extinguished, and there were no...