EQT donates $100,000 to upgrade Greene fairgrounds
Greene County Commissioners Mike Belding, left, Betsy Rohanna McClure and Blair Zimmerman are joined at the fairgrounds by Casey Durdines of EQT Corp., which donated $100,000 to upgrade facilities there.
Courtesy of Greene County
Courtesy of Penn Highlands
Thamar Perry
Just for fun, a second organization has donated a large sum to Greene County.
EQT Foundation has given the county $100,000 to upgrade facilities at the Greene County Fairgrounds.
This followed another recent, fun-related donation to the county. Energy company Iron Senergy previously donated $65,000 to enable local youth to attend the county’s summer day camps and swimming pools, regardless of their financial situation. Senergy owns Cumberland Mine in the county.
The three Greene County pools will open June 3. Day camps will run from June 19 to July 28.
Ellen Rossi, president of the EQT Foundation, said in a statement: “The fairgrounds are a destination for many throughout the year. We are pleased to provide support to improve the space, so community members and visitors can continue to enjoy the fairgrounds and its hosted events for years to come.”
The Community Foundation of Greene County administered the grant for the fairgrounds outside Waynesburg. Funds will go toward projects such as an HVAC system for one of the larger buildings; a landscaping plan by the Master Gardeners group; interior upgrades for the arena barn; and a facility-wide security system.
Bret Moore, director of Parks and Recreation, said: “These improvements were vital to improving the aesthetics and safety of the facilities.”
Scholarship program
The Southpointe CEO Association has announced that applications are being accepted for the Jack B. Piatt Scholarship Program. Anyone attending a post-secondary, college, post-graduate, or technical school during the 2023-24 academic year is eligible.
Applicants must reside in Washington County and be a current employee, or dependent of an employee, of an organization that is a member of the CEO Association. However, members of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, who have a business located in Southpointe or conduct business in the mixed-use park, also are eligible to apply.
The application deadline is 5 p.m. June 30. Awards will be announced in July.
April gaming revenue up
Gaming revenue across Pennsylvania increased by 3.27% last month compared with April 2022, and Hollywood Casino at the Meadows helped spark the surge.
Total revenue for all forms of gaming in April was $476,723,131, up more than $15 million year over year, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported recently.
The Meadows generated $26,053,840 last month, a $5.1 million increase from April 2022. That 24.11% bump was the second largest among all sources of revenue, behind only the 32.41% jump at Hollywood Casino Morgantown.
Harrisburg-based PGCB, which regulates gaming in the commonwealth, keeps track of revenue from slot machines, table games, internet gaming, sports wagering, fantasy contests and video gaming terminals.
Revenue at Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin, in Wharton Township, fell from $2,123,735 in April 2022 to $1,639,632 last month.
Year-over-year slots revenue fell 1.18% at The Meadows, dropping from $14,775,843 in April 2022 to $14,601,071. The North Strabane Township gaming site also took a revenue hit on table games, falling from $2,720,923 to $2,391,749 (a 12.10% decrease).
Lady Luck’s slots and table games revenues likewise declined. Revenue from slots fell from $1,950,819 to $1,574,869 (19.27%), while money from table games plummeted 62.55%, from $172,916 to $64,763.
On Tanger’s doorstep
Merrell, a leading outdoor footwear and apparel brand, soon will be putting its best feet forward at Tanger Outlets Pittsburgh (located in South Strabane Township).
The Rockford, Mich.-based retailer will open there this spring, date not yet determined. The company will step into a 2,408-square-foot space next to White House Black Market.
Merrell launched in the early 1980s as a hiking boot company. It has expanded its offerings to include men’s, women’s and youth running shoes, sandals, active tops, bottoms, bags, outerwear and other accessories.
Penn Highlands
Thamar Perry is a new physician assistant at Penn Highlands Cardiology, at 1290 Chess Street, Suite 101, in Monongahela.
Perry has more than a decade of experience in health care and will work with patients with a wide range of cardiology conditions.
She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Athletic Training at California University of Pennsylvania; a Master’s of Science in Physician Assistant Studies at Thomas Jefferson University; and a Master’s of Science in Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.