Local News

Lincoln High School Moves To Full Remote Learning

According to information made available on the district website, and effective Tuesday, February 9, 2021, Lincoln High School is moving to full remote learning. Throughout the day on Monday, February 8, 2021, the district received notice of five additional cases of COVID-19 within Lincoln Jr/Sr High School. The district will notify a parent/guardian directly if his or her child is identified through contact tracing to be a specific risk. Per the press release, and together with the three previous cases reported on Friday, Lincoln has exceeded the number of cases allowable by the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Education. Therefore,…


$912 Million COVID-19 Relief Package Enacted

A comprehensive $912 million relief package to help restaurants, schools, employers, and tenants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic received final legislative approval and was signed into law by the Governor on Friday (February 5), according to Senator Elder Vogel, who strongly supported the bill. Senate Bill 109 (Act 1 of 2021) amends the state Fiscal Code to allocate $569.8 million for Rental and Utility Assistance, $197 million for education programs, and $145 million to support Pennsylvania’s struggling hospitality industry as it copes with the devastation created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Governor’s mandated closings and restrictions. The new law…


Ellwood City Public Library Activities For Week of February 8

The Ellwood City Area Public Library offers a variety of weekly activities. Information is available by calling the library at 724-758-6458. PLEASE NOTE: The Library will continue doing curbside pick-up. Please call us with the book(s), authors, genre or recommended material you would like to check out and our staff will see that it is in alphabetical order in the lobby for you. Limitations for patrons are 10 items to include books and limited to a total of three DVD’s or books on CD per person. All patrons must wear a mask when entering the lobby and wait until there…


NOTICE: Reminder Regarding Junk, Abandoned, or Unregistered Vehicles

According to the Borough of Ellwood City Code Officer, Ralph Chiappetta, there has been a large problem with junk, abandoned or unregistered vehicles in the borough. Chiappetta would like to remind residents that you may have a vehicle that is not inspected, registered, or legally drivable on the street stored in a garage as defined in the following ordinances. A tarp or canvas enclosure is NOT a garage. You may not have a vehicle stored in your yard. This is covered under IPMC 2012 section 202, INOPERABLE MOTOR VEHICLE A vehicle which cannot be driven upon the public streets for…


POLICE: Vehicle Accident On Lawrence Avenue Causes Damages

According to an Ellwood City Police Department report, and on Wednesday, February 3rd at approximately 11:00 p.m., a vehicle accident on Lawrence Avenue caused damages outside of a local restaurant establishment. Ellwood City Police were dispatched to 708 Lawrence Avenue at Mike’s Main Street for a motor vehicle accident. LEOC advised that a vehicle had struck the building. Upon arrival, police located the operator of a 2020 Ford Transit Van who was identified as Donald Frelin II, 31, of Ellwood City. Frelin and his fiance, Dustie White, were in the back of the van with their 1-year-old son. Frelin and…


Venezie Sporting Goods & Apparel Announces 2021 Scholarships

Venezie Sporting Goods & Apparel has announced its annual scholarship opportunity for area students this year.  The scholarship, now in its third year, will be available to four local school districts. “We love our community and we love our students, and it is time we continue to recognize them for all their hard work inside and outside of the classroom,” said Vice President of Operations, Vanessa Venezie. Venezie Sporting Goods will be awarding a scholarship to an Ellwood City, Riverside, Beaver Falls, and New Brighton senior this year. Each scholarship is valued at $500.00. Venezie came up with the idea…


Senator Vogel Raises Concerns About Governor Wolf’s Tax & Spend Budget

Senator Elder Vogel today raised serious concerns about the Governor’s proposal to raise income taxes, increase state spending and slash Pennsylvania’s support for agricultural programs. The Governor today (February 3) unveiled his proposed $40.2 billion General Fund Budget for Fiscal Year 2021-22, which includes a $3.1 billion (8.2 percent) increase in state spending, a substantial Personal Income Tax (PIT) rate hike, imposition of Marcellus Shale extraction tax, and elimination of funding for vital agricultural programs and services. As Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which oversees the budget review process in the Senate, and Chairman of the Senate Agriculture…


Animal Cruelty Investigation Case In Lawrence County

According to a Pennsylvania State Police Troop D Press Release, an animal cruelty investigation report was file in Washington Township, Lawrence County last week. According to the report, and on Saturday, January 23, 2021 at approximately 3:30 p.m., PA State Police assisted Lawrence County Humane Officer and responded to 535 Rabbit Haven Lane, just northeast of New Castle, in reference to an Animal cruelty complaint. The residence was reported to be a single wide mobile home sitting on a basement. The initial investigation determined that the residence was deplorable, holding numerous dogs and other animals in unsanitary conditions inside and…


Toys For Tots Fundraiser A Success Among Borough Departments

With the pandemic taking away so much from children this year, the Borough of Ellwood City wanted to help make sure Christmas was not on the list. The borough held a Toys for Tots challenge among their departments over the holidays and generosity kicked into high gear. Randy Gatto, Public Works Director, and Rhiannon Schnell, Public Works Secretary, organized the drive that started in early November.  Schnell had previous experiences with Toys for Tots campaigns when she previously worked at McElwains and was happy to start something within the Borough. “The Borough of Ellwood City has the best group of…


Punxsutawney Phil Predicts Six More Weeks of Winter

Keep the shovels and snow plows out Ellwood City! Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter on Tuesday during the annual Groundhog Day ceremony in Pennsylvania. Among cardboard cutouts of fans who had hoped to be there in person at Gobbler’s Knob park in Jefferson County, Phil was greeted by his handler, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club President Jeff Lundy, and made the prognosis of the prolonged winter. According to Groundhog.org, the morning call went as follows: Now this second day of February, two thousand and twenty-one, the one hundred and thirty fifth annual trek of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club……