PART 2: Top Stories of 2022

In following previous years’ tradition, EllwoodCity.org brings the 2022 calendar year to a close with the Top 10 most popular stories of the year.

Today is the second part of the series featuring the top news stories of the year based on analytics and social media reach. [VIEW PART 1]

We would like to thank our valued readership that helped generated nearly 2 MILLION PAGE VIEWS this calendar year and our local businesses who support our website and help it stay free of charge. The EllwoodCity.org staff wishes everyone a safe and healthy 2023!

HONORABLE MENTION:

NOTABLE POLICE REPORTS: Whether the reports came from the police blotter or from its own detailed report, police action remains in the top 10 on this list. A Portersville man was wanted on charges related to a 2021 death, fentanyl and cocaine trafficking sparked news in January, and child endangerment was reported in September were among the most notable and read reports.

#5 – FESTIVAL RETURNS

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many community members mourned the cancellation of the Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Foods & Entertainment Festival. But in 2022, after a two year hiatus, the Festival was on over the Fourth of July weekend. Thousands of visitors flocked to the grounds to enjoy local food, crafts, and plenty of entertainment. Fireworks were displayed Sunday night. As a symbol of the Festival’s return and to give it a “face,” the committee sponsored a contest to name the Festival’s new mascot. The patriotic eagle was a great addition to the Fourth of July Festival tradition. Five finalists vied to have their ideas for a name be THE ONE. They included: Issac L (After Issac L Ellwood, Creator of Barbed Wire, and whom our town is named after) submitted by Donna Ann Hope; Ellwood The Eagle submitted by Kevin Swogger; Long Crested Woodrow (But his Friends call him L Woodie) submitted by Jim McIntyre; Arty (ARTS and crafts Festival) submitted by Shelley McAllister; and Eric the Ellwoodian Eagle (After Eric Rayner for his work in the town) submitted by Megan Anderson. In the end, the mascot was named “L Woodie.” If you didn’t get to see him at this year’s festival, you can catch him at the 2023 Festival on June 30, July 1 and July 2, 2023. [VIEW 2022 PHOTOS]

#4 – NEW BUSINESSES

2022 was big for business as the town welcomed many new entrepreneurs to the lineup. Restaurants, special services, gift shops … you name it and someone in Ellwood City made it their business to start a business. One unique one was in healthcare, Tracey’s Home Blood Draw Services who is the only business of its kind in this area and provides homebound patients the perfect option while a second unique business, Power Sports Performance, offers a sports facility in Ellwood City that caters to clients with special needs. It was a sweet new start for Barry’s Ice Cream in April of 2022 with new management at the helm, although “new” they were actually “old” employees and family members who have grown up in the business. Sisters Kassie Klyde and Marissa Cragle both live in Fombell and went to Riverside High School, but their home growing up was basically the ice cream shop. Many of the new businesses in 2022 opened their doors on Fifth Street as the area saw quite a revolution of new business including Wanderland Piano with talented and dedicated teacher Charlene Hall, who had a mission to spread the love of music across Ellwood City. El Canelo also joined the Fifth Street business revolution when they moved from their Lawrence Ave location to provide more seating for their patrons in an expansive Fifth Street storefront.  Lawrence Avenue also saw some growth with beauty at the forefront. Cortni Prine’s dream came true when she opened her nail salon–Nail’d It, LLC–in March. The Ellwood City Native had been doing nails for four years, and decided she was ready to become an entrepreneur.  Not far from Nail’d It, LLC is Shades of Bronze at 605 Lawrence Avenue. Joellen Cirelli opened the doors to her tanning salon and boutique joining a long list of young entrepreneurs working to revitalize the town. And finally we cannot forget the Hometown Man Jimmie Bucci of Bucci Advanced Plumbing whose main goal is to serve the neighbors and friends in his community. “I am looking forward the most to working in the town I grew up in and love,” Bucci said at the time of his opening. Bucci Advanced Plumbing provides any plumbing repair in commercial or residential settings. And most recently, a new watering hole, The Time Brew Pub, opened in the former Walnut Ridge School District and local pizzeria, Johnny’s Pizza, is under new ownership and looking to bring back some nostaglia.

#3 – WANDER ELLWOOD

Wander Ellwood was the breakout event of 2022. The first Wander Ellwood was on June 1 and continued the first Wednesday of every through October. The event spanned Fifth Street from Crescent Avenue to Spring Avenue and Lawrence Avenue from Fourth Street to Eighth Street. The event featured music, vendors on the streets, local businesses that stayed open a little later than normal and offered specials. In addition, open containers were permitted on the streets during the event. Prior to the first Wander Ellwood event, Brad Ovial, Ellwood City Borough councilman and president of Ellwood City Revitilization (ECR) said the event was sure to be memorable. “This event is going to be great,” he said. “And it’s the first time that council, ERC, Ellwood City Community Enrichment (ECCE) and the Ellwood City Area Chamber of Commerce are working together.” Ovial was right. He said the feedback was positive from businesses, vendors, and participants. The committee plans to continue the event next year and maybe even expand it. “There will be a wrap up meeting within a couple of weeks of the last event to determine the frequency of the event for next year.”

#2 – SHEETZ (AGAIN)

Returning to the ranks after a top billing in 2021, Sheetz again made its mark in the news.  At the end of 2021, Ellwood City Borough Council said #whythesheetznot paving the way for the popular convenience store to build a location anchored between Glen Avenue, Fountain Avenue, 5th Street, and Locust Way—across the street from McDonald’s. “Town talk” had started long before council gave the OK, with mixed reactions, and everyone watched throughout 2022 as houses on that block were raised and construction began. Little by little Sheetz Store #763 rose from the ground up. In July Sheetz announced that the construction was on track with a tentative opening time frame of late December 2022 and that the store would be approximately 6,000 square feet with inside/outside seating and the capability to fuel 10 vehicles at one time. The Public Relations Manager for Sheetz, Nicholas Ruffner, said in July “We are very excited to serve new customers in Ellwood City.” And Ellwood City was excited to watch the construction unfold and even more excited when the grand opening event was announced for December 22nd.

#1 – HELLING STADIUM PROJECT

In April, The Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors awarded the Helling Stadium project to Fred L. Burns, Inc., Shippenville, Pa, at an overall cost at that time of $2,562,405 including installation of Astro Turf resurfacing of the track, electrical work, and fence replacement. () In May, the board decided to put a hold on the purchase of new stadium lights which were quoted between $275,000 to $344,000. The directors said the lighting was a cost that could not be taken on by the district at that time. Once construction began, the community watched and waited all summer and part of the fall for the fences to open to the students and the public. Finally in October of 2022, the construction was complete, and the district announced it would open the stadium on Friday, October 14 in its first home game of the season against Beaver Falls. School officials were thrilled to allow the public to see its new stadium. “We are excited to open the field for our homecoming game on Friday, October 14th,” said Superintendent Wesley Shipley in October.