In following previous years’ tradition, EllwoodCity.org brings the 2023 calendar year to a close with the Top 10 most popular stories of the year.
Today is the first part of our two-part series featuring the top news stories of the year based on analytics and social media reach. The year saw positive changes in the Ellwood City area, and plenty more twists and turns. EllwoodCity.org has been right there, keeping members of our community updated with the best information possible! [VIEW PART 1]
We would like to thank our valued readership that helped generated nearly 3 MILLION PAGE VIEWS this calendar year and our local businesses who support our website and help it stay free of charge – advertising opportunities are available! The EllwoodCity.org staff wishes everyone a safe and healthy 2024!
BONUS: Top Social Media Only Posts Of 2023
#5 – LOCAL BOXER FEATURED ON SHOWTIME
Ellwood City’s prized fighter Rosalindo Morales has come a long way from stepping in the ring for the first time when he was 13 years old. In January he was featured in a fight on Showtime’s Shobox: The New Generation. Morales, 29, lives in Ellwood City and got his start at the age of 13 at the Ellwood City Police Boxing Club with coaches Jack Maine and Bob Boyle. Rosalindo was defeated by Julian Gonzalez (9-0-1, 9 KOs), of Reading, PA in the fourth round of their scheduled eight-rounder at Wind Creek Event Center.
#4 – BOROUGH COUNCIL
The year started off on a new foot for Ellwood City Borough Council as they got to work with adding a new borough manager. Kevin Swogger was in the Airforce for 23 years, traveled all over the world, and enjoyed a prestigious 10-year special duty assignment interior for Air Force One. “I worked under three presidents and got to meet a lot of dignitaries,” he said. “I’ve had a really great career for a small-town kid.” In July, the borough received a $2,000.00 2023 National Pennsylvania Day Mini Grant that was used on new signage to greet motorist entering the borough from two causeways. And most recently, Council approved a new Police policy regarding the use of PepperBall guns – a less-lethal force option available for use by trained officers to help defend themselves or to gain compliance of resistant or aggressive individuals.
#3 – RIVERSIDE BASEBALL WINS PIAA CHAMPIONSHIP
The Riverside baseball team had an incredible run this spring. The Panthers became the first team WPIAL team, at any classification level, to win a PIAA championship with an undefeated record (25-0 Overall). After cruising through the regular season unbeaten, the Panthers met some resistance in the playoffs, but in May defeated Neshannock 6-1 for WPIAL Class-2A Championship. Moving onto PIAA play, Riverside Junior Darren McDade broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning as Riverside rallied again to collect a 8-5 victory over Punxsutawney in the Class-3A PIAA semifinals before the Panthers, behind sophomore sensation Christian Lucarelli, defeated Camp Hill 4-0 to earn its PIAA Class-3A Championship. The baseball program now holds five state championships.
#2 – FRISCO HOMICIDE, TOP POLICE REPORTS
A September homicide rocked the local community as a Corry, PA woman lost her life in an overnight homicide incident on September 30th. Just under one month later, Yohance Mercer-Huffman, 28, was taken into custody on Saturday, October 21st at approximately 4:00 p.m. in connection with the September homicide on River Road, Perry Township that left the 39-year-old woman dead. Very early in the calendar year, on January 30th an active shooter event occurred in Ellwood City near the 200 block of First Street. Police provided updates on the incident a day later. In March, Ellwood City Police members were recognized for their efforts in response to the active shooter incident.
TOP 3 POLICE BLOTTERS:
Homicide arrest announced
Theft, Forgery, and HIDTA Operation
Burglary, Fleeing, and HIDTA Operation
Softball Field
#1 – PROPOSED SOFTBALL FIELD
There was not a more hot topic in 2023 than the plan to construct a new softball field at the Ewing Park School property. In July, the Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors unanimously approved a plan to commit to improving district softball and baseball facilities. The plan, provided by HHSDR in an athletic facility study, includes a newly constructed softball field on the Ewing Park School property and renovations to the existing baseball field as recommended by the ECASD Board Athletic Committee. The $3,329,000 project will be funded via a local athletic capital campaign, led by local resident Bill Nardone. The cost of the softball field will be $1,880,000 and the cost to renovate the baseball field will be $1,449,000. Although some community members supported the construction of the softball field at that Ewing Park location, others were not OK with the choice of location. Beatty Street resident Zach Powell said although he supports a softball field, he doesn’t think it belongs at the site of the former Ewing Park School. He said he was speaking on behalf of several of the residents in the neighborhood where the new softball field will be located. “We oppose it,” he said. “And we will continue to strongly oppose it.” Powell was accurate in saying the residents would continue to oppose it. The situation became quite emotional when Mike Smith, who lives on Beatty Street, received a threat via postal mail warning him not to oppose the field. This threat did not deter the residents. A group of residents regularly attended all ECASD Board of Director’s meetings as well as Ellwood City Borough Council meetings to make their voices of opposition continually heard. They urged the Board to accept an offer by Council to have the softball field at Stiefel Park, but the Board would not budge in its decision. In November, Board President Kathy Galbreath made a statement on behalf of the board. “We remain steadfast in our support for this field.” She cited that the board’s unanimous vote to construct a field at the location of the old Ewing Park School is based on facts and information along with a commitment to district goals. This did not deter the residents from continuing their efforts to end the plan.
We are still opposed to the ball field, will continue to attend school board and council meetings to voice our thoughts.