Articles by Cassandra Douglas

Nikki DeLuca, a local competitive gymnastic coach at Diamond Dance Academy, is excited to be bringing Ellwoodian youth their first opportunity to participate in a competitive all-star cheer program. DeLuca will be the head coach of the Ellwood City Explosion All Star Cheer. The Explosion squads will be tailored for any level youth between the ages 5-18, and the cheer group will be co-ed. DeLuca says the all-star competitive group will take local cheerleading “to a whole new level.” “All star cheering is different than school cheering in several ways,” she says. “Not only are the squads bigger – consisting…

Have you noticed the iconic Buzz the Bee missing from one of the most popular cereal brands? Scientists are not the only ones worried about the declining bee population – the General Mills cereal brand, Cheerios, is doing their part to reverse the declining bee population with their #BringBacktheBees movement. Hundreds of bee species are heading toward extinction, and according to Honey Nut Cheerios’ promotional video, bees have been in decline since World War II.  “In 2015, 42 percent of the bee colonies in the United States collapsed, and with more than 30 percent of all General Mills ingredients dependent…

After recently returning home from her Spring Break tour in Florida with the group, Lincoln High graduate, Alena Kucan prepares to perform with the Tamburitzans for their second presentation at Ellwood City’s Lincoln High School. The group, which formed nearly 80 years ago is a group-effort tradition consisting of an array of talented students who continually aw crowds with their unique and culturally diverse performances. Alena’s father Pete Kucan, described the show as “a two hour tour of Europe,” as the Tammies depict Europe’s eccentric culture through their costumes and performances. “People are always blown away after witnessing the show,”…