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April 22, 2020

PA Chamber Announces ‘Bringing PA Back’ Initiative

As the Commonwealth works to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, the PA Chamber is taking the lead on helping businesses re-open their facilities safely and jumpstart the economy through a new initiative, “Bringing PA Back.” “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth an unprecedented time in our state’s history,” said PA Chamber President and CEO Gene Barr. “We now must focus on our next phase: re-opening businesses and determining what bringing Pennsylvania’s economy back will look like – an issue that we have spent the last several weeks meeting about with local chambers, statewide business and local government groups. We are…

April 21, 2020

Mayor Court Declares April 23rd “Joe Gasper Day”

Our area’s last World War II Pearl Harbor Survivor will turn 102 years of age on Thursday, April 23. In conjunction with the birthday celebration for Ellwood City native Joseph Michael Gasper, Mayor Anthony J. Court is honoring Mr. Gasper with a proclamation. The Mayor has declared his birthday, April 23, as “Joe Gasper Day”. Mr. Gasper is the last local survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. This is the 7th proclamation Mayor Court has issued in honoring Mr. Gasper.  Mayor Court describes Gasper as a hero that was one of the first men wounded in World…

April 20, 2020

Borough of Ellwood City Announces April Remote Meeting Info/Agenda

The Ellwood City Borough Council has announced their agenda for their April council meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 6:00pm tonight, Monday, April 20, with remote access. The council meeting calls for approval of minutes and vouchers, as well as several motions in parks & recreation, and a motion in Administration/Personnel. The council meeting will be done remotely by way of conference call in similar fashion to the meeting held in March. Borough council and visitors can call a conference number to be a part of the meeting, held as if they were sitting in the Council Chambers. The phone…

April 17, 2020

2020 Ellwood City Festival Cancelled Due To COVID-19

In a social media post made available Friday afternoon, the festival committee announced the cancellation of the 40th annual Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Foods, and Entertainment Festival scheduled for July 3, 4, 5 2020 due to COVID-19. The post reads as follows: To the Festival community, It is with deepest regret that we announce the intentions of the committee regarding the 40th annual Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Foods, and Entertainment Festival scheduled for July 3,4,5 2020. We are compelled to make this decision now because we cannot predict how COVID19 will evolve and impact us in the coming months. As…

April 17, 2020

BC3 Moves Summer Courses To Remote Instruction

(Butler, PA) Butler County Community College will transition all face-to-face format summer credit courses to remote instruction and will cancel all face-to-face noncredit courses through at least June 30 with regard to COVID-19, BC3 President Dr. Nick Neupauer announced to the college’s board of trustees Wednesday. BC3’s decision follows statewide orders for residents to stay at home and for non-life-sustaining businesses to remain closed in response to COVID-19. It aligns with decisions made by the state’s other institutions of higher education for the summer of 2020. The commonwealth’s 14 state-owned universities, as well as a number of its 14 Pennsylvania…

April 15, 2020

Senate Approves Measures to Improve COVID-19 Mitigation Process

The Senate approved two bills today that would create a better process for determining which businesses can operate during the COVID-19 pandemic and give county leaders a stronger say in determining the best mitigation measures for their citizens, according to Senator Elder Vogel. Governor Wolf ordered the closure of all businesses not deemed “life-sustaining” on March 16. Although a haphazard waiver system was eventually created for businesses that wished to remain open, that process was riddled with inconsistencies and lacked any sense of transparency or accountability to the public, Senator Vogel said. Senate Bill 613, which now goes to the…

April 14, 2020

172-year-old Lodge Creates Legacy With $15K Endowment; Students Can Apply For $200K in Scholarships

(Butler, PA) Butler County’s 172-year-old and last Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodge, the vast majority of its 24 members of retirement age or beyond, has established what its office holders and Butler County Community College administrators say will be the fraternal organization’s legacy through its first financial gift to an institution of higher education. Connoquenessing Lodge No. 278’s endowment of $15,000 to the BC3 Education Foundation will result in one of 12 new scholarships available to BC3 students in the 2020-2021 academic year. Students attending BC3’s main campus in Butler Township or its additional locations in Brockway, Cranberry Township,…

April 14, 2020

VIDEO: Senator Vogel Offers Online Unemployment Compensation Guide

Recognizing that many people have seen their daily lives and their jobs impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, Senator Elder Vogel launched a special page on his website (www.senatoreldervogel.com) dedicated to providing his constituents with information regarding unemployment compensation. The new page, www.senatoreldervogel.com/unemployment-questions/, provides contact information and helpful links for people who have questions about how to file claims and about other steps in the process. It details eligibility requirements, addresses issues of interest to small business owners and incudes a section dedicated to answering the questions about the unemployment compensation process posed by callers to Senator Vogel’s office. “Pennsylvania has…

April 13, 2020

Ellwood City United Fund – Last Fund Drive

The United Fund Board announced last week that it will no longer be holding its annual fund drive. The annual fund drive provided funds for the service agencies that serve the Ellwood City community. The United Funds annual year runs from September 1 2019 to August 31, 2020. The United Fund will accept any and all donations up to August 31, 2020 and distribute them to the agencies. After August 31 we will return our 501c(3) and our Bureau of Charitable Certificate into the proper authorities. We are forced to close our doors due to the fact that we are…

April 9, 2020

Governor Wolf Extends School Closure for Remainder of Academic Year

Continuing his efforts to protect the health and safety of students and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Tom Wolf today announced that all schools will remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year. The governor made the decision in consultation with Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine and Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera. Students and families can continue to pick up meals at designated sites. Although schools are closed, teaching and learning may continue: schools are strongly encouraged to provide continuity of education for all students in the most appropriate and accessible ways possible. PDE has…