Recent Stories

Articles by Tracey Ferguson

June 25, 2024

PART ONE: Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Food & Entertainment Festival Series: 10k Race Has New Name, Organizer

In our annual series spotlighting the annual Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Food & Entertainment Festival, we look at a series of subjects, people, and entertainers who will help the festival make its mark this 4th of July holiday season. PART ONE: Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Food & Entertainment Festival Series: 10k Race Has New Name, Organizer The annual beloved 10k race will be held on Saturday, June 29, at 9 a.m. This year’s race has a different name and a new organizer, but runners and the community can expect the same great race that has been around for decades. There…

June 21, 2024

Divine Grace Parish-Holy Redeemer Church to Hold Welcome Home Masses to Celebrate Completion of Renovation Project

Soon, the congregation of Divine Grace Parish-Holy Redeemer Church, 415 Fourth St., will return to their home—a home with some major changes and upgrades. For the past few months worship has been held in the Catholic Center, but that’s about to change on June 29 when the congregation will finally get to see the full results of the extensive makeover that began on April 1. “I hope that the folks will be very pleased when they see it. While the church is the same everything is better,” said Deacon Don Pepe who is Director of facilities for the parish. “The…

June 19, 2024

Ellwood City Borough Council Announces 2024 Road Paving Project

Ellwood City Borough Manager Kevin Swogger said that residents can expect to see a lot of road construction this summer as part of the 2024 Road Paving Project during the June 17 Ellwood City Borough Council Meeting. He said that many of the projects are already underway. “The crews are working,” he said. “But completion of all projects will take a while.” He expects the projects to carry well into August. Some of those projects include work on 4th to 2nd Street; 5th Street to the area of the Sheetz convenience store; and Lawrence Avenue from Dollar General to the…

June 17, 2024

ECASD Board of Directors Approve Budget, Eliminate Nepotism Policy

The Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors voted to approve the General Fund Budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year in the amount of $36,470,849 as well as the tax resolution setting the tax rates for the 2023-2024 fiscal year to include the ACT 679 $5 per capita tax, the ACT 511 $10 per capita tax (a shared tax by municipalities), property tax millage at 19.94 mills, Earned Income Tax at .5%, Realty Transfer Tax at .5% and the Occupational Privilege/Local Service Tax at $5.00 during the June 17 Regular Meeting. The move did not come without comment from…

May 9, 2024

ECASD’s Board of Directors Votes Down Motion to Suspend Nepotism Policy

The Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors voted down a motion to suspend Board Policy 304.2 Nepotism for the hiring of a Building Clerk at Perry Lower Intermediate during its May 9 Regular Meeting. “Yes” votes came from Directors Jean Biehls, Dr. Claire Fauzey, and Director Robyn Nicklas. Directors Kathy Tillia, Kathy Galbreath, Norman Boots, and Kevin Boariu voted “No.” Director Erica Gray was not in attendance. Board President Jennifer Tomon abstained from voting as the proposed suspension of the policy was for the hiring of her relative Elizabeth Tomon. A majority of the “No” votes came as…

May 3, 2024

The Riverside Hall of Fame: Royann Winfield, Selfless Coach, Mentor to the End

NOTE: This is the third in a three-part series featuring The Riverside Hall of Fame’s first class, all coaches. The inductees will be honored at the First Annual Hall of Fame banquet at Shakespeare’s Restaurant this Saturday, May 4th, from 6 to 10 p.m. Attendees will celebrate the esteemed inaugural class of: Dan Oliastro, Karl Florie, and Royann Winfield. Royann Winfield was a fighter to the end. Whether it was standing in strong support of her students, or her residents at McGuire Memorial, or battling cancer, Royann simply refused to give up on herself or others. Her final season in…

May 2, 2024

The Riverside Hall of Fame: Dan Oliastro, Winningest Coach in WPIAL History

NOTE: This is the second in a three-part series featuring The Riverside Hall of Fame’s first class, all coaches. The inductees will be honored at the First Annual Hall of Fame banquet at Shakespeare’s Restaurant this Saturday, May 4th, from 6 to 10 p.m. Attendees will celebrate the esteemed inaugural class of: Dan Oliastro, Karl Florie, and Royann Winfield. He may be the winningest coach in WPIAL history, but winning isn’t everything to Coach Dan Oliastro. “It’s more than just baseball,” he said. “One of the things you have to do is build relationships … good relationships with the kids.”…

May 1, 2024

Ewing Park to Get ADA-Compliant Update: New Facility to Feature Adult Changing Table

There are some major conveniences that we take for granted. Like going out for the day and not having to worry about finding a restroom that is easily usable. We don’t always think about the struggles that others endure … we simply don’t even think about it. Councilwoman Jan Williams thought about it. She thought about the individuals that frequent Ewing Park that need special facilities with features that again most of us never think of. Williams is on a mission to bring a specialized facility to Ewing Park, specifically a facility that offers an adult changing table. Her idea…

May 1, 2024

The Riverside Hall of Fame: Karl Florie Built Powerhouse Team and Family of Football Players

NOTE: This is the first in a three-part series featuring The Riverside Hall of Fame’s first class, all coaches. The inductees will be honored at the First Annual Hall of Fame banquet at Shakespeare’s Restaurant this Saturday, May 4th, from 6 to 10 p.m. Attendees will celebrate the esteemed inagural class of: Dan Oliastro, Karl Florie, and Royann Winfield. Karl Florie, wasn’t the school board’s first choice to coach Riverside’s football program, but it came to pass that he was he was the right choice. Although his first season produced zero wins, he went on to build a program that became a powerhouse in…

April 17, 2024

Ellwood Area Family Center offering FREE Pickleball Clinics for Pickleball Month

John DiBuono has a passion for pickleball. So much so that he is instructing some pickleball clinics at the Ellwood Area Family Center, 311 College Street, Ellwood City,  just in time for April’s National Pickleball Month. Although pickleball has picked up recently in popularity, it has been around for decades. 2024 marks the 59th anniversary of pickleball. It was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, by three enterprising dads – Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. It evolved from the original handmade equipment and simple rules into a popular sport throughout North America and…