Recent Stories

Articles by Tracey Ferguson

April 14, 2026

ECASD Board of Directors Consider Employee Furlough

The Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors considered a move to study the staffing needs of the district for a possible employee furlough during Monday night’s combined meeting of the board. Ultimately the motion was defeated in a 4/4 vote. “No” votes came from Board President Kathy Galbreath, Board Vice President Norman Boots, and Board Directors Kathy Tillia and Nick Mancini. “Yes” votes came from Board Directors Jean Biehls, Claire Fauzey, Erica Gray, and Kevin Boariu. Board Director Jennifer Tomon was not present at the meeting. The consideration came to the table as the district is facing a…

March 27, 2026

PART THREE: Lincoln High School’s Production of Little Shop of Horrors A Bloody Delight

“Suddenly, Seymour…” something extraordinary is blooming on the LHS stage this spring! Lincoln Jr./Sr. High School students will present the wildly entertaining musical Little Shop of Horrors on March 27, 28, and 29 in the Lincoln High School Auditorium. A talented cast and crew of students from grades 7–12 have been hard at work bringing this exciting production to life. Under the direction of Alexis Reisinger, students have dedicated countless hours to rehearsals, choreography, and technical preparation to create a production that blends humor, heart, and a touch of dark comedy. Today’s review is part three in a three-part series about Little Shop…

March 26, 2026

PART TWO: Lincoln High School’s Production of Little Shop of Horrors Cast Q&A

“Suddenly, Seymour…” something extraordinary is blooming on the LHS stage this spring! Lincoln Jr./Sr. High School students will present the wildly entertaining musical Little Shop of Horrors on March 27, 28, and 29 in the Lincoln High School Auditorium. A talented cast and crew of students from grades 7–12 have been hard at work bringing this exciting production to life. Under the direction of Alexis Reisinger, students have dedicated countless hours to rehearsals, choreography, and technical preparation to create a production that blends humor, heart, and a touch of dark comedy. We caught up with some of the leads in the show for…

March 25, 2026

PART ONE: Lincoln High School’s Production of Little Shop of Horrors Cast Q&A

“Suddenly, Seymour…” something extraordinary is blooming on the LHS stage this spring! Lincoln Jr./Sr. High School students will present the wildly entertaining musical Little Shop of Horrors on March 27, 28, and 29 in the Lincoln High School Auditorium. A talented cast and crew of students from grades 7–12 have been hard at work bringing this exciting production to life. Under the direction of Alexis Reisinger, students have dedicated countless hours to rehearsals, choreography, and technical preparation to create a production that blends humor, heart, and a touch of dark comedy. We caught up with some of the leads in the show for…

March 19, 2026

PART THREE: Riverside High School’s Production of Frozen Is Truly a Heartwarming Tale

The Riverside High School Theater will present the musical, Frozen March 19-22 in the high school auditorium. A cast and crew of over 80 students from the school district will participate in the production directed by Brent Rodgers.  This is the 63rd anniversary of theatre at Riverside. Full of magic, humor, and a stunning musical score, Frozen is a powerful tale of sisterhood, acceptance, and finding the real meaning of true love. Today’s review is part three in a three-part series about Frozen. Previous stories featured cast Q&As. It’s not surprising that the cast and crew of Riverside’s Frozen is bringing the heat ……

March 18, 2026

Local High School Theatre Arts: Two Shows; Two Spectacular Casts … Get Your Tickets Now!!!

If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet for Riverside Beaver School District’s production of Frozen and Lincoln High School’s production of Little Shop of Horrors, what are you waiting for? The local theatre season is in full swing, and the casts of both shows welcome and encourage you to come out and support the students who work so hard to produce the shows, from the stage managers, to the leads, to the supporting cast, to the kids who put together the sets, it’s a theatre community effort that you don’t want to miss! Here is a special message from the…

March 18, 2026

PART TWO: Riverside High School’s Production of Frozen Cast Q&A

The Riverside High School Theater will present the musical, Frozen March 19-22 in the high school auditorium. A cast and crew of over 80 students from the school district will participate in the production directed by Brent Rodgers.  This is the 63rd anniversary of theatre at Riverside. Full of magic, humor, and a stunning musical score, Frozen is a powerful tale of sisterhood, acceptance, and finding the real meaning of true love We caught up with some of the leads in the show for a cast Q&A. Today’s Q&A is PART TWO in a three-part series about Frozen. Featured tomorrow will be part three,…

March 17, 2026

PART ONE: Riverside High School’s Production of Frozen Cast Q&A

The Riverside High School Theater will present the musical, Frozen March 19-22 in the high school auditorium. A cast and crew of over 80 students from the school district will participate in the production directed by Brent Rodgers.  This is the 63rd anniversary of theatre at Riverside. Full of magic, humor, and a stunning musical score, Frozen is a powerful tale of sisterhood, acceptance, and finding the real meaning of true love We caught up with some of the leads in the show for a cast Q&A. Today’s Q&A is PART ONE in a three-part series about Frozen. Featured tomorrow will be part 2…

March 16, 2026

School Crossing Guard to Council: Blinking Signs Not Deterring Speeding

A school crossing guard continued to urge Ellwood City Borough Council to take action against speeding cars at the intersection of 4th and Crescent Avenues during Monday’s regular meeting. Peri Malcolm is no stranger to council or to the Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors as she has attended past meetings to voice her concerns (Malcolm spoke at the October 2025 council meeting and at an ECASD Board of Directors meeting in November of 2025.) Ultimately, council and the school district came together, and both parties invested in blinking speed limit signs, that they hoped would deter drivers from…

March 12, 2026

ECASD Board of Directors Approves Bids for North Side Primary Capital Improvements

The Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors voted to award bids for improvement and renovation projects at North Side Primary and Lincoln High School during its regular monthly meeting. The board awarded the following bids for North Side Primary work: General Construction – Fred L. Burns, Inc in the amount of $746,450.00; HVAC Construction – Renick Brothers Construction Co. in the amount of $1,577,000.00; Plumbing Construction – Renick Brothers Construction Co. in the amount of $126,200.00; Electrical Construction – Blackhawk Neff, Inc. in the amount of $529,545.00; and Testing, Balancing, and Commissioning, to WAE Balancing in the amount…