Recent Stories

Articles by Tracey Ferguson

February 22, 2021

Local Couple Reopens The Shelby Bar

The Shelby Bar … Not the old Shelby … The NEW Shelby Bar. It’s the same location and same family ties but with a whole new look and flavor. It has the same hometown feel and a long history of celebration and tradition but with updated décor and upscale food offerings. The bar’s new owners Bob and Tina Kennedy said their establishment is a place that is family friendly. “Families can now bring their kids in for lunch and enjoy a game together,” Tina said. “We have also made the commitment to be non-smoking. We felt it was very important…

February 19, 2021

Local Man Dreams of Top Dog Position: Driving the Wienermobile

Brian Hudson has a dream: He wants to drive the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Yes, all in the name of hot dogs. He loves them. He loves eating them. He loves learning about new toppings. He loves talking about them. He loves promoting them. And that is what has driven him, pardon the pun, to apply to be the #1 hotdogger … the Wienermobile Spokesperson. Hudson the 22-year-old graduate of Lincoln High School, who prefers his dogs Western Pennsylvania style with chili and cheese, said he first learned of the opportunity from his mom who heard about the opportunity on the…

February 18, 2021

Weisz Named ECASD Varsity Baseball Coach

Chris Weisz has been named the Ellwood City Area School District’s Boys Baseball Coach for the 2021 season. Weisz grew up in Ellwood City and still lives here with his wife, Gabriella, and their three sons Gavyn (9), Greyson (4), and Geno (1). He is no stranger to coaching as has coached both baseball and basketball. “I was the head varsity assistant coach at Shenango where we made 2 WPIAL Final Fours, 2 Sections Championships and in 2019 being ranked the number 1 team in the state. Before beginning his coaching career in Ellwood City, he was Head Varsity baseball…

February 15, 2021

Trash Collection Proposal, Code Enforcement Priorities for Borough Officials

During Ellwood City Borough Council’s February 15 meeting, Borough Manager David Allen said he is continuing to work on a proposal for trash collection. “I am confident we will be able to meet the needs of all of our citizens,” he said. Allen also said although there has not been any court cases related to code enforcement in the borough because of COVID, officials are still keeping their eyes open for violations. He anticipates legal action to commence in March. He also said the the county will be putting together a list of vaccination options and a method of calling…

February 15, 2021

Ellwood City Borough Council to Meet Tonight

Ellwood City Borough Council will meet virtually tonight at 6 p.m. A link and instructions to join the meeting are listed following the agenda and announcements below. On the agenda: A motion to approve the Pre-Paid Voucher List dated 2/9/21, in the amount of $504,701.36, and the List of Vouchers to be Paid dated 2/10/21, in the amount of $162,266.96. A motion to authorize the one-time donation in the amount of $1,983.97 to the Ellwood City Area Historical Society.  This amount will be paid from the L&N Property Fund and shall only be used for the acquisition, restoration, and maintenance…

February 11, 2021

ECASD Superintendent Offers Update on COVID Lockdown; Board Rescinds Approval of Choir Trip

During the Ellwood City Area School District Board of Directors February 11 meeting, Superintendent Dr. Wesley Shipley said Lincoln High School was forced to go on lockdown following a breakout of COVID cases in the district. According to Shipley, on Friday February 5, there were 3 cases and upon return to school the following Monday there were 7 cases and then an additional case on Tuesday. He did not say whether the cases were among students or staff. The plan moving forward, Shipley said, is for Lincoln students to have full-remote learning until February 23 when the cases will return…

February 2, 2021

Lincoln Students Find Way to Give through Games

Local tenth graders Hayden Slade and Grady Smith are best friends with one major thing in common: They LOVE games. So, the duo decided to take their passion and turn it into a charitable opportunity. And in 2018 Games to Give, their non-profit dedicated to providing games to adults and children in need and to active U.S. military personnel serving overseas and others, began. “We are two teenagers who love playing board games, so we decided to start a nonprofit organization to allow us to share games with others,” Grady said. Since the organization’s inception, Hayden and Grady have given…

February 2, 2021

Local Website Company Announces Scholarship

A local website design company is offering a $1,000 scholarship to an Ellwood City or Riverside student planning to study marketing or web development. Heartbeat Websites, a web design and development company that offers complete website solutions for one monthly price to small businesses, has partnered with a local entrepreneur to offer the opportunity. Heartbeat’s owner, Matt Reider, said the scholarship is a way to help students take the next step in toward their professional goals. “It’s a way to give back and help students avoid debt,” he said. Although this is the first time Heartbeat has offered the scholarship, Reider…

January 20, 2021

PART 2: Riverside Winter Sports Q&A

High school sports are back in full swing as winter sports have picked up since the holiday break. Basketball is among the popular sports for students at Riverside. We caught up with the athletes of those teams to see what they are doing to prepare for the upcoming rivalries, to offer some perspective on the season ahead and their plans for the future. This is part two of a two part series featuring area seniors in winter sports, for a look at PART 1 of our series, click here. Samantha Finch How many years have you been in Basketball? I have…

January 19, 2021

PART 1: Ellwood Winter Sports Q&A

High school sports are back in full swing as winter sports have picked up since the holiday break. Basketball and Hockey are among the popular sports for students at Lincoln. We caught up with the athletes of those teams to see what they are doing to prepare for the upcoming rivalries, to offer some perspective on the season ahead and their plans for the future. This is part one of a two part series featuring area seniors in winter sports with Riverside winter sports Q&A coming Wednesday. Sammy DiCaprio How many years have you been in Basketball? About 10 years….