Recent Stories

Articles by Tracey Ferguson

March 14, 2024

Ellwood City Community Garden Seeking Volunteers, Donations

The Ellwood City Community Garden is seeking volunteers to cultivate garden plots to benefit those in need, and the best part about it is you don’t have to have gardening experience or provide supplies, you just have to be willing to help. “We are always looking for more volunteers and more interest and community support,” said Kelly Brack, the program’s leader. Always looking for more volunteers more interest and community support. “I think even with the 50 beds I don’t think we come close to touching the need. But we are providing a need for produce.” The Elwood City Community…

March 12, 2024

ECASD Moving Forward with Testing at Proposed Site of Girls Softball Field

Ellwood City Area School District Superintendent Dr. Wesley Shipley announced during Monday’s board of director’s committee meeting that although the district is moving forward with tests and studies on the proposed area for the new girls softball field at the old Ewing Park School site, they are still far away from the building permits and zoning process. Shipley said workers have been at the site to do topographical studies and to take core samples and water perk tests. He urged residents in the area, specifically speaking directly to the Citizens for Ewing Park Preservation (CEPP) group to not approach workers…

March 8, 2024

Fombell Farm Riding Facility Focuses on Fundamentals of Polo

What is one of the world’s oldest known team sports? Nope, not football. Good guess, but baseball is not it. Everyone loves hockey, but that’s not the one. It’s Polo, a ball game that is played on horseback. Polo is a traditional field sport played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ball through the opposing team’s goal. Each team has four mounted riders, and the game usually lasts one to two hours, divided into periods called chukkas or chukkers. If you thought polo was only for the elite, you’d be mistaken. And, actually, there’s a facility right in our backyard. Ople…

February 22, 2024

Lincoln Graduate Accepted to Prestigious Drum and Bugle Corps

Zion Bunney is making his Drumming Dreams come true, but he needs a little help from his friends … the Ellwood City Community. The 2022 Lincoln High School graduate was accepted to the world class drum and bugle corps “Jersey Surf,” a group that competes in a circuit called Drum Corps International (DCI). Now, the quad line section leader at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Zion cannot wait to pick up his sticks and hit the road with his fellow drummers. “This has been a dream of mine ever since I was 9 years old,” Bunney said. “I am proud to…

February 21, 2024

Get Your Tickets NOW for Riverside High School’s Musical The Adams Family

The Riverside High School Theater will present the musical, The Adams Family on March 21-24 in the high school auditorium, 300 Country Club Drive, Ellwood City. A cast and crew of over 100 students from the school district will participate in the production directed by Brent Rodgers. This is the 61st Anniversary of Theater at Riverside. “We hope you can join us for this landmark show,” said Vaughn Hudspath, producer. In its typical kooky, mysterious, and spooky fashion, the ghoulish Addams family is visiting the graveyard for an annual gathering of all family members, living dead, and undecided, to celebrate…

February 19, 2024

Council Approves YMCA Swimming Pool Management Agreement with No Cost Increase to Community

Ellwood City Borough Council approved the 2024 YMCA swimming pool management agreement for $13,800. Borough Manager Kevin Swogger said there will be no cost increase for community members to use the pool this year and the borough will be releasing more details regarding the pool’s 2024 season as well as activities planned including youth parties and featured DJs. Swogger said the borough is also working on securing the America250PA grant, which helps organizations conducting projects that improve the community and engages volunteers. Projects could include community cleanups, park improvements, revitalization efforts, river sweeps, graffiti abatement, murals, etc. The project must…

February 9, 2024

Love Letters to Open Tonight at New Castle Playhouse Featuring Ellwood City Talent

Do you have a love for those special art forms that seem to be long lost? Love Letters  just might give you the nostalgic and romantic feeling you’d love to find again. Love Letters , a play by AR Gurney is truly bringing the love into the air at the New Castle Playhouse’s Annex Theatre, 202 E Long Ave, February 9, 10, 15, 16, & 17 at 7:30 p.m. and February 11 & 18 at 2 p.m. And Ellwood City’s own Michael Cavalier is directing the show that will also feature Ellwood City native Robert Hazen in the role of Andrew…

February 8, 2024

ECASD Board of Directors Approve Changes to High School Curriculum; Face More Feedback from CEPP Group

Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors approved requested changes to the High School Curriculum during the February 8, 2024 regular meeting. The changes were requested by Lincoln High School Principals, Mike Garvin and John Sovich. Garvin spoke previously at the committee meeting saying that the changes would benefit the students and have been a long time coming. One of the big changes is the addition of a Communications requirement, which will help students communicate in today’s ever changing, technology fueled world. Some of the changes requested included: A newly revised AP Course Policy Offering the required high school…

February 6, 2024

New Advocacy Group Formed to Preserve Ewing Park, Oppose Planned Softball Field

A new advocacy group has been formed to preserve Ewing Park. The Citizens for Ewing Park Preservation (CEPP) group was announced during Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors Committee Meeting Monday evening. Chairperson for the group, Karen Mancini, is a resident of Beatty Street, which faces the old Ewing Park School property where the district has proposed and plans to construct a girls softball field. She made a statement on behalf of the group during the meeting, “We are organized and represented by legal counsel and stand ready to oppose any attempt to convert the subject property to…

January 16, 2024

Borough Manager Provides Update on Wampum Avenue Pump Station Project During Council Regular Meeting

During the regular meeting of Ellwood City Borough Coucil Tuesday night, Borough Manager Kevin Swogger said the Wampum Avenue Pump Station Project is about 40 percent completed. The Borough had announced the start of the project in October in an effort to improve the infrastructure in the area. The project is a sewer upgrade for multiple existing sewer transport lines in the wooded area East of Wampum Ave. A pump station will also be built to collect from these lines to be transported to the Ellwood City Borough Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment. The tentative construction completion date of the…