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April 14, 2020

Ellwood City Borough Council Addresses Councilwoman’s Facebook Comment

Ellwood City Borough Council could vote on Monday to officially “disapprove” of a Facebook comment that was posted by Councilwoman Lisa Guerrera more than a month ago. During Monday’s Council Agenda meeting Guerrera said it was a completely inappropriate comment that she regrets making. The post appeared mid-April on a personal Facebook page of a former Ellwood City resident and was shared hundreds of times throughout the county. The comment said, “Best thing that could happen would be both of them getting it and dying, along with the rest of the elected officials of the Democratic party.” The comment was…

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

Word Alive Church Showcases Drive-In Easter Service

Word Alive Church celebrated Resurrection Day live never before on Sunday. The Ellwood City church offered its one hour service on Sunday via drive in and online. Drive-in guests parked their vehicles in respective spots facing the church and tuned their car radio to 88.3 FM to hear the worship service. All children (age 3-11) who attended received a special Easter gift bag. With the coronavirus pandemic shuddering all large gatherings, many churches have been moved to offer online or streaming services during the mandated shutdowns. According to their website, the Word Alive Mission Statement reads: Word Alive exists to…

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…

April 9, 2020

Riverside Superintendent Discusses Continuity of Education During Coronavirus Crisis

Riverside School District Superintendent Bret Trotta said the district is successfully continuing education for the nearly 1,400 students served by his staff. The Riverside team of administrators and teachers are taking the review and enrichment approach to education during the Coronavirus crisis. He said they are working to meet the needs of all the students of the district. According to Trotta, getting everyone up and running with at home learning was a challenge. He said because a portion of the district is settled in more rural areas, some students lacked access to Internet. Others, he said, simply did not have…

April 8, 2020

Overnight Storm Ravishes Ellwood City Area

Severe thunderstorms ravished the Ellwood City with high winds last night downing many trees, damaging homes, and businesses in the area. Overnight weather reports describe severe thunderstorms stretching into Ellwood City at 55 mph with wind gusts to 60 mphand quarter-size hail. A large tree toppled down on Glen Avenue damaging utility poles and wires. No injuries have been reported. A large tree took down several utility poles on Glen Ave in Ellwood City during last night’s strong thunderstorms. pic.twitter.com/NqSTglaqVx — Andrew Rush (@andrewrush) April 8, 2020 . Here’s a better look at some of the storm damage in Ellwood…

April 7, 2020

Mayor Court Tests Negative For COVID-19 Virus

A statement from the office of Mayor Anthony J. Court: A number of people have expressed concern about my health concerning the COVID-19 virus. On Tuesday, March 31, 2020, after exhibiting three symptoms, my doctor, Rick Raymundo, felt the need for testing. On Wednesday, April 1, I was tested at UPMC Pittsburgh and the test results came back NEGATIVE! While I have been battling an illness, it is not COVID-19. Nevertheless as your Mayor, I continue to practice all necessary safety measures including social distancing, sheltering-in-place, hand sanitizing, etc. AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO DO THE SAME! It is imperative…

April 7, 2020

Superintendent Provides Update on School’s Progress During Coronavirus Pandemic

The superintendent of Ellwood City Area School District said the last few weeks have been a challenge, but that district staff have come through in a big way. During Monday night’s online meeting of the Ellwood City Area School District Board of Director’s meeting, Joseph Mancini gave a personal thank you to the administrators, teachers, and cafeteria workers for a “continuity of education” and dedication to district students. “They have all gone above and beyond in this 180-degree pivot,” he said. Mancini said at least 978 students were fed today and 1,000 on Friday, numbers he found pride in. He…

April 3, 2020

Ellwood Native Serves Up Sourdough Pizza, Breads at Lawrenceville Wood-Fired Oven Restaurant

Sustainable sourdough pizza topped with organic produce and meats is the specialty at Driftwood Oven in Lawrenceville. And although Neil Blazin fills his intimate ten-table dining room in Pittsburgh on a regular basis, Blazin has roots in Ellwood City. The 38-year-old enterpreneur grew up in Ellwood City and attended Lincoln High School. He then went on to attend the University of Pittsburgh as Political Science and History Major, but politics just weren’t as appealing as pizza and his dreams of owning a restaurant. These days Blazin spends most of his time crafting delicious pizza pies but enjoys spending his free…