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It’s Time to Rethink the War on Drugs

[Statements, opinion, and views expressed in this column are those of the author named and are not necessarily those of the EllwoodCity.org and Thought Process Enterprises team.] “All research and successful drug policy show that treatment should be increased and law enforcement decreased while abolishing mandatory minimum sentences,” a line from rock band System of a Down’s “Prison.” Though not 100% accurate, the line highlights the faults in the United State’s drug policy. America treats drug use as a serious criminal offense, along the same lines as violent crimes. This policy places undue strain on the criminal justice and prison…


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Parking Meters May Be Coming to Crescent Avenue

At the meeting on Monday, April 20, Ellwood City Borough Council voted unanimously to advertise an ordinance placing three two-hour parking meters on the intersection of Crescent and Sixth Street, between Sixth and Vosler Way. This followed complaints from local business owners that cars have been parking all day in the area, hindering customer parking for the businesses. At the meeting, visitor Robert Wilson, of Robb’s Ignition, addressed the Council and explained that he prefers to park cars there after working on them until the customer can pick them up. According to Wilson, he is not the only business owner…


Senior Privilege Will Set Bad Habits Before College, but It Doesn’t Matter

[Statements, opinion, and views expressed in this column are those of the author named and are not necessarily those of the EllwoodCity.org and Thought Process Enterprises team.] The new scheduling policy, Senior Privilege, caused quite a stir among the school board at last Thursday’s meeting. In short, the policy allows seniors in good standing to come late or leave early for two periods. Some members of the board expressed concern that the policy would appeal to slackers and set up bad habits before college. As someone who was just in college, I have to agree. Saying that the policy appeals…


Photos: Lady Wolverines Fight It Out with the Lady Panthers, Win 3-1

On Monday evening, the Ellwood City and Riverside softball teams met at Riverside High School for the rivalry showdown. The close game ended with the Lady Wolverines pulling ahead of the Lady Panthers and winning 3-1. It was Ellwood’s first real fight of the season, as the combined score for their first four games is 35-2. Both teams had gone about a week without a game due to weather. Ellwood’s Allie McKelvey got the first run of the game in the first inning. Afterward, the game stalemated until McKelvey got another run, batted in by Summer Maine, in the fifth…


Religious Freedom and ‘Corporations Are People” Used as Excuses for Discrimination and Financial Agendas

[EllwoodCity.org is beginning a weekly column on local, regional, and national news and events that will publish on Fridays. Statements, opinion, and views expressed in this column are those of the author named and are not necessarily those of the EllwoodCity.org and Thought Process Enterprises team.] I’m impressed by the stamina of the anti-LGBT front. Despite continually losing ground, the stalwart defenders of upright moral values always rally to draw a new line in the sand. As someone who really doesn’t care about what other people do, I can’t imagine myself being motivated enough to fight a downhill battle that’s…


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Fresh Take Foods Shares Owner’s Love of Food and Community

Michael Dillow finds food brings out great conversation and brings people together. He’s been working in the food service industry his entire adult life and has recently opened Fresh Take Foods, located on 810 Second St. The take-out restaurant opened April 2, although it will celebrate a grand opening April 15. For now, it mostly serves pizza, although that will soon expand to pasta and chicken. The establishment is true to its name in that fresh sauce is made daily and two to three batches of dough are made daily. Dillow also orders only the freshest ingredient available. Dillow explained…



Ellwood’s Petrak is the Swimming State Champion

Taylor Petrak’s greatest challenge, being a swimmer in a school without a team or pool, became her strength and motivation. Petrak, a sophomore at Lincoln High School, won the 50 yard freestyle last Wednesday at the PIAA competition at Bucknell University. With a time of 23.62 seconds, she tied her WPIAL record and beat the second place finisher by roughly .4 seconds, a sizable difference in a short-distance event. Petrak placed third in the 100 yard freestyle and had the satisfaction of achieving a new personal record of 51.23. Rather than allow her status as Ellwood’s sole swimmer be an…


Photos: Dress Rehearsal of ‘Anything Goes,’ Presented by Riverside High School

Riverside High School Theater will present Anything Goes, a musical comedy by Cole Porter, this weekend from March 12 to 15. The musical features memorable songs such as “Anything Goes,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” and a cast favorite, “Blow, Gabriel, Blow.” “Anything Goes,” written and first performed in 1934, takes place on the S.S. American and features a cast of 70 students from grades 4 through 12. The musical follows a beautiful debutante, a British lord, a gangster, an evangelist turned nightclub singer and a stock broker as they all search for love. Billy Crocker, the stock…


It’s Time Fitness Brings Full Facility Gym and Personal Training to Ellwood City

When Tony Joseph drove past the empty Walnut Ridge, he envisioned something more: a multi-service athletic facility. “When I walked into the building, I could see exactly what I wanted the rooms to become,” Joseph said. “I knew this was something I could provide to the community that we didn’t have.” That vision is now a reality. It’s Time Fitness provides conventional gym services such as a weight room and fitness class room, and additional amenities such as a salon, practice room for athletes, and a martial arts studio rented by Richard Lee Morris. The final part of Joseph’s goal,…