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March 4, 2015

Remembering Charlie Hogan (1983-1994) in the Best Way: Hockey

by Jonalyn Telesz The Lawrence County Lightning mites hockey team from Hess Ice Rink in New Castle traveled to Indiana, Pa. to compete in the 20th Annual Charlie Hogan Hockey Tournament on Feb. 7 and 8. The Charlie Hogan Tournament is a memorial for the late Charlie Hogan of the 1991-94 mite and squirt level PAHL Championship teams with the Indiana Youth Hockey Association. Charlie lost his life when he was only 10 years old. The tournament helps bring together young hockey players from all over the state to celebrate their love for this great sport and remember the life…

February 26, 2015

Former Ellwood Resident Purchases Jacqueline House Bed and Breakfast

For quite some time, Rebecca Hink daydreamed of being an innkeeper of her own bed and breakfast. From her years of business traveling, she developed an appreciation for the comfort and personalized hospitality that a B&B offers over a hotel. On Oct. 30, she made her vision a reality when she purchased the Jacqueline House in New Wilmington. “I’ve been involved in the corporate world for a long time,” Hink, formerly of Ellwood City, said. “This is a chance to get back into the real world and give people hospitality and relaxation.” The house will open on March 20 and…

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February 11, 2015

Police: Twelve Cited, One Arrested for Underage Drinking

An officer was dispatched to Second Street at 3 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8 to investigate a noise complaint. According to the police report, tenant John Lucchessi, 20, greeted the officer and allowed him inside. The officer found numerous intoxicated underage guests and called for assistance. Investigating officers rounded up suspects from the second and third floor and an attic crawlspace. Officers also confiscated marijuana and drug paraphernalia. A K-9 unit was called in and discovered Thomas Maine, 20, of Ellwood City, hiding under debris in the crawl space. Lucchessi admitted to supplying the drugs and alcohol and was arrested,…

February 10, 2015

Photos: Ellwood City Wrestling Senior Night

Ellwood City wrestling celebrated senior night on Friday, Feb. 6. Seniors David McCarthy, Jacob Mayle and Mike Sinclair were honored. The team had their last home match against Mars. Although they lost 37-30, the wrestlers remain confident. “Overall the season went well,” coach Craig Alberts said. “We had some holes to fill after losing so many seniors last year, and we had some injuries that could have made a difference in the close matches. We are a young team, and I am confident that our younger wrestlers will all improve and perform even better for the years to come.” Lincoln…

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February 6, 2015

Wolverines Victorious, Celebrate Entering Playoff Season

For the first time since the 1997-98 season, the Ellwood City girls basketball team has reached the playoffs. The Lady Wolverines traveled to New Castle on Thursday for the deciding game. With four conference wins and seven losses, the team was tied with Hopewell for the 4th playoff spot. If they lost and Hopewell won its game against Central Valley, the playoff dream would be over. Raising the stakes, the Wolverines barely won its last game against the Hurricanes, 49-43, played on Jan. 12. The first quarter was slow, with just 10 points total- six for Ellwood and four for…

February 5, 2015

Photos: Ellwood City Boys Basketball Senior Night

On Tuesday night, the Ellwood City Wolverines defeated Hopewell 59-50 in a hard fought, hard won game. The victory capped a successful back-to-back victory for Ellwood City basketball squads against the Vikings as the girls were also victorious Monday. Seniors Nick D’Itri, Ricie Scott and Trey Moses were honored. The home field and Senior Night advantages gave the Wolverines the morale boost they needed to shut out Hopewell in the second half. The first quarter was tied 11-11, but Hopewell pushed ahead 16-11 in the second. However, Ellwood made four three-pointers in the third quarter, giving them a substantial lead….

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February 4, 2015

The Ellwood Library: A Gem to the Community

Thirteen years ago, Veronica Pacella, the new director of the Ellwood City Area Public Library, was at a crossroads. The 1990’s was a bad time for libraries, and the new century would only be worse. When Pacella was a child, libraries were a regular part of her social life . Now, it seemed the library would be obsolete by the next decade. Pacella, her staff and the Board of Trustees decided to take a stand. There would be no going back and no decreasing of the library’s functions.. Instead, the library would be reinvented. Who it served, what it did,…

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January 28, 2015

2015 Rumble Party a Smashing Success

Hometown hero Shane Douglas defended Ellwood City in an epic battle inside and outside the ring. The main event of the 2015 Royal Rumble Party saw world champions Douglas, of New Brighton, and Detroit’s Rhino battle through the Sons of Italy Hall to prove who was the real champion. In the end, hometown favorite Douglas triumphed. An enthusiastic crowd packed into the Sons of Italy on Sunday, January 25, to watch five matches between locally and nationally famous wrestlers. The event saw the hall filled to a sold-out crowd. In the opening match, Chris LeRusso defeated Ganon Jones Jr. to…

January 23, 2015

Inside the Making of Bigfoot the Movie with Creator Jared Show

When Jared Show traveled to Ellwood City to film Bigfoot the Movie, he had no idea that his hometown would be so accommodating. “I was amazed at how supportive and helpful everyone was,” Show said. Show grew up in the Ellwood City Area and attended Riverside School District. His grandfather used to tell Bigfoot stories. That, combined with his love for campy horror movies such as Tremors, were the inspiration for Bigfoot the Movie. Filming occurred in the fall of 2013 and spring of 2014. Show, who now lives in California, was surprised at how accommodating people were. “In California,…

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January 19, 2015

Audit Finds Ellwood School District’s Technology Outdated

A technology audit presented by Questeq to the Ellwood City Area School Board at its meeting on Jan. 15, found the District’s technology outdated and inconsistent. Questeq CEO Jeffrey Main reported that the District’s technology policy is reactive and lacks consistency. Over half of the District’s 2200 devices are over five years old. Some computers still run Windows XP, an outdated operating system Microsoft ended support for in 2009. Erin Parkison, the high school’s librarian, reported that some of the computers are older than the students. However, Questeq reported that Ellwood City is not unique. The company does audits across…