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March 24, 2016

To Hire a Full-Time Patrol Officer or Not?

At Monday’s meeting, the Ellwood City borough council struck down a motion to advertise for a part-time patrol officer. An alternative, hiring a full-time officer, was discussed but no decisions were made as council wished to research the matter further. Council member Marilyn Mancini first brought up her reluctance to hire a part-time officer, pointing out that recently council approved two part-time officers, neither of which committed to the positions. In addition, the borough paid for tests for one of the candidates amounting to over $700. She added that Lt. David Kingston, the police department’s ranking officer, advised that part-timers…

March 24, 2016

Ellwood City Mother and Son Charged with Dealing Cocaine

The Lawrence County Drug Task Force recently arrested an Ellwood City mother and son cocaine-dealing duo. Michael Mario Viccari, 26, and Darlene Cragle, 57, both of Ellwood City, were arraigned on Tuesday by Magistrate Jerry Cartwright following a several month investigation. Police were informed the duo was dealing drugs from 216 Buckeye Way. In a pre-planned operation on Oct. 15, Viccari sold 2.3 grams of cocaine for $80 to an informant. Again, on January 13, an informant was sent with $80 to purchase cocaine from Viccari. However, as Vicarri wasn’t home, Cragle made the exchange. Both were placed in the…

March 24, 2016

Two Ellwood Graduates Travel to Puerto Rico for Baseball

Two Lincoln High School graduates spent a week in Puerto Rico as part of the inaugural Clemente Cup baseball tournament. Matt Germanoski and Greg Lynn are 2012 Lincoln graduates who were on the 2012 Class AA WPIAL championship baseball team. Currently, they’re both seniors on the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg baseball team. The two went with their team and nine other college Division 3 baseball teams from the states. Through the program, they played games in Aguadilla, Anasco and Lajas. The two also met Luis Clemente, Roberto Clemente’s son. More information about UPG Baseball can be found at pittgreensburgathletics.com.

March 24, 2016

Wolverines Tennis Team Sweeps Panthers

The Ellwood City tennis team swept a match against rival Riverside on Monday. In singles, Ellwood’s Christian Mittica, Trey Houk and Patrick Pawlak defeated Panther opponents Tyler Squicquero, Tyler McDonough and Hunter Paff. The Wolverines also won both double matches to win the entire match 5-0. Singles Home Team Set Scores Visitors Ellwood City 1 2 3 H V Riverside 1 Christian Mittica 6 – 4 3 – 6 7 – 5 X 1 Tyler Squicquero 2 Trey Houk 2 – 6 6 – 4 6 – 4 X 2 Tyler McDonough 3 Patrick Pawlak 6 – 4 6 –…

March 23, 2016

Residents Encouraged to Register for Code RED Alerts

The Ellwood City council is encouraging residents to sign up for Code RED emergency notification system alerts. The program alerts residents of area-wide emergencies, such as severe storm warnings. Participants may choose between landline, cell phone and text message options. However, residents must first be enrolled in the program. The borough website has a page for online registration. In addition, the borough will send out notifications in the mail with the option to register via paper. The description of Code RED registration from the borough website reads, “The secure, customized Community Notification Enrollment (CNE) page allows residents and businesses to…

March 23, 2016

Ellwood City Borough Council Meeting Brief

The following is a brief summary of the Ellwood City Borough Council meeting on Monday, March 21. Announcements There will be a special council meeting Thursday, March 24 at 8 a.m. to approve renovation plans for the rear of the Municipal Building. Picnic shelter reservations will begin on March 28 for non-Borough residents. There will be a Young Republicans debate on April 6 at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Building auditorium. The Ellwood City Police Department will have a drug take back program for unused or expired medication on April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Municipal…

March 23, 2016

Police: Woman Assaults Woman after Extended Argument

Woman Assaults Woman According to the criminal complaint, on Thursday, March 17, at 4 a.m. , officers were dispatched to a Fifth Street apartment for a domestic disturbance. When the officers arrived they could hear screaming coming from the upstairs apartment. Officers entered the apartment and made contact with the victim and the defendant, Melissa Star Sabo, 35. When questioned, Sabo stated that they merely arguing. However, the victim stated that Sabo had harassed and threatened her. She also said that Sabo had  slammed her by the neck onto the bed and began choking her. The victim stated that she…

March 22, 2016

Wampum Native Stephen Johns Debuts in NHL and Scores First Goal

Ellwood City now boasts a National Hockey League Player. Stephen Johns made his NHL debut with the Dallas Stars on March 11 and has since played four more games. On March 17, he scored his first goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Johns is a native of Wampum and a Class of 2010 Lincoln High School graduate. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2014. The 6’4″, 213 pound defenseman signed a two year contract with the Stars with an $800,000 annual salary. Johns’ talent and dedication were noticed by Ellwood residents while he was still a Lincoln…

March 22, 2016

Ellwood City Drug Take Back Program

The Ellwood City Police Department is sponsoring a drug take back program on Saturday, April 30 at the Ellwood City Municipal Building. Residents may use the opportunity to turn in unused or expired medication for safe disposal. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

March 22, 2016

Cortney Harden Joins RAYSL Training Staff

As Riverside Area Youth Soccer League grows, so too does it’s training staff. After adding Doug Miller to the Club in the Fall 2015 season, RAYSL recently added alum Cortney Harden as a Technical Trainer. “Bringing Cortney on is very exciting for us,” Club President Derek Zona said. “Over the past year, our Board has been focused on finding a skilled female trainer who can make a positive impact on the lives of the young ladies in the club, acting as both a mentor and a role model.” Harden’s immediate focus will be Riverside’s U12 and U14 girls’ teams. She…