Human Interest

Pure Gold Showband to Headline Christmas Concert Benefiting Ellwood City Festival

The holiday season will get a spectacular musical start when the Pure Gold Showband takes the stage for a special Christmas Concert on Sunday, November 29, 2026, at the Lincoln High School Auditorium. The concert will serve as a fundraiser for the Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Food & Entertainment Festival, bringing the community together for an evening of outstanding live entertainment while supporting one of the area’s signature annual events. Concertgoers can expect much more than a night of music. They can look forward to a full-scale entertainment experience built on decades of musical excellence, crowd interaction, polished choreography, and…


Ellwood City Observes Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is long known for pumpkin spice, falling leaves, spooky characters, and breast cancer awareness.  Another significant occurrence in October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) originated from the “Day of Unity” on October 17, 1981, organized by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) to raise public awareness and support survivors of domestic violence . The Day of Unity expanded into a week-long event, allowing communities nationwide to conduct activities focused on celebrating survivors, and connecting advocates. In October 1987, the first full Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed, coinciding with the launch of the…


Council Approves Agreement with ECBFPO to Upgrade Women’s Softball Field at Stiefel Park

Ellwood City Borough Council voted to approve an agreement with the Ellwood City Ball Fields Project Organization (ECBFPO) delineating respective roles and responsibilities relative to upgrades to the Women’s Softball field at Stiefel Park. The agreement states that ECBFPO has proposed to undertake and fund, at no cost to the Borough, certain renovations and improvements to the women’s softball field at Stiefel Park and to donate the completed improvements to the Borough as a gift. The Ellwood City Area School District’s (ECASD) Board of Directors recently approved Stiefel Park as Location for 2026-2027 Girls Softball Team’s Season. They also voted…


Three Ellwood City Theater Veterans to Bring the Musical 1776 to Life on the New Castle Playhouse Stage

When history takes the stage, it helps to have a couple of seasoned storytellers in the room. Enter two Ellwood City theater veterans bringing years of experience, plenty of personality, and their own theatrical spark to the musical 1776, which opens tonight at The New Castle Playhouse. These hometown performers know their way around a stage—and they’re ready to trade modern-day life for powdered wigs, political intrigue, and a little revolutionary-era drama. Stage veterans Tom Bickert and Larry Kelly will thrill audiences in their historical roles At the helm is another familiar local face: a director whose résumé boasts a…


Fall Sports Q&A 2026: Part 4 Ellwood City Athletes

This is part four of a four-part series featuring area athletes in fall 2026 sports. The start of fall sports is upon us, so we took the opportunity catch up with the athletes of those teams to see what they are doing to prepare for the upcoming rivalries and to offer some perspective on the season ahead and their plans for the future. ICYMI: Wolverines Football Team Under Direction Of New Head Coach Dante Venezie School you attend? Lincoln High School Sport? Golf Grade? 12 How many years have you have participated? 2 years What do you feel is your biggest…


Fall Sports Q&A 2026: Part 3 Riverside Cheerleaders

This is part three of a four-part series featuring area athletes in fall 2026 sports. The start of fall sports is upon us, so we took the opportunity catch up with the athletes of those teams to see what they are doing to prepare for the upcoming rivalries and to offer some perspective on the season ahead and their plans for the future. RELATED: Q&A 2026 Part 1 – Riverside Football Players Q&A 2026 Part 2 – Riverside Volleyball Players Isla Connors School you attend? Riverside High School Sport? Cheerleading Grade? 12 How many years have you have participated? 12 What…


Fall Sports Q&A 2026: Part 2 Riverside Volleyball Players

This is part two of a four-part series featuring area athletes in fall 2026 sports. The start of fall sports is upon us, so we took the opportunity catch up with the athletes of those teams to see what they are doing to prepare for the upcoming rivalries and to offer some perspective on the season ahead and their plans for the future. ICYMI: Q&A 2026 Part 1 – Riverside Football Players Abby George School you attend? Riverside High School Sport? Volleyball Grade? 12th How many years have you have participated? This will be my 6th year What do you feel…


Fall Sports Q&A 2026: Part 1 Riverside Football Players

This is part one of a four-part series featuring area athletes in fall 2026 sports. The start of fall sports is upon us, so we took the opportunity catch up with the athletes of those teams to see what they are doing to prepare for the upcoming rivalries and to offer some perspective on the season ahead and their plans for the future. ICYMI: Fran Ramsden returns for his second stint leading the Riverside football program Andre Rippy School you attend? Riverside High School Sport? Football Grade? 12 How many years have you have participated? 1 Year What do you feel…


Q&A: Ramsden Returns For Second Stint As Panthers Head Coach

Fran Ramsden returns for his second stint leading the Riverside football program ahead of the 2026 season which sees the Panthers return 14 seniors playing this year. Ramsden enters his 15th season coaching and returns to the head coach position after a two year stint in 2021-2022. Riverside finished its 2025 regular season 5-5 Overall and 4-3 in Midwestern Conference, earning a 10-seed in the WPIAL 2A Playoffs but was stymied 28-7 by #7 Apollo-Ridge and fell in its opening round contest last October. The Panthers open up its regular season hosting cross town rival Ellwood City on Friday, August…


Council Approves Bid Process to Upgrade Women’s Softball Field at Stiefel Park

Council voted to authorize the Borough’s engineer to prepare/advertise bids for the upgrading of the Women’s softball field in Stiefel Park. The vote was unanimous and follows a consistent commitment to the Ellwood City Area School District to work with them to help provide the girls’ softball team a dedicated home field. They first offered an olive branch in August of 2023. Speaking on behalf of the Borough of Ellwood City, then Borough Solicitor Ed Leymarie said during that August 2023 meeting that the borough would be glad to meet with the Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors…