Human Interest

PART TWO: Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Food & Entertainment Festival Series: Art Show Expands with Strolling Musicians, Performers

In our annual series spotlighting the annual Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Food & Entertainment Festival, we look at a series of subjects, people, and entertainers who will help the festival make its mark this 4th of July holiday season. PART TWO: Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Food & Entertainment Festival Series: Art Show Expands with Strolling Musicians, Performers A masterpiece in process. That might be a good way to describe the new wave of The Festival’s Art Show. Near extinction just two years ago, the Art Show has a new “Council” in place to keep it growing and thriving as this…


PART ONE: Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Food & Entertainment Festival Series: 10k Race Has New Name, Organizer

In our annual series spotlighting the annual Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Food & Entertainment Festival, we look at a series of subjects, people, and entertainers who will help the festival make its mark this 4th of July holiday season. PART ONE: Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Food & Entertainment Festival Series: 10k Race Has New Name, Organizer The annual beloved 10k race will be held on Saturday, June 29, at 9 a.m. This year’s race has a different name and a new organizer, but runners and the community can expect the same great race that has been around for decades. There…


Divine Grace Parish-Holy Redeemer Church to Hold Welcome Home Masses to Celebrate Completion of Renovation Project

Soon, the congregation of Divine Grace Parish-Holy Redeemer Church, 415 Fourth St., will return to their home—a home with some major changes and upgrades. For the past few months worship has been held in the Catholic Center, but that’s about to change on June 29 when the congregation will finally get to see the full results of the extensive makeover that began on April 1. “I hope that the folks will be very pleased when they see it. While the church is the same everything is better,” said Deacon Don Pepe who is Director of facilities for the parish. “The…


The Riverside Hall of Fame: Royann Winfield, Selfless Coach, Mentor to the End

NOTE: This is the third in a three-part series featuring The Riverside Hall of Fame’s first class, all coaches. The inductees will be honored at the First Annual Hall of Fame banquet at Shakespeare’s Restaurant this Saturday, May 4th, from 6 to 10 p.m. Attendees will celebrate the esteemed inaugural class of: Dan Oliastro, Karl Florie, and Royann Winfield. Royann Winfield was a fighter to the end. Whether it was standing in strong support of her students, or her residents at McGuire Memorial, or battling cancer, Royann simply refused to give up on herself or others. Her final season in…


The Riverside Hall of Fame: Dan Oliastro, Winningest Coach in WPIAL History

NOTE: This is the second in a three-part series featuring The Riverside Hall of Fame’s first class, all coaches. The inductees will be honored at the First Annual Hall of Fame banquet at Shakespeare’s Restaurant this Saturday, May 4th, from 6 to 10 p.m. Attendees will celebrate the esteemed inaugural class of: Dan Oliastro, Karl Florie, and Royann Winfield. He may be the winningest coach in WPIAL history, but winning isn’t everything to Coach Dan Oliastro. “It’s more than just baseball,” he said. “One of the things you have to do is build relationships … good relationships with the kids.”…


Ewing Park to Get ADA-Compliant Update: New Facility to Feature Adult Changing Table

There are some major conveniences that we take for granted. Like going out for the day and not having to worry about finding a restroom that is easily usable. We don’t always think about the struggles that others endure … we simply don’t even think about it. Councilwoman Jan Williams thought about it. She thought about the individuals that frequent Ewing Park that need special facilities with features that again most of us never think of. Williams is on a mission to bring a specialized facility to Ewing Park, specifically a facility that offers an adult changing table. Her idea…


The Riverside Hall of Fame: Karl Florie Built Powerhouse Team and Family of Football Players

NOTE: This is the first in a three-part series featuring The Riverside Hall of Fame’s first class, all coaches. The inductees will be honored at the First Annual Hall of Fame banquet at Shakespeare’s Restaurant this Saturday, May 4th, from 6 to 10 p.m. Attendees will celebrate the esteemed inagural class of: Dan Oliastro, Karl Florie, and Royann Winfield. Karl Florie, wasn’t the school board’s first choice to coach Riverside’s football program, but it came to pass that he was he was the right choice. Although his first season produced zero wins, he went on to build a program that became a powerhouse in…


Ellwood Area Family Center offering FREE Pickleball Clinics for Pickleball Month

John DiBuono has a passion for pickleball. So much so that he is instructing some pickleball clinics at the Ellwood Area Family Center, 311 College Street, Ellwood City,  just in time for April’s National Pickleball Month. Although pickleball has picked up recently in popularity, it has been around for decades. 2024 marks the 59th anniversary of pickleball. It was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, by three enterprising dads – Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. It evolved from the original handmade equipment and simple rules into a popular sport throughout North America and…


Beyond Compression Offers Occupational, Lymphedema Therapy and Treatment

Chelsea Brown never imagined that she would ever open her own business, but when the opportunity presented itself, her drive to help people in this area as well as a great need for her services prompted her to move ahead as an entrepreneur. Brown, a Lincoln High School graduate who grew up in Ellport, is an occupational therapist and a certified lymphedema therapist and owner of Beyond Compression LLC. Although Beyond Compression has been in business since 2022, she just recently began operations at her new location at 638 Portersville Road in Ellwood City. She previously provided services at Air…


Reality ONE Group Ultimate Looking to Add Agents, Clients in Ellwood City and Beyond

Realty ONE Group Ultimate is ready to help you when it comes to all “things” real estate. Co-owners Christina Hoffmeier and Anthony Gennuso opened their first location in Ellwood City at 315 7th Street in September of 2023. “Ellwood City is the first of many coming locations,” Hoffmeier said. “The New Castle office is scheduled to be opening this spring once renovations of the historic Straitmasters building is complete, and expansion for an office in New Brighton is scheduled for late summer of this year.” Hoffmeier is an Ellwood City native who attended Riverside High School and her partner Gennuso…