Human Interest

Council Urges Residents to Report Issues

Borough council urges all residents to report any safety concerns or unsightly conditions that require borough attention to the borough code enforcement officer or building officials. During Monday’s Borough Council meeting, President Judith Dici said she has noticed many residents airing complaints on social media, a venue that isn’t always monitored by council members or borough officials. She said the only sure way to have complaints addressed is to report them directly to the borough. “If we don’t know, we can’t do anything about it,” she said. Residents can report conditions that require the attention of the Borough Code Enforcement…


School Officials: Waterline Issues Resolved at Northside

Ellwood City School Officials said they have resolved water line issues that caused some condensation and dripping onto ceiling tiles at Northside Elementary School. A recent Facebook post had parents taking to social media to voice complaints and concerns about the condition of ceiling tile in a classroom at Ellwood City Area School District’s Northside Elementary school. In a post on the Ellwood City Crime Watch & Breaking News page, one parent posted a picture of the tile which appeared brown and black. She noted that the photo was taken in her son’s classroom during the school’s open house. Paul…


School Lunch Debt Rising Again; Parents Urged to Apply for Assistance

Despite a good gesture by Baierl Toyota of Mars to pay off more than $20,000 in school lunch debt for Ellwood City Area School District, it’s beginning to climb again. During the September 9 school board meeting John Dzurina, Food Service Coordinator for the District said the debt is already at $500 after just two weeks. He explained that the $500 is just for lunches or breakfast not a la carte items or second lunches. This trend of constant debt has prompted the school board to consider partnering with an outside collection agency to try to stay on top of…


Ellwood City Lions Club Announces Completion Of Two Community Service Projects

The Ellwood City Lions Club proudly announces the community service project of the Lion Drinking Fountain installation at Sheeler Park and the purchase of the ADA accessible swing set for Rogers Park in Ellport. The Lion Drinking Fountain community service project was in progress for a few years.  The Lion drinking fountain that was located in front of the Ellwood City Municipal Building on Lawrence Avenue for decades, was refurbished and reused in Ellport.  In 2014, due to its age and deterioration, the Lion fountain was removed and placed in storage.  New “baby” Lion drinking fountain was purchased and installed…


Shirts Now Available For ‘Pink Out’ Challenge

T-shirts are available at Ellwood City, Riverside, Beaver Falls, and Shenango schools and the non-profit Club Hope Foundation for a challenge to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “The Pink Out Challenge this year is between Ellwood City, Riverside, Shenango and Beaver Falls,” said Cara Atkinson, found of Club Hope Foundation. Each school is selling ‘Pink Out Shirts’ that have been designed and printed by Ellwood City-based, Venezie Sporting Goods & Apparel. Ellwood City and Beaver Falls will have the sales from these shirts helping Club Hope in their building and all other funds will be donated to the…


Ellwood Elderberry Essentials Opens Doors to Healing Powers

Enthusiastic over elderberry. That’s Shauna Cucunato, owner of newly opened Ellwood Elderberry Essentials. Cucunato will share her enthusiasm and all she knows about elderberry tomorrow September 7 during her Grand Opening event at 429 Lawrence Ave with Katy’s – Homestyle Bakery & More where her products will have a permanent home. “I am so excited to be opening,” Cucunato said. Although she is a nursing student and has a strong belief in modern medicine, plenty of research has led her to believe that elderberry is a magical fruit. “Medicines are convenient,” she said. “But there are sometimes terrible side effects that…


Baierl Toyota Deletes School Lunch Debt for Ellwood Schools

More than $22,000 of school lunch debt will be gone for parents and students of Ellwood City Area School District. Baierl Toyota of Mars, PA will present a check to Superintendent Joseph Mancini and John Dzurina, Food Service Coordinator for the District Friday afternoon at the dealership. “All in all, we are very appreciative of Baierl Toyota and their generosity to the students and families of Ellwood City,” Mancini said. Michael Hull, General Manager of Bariel Toyota of Mars, stated in a KDKA report that “we have a lot of customers that come in from Ellwood City and we wanted…


Peebles in Franklin Plaza to Become Gordmans

The store closing sign on the front of the Peebles store in Franklin Plaza signifies an end but also a new beginning. “Stage has exciting news,” said Blakely Graham, manager of brand publicity for Stage. “We are planning to convert the Peebles location in Ellwood City, Pa to a Gordmans store in early 2020.” Both Gordmans and Peebles are part of the Stage community of stores, which also includes Bealls, Goody’s, Palais Royal, and Stage. Peebles will remain open until the conversion. “The Peebles store is planned to close in the days leading up to the Gordmans grand opening in…


TV Anchor to Shower BC3 Lifelong Learning Students With Behind-Scenes Severe Weather Info

(NEW CASTLE, PA) Rod Cowan has covered tropical storms in Florida. “The news van was rocking in the sand. Someone said, ‘Put the jacks down.’ I said, ‘The jacks are down.’” A historic ice storm in West Virginia. “The power lines were drooping with icicles.” A tornado in Ohio. “The hairs on the back of my neck tingled.” And a “snowicane” in Pennsylvania in which his red 1998 Toyota Corolla was somewhere under 16 inches of snow in his neighborhood of Camp Hill. The on-air weather anchor and meteorologist at WKBN-TV, Youngstown, will instruct a 12-hour “Severe Weather & You”…


Life Changing Gift: A Surprise for Local Man

The look on CJ DeGennaro’s face was priceless. CJ, 31, suffers from cerebral palsy. On August 17, CJ received the gift of a Safe Step walk-in tub, but it was a complete surprise to CJ. CJ had been nominated 110 times during the last two years to receive this tub by his friends, his family, his community. A crowd that worked hard to make this happen gathered in his driveway. As his family and friends and nominators stood around awaiting CJ’s return from breakfast at Christy’s diner, they anticipated his reaction. Pop out comments from the crowd filled the summer…