Human Interest

Gretchen Shaffer, a 2015 graduate of Riverside High School, recently received a $1000.00 scholarship from Northwestern Pennsylvania Society of Plastics Engineers. The NWPA SPE is a nonprofit professional organization founded to facilitate and encourage the growth, knowledge and expertise among the membership by offering educational and professional development opportunities focused on the plastics industry.   Gretchen is a sophomore at Penn State Behrend studying Plastics Engineering Technology with an interest in the Medical Plastics Certificate. She is the Vice President of Membership for Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity, and President-Elect for next year. She is also a member…

No matter what the circumstances, grief recovery is a painful process. A GriefShare seminar/support group is being hosted and sponsored by Calvin Church, and the program will be facilitated by Ginny Brest. The first session is scheduled for Sunday, January 15 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in the church parlor. The group will meet each Sunday afternoon for 13 weeks, and concluding on April 9. While participants are encouraged to complete the 13-week program if possible, attendance is not mandatory each week. The program is free and open to anyone in the community (and beyond) because we understand how deeply grief and loss hurts people and…

To welcome the New Year, we also like to welcome a fresh start – which often includes a “new” version of ourselves. This is where the annual tradition of declaring a New Year’s resolution stems from; a practice that has been adopted by demographics across the globe in which a person makes a promise to do a self-improving act, such as losing weight or to be more giving, beginning on New Year’s Day. “I believe New Year’s resolutions are an opportunity to think about what you do and how you can improve yourself,” Connie MacDonald the Council President stated, furthering…

Richard Streckeisen received the following commendation presented by Mayor Tony Court: “Richard “Dick” Sreckeisen,  The Mayor and Community of Ellwood City would like to recognize you for the outstanding community service and dedication to our residents. Over the years, you have served this community with your many years of dedication in the Fire Department along with dedicating countless hours of your time to the Carpenters Project and to The Over the Hill Gang, providing ramps for our disabled residents. You serve as a reminder how each of us should live our daily lives, going above and beyond by giving back…

Many Pennsylvanians long for the option to buy alcohol at grocery stores – an ability that many other states allow. Luckily for those wishful Pennsylvania residents, in the beginning of August the new permit to sell wine to-go became available in Pennsylvania due to the Wolf Administration, and since then the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has been issuing store license approvals across the state. “The Wolf Administration’s goal has always been to improve the customer experience, make pricing more competitive, make the purchase of products more convenient, and bring more revenue into the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” as quoted by Governor…

The top ten stories of 2016 concludes today with Part 2 and the five most popular articles of the year. Part 1 can be viewed here. We thank all our readers for contributing to our one million plus page views this year.   Protestors Outside of the Municipal Building After organizing a protest against Ellwood Electric, a few Ellwoodians took the opportunity to express their concerns about the electric utility.   Opinion: Replacing St. Agatha was a Mistake Our previous journalist, Jonathon Cortez, gives his opinion on the destruction of St. Agatha – the old abandoned church that was knocked…

In following previous years’ tradition, EllwoodCity.org brings the calendar to a close with the top 10 most popular stories of 2016. Today is Part 1 in a 2-part series. We thank all our readers for contributing to our one million plus page views this year. Be sure to check back tomorrow for Part 2. The EllwoodCity.org staff wishes everyone a safe and happy 2017!   Pennsylvania American Water: Updates About Chromium-6 in Drinking Water Following the ongoing concern regarding the new water treatment plant scheduled to be built in the New Year, Pennsylvania American Water Company updated us on the…

Santa’s reindeer might have a hard time sledding his sleigh through the snow in Ellwood for Christmas – since it appears there will likely be none. According to the weather forecast, high temperatures for the weekend are expected to be around 50 degrees, with lows around 32. The temperature on Monday may peak at a high of almost 60 degrees! Ellwoodians are not the only demographic experiencing higher-than-normal temperatures around Christmas, according to The Washington Post, the North Pole is alarmingly 36 degrees warmer than normal at this time of the year. Anyone anticipating snow for the holidays will have…

After lots of dreaming and dedication, Danny McConaughy, a fitness advocate and owner of Hello Fitness located at 214 Line Ave. in Ellwood, has excitedly opened up his dream business in November 2016 – a fitness center. Since Danny grew up with family members who were largely into fitness – specifically his grandma who was an Exercise Science Instructor at a South Carolina university – he felt as though it was his destiny to promote his passion of fitness and well-being. “My gram told me one time that nothing seems to matter if you don’t have your health, and I…