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January 21, 2015

A Farewell to Carmike Plaza 6

For the past several years, Carmike Plaza 6 in Big Beaver has been drawing smaller crowds than its competitors, largely due to the emptiness of Plaza 6. As a result, the theater announced January will be its final month of operation. Although the theater was not in Ellwood City, it was part of the community and social life. Its proximity and cheaper prices were of special appeal to younger moviegoers. For many in the Ellwood area, Carmike Plaza 6 was part of their childhood experiences, creating many cherished memories, and it will be missed by its regular customers. Stephani Damato,…

January 20, 2015

Ellwood City Vapors Offers Alternative to Smoking

Ellwood City now has its own electronic cigarettes store. Ellwood City Vapors, located on 505 Lawrence Ave., had its grand opening last Saturday. The grand opening, sponsored by the Ellwood City Chamber of Commerce, featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, cookies, and coffee. Owners David Spielvogel and Robert Infantozzi launched their store by cutting the ribbon at 10 a.m. Present at the opening was the store’s mascot, Peggy, the owners’ Boston Terrier. Throughout the morning and afternoon, dozens of customers enjoyed refreshments and the well-furnished atmosphere while having the opportunity to learn about e-cigarettes. Spielvogel, of Ellwood City, and Infantozzi, of Monaca,…

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January 19, 2015

Audit Finds Ellwood School District’s Technology Outdated

A technology audit presented by Questeq to the Ellwood City Area School Board at its meeting on Jan. 15, found the District’s technology outdated and inconsistent. Questeq CEO Jeffrey Main reported that the District’s technology policy is reactive and lacks consistency. Over half of the District’s 2200 devices are over five years old. Some computers still run Windows XP, an outdated operating system Microsoft ended support for in 2009. Erin Parkison, the high school’s librarian, reported that some of the computers are older than the students. However, Questeq reported that Ellwood City is not unique. The company does audits across…

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January 2, 2015

Romans’ Rescue

What started as a one dog rescue in 2008 for Tawnya and Daniel Roman has now turned into a non-profit organization. Romans’ Rescue takes in dogs to train them or nurse them back to health in order to help them find a new permanent home. The Roman’s first dog was a four-year-old Saint Bernard named Riley. The couple found the dog in an Internet advertisement after she had been dropped off at the groomer and never picked back up. Riley quickly fit right in at the Roman household and became part of the family. Unfortunately, the lovable dog was diagnosed…

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December 29, 2014

Police: Three Juveniles Charged for Vandalism

The Ellwood City Police arrested three juveniles on Friday regarding the recent string of vandalism acts throughout the Borough. The 14, 15 and 16-year-old males will be charged for the following incidents: Nov. 20/21 – The building located at 231 Fifth St. had its display windows smashed with rocks. The building owner is Joe Morabito. Nov. 20/21 – A 2006 Ford Taurus owned by Herman Feldman was damaged while parked in front of his office at 228 Fifth Street. Nov. 29 – The building owned by Morabito located at 231 Fifth St. had its windows again damaged by rocks. Dec….

December 18, 2014

ESB Shareholders Sue to Block Sale of Bank

A press release from the law offices of Brodsky & Smith based out of Bala Cynwyd, Pa. announced that a lawsuit was filed on Dec. 15 by ESB Financial, Inc. shareholders regarding the sale of the Ellwood City branch. WesBanco Inc. of Wheeling, W. Va. disclosed that they had purchased ESB Bank in October. The agreement stated that WesBanco would pay ESB shareholders 0.502 shares of WesBanco stock and $1.76 in cash for each share of their ESB common stock. Shareholders are now claiming that ESB and WesBanco has devalued the price of their stocks. Plaintiffs are also saying that…

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November 26, 2014

Small Business Saturday Helps Build Local Economy

Thriving towns all need solid support from dedicated community members. On Saturday, Nov. 29, the community has a chance to come together and provide a positive impact on the local economy as businesses celebrate Small Business Saturday. Bob Rivers, owner of National Grind coffee shop on Lawrence Avenue and board of directors member of the Ellwood City Chamber of Commerce, discussed the importance in shopping local this time of year. “It’s a great way to kick off the holiday season,” Rivers said of Small Business Saturday. “This is the best time, with Black Friday coming up, Small Business Saturday, and…

November 25, 2014

Ellwood City to Honor Fallen Firefighters 25 Years Later

by Ryan Shaffer On Saturday, Dec. 6, at 11 a.m., the Ellwood City Volunteer Fire Department will hold a memorial service to pay tribute to two firefighters who lost their lives fighting a structure fire on Lawrence Avenue. Nearly 25 years ago, on Dec. 4, 1989, David “Ernie” Martino and Paul Frederick entered the Elton Hotel, formerly located in the vacant lot between PNC Bank and Nido’s Beauty Salon, and never came back out. Fire chief Rick Myers explained the significance of their actions on that cold winter morning. “They paid the ultimate sacrifice for this community,” Myers said. “Every…

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November 14, 2014

Ellwood City Area Chamber of Commerce Announces New Executive Director

The Ellwood City Area Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that they have named Lori Wilkerson-Hilliard as the new Executive Director of the Chamber. She will be replacing current Executive Director Terri Stramba, who has held the position for the last three years. “The decision to leave the Chamber to focus on the recent expansion of my family business has been a difficult one, as I love this job,” Stramba said. “However, knowing that Lori shares my passion for the community and the mission of the Chamber makes it easy to move from leading the Chamber…

November 13, 2014

Young Girl WIth Hirschprung’s Disease Inspires with Smiles

by Ryan Shaffer Imagine a crisp, sunny spring day with colorful flowering erupting from the Earth during first bloom. The sun beams softly onto them as they awaken from their lengthy winter hibernation, and the effervescent dew gleans on the bright petals. Ellwood City’s Nan Beachem gets to enjoy that same warm feeling everyday when she sees her daughter Kyree’s captivating smile. Twenty-four years ago, Beachem began her commitment to altruism when she and her then-husband started fostering newborn children until adoption became available. It took little time for the two to move on to older children who needed transitioned…