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New Business: Insurance Consultant Finds Success in Follow-up

Does shopping for insurance leave you frustrated, confused, unsure? Matthew Hrycko of Insurance Benefits of Pennsylvania says there is no need to feel that way. Hrycko recently opened an office at 716 Lawrence Ave and is now accepting appointments for consultation. Hrycko has been providing health life and employee benefits consulting services consulting services to the community for more than 10 years, and he says what sets him apart as an agent is customer service and follow up. You will always be able to speak to him personally. Part of that coverage that is an added benefit to consulting with…


Lincoln High School Posts 2020-21 Logistics Plan and Bell Schedule

Information made available by Lincoln High School this week showcases the upcoming 2020-21 Operational Logistics Plan and Bell Schedule. 2020-2021 LHS Operational Logistics Plan reads as follows: ● Face Covering/Mask Requirement: According to the most recent Department of Health Regulation, all students are required to wear a face covering/mask throughout the entire school day. If you or your child has an issue with wearing a face covering/mask throughout the school day, then you should reconsider your return to school option and contact the high school office asap. Unless a student has a doctor’s note, all students will be required to…


Lincoln High School Posts Return to School Plan Survey For Parents

Ellwood City Area School District announced on Tuesday a ‘Return to School Plan Survey’ for Lincoln High School parents via a Google Forms survey published on the district site. [The district is] asking all parents of students in grades 7-12 complete the google form survey by Sunday, August 16 at 10:00 PM. There are currently three options on the table for students in grades 7-12. Parents and students can review the options as well as a Q & A document on the district webpage. If a parent does not complete this survey, then Option 1 will be the assumed option…


Longtime Local Grocery Store Loccisano’s To Close; To Re-Open As Shop ‘n Save

For over a century, residents of Ellwood City have gone to locally owned and operated Loccisano’s for any and all of their grocery based needs. People have come miles to fill suitcases and coolers full with the meat they sell. However, this week, the business that has lived in this town since 1916 announced its upcoming closure.  The grocery store will close after business on Sunday, August 16, 2020.  The store will reopen as Dave’s Hometown Shop ‘n Save on Monday, August 17, 2020 under new local ownership. In a statement made available Wednesday, Loccisano’s personnel wrote: “On Sunday, August…


ECASD Planning Multiple Options for Back to School

Back to School this year could look quite different for the Ellwood City Area School District. Due to Covid-19, going back isn’t just as simple as going back. With state mandates and guidelines changing weekly, if not daily, administrators and educators in the district are working to develop multiple plans for multiple scenarios. The district’s pandemic task force and its subcommittees have been meeting regularly to make sure that students can return safely. “In late June, we were hoping for a full reopening,” said ECASD’s Superintendent Joseph Mancini at a recent board of directors meeting. Mancini said that hope changed…


Boomin’ – New F&V Fireworks Location Now Open

Business is boomin’ for a local business as we approach the 4th of July holiday weekend. Starting in 2001 with a single location in Enon Valley to a now open second location in Beaver Falls, F&V Fireworks has decided to make good quality fireworks available for all Pennsylvania residences at a good price. “We decided to open the fireworks store not only because we love fireworks but because we were tired of paying such high prices for such low quality fireworks at other places,” said owner Jeff “Junior” Feezle. As a family owned and operated business, Jeff says the family…


Boutique Shopping Now Available on Fifth Street

Looking for a unique boutique shopping experience? Guess what? You don’t have to leave Ellwood City. Just head over to AOE Boutique at 213 Fifth Street for the store’s Grand Opening on June 20. Brittany Linko, owner, said the boutique will feature casual collections, snacks, shoes, and accessories. She said she could not pass up the cozy little spot she found for her business right in the heart of Ellwood City. “I found a gorgeous storefront with great bones on 5th St. for rent, and I knew it was just the right place for me,” said AOE Boutique Owner Brittany…


BLM Supporter Demands Borough Officials Break the Silence

A Black Lives Matter supporter and Ellwood City resident attended Monday’s Borough Council meeting to demand action in support of the movement. “I need action,” said Mary Maine. “I need this town to step up.” She said she is disappointed that the town’s leadership did not attend the protests and said they have failed to recognize the movement. She said she wants borough officials to break the silence. She also expressed the same disappointment in the local media who she said failed to cover the protests that were held downtown. “To be silent is to be complacent,” she said. Maine…


Ellwood City Native Opens Dentistry in Ewing Park

Although Nikki Jo Magnifico DDM was successfully practicing as an associate dentist in New Hampshire for the last decade, the Lincoln High School graduate felt a need to move back to her hometown of Ellwood City. So Magnifico did just that. She bought her new 620 Jefferson Ave practice from Dr. James Oberfeitinger on February 1, 2020. “I decided it was time to move home to be closer to my family,” she said. Her immediate family includes her husband, Eric, who she said is supportive of her business goals as well as two sons Tyler, 5, and Anthony, 2.5. A Gannon…


ECASD Food Service Staff Going Above and Beyond to Feed Area Students

Keeping kids fed during a pandemic is a challenge, but it’s one that the Ellwood City Area School District’s Food Service staff and volunteers continues to conquer. John Dzurina, Food Service Director for the district, said the successful operation would not be possible without the daily determination of his staff and volunteers. Dzurina said on average 920 kids are fed per day. With a healthy and filling breakfast and lunch both being served, that adds up to about 1,840 meals per day. Currently those meals include cereals, juice, milk, sandwiches, fruit, and vegetables. Hot meals have not been on the…