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September 6, 2017

Woman Charged with Endangering Welfare of Children After Incident Involving Marijuana

According to the criminal complaint, Ashley Anne Birchfield, 33, of Ellwood City, is facing charges of endangering the welfare of children after an incident on August 29. On August 29 at approximately 11p.m. officers responded to a complaint that the residents of the apartment were smoking and the smoke was emanating throughout the hallways of the apartment building. Officers knocked on the suspects door and a juvenile answered, leaving the door open while he searched for an adult. Officers observed a cloudy haze throughout the apartment and a strong smell of marijuana. Birchfield was laying down with a juvenile asleep…

August 25, 2017

Ellwood City Joins KidCents Program

Because of the Opioid addiction and overdose deaths impacting every population in the United States throughout all communities and having no boundaries, racial or economic, Lt. David Kingston of Ellwood City Police Department has joined forces with the Rite Aid Foundation/KidCents Program to do Ellwood City’s part in helping to stop this epidemic. Many Law Enforcement agencies, including ECPD participate in the national DEA Drug Take Back Program for residents to dispose of their unused or expired prescription medications. Though the program is great, people wonder what they can do with their unused and/or expired prescriptions until the next Take…

August 21, 2017

Helling Stadium Fallen Pole Causes Severe Damage

Proceeding a storm with 60mph winds Friday evening, during a delayed football game at Helling Stadium a light pole at the stadium fell, struck two people, and damaged areas of the field and a Noga Ambulance. According to recent reports, 13-year-old Jaidyn Le’Viere, a junior cheerleading coach entering eight grade at Lincoln Junior-Senior High School, sustained injuries including lacerations in her back and a broken hip. An unidentified adult male was also injured by the pole, believed to have sustained a broken arm as a result of the pole’s collapse. The light pole fell towards a pop-up tent between the…

August 15, 2017

Ellwood Resident Facing Charges for Growing Marijuana Plants in Backyard

Kylee Nikole Hooks, 28, of Franklin Avenue, is facing a felony charge of delivery of a controlled substance and misdemeanor charge of violation of controlled substance after police found marijuana plants growing in her backyard. According to the criminal complaint, on June 26, police were given an anonymous tip of suspected marijuana plants growing in the back yard of Hooks’s residence. Officers made contact with Hooks and asked if she had any marijuana plants being manufactured on her property, to which she admitted and led the officers to where the plants were being grown; an area of the yard out…

August 3, 2017

Mayor Meets with Residents on National Community Night Out

On Tuesday, August 1, 2017 Mayor Anthony J. Court and Lt. David Kingston of the Ellwood City Police Department participated in “The National Community Night Out” meeting and greeting residents throughout Ellwood City. The Mayor stated that both were well received by the community and they enjoyed the one on one with the residents, letting them know that they will continue to stamp out crime in the city. This National Community Night Out is done in conjunction with the Mayor’s Crime Watch Program. The Crime Watch Program is now in its 10th Year and has been a huge success in…

July 21, 2017

FIRE VIDEO: ‘The House is a Total Loss’

The Ellwood City Fire Department responded “almost immediately” to a fire on the 100 block of Orchard Avenue Thursday evening. “We actually had a truck up the road for a separate call when the fire broke out. Some neighbors ran up to the truck and said 130 was on fire – so we responded almost immediately,” Ellwood City Fire Chief, Rick Meyers stated. Despite the fast action, due to the layout of the property it was difficult for the responding departments to get to the center of the fire – which they believe started in the kitchen/dining room area. The…

July 10, 2017

Ellwood City Man Facing Felony Charge for Injury-Causing Hit and Run

According to the criminal complaint, Michael Ray Magill Jr., 38, of Eidenmiller Lane, has been charged by state police as a result of causing serious bodily injury during a crash and fleeing the scene. On June 2, an officer was dispatched to the area near 2590 Chewton Wurtemburg Road for a report of a two vehicle crash, in addition the officer was advised that multiple subjects fled from the scene. Upon arrival the officer observed a disabled Ford Focus, belonging to George Richard Weller, with no driver or passengers in the vehicle. A prescription pill bottle belonging to Magill was…

June 20, 2017

Police Find Crack Cocaine and Sleep Apnea Machine in Vehicle

Police Find Crack Cocaine and Sleep Apnea Machine in Vehicle According to the criminal complaint, on June 14, officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with an expired registration. Operator of the vehicle, Christopher Patrick Bruno, 61, of Ellwood City, did not hold a valid drivers license and was under driving suspension in Florida and Pennsylvania. Bruno also had an active warrant for his arrest through the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office. Bruno was detained for the warrant, and he advised officers of his sleep apnea machine in his car that he would need for sleeping. Officers opened a bag…

June 19, 2017

Ellwood City Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Case

Following the case of the Ellwood City man who admitted to stalking Amish children and trying to lure them into an outhouse, he pleaded guilty last week to a separate incident of distributing sadistic child pornography on a peer-to-peer network. Lucas Klobetanz, 40, of Ellwood City, was federally investigated by the FBI for distributing child porn after his computer IP address was traced back to his Ellwood City address. In 2015 he was indicted on counts of distribution and possession of child porn. Klobetanz has been sentenced to serve more than 11 years in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised…

June 16, 2017

Police Report: 60 Year-Old Man Breaks Ellwood Business’s Front Door with Cane

A local 60-year-old man is expected to pay for damages sustained to a Lawrence Avenue business after he broke the glass with his cane Wednesday afternoon. According to the criminal complaint, an employee at the Ellwood City Ledger contacted police to report damages caused by an older gentleman. The employee stated she was sitting inside the Ledger building when the man came to the door and started knocking after business hours. The man eventually got frustrated and started pounding on the bottom of the door with his cane, breaking the glass. The employee followed the man around the building and…