VA open house, claims clinic is today
From staff reports Veterans and their families may attend the Venango VA Clinic open house and Veterans Benefit Administration claims clinic to be held from…
Around The County
Franklin school budget not expected to include tax hike
Franklin School Board President Brian Spaid announced Monday that the district is eyeing a 2019-20 budget that doesn’t include a tax hike. “The budget is…
OC council hears about several recreation matters
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Recreation, a broad topic ranging from city playgrounds to how public city parks can be used, was at the…
Volunteer groups gearing up for OC community clean-up
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer A city-wide initiative designed to “clean up the city and build community spirit” will be held Wednesday in Oil…
Museum Day today gives history lovers free look at 3 county locales
By SARAH TITLEY Staff writer Residents of the Oil Region come face to face with aspects of history every day, whether it is a school…
Strawberry Delight opens today; repairs after crash finished
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer An ice cream stand that has been a fixture at the intersection of routes 62 and 157 for decades…
Franklin sets street sweeping next week
From staff reports The City of Franklin street department will sweep streets next week in the following areas: Monday – Third shift: business district; First…
Building uptick noted in Cranberry, including remodeling at Walmart
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Cranberry Township saw a substantial uptick in construction projects in March with 11 building permits listing an estimated construction…
Lots going on this year at Two Mile Run County Park
From staff reports Two Mile Run County Park is in for a busy 2019 season. “There are a lot of events at the park this…
Two Mile project ‘has really paid off for the county’
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Two Mile Run County Park is signing up local organizations and businesses to help with repair and upkeep costs…
Venango Human Services resource fair set April 24
From staff reports Venango County Human Services will hold its annual resource fair and awards presentation Wednesday, April 24, at the Quality Inn in Franklin….
VETS members always ready to fulfill their duty
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Fifteen years after its founding and hundreds of funerals and memorials later, the Venango Entombment Testimonial Service (VETS) Honor…
Mission accomplished
Area residents who took to the road Friday night to drop off several truckloads of supplies to help farmers affected by recent floods in the…
Sugarcreek may feel pinch of costly work
By SARAH TITLEY Staff Writer Franklin General Authority chairman Tim Dunkle revealed staggering costs for upcoming projects that will affect Sugarcreek Borough in a report…
Oil Region Library group preps for 2nd mega book, media sale
By ROSEMARY FIELDING Staff writer The Oil Region Library Association is having its second “mega” book and media benefit sale that will run for three…
More street sweeping next week in Franklin
From staff reports The City of Franklin street department will sweep streets next week in the following areas: Monday – Third shift: Odd side of…
Titusville library to hold essay contest
From staff reports Benson Memorial Library in Titusville is hosting an essay contest – “Revisiting the Founding Era” – for both adults and youths (ages…
Route 208 project expected to begin
From staff reports Work to improve nearly 1 mile of Route 208 in Grove City and Pine Township will begin April 15, weather permitting, according…
Cranberry students receive awards
Cranberry High School journalism students, from left, AJ Howard, Sara Uddin, Ava Fischer and Lindsay Perry received awards Wednesday in Hershey. The students were welcomed…
Gems Donation Station opens Friday; library association to benefit
By ROSEMARY FIELDING Staff writer Ellen Gierlach’s plans to use her non-profit Gems Donation Station store “to benefit this area” will now include help given…
Authority chairman: Franklin council costs for projects will be high
By SARAH TITLEY Staff writer Franklin General Authority chairman Tim Dunkle delivered a bleak message Monday to Franklin City Council members. “(Future projects) are definitely…
Local students win STEM Design Challenge awards
From staff reports A team of Cranberry students won second place in the sixth through eighth grade category at a STEM Design Challenge held March…
Venango group offering garden beds for summer
Venango Area Community Gardens has 4-by-4-foot raised garden beds available for use by community groups, churches and other organizations. The beds are built by students…
Trout stocked in local waterways
From staff reports Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission workers and several volunteers placed about 3,300 fish in Justus Lake at Two Mile Run County Park…
Military members to benefit via Second Harvest program
From staff reports Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania’s Military Share Program, a produce express initiative, is expanding to Venango County. The program distributes…
OC workers to install new water main on Cowell
From staff reports The Oil City water department will install a new water main on Cowell Avenue during the first weeks of April. Daily start…
Franklin crews to sweep city streets
From staff reports The City of Franklin street department will sweep streets next week in the following areas: Monday – Third shift: Business district and…
Sandycreek students compete in STEM event
A team of four Sandycreek Elementary fifth-grade students coached by Connie Palmer and Kelley Bilotto participated in the Thermo Fisher STEM Challenge against 19 other…
Franklin gets grant money for downtown project
From staff reports A $135,850 project in Franklin is part of the $54.7 million in funding that will be infused into the state’s transportation infrastructure…
Silver Cornet Band rehearsals to begin
From staff reports The Franklin-based Silver Cornet Band will begin rehearsals for its 163rd season on Monday. Rehearsals are held from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m….
Teacher hopes her students ‘drive to be better, try to help others’
By ROSEMARY FIELDING Staff writer One of teacher Jess Vogan’s goals is to introduce the junior and senior students in her learning support program at…
OC STEM team presents winning project to school board
By JIM MEYER Staff writer As they prepare to take their invention to Harrisburg, members of the Oil City Area High School STEM team presented…
Cranberry students get much praise at board meeting
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Cranberry students involved in several artistic ventures came in for some hearty praise from the school board at a…
Emlenton man assigned as new game warden
From staff reports Ethan Beale, of Fenelton, Butler County, has been named game warden for eastern Venango County, Northwest Region Director Richard T. Cramer announced…
Franklin street sweeping set
From staff reports Franklin’s street division will be sweeping streets next week on two shifts. The Gurney Road side of Franklin Heights will be swept…
5 members picked for FHS Hall of Fame
By SARAH TITLEY Staff writer Five new members out of 45 semi-finalist nominees have been selected for induction into the Franklin High School Hall of…
Next step announced in Catholic schools plan here
From staff reports Venango Region Catholic School on Thursday announced the next step in its ongoing planning efforts aimed at strengthening and maintaining Catholic education…
Extension granted to defendants in suit against Franklin schools
From staff reports In a lawsuit that alleges Franklin Area School District administrators failed to act diligently to prevent a middle school girl from being…
FLEX Presents event set April 5 at Barrow
From staff reports Future Leaders and Entrepreneurs Exchange, a young professionals organization of the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce, will host FLEX Presents from 6:30…
Girl with local ties earns medal at Special Olympics
Annamarie Nieves, granddaughter of an Oil City couple, traveled to the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in the United Arab Emirates, where she represented the…
Suicide myths, awareness signs outlined at forum
By RANDY BARTLEY Staff writer Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in Pennsylvania, and Clarion County is not immune from the rising rate…
Clarion University to present 2 Holocaust remembrance events
From staff reports The Clarion University Holocaust Remembrance Committee, Office of Social Equity and Presidential Commission on Racial Equity will join to present Holocaust remembrance…
Collection event set at mall parking lot
From staff reports A collection event for household hazardous waste and electronics will be held in the back parking lot of the Cranberry Mall from…
Grove robotics winners hope to head to Kentucky
By ROSEMARY FIELDING Staff writer Valley Grove Elementary School students Aaron Wetjen, Quinten Boozell, Lucas Hickey and Maddox Songer, recent award winners at a state…
Oil City seeking funds for playground work
From staff reports Oil City’s public works department is looking for a little help. “We need $10,000 for sod to be installed at the Land…
Candidates sparse for some races
From staff reports Voters will pick their favorites for party endorsements in Venango County’s townships and boroughs in the May 21 primary election. In several…
Cranberry duck egg project takes students beyond usual curriculum
By JIM MEYER Staff writer Students at Cranberry Elementary School are hatching duck eggs in a project that is both engaging and educational. “It goes…
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes scheduled in Franklin
From staff reports The PPC Violence Free Network and Shelter will hold its sixth annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event on Sunday, April…
Cranberry supervisors hear updates on 2 projects
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Plans are moving ahead on two Cranberry Township projects. At a supervisors meeting Thursday, Barrie Brancato, chairman of the…
Polk Fire-Rescue seeking $10,000 for equipment upgrades
By SARAH TITLEY Staff writer The Polk Fire-Rescue department is on a mission to raise $10,000 to upgrade emergency scene equipment used for traffic control…