James Patterson donating $2 million to classroom libraries
NEW YORK (AP) — James Patterson is stepping up his game. The best-selling author has increased his annual donations for classroom libraries from $1.75 million…
2018
Recent Deaths 3/19/18
Randall N. “Randy” Barton, 61, of Franklin, died March 16, 2018. Ruth L. Nelson, 91, of Titusville, died March 17, 2018. Monsignor William (Max) Karg, 86,…
Good deeds for others
By WILLIAM STEVENS – Staff writer An Oil City teenager is planning to give back to the less fortunate in Oil City following a fundraiser…
Emlenton Clintonville Road Crash
Franklin native in spotlight during NCAA tourney TV ads
By MARISSA DECHANT – Staff writer March Madness fans tuning in to this month’s NCAA basketball tournament are likely to spot a familiar face among…
“Love, Simon” breaks ground with a radical ordinariness
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Love, Simon” is in many ways an ordinary high school film, one of those glossy, endlessly watchable and entertaining romps made…
US probes 4 deaths in Hyundai-Kia cars when air bags failed
DETROIT (AP) — Air bags in some Hyundai and Kia cars failed to inflate in crashes and four people are dead. Now the U.S. government’s…
Pirates C Cervelli hopes new workouts lead to healthy year
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Francisco Cervelli has one primary personal goal this season — stay healthy. The Pittsburgh Pirates catcher was limited to 81 games…
Color and painting for homes workshop
The Oil City Main Street Program will host an educational workshop titled “Balancing Then and Now: Color and Painting for Historic Buildings and Homes” from…
Franklin man accused of assaulting boy
A Franklin man is facing charges after he allegedly cut off the airways of a juvenile boy during an altercation last month at a Pacific…
FBI at site where Civil War gold rumored to be buried
A 155-year-old legend about buried federal gold appears to have caught the attention of the FBI. Dozens of FBI agents, along with Pennsylvania state officials…
In reboot for Netflix, ‘Benji’ is still a good boy
It’s been a mere 14 years since the last “Benji” movie. But in dog years, that’s an eternity. In an entertainment world more cacophonous than…
Hornqvist scores 2 as Penguins beat Canadiens, 5-3
MONTREAL (AP) — It was only a matter of time before the relentless Pittsburgh Penguins pulled away from the Montreal Canadiens and held them at…
Recent Deaths 3/17/18
Loretta E. Waslohn, 98, of Greenville, South Carolina, formerly of Oil City, died Thursday March 15, 2018. Randall N. “Randy” Barton, 61, of Franklin, died Friday,…
Franklin robotics team earns awards
From staff reports Franklin High School’s VEX robotics team wrapped up its 2017-18 campaign at the Western Pennsylvania State Championships held Saturday at Keystone Oaks High…
Lend a hand, open your wallet
Precious Paws Animal Rescue and Tri-County Animal Rescue Center have fundraisers planned on Saturday and other animal rescues are looking for folks to lend a…
Pet of the day 3/16/18
Bailey is an affectionate young girl. She is spayed, current on vaccines, and tested negative for fiv and leukemia. Bailey can be found at Tri-County…
Charred green beans with lemon verbena pesto
Serves 2 to 4 Green Beans 11/2 pounds slender green beans 2 teaspoons olive oil Lemon Verbena Pesto 1 cup fresh lemon verbena leaves (substitute…
Wanted OC woman spotted in Titusville
By JIM MEYER Staff writer Oil City police said an Oil City woman who has been wanted since January was recently seen on security camera…
PennDOT says 75 projects on tap for northwest region
From staff reports The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said several highway and bridge projects are on the agenda for the northwest region over the next…
Fallen bridge: ‘Stress test’ preceded collapse that killed 6
MIAMI (AP) — An innovative pedestrian bridge being built at Florida International University had been put to a “stress test” and its cables were being…
Hornqvist scores 2 as Penguins beat Canadiens, 5-3
MONTREAL (AP) — It was only a matter of time before the relentless Pittsburgh Penguins pulled away from the Montreal Canadiens and held them at…
‘Slap Rihanna’ ad on Snapchat brings outrage, apologies
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An ad on Snapchat asking users if they’d rather “Slap Rihanna” or “Punch Chris Brown” has spawned widespread outrage, including from…
Recent Deaths 3/16/18
Wayne L. Minich, 87, of New Bethlehem, died March 14, 2018. Mae M. Rybka, 89, of Pleasantville, died March 14, 2018. Betty McElhattan, 94, of Franklin,…
Cornplanter Twp. drug possession
Vehicle rollover
Enjoy an environmentally friendly St. Patrick’s Day
Green is the color most associated with St. Patrick’s Day, and green also can be the primary mindset of hosts and hostesses when planning Paddy’s…
Pet of the day 3/15/18
Name: Tucker Breed: Australian Shepherd/ Coonhound Age: 10 months Gender: Male Size: Medium Color: Red Declawed: No House-trained: Yes Adoption Price: $125.00 Tucker can be…
Broccoli with a dusting of parmesan cheese and roasted garlic
Servings: 4-6 Start to finish: 20 minutes 1 head of broccoli 1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves 1/2-1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon Kosher salt…
Former wrestling club president accused of stealing $5,000
By MARISSA DECHANT Staff writer A Utica woman is facing fraud charges after she allegedly withdrew more than $5,000 from the Friends of the Franklin…
Starlite Xpress to hold registration
From staff reports Starlite Xpress baton group will accept registrations at its first practice of the season set for Thursday, March 22, at the Venango…
Adults: It’s your move, students say after historic walkouts
The Associated Press They bowed their heads in honor of the dead. They carried signs with messages like “Never again” and “Am I next?” They…
Zibanejad’s late 2 goals rally Rangers past Penguins in OT
NEW YORK (AP) — Although they will likely miss the playoffs for the first time since 2010, the New York Rangers are still scrapping for…
‘American Idol’ contestant: Perry kiss not harassment
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Singer Katy Perry kissed a contestant on “American Idol” and he did not like it. But Benjamin Glaze is downplaying some…
Recent Deaths 3/15/18
Betty McElhattan, 94, of Franklin, died March 13, 2018. Ronald E. Cratty, 83, of Oil City, died March 14, 2018. Wendell G. Bashline, 67, of…
Oil City drug possession
Senior centers set schedules
Cranberry Place The Cranberry Place Older Adult Center is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Lunch is served daily at 11:30 a.m. for a suggested donation…
Successful spring turkey hunting with a decoy
Spring turkey hunting seasons are only weeks away pretty much everywhere in the country. They get rolling as early as mid-March in some parts of…
Pet of the day 3/14/18
Laurel came to us as a stray and sadly nobody came looking for her. She is very sweet, and she is already spayed, negative for…
Cabbage soup made with ginger and garlic broth
Servings: 4 Start to finish: 25 minutes 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 large yellow onion, sliced 1-inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into…
Multimodal, Cornplanter Square plans moving forward
By JIM MEYER Staff Writer Two major revitalization projects for Oil City continue to move forward following action Tuesday by the Venango County commissioners. The…
‘Little Shop of Horrors’ opens Thursday at Keystone
The cast, crew and production staff at Keystone High School will be presenting “Little Shop of Horrors” Thursday through Saturday. Doors open at 6:30. Tickets…
Students to walk out nationwide protesting gun violence
The Associated Press From Maine to Hawaii, students planned to walk out of school Wednesday to protest gun violence in the biggest demonstration yet of…
‘Homer can help you’: War vets use ancient epics to cope
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The trials of Odysseus are really not that different from the struggles of those learning to readjust after wars of today,…
Recent Deaths 3/14/18
Mike Mong, 73, of Morganton, North Carolina, died March 11, 2018. Ruel A. Root Jr., 84, of Vowinckel, died March 12, 2018. Thomas M. Jones, 87,…
Brilliant, popular physicist Stephen Hawking dies at 76
PARIS (AP) — In his final years, the only thing connecting the brilliant physicist to the outside world was a couple of inches of frayed…
Oakland Twp. DUI crash
Emlenton Borough disorderly conduct
Jump Rope for Heart
On Saturday, March 3, 2018, Smedley and Seventh Street Elementary Schools hosted a Jump Rope for Heart event at Oil City High School. The schools…
Time of transition
More Canada geese have been heard and spotted overhead. Different birds are stopping by the feeder and other places. The most notable observation from this…