Annual Heritage Festival fishing derby is Saturday
The annual Oil Heritage Festival children’s fishing derby, sponsored by the Oil City chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, will take place on…
July 2024
Recent Deaths 07/22/24
Kenneth C. Wilson, 71, of Oil City, passed away Saturday, July 20, 2024. Robert J. “Bob” Perry, 81, of Emlenton, passed away Friday afternoon, July…
Woman who jumped off bridge identified
An Ohio woman has been identified as the person who jumped to her death Wednesday afternoon from a bridge in the area of Deer Creek…
Pet of the Day 07/21/24
Meet Walt Jr. Walt was trapped from under a building by one of our volunteers. He was not socialized when he came to PAWS, but…
Oil City couple facing drug charges
An Oil City couple, Emma Lou Pepper and Christopher Joseph Mozurak, are facing drug charges after being found with drugs in their vehicle on February…
I-80 lane closures to be extended
A date extension has been announced for the short-term lane closures for the Interstate 80 North Fork bridges project in Jefferson County. The closures were…
Residents enjoy Oak Hill festival
Drucilla Boggers, 8, of Franklin, tosses a softball at the target to (successfully) dunk Oak Hill Apartments property manager Tammy Ross at the second Oak…
Recent Deaths 07/20/24
Joretta “Jo” M. (Swartzfager) Widmyer, 93, of Cherrytree, passed away on July 18, 2024. Brenda Katherine Reed Wassum of Salisbury, NC, formerly of Clarion, passed…
Pet of the Day 07/19/24
Meet Godiva! Meet Godiva, an adorable and loving sweetheart with lots of energy! Godiva is about 5 years old, and is the perfect companion for…
Several topics raised at hearing involving Rhodes companies
The Rhodes Estate water companies may face rate increases due to financial difficulties, as discussed in a Public Utility Commission pre-hearing. Judge Mark A. Hoyer…
Clarion County Fair ready to roll after damage clean up at grounds
The Clarion County Fair will proceed next week despite recent storm damage at Redbank Valley Municipal Park. High winds toppled trees onto campers, but no…
Franklin General Authority gets $3.1M EPA grant
The Franklin General Authority has been awarded a $3,182,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency’s sewer overflow and stormwater reuse municipal grant program. The EPA…
Conservancy river sojourn planned Aug. 2
The Allegheny Valley Conservancy will host its annual Allegheny River Sojourn on Friday, Aug. 2, starting at 9:30 a.m. at the SaltBox Visitor Center in…
Recent Deaths 07/19/24
David E. Weingard, 83, of Seneca, died early on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Madeline Ruth Sowers, 100, of Clarion, passed away on July 17, 2024….
Area youth hoops ambassador found his ‘home’ at VC
Jeff Polley, known for his dedication to youth basketball in Oil City, reflects on how Venango Catholic High School played a crucial role in the…
Trump shooter remains elusive enigma
A complex portrait is emerging of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania….
Person jumps from bridge; coroner called
Clarion County Coroner Dan Shingledecker confirmed to the newspaper that he was called to the area of Deer Creek and Beaver Furnace Road in Beaver…
Franklin wastewater project receives $22M in funding
The Franklin General Authority has secured $22 million in funding from PENNVEST for the initial phase of a significant wastewater project in Franklin. This project,…
Pet of the Day 07/18/24
Meet Belgian! If you like big cats, we have the perfect girl for you! Belgian came to us when her owners could no longer care…
PennWest names transitional panel
PennWest University President Jon Anderson, who began his role on July 1, has announced the formation of a presidential transition committee composed of students, faculty,…
Recent Deaths 07/18/24
John W. Griffin, 89, of Seneca, passed away Wednesday, July 17, 2024. For complete obituaries, pick up a copy of The Derrick for this…
Arts and music set for Clarion Summer Fest’s third weekend
Clarion Summer Fest’s Arts and Music weekend, organized by The Local Clarion County, will run from Friday, Aug. 2, through Sunday, Aug. 4. The event…
Franklin School Board OKs personnel, policy matters
At the Franklin School Board’s combined work and business meeting, numerous personnel and policy updates were approved, including several new and revised policies on home…
Pet of the Day 07/17/24
Meet Rudy! Meet Rudy, a very sweet dog looking for a loving home! He is young, friendly, affectionate, playful, smart, curious, and brave, and loves…
Bridge Lit Fest to enjoy new space for its second year
The Bridge Lit Fest, previously known as the Wildcat Lit Fest, will take place on August 10 at the newly acquired Venango Campus, thanks to…
Plans for Clarion County bridge project can be viewed
PennDOT is inviting the public to view plans for the Route 322 over Paint Creek bridge replacement project in Elk Township, Clarion County. The purpose…
Let’s Preserve: Root Vegetables – Beets, Carrots, Turnips, and Rutabagas
Root vegetables must be processed in a pressure canner. They cannot be safely canned in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner. Caution: Root…
Recent Deaths 07/17/24
Ralph L. Nail, 88, of Hilliards, PA, passed away on Monday, July 15, 2024. Keith Allen Meier, age 98, of Knox, passed away on July…
About 2,300 cans of water arrive for Reno firefighters
A pallet containing 2,352 cans of water was delivered Monday for the Reno Volunteer Fire Department. The water is being stored at the Klapec Trucking…
Pet of the Day 07/16/24
Meet Ebony Someone used to love Ebony. This senior lady was spayed when a kind soul found her hiding in his workshop and brought her…
Recovery simulation event set Friday in Clarion
The Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission will host a recovery simulation event Friday at the Gemmell Student Center at PennWest-Clarion University. There will be two…
Recent Deaths 07/16/24
Robert A. White, 86, of Oil City, died Sunday, July 14, 2024. Dale Leroy Myers, 71, of Knox, passed away on Sunday, July 14, 2024….
Four people displaced in Oil City fire
A fire occurred late Friday night at a residence on 107 East Second Street in Oil City, resulting in no injuries but displacing four adults…
Pet of the Day 07/15/24
Meet Bruno! If you’re looking for a fun, loving, and brave companion, look no further than Bruno! This special boy is a friendly, affectionate, and…
Emlenton Summer Festival enjoys some sun
Emlenton’s Main Street hosted the annual Emlenton Summer Festival over a hot and sunny weekend. Festivities began Friday morning with community yard sales and the…
Jeep lovers roll into Two Mile Run for weekend ride
Off-road Jeep enthusiasts gathered at Pioneer Flats for the fourth annual Ten Miles 4 Two Mile Jeep Run during a dry and sunny weekend. Participants…
Mountain bikers come together for a cause
Members of the North Allegheny Mountain Bike Association, The Two Mile Run Mountain Biking group and 4 Season Cycle gather on Saturday morning for two…
Recent Deaths 07/15/24
Marilyn J. Flick McFadden, 83, of Grove City, formerly of Seneca, died Friday afternoon, July 12, 2024. Rita Ann Ochs, age 81 of Lucinda, passed…
Nifty at 90: Venus man wore many professional hats
Paul “Popeye” Glass, a lifelong resident of Venus, was born on July 15, 1934, as the eighth of 14 children. He attended a one-room schoolhouse…
Pet of the Day 07/13/24
Meet Augusta Augusta is very shy at this point. She was brought to the shelter after being trapped from an outdoor situation where her former…
Zonta supplies decals to local women-owned businesses
The Oil City-Franklin Zonta Club has been highlighting women-owned businesses in Venango County by presenting window decals to those that are at least 51% women-owned….
Tionesta’s Mt. Zion Lutheran Church to celebrate 175 years
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church on German Hill in Tionesta will celebrate its 175-year anniversary on Sunday, July 21, with a special service at 1 p.m.,…
Shakespeare in the Park performance
Sabre Boland (center) of Dayton, Ohio, performs a sonnet Friday evening in Franklin’s Bandstand Park at the conclusion of the first Shakespeare in the Park…
Lanes, ramp reopen for Clarion River Bridge project
The eastbound and westbound lanes and the on-ramp from Route 66 to eastbound Interstate 80 reopened late Friday afternoon as work keeps moving ahead on…
Kickoff Meeting for Communities LEAP Initiative: Paving the Way for Energy Resilience and Job Creation in Venango County
On Wednesday, July 10th, at 3 PM, a pivotal kickoff meeting was held to mark the commencement of a groundbreaking project under the Department of…
Recent Deaths 07/13/24
Judy Diane (Pressler) Stanley, 71, of Oil City, passed away Saturday, June 22, 2024. Robert B. “Andy” Anderson, 84, of Franklin, died Wednesday, July 10,…
Pet of the Day 07/12/24
Meet Bear! Meet Bear, the 3-year-old mastiff mix with a heart as big as he is! Bear recently came to us as a stray and…
PennWest-Clarion Small Business Development Center honored
The PennWest-Clarion Small Business Development Center has been named the Western Pennsylvania Center of the Year for 2024 by the U.S. Small Business Administration. PennWest-Clarion…
Plans advance for bridge repair project in Cranberry Township
Cranberry Township supervisors approved using up to $80,000 from the general fund for Meadow Church Road bridge repairs to expedite the process, which had been…
Recent Deaths 07/12/24
Roy Edsel Wyant, age 96, of New Bethlehem, passed away early Thursday morning, July 11, 2024. Matthew M. Sargent Sr., 80, of Rouseville, passed away…