Around The County

By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer With more COVID vaccination sites opening through hospitals and at pharmacies, the Crawford Area Transportation Authority is offering free rides…

From staff reports Get Connected Venango, the United Way of Venango County’s resource for volunteer connections, is an online portal used to connect volunteers with…

From staff reports Youth Connection will hold a bowling fundraiser as a COVID-friendly alternative to its annual Bowl-A-Palooza. Participants who raise $50 or more by…

From staff reports Students at Franklin and Rocky Grove high schools will present “The Theory of Relativity” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 12-13….

From staff reports Christian Life Academy high school students raised money for a program that will benefit people outside their school, and they succeeded beyond…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer The Oil City-Franklin Zonta Club is marking International Women’s Day on Monday with a fundraiser featuring rose plants. The…

CONNEAUT LAKE (AP) — A federal bankruptcy court judge has approved the sale of a century-old amusement park in northwestern Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh-based U.S. Bankruptcy Court…

From staff reports The state Department of Health on Monday announced a combined eight new cases of COVID-19 were reported from Venango and Clarion counties….

From staff reports The Oil Region Alliance is accepting nominations for its 2021 historic preservation awards. The awards recognize people and projects that preserve the…

From staff reports About 50 people dove into freezing waters at Two Mile Run County Park on Saturday for the annual Two Mile Plunge. This…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Two popular summertime venues for Oil City got the go-ahead Thursday as city council voted to proceed with preparations…

From staff reports The United Way of Venango County has launched a sock and underwear drive for local students. Through the agency’s “School Closet” program,…

From staff reports The United Way of Venango County will provide 1,400 households in the county with items to prepare an Easter dinner from 10…

From staff reports Boy Scout Troop 11 of Oil City honored two Scouts – Alex Cozad and Jackson Donovan – with their Eagle awards during…

From staff reports The popular walking trail at the UPMC Northwest hospital in Seneca is getting an upgrade to provide better access to the walkway….

By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer Venango County commissioners keep pushing forward with broadband upgrade efforts in the county. Commissioner Mike Dulaney said the county is…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer The owner of a junkyard at the intersection of Route 322 and Deep Hollow Road in Cranberry Township has…

From staff reports The state Department of Health on Friday announced 28 new cases of COVID-19 were reported from the tri-county area, as well as…

From staff reports The state Department of Health on Thursday announced seven new cases of COVID-19 and one new virus-related death from each county in…

From staff reports A free COVID testing site will be set up next week at the Rocky Grove fire hall. The testing is free for…

From staff reports Franklin High School students will return to 100 percent in-person instruction beginning Monday. The district had anticipated moving to full face-to-face instruction…

From staff reports Edinboro University plans to open its campus in fall, assuming the COVID-19 situation improves and health officials do not advise against it,…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer UPMC Northwest rolled out a limited community vaccination effort on Friday with the spotlight on Venango County residents 80…

From staff reports Offices in the Venango County Courthouse and other county buildings will reopen for public access on Tuesday. County offices have continued to…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Cranberry Township is asking the Venango County Land Bank for some funding to help defray costs associated with the…

From staff reports Orders and payment for the American Cancer Society’s Daffodil Days in Venango County are due by Friday, Feb. 19. Items available are…

The Oil City Arts Council will present a virtual Transit Concert with Acoustic Earle at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The concert is one of several that…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer The Oil City, Franklin and Cooperstown public libraries are reopening for public access Monday, Feb. 15. “Through examples of…

From staff reports The state Department of Health over the weekend announced 49 new cases of COVID-19 from the tri-county area, as well as two…

By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer As schools have transitioned between virtual and hybrid learning at different times over the last several months, the United Way…

From staff reports The state Department of Health on Friday announced a combined 35 new cases of COVID-19 were reported from Clarion and Venango counties,…

From staff reports Residents on a portion of Division Street in Oil City will be surveyed next week to determine eligibility for a street paving…

By DILLON PROVENZA Staff writer Sugarcreek Borough Council on Wednesday voted to approve a $25,000 allotment and $2,000 for vehicle insurance for the Reno Volunteer…

From staff reports The tri-county area’s December unemployment rate – for the most part – broke its downward trend as percentages in both Clarion and…

From staff reports The state Department of Health on Monday announced 14 new cases of COVID-19 were reported from the tri-county area. The state said…

From staff reports The Oil City Main Street Program and Pennsylvania Downtown Center have joined forces to encourage people to support small businesses with the…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer UPMC Northwest is continuing to vaccinate health care workers while eagerly awaiting a larger COVID-19 vaccine shipment to begin…

From staff reports The Franklin Fine Arts Council will sponsor its annual Franklin On Ice on Saturday, Feb. 6. “This year’s event will be a…

From staff reports The University of Pittsburgh at Titusville is moving forward with its plan to renovate the Broadhurst Science Center. “We are excited and…

From staff reports Franklin junior and senior high school students will return to 100% virtual learning through Friday after a cafeteria employee tested positive for…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer A local organization’s novel way to call attention to everyday heroes is cranking up as area residents offer their…

By A.J. TITLEY Staff writer Franklin School District Superintendent Mark Loucks told school board members Monday “morale is up” in the district. “The kids are…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Last year was a hard one for scores of local families facing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic…

From staff reports Franklin Area School District is set to return to full-time, face-to-face learning for all students Monday. Elementary students have had hybrid instruction…

From staff reports A draft of the strategic plan for the Oil Region National Heritage Area is now available for review prior to a public…

From staff reports Clarissa Davis Ray Carns Marvin of Franklin will celebrate her 100th birthday on Saturday. She was born Jan. 23, 1921, in her…

From staff reports Brayden Crocker, a junior at Oil City High School, is this year’s recipient of the annual Cole McMahon “Heart of Gold” Memorial…

From staff reports Washington’s Trail 1753 will host a free, one-hour webinar titled “The Venango Path – Then and Now” at 10 a.m. on Thursday,…

From staff reports State Rep. R. Lee James will offer veterans affairs outreach hours at his Seneca office, 3220 Route 257, from 10 a.m. to…

By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer Venango County commissioners offered a breakdown at their meeting Tuesday of how the county spent the $4.575 million in CARES…