Around The County

By SARAH TITLEY Staff writer Motorists in downtown Franklin might rest a little easier with the knowledge a roundabout will most likely not become part…

From staff reports Community Services of Venango County operates two food pantries. Oil City – 203 Center St.; 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Street paving work described by Oil City officials as “robust” will start within the next six weeks as a…

From staff reports A Sandycreek Township man has been named district executive for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Northwest region. Brian McNulty is responsible for…

From staff reports The Franklin Public Library will open its teen reading lounge later this summer. Teens who want to participate in the non-traditional book…

From staff reports The Department of Human Services on Tuesday announced older Pennsylvania youths exiting the foster-care system are now eligible for aftercare services until…

From staff reports 8 hrs ago The U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) recently awarded a $5.4 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to…

KNOX – The Knox Public Library will reopen to the public today, with limitations. Masks are required for all visitors, and hand sanitizer will be…

By DILLON PROVENZA Staff writer Franklin state police don’t plan to have an active role in enforcing the state’s latest directives regarding the wearing of…

From staff reports Four new cases of COVID-19 were reported from Venango County on Thursday, according to the state Department of Health. The county, which…

From staff reports The building that is home to Giant Eagle in Oil City is up for sale. According to Bill Moon, broker of record…

From staff reports The Oil City Arts Council will start its Pipeline Alley concerts today with a virtual performance by Back Porch Gold. The group…

Billy Blankenship, of Maryland, grandson of Steve and Patti English, of Henry’s Bend, enjoyed fishing Thursday with his grandfather on the Allegheny River under the…

Vivianne Hartman, 12, Penelope Niemie, 3, Sofia Niemie, 10, and Leiv Harman, 10, (not in picture) planted flowers on an unknown Civil War soldier’s grave…

From staff reports The Oil Valley Film Festival held annually in Oil City will take place digitally this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer WS Packaging Inc., a commercial label and packaging plant purchased by Multi-Color Corp. and located in Sandycreek Township, is…

From staff reports The Oil City Catholic Community festival that was scheduled July 23-25 during the Oil Heritage Festival has been canceled. This year’s event…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer As Oil Heritage Festival organizers scurry to figure out how to reconfigure the celebration because of coronavirus-related directives, one…

From staff reports The state Department of Health and state Emergency Management Agency will partner with CVS Health to offer COVID-19 testing services to skilled…

By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer Oil City School Board members heard from the Oil City Middle School News team during Monday’s board meeting. The team’s…

By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer Oil City School Board members on Monday unanimously approved the district’s budget for the 2020-2021 school year and hired an…

By DILLON PROVENZA Staff writer River Ridge Golf Course has received some patriotic new paint jobs. Patrick Hughes spent most of last week spray painting…

By SARAH TITLEY Staff writer As many events are canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic and crowd restrictions, the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce and…

Oil City firefighter Scott Attenborough collects a donation at the corner of Petroleum and First streets Friday for the Jolly July 3rd fireworks display over…

By DILLON PROVENZA Staff writer Franklin is the focus of a new crime-thriller novel “Ace of Diamonds” that was released last month. Jim Bushee, of…

By DILLON PROVENZA Staff writer Valley Grove School District served more than 50,000 meals to the local community over about a two-month period after COVID-19…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer The owners of Red Express, a family-owned convenience store chain with three locations in Venango County, have asked the…

From staff reports In order to protect the health and safety of guests and volunteers due to COVID-19, and in compliance with state-mandated regulations, the…

From staff reports The Oil Region Library Association is launching “SummerQuest – Imagine Your Story” today for patrons of the Oil City, Franklin and Cooperstown…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Oil City’s annual summer playground program, temporarily put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, will open Wednesday, June…

By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer All CATA buses are being treated with a disinfectant coating, PermaSafe, that kills germs and is designed to be long-lasting….

From staff reports UPMC Northwest recently began directing patients who received physician consultation and referral for symptoms consistent with COVID-19 to its outpatient specimen collection…

From staff reports A multigenerational retail store in Titusville is closing its doors after 88 years in business. Day’s Home Furnishings, at 315 S. Franklin…

From staff reports Oil City Middle School students won third place in a statewide video competition. The “What’s So Cool about Manufacturing” video contest gives…

From staff reports The third round of grant applications for the COVID-19 Relief Fund are open until June 17. The relief fund is a result…

From staff reports The Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism’s annual Get on the Trail business plan contest seeks to award up to…

From staff reports Oil City Main Street Program has announced the return of its Music on the Square summer outdoor concert series. The first concert,…

By SARAH TITLEY Staff writer Sugarcreek Borough manager Joe Sporer says the borough is taking some revenue hits because of coronavirus-related shutdowns. Sporer told borough…

After a several week break, a group of veterans has resumed its Friday ritual of waving flags at the corner of Petroleum and Front streets…

By DILLON PROVENZA Staff writer Valley Grove Elementary School is holding a parade today to send students into summer break. “It’s kind of a bittersweet…

From staff reports St. Patrick Church in Franklin will begin its regular weekend Masses at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday….

From staff reports Community Blood Bank will hold an emergency blood drive from 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at the former Verizon store in the…

Franklin Library patron Andrea Reed (left) picks up her pre-ordered selections Tuesday from Debra Houser, a library staff member, as part of the library’s new…

From staff reports The state Department of Agriculture has received approval to continue operating the Disaster Household Distribution program, through The Emergency Food Assistance Program,…

From staff reports The two public parks in Cranberry Township will open for the season Monday. Township supervisors agreed at a meeting Thursday to open…

From staff reports The Small Business Jump Start program held spring graduation for its Franklin group on May 21. SBJS participants learned about business goals…

Oil City residents Jeannine Guth (left), a Marine Corps veteran, and Mary Kay Johnson, an Army veteran, are packing up boxes of personal hygiene and…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Venango County’s three public libraries are working out the details this week to prepare for a limited opening to…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Cranberry School Board gave its unanimous approval Monday to a tentative 2020-21 budget that doesn’t include a property tax…

From staff reports Child Development Centers announced it will reopen care to children under 12 months of age on June 1. The age group had…