Nick of Time drive will go on for Double Play owners
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer The annual In the Nick of Time campaign, a community project designed to provide area teenagers with holiday gifts,…
Around The County
ORA’s Get on the Trail business plan winners announced
From staff reports Three new recreation opportunities in the region are a little richer thanks to the Get on the Trail business plan contest. The…
OC’s Jingle Bell 5K has been modified to virtual run/walk
From staff reports The Oil City Main Street Program’s annual Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk set for Saturday as part of the city’s annual Christmas Past…
Event at mall is alternative to Victorian Christmas bazaar
From staff reports The Victorian Christmas bazaar held for 16 years at the Oil City Knights of Columbus as part of the annual Christmas Past…
Tri-county’s jobless rate continues to fall
From staff reports The tri-county area’s unemployment rate continues to fall, with both Venango and Clarion counties showing seasonally adjusted rates for October below the…
Donations sought for Tree of Hope
From staff reports The American Cancer Society will offer local residents an opportunity to symbolically light a bulb on its Tree of Hope located in…
OC Legion looking for help to replace flags on bridges
By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer The James M. Henderson American Legion Post in Oil City is looking to replace the American flags on the bridges…
Leaf collections set
From staff reports City crews will pick up leaves next week in the following areas: Oil City Monday – Palace Hill area Tuesday – Siverly…
Cranberry leaders urge residents to follow virus-related directives
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Cranberry Township supervisors took a strong stand on coronavirus-related health directives at a brief meeting Tuesday. “We emphasize that…
Leaf collections set in Oil City
From staff reports The Oil City leaf collection schedule for this week is as follows: Today – Pearl, Washington, Bissell (Harriott to Plummer), Hoffman (East…
Heath’s owners plan another Thanksgiving spread
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Love for their childhood neighborhood combined with cooking talents and a big supply of food are prompting two Oil…
OC playground gets fresh look
The coronavirus pandemic has forced the cancellation of some South Side Neighborhood Association activities, but it didn’t stop the organization from launching a project to…
Leaf collections set in Franklin
From staff reports The City of Franklin street department will pick up leaves with its vacuum machines next week in the following areas: Monday –…
No in-person learning at Grove through Dec. 4
From staff reports Valley Grove School District will remain closed to in-person learning through Friday, Dec. 4, as elementary and high school students continue remote…
Casey, Toomey unveil nursing homes reform bill
From staff reports U.S. Sens. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., are introducing a bipartisan bill to enhance accountability among the nation’s poorest performing…
PUC wants parties in OC electric lines dispute to work things out
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has directed parties involved in a dispute about what might be unsafe electric utility…
Leaf collections set for Oil City
From staff reports The Oil City leaf collection schedule this week is as follows: Today – East Second, East Third, East Fourth (Wilson to dead…
Downtown OC art gallery gearing up for holidays
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer The Transit Art Gallery and gift shop on Oil City’s North Side is ramping it up for the holidays….
OC ministerium holding clothing drive
From staff reports The Oil City Ministerium is conducting a clothing drive to assist the Salvation Army. Congregations within the ministerium are asked to contribute…
Leaf pick-ups scheduled
From staff reports The City of Franklin street department will pick up leaves with its vacuum machines next week in the following areas: Monday –…
Episcopal churches suspend in-person services
From staff reports All in-person services and gatherings have been suspended in Episcopal churches within the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York. The…
Man hopes to get taxi service on track after virus setback
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Just as 33-year-old Scott Kennedy was getting his new business up and running in Oil City, the COVID-19 pandemic…
No rate hikes for Franklin water, sewer users
By SARAH TITLEY Staff writer There will be no rate increase for Franklin water and sewer customers in 2021. Franklin General Authority members unanimously approved…
Assumption bricks gathered as rest of church comes down
By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer As the Assumption BVM Church building in Oil City was reduced to a heap of bricks and boards Monday, several…
Bike ride honors legacy of fallen Army captain
By SARAH TITLEY Staff writer Thirteen bicyclists made their way through the foggy streets of Oil City on Saturday to kick off the first ever…
Leaf Pickup Schedules
From staff reports Franklin Franklin city workers will pick up leaves next week in the following areas: Monday – Gurney Road side of Franklin Heights…
OC restaurant finds new way to keep business running during pandemic
A longtime Oil City restaurant and tavern, operated by the third generation of the founders and nestled into a small neighborhood on the North Side,…
Detours for Route 8 project expected to be lifted Friday
From staff reports The first year of the $32.6 million project to repair and reconstruct nearly 10 miles of Route 8 from Georgetown Road in…
Assumption demolition begins
Demolition began Tuesday on the landmark Assumption BVM Church building on Oil City’s North Side. BKI, the company hired to tear down the building, was…
Waste, electronics collection scheduled
From staff reports Venango County will sponsor a collection for both household hazardous waste and electronics from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov….
Application process for home energy assistance begins
From staff reports The start of the annual Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) application process has begun. The program, which provides home heating bills…
Cranberry schools face ‘shortfall’ in budget
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer The Cranberry Area School District is facing a potential budget crunch despite being only a few months into the…
Leaf pick-ups set for OC, Franklin
From staff reports Franklin Leaf pickups will continue next week in Franklin, starting Monday. Here is the schedule, which could change due to weather. Monday:…
Donations due soon for Winnifred Tonkin Guild collection
From staff reports The major service project of the Winnifred Tonkin Guild is drawing to a close in Venango County, and members are asking for…
Tri-county jobless rate continues to fall
From staff reports The tri-county area’s unemployment rate continues to fall, with both Venango and Clarion counties showing seasonally adjusted rates for September below the…
OC program centers on team building
By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer The Oil City School Board on Monday evening heard from Amy Highfield, assistant principal at Hasson Heights Elementary School, about…
New voter registrations surge
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Keen interest in the Nov. 3 presidential election has pumped up the number of registered voters across the nation,…
County, 2 municipalites working on applications for CDBG funds
By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer Venango County, Cranberry Township and Sugarcreek Borough are in the process of submitting applications for 2020 Community Development Block Grant…
Cranberry still facing setbacks with internet upgrade efforts
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Efforts to expand internet access from rural locations within Cranberry Township continue to be thwarted. Bob Betzold of Hill…
3 Cranberry grads earn Eagle Scout award
From staff reports Three local Boy Scouts earned their Eagle Scout award from Troop 111 in Seneca. A ceremony was held recently at Fertigs Community…
Venango planners give conditional OK to Dollar General in Pinegrove
By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer The Venango County Regional Planning Commission gave conditional approval Tuesday for a new Dollar General store on Route 157 in…
State CASA to hold virtual town hall
From staff reports Pennsylvania CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) has planned a virtual town hall event titled “CASA Across the Commonwealth,” to be held at…
ORA schedules workshop on National Heritage Area
From staff reports A public workshop regarding the strategic plan update for the Oil Region National Heritage Area will be held from 9 a.m. to…
Venango County moving toward option to text 911
By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer Venango County commissioners were told Tuesday that the county is moving toward making it possible for people to text 911…
7 bands planned for show at Pipeline Alley
From staff reports Pipeline Alley in Oil City will be the location for the second annual Halloween show featuring seven bands from the region. The…
Venango has given out nearly $1.5M in CARES funds
By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer Venango County commissioners are continuing to get CARES money out to local small businesses. A total of 267 local businesses…
Venango Blind Association to hold virtual White Cane events
From staff reports The Venango County Association for the Blind is planning some virtual events today to mark the annual observance of White Cane Day….
Venango, Clarion add to virus totals
From staff reports The state Department of Health on Tuesday announced Venango County reported four new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and Clarion County reported one…
Venango leaders say broadband equipment will be in place soon
By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer Venango County commissioners say they are making progress in bringing broadband access to underserved areas in Venango County. The commissioners…
Titusville WW II veteran tours vintage aircraft
From staff reports It was a special day at the Venango Regional Airport on Saturday when World War II veteran Lyle Langdon visited a few…