Around The County

From staff reports The state Department of Labor & Industry is implementing new federal unemployment compensation benefits provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Susan Williams, CEO of the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce, recently got a call from a young medical student…

From staff reports The Catholic Diocese of Erie is in the midst of its Holy Week At Home initiative. Many pastors in the diocese have…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer One of Oil City’s most popular venues may not open this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic. City officials…

From staff reports The annual Good Friday laymen’s service in Oil City will be held as scheduled, with some changes that were necessitated by the…

By DILLON PROVENZA Staff writer Experts say an uptick in tick bites can be expected following a nationwide growth trend with the bloodsucking parasites. “I…

From staff reports The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has launched a statewide support and referral helpline staffed by caseworkers who will be available 24/7…

From staff reports Five local people have completed a 40-hour Penn State Extension Master Gardener educational program. The graduates include Linda Anderson, Susan Courson, Dave…

From staff reports Here are allowable activities and travel under Gov. Tom Wolf’s stay-at-home order: — Tasks essential to maintain health and safety, or the…

From staff reports In-person recovery meetings for Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous throughout the area have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Numerous online…

From staff reports Oil City police are restricting access to the police station after someone claiming to have COVID-19 paid them a visit Monday. Chief…

By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer Census Day is falling on April Fool’s Day today, but the census is no joke. Every home across the country…

The statue along the banks of the Allegheny River on Route 62 on Oil City’s South Side has donned a face mask as of late…

Erosion of Sugar Creek’s shoreline was encroaching on a building along South Main Street in Cooperstown on Monday. Last year, a storm started heavy erosion…

From staff reports Venango County 911 said strong storms Sunday resulted in several reports of flooded roadways, downed trees and downed wires in the area….

By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer Local police are taking precautions as they continue to serve their communities. There have been minimal changes to state police…

From staff reports Pastors at Good Hope and Zion Lutheran churches in Oil City brought cheer and goodie bags to church members this week. The…

From staff reports Portions of Venango County’s Two Mile Run Park are closed to the public as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Luke Kauffman,…

From staff reports Students in Cranberry Area School District have been advised that school officials are creating a plan for educational studies while the schools…

By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer Teachers at Oil City’s South Side elementary schools and at Venango Region Catholic School are sending videos to their students….

From staff reports Cranberry School District has announced it has received approval to implement student meal service during the school closure. Beginning Thursday, families will…

From staff reports The American Red Cross is facing a severe blood shortage due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations in response to…

By ROSEMARY FIELDING Staff writer The 2019 Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT) show Venango County’s four school districts with relatively closely-aligned scores, while scores from Clarion…

East First Street in Oil City between Central Avenue and State Street was closed for almost seven hours Saturday while crews worked to fix a…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer The timing for a major area fundraising campaign to aid non-profit organizations couldn’t have been worse. The fourth annual…

From staff reports The City of Franklin street department will sweep streets in the following areas next week: Monday through Wednesday – Third shift, business…

From staff reports Paul J. Kaylor, a native of Kennerdell, has been promoted to captain in the U.S. Navy. He is the son of the…

From staff reports Two area food pantries have changed how they will distribute food items. — The Cranberry Food Pantry will have its regular food…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer The Days Inn hotel in downtown Oil City has been scheduled for a sheriff’s sale in May. A notice…

By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer Oil City School Board members heard a presentation Monday about extensive building renovations being proposed for Hasson Heights Elementary School….

From staff reports A Titusville facility is receiving $500,000 from a $2.8 million state revitalization fund, Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday. Titusville Iron Works is…

From staff reports The start date for the project to reconstruct more than 17 miles of Route 8 in Venango County has been rescheduled due…

From staff reports Several area agencies, organizations and schools have canceled or postponed events as a result of the coronavirus. Other area facilities, including YMCAs…

From staff reports Area school districts are hustling to meet new and stricter guidelines for facility cleaning in response to the coronavirus. In the Cranberry…

From staff reports Northern Pennsylvania Regional College has been approved by its board of trustees to offer a two-year associate degree of applied science in…

By SARAH TITLEY Staff writer Fond memories will be up for grabs Saturday when items from the former Franklin Club go up for auction. The…

From staff reports A campaign to collect items for women deployed on active duty in the U.S. military is picking up steam. “We received many…

From staff reports A school safety drill will be conducted Friday, March 20, at the Oil City high school and middle school. The drill will…

By SARAH TITLEY Staff writer Manpower within the Franklin Police Department has been a talking point at several recent city council meetings, but what are…

From staff reports Sugarcreek Borough Council members were given an update Wednesday on renovation progress at the original Kmart building on Allegheny Boulevard in Reno….

On Feb. 27, 2020, Franklin’s Jesse G. Greer Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1835 presented the Commission to Remember Our Heroes with a check for…

By SARAH TITLEY Staff writer The Miller-Sibley recreation complex is one step closer to renovation, Franklin city manager Tracy Jamieson told city council members Monday….

From staff reports Area counties will benefit from more than $32.2 million distributed to them from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s $487.5 million in liquid…

From staff reports Pack-the-Plaza will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. Sunday in Oil City’s Central Avenue Plaza. Designed as a non-partisan and non-sectarian…

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Cranberry School Board voted Monday to sign on with a consulting firm in an effort to secure grant funding…

From staff reports The Rev. Elizabeth Yale, priest in charge of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Franklin, will conduct a candlelight prayer vigil against gun…

Several Oil City water department employees worked to repair a broken water main Friday on Clearfield Street. The call for the broken pipe came in…

From staff reports Area school districts are receiving state funding to assist with security and safety-related expenses. State representatives R. Lee James and Donna Oberlander…

From staff reports A water line break early Tuesday morning in Oil City caused a few residents to notice a disruption in service. Jason Herman,…

By SARAH TITLEY Staff writer Substitute superintendent Pat Gavin had a lot of good things to say about Franklin students during Monday’s Franklin School Board…