Around The County

Venango 4-H Teen Council recently hosted their annual Winter Formal in memory of Maddie Johnson, a Teen Council Member and friend. Johnson, a Franklin High…

Pipe Dreams, the area’s only “West Coast sound” band featuring adult contemporary rock from the 1970s and 80s, will perform at the Billy’s has Karma…

The Shapiro administration is offering over $1.6 million in Parent Pathways grants to Pennsylvania post-secondary institutions to support parenting students with tuition assistance, emergency funding,…

The Pennsylvania State Police is accepting applications for cadet and liquor enforcement officer trainee positions. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED and…

Homer H. Page, a lifelong resident of Polk, is celebrating his 90th birthday on January 5, 2025. Born in Pittsburgh in 1935, Homer served in…

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will host an open house recruiting event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 9 at the District 10 office,…

William L. “Bud” Flickner of Franklin celebrates his 90th birthday today. Born in 1934, Bud has had a life filled with family, hard work, and…

Joan Kriebel and her sister, Jayne Daugherty, craft and sell candy sleighs to support homeless veterans in Clarion County, raising $2,500 in 2024 for Community…

Franklin Floral Designs and More, owned by Lindsey Dechant, recently opened at 309 13th St. in Franklin, offering floral arrangements, tuxedo rentals, and a gift…

Techiez Tech Consulting, owned by Zachary Dolby, has opened a storefront in Franklin on 13th Street, offering electronics repairs for devices like phones and computers,…

Keystone High School won honorable mention in The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 10 regional of the Paint the Plow safety outreach contest. This year’s…

PennDOT District 1 is accepting applications for paid internships and summer jobs in Venango, Forest, Crawford, Mercer, Warren, and Erie counties. Positions include engineering, nonengineering,…

The Venango County Democratic Party, with local partners, continues its tradition of delivering free Christmas meals to elderly and homebound residents. Meal deliveries begin at…

Over 300 people gathered at Hasson Heights Elementary School to enjoy the fourth graders’ musical, *A Martian Christmas*, followed by an “Outer Space, Out of…

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and the PA Turnpike Commission implemented the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program (CLPP) at 17 service plazas, achieving a 43% litter reduction in…

On Friday, Franklin Elks Lodge #110 Exalted Ruler Brenda Westover, center, and member Craig Westover, not pictured, dropped off toys donated by Elks members to…

PennDOT announced winners of the District 1 Paint the Plow contest. Oil City High School earned “judge’s pick” for its safety-themed mural, while Mercer High…

The Oil City Music Department’s vocal groups brought festive cheer on Friday with performances at Hasson, Seventh Street, and Smedley elementary schools, where students sang…

The Oil City Arts Council’s 25th annual First Night celebration, themed “Silver Bells,” will take place Dec. 31 from 5:30 to 10:45 p.m. across Oil…

The Ninth Annual Nature Art Showcase and Sale will take place on February 7-8 at the Barrow-Civic Theatre in Franklin, featuring artwork inspired by northwestern…

Pennsylvania Western University will hold its fall commencement on Saturday at the Clarion campus, celebrating graduates from the College of Education, Arts and Humanities; the…

The Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts (ARCA) in Foxburg is hosting a series of diverse concerts at Lincoln Hall over the coming weekends. Highlights…

Justin Gray, a northwest Pennsylvania-based singer/songwriter and a solo acoustic artist, will perform at the Billy’s has Karma series from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday…

The Clarion community came together Saturday night for a festive Light Up Night celebration, highlighted by the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus. The evening…

Don Young of Reno, now 90, is a vibrant and active member of his community. A lifelong resident of Reno, he grew up enjoying local…

Henry Phillip Lencer Sr. of Leeper will celebrate his 90th birthday on Dec. 8. Born in Hallton to Croatian immigrants, he grew up as one…

The Venango Chorus will present “The Carols of Christmas” concert this Sunday at 7 p.m. at Good Hope Lutheran Church in Oil City. The free…

Franklin’s Old-Fashioned Christmas celebration returns this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering festive fun for families in the downtown area. Children can register…

The Valley Grove School Board reelected Brandon Winger as president and Cindy Swendsen as vice president during its reorganization meeting. Melanie Anderson and Todd Carson…

The Seneca school board held a brief reorganization meeting where Tom Neely was unanimously reelected as president, marking his 13th non-consecutive year in the role….

Drake Well Museum and Park is offering three paid internships for Summer 2025, open to post-secondary students in fields such as history, museum studies, education,…

Pipe Dreams will perform at the Billy’s has Karma series from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Billy’s in Oil City. Pipe Dreams is a…

The Cranberry Small Business Association is hosting Cranberry Township’s first Light Up Night tonight at the municipal building, with festivities from 6-9 p.m. The event…

Four local churches in Venango County—East Grove, Center Community, Seneca Sonrise, and Galloway Global Methodist—are hosting a toy drive to support families in North Carolina…

PennWest Clarion celebrated its 30th annual Student Senate Equity Awards and Dinner on November 19, honoring individuals and groups for their contributions to advancing equity…

Seven local entrepreneurs graduated from the nine-week Small Business Jump Start (SBJS) program, which teaches goal setting, business development, and financial literacy, while providing $2,500…

The Rocky Grove Volunteer Fire Department hosted the 34th annual Friends for Food Distribution, organized by Community Services of Venango County, where gratitude and community…

The Brookville Civic Club is offering free parking in downtown Brookville from Nov. 23 to Jan. 2 to make the holidays more convenient for shoppers…

Community Services of Venango County held its 34th annual Friends for Food distribution at the Rocky Grove Volunteer Fire Department, despite chilly rain. With 1,100…

The annual Friends for Food campaign, a collaboration between Community Services of Venango County and *The Derrick/The News-Herald*, has raised an additional $2,750, bringing this…

The Franklin school board approved several initiatives at its recent meeting, including the return of Central Elementary School’s Gettysburg field trip for fifth-graders, marking its…

At the Valley Grove School Board’s monthly meeting, the board hired Anna Hargenrader as a part-time district-wide receptionist, approved several supplemental contracts for sports coaching…

The Wyllis Street Band, consisting of Stephen Woods, Marc Rickard, Andy Young and Tom McLaughlin, will perform at the Billy’s has Karma series from 7…

The annual *In the Nick of Time* campaign, honoring the memory of Nick Sanford, a Cranberry Area High School student who passed away in 2003,…

Baked Goods from Heaven, a popular bakery in Oil City, will relocate from Seneca Street to the historic former Famoore’s restaurant at 18 East First…

Tionesta’s annual Christmas in the Village event brought festive cheer on Saturday, featuring the Sisters of the Northern Forest, who swapped their Halloween witch costumes…

Shirley McFetridge Zilhaver of Polk, born Nov. 17, 1934, celebrates her 90th birthday as a beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who values family and community….

The Miss Sligo Christmas Pageant, hosted by Balanced Buddha Gives Back, took place Sunday at the Sligo Area Recreation Center with 28 girls aged 1-13…

The Venango County Makerspace will hold its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday on the fifth floor of 100…

Franklin’s annual holiday festivities kicked off today with the arrival of a 35-foot spruce Christmas tree, donated by the McGee family, via the “Christmas Tree…