Around The County

By HELEN FIELDING Staff writer To a round of applause, Franklin mayor Doug Baker introduced James Shreffler as the city’s new events and marketing coordinator…

From staff reports The Venango County 4-H organization recently held its animal leadership banquet and awards ceremony. A total of 73 4-H participants who completed…

From staff reports The state Department of Environmental Protection has approved funding for Oil City’s rehabilitation of the Hasson Park restroom facilities and complete bandshell…

By RANDY BARTLEY Staff Writer Veterans and their families who couldn’t attend the Cranberry Area High School Veterans Day program on Thursday were able to…

From staff reports The Caring Place in Franklin held an open house and ribbon-cutting last week to formally unveil the new name for the facility’s…

From staff reports Changes are coming to dog licenses in Pennsylvania beginning Dec. 1, due to changes in state law. From Dec. 1 to Jan….

By HELEN FIELDING Staff writer Bright sunshine made for perfect tree-decorating weather Friday in Franklin when the community Christmas tree chugged into town aboard the…

From staff reports The Sugarcreek Borough Police Department, in conjunction with Community Services of Venango County, will conduct its seventh annual food drive from 1…

From staff reports PennWest-Clarion’s Venango Campus in Oil City will hold its annual veterans program at 11 a.m. Monday in the Rhoades Center auditorium. The…

From staff reports The annual pajama collection project is up and running for the 12th year at Christ Episcopal Church in Oil City. The pajama…

From staff reports The City of Franklin will welcome its community Christmas tree on Friday. This year’s tree was donated to the city by Dixie…

From staff reports Local artist and Woods and River Coffee co-owner Marcy Hall is asking the community to give input and work together on the…

From staff reports The Venango County Conservation Hall of Fame 2023 induction ceremonies will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Rhoades Hall auditorium…

From staff reports Pink Pumpkins for UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at UPMC Northwest, Seven Mountains Media and Northwest Hospital Foundation joined for Breast Cancer Awareness…

By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer Oil City Council members heard an update Thursday on the East Second Street project and honored the late Henry B….

From staff reports Christmas Tree Lane, the annual fundraiser for the Cochranton Community Fair Parade, is scheduled to run Nov. 17 to 19. There are…

Sixth-grade students of teacher Eva Hollidge at Sandycreek Elementary School hosted a breakfast for veterans this week. Hollidge, who teaches health, science and social studies…

By MARK OLIVER City editor School board races next week in the Oil City and Franklin school districts feature ballot choices for voters, while the…

From staff reports Next week has been designated Military and Veterans Appreciation Week at Pennsylvania Western University, and ceremonies to mark Veterans Day have been…

From staff reports Crawford Area Transportation Authority will provide free transportation in Crawford and Venango counties on all Fixed Route buses on Election Day, Nov….

From staff reports Good Hope and Zion Lutheran churches in Oil City will again deliver Thanksgiving meals to the elderly, shut-in and homebound members of…

By HELEN FIELDING Staff Writer The Franklin Area School District will be joining a multidistrict litigation suit filed in the federal court of the Northern…

From staff reports The Harrisville Community Band will present their annual fall concert, Salute To Our Veterans, Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. at the…

From staff reports Tickets are still available for purchase for the second annual Oil Boom Historic Dinner, presented by Friends of Drake Well, Inc., which…

From staff reports The Oil City Civic Center announced it has received a $40,000 grant from the Dr. and Mrs. Arthur William Phillips Charitable Trust,…

By MAKAYLA KEATING Staff Writer Smedley Elementary School students received a special dedication outside the school from a former longtime teacher on Wednesday afternoon —…

From staff reports The Oil City Arts Council will hold its third Immersive Speakeasy from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at the National…

From staff reports The U.S. Small Business Administration is seeking nominees for its small business awards. For nearly 60 years, the SBA has been celebrating…

By LUKA KRNETA News editor A St. Patrick Catholic Church service, with a focus on prayers of deliverance in anticipation of the Franklin Business &…

By AUSTIN GRAY Contributing writer This week is National School Bus Safety Week, and PennDOT held its annual Operation Safe Stop event Wednesday. The day…

By MAKAYLA KEATING Staff writer It was back on July 20 when a discharge from a Petro Erie brine storage tank was identified in Reno,…

By AUSTIN GRAY Staff writer The former Sasol Phenolics site on Route 8 north of Oil City is now owned by Bert Klapec Inc. (BKI)….

Franklin – 6-8 p.m. Oct. 31 Oakland Township – 6-8 p.m. Oct. 31 Sandycreek Township – 6-8 p.m. Oct. 31 Sugarcreek Borough – 6-8 p.m….

By HELEN FIELDING Staff writer The Oil Region Alliance and ARTS Oil City hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday for the three most recent creative…

From staff reports The Venango Area Chamber of Commerce will host a forum involving the four candidates for Venango County commissioner on Wednesday, Oct. 25,…

By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer An Oil City High School student was recognized for civic knowledge at Monday’s Oil City School Board meeting. Junior Jackson…

From staff reports The University of Pittsburgh at Titusville’s Education and Training Hub will hold a fall open house at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 21….

By HELEN FIELDING Staff writer Paving could start at the end of this week on the East Second Street project, Oil City manager Mark Schroyer…

From staff reports The Allegheny Valley Trails Association announced the Rockland Tunnel will be temporarily closed beginning Monday for the installation of a wall and…

From staff reports Venango County will sponsor a collection event for both household hazardous waste and electronics from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov….

From staff reports Woods & River Coffee in Oil City won the Venango Museum of Art, Science and Industry’s “Best Sandwich in the County” contest…

From staff reports The Venango Area Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for its Outstanding Citizen Award, which each year is bestowed upon an individual…

From staff reports Franklin Mayor Doug Baker was elected president of the Pennsylvania Municipal League during the association’s annual business meeting, which was held last…

From staff reports UPMC Northwest will offer a free stroke support group Tuesday, Oct. 17. The group, which offers education, support and resources for individuals…

From staff reports Pennsylvania Western University, in a news release, said preliminary enrollment numbers for fall 2023 indicate it is continuing on a path to…

From staff reports The state Department of Labor & Industry Secretary has announced the availability of $800,000 in grant funding to support Veterans Employment Program…

By MAKAYLA KEATING Staff writer The 33rd annual Friends for Food campaign is well underway, and Community Services of Venango County is gearing up for…

By KARA O’NEIL Staff writer Oil City’s Heath’s Market will open at a new location in Hasson Heights in the coming weeks. “We’re waiting on…

From staff reports Hollow Oak Press, a new publishing company based in Oil City, will host a book launch party from 11 a.m. to 2…

From staff reports The Oil City Fire Department is accepting donations for its annual Coats for Kids drive. The goal of the Oil City firefighters…