Around The County
Children’s bicycle rodeo set June 27
From staff reports PennDOT, the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce, Franklin Alliance Church and the City of Franklin will hold a free children’s bicycle rodeo…
Hunting licenses to go on sale
From staff reports Hunting licenses will go on sale across the state starting Monday, and Venango County hunters can purchase licenses at the county treasurer’s…
Flag retirement ceremony scheduled in Franklin
From staff reports The seventh annual flag retirement ceremony in Franklin will be held at 6 p.m. Friday in Bandstand Park. During the event, which…
Work underway on 2 Venango roadways
From staff reports Resurfacing work began Monday on portions of two roadways in Venango County. A PennDOT press release says the projects are on a…
Cranberry Lions spruce up public spots with benches
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer The Cranberry Lions Club has been intent the last few months on rest and relaxation. Its members’ efforts, though,…
Cranberry roadwork to begin next week
From staff reports A $2.7 million project that will give motorists a smoother ride on more than four miles of roads in Cranberry Township is…
OC, Franklin pools to open this weekend
The Oil City and Franklin swimming pools will open for the season this weekend. In Oil City, the James A. Nelles Swimming Pool in the…
Franklin seniors honored at awards ceremony
Franklin High School held its annual senior awards ceremony May 31. The following awards were given out: Bridge Builders Community Foundations – Eugene Hanna Award:…
Taste of Talent vocal contestants announced
From staff reports The Franklin Fine Arts Council announced Tuesday the contestants for the 2019 Taste of Talent vocal competition. They are: Shannon Birsa, of…
Humane Society sets ‘dogs off floor’ event
From staff reports Venango County Humane Society has set “Getting the Dogs Off the Floor,” an event Saturday at which volunteers will build Kuranda beds…
Relay for Life doesn’t let rain dampen spirits
From staff reports The 25th annual Relay for Life was held Saturday at Oil City High School. It included special recognition walks and games throughout…
Eagles donate toward fire vests
Oil City Eagles Club members Eric Davison, B.J. Wilson, Scott McClellan and Joe Adams are shown two of the six ballistic vests purchased by the…
Old Red Cross ledgers document WWI relief efforts
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Just a little over a century ago, there was a whole lot of knitting and sewing going on upstairs…
Franklin receives grant for robotics-drones lab
From staff reports Franklin Area School District has received a$22,000 grant from the Pittsburgh-based McElhattan Foundation that will support the creation of a robotics and…
National Trails Day event set Saturday in Titusville
From staff reports The Titusville Area Trails Association and Friends of Drake Well will partner with the American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day to offer…
Venango Co. to sponsor collection event June 8 at mall
From staff reports Venango County will sponsor a collection for household hazardous waste and electronics from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 8, in…
Second man to be honored at golf outing that helps VC grads
From staff reports An annual charity golf outing that provides scholarships to Venango Catholic High School students will honor a second man this year. The…
Cranberry recycling is ending
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Cranberry Township’s bins for recycled materials are about to go away. The township supervisors voted Thursday to discontinue the…
Coffee with the Cops at FHS
From staff reports Franklin junior and senior high school students had the opportunity to socialize with local law enforcement officers during a Coffee with the…
State court ruling affects fireworks purchases here
By RODNEY L. SHERMAN Clarion News editor As the summer season begins, some revelers might be looking forward to home fireworks celebrations. Those fireworks fans…
Sprucing up gravesites
Liz Young and her mother, Verda Strawbridge, spent some time Wednesday planting flowers at Franklin Cemetery. “Oh they missed the flag,” said Strawbridge, who noted…
Valley Grove robotics team grateful for chance to compete in Kentucky
By ROSEMARY FIELDING Staff writer The Valley Grove School Board recently read messages of gratitude from four excited elementary students whom the board had helped…
Human Services sets free summer lunch program
From staff reports Venango County Human Services will provide free healthy lunches on weekdays during the summer for children under age 18. The lunches will…
162 to graduate from Venango tech center
From staff reports Venango Technology Center will hold its 50th annual awarding of certificates on Thursday, May 30, in the school’s cafeteria. The morning ceremony…
Art gallery will open in OC
From staff reports A new art gallery will open May 31 in Oil City. Gallery BC, located at 109 W. Second St., will feature the…
Oil City street sweeping set
From staff reports The Oil City street sweeping schedule has been set for this week. Today – Hone (Plummer to East Bissell), Hoffman, Bissell (Harriott…
Christian dancers group starting in Oil City
From staff reports Children of Yahweh is a new youth community praise and worship dance group that is looking for dancers in grades 3 through…
PennDOT seeking students to paint the plow
From staff reports The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is asking high school students in the northwest region to participate in its Paint the Plow art…
Libraries to offer free video platform
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer In preaching the mantra of “a library is so much more than books,” Venango County’s three public libraries are…
Tri-county primary ballots have some interesting contests
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Candidates for top of the ticket offices have been hitting the hustings these past few weeks in preparation for…
Agriculture Safety Day
Hasson Elementary School second-graders, from left, Violet McMillen, Sarah Jackson and Ella Kasunic work on a giant farm puzzle during the annual Progressive Agriculture Safety…
Registration available for Good News Camp
From staff reports Registration is open for the annual Bucktails Good News Camp sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship’s Venango, Forest and Clarion counties chapter. Two…
Funding available for youths training for certificate programs
By JIM MEYER Staff writer The Keystone Community Education Council recently announced funding is available for out-of-school youths, ages 18 to 24, to participate in…
Youths to collect slippers for nursing home residents
From staff reports Venango County Youth Philanthropy Group is collecting slippers to be donated to residents at two local nursing homes. The slipper drive will…
E-waste recycling scheduled in Oil City
From staff reports Oil City will hold its annual E-waste recycling program on Friday. The event, open to the public, will be held from 8…
Annual dinner to honor graduates entering military
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer The Venango County unit of Our Community Salutes, a national nonprofit organization that assists communities in honoring their graduating…
Relay for Life seeks donated toys for carnival
From staff reports The Venango Relay for Life, which is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at the Oil City High…
Organizer wants 75 to 100 competitors at tractor pull
By ROSEMARY FIELDING Staff writer The benefit truck and tractor pull for the Michael and Amy Graham family will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday,…
Memorial Day services set in Pleasantville
From staff reports Memorial Day observances will be held Monday, May 27, in Pleasantville. A parade will step off at 11:45 a.m. from the school…
Fire safety program coming to Oil City next month
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer A new program designed to enhance fire safety in Oil City will be rolled out June 1. “It’s a…
Welding students earn certification
From staff reports Thirteen students received certificates in the evening welding technology program at Venango Technology Center on Tuesday. The students are Samuel Wright, Lukas…
Business workshop planned in Franklin
From staff reports Susan Hileman, the Northwest Industrial Resource Center strategic business advisor, will lead a workshop from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 18,…
Cranberry class raises money for playground
Julionna Prenatt and her classmates in Angela Carothers’ first-grade class at Cranberry Elementary School recently held an art sale in their school to raise money…
OC police to take part in seatbelt enforcement
From staff reports Oil City police are participating in a national Click-It or Ticket seat belt enforcement initiative starting Monday and continuing through June 2….
Court hearings underway for property code violators
By JUDITH O. ETZEL Contributing writer Cranberry Township’s efforts to clean up abandoned and inoperable vehicles, stored on private properties and visible from a roadway,…
OC sets E-waste recycling program
From staff reports Oil City will hold its annual E-waste recycling program Friday, May 17. The event, open to the public, will be held from…
Drake Well offers free admission to military personnel
From staff reports Drake Well Museum and Park joins with museums nationwide as a member of the Blue Star Museums Program, which provides free admission…
Silver Cornet Band offering summer junior program
From staff reports The Franklin Silver Cornet Band is offering its Junior Silver Cornet Band, a summer outreach program geared toward youth musicians in eighth…
Big Uncle Day organizers request more anglers this year
By SARAH TITLEY Staff writer For more than 50 years, Big Uncle Day has brought the joy of a day of fishing to disabled children…