Council hears about plans for summer events in OC

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The former employee who shot and killed eight people at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis was interviewed by FBI agents last year, after his mother called police to say that her son might commit "suicide by cop," the bureau said Friday.

Preparations for next month's primary election are underway in Venango County, and all the county's voting machines are being tested this week to make sure they are working properly.

CLARION - The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has unveiled preliminary plans for widening and realigning State Route 68 from Trout Run to Dolby Street.

Wednesday's weather made for a pleasant day for local high school athletes, and there was lots of action around the area.

HARRISBURG (AP) - There may be nothing more nerve-wracking for a member of Congress than redistricting, when the once-a-decade redrawing of district boundaries injects a dose of uncertainty into their political careers.

Browns Family Childcare in Franklin has earned national recognition as a Certified Nature Explore Classroom.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. on Tuesday recommended a "pause" in use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to investigate reports of rare but potentially dangerous blood clots, setting off a chain reaction worldwide and dealing a setback to the global vaccination campaign.

The Oil City sesquicentennial celebration Sunday in Justus Park was a big hit, and a number of people who attended the event then stopped at the Venango Museum on Seneca Street to view new local history displays that are on exhibit.

Hundreds of people turned out to Justus Park in celebration of Oil City's 150 years of history that's "unique, noble and quirky" and to look forward to a "bright and promising future," as two of the speakers put it Sunday.

Editor's note: City Editor Mark Oliver is a lifelong resident of Oil City and has worked at the newspaper for more than 41 years.

TIDIOUTE - As of early Friday afternoon, a wildfire in the Cobham Hill area of Warren County was only about 10% contained, according to an Allegheny National Forest spokesperson.

Mark Bishop, who previously worked at Butler County jail for about 10 years, was hired Wednesday to fill the position of warden at the Venango County jail.

High school seniors participating in the Venango County eAcademy this week got a peek into what it's like to own a business as they toured various Franklin businesses, and heard business owners talk about the nuts and bolts of entrepreneurship.

It's spring, and the Oil City Library has just put in a new garden.

TIDIOUTE — As of early Friday afternoon, the Cobham Hill Wildfire was only about 10 percent contained, according to an Allegheny National Forest spokesperson.

The easing of COVID-19 mitigation efforts at restaurants and bars has suddenly made the jobs of workers at those businesses much more manageable.

Both Oil City Fire Department Chief Mark Hicks and Captain Dennis Alcorn announced their retirements, and Captain Derek Long was appointed interim chief during Oil City Council's meeting on Thursday.

A question that has been swirling around the preparations for the Oil City 150 anniversary is why the time capsule buried in 1971 during the city's centennial celebration was dug up ahead of the ceremony set to take place Sunday in Justus Park.

Handmade gifts by Valley Grove Elementary students and local flowers were delivered Wednesday to residents at Sugar Creek Station.