Cameron County Echo

Shippen Township: Just a note to say Great Job on Four Mile. It’s in the best condition in my thirty-four years of living here.  

(1922-2017) Urban A. Reed, 95, of Austinburg, OH, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family (Aug. 11, 2017).  

(1923-2017) Clara V. Sarick, 94, of 44 S. Cherry St., died, peacefully with her family at her side, at her residence on Sunday morning (Aug. 13, 2017).  

(1922-2017) Aurelia M. “Ral” Grippo, 95, of 128 E. 3rd St., died Saturday morning (Aug. 12, 2017) at her residence.  

(1969-2017) Michael Lynn Hepfner, 47, passed away peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his family and closest friends on (Aug. 3, 2017) at UNC Hospital.  

(1969-2017) Michael Lynn Hepfner, 47, passed away peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his family and closest friends on (Aug. 3, 2017) at UNC Hospital.  

(1925-2017) Donald R. Hefright, 91, of 23 W. 2nd St., formerly of Huntingdon, died Tuesday evening (Aug. 8, 2017) at Snyder Memorial, Marienville following a lengthy illness.  

(1966-2017) Sean M. Welch, 50, of 130 N. 12th St., Olean, N.Y. and also of Eldred, passed away at home, peacefully in his sleep Monday (Aug. 7, 2017).  

(1924-2017) Regina G. “Jean” Bauer, 93, of 133 E. Fifth St., died Monday afternoon (Aug. 7, 2017) at Guy and Mary Felt Manor following a brief illness.  

Shown above is a CNC Plasma Cutter purchased by Scott Hockenberry (shown) and Kasey Macro as part of their new business venture, Rich Valley Burners, LLC, to create custom signs, fire rings, license plates, and decorative items. Pictured (left) is an American Flag made by the new business. Orders are being taken online by visiting […]

by Amanda Jones Echo News Editor A new business has opened in Rich Valley, operated by two local individuals with experience in the industry. Rich Valley Burners, LLC, creates custom signs, license plates, decorative items, and other types of products using a CNC Plasma Cutter, a machine typically used by larger companies to make items […]

    by Amanda Jones  Echo News Editor Construction of the West Creek Rail Trail is complete, and hikers, bikers, cross-country skiers and snowmobilers can now trek the entire 18.9 miles connecting the Borough of Emporium to the City of St. Marys. A ceremony to commemorate the completion of the trail will be held at […]

    An emergency meeting was scheduled by the Cameron County School District (CCSD) Board of Directors to fill positions that became vacant and had remained unfilled. With the resignation of Band Director and Music Teacher Dan Sensenig last month, the music department was rudderless at sea, with marching band rehearsals being cancelled because no […]

    A community college has been formed in northwestern Pennsylvania to offer post-secondary educational courses to residents in a region previously underserved. Across Pennsylvania, nearly all residents have access to affordable, local community college courses, but until the Rural Regional College of Northern Pennsylvania (RRC), those living in this region were only able to […]

    All families are encouraged to attend the second annual Youth Conservation Night on August 9th at this year’s Cameron County Fair. Starting this year the name of this event will be the Jan Hampton Youth Conservation Night.  Jan passed away earlier this year and was very involved in the Cameron County Fair and […]

    Hard to believe, but the 2017 edition of the Cameron County Fair will open on Sunday, August 6 with Vesper Services at 7 p.m. The speaker for the evening will be Pastor Daniel Lawson of the Faith Baptist Church. There are a few changes to the schedule this year. On Tuesday evening the […]

    A public meeting/forum concerning ATVs on public roads in Cameron County will be held on Thursday, August 3rd at 6 p.m. at the Cameron County High School auditorium.   Everyone who is concerned about the potential impacts of opening public roads to ATV traffic is encouraged to attend.    

    A leadership program offered this fall by Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Pennsylvania College of Technology focuses on mid-level managers and those aspiring to move into those positions. Classes will be held in the Community Education Center of Elk and Cameron Counties, 4 Erie Ave., St. Marys, and are scheduled from 9 […]

Leadership Program Aims To Develop Mid-Level Managers   A leadership program offered this fall by Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Pennsylvania College of Technology focuses on mid-level managers and those aspiring to move into those positions. Classes will be held in the Community Education Center of Elk and Cameron Counties, 4 Erie Ave., St. […]

    A leadership program offered this fall by Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Pennsylvania College of Technology focuses on mid-level managers and those aspiring to move into those positions. Classes will be held in the Community Education Center of Elk and Cameron Counties, 4 Erie Ave., St. Marys, and are scheduled from 9 […]

  Rotarian Bari Poorman and wife, Rita presented a slide show presentation at the Rotary luncheon meeting July 18th of their recent trip to New Hampshire.    Barry did some fishing and he and Rita took in some of the breathtaking scenic sites.  New Hampshire, “The Granite State” was ranked the second best state to […]

    The following programs will be offered this upcoming weekend at Sizerville State Park: Friday, August 4th   8 p.m.   “Films in the Forest: Alone in the Wilderness” Have you ever thought about leaving civilization behind and living in the wilderness? To build a cabin, be self-sufficient and enjoy the company of your […]

    David Huff will perform in concert Saturday, August 12th at 7 p.m. at the Cameron County Christian Center (former 4th Street School). A free will offering will be taken. Born and raised in Pineville, Mississippi, David developed a keen appreciation for country and truly soulful music. At an early age, his life being […]

    The Allegheny Mountain Chapter, Nam Knights of America MC is sponsoring a raffle to support the restoration of the WW I Memorial in Emporium. The raffle prize package consists of 10 Yeti items and cost is $5.00 for one or three for $10. One hundred percent of the money goes to the restoration […]

    Alyson Rotello – Supervisor Our final art classes for the summer will be held on August 9th and 10th with Michele Rodich as art teacher from 10 a.m. until noon. Also, on Thursday, August 3rd, from 10 a.m. until noon we will have the Cameron County Outdoor Youth Activities (CCOYA) under the direction […]

    During the week of July 17th-20th, 4-H children and Cloverbuds participated in animal week.   The 4-H children had Mr. Don Bickford visit them on the 17th, and inform them about different species of birds.   On the 18th, the 4-H children went to Robin Kuleck’s farm, and were able to feed chickens, […]

    The 109th annual Mason-Grugan Reunion will be held August 5th at the reunion grounds on Mason Hill. Lunch will be at noon. Please bring a dish to share along with your place settings and drinks. There is always lots of good food, so don’t be late. There will be activities and games throughout […]

    The Class of 2019 will be holding a Night Swim on Friday, August 11th from 7:30 p.m. to  9:30 p.m. at the school pool.  Cost is $5.00 for a family, $2.00 for individual adults, and $1.00 for individual students.   Snacks will also be sold.    

  Hi-Power Nationals 2017 by Phil Burkhouse   Last week I wrote about the NRA Small Bore National Championship held at the Ridgway Rifle Club.  This week I will write about the following three-day shoot where competitors fired hi-power rifles at metallic silhouette targets at various differences. The small bore competition attracted 216 shooters in […]

  by William Crisp   Over the past two weeks I’ve been fortunate enough to be privy to the conversations of very young men, each of whom I’ve known for years. I wasn’t eavesdropping as I was part of the conversations but each time I found myself just nodding while sitting back and just listening […]

    Two deer previously part of a captive deer herd were discovered and had to be euthanized last week near Ridgway. On Wednesday evening, the two free-ranging deer were euthanized after being discovered approximately 20 miles north of Disease Management Area (DMA) 3, which is an area being monitored for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), […]

    Chronic wasting disease has spread to free-ranging deer in an area of the state where it previously had been detected only in captive deer. The Pennsylvania Game Commission today announced a free-ranging whitetail buck in Bell Township, Clearfield County, has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). A news conference about the new […]

    The 13th Annual Camp Cadet Golf Tournament will be held September 6th at the Emporium Country Club. Golf will begin at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start. Registration for the four man scramble is at 8 a.m., and the tournament is limited to the first 32 teams that sign up. Cost for members […]

  with Rich Summers   This has been a painfully slow summer for sports given that little league baseball has ended for the season and the Alle-Catt league was disbanded before the season even began. But one bright spot bopped into town last Friday, an old friend of mine, Dave LaBrozzi. Dave was in town […]

    The Cameron County Little League Diamond Dawgs played in two tournaments recently, with St. Marys and Penns Valley in Centre Hall, coming away with a record of 2-5. Players’ stats for the tournaments: Eastyn Solveson had 9 hits, including 6 singles and 3 doubles. Jameson Britton had 6 hits, including 3 singles, 2 […]

  by Randy Horning   The Emporium Country Club ladies’ Thursday scramble was won by Meg Whiting, Judy Armanini, Pat English and Jill Carlson with a score of 37.   On Sunday, the men’s tournament was the annual Tom Roberto Memorial.  The format was a two-man scramble with a total handicap of 30, using four […]

  (1925-2017) Margaret C. McKimm, 91, of West Fifth Street, currently of the Guy and Mary Felt Manor, went home to be with her Savior, Jesus, on Wednesday afternoon (July 26, 2017).    

  (1953-2017) Kris T. Kennedy, 64, of Butler passed away Tuesday (July 25, 2017) at the Butler Memorial Hospital.      

  Over the last year we have encountered many folks from Cameron County and we have been asked how we are doing and what’s up? So we thought it might be a good idea to drop a note to all our friends back home with an update. In the summer of 1990, Sherri and I […]

  Your two articles about the proposed ATV track system thru town and surrounding beautiful country caused me to look up a memoir I had written 10 years ago. I am old, but not resistant to new ideas or changes when these are beneficial to people or environment. First, will Emporium really benefit financially from […]

  I would like to thank the library and Sue Ramarge. You save me a trip to Pittsburgh  every three months. I have a pacemaker and I can’t send readings over the phone anymore. We don’t have cell service Down County and I have to be able to plug my little box into electric and […]

The Emporium Foundation presented paintings and showed their appreciation for two long-term members who are retiring from board duties. Jim Miller and Ed Lundberg, who have spent nearly 100 years combined in service of the Emporium Foundation, recently stepped down. Shown in photo are Miller and Lundberg in the front row. Back row (L to […]

  by Amanda Jones, Echo News Editor Members of Emporium Foundation, Inc. (EFI) board paid tribute Friday to two long-term members who recently stepped down from their positions. Jim Miller and Ed Lundberg, who served for 50 and 47 years, respectively, have stepped down from their duties following nearly a century of service between the […]

  by Amanda Jones, Echo News Editor Driftwood Borough roads will soon open to all-terrain vehicles (ATV) following a split decision by borough council during their regular meeting held last Monday evening. Following a lengthy discussion, borough council members Laird Lupro and Misty Lupro voted for the measure, while councilman Randy Bailey voted against. The […]

A new store will open in Emporium this week offering pet supplies, deliveries, and other items. ‘Paws and Claws Pet Supply’ will open at 12 1/2 East Fourth Street on July 24, offering a variety of pet supplies including food, treats, toys and various pet medications. Owners Emily and John Dubel, of Emporium, plan to […]

  The Cameron County School Board will continue to search for a band director following the resignation of music teacher Daniel Sensenig at Thursday night’s meeting. Sensenig has taught at the district for a number of years, directing the high school band throughout his tenure, and more recently adding the Woodland Band, as well. Sensenig […]

  An Emporium man has been charged with four felonies following his inappropriate involvement with an underage female. Peter Paul Romanowski, III, age 29, is charged with felonies for corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor—prostitution, criminal use of a communication facility, and promoting prostitution of a minor stemming from alleged communications with an […]

‘Ambulance Fund Raiser’Cameron County Ambulance Service loves serving our community. We know there has been much reported about how the service is doing and what it will take to keep our ambulance local. We now have some new eyes helping to ensure that will happen. Our board has recently given approval to hold fund raisers […]

The first domino has fallen. By a two to one council vote, the Borough of Driftwood has passed an ordinance to move forward with plans to allow ATVs and possibly snowmobiles use of streets and roads within the Borough. Lumber, Shippen, and others are expected to now follow suit. All in the name of progress, […]

I so enjoyed Kent Riegel’s article on Sylvania Electric. It struck a special chord with me. I can relate many personal memories connected with the plant that tie in with what Mr. Riegel was reporting. He related that Gladys and Arthur Schultz met through their involvement with the plant. My father, Robert Rinehuls, and mother, […]

(1932-2017) Arlita M. Kandare, 84, of Crosby, passed away on Wednesday (July 12, 2017) at her residence.    

(1943-2017) William A. “Bill” Mitcheltree, 74, of Grant Rd., Ridgway, peacefully passed away on Tuesday (June 27, 2017) after a lengthy illness.  

(1947-2017) Patricia Ann Schweikart, 70, of St. Marys, formerly of Keating Summit and Brandy Camp, passed away unexpectedly Thursday (July 13, 2017).  

(1922-2017) Ernest S. “Ernie” Wennin, 94, of 31 Wennin Rd., died Tuesday morning (July 11, 2017) at Penn Highlands-DuBois in DuBois.  

  Alyson Rotello – Supervisor Our art classes will be this week, July 18, 19, 20, with Michele Rodich as art teacher from 10 a.m. until noon and also on August 9 and 10 at the same time. We are having our 3rd Annual Dice Run on August 26, which will be supported by ABATE […]

  Attention Class of 1977: Reservation deadline for the August 12th reunion is July 22. Send reservations to LuAnn Reed, 128 E. 5th St., Emporium, PA 15834.  

  The July meeting of the Emporium Garden Club will be held on Monday, July 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the Episcopal Church Hall. Jill Perry and Pat English, fellow Garden Club members, will be making several kinds of salsa with produce from their gardens. Recipes will be available as well as small jars to […]

  Elk County Catholic High School will hold a Garage Sale to benefit the Class of 2018 on Thursday, July 20 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday, July 21 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Elk County Catholic High School Cafeteria.  

  Father Paul & Friends are hosting a coffee house Sunday, July 30. The free event at St. Mark Church features Father Paul, Dave Foote, Feroz Brothers, and Ron Tusing Band. Music begins at 5 p.m.  

  Amy Goode, Program Manager for the Community Education Center of Elk & Cameron counties, was the guest speaker at the Rotary luncheon July 11th. Amy also manages the DISCOVER Partnership program where she is a liaison between the local schools, businesses and communities to educate the young people of our area about the career […]

Naked (Raw) is the 12th book written by local author, Tiffany Simar. Her writings span from 2014 through 2017. Release date is set for August 1, 2017. Naked (Raw) is a book of poetry/lyrics/written pieces, some pieces accompanied by pictures. Simar states, “I believe this book has something for everyone. I believe these are some […]

  Sinnemahoning State Park is offering a variety of free family-friendly programs to park visitors this weekend. Bats Around the Home, Friday, July 21, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., Campground Amphitheater – Learn about the bats that live in PA and the benefits of having bats around your home. Get information about bat-proofing your house […]

  Environmental Education Programs for the Upcoming Weekend at Sizerville State Park. Friday, July 21st 7 p.m. – “Mountaineer Search and Rescue” Join us at the Campground Amphitheater to meet our local search and rescue team. They will discuss who they are, what they do, and what you can do should you find yourself lost […]

Boro Police Warn Of Facebook Military Scam The Emporium Borough Police have received several reports of borough residences being scammed. The latest scams have gone as follows. The person will impersonate a military member overseas. Often times they hack a Facebook page, stealing photos and personal information of the person. The scammer will then message […]

  As of July 14th, the Cameron County Community Chest has collected $17,762 toward its $20,500 goal. Thanks to all who have contributed so far. The Cameron County Community Chest needs additional donors to reach its community goal. The donor base has continued to shrink. New donors are needed. If you have not supported your […]

The 13th Annual Camp Cadet Golf Tournament will be held September 6th at the Emporium Country Club. Golf will begin at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start. Registration for the four man scramble is at 8 a.m., and the tournament is limited to the first 32 teams that sign up.  

with Rich Summers I have long been an advocate of youth sports, from little league through high school, but in my old age I am starting to wonder if the human body was meant for serious competition. My wife’s recent knee surgery and two knee replacements performed on my old college fraternity brother are reminding […]

  Dickinson Center Inc. will hold its Seventh Annual Run/Walk Saturday, July 22 at the Clarion-Little Toby Rail Trail. The race is an unofficial 5K that winds through the rolling hills of the trail and roads along the Ridgway Borough that will benefit Dickinson’s wellness efforts. The event will begin at 9 a.m. at the […]

  Dickinson Center Inc. will hold its Seventh Annual Run/Walk Saturday, July 22 at the Clarion-Little Toby Rail Trail. The race is an unofficial 5K that winds through the rolling hills of the trail and roads along the Ridgway Borough that will benefit Dickinson’s wellness efforts. The event will begin at 9 a.m. at the […]

  Monday, July 10 Moose beat Rotary, 5-3. Maddox Baughman was the starting pitcher for Moose and had 10 strikeouts and gave up two walks. Devin Priest came on in relief and struck one batter out. Peyton Hepburn had a double, Maddox Baughman a double, Jameson Britton a single and Maxx Newton a single. Cayden […]