The Progress News 2025 Year in Review - part 1

January 2025:

- Primary Health Network (PHN), Pennsylvania’s largest Community Health Center, is taking immediate steps to ensure the medical needs of the Emlenton community are met following the recent closure of Emlenton Area Family Practice. In response to this, PHN is excited to join the Emlenton community by providing access to primary care through its mobile health unit.

- Butler VA Offering “Tech Tuesdays” in January to help Veterans with VA’s new Secure Sign-in process.

- Knox Public Library Knox Library announces its first celebration of National To Celebrate National Puzzle Day.

- After winning his election to represent the people of the 63rd Legislative District, Rep. Josh Bashline (R-Clarion/Armstrong) was officially sworn-in to serve his first term in office on

- Sen. Scott E. Hutchinson took the oath of office as state senator for the 21st District and was quickly appointed as chair of the Senate Finance Committee, a position he has held since 2017.

­­­- Armstrong County Commissioners Honor WWII Veteran, Vincent “Ted” Toy’s 100th Birthday. During his military service, Mr. Toy was awarded the WWII Victory Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, and the American Campaign Medal. Mr. Toy’s time in the Army Air Corps (May 1, 1943 - February 1946) included service in the Asiatic Pacific theater near Pearl Harbor. Mr. Toy received his initial training as a B-17 gunner.

- Rep. Josh Bashline (R-Clarion/Armstrong) announced the School Safety and Security Committee awarded $214,873 in Building Opportunity Through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) Grant funding to Keystone SMILES Community Learning Center in Knox. The goal is to amplify and expand afterschool and summer programming for at-risk students in Clarion, Venango and Mercer counties, while resuming services in Jefferson County.

- Armstrong County Veterans Recognize Their 2024 Veteran of the Year and Life Achievement Award Recipients. Armstrong County Veterans Recognize Their 2024 Veteran of the Year and Life Achievement Award RecipientsVeterans and guests from around Armstrong County converged on the Manor Township Volunteer Fire Hall to recognize the 2024 Veteran of the Year and Life Achievement Award Recipients.­­­

American Legion Post 325 Commander, Harold French, introduced the 2024 Armstrong County Lifetime Achievement recipient, Jeff Kaufman. Commander French then introduced the 2024 Armstrong County Veteran of the Year recipient, John Kellner.

- Local Veterans were chosen to attend the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival. Veterans included Lori Ceder, Joseph Gluz, Lindsey Anderson, Shawnee Young, and Trudy Neumann, and Timothy Sutton. Winners were invited to attend the national festival hosted in Indianapolis, Indiana, in May.

­­­- Grace E.C.Church, located at 2561 Grace Church RD in Ninevah hosted their Annual Missionary Conference in February. The theme was “Tell the World of the Treasure you found”. Missioinaries were, Randy Sizemore, Seth Apel, Brad and Kim Daubenspeck and Noah & Vicki Smith.

February 2025

- The Allegheny River Trail in Clarion County (ARTinCC) was honored to report that the group received an awarded of $125,000 from the PA Commonwealth Finance Authority (CFA), towards construction of the Fox-Hunt Park just north of the Rt. 58 Bridge in Foxburg.

- Members of the Manor Township Volunteer Fire Department (MTVFC), Armstrong County, fellow fire fighters from other communities, family members, as well as elected officials gathered Saturday evening, February 8th, 2025 to mark a significant MTVFC milestone. Exactly100 years from February 5th, 2025 the MTVFC was originally formed. 

- Magisterial District Judge, Jarah Heeter, announced that she would seek reelection for a second term. Her judicial district spans Ashland, Beaver, Elk, Paint, Richland and Salem Townships and Knox, Shippenville, St. Petersburg and Foxburg Boroughs. Judge Heeter was successful in her election bid.

- Lincoln Davis, a second grader at Chicora Elementary School, has made an impressive mark in the world of youth wrestling. Davis secured a first place at the qualifiers, earning the opportunity to compete at the highly anticipated Keystone State Championship at the Bryce Jordan Center March 14-16.

- John J. Paserba, Jr. has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Class of 2025. Election to the NAE is one of the highest professional honors accorded an engineer, recognizing outstanding engineering contributions in business, education, research, government, and other organizations. John Paserba, Jr. is the son of Mary Paserba of Chicora and the late John Sr. John is a 1983 graduate of Karns City, High School.

To be continued next week's issue!