Indoor football team the Erie Riverrats will play the Reading Express tonight in the AIFA playoffs. The Express will host the Riverrats at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pa., with a kickoff time of 7:00 p.m.
Two former University of Iowa athletes, Abe Satterfield, 19, of Erie, Pa., and Cedric Everson, 19, of Detroit, have been charged with sexually abusing a female student-athlete October of last year. If convicted, they can face anywhere from 25 to 35 years in prison, and at least 70 percent of the sentence must be served mandating a minimum of 17-24 years in prison. Both men have denied guilt and are scheduled to be arraigned on July 17. Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz and associate athletic director Fred Mims are on a list of possible witnesses in the case.
Senator Jane Earll’s sponsored legislation to reduce the number of income tax collectors in the state from 560 to 69 was signed into law yesterday by Governor Rendell. There are 67 counties in the state, 65 of which will have reduced to just 1 per county the number of municipal and school earned income tax collectors. One more county, Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), will have 4 tax collectors. Philadelphia is not included in this legislation because it already consolidated tax collection under a separate legislative act. The number of real estate tax collectors will not be affected since it is an elected position.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry has released jobs data for May of this year, and Erie County saw a gain of nearly 800 jobs compared to a year ago. The unemployment rate for May in Erie County was 5.3%, whereas the state had an employment rate of 5.0% in May.
The Erie Block Party, held most Thursday evenings during the summer, will not be held this Thursday, July 3rd, presumably because of 4th of July festivities. Next block party will be held July 10th.
Healthcare Lighting Inc., a manufacturer of lighting for hospitals and other medical facilities, will receive a $600,000 PIDA loan to acquire and renovate a 24,000-square-foot building in Fairview Township. Six new jobs will be created and 18 existing employees will be transferred to the new location as part of the $1.5 million project. The Greater Erie Industrial Development Corporation is the local sponsoring agency.
Erin Howard of Corry is back in jail in Pennsylvania. She made headlines recently for going to the bar after her son’s funeral instead of returning to prison, as instructed.
Looking for fireworks this 4th of July? Here’s a guide to Erie area fireworks. There are a few new additions since we posted the guide including Harborcreek and Canadohta Lake. The 40 tickets available to watch the Boom Over the Bay fireworks on Friday have sold out. Better luck, next year.
Not so fast. The state budget, although agreed to this past Monday, still needs a final vote by the entire PA General Assembly and signed by the governor. There were some heated arguments yesterday on the house floor over the budget, compounded by the fact that an amendment to the budget was proposed at the last minute.
To illustrate how bad things got last night at the capital in Harrisburg, a motion was made to extend the session from 11:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. and debate was continued despite not enough votes to pass the actual motion. (One legislator was heard saying “F*&^ him” during the broadcast.) The House then continued to argue about whether to extend the session for another hour until 11:23 when a final vote was taken and the House was adjourned. Despite all of this, Governor Rendell is expected to sign the bill late tonight.
The local blood shortage affecting the region turned critical again over night with extremely heavy usage of type O Positive blood. Levels had come up last week after hitting 5 year lows but now are dropping and officials are very concerned about the upcoming holiday weekend. The Fourth of July weekend is usually one of the three worst weekends of the year for blood usage. The blood bank is closed on Friday for the holiday but will be back open Saturday from 9am to 12:30pm. No appointment is needed to save a life.
With only about 6 months left until the DTV conversion in February 2009, many people are asking “are you ready?” The best way to get ready is to give blood! All donors at the Community Blood Bank during the month of July will automatically be entered to win a beautiful 42″ High Definition Plasma TV that is DTV ready. The contest runs through July 31.
An Erie man bought a car at a car auction in Butler and after purchasing the car, found $400 worth of crack under the driver’s side carpet. The owner contacted police after making the find. Marion Barry = stunned.
This headline made us laugh: “Price of gas rises about a penny in western Pa.” There must be some price increase threshold before an increase in gasoline can make headlines… This just in, milk went up 3 cents a gallon for the month of June. In more serious news, US Senator Bob Casey was in Erie on Wednesday to talk about gas prices and what the government can be doing to stabilize prices.
If you see a purple box hanging from a local tree, please leave it alone. The Penn State Cooperative Extension are hanging the traps in many counties to catch invasive insects and gauge their spread, including the emerald ash borer.
The SeaWolves dropped their third straight game to the Akron Aeros, 10-6 on Wednesday night at Jerry Uht Park. Erie will look to avoid the sweep on the final game of the homestand Thursday.
The Chatauqua Institution didn’t renew it’s old domain name when it recently expired, and it was bought by a porn site. Rule of thumb: even if you aren’t using a domain name anymore, pay the $7 a year to keep renewing them.
Day Two of NHL free agency saw the Penguins sign two players and lose two players. Marian Hossa went to Detroit and Jarko Ruuto signed with Ottawa. The Pens resigned Evgeni Malkin and Brooks Orpik.
Would you like to share the joy of reading with children this summer? Hooked on Books! is looking for volunteer readers for its summer program at the Neighborhood Art House in Erie. Volunteer readers are still needed for the weeks of July 7-11 and July 21-25. Help children by building their enthusiasm for reading, improving reading and listening comprehension, increasing vocabulary, and most importantly, help children develop the self-confidence needed to succeed. To volunteer, or if you would like to learn more, please contact Dr. Sarafinski or Katie De Pew at sarafins001@gannon.edu or at (814) 871-7422.
The 50-member Gem City Concert Band, under the direction of Dr. Scott Tomlison, will be performing as part of the City of Erie’s Sounds of Summer Concert Series on Monday, July 7th, at Memorial Park at 26th and State Streets from 7 to 8 pm. This event is free and open to the public.
Gannon University Writers’ Workshops 2008 are for students Grades 4-12. Develop your writing process and produce a book of your writing under the direction of Dr Sally LeVan and the teachers of the NWPA Writing Project. Each session will be limited to 25 students per session. Dates are July 7-11 and July 21-25. Workshops will be held 9 am to 12 pm in Room 3200 of the Palumbo Center, 8th and Peach Streets. Registration includes T-shirt, snacks and book. $125 per one-week session/$200 for two-weeks. For information contact Dr Sally LeVan, (814) 871-7506. Registration.
Eight Great Tuesdays begins July 8th featuring free band entertainment on Tuesday nights at the Pepsi Amphitheatre inside Liberty Park. Teenagers will be allowed to attend the event unaccompanied by an adult, but the Port Authority of Erie reserves the right to revoke that privilege if it believes teens are getting out of control.
The Erie Philharmonic’s Get Your Phil At Noon Summer Music Series FREE concerts will be held July 8 and August 12 at noon in front of the Warner Theatre on State Street. The free lunch-hour ensemble concerts, designed to provide “music while you munch,” will feature a Philharmonic string quartet fully amplified and seating for the outdoor event. WQLN radio will broadcast live from the event this year.
The archives at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host an open house on Wednesday, July 9, as part of the kick-off of the college’s yearlong 60th anniversary celebration. The archive comprises three permanent collections: the Behrend Family Collection, the Hammermill Paper Company Collection and the Penn State Behrend Collection.
The Movies at Meadville is sponsoring a free screening of “Happy Feet” on July 10 to support the Creating Landscapes program. Creating Landscapes, a summer celebration of the Allegheny College Dance Studies program, is an interdisciplinary exploration of active learning through the arts and sciences offered to children and teens.
Opa! The 20th Annual Panegyri Greek Fest will be held Friday through Sunday, July 11 – 13, at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church on 4376 West Lake Road. The festival features Greek dinners, ala carte entrees, gyros, sausage and souvlaki sandwiches, loukoumades, pastries, continuous Greek music by Kakias Family Band, Greek folk dance groups, boutique, souvenirs, gold mart, Greek metal arts, kafenio/taverna, church tours, not to mention a raffle to win a trip to Greece for 2. Free parking and admission. For more info call (814) 838-8808.
There will be a Rust Belt Bloggers Summit on July 11-12 in Erie. People from Youngstown, Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and other area cities will be attendance to discuss economic development issues in the region.
The Erie County Historical Society will hold a Ghosts and Legends Tour tonight every Friday at 8 p.m., now until September 26 (exceptions: July 4th and September 5th). Discover the mysteries of downtown Erie through a 1 1/2 hour walking tour. Since size of group tour is limited, reservations required; call (814) 454-1813, ext 0. Cost: $8 Adult, $4 Child.
The Technology Council of Northwest Pennsylvania’s next lunchtime learning series will take place on July 17 at the Ambassador Conference Center on upper Peach street. The presentation, Engage the Crowd: Integrating Social Networking into your Business, will explore uses for social networking in business. The session is free for Technology Council members and $40 for non-members.
The 2008 City of Erie Junior Golf Program is open to boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 17. Entry fee is $7 per person. The number of entrants will determine the number of divisions. Registration will take place at J C Martin Golf Course from June 1 through July 19. Please call J C Martin Golf Course at 864-1821 with any questions. Tournament 1 is at J C Martin Golf Course, West 38th St and Shunpike Rd (next to Erie Zoo), on Wednesday, July 23 at 8 am. Tournament 2 will be held at Downing Golf Course, 1351 Troupe Rd, 899-5827, on Wednesday, July 30 at 8:30 am. Tournament 2 will be immediately followed by a picnic and an awards presentation.
Parents of Autistic Children will be holding a golf tournament on July 24 at Whispering Woods Golf Course. The format will be a 4-man scramble, with team prizes and individual prizes (longest drives, closest to the pin, etc). The fee is $100 and includes your golf, a cart, lunch, and dinner.
Penn State Erie–The Behrend College will hold its annual reunion this year from July 25-27. Alumni can stay overnight in student housing for $50 a night. Events like the Winery Tour, Car Show, Midnight Bingo, Dinner with the Zoo, and more. Visit the 2008 Reunion Facebook page to RSVP.
The Erie Lions Club Save an Eye City vs County All-Star football game will be held July 25 at Erie Veterans Memorial Stadium, 26th and State Streets. The major purpose of the Save An Eye Game is to raise money to provide free eye care to low income children.
“Remembering Janis” will run June 26, 27, and 28 at Theatre 145, located at 145 West 11th St in Erie. Ticket prices are $10 Regular seating, $12 Riser seating and VIP seating at $15. For advanced tickets please visit their web site or call (814) 879-0733.
The guys at Should I Drink That (SIDT) are holding a giveaway for 2 tickets (and other prizes) to the first annual Beer on the Bay Festival which will be held Saturday, July 26. The festival features the fine beer of the Erie Brewing Company and 25 other regional craft brewers along with great food and live music at Erie’s Pepsi Amphitheater on the bayfront.
The Gannon University ShakeXperience Theater Camp will be held Monday, July 28 through Saturday, August 2. This one-week resident high school (through graduation) theater camp is taught by members of Gannon’s theater program and qualified professionals. Classes are conducted in Shakespeare, text analysis, stage movement, rehearsal and performance. Workshops are offered in stage combat, period dance, and music. Includes a public matinee performance of CYMBELINE as part of the Shakespeare SummerNights outdoor threatre festival. Cost: $99 (includes room, board, and instruction fee). For more information, contact Fr Shawn Clerkin, (814) 871-7493.
A fundraising event for the Lindsay Graygo Empowerment Scholarship Fund will be held Wednesday, August 13 from 5-8 p.m. at Molly Brannigans. Celebrity bartenders will serve up your favorite drinks and a Chinese auction will be held. Bartender tips and auction proceeds will go to directly to the fund. If you would like to make a donation, please visit the Scholarship’s donation page.
The 2008 City of Erie Recreation Tennis Tournaments will be held once again at
Frontier Park. Adults: August 13-17 (session for juniors has passed). Applications are available at: PennBriar Health and Tennis Club, Westwood Racquet Club, Lake Shore Country Club, Kahkwa Club and Erie Sport Store’s downtown location. For more information contact Richard Beck at 835-5452.
Erie to host young professionals from across the state at Pennsylvania Young Professionals 2008 ImPAct Conference ERIE, PA — Young professionals, business executives and civic leaders from across the state are invited to take part the Pennsylvania Young Professionals 2008 ImPAct Conference, being held Sept. 12-14 at Erie’s Bayfront Convention Center, 1 Sassafras Pier. This marks the first year the ImPAct Conference (Innovative Minds Creating Pennsylvania’s Tomorrow) will be held in northwestern Pennsylvania.
Marion Berry? LOL… I just read an article on a news site about a woman being arrested for prostitution who was paid in gas cards. Desperate times…
Crack in the car! That was so funny! Easily the best part of my morning, thank you!!!!
THANK YOU for the post about the purple boxes hanging from trees – I’ve been seeing them and wondering what the &#*@!@ those are. Now I know.