There will be a live telethon on WSEE and The CW tonight, with all proceeds benefitting John Kanzius’ cancer research. Operators will be available from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Telethon guests will include John Malone, Angela Bontempo, Maryann Yochim and Joyce Savocchio.

ABC’s “Good Morning America” is coming to our fair city. Erie will be one of several train stops on the morning show’s “Whistle-Stop Tour 08″, a five-part series that begins next Monday. The train is expected to arrive in Erie on Tuesday September 16th at The Brewerie at Union Station. Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts and Chris Cuomo made the announcement Monday September 8th on their program. They also said that they will bring presidential candidates “with us right into small-town America” and interview them from the specially equipped train. VisitErie and The Brewerie have been working with Good Morning America producers to coordinate efforts for their Erie stopover.

Ouch, babe. Thanks to the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers and the teetering of AIG, the stock market got beat up yesterday. At the end of trading yesterday, the Dow was down 504.48 and the Nasdaq was down 81.36. Here are a few stocks of local interest:

Erie Insurance: 45.46 -0.89
GE 24.60 -2.15
Verizon 33.24 -1.25
National City 4.28 -0.54
PNC 70.42 -2.55
Macy’s, Inc 19.46 -1.35
MTR Gaming Group 3.09 -0.65
Spectrum Control 7.45 +0.12
National Fuel Gas 45.02 -1.48

An anonymous source that works at a local gas station company told us last night that prices are set to jump 30 cents today. The company, which let’s say rhymes with Muntry Ware, is waiting for another company, one who’s name rhymes with Creetz, to raise their prices so they can match. Fill up now if you need it.

As of last evening, there were still 10,000 customers without power in our area due to the strong winds associated with Hurricane Ike.

A few dental patients got quite a surprise when a car crashed into the front of Tucker Dental Office on 38th and Sterretania Road yesterday. No cause of the crash was released, and there were only minor injuries. There are easier ways to get out of a dental visit, we think.

Alicia Pugh, 24, was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison after she was driving under the influence while on a suspended license. Kelly Pol, 22, her passenger in the car, was killed in the accident.

Local Red Cross volunteers will be going to Galveston, Texas, to help the victims of Hurricane Ike. Even if you can’t go with those local Erieites traveling to Texas to help hurricane victims, you may want to consider a donation to the Red Cross disaster relief fund.

A large number of local organization will receive grants from the state in an effort to protect and preserve the Lake Erie shoreline. Governor Rendell announced more than $1 million in grant funding for 30 projects in connection with the Department of Environmental Protection’s coastal resource management program. Roughly more than half of the $1 million in grant money will be spent in Erie County alone. The other half in counties bordering the Delaware Estuary.

Millcreek School District will receive an award from the Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture) today in Philadelphia for promoting renewable energy. Specifically for the installation of a green roof at the Asbury Woods Nature Center.

Residents in 26 counties, including Erie, that are interested in pursuing careers in nursing will benefit from the Nurse Education Initiative grants totaling $1.6 million in state and private
sector investments. The initiative will expand class sizes and nurse education faculty, increasing the nurse workforce. Erie and surrounding counties will receive $45,966 in grant monies.

Sports

Jim Sertz has been named interim golf coach at Cathedral Prep.

Steelers DE Brett Keisel injured his calf in Sunday night’s game against the Browns. He will be out 2 months. Not good news for Steelers fans.

MLB Baseball: Cleveland beat the Minnesota Twins 3-1. The Dodgers shut-out Pittsburgh 8-0. The Detroit lost to Texas 11-8.

Events

Yesterday we posted detailed information on this years North East wine festival which will be held August 26-28.

The Speaker Series at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will open its new season with a debate on Election 2008 politics between CNN’s “Inside Politics” contributor Donna Brazile and National Review Online columnist David Frum. “A Moderated Conversation About the Presidency and Politics in America” will be held tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the McGarvey Commons of the Reed Union Building. Admission is free and open to the public. Robert Speel, associate professor of political science at the college, will be the moderator.

The Erie Community Blood Bank is holding a promotion this week. The next 150 donors who come to give blood will receive a buy 1 get 1 free certificate to Splash Lagoon. All donors who donate blood this week can enter to win a fabulous get away for 4 that includes 2 day park entry for 4, deluxe overnight hotel accommodation and breakfast and dinner. Donate blood at 2646 Peach Street open Mon, Weds, Thurs and Fri 9 a.m.-6p.m.; Tues 9a.m.-7:30p.m. And Sat 9a.m.-12:30p.m.

View this past Sunday’s comprehensive events list to see a list of events for the week and months ahead. If you would like your event posted here, please contact us via our online form.