If you didn’t register to vote by 8 p.m. yesterday, you’ll have to wait four years to vote for president again.

Tom Ridge and Lynn Swann will hold a rally Wednesday in Perry Square in support of the McCain-Palin ticket. In Pennsylvania, here are the polling numbers: Quinnipiac poll has Obama up in PA by 15 points; Rasmussen poll has Obama up by 8; and theMorning Call/Muhlenberg College tracking poll has Obama up 10 points. Recently the McCain campaign pulled most of its staff from Michigan and there is speculation that Pennsylvania might be next.

The second presidential debate between Senators McCain and Obama will take place tonight at 9 p.m. in Nashville, Tennessee. The candidates will take questions from undecided voters in a town-hall style format.

The stock market took a beating yesterday. If you were planning on retiring soon, you have our sympathies.

Railpower Technologies announced that it will postpone the completion of the new assembly plant in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, which was initially planned for completion in the first quarter of 2009. (Erie was considered for the new assembly plant.) Construction of the facility began in June of 2008 and will not restart until new significant orders are secured. Jose Mathieu, president and CEO of Railpower, stated:

The measure aims at preserving cash due to slower sales than anticipated. Certain expected large orders have been delayed this year by customers due to the economic slowdown and other factors related to delayed governmental subsidies in the United States.

Just another example of how the financial crisis is affecting every sector of the economy. Expect more and more of these types of stores in the coming weeks. Railpower’s U.S. headquarters are based in Erie, Pa.

Michael Krause has been cleared by a state ethics committee of any violations. County Controller Sue Weber claimed Krause had his driveway plowed by county employees. The board found insufficient evidence to support the claims. The county is welcome to plow my driveway anytime. County Executive Mark DiVecchio is also under investigation by the state ethics committee, but no details about that investigation are currently available.

A woman was struck and killed by a train yesterday afternoon. No news on who the woman was or what happened. The investigation is ongoing.

In an effort to combat the effects of the national economic downturn, Governor Ed Rendell announced interest rates will be lowered to 3 percent on three loan programs targeting businesses including loans from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority, the Machinery and Equipment Loan Fund and Small Business First. Pennsylvania has a funding and program finder for businesses interested in finding loans and other grant programs.

Erie County will not be able to fire a female prison guard who had a relationship with a male inmate while he was in jail. Judge Shad Connelly upheld an arbitrator’s reinstatement, as Eileen Page didn’t work in an area where Kelley Cooley was housed. They did, however, speak via telephone. Lisa Thompson has more.

Attorneys for Mount Carmel Municipal Authority (MCMA) of Mount Carmel, Pa., are suing Erie Insurance over the insurer’s decision not to provide coverage of borough homes where basements flooded with rainwater and sewage in a March 5 rainstorm. Erie Insurance is arguing they do not have to pay for the damage based on terms of the insurance contract. We noticed the MCMA are a cranky bunch with javascript warnings popping up on their website if you try to view the HTML source code. One question. Why?

General surgeon Dr. Salomon (Sal) Kramer has joined Rome Memorial Hospital‘s medical staff in Rome, NY. In his previous medical career, Dr. Salomon was chief intern at Millcreek Community Hospital here in Erie where he was also named chief resident during his general surgery residency.

Allegheny College president James H. Mullen Jr. is one of 45 college and university presidents who have been invited to form a national leadership coalition committing their campuses to becoming models for what liberal education can offer – and most effectively deliver.

Sports

The Allegheny men’s golf team won the championship of the Nazareth Invitational by edging St. John Fisher by one stroke on Monday. The Gators ended with a two-day total of 611 (301-310).

Junior Emily Warren scored a season-high three goals and the Laker defense surrendered just one shot, as the Mercyhurst College field hockey team rolled to a 3-1 victory over Bellarmine Monday afternoon at Tullio Field.

The Gannon men’s golf team finished fourth out of 11 teams Monday afternoon at the Westminster Invitational hosted by the New Castle Country Club.

Fans entering the Hammermill Center Tuesday (October 7) night will be seeing pink. The Gannon and Edinboro volleyball teams, in conjunction with the Side-Out Foundation, will host a “Dig Pink” event in an effort to raise funds for cancer awareness and research. As a result, both programs are asking all fans to wear pink to Tuesday’s match and show your support.

Gannon officials have announced a ticket presale for Saturday’s (October 11) Gannon-Mercyhurst football game at Gannon University Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets will be available Wednesday, October 8 through Friday, October 10 at the Gannon Athletic Department Offices located through the 3rd and Peach Streets entrance of the Carneval Athletic Pavilion. Tickets will be available 8 a.m. through 4 p.m. each day or until the game sells out. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. If tickets are still available on gameday, ticket windows at Gannon University Field will open Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

Events

Educators from Erie County will embark on a safari at the Erie Art Museum, 411 State Street on Thursday, October 16 from 4-7 p.m. Educators from all disciplines and age levels can earn Act 48 credit. “The Educator Safari is an opportunity for educators of students in grades K-12 in all disciplines to familiarize themselves with the Erie Art Museum’s tour and educational programs, meet artists, explore exhibits and earn Act 48 credit,” said Kelly Armor, Erie Art Museum education and folk art director.

Nearly 60 student leaders from high schools across Erie and Crawford counties will gather at Mercyhurst College on Tuesday, Oct. 7, to exchange ideas, work collaboratively and learn skills to take back to their schools and communities.

The “House of Bedlam,” a horror-thriller from Erie’s GMD Films, is set in the early 1800′s at a brothel in the fictitious town of Bedlam. Fast forward 200 years later where a group of college students on a botany expedition stumble upon the remains of the ‘House of Bedlam’ and discover the horrors that lie beneath. Featuring Katie Russell, Jeremy Krukowski and Larry Laverty of television’s “The Practice,” “Judging Amy,” and “Mad TV.” House of Bedlam will show Saturday, October 11th at 10 p.m. at Theater 145. Tickets for the event and after party are $6 and available at the theater’s box office.

EAOLEF, Inc., a Local Education fund that secures and distributes funds to enable professional arts instruction, will be holding its next board meeting tonight at 7:00 p.m. at Burton Elementary School. This meeting is open to the public and is looking for new members and those interested in joining the board of directors.

Allegheny College invites area children to attend its Saturday, Oct. 11th football game against Carnegie Mellon as the Gators participate in NCAA Football’s 11th Annual “Take a Kid to the Game” program presented by Coca-Cola. Kickoff at Frank B. Fuhrer Field is set for 3:30 p.m., with stadium gates open at 1:30 p.m. The game will be telecast live on Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh.

Mercyhurst College will host its 35th Annual James V. Kinnane Awards Luncheon and Criminal Justice Conference on Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Ambassador Banquet & Conference Center, 7792 Peach St., Erie. This year’s conference, themed “Systems Gone Awry: When Criminal Justice Meets Mental Health,” will explore the issue of rising incarceration rates of persons with mental illnesses and whether this trend is a product of a system trying to help them or if there are other, more effective, alternatives.

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.