Erie County has posted the 2009 Budget Proposal for review. We’re don’t understand why this wasn’t posted weeks ago when it was announced.

MTR Gaming is moving ahead of schedule with installing Robert Griffin as the new president and chief executive of MTR, beginning November 1 instead of January 1, 2009.  MTR did not explain why they are installing Griffin two months ahead of schedule but did say that current president and CEO Ted Arneault would hang around with a 30-month consulting contract.

With the November election coming up very soon, the local congressional races are heating up. We’ve blogged lately about polls and today its about campaign cash. In the last quarter, Kathy Dahlkemper received doubled the contributions from the quarter before. Dahlkemper has $274,850.52 and English has $394,011.27 on hand.

There has been a moderate shortage of type O blood for about a week and the shortage turned critical with a tremendous amount of type O being used in the past 24 hours. Wednesday night usage raises concerns for the weekend. The Community Blood Bank is located at 26th and Peach and is open Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday from 9am to 12:30pm. No appointment is needed to save a life.

Spectrum Control Inc. of Fairview announced it would spend $5 million to repurchase some of its outstanding common stock.

Railpower Technologies, with its U.S. headquarters based in Erie, announced the sale of two Eco-Motive Ultra-Low Emission locomotives to Modesto & Empire Traction Company.  Interestingly, Modesto’s decision was motivated by an average fuel savings of over 40% compared to its own GE 600hp locomotives.  Railpower produces specialized, environment-friendly and fuel economical technology systems for the transportation and related industries.

EMTA officials for some reason are still pondering whether to fire bus driver David Justka, who in the past injured a pedestrian in 2000, killed a bicyclist in 2005, and recently injured another pedestrian on West 38th while on duty.  Although we’re all about giving people second chances, sometimes decisions like these are a no brainer.

As part of Blog Action Day, the Press and Tower posted a nice interview with Erie City Mission development director Lisa Zompa Nietupski. Yes, that Lisa Zompa.

The Erie Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) announces the fourth annual Erie County College Business Plan Competition, offering local college students the opportunity to participate in helping to revitalize and expand the community while competing for cash prize giveaways. Full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in any of the four Erie area colleges – Gannon University, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Mercyhurst College, and Penn State Erie, The Behrend College – are invited to partake in the competition. Individual students and integrated student teams from engineering, business, the arts and other areas of study compete by generating a brief business plan for the 2008-2009 academic year. Mixed undergraduate and graduate teams with business mentors are encouraged.

Movies opening this weekend: W, Sex Drive, and Max Payne.

Sports

There was one high school football game last night, with Iroquois beating Cochranton 56-6.

The Penn State women’s basketball team will open its 2008-09 season with its first official practice today at the Bryce Jordan Center at University Park.

The Mercyhurst women’s volleyball team is ranked third in the first NCAA Atlantic Region poll, released Oct. 12. The Allegheny College men’s cross country team dropped to 13th in the latest United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association national poll.

Events

Podcamp Pittsburgh 3 is this weekend and being a short drive down 79 this would be a great chance for people to find out more about blogging, social networking, podcasting and other aspects of new media. As with the previous 2 Podcamps this one is FREE to attend and will have an all star cast of speakers. There will be plenty of Erie influence on this podcamp with the involvement of Douglas Derda, Justin Kownacki and Mike Woycheck. Also Erie Brewing Company is the exclusive brewer of the Meet-n-Greet Friday night.

The Erie County Historical Society will hold Horse-Drawn Mystery Tours on Fridays, October 17 & 24 at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tours depart from the Watson-Curtze Mansion at 356 West Sixth Street and will travel through downtown Erie, “pausing at sites of spiritual unrest and bizarre happenstance”. Donuts, cider and pumpkins are included with the tour. Seating is limited. Please call 814-454-1813 Ext. 0 to make a reservation.

Belle Valley Fire Department will present their annual haunted house Valley of the Ghouls. The haunted house is open on October 17, 18, 24, 25, and 31 from 7:30-11 pm and admission is $5.

Glass Growers Gallery is hosting a meet and greet for artist Jeremy Beightol on Friday, October 17th from 6 to 9 pm. His newest paintings will be on display there in the fall exhibit, “Oceans of Mercy”, until November 18th.

Peek’n Peak will host the 2nd weekend of the 21st Fall Fest on Oct 18 & 19. Over 20,000 people came out for last weekend’s event and the weather looks great for this weekend as well.  Visit over 90 craft show vendors, enjoy free horse drawn wagon rides, kids activities, lift rides, and much more! Special pre-season discounts on season passes are also available!

The Roadhouse Theatre’s 20th Anniversary Production, ‘Buried Child’, will be performed October 17 and 18 with a special performance on October 19 for anyone who has ever performed in or worked on a Roadhouse Theatre production. Reservations will be required for this show and a reception will follow the performance. Tickets are $8 with special limited VIP seating available at $12. As usual BYOB with proper ID. Phone (814) 459-8215 for reservations and tickets.

Christmas is around the corner and the Salvation Army is looking for volunteers to ring bells for their annual Red Kettle Drive. This highly rewarding experience will begin November 20th and continue through December 24th. Volunteers ring bells at one of 30 kettle locations in the greater Erie area from anytime between 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. All the money raised stays within the Erie region to provide shelter for the homeless, after school activities, programs for seniors and the Army’s Christmas food and toy distribution. Individuals and groups interested in volunteering are asked to contact the Salvation Army at 454-6497 to schedule a date.

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.  Tomorrow we will publish a new list of events for the week and months ahead.