A quick heads-up if you have not yet picked up an digital TV receiver – WSEE will turn off its analog signal tomorrow. This will only affect you if you get TV signals with an antenna, either rabbit-ears style or an external antenna. Satellite and cable customers will not see any change. Despite Congress changing the shut-off deadline until June, 400 stations across the country will switch tomorrow.  These (and other) stations did not budget the cost of running analog past the February 17 cut-off date.

Good news regarding the local blood situation. Dan Desrochers reports the Community Blood Bank has 924 units of blood right now (800 is considered optimal). While that’s good news, please don’t let deter you from taking a half hour or so and giving blood. It still takes 800 donors a week to keep the blood supply at a safe level.

A reader of the Grand Forks Herald wrote their technology column to lament the fact that WQLN has stopped airing UK soap EastEnders. It seems the writer’s daughter would tape the show on WQLN and send them a tape. We concur with the columnist – pick up a Slingbox and find someone who will stream it to you.

General Electric Transportation and Siemens AG are the only bidders in separate contracts for a $6 billion Indian Railways project to manufacture electric and diesel locomotives. Indian government officials are concerned since three of the five companies in the running for the project did not bid because of uncertainty of the railway project and the contract terms, and are questioning the competitiveness of bids between just the two companies. Interestingly enough, the winning bidder will be required to build a township, school, and hospitals near the factory that will build the locomotives.

Erie Insurance was praised in a recent article on the website GlassBYTEs, a glass and insurance industry publication.

The price of gas is slowing creeping up despite the price of crude oil falling to a low of $37.  Let us do the math for you: crude was at $147 in July 2008 when we were paying $4 a gallon.  Crude is now $37 and comparing that to July’s price ($4 x 37 / 147) we should be paying $1 a gallon.  The lowest price in the Erie area is $2.09.  If oil companies and refineries reported record profits last year, we think its going to be an extremely profitable 2009 for them.  Time to invest in energy stocks if you haven’t already.

Another day, a few more additions to our Erie Twitter Guide. Check it out.

Sports

There will be an Otters player appearance McDonald’s on Buffalo Road later today at 6:30 p.m.  The Otters are away for the rest of the week playing the Windsor Spitfires on Thursday, the Saginaw Spirit on Friday, and the Plymouth Whalers on Saturday.

The Erie BayHawks are off until Saturday, February 21 when they play an away game against the Sioux Falls SkyForce. The ‘Hawks play another away game on Monday, February 23 against the Iowa Energy before returning to Erie on Thursday, February 26 to play the Dakota Wizards. Get your tickets here.

The Gannon men’s basketball team secured its second consecutive 20-win season with a 76-41 victory Monday night at Lake Erie in the squad’s final non-conference game of the season. It marks the 24th 20-win season in the program’s 65-year history.

Freshman Phil Ginand of the Mercyhurst College men’s hockey team has been named Atlantic Hockey Association Player of the Week for the week of February 16, announced Monday afternoon by AHA league officials.

Events

Erie Arts Opportunity Local Education Fund is a Local Education fund that secures and distributes funds, especially to low income public schools in Erie County, to enable professional arts instruction within each participating school according to prescribed standards. EAOLEF, Inc. is intended to enable participating public schools to make a long-term commitment to the provision of an adequate arts curriculum. Their board meets meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m if you are interested in learning more.

On Wednesday, Feb. 18, Gannon University will host the third of four financial aid workshops.The workshop is designed to help high school students and their parents better navigate the sometimes complex financial aid process. It is free and open to the public and will begin at 6:30 p.m. in room 1200 of the University’s Palumbo Academic Center, 824 Peach St. For more information, contact Gannon’s Financial Aid Office at 814-871-7337 or 1-800-GANNON-U, or visit the website.

Erie Gay Business Alliance will meet on February 18 at Matthew’s Trattoria, 153 E 13th St at 7 PM. Local activist Doris Cipolla will be speaking about marriage equality and other issues relevant to the GLBT community to the Erie Gay Business Alliance, which is for GLBT professionals and business people and their supporters. Phone: (814) 456-9833. Email: egba-owner@eriegaynews.com.

On February 23, The Edinboro University Chamber Players present works for flute, saxophone, guitar, tuba and strings. Free admission – no ticket required. Sponsored by Pennsylvania Council of the Arts, Arts Council of Erie, Erie County Public Library, Friends of the Erie County Public Library and Edinboro University Music Department. The concert will be held at the Blasco Memorial Library Hirt Auditorium, 160 E Front St.

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and LORD Corporation will host an information session for the LORD Scholarship Program—a unique program for students enrolled, or planning to enroll, in engineering, technical and science disciplines at Penn State Behrend. The information session will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. in the Samuel P. “Pat” Black III Conference Center located in the Research and Economic Development Center (REDC) at Penn State Behrend. Parking will be available in the REDC deck located on Technology Drive, off Jordan Road.

A Pride Picnic Meeting will be held on March 8 at Panera’s Yorktown, 2501 W 12th St, Erie, PA 16505 at 2 PM. We will be meeting to discuss planning for the 17th Annual Erie Pride Picnic, which will be held on Sunday, June 13 from 1 to 6 PM at the Rotary Pavilion at Presque Isle State Park, Erie PA Contact: Michael Mahler. Phone: (814) 456-9833. Email: info@eriegaynews.com. Browse to http://www.eriegaynews.com.

Upcoming Erie Concerts and Shows:

Feb. 19: Jerry Seinfeld, Warner Theatre (tickets)
Feb. 22: Rain (Beatles Cover Band), Warner Theatre (tickets)
March 7: Motley Crue w/ Hinder, Last Vegas, Theory of a Deadman, Tullio Arena (tickets)
March 22: New Kids on the Block, Tullio Arena (tickets on sale 1/24)
March 29: Comedian Lewis Black, Warner Theatre (tickets)

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