Mid-day, the snow machine kicked up and Erie and Crawford Counties got dumped on. I-79 southbound was closed for a few hours yesterday after a truck jack-knifed. At one point last night, we were getting an inch and hour. We’re guessing that we’re going to break the all-time record this year.

Teri Rhodes has formally appealed her sentence. Her attorney Phil Friedman is taking the appeal to the State Superior Court. She was sentenced to 9 to 18 years by Judge William Cunningham. Next up for Rhodes is a bond hearing on Monday. When Cunningham upheld the sentencing in January, our own Rich, an attorney himself, had this to say:

Judge Cunningham more than adequately (and convincingly) explained the court’s position and rationale in this 60 page opinion that if appealed, it is unlikely to be overturned.

The funeral arrangements for John Kanzius has been finalized. Viewing hours at the funeral home will be this Sunday from 2 to 5pm and 7 to 9pm. A funeral service will be Monday at 10:30am at the Episcopal Cathedral of St Paul at 134 West 7th St. Burial will follow at Laurel Hill Cemetery.

Governor Ed Rendell was in the area yesterday to drum up support for this state budget and plans to cut tuition costs for Pennsylvania students. This would include legalizing video poker at bars and clubs in the state. Quick poll:

Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong has been moved from an Oklahoma City prison to Allegheny County Prison. It’s expected she’ll be moved to Erie in the very near future. A trial date, if there will be one, has not yet been set.

Adrian Ewing will announce his candidacy for Erie City Council next Thursday at Matthew’s Trattoria at 7 p.m.

The Department of Environmental Protection released reports today showing that all of the 90 mammography facilities it inspected during the fourth quarter of 2008 are operating within the guidelines set forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Locally, St. Vincent Health Center Women’s Diagnostic Center and Corry Memorial Hospital were inspected and passed.

We missed this recent story from the Canadian Press about Railpower. It says:

Hybrid rail locomotive producer Railpower Technologies Corp. has filed for creditor protection and has replaced its chief executive officer as it runs short on the cash necessary to runs its operations.

No word if this will affect Railpower’s Erie operations. Thanks to reader Nick for giving us a heads up on this.

A group of Mercyhurst College intelligence studies students of assistant professor Kristan Wheaton, J.D., earned certificates of appreciation from coalition forces and the Iraqis for a 1,000-page WIKI-based analysis product they completed for intelligence authorities in Baghdad. The project, which examined Middle Eastern governments in the region and their reaction to events unfolding in Iraq, was provided to authorities in Iraq by another intelligence studies faculty member, U.S. Army Maj. Daniel Mulligan, who returned to Mercyhurst in early February after a year’s tour of duty in Iraq. Mulligan presented the certificates on Monday, Feb. 16, at the intelligence studies building on campus.

Carlson Erie Corporation, a division of American Tinning & Galvanizing Company, is pleased to announce the opening of a plastic fabrication department. This addition will enable the company to provide products such as plastic tanks, exhaust systems and material handling fixtures in a variety of plastic applications.

Yesterday, VisitErie coordinated a FAM (Familiarization) tour for AgriTours Canada. The FAM incorporates Erie attractions, restaurants and various scenic points of interest. During their visit, VisitErie Director of Tourism Development Emily Beck served as the group’s “step-on tour guide”. FAM stops included Mazza Vineyards, Erie Maritime Museum, Presque Isle and the Tom Ridge Environmental Center. A FAM’s goal is to entice, educate and encourage the attending group tour company to book future stays for their customers. According to Travel Industry Association, a bus tour making a day trip contributes an average of $3500 per day to the local economy while an overnight tour contributes an average of $7,000 per day to the local economy including meals, lodging, shopping, admission fees, souvenirs and local taxes.

The blog News Plus Notes has a cool post about an old brochure from Waldameer, circa 1991-1992. We miss the Mill Run.

The Ophelia Project collaborated with American Girl on portions of the 2009 Girl of the Year project, resulting in the creation of educational materials about relational aggression. The new character, Chrissa, is the target of relational aggression. This is the first Girl of the Year character by American Girl to focus on social issues. The Ophelia Project helped to create an online parent’s quiz and educational curriculum about relational aggression for use in classrooms. These materials will raise awareness about relational aggression and bullying and also give parents and teachers tools to address it in the lives of students. The curriculum with a DVD will be sent to select schools, but most of the materials are available for free at American Girl’s Web site.

A reader sent us a note pertaining to our blog post the other day about the old photos of Erie in Life Magazine. He writes:

Art Drew, the Philco dealer in Girard, may have had the first tv set in Erie Co. He had a massive antenna which could pick up WEWS channel 5 in Cleveland when it came on air in 1947. As a boy, he let me watch the 1948 World Series game which featured the Bob Feller ill-fated pick off play. Art was related to the Drew-Barrymore theatrical family and his father Frank owned vaudeville theaters in Cleveland and Detroit.

Sports

Greg Nemisz scored three times to lead the Windsor Spitfires to an 8-2 win over the Erie Otters in an Ontario Hockey League game played last night in front of 5,328 at the WFCU Centre. Tyler Hostetter and Anthony Luciani scored for the Otters, who dropped to 29-25-2-1 on the season.

Gannon officials have announced a ticket pre-sale for the Gannon-Mercyhurst basketball doubleheader scheduled for Thursday, February 26 at the Hammermill Center. Tickets can be purchased in advance Monday, February 23 through Thursday, February 26 at Gannon’s Carneval Athletic Pavilion, located through the Athletic Department doors at 3rd and Peach Streets.

This Saturday, February 21 the Penn State Behrend athletic department is offering reduced ticket prices for the men’s and women’s basketball games. Entry to the games on “Economic Stimulus” Night will cost fans just $1 (Penn State Behrend students get in free). The Penn State Behrend women’s basketball team will face Pitt-Bradford in a 6:00 p.m. tip-off with the men’s game to follow at about 8:00 p.m.

Events

Gannon University’s Dahlkemper School of Business Administration on Friday, Feb. 20 will host an informational event for high school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing careers in business. Gannon’s annual Business Day will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It is free and open to high school juniors and seniors and their parents and is designed to help them learn more about career opportunities in business and related fields and what students majoring in business can expect from their education. During the event, students and their parents will be able to meet with alumni of the Dahlkemper School as well as current business students and faculty members. An overview of the programs offered by the Dahlkemper School, including accounting, advertising communications, risk management and insurance, and sports management and marketing, also will be given.

Uncovering the most cost-effective energy improvement projects through the use of energy audits and thermal imaging are two topics the Energy Roundtable will tackle during their next quarterly meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 5, 2009 at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, 301 Peninsula Drive.Registration for the March 5 meeting begins at 8:45 a.m., with the program running from 9 a.m. to noon. The agenda for the meeting includes: Using Energy Audits to Save You Money and The Use of IR Thermal Imaging in Energy Auditing. To register, call 814/456-6299, fax 814/459-6058 or e-mail jmiller@nwirc.org. There is no charge for the event.

Erie for Change Meeting will hold a meeting on March 12 at Matthew’s Trattoria. They plan to discuss economic and other forms of development in the Erie area. We look forward to seeing you and creating a plan of action for change in Erie County! Thank you for your anticipated participation… For more info, contact Lisa at lmastark@yahoo.com or call Matthew’s at (814) 459-6458.

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.