The Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority has decided what municipal projects will receive gaming revenue collected in 2007. Summit Township hits the jackpot – they will get over $2 million for water improvements, $500k for sewer improvements, a new firetruck and a pumping station. Millcreek will receive money to pay for an additional police officer. 25 projects were submitted for consideration, and only 5 were chosen. The authority will soon start planning what to do with revenues collected in 2008.

Gamblers played the slots to the tune of $37.5 million last week at Presque Isle Downs. $34.3 million was paid out as winnings. Of what’s left, the casino gets $1.3 million and the rest is paid to the state.

VisitErie reports they collected $113,285 in hotel tax revenue in January. That’s a 7.1% drop from a year ago and the third month in a row revenues were down compared to the previous year.

Tops Markets will no longer offer film processing in its stores starting on March 1. We can’t remember the last time we actually had a roll of film, let alone got it developed. Wegmans stopped film developing last year.

Mercyhurst College is featured in this US News story about college acceptance letters and a tactic the school is using to appeal to prospective students.

The Chapel at the Millcreek Mall will close after Easter and will re-open in September.

5 month old Savonnia Davis was flown to a hospital in Pittsburgh earlier this week due to a serious head injury. It appears there may be abuse involved since the child’s home has been cordoned off by police, medical records are being examined, and the parents questioned.

We’ve found at least one instance where Erie will directly benefit from the stimulus package: Perry Square “streetscaping,” $380,000.

Eriez, manufacturer of magnetic, vibratory and inspection equipment, has opened a service center in Lake City, PA, for magnetic, vibratory and inspection processing equipment.

Approximately 200 nonprofit groups in Pennsylvania received more than $2.3 million from the Verizon Foundation in 2008. The grants have enabled the recipient organizations to improve basic literacy skills, create new and diverse approaches to technology-based learning, including Internet safety programs, and help domestic violence survivors rebuild their lives. Locally, the Visiting Nurse Association of Erie received $10,000 to enable the efficient and effective delivery of professional, medical home health care and hospice services to all residents of Erie County, through the use of technology.

Young Erie Professionals, YEP! will be featured this weekend on We Question We Learn on WQLN 91.3 FM. The hour program will feature a thirty minute interview about the organization and will be available for download in MP3 format after it airs on the WQLN website.

Speaking of WQLN, the public television and radio station is testing out a new design for its website.  Unfortunately it is equally unimpressive as the current, older site.

Sports

The Erie BayHawks are finally back in town and play the Dakota Wizards tonight at the Tullio.  Saturday the ‘Hawks play the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Get your tickets here.

The Erie Otters play an away game this Friday night against the London Knights and return to Erie on Saturday to play the Ottawa 67s . Then it’s another two home games with a rematch against the Plymouth Whalers on Sunday and the Owen Sound Attack on Wednesday.Get your tickets here.

The Gannon women’s basketball team has entered the national top 25 for the second time this season, being ranked 24th in the latest USA Today ESPN Division II Top 25 released Tuesday afternoon. The Gannon men’s basketball team jumped two spots and is ranked sixth in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)/Division II Top 25 poll released Tuesday afternoon, extending the streak of consecutive polls in the top 10 to a school-record 13.

Cathedral Prep head football coach Don Holl has resigned. He will be coach at Seneca Valley in the Pittsburgh area (near Zelienople).

The 2009 College Hockey America women’s tournament to be held March 5-7 at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. Teams will include Niagara, Syracuse and Mercyhurst.

Events

The McDowell Center for Performing Arts is presenting a free concert to dedicate the opening of their newly restored Little Theatre (3320 Caughey Road). The concert will be held March 3, 2009 at 7:00 PM and will feature the McDowell Jazz Band, Vocal Ensemble, Dance Team, and selections from this season’s productions of The King and I and Annie Get Your Gun. The facility is now a state-of-the-art theatre. A brand new sound system was installed which can operate any production or concert, a new lighting system was installed and can be programmed for any event which moves into the theatre, and most recently the seats were replaced along with new aisle lighting for safety. Other upgrades include new paint, a new stage floor, and improved house lighting.

The 3rd Annual Corporate Spelling Bee to support WQLN Education and Books for Kids will take place March 31st at Junior’s Last Laugh Comedy Club. Come watch as local business folks attempt to spell words from the children’s National Spelling word list! Teams will compete for the trophy and, of course, the awards for most spirit and best costumes. Join us for a night of “grown up” fun including refreshments, live jazz music, auctions, and much more! Individual admission tickets can be purchased for just $10 each. Tickets can be purchased through Jr’s by calling 814-461-0911.

Allegheny College will host a presentation, titled “Fixing America’s Economy,” by representatives of the Coalition for a Prosperous America on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. in Ford Chapel. Steve Onyeiwu, associate professor of economics at Allegheny College and co-director of the college’s managerial economics program, will open the program with a brief analysis of the state of manufacturing in the United States and in northwestern Pennsylvania, putting the current situation into a historical context.

Science journalist Dava Sobel, the award-winning author of the best-sellers Galileo’s Daughter and Longitude, will speak at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, at 7:30 pm on Thursday, February 26, in the Samuel P “Pat” Black III Conference Center in the college’s Research and Economic Development Center (REDC). Admission is FREE and open to the public; parking will be available in the REDC deck located on Technology Drive, off Jordan Road.

Erie’s favorite event is right around the corner. The 18th Annual Erie Trivia Night Challenge will be held on Thursday, February 26 at the Avalon Hotel, 16 West Tenth Street, Erie. The event will benefit children in the Achievement Center’s Physical Rehabilitation programs. Participants in the event will be treated to an evening of lavish raffles, a silent auction; dinner fit for a king, and of course, the coveted Achiever’s Title. “Captain Dan” Geary will be returning as our master of ceremonies. “Captain Dan” will be navigating participants through three rounds of rip-roaring, mind-teasing Erie trivia questions to arrive at the infamous, “final question.” Registration starts at 5:30 p.m. Dinner is at 6 p.m. with the trivia to start at 7 p.m. Cost is $50 per person or $400 per table of eight. Dinner and game play included. For more information, call Susan A. Smith at 814-459-2755, Ext. 1115.

February 27 will be the Erie Art Museum’s Nouveau, a party serioes for 20-40 somethings. African safari theme features African textiles, drumming circle, tie dye workshop, donation bar…and a dose of new. Sponsored by PNC Bank, Erie Times News, Bob FM, Molly Brannigans, Bud American Ale

Shawn Driscoll, a vice president of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., will discuss the investment management firm’s stock selection process in the Finance Speaker Series at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Driscoll’s presentation is free and open to the public. It will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, in the Samuel P. “Pat” Black III Conference Center on the first floor of the college’s Research and Economic Development Center (REDC). Parking is available in the REDC deck on Technology Drive, off Jordan Road.

Upcoming Erie Concerts and Shows:

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.