The Shriners at the national conference have voted to keep all of the Shriners’ Hospitals open, though final, official word isn’t due until Thursday. Good news for the local hospital.
Erie District Judge Gerald Alonge is facing charges brought by the state Judicial Conduct Board. Judge Alonge is accused of state constitution violations as well as harassing women and not being honest about his qualifications to be a judge. The Erie Times-News has more and there’s a bit more detail here.
U.S. Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-3) has announced a Department of Transportation grant award of $5,161,287 for the Erie International Airport. This funding will be used for Phases III and IV of the Runway 6-24 Improvement Program, acquiring land for approaches and extending the runway.
There’s still a critical blood shortage and your help is still needed. I think I’m heading up there after work tonight to help. Every unit counts.
ProgressiveRailroading.com is reporting that GE Transportation marked opened a new locomotive assembly plant in Astana, Kazakhstan, on July 3. The plant will build 300 locomotives with components and parts from the Erie and Grove City plants. The 43,000 square meter plant is scheduled to begin production of GE’s Evolution Series locomotives by the end of 2009. At full capacity, the facility would be capable of assembling approximately 100 locomotives per year while employing more than 600 people.
Terrence W. Cavanaugh, president and chief executive officer of Erie Insurance Group, was unanimously appointed to the Mercyhurst College Board of Trustees at its spring meeting held June 25 on the campus of Mercyhurst North East.
The Pennsylvania Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus has appointed John Oliver (VisitErie President/CEO) to serve as their Board President effective July 1, 2009 for a two year term. Of added note, the PACVB Fall Conference will be held in Erie this year, September 20-23 at the Bayfront Convention Center, drawing approximately 150 attendees. Congrats, John!
As another summer continues in Erie, local high school students are taking full advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the intricate aspects of medicine, medical school and anatomy. LECOM hosted two weeklong Medical Applications of Science and Health, or M.A.S.H., programs for students from several area high schools. The program gives these students an opportunity to take a closer look at medical education and the practice of medicine.
Sports
The SeaWolves clobbered the Binghamton Mets on Monday afternoon at NYSEG Stadium, 12-4 as they won the final two games to take the series.
Matt Pierce, a 2009 graduate and former member of the Mercyhurst College men’s hockey team, has been invited to participate in the Chicago Blackhawks’ 2009 Prospect Camp, held Monday, July 6 to Friday July 10 at Johnny’s Ice House in Chicago, Ill.
Do you like being able to see not just Pittsburgh and Cleveland scores? Let me know in the comments and I’ll keep the widget.
Events
Takezasa-Do, an exhibition of the 1,200-year-old Kyoto tradition of
woodblock prints, will be on view July 10 through September 26, 2009 in the Erie Art Museum’s Annex Gallery, 423 State Street. This will be the final show in the existing Annex Gallery (which will be converted to another education studio as part of the Museum’s expansion project). A public reception is scheduled for Gallery Night, Friday, August 21 from 7-10 p.m.
“GE Transportation marked opened a new locomotive assembly plant in Astana, Kazakhstan, on July 3. The plant will build 300 locomotives with components and parts from the Erie and Grove City plants. The 43,000 square meter plant is scheduled to begin production of GE’s Evolution Series locomotives by the end of 2009. At full capacity, the facility would be capable of assembling approximately 100 locomotives per year while employing more than 600 people.”
I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest that this is the beginning of the transfer of the locomotive business out of Erie and Grove City.
This won't mean much up there, but, another American business manufacturing Icon has bit the dust. Piper Aircraft of Vero Beach, FLorida has been sold (100%) to Imprimis, an investment corporation with offices in Bangkok, Singapore and Brunei. Management will stay in Vero Beach, for a time. Piper and & Imprimis believe that there is a large potential market in the Asian Pacific for training and personal aircraft.
So Erie is not alone in this type of thing. I would recommend tryiing to figure out how many casino's and race tracks and whatever other tourist machinations you can fit on the GE property, before someone actually tries to get it to – hmmm, put in some manufacturing that might actually pay a sustainable wage.
Nothing to worry about the Union will help the overpaid employees when they lose their jobs. Ask the former employees of Steris and IP how the union is helping them today.