There was some excitement yesterday in Meadville when a plane crashed yesterday morning near the Lincoln Avenue Softball Complex. No one on the ground was injured, and then the story gets bizarre.

The pilot, John Bouley, was treated for injuries at Meadville Medical Center. When that was complete, dude rented a car and drove back to Connecticut. No word if Bouley will face charges, but NTSB and FAA officials are investigating the incident. Weird he wouldn’t stay to find out about his plane or help in the immediate investigation. The Meadville Tribune has a photo slideshow.

Police are investigating the death of a 2-year-old girl. The child was found dead yesterday morning at an apartment on Brooklyn Ave. and police are looking for Marquice Evans to question him. Sad.

Larry Curtis, running for Millcreek Township supervisor, is backing out of a candidates forum with Rich Figaski. Curtis says he won’t come because Sue Weber was working to organize the event, despite the fact the moderator is a Mercyhurst professor. Larry, man up and attend the forum. This isn’t fair to voters in Millcreek.

Yesterday was car hits building day. Someone ran into the Edinboro Walmart, which is no small feat considering the store is gigantic, but still. Not like you didn’t see it coming. A woman in Erie also crashed her car into the 100 State Street building.

The Manufacturer & Business Association (MBA) and the Manufacturers’ Association of Central Pennsylvania (MACP) have announced their consolidation. MACP is an employers’ organization with an exceptional 70-year history of providing information and services in support of the central Pennsylvania business community. The consolidation, effective immediately, will expand the MBA’s service area from 17 Pennsylvania counties to 27, with more than 4,700 member companies. Additionally, the Association will now have three Pennsylvania office locations – Erie, Williamsport and Harrisburg. All three offices will offer a full range of employer solutions including: training, human resources, legal, and insurance services; legislative advocacy; the internationally recognized Blue Ocean Strategy training; and low-cost energy services.

Presque Isle is expected to get $945,000 of $100 million in federal funds earmarked for beach sand replenishment next year. According to Philly.com, the big winner is New Jersey, who will get $20 million. We’d rather be in Erie than New Jersey any day of the week.

Sports

A four-goal exhibition in the first half was all the Mercyhurst College field hockey team needed, as the eighth-ranked Lakers rolled past Mansfield, 4-0, in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division action Tuesday afternoon at Tullio Field.

Nicole Mascia scored the game’s lone goal, lifting the Allegheny women’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Oberlin in North Coast Athletic Conference action on Tuesday night.

Evan Chate (Vendays-Montalivet, France/Odilon Redon) and Pete Williams (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) each recorded their first career goal as the Gannon men’s soccer team slipped past Alderson-Broaddus 2-1 Tuesday afternoon at Gannon University Field.

Events

The School of Engineering at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, is hosting a national engineering conference this week from Oct. 14-16, featuring the college and the Erie community. The American Society for Engineering Education’s (ASEE) Engineering Design Graphics Division (EDGD) 64th Midyear Conference focuses on graphics in the engineering field. Welcome to Erie, everyone!