Hi everyone! We hope you’re having a great holiday week. Us? Mike’s been sick, then his kids got sick, so not a lot of fun there. Even Emilee, our intrepid intern, got caught in Buffalo in the massive snowstorm we had Monday. Hope your week is going better. Our daily news posts will pick up Monday, January 4.

Here’s a question on this last day of 2009: what, in your opinion, are the top stories of the year in Erie?

We’re thinking the economy has to be one of the biggest stores, with its impact locally with big layoffs at GE and several other businesses closing. Luckily, some businesses have managed to not only survive but grow in this economy, places like Eriez Magnetics and HERO BX (the artist formerly known as Lake Erie Biofuels.)

There was a big county election this year, which will impact our area for years to come. There’s the ongoing fight in Millcreek about water. There’s the search for a replacement for Jim Barker. There’s the merger of WICU and WSEE news operations.

What do you think?