For those of you who are Beatles fans (which should be everyone), today marks the 46th anniversary of the Fab Four’s  first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show and subsequent invasion of the States. What’s your favorite Beatles song? I’d have to go with “Here Comes the Sun.” George gets me every time.

Here’s a clip from the famous performance:

The Coast Guard searched Lake Erie near the OH/PA border for quite some time yesterday afternoon looking for plane crash wreckage, due to reports of a plane going down. They apparently found no evidence of a crash.

Representative John Hornaman finally has a challenger: Regina Smith, a Millcreek resident with experience at several levels of government, will run as the Republican candidate against the Democratic incumbent. Unfortunately the situation is a little sticky–Smith’s husband is the Erie County Clerk of Elections. The Democratic Party has already jumped on the possibility of “improprieties.” The Smiths say they will seek the opinion of the County Election Board on the issue.

Ron Komorek, the City of Erie’s Finance Director, passed away Saturday after a 2-month battle with cancer. The city’s assistant finance director, Paul Lichtenwalter, has stepped in as acting  finance director.

Another shooting occurred Sunday night at the 300 block of East 6^th street. A 33-year-old man was shot in the abdomen and foot shortly after midnight. Two young men were seen running from the scene.

The carbon monoxide poisoning at Hessel Valley Lutheran Church in Warren County has been traced to a partially blocked chimney, which inhibited ventilation. Most of nearly 3 dozen victims have already recovered from the incident.

Sports

After spending a week at No. 2, the Mercyhurst College women’s hockey team bounced back with three-straight wins to reclaim the top spot in the USCHO.com Women’s Division I Poll. Mercyhurst returns to action in two weeks with a pair of games against College Hockey America rival Wayne State, beginning on Friday, Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.

Brittany Bell, a senior guard on the Allegheny women’s basketball team, has been named the North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week. On the season, she ranks second on the team with 9.8 points per game. Bell is second in the NCAC in three-point field-goal percentage (.385) and is fourth in three-pointer per game (2.24).

Allegheny women’s track and field thrower Lauren Butler was honored by the North Coast Athletic Conference as its Women’s Field Athlete of the Week. Butler, a sophomore, won the shot put event at Mount Union’s Jim Wuske Invitational. Her winning attempt traveled 11.84 meters (38 feet, 10 1/2 inches).

The Allegheny men’s and women’s swimming and diving team will compete at the 26th annual North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championships this weekend. The three-day event will be held from Thursday through Saturday at the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio.

Events

The Gannon Lady’s basketball team is shooting to raise $13,000 during their third annual Pink Zone game, to be played at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13. Admission is free to both the women’s game and the men’s basketball game to follow. Throughout the women’s game, the names of cancer survivors will be announced. In addition, the Lady Knights will commemorate the occasion by wearing special pink uniforms. The team will raise money partially through the sale of pink, tie-dyed T-shirts. The shirts are $13 each and can be purchased:

- On the first floor of the University’s Waldron Campus Center, 124 West 7th St., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 1-4 and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 8-11.
- During the Lady Knights’ next game at Hammermill Center, to be played at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10
- By contacting the Gannon University women’s basketball office at 814-871-7419.
- At Hammermill Center during the Feb. 13 Pink Zone game.

Gift baskets and other items, including a pink basketball autographed by the members of the team, also will be sold and auctioned off. All proceeds raised from the sales and from the Pink Zone game will benefit the Erie chapter of the American Cancer Society — Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.