The popular 8 Great Tuesdays are back starting July 7 at the Pepsi Amphitheater at Liberty Park.
All shows are free and EMTA shuttles will run from the Intermodal Transportation Center and the park and ride lots on I-79 and Lincoln Avenue.
This year the acts will include:
July 7: Key West Express
July 14: Big Bad [...]

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Erie Blogs Week II continues today at the Community Blood Bank. One donor who signs up via the Erie Blogs Week form will walk away with an iPhone 3G, and there are other prizes for both donors and bloggers. The Community Blood Bank is open until 7:30 p.m. tonight. Please stop by and help save [...]

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John McCain spent yesterday in Erie with Tom Ridge, including a tour of the GE Transportation plant. He held a town-hall meeting and took questions.
During McCain’s tour of the GE plant, he made the following comment as to what he would do in his first 90 days in Washington if he were elected president: “Call [...]

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The party’s over for unaccompanied teens who want to attend the 8 Great Tuesdays concerts. The Port Authority voted on Friday to not allow children under the age of 16 to attend the events without a parent or guardian. We’re guessing the 8 fights at last week’s concert was the icing on the cake for [...]

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The 8 Great Tuesdays concert series continues tonight with entertainment by Bernard Allison. The event runs from 6:30 – 9:30 at the Liberty Park, Pepsi Amphitheater. You can sample some music by Bernard at his MySpace page. More information on 8 Great Tuesdays including shuttle pick-up locations.
It came up in discussion this [...]

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Tonight is the second 8 Great Tuesdays event at Liberty Park. Taking the stage tonight is Donna The Buffalo. Here’s a taste of their sound.
Conscious Evolution – DONNA THE BUFFALO
The show starts at 6:30 p.m. and the concert is free.
The pair didn’t make the top 100, but Erie and Millcreek were included in CNN Money’s [...]

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Eight Great Tuesdays begins today and features free band entertainment on Tuesday nights at the Pepsi Amphitheater inside Liberty Park. Teenagers will be allowed to attend the event unaccompanied by an adult, but the Port Authority of Erie reserves the right to revoke that privilege if it believes teens are getting out of control. [...]

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Tomorrow, the 8 Great Tuesdays concert series kicks off with two months of Tuesday entertainment giving Erieites a much needed mid-week break. Every Tuesday from 6:30 – 9:30, there will be a free concert at the Liberty Park, Pepsi Amphitheater. Here is this summer’s schedule for 8 Great Tuesdays:
July 8 – Little Brian [...]

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Firefox 3 is being released today. The browser boasts a myriad of improvements, better security and speed increases. Internet Explorer = stunned.

A handful of people turned out last night to voice their concerns over the Port Authority’s plan to keep unaccompanied minors from attending the 8 Great Tuesday concerts. The ban will further be explored [...]

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The Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority will hold a public meeting 5-7pm today at the HO Hirt Auditorium at the Erie County Blasco Memorial Library, 160 East Front St, to discuss the proposal to ban unaccompanied minors from the 8 Great Tuesday’s concert series. Maybe at the meeting someone will ask what happened to the $700,000 [...]

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The March for Babies takes place today in Crawford County. Grady, Evan, Jenny and Mike are the Crawford County ambassador family for March for Babies. Mike is at $1,335 with donations with a goal of $1,500. The family was featured in a story in the Meadville Tribune – March of Dimes family share their ‘happy [...]

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The Grande Mariner, a 183 ft cruise ship that carries 100 passengers, arrived in Erie yesterday. Instead of docking at the “Cruise Boat Terminal”, it tied up at West Dobbin’s Landing. Jeff at Erie Shipping News pointed out that it will probably be 2010 before one cruise ship actually docks at the “Cruise Boat [...]

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Pennsylvania State Superior Court Judge Michael Joyce pleaded not guilty to mail fraud and money laundering charges. Joyce was not present for his arraignment but instead his attorney entered the plea. Maybe Joyce was busy golfing. Joyce did announce he will not seek reelection. Joyce was scheduled to be on the November ballot for a [...]

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In Erie County last year there was just under 650 foreclosures. The latest figure I heard for Erie County and Northwest PA in 2007 is over 1,400 foreclosures. Yipes. Get help before it happens. Call your lender. Refinance through another lender. Take action. Do something. The National Association of REALTORS has a brochure in pfd [...]

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The Pennsylvania House and Senate approved a $27.2 billion budget, a 4.4 percent increase from last year. The Pennsylvania Senate stuck to their guns and defeated 7 tax increases proposed by Governor Rendell while the state had a $650 million surplus.
 
The 1933 Barbara Stanwyck film “Baby Face,” whose racy content inspired the Hays Production Code [...]

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Governor Rendell played chicken and lost. Rendell and the Pennsylvania Senate reached a budget agreement last evening. The main sticking point was Governor Rendell’s energy plan which called for a tax increase on electricity use. Pennsylvania taxpayers are fed up and Rendell needs to be reigned in. Senate Republicans opposed the tax increase. Furloughs were [...]

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Presque Isle State Park is closed today – on a day where temperatures are expected to approach 90 degrees. And forget about visiting the Erie Maritime Museum and US Brig Niagara. Governor Ed Rendell furloughed around 24,000 “non-essential” state employees at 12:01 am when he failed to get a budget passed. The casinos around the [...]

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Presque Isle State Park, the Erie Maritime Museum and US Brig. Niagara, and Presque Isle Downs and Casino could be closed indefinitely beginning on Monday because the state budget is not in place. Around 1,000 people in Erie County and nearly 25,000 ‘non-essential’ workers throughout the state could be laid off. State Police, liquor store, [...]

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James J Jackson, who slashed the face of a 15 month baby girl when he tried to stab Marcus Gray, turned himself in to Erie Police on Friday. Jackson must have been in a hurry to go to jail because he didn’t bother to put a shirt on. Marcus Gray was in the backseat of [...]

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Erie Police are searching for James J Jackson of Erie for stabbing a 16 month old in the face with a knife. Marcus Gray was in the backseat of Amanda Wiseman’s car when he saw Jackson who Grey said robbed his apartment. Words were exchanged and Jackson attempted to stab Grey but missed and sliced [...]

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“Boom Over the Bay” has a huge success if the number of people watching was any indication. Presque Isle State Park was packed, Liberty Park was a great crowd, there were a ton on boats on Presque Isle Bay and a ton of people watched from the bluffs. This was the first time in many [...]

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The remains of Technical Sergeant Richard R Sargent of North Girard PA (present day Lake City, PA) were returned home after 63 years. Sargent had been missing in action since his B-24 Liberator named “Here T’is” went down in New Guinea on April 16, 1944. Sargent will be buried Saturday with full military honors in [...]

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If you go to Edinboro, go to class. Faculty will not be striking. The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties announced a tentative agreement has been reached on a new 4 year contract. The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education posted the news on their site last last night.
 

I know some strange facts [...]

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AT&T, the largest US telephone company, has agreed to buy Dobson Communications for about $2.8 billion in cash, acquiring the Cellular One brand. Your Cellular One bill should say AT&T by the end of the year. This should be good news if you plan on getting an iPhone.
 
Developers Diversified (NYSE: DDR) announced they are selling [...]

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Little Italy, Liberty and Sassafras Streets from West 16 to West 19, is the target area for a revitalization effort. Housing and Neighborhood Development Service (HANDS), the Erie Redevelopment Authority, the Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network and the City of Erie are working on plans for the area. Poggemeyer Design Group was hired to [...]

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Erie County Judge Stephanie Domitrovich ruled against lifting a deed restriction on the Erie Golf Course property. It must remain a golf course or a public park. The city wanted the restriction lifted so they could sell the property to developers. The city has about a $2 million debt from recent renovations at the course. [...]

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Spectrum Control of Erie (Nasdaq: SPEC) reported fiscal second-quarter net income of $2.8 million, or 20 cents per diluted share, on sales of $33.6 million, compared to net income of $1.7 million or 13 cents per share on sales of $31.9 million for the same period last year. For the first half of fiscal 2007, [...]

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Tammy Graves was identified as the woman who died at the John E Horan Garden Apartments. The coroner conducted an autopsy. Results will not be available for some time but it appears to be natural causes. They are still trying to figure out the timeline but it appears her 2 year old son was in [...]

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Erie Police responded to a call Sunday evening at Gladstone Court in the John E Horan Garden Apartments. They found the body of a woman who had been dead for possibly a week. Then it gets bizarre. The woman had a two year old boy. The poor child had been going through the kitchen cabinets [...]

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The 2007 Erie Summer Festival of the Arts wraps up today. Perfect weather has brought out large crowds. This is a FREE event and open to the public. It’s being held at Liberty Park on the Erie Bayfront. The theme is “You Gotta Have Arts.”
 
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Center for Workforce Information [...]

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John Fuhrmann, CEO of The Greater Erie County American Red Cross, announced he is retiring. Fuhrmann has led the organization for the past 10 years. A replacement has not been named.
 
The Gannon University Small Business Development Center held its 17th Annual Small Business Awards Program on Friday.
The honorees were:
New Start-up – Software Technology Concepts, LLC, [...]

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Attorneys Norman A “Buddy’ Stark and Eric S Yonkin agreed to a $21,500 settlement on behalf of Invest Erie Development Corporation in their suit against the City of Erie. If you ever need a lawyer, call everyone else in town before these two jerks. Invest Erie Development Corporation has done more damage to investment and [...]

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Kim Berdis is a genius. Erie City Council voted unanimously for the idea of a skate park. The organizational skills and determination by Berdis is why a skate park will be built. And to think this in the same city that cited Tony Hawk for skateboarding. Congrats to Kim and the entire Skate Erie group. [...]

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TSI Terminal Systems and Railpower Technologies Corp (TSX: P) announced that they have completed the preliminary testing of Railpower’s first ECO Crane hybrid power plant recently installed on one of TSI’s 60-ton rubber tyred gantry cranes (RTGs). This installation is the first of three units slated for TSI. The diesel/ battery hybrid power plant has [...]

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Gannon University and Mercyhurst College were extended an invitation to join the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. (PSAC press release.) Hallelujah. The PSAC might not be the perfect fit but it’s tons better than the GLIAC. The long, expensive travel has hurt Gannon and Mercyhurst athletic departments and athletes, and the unfamiliarity and lack of anything [...]

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“You weren’t had, you were chosen.”
A young lady that was put up for adoption found her birth parents just by chance. Her boss at work was her birth mother. The July issue of Reader’s Digest features the story of Erie’s Missi Meely and Laurie Thompson. Thanks to former ETN reporter Peter Panepento for passing along [...]

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Mary Beth Buchanan, US Attorney for Western Pennsylvania, said the investigation into the Brian Wells collar bomber murder was nearing an end. That was in February. She said the case was solved. After a long time with no word, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, the wacked out bitch in jail for killing her boyfriend, wrote a letter to [...]

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If the opportunity for a number of good paying jobs falls out of the sky, do any Erie area economic development officials hear it?
In May 2007, Railpower Technologies announced that it was exploring the possibility of operating its own manufacturing facility. During the second quarter of 2007, an offer was made to purchase an existing [...]

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The ponytail wearing environmentalist hippies held a misrepresentational information meeting on the Erie Renewable Energy proposed tire to energy plant. They would have you believe the plant will cause everything from cancer to autism to children not wanting to do their homework. Energy Products of Idaho, the company that will design the plant in Erie, [...]

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Boxer Paul ‘The Pittsburgh Kid’ Spadafora waived his right to a preliminary hearing for a parole violation and will remain jailed at the State Correctional Institution at Albion. Spadafora was arrested May 30 in Erie after filing a PFA against Nadine Russo, who then accused him of assaulting her. Spadafora and Crystal Dawn Conner got [...]

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Invest Erie Development Corporation handed over a check for $119,000 to the City of Erie for the land at 19th and Parade Street. The City of Erie had given the group $450,000 in grant money so at least we got some of our taxpayer money back. They want a $1 million state grant to build [...]

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Chytoria Graham was granted a request to withdraw her guilty plea by Judge Rusty Cunningham. Graham had pleaded guilty back in March but Cunningham wasn’t convinced she knew what she was doing. I think he just didn’t to see her change her mind in a couple of months. Graham used her 1 month old baby [...]

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Erie County might have to reassess all properties and change how real estate is taxed due to a ruling by a Allegheny County judge. Judge R.Stanton Wettick, Jr of the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas for Allegheny County ruled that the county’s use of a base year system to assess property values is unconstitutional and [...]

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Never screw with Erie Insurance. The IRS and FBI are investigating insurance payments made to Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Michael Joyce of Erie. Joyce received $390,000 from Erie Insurance and $50,000 from another insurance company following a 2002 car accident.
Daniel Meyer was named the new conductor of the Erie Philharmonic. Meyer is currently the resident [...]

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John Brigham has been named President and CEO of Erie Management Group following the resignation of Stan Shumway. No idea why Shumway left. Samuel P “Pat” Black III founded the company with Shumway when Black decided he wanted to invest his family fortune in Erie. The Black family made their money though Erie Insurance. I’d [...]

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WJET-TV ran a story on the 26 laid-off Erie Firefighters returning to work. Erie didn’t find a bundle of money to re-hire them, they are taking the place of firefighters retiring.
 
Erie PA native Anthony David Adams is the owner of CreditCovers. The company makes plastic skins that consumers can use to personalize their plastic [...]

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The Nina, a hand built replica of Christopher Columbus’ ship, arrived in Erie yesterday. It will be in Erie until Sunday June 10. It will be open for tours with a cost of $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for students.
 
A fight inside Peccadillos spilled out onto the streets. Police made a number [...]

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Jenna Walker and Maggie Kovski died tragically when they drowned in a pond. I thought it was heartless that police were investigating the babysitter. I thought they should just put the poor 19 year old babysitter on suicide watch. I was wrong. Police charged Brittany Steward with two counts each of involuntary manslaughter, endangering the [...]

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Thee are two economic development related press conferences scheduled for today. Nothing new but it’s nice to hear it officially.Brad Fairfield of Koehler Brewery Square will announce that he has received funding. Urbaniak Brothers Meat Market, Pennsylvania Wine and Spirts, and Cornerstone Healthcare Group, a long term healthcare medical care, will be moving into [...]

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Erie Seawolves starting outfielder Vincent Blue will be making a return trip to Binghamton NY after the SeaWolves season ends. He had a misdemeanor charge logged against him early Sunday morning from a complaint by a cab driver. Blue was given an appearance ticket charging him with petty larceny and released on $250 bail. Blue [...]

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Three years ago today, on August 28 2003, pizza delivery man Brian Douglas Wells was allegedly locked into a bombing device by a stranger and ordered to rob a PNC bank branch on Peach St in Erie, Pennsylvania. When he was detained by state police following the robbery, the bomb exploded, killing him instantly.
The FBI [...]

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Alcor, the Erie Zoo polar bear, died yesterday just hours after surgery to help stablize his broken wrist. The bear spend over 2 hours in recovery and was just minutes into the trip from the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center near Philadelphia to the Cleveland Zoo for rehab when his heart stopped.
A 93 ton [...]

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Alcor, the 750 lbs polar bear at the Erie Zoo, will undergo surgery today at the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center. Doctors will attempt to place screw and a metal plate in the bears arm which was broken in two places just above its right paw. The surgical team will be lead by Dr [...]

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The official site for Celebrate Erie 2006 is www.CelebrateErie2006.com. Jon Whaley, the top assistant to Mayor Joe Sinnott, asked for links to point to that URL. The site is owned by the City of Erie. The web design firm that owns CelebrateErie.com has recently updated that site to include info on this years event, but [...]

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Former WJET-TV anchor Amanda Barren will start anchoring a new weekend 10 pm show in September on WSAZ. Amanda joined the WSAZ Charleston WV team in January of 2006. She passed along word that she misses Erie and the friends she made here.
The US Brig Niagara was featured on the Weather Channel over the [...]

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WJET-TV reported that Nick Scott will drop two lawsuits and pay Erie`s Convention Center Authority $1 million in exchange for managing the Erie Bayfront Sheraton Hotel and gaining naming rights for the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. My advise – don’t do it. The Erie Convention Center Authority has spent close to a million dollars defending [...]

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Erie County Councilwoman Carol Loll and Unclue John’s Campground owner John Puline are proposing building a safe harbor and marina at the mouth of the Elk Creek Access. There is no dock or marina between Erie and Conneaut, Ohio. Loll will ask the governor to return taxpayer money for the project. The state set [...]

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Willie Brown of Erie was released from a New York jail when his attorney presented a letter from Alabama authorities saying they would not prosecute him as a fugitive for his 1961 escape from a prison work camp. There is still some doubt that Brown is the same person that escaped 45 years ago. His [...]

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Erie PA native Jonalee White is one of 100 finalists on Star Tomorrow which airs tonight at 8 pm on NBC. Most of the musicians and singers can be seen online with only the highlights appearing on the network show. Jonalee currently sings with HWY 32, an original and cover song group performing in the [...]

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The review of 74 cases from the Erie County Office of Children and Youth was turned over to the county. Retired Erie County Judges Michael Palmisano and Fred Anthony conducted the review and wrote the report. It would be a shock if many of these cases weren’t repoened due to mishandling by the Office of [...]

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The search for Fran Medwick of Washington Township has been called off. Medwick apparently fell off his boat and drowned while fishing in Lake Erie in the area between Elk Creek and Trout Run.
Avoid West 12th Street for the next two days. Demolition work on the former Gunite plant at 12th and Cherry is taking [...]

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Spectrum Control (NASDAQ: SPEC) skyrocketed 2.19 to $9.53. The 29.84 percent increase came the day after their quarterly earnings were released. Net income for the three months ended May 21 was $1.7 million, or 13 cents per share, compared with $1.3 million, or 10 cents, during the same period last year. The company recorded sales [...]

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A 38 foot boat, a Donzi, slammed into 2 Jet Skis on Presque Isle Bay killing both riders. Killed were Andrew Miller and his girlfriend Amber Miller (no relation) both of Washington, PA. The boat was believed to have the right of way. I’m guessing the operator of the Sea Doo was inexperienced and veered [...]

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