The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Erie County for June fell to 4.4 percent. It stood at 4.6 percent in May. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June 2006 was 5.3 percent.
To ensure Interstate 80 remains a free highway, U.S. Reps. Phil English (R-Erie) and John Peterson (R-Pleasantville) touted the Free Highway Protection Act, legislation [...]

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A truck overturned around 2 am on I-90 east-bound near Girard. The driver was not seriously hurt. Traffic, which is backed up, is being detoured onto Route 20.
Discover Presque Isle raised nearly $117,000, up about 8 percent from last year. Attendance at the 3 day festival was an estimated 140,000 people. The Presque Isle Partnership [...]

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Ken Brundage has been named the new director of Gannon University’s Nash Library. Brundage will officially join the Gannon Community on Aug. 6. He will be responsible for managing the library’s day-to-day operations, as well as enhancing its future resources and technology. He has had extensive experience as the director of libraries at Mercyhurst College, [...]

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Six month old Devlin Peters died in a fire in Columbus, just outside of Corry, PA. Your heart just has to ache for the family. As soon as the 911 call was made neighbors and construction workers doing a project at nearby Columbus Elementary School tried to save the child by using garden hoses and [...]

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Three stupid teenage boys are luck to be alive after playing in the waters of Mill Creek at the entrance of the Mill Creek Tube. The Mill Creek Tube is a nearly 3 mile concrete pipe that carries the waters of the creek under the city streets to Presque Isle Bay. One boy was rescued [...]

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Former McDowell Intermediate High School Principal Thomas J Maciulewicz Jr was sentenced to 2 to 23 months in prison for stealing district owned synthesizers, two Apple Macintosh G4 laptop computers, an elliptical exercise machine, a LCD projector, a 17 inch computer monitor, and several used musical instruments. He also used a district credit card to [...]

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The family of Greg Jacobs is claiming that his organs were harvested before he died. Jacobs had a snowboarding accident at Peek ‘N Peak on March 13 and had severe head trauma. It sounds like a clerical error, but the time of death was written down nearly a half hour after his organs were removed. [...]

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The last time I wrote about Keeping Erie’s Environment Protected (KEEP). I received harassing phone calls and home and work, and a harassing email. The group is opposed to the Erie Renewable Energy proposed tire to energy plant. They held a meeting at the library which was attended by around 100 people. They would have [...]

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Today is the start of Erie Blogs Week at the Community Blood Bank. Please donate if you can. One random donor who goes to the Community Blood Bank this week and uses the Erie Blogs Week sign up sheet will be entered to win a prize basket full of awesome stuff, including wine, Campbell pottery, [...]

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Here are the bands that are eligible to play Celebrate Erie for the RockErie Music Awards based on voting as of Friday. Voting for the awards continues until August 19th at midnight. Bands will play from 3-10 pm on Friday, 8/17 and Saturday 8/18 and 2-9 pm on Sunday 8/19, 20 minute sets with a [...]

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Elizabeth Hirt Vorsheck has been named as a new individual trustee of the H O Hirt Trusts. In her role as trustee of the H O Hirt Trusts, Mrs Vorsheck replaces her father, F William Hirt, who died Friday, July 13. According to the Trust Agreement the remaining trustees, Susan Hirt Hagen and Sentinel Trust [...]

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Attorney John Mizner yesterday had a meeting with the committee of the state Supreme Court Disciplinary Board. Mizner stole nearly $70,000 from his former law firm. He jacked up his travel expenses. When he was questioned about it, he repaid the money and left the firm. His excuse was that he suffers from obsessive-compulsive [...]

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No wonder Brian Wells was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the bank robbery that led to his death. Court documents unsealed on Wednesday said that Wells had his neck measured for the collar bomb placed around his neck. Excellent job by reporters at the ETN including Ed Palattella that must had had to dig through [...]

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One man died and two people are in serious condition after an accident on I-90 in Harborcreek. It happened at 4 pm. Traffic was backed up to near the New York and Ohio state lines. With the thruway closed, traffic was funneled into the city on to Route 20. Total clusterf___. Detour signs are [...]

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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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Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott announced he has hired Laura Schaaf to be his top assistant. Schaaf has spent her career working in the education field. She has bachelor’s and master’s from St Bonaventure University, certification from Ohio State University and a principal certification from Gannon University.
Smart, educated and a leader but with no background working [...]

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William “Bill” Hirt, board chairman of the Erie Indemnity Company and retired president and chief executive officer of Erie Insurance, passed away on July 13, 2007, at the age of 82. During his tenure as CEO (1976-1990), Erie Insurance grew 15 times in assets and nine times in premiums, making it larger than 99 percent [...]

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Delta Air Lines is leaving Erie in September, after just one year in the Erie market with their Atlanta route. They dropped the Erie to Cincinnati route in November and only had the Erie to Atlanta route left. Around 15 employees will be transferred or laid-off. Erie International Airport will lose about $60,000 in annual [...]

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Sex and drugs and murder. Stephen King couldn’t come up with anything this bizarre and twisted.
U S Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan held a riveting press conference yesterday afternoon announcing the federal indictment was handed down. Brian Wells, the pizza deliveryman killed in the collar bomb explosion, was named as a co-conspirator along with Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong [...]

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A 1:30 pm press conference is scheduled so that U S Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan can announce indictments of Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Ken Barnes in the kidnapping of pizza deliveryman Brian Wells. Expect to hear something about Wells himself being involved somehow. This could be very interesting.
On August 28 2003, pizza delivery man Brian Douglas [...]

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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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Harborcreek Township began work on a number of additional improvements at Shades Beach Park. Construction work includes 4 new boat launches, fishing piers, as well as the improved beach
area. On the shores of Lake Erie, Shades Beach is located at 7000 East Lake Road (Route 5) at the intersection of Bartlett Road. Shades Beach [...]

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Just a rumor but there is talk of a hotel and golf course being added at Presque Isle Downs and Casino.
 
Still looking for house plants or flowers for your yard? The Dr Gertrude A Barber National Institute Greenhouse offers plants and flowers available for sale year round, including seasonal items such as an array of [...]

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Erie County filed an appeal with Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court over the smoking ban. Erie County Judge John Bozza ruled the ban was illegal as it violated the 1988 Clean Indoor Air Act which pre-empts and supersedes local governments the right to impose stricter regulations. Just a week ago a Commonwealth Court judge shot down [...]

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American Campus Communities Inc has been tapped to develop a two phase student housing project at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. The 1,504 bed development will add to the on-campus housing at the Pennsylvania State System school with a total enrollment of about 7,000 students. The Edinboro University Foundation selected American Campus (NYSE: ACC) to head [...]

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“One of the most dangerous places in the US is the space between a senator and a TV camera.”
Tom Ridge
Tom Ridge of Erie, the former governor of Pennsylvania and the nations first Secretary of Homeland Security, sure sounded like a candidate for Vice President at a speech he gave to the members of the American [...]

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It was impossible to find anyone in Erie that didn’t shed a tear or get choked up a the tragedy in Waterford. Two young girls, an 18 month old and a 2 year old, drowned in a pond. An 18 year old babysitter put the girls down for a nap and she fell asleep herself. [...]

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Union workers at GE, United Electrical Workers Local 506, are staging a half day walkout today. All 3 shifts are affected. Are they on strike? No. Negotiations on their next contract have just begun. It’s no wonder manufacturing companies are moving to China.
Visitors to Erie’s Wild Rib Cook-off can enjoy their sticky, spicy treats and [...]

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The Snow and Ice Management Association is leaving Erie PA and relocating to Milwaukee. The group recently hired Martin Tirado as its new executive director and he didn’t want to move to Erie. The organization for the people who plow and salt America’s parking lots also publishes Snow Business magazine. All employees in Erie will [...]

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