Today’s high temperature: 13 degrees. It’s only the middle of January but man it feels like it’s been winter for about a million years. We’ve got a lake effect snow warning that runs until Friday at 7 p.m. and the forecast is calling for about a foot before the warning’s expired. More power to the [...]

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Bars in Erie, especially the Irish bars, will be packed today with people celebrating St Patrick’s Day while they attempt to fill out their brackets for the NCAA basketball tournament. The Center for eBusiness and Advanced IT (eBizITPA) reached a major benchmark in February by awarding its 300th IT implementation grant to The Hite Company [...]

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Former President Bill Clinton yesterday yesterday spoke to a crowd at Erie East High School. The gym was filled with the crowd estimated at 1,200 to 2,000 people. More than half were students happy for any reason to get out of classes. Clinton is a very good speaker and the length of the talk at [...]

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Splash Lagoon Indoor Water Park Resort revealed their planned $6 million, 22,000 sq ft expansion. It will be a wave pool on the SE section of the property attached to the main building. It will still be open every day during construction. They are holding a contest to name the pool and pick a new [...]

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It’s taken 10 years but the first floor of the Boston Store Place, on State and Peach between 7th and 8th Streets, is finally filling up. John Leonard (Leonardos), who ran the Waterfront Restaurant, announced a new restaurant will be locating to the first floor. Leonard will be GM of the Under the Clock Bar [...]

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eBizITPA and the Economic Research Institute of Erie (ERIE) released a study EVERYONE in Northwest Pennsylvania needs to read and take to heart. Erie workers are behind most the nation, and even most areas in Pennsylvania, and to catch up we have to embrace technology. The press release: If a region wants to become more [...]

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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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Dennis is having computer problems, but reports he should be back tomorrow. Instead, you get my (Mike) ham-fisted attempt to do what he does. Believe me folks, it’s much harder then it looks. If you’re making your 4th of July plans, don’t forget that Mercyhurst will not be hosting its Old Fashioned Fourth event and [...]

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Bethlehem Council President J Michael Schweder put a resolution on the council agenda requiring half the casino host fee go toward providing real estate tax relief to property owners. Giving tax money back to the taxpayers – a novel approach. Las Vegas Sands is building the casino on the former Bethlehem Steel property. The casino [...]

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A downed power line caused a fire at Auto Express on Wattsburg Road. The line went down on top of a row of used vehicles. One caught on fire and high winds pushed the flames and gasoline to the others. Firefighters had to wait till Penelec turned off the juice before the could put out [...]

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There is snow on the grass and the cars. It’s April 15th. WTF. The Gannon University Student Occupational Therapy Association is holding a wheelchair basketball game on Tuesday. Inviting the Edinboro University Rolling Scots, a team that recently played in the finals of the 30th Annual National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Championship, would have been a [...]

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  GE Transportation in Erie will be the subject of a feature article by Thomas Friedman in this Sunday’s New York Times magazine. The article is called “Green is the new red white and blue.” The Discovery Channel is also running a documentary version on Saturday April 21 at 9 pm. The gist of the [...]

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Nexstar Broadcasting (WJET-TV and WFXP Fox 66) yesterday launched YourErie.com. It’s the WJET-TV site content plus video clips, classified ads and local business info. The classified ads are free – for now. Smart move. That will be a money maker in the future. The local business directory listings appear to be an old version of [...]

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David McHenry entered a plea agreement in the murder of Joshua Dibello. Dibello was found dead in his car in the parking lot of Herman’s, 28th and Old French. He died from a gunshot to the head. McHenry was sentenced to 22-45 years in prison. Walter Hendl passed away at age 90 in his home [...]

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  Scott Enterprises, the Erie, PA based company that runs a host of hotels and restaurants in Northwestern Pennsylvania, including the popular indoor water park Splash Lagoon, plans to enter the Buffalo Niagara market by building a hotel at Transit Road and Sheridan Drive in Clarence, NY. Scott Enterprises will also open one or two [...]

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U S Army Air Force Staff Sergeant Richard R Sargent of North Girard (now Lake City) in Erie County is finally coming home after 63 years. Remains of 10 crew members, including Sargent, of a B-24 Liberator that was returning from a bombing raid and went down April 16, 1944 on the north coast of [...]

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  Nader Elguindi was born in Essex, England in 1971. He parents immigrated to the United States when he was 2. The family made Erie PA their home. The family later lived in Pittsburgh and Augusta, GA. Nader Elguindi graduated from Appalachian State University graduating in 1992 and went to Officer Candidate School in Newport, [...]

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A reader sent me details about the GAF Materials Corporation severance package to the Erie based employees. They were offered 3 weeks severance, and if you stay until the end you receive an additional $500. If you’ve been there 20 years or more you receive 4 weeks severance. If your anniversary of working with the [...]

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  Presque Isle Downs will be opening on February 16, 2007. The thoroughbred racetrack with pari-mutuel wagering and a slots-only casino is located at the intersection of I-90 and Route 97 (Exit 27). Job applicants may apply online by clicking here. They will be hiring soon and should employ 600-900 people. They need all sorts [...]

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Mayor Joe Sinnott will present his 2007 budget to the Erie Chapter of the Flat Earth Society, aka Erie City Council, this morning at 9 am. Without a shadow of a doubt, it will call for an increase of property taxes. Property owners will have the double whammy of lower property values along with the [...]

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The Erie Redevelopment Authority received a $950,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency for the Mercantile Building revitalization project. Plans call for retail space on the first floor, offices on the second and third floors and residential condos on the top 2 floors. The Erie Redevelopment Authority took over the building earlier this year [...]

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The Center for eBusiness and Advanced Information Technology (eBizITPA) is selling it’s web-based reverse auction tool eDynaQuote. eBizITPA provides education and training programs in e-business and advanced information technology processes. “eBizITPA has effectively completed its role as originator and incubator of eDQ,” according to Susan Breon, president of eBizITPA. “The business possesses a solid fixed [...]

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Like a crackhead that’s got to have their drugs and a welfare bum that needs a big screen TV when they can’t afford food or rent, Erie City Council will discuss hiring 5 police officers at their weekly meeting tonight even though the city is millions over budget, has millions in unpaid bills and faces [...]

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Jack Tirak has started a new blog called Erie Media-Go-Round. Tirak is ‘THE’ expert on Erie media. He seems to have agnered a couple of people at WSEE. The blog, including the comments, is a must read. Who at Case Management Support Services pissed off a Erie County Council member? County Council council voted 5-2 [...]

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National Fuel Gas has some big balls. National Fuel Gas Company announced that they filed a request with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to increase annual operating revenues by $25,892,000 to cover increases in the cost of providing service to the Utility’s customers in northwestern Pennsylvania. It’s not the fact they asked for an [...]

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Edinboro University students Tyrell Ware and Marlon Gunn were found guilty of a number of charges for the beating of a man of April 2005. The two along with Urlene Boisette assaulted a fellow student who they thought turned them in to campus police. The three were busted by campus police for drugs and went [...]

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There will a CelebrateErie this year. Celebrate Erie will be held the third weekend in August, 2006. Years ago this event was known as We Love Erie Days. Many people faulted the Fillipi administration for the way they ran things, but his event was a major success in every aspect. Tina Mengine and Tammy Roche [...]

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The Erie Gauge War ended on this date 152 years ago, February 1, 1854. Unlike today where all trains run on a standard width of track, different railroads and different states had separate track gauges. Being a county sandwiched between New York and Ohio, Erie County profited – at least for awhile. The first railroad [...]

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The Powell Avenue bridge closes today. PennDOT is replacing it. Signs has been in place for weeks announcing this fact but hundreds of people will be on Powell doing u-turns today. IPLogic LLC of Albany has acquired TR Communications Inc of Buffalo. TR Communications has an Erie office which IPLogic is looking to expand. They [...]

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Soon the City of Erie will begin negotiations with Erie Cablevision for the fee in exchange for the ability to run cable in the city rights of way. The way the city negotiates, we could end up paying Time Warner and paying for their health benefits. The city receives no fees for Internet or digital [...]

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