Daffodil Days!

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We’re feeling sorry for all those poor folks who live in the Pittsburgh area as the G-20 Conference opens today.  It looks and sounds like everyone in the country with something to protest or an agenda to push has descended on the City.  Several groups couldn’t wait for the official opening, and started their shenanigans [...]

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If you would like your event considered for posting here on ErieBlogs.com, please send us your information using our online contact form. Make sure you check our daily News & Events for new event listings and events happening that day.
This Week’s Events
The Erie Playhouse presents The Music of Stephen Schwartz at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, [...]

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We blogged yesterday that fired EMTA bus driver David Justka’s union is fighting his firing. He has struck three people in the last few years, killing a local surgeon. He should never drive a bus again.
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency will provide more then a million dollars to a program to develop housing in the [...]

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If you would like your event considered for posting here on ErieBlogs.com, please send us your information using our online contact form. Make sure you check our daily News & Events for new event listings and events happening that day.
Events for this Week
Catro Jazz will perform at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville on Tuesday, November [...]

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This week’s Erie YouTube of the Week features the Erie Chamber Orchestra performing the final movement of Louis Hardin’s Witch of Endor. In the 60’s and 70’s, Hardin, better known as Moondog, dressed in his coarse Viking garments with horned helmet and spear and was a regular feature on the corner of 54th Street and [...]

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60 Minutes will feature the John Kanzius story of his radio wave cancer treatment machine on Sunday, April 13. The Kanzius Machine: A Cancer Cure? previews the story. 60 Minutes will air after coverage of “The Masters”, some time after 7 pm ET. Trials on animals have shown that the idea works. It has been [...]

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The Washtenaw County (Michigan) Sheriff’s Department announced a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case of the murder if Erie, PA native Lindsay Graygo. The money is from the Ypsilanti Township government. Graygo had relocated to Ypsilanti, MI about a year ago. The Ann Arbor News reported that [...]

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Funeral plans for fallen firefighter Mike Crotty are as follows: calling hours will be held at the Iroquois High School Auditorium, 4301 Main Street in Lawrence Park, Thursday 4-6 pm and Friday 4-6 pm and 7-9 pm. The funeral services will be held at Our Lady of Mercy Church, 837 Bartlett Rd in Harborcreek, on [...]

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Mike Crotty was killed in the line of duty while fighting a fire at Port Erie Plastics. Crotty was serving with the Lawrence Park Township Volunteer Fire Department where he was Deputy Chief. Crotty served as a volunteer with the department for six years. Crotty was also a paid firefighter with the Erie Fire Department. [...]

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Erie received a $1.88 million state for the “Union Square” Midtown project. Funds will go toward: The continued development of the Mercantile Building; a once vacant, blighted building that is being renovated into a five-floor, mixed-use facility; Property and site acquisition, as well as the renovation and expansion of Griswold Park, the heart of the [...]

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Malcolm Kysor who escaped from the State Correctional Institution at Albion by hiding in a garbage can was found 2,462 miles away in Bakersfield, California. Kysor was described as looking like a bum. He bragged to someone he was on America’s Most Wanted, they told a firefighter and police picked him up. Kysor was serving [...]

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Excellent story by Ed Palattella on District Magistrate Judge Gerard Alonge of North East, PA who doesn’t seem to have to have a clue when it comes to women. It appears he’s coming close to stalking some women he has come in contact with. More than a bit disturbing.
The Ann Arbor News reported that the [...]

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Kevin R Molloy has been named as the new executive director of the Lancaster County Convention Center Authority. Molloy was the general manager of the new Erie Bayfront Convention Center. He had been on the job since 2002 and saw though it’s construction to it’s opening.
Jason Phasey and Justin Fuller were arrested for spray painting [...]

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I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
In a sad day in American history, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated 40 years ago today. The great civil [...]

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Real estate sales for Erie County dropped precipitously in March compared to a year earlier and even two years ago. There were 275 properties sold for $25,694,369 in March 2008 vs the 459 sales in March 2007 for $58,622,788 and March 2006 when 444 properties changed hands worth $44,430,774. The figures include all real estate [...]

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US Senator Hillary Clinton spoke yesterday in Erie at Mercyhurt College. The Mercyhurst Athletic Center was packed for her one hour speech. The pro-life group People for Life picketed outside the main gates of the campus. Clinton discussed economic and health care issues.
A day earlier, Erie Roman Catholic Bishop Trautman said he was canceling his [...]

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You have to wonder about the wisdom of having a Hillary Clinton campaign rally at Mercyhurst College.
Erie Roman Catholic Bishop Trautman was so miffed about a pro-choice candidate speaking at the Catholic school he canceled his appearance at the Mercyhurst graduation. The pro-life group People for Life is holding a protest just outside the gates [...]

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US Senator Hillary Clinton will make a campaign stop in Erie on Tuesday, April 1. She will appear at Mercyhurst College, 501 East 38th St in Erie (map) at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center (campus map). You do not need a ticket as it’s on a first come, first in basis. Security will be tight [...]

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US Senator Hillary Clinton will make a campaign stop in Erie, PA on Tuesday, April 1. Although the name of the venue has not been released, doors will open at 5:30 pm with the appearance scheduled for 7:30 pm. In opinion polls on the Pennsylvania election, Clinton is up about 15-20 percent over challenger US [...]

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GECAC, the Greater Erie Community Action Committee, is closing down their Drug and Alcohol Services division resulting in the layoffs of 23 people.
In days past, GECAC was given money based on the number of people enrolled in their programs. The state, trying to hold agencies more accountable for the huge checks they receive, changed to [...]

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Out of 360 metropolitan areas that the US Census Bureau tracks, only 62 metropolitan areas increased housing construction in 2007. Erie PA was 20th highest in the nation ranked by the percentage change in the January through October total units permitted, with an increase of 40.1 percent. The increase in Erie is attributed to developers [...]

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The Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership published the Interim Report on Activity, Findings, and Recommendations prepared by the Mayoral Advisory Group. A group of 40 business and community leaders volunteered their busy lives to give advise to the city to improve finances and avoid Act 47, distressed city status. The ink wasn’t even dry [...]

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The Best Places to Work in PA winners were announced and 3 Erie companies made the 2007 list for large size companies. Saint Vincent Health System was 5th, Stairways Behavioral Health was 16th and Hamot Medical Center was 48th. No area companies made the list in the medium size category. Registration for the 2008 nominations [...]

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Last month the Commonwealth Court rejected a 2005 lawsuit by Erie area hotel operators against the Erie Convention Center Authority that is building a Sheraton Hotel with money coming from a hotel room tax. It’s being appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The operators were crying unfair. You would think they would have to go [...]

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The 298th Trensportation Company from Franklin PA, which had about 160 soldiers in Forward Operating Base Q-West Iraq (Quyarrah AB) aka ‘Key West’, will be arriving home this weekend. Welcome home.
Richard Valentine allegedly killed his wife Anna, threw a blanket over her, changed his clothes, left a note for his landlord not to enter the [...]

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“Roar on the Shore” kicks off today with registration for the Bringing in the Roar bike parade at 3 pm at Presque Isle Downs and Casino, located off Interstate 90 Exit 27 in Summit Township. The cost to ride is $5. All proceeds from Roar on the Shore support the John Kanzius Cancer Research Fund. [...]

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Port Erie Boat Works has been sold as their web site says to “an elite group of boat builders and investors.” The company manufactures catamarans and is located at 2567 W 20th St. The company had been one of the fastest growing companies around. I hope they stay in Erie and keep adding to their [...]

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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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Chrysler has named former Home Depot CEO Bob Nardelli as the new chairman and CEO of the automaker. Nardelli has pretty strong ties to Erie. Chrysler might not build a plant here but a number of Erie companies supply Detroit automakers. Nardelli got Tom Ridge of Erie appointed to the board of directors of Home [...]

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A 21 year old inmate at the Erie County Prison hanged himself with a bed sheet. He was being held on two indecent assault charges.
 
Presque Isle Downs and Casino is sure making a splash with their first thoroughbred racing meet. The average daily purse will be $432,400 a day. That will be the second highest [...]

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Gene ‘Tom’ Robarts tonight will be celebrating the class reunion of Erie Strong Vincent High School Class of 1962. He won’t be there in person. Robarts has ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. He’ll be joining his friends from over 1,000 miles away near Tampa Florida via a web cam.
The Great Erie County Board of Realtors [...]

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Alcoa is the World’s largest aluminum company. The company’s first major success was an order from a company in Erie, PA. The shape and weight-related benefits of a teakettle was one of the first products made with Alcoa aluminum in 1895, when Arthur Vining Davis created the piece of cookware to display a new [...]

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Erie Insurance announced strong financial results for the second quarter 2007. The Company also announced that Jeffrey A Ludrof, president and chief executive officer, will be leaving the Company and the board of directors for personal reasons (he has Hodgkin’s disease. Ed. note: Ludrof is quoted as saying he is in good health) and that [...]

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The Erie Bayfront Convention Center opens today. Rooms for conventions, weddings, banquets, meetings, exhibits and classes range from space for 52 to 1920 people with theater style seating for up to 4114. It will be open for public tours 12-6 pm August 17 – 19.
 
The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine has purchased the Erie [...]

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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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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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There was a murder last night at Lamas Tavern, 1102 East Avenue. A fight resulted in a man being stabbed to death.
 

Michael Murnock, the executive director of the International Institute of Erie, resigned effective today. That’s a huge loss for the agency. The number of refugees resettled is only about a third of what [...]

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Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A McGinty toured the site where Lake Erie Biofuels is constructing a state-of-the-art facility that will produce 45 million gallons of biodiesel each year, and spoke with company and local officials about the economic opportunities created by the governor’s Energy Independence Strategy. Biodiesel is becoming an increasingly important piece [...]

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Presque Isle Downs got some great news yesterday when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit opposing licensing the facility. The decision came much sooner than expected. Now the only real hold-up is the vacancy on the PA Gaming Control Board. Gary Sojka was named to fill the seat on January 29. A required state [...]

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Pennsylvania Governor Rendell announced his proposed budget for fiscal 2007-08 which includes $1 billion in increased spending and $2 billion in borrowing which all will be paid for with a number of tax hikes. The tax and spend Democrat Rendell wants the sales tax raised from 6 percent to 7 percent, a tax increase in [...]

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The White House has nominated Lieutenant General James M Dubik of Erie PA to take charge of training Iraqi military and police forces. Dubik has been commanding general at Fort Lewis and I Corps since 2004. He graduated from Holy Rosary, Erie Cathedral Prep and in 1971 graduated from Gannon University with a bachelor’s degree [...]

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GAF Materials Corporation announced it was closing their Erie roofing shingle plant. The 120 year old plant could be closed in 90 days with the company laying-off over 150 workers. There’s plenty of blame to go around. The city raised their property taxes over 12 percent. The Erie Schoold District will probably raise their portion [...]

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The Millcreek Township School District has cancelled classes for February 1, the first day teachers could strike. Teachers could go on strike twice for a total of 20 days. It appears they are getting close to agreeing to a new contract but they aren’t quite there yet. The two sides are a couple of percent [...]

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Erie County Council voted to approve a committee that will study and make recommendations on the Erie County Sheriff’s Department powers. The committee includes Judge Ernest DiSantis, DA Brad Foulk, both who rely on council to fund their offices, and three people that work for the county that council could fire. Don’t expect the committee [...]

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Former city employee Dan Borgia, a Mario Bagnoni Democrat who must feel like he hasn’t done enough damage to the city, was on WJET-TV yesterday saying he wants the city to adopt a system for real estate taxes in the city of Erie which would have a much higher rate for land and a lower [...]

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The state is returning $1.5 million in tax money to Erie County. Here is the complete press release. The highlights -
GE Transportation Systems in Erie received $500,000 to implement lean manufacturing techniques at its rail plants in Erie and Grove City, Mercer County, a project that is expected to cost $12.8 million. GE has [...]

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The curfew in the City of Erie for children under 18 went into effect last night. Kids will have to be home 10 pm to 6 am Sunday through Thursday and midnight to 6 am Friday and Saturday. During school breaks kids will have to be home midnight to 6 am. Exceptions are made for [...]

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Timothy Flanagan was going to take a job as a probation officer in Erie PA when his faculty advisor, Gannon Univeristy anthropology professor Jude Kirkpatrick, told him to go to grad school. After graduating from Gannon he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in criminal justice at the State University of New York at Albany. [...]

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On Friday I spoke with Mike Foreman of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Center for Local Government Services in Pittsburgh about starting a citizen based petition drive to have a public hearing to see if the City of Erie should be declared a Distressed City under Act 47. I’ll have to gather [...]

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John Deasy went to Mercyhurst College in Erie PA on a golf scholarship and graduated with a BA in History and Communications. An Irish Fine Gael politician and a member of Parliament from Waterford, Deasy could be a candidate to become leader of his party. Deasy said that party leader Enda Kenny should resign if [...]

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While Erie City Council was raising taxes including a change to the 3 percent amusement tax to cover all ballgames, concerts and other events that cost less than $5 in Erie, the Pittsburgh City Council cut it’s 5 percent amusement tax to 1.25 percent. Pittsburgh found that a high amusement tax caused concert tours and [...]

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When we are infants, we don’t think. Infants act without thinking and such acts are completely honest. As we grow into adults, we become more and more adept at thinking before we act. So either the elected officials of Erie County are not yet adults or they are exceptions to the rule.
Erie County Executive Mark [...]

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Hugh Ogden, a native of Erie PA, drowned on Sunday when he fell through the ice on a Maine lake. Ogden was crossing Rangeley Lake on cross-country skis to get to the mainland from his camp when the ice gave way. He joined the faculty of Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut as Professor of English [...]

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Happy New Year. It was 52 degrees at midnight as 2007 arrived. The El Nino effect rocks. Temperatures are expected to be in the 40’s for the next 10 days. For those of you that like snow, on average the coldest part of Winter is Jan 13 to Feb 4. We’ll still get our fair [...]

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When the bridge going over the Wintergreen Gorge for Bayfront Connector was being built, a crane was torched, spikes were placed in trees and equipment was vandalized. It is believed that a group affiliated with ELF (Earth Liberation Front), an environmental group made up of radical liberal Democrats, caused the damage. Now the anti-icing system [...]

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Douglas A Spadey, a Edinboro freshman from Philly, was arrested for sending racial and threatening emails to fellow black Edinboro students. Hours before he was led away in handcuffs, he was saying he was one of the victims of the emails. About 20 students received emails with the N-bomb and threats that some would be [...]

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Burhenn’s Pharmacy, 861 East 38th St, was robbed yesterday evening. In an unusual twist, the robbers held up the drive-thru. The two suspects then entered the back of the store and tied up an employee. OxyContin (Oxycodone), and not money is what they were after. OxyContin is a time-release painkiller which can provide pain relief [...]

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Millcreek School District teachers voted in favor of authorizing a strike. Negotiations have been going on for nearly a year with most issues cleared except for salary, health care and retirement. If they want more money, lets hear how the teachers have improved since the last contract. Have the test scores improved? Has the graduation [...]

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Monsignor Charles Kavanagh, a NY Archdiocese Catholic priest accused of sexual assault, will be tried by a church tribunal with the trial held in Erie, PA beginning today. The trial will be conducted behind closed doors by a tribunal of three canon law judges.
The Arts Council of Erie is partnering with some of the finest [...]

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The Villages is a retirement community in Florida. Population about 8,500. Because there are so many former residents of the northwestern Pennsylvania area they formed a social club called the Erie Club. In the club’s second month in existence, Madge Koscelnik, the group’s leader said 75 people attended a meeting earlier this week.
We’re still a [...]

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If you can read, thank your parents. If you can read this in English, thank a Veteran.
The Erie Bayfront Convention Center is now booking events for the Summer of 2007 and beyond. Rooms for weddings, banquets, meeetings, exhibits and classes range from space for 52 to 1920 people with theater style seating for up to [...]

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Jacobs Entertainment disclosed a 13 percent stake (3.6 million shares) in MTR Gaming Group. Jacobs Entertainment is the owner and operator of casinos and race tracks. MTR is building Presque Isle Downs, a thoroughbred racetrack with pari-mutuel wagering and slot machine gaming in Erie, Pennsylvania which will open in February 2007. Image is courtesy MTR [...]

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Erie City Council, oblivious as to their actual role, voted 5-2 to support a smoking ban in Erie County. This is a matter for Erie County Council and all it did was waste time they could have spent dealing with problems facing the city. Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr correctly pointed out they were voting to [...]

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Here’s the 2006 election results for the major area races:
Ed Rendell defeated Lynn Swann for Pennsylvania Governor.
Bob Casey, Jr defeated Rick Santorum for US Senate.
Phil English defeated Steven Porter for US House of Representatives.
Patrick Harkins defeated Christine Pontoriero for State House, 1st District.
Flo Fabrizio was unopposed for State House, 2nd District.
John Hornaman defeated Matthew Good, [...]

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I don’t think the people of Erie realize how bad the Buffalo area got hit with snow. There are 390,000 people without power. The Erie hotels are packed with refugees from WNY and cars are streaming down I-90 for food, gas, generators and batteries.
On a realated note.. There is now a severe blood shortage in [...]

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The Erie Times-News repoted today that Dr Chuck Rosenthal and his brothers, Peter and James, have filed a lawsuit against former Mercyhurst College President William Garvey and Mercyhurst board of trustees chairwoman Marlene Mosco. Chuck Rosenthal was the first to publically accuse Gavey of sexually assualting him. A number of others, think the number is [...]

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Rexnord will acquire Zurn Industries, Jacuzzi’s plumbing fixtures and fittings manufacturing business in Erie, Pa, and will create a new water management business at Rexnord. Separately, RBS’s private equity owner Apollo Management has agreed to purchase whirlpool bath and spa manufacturer Jacuzzi Brands (NYSE: JJZ) in a $1.25 billion deal. Al Marini of Erie, president [...]

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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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The conversations around Erie centered on Chytoria Graham and what she did to her baby. Graham used her 1 month old baby to strike her boyfriend. The baby is in a Pittsburgh hospital in a drug induced coma with brain damage. There were reports that she confessed to police. What a despicable crime. Tom Vinca, [...]

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Chytoria Graham is in jail facing assault and other charges after using her 1 month old baby as a weapon to hit her boyfriend. She swung the baby to hit him as if it was a frying pan. Her own baby. The child was flown to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. She should have her [...]

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The Erie SeaWolves alumni team, the Detroit Tigers, completed a remarkable upset of the New York Yahkees with Saturday’s 8-3 win. The Yankees will be playing golf while the Tigers will face the Oakland A’s in the ALCS. Nearly half of the Tigers roster are former Erie SeaWolves players.
Gannon University honored four individuals at its [...]

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Millcreek School District Superintendent Dean Maynard should be the next to submit his resignation. McDowell Intermediate High School principal Tom Maciulewicz was allowed to resign instead of being fired after it was discovered there is police investigation involving Maciulewicz and the theft of school district property. There seems to be a clear path from the [...]

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There are a lot of deer in Pennsylvania and in the other states Erie Insurance serves. One in every 100 drivers nationally is likely to have a collision with a deer. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that deer-vehicle crashes rack up $1.1 billion in property damages, tens of thousands of injuries, and [...]

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A chemical reaction at the Steris plant sent one man to the hospital as a precaution and closed the facility for the day sending hundreds of workers home. The gas vapor was caused by the mixing of waste products that didn’t mix.
An Erie, Pa. man pleaded guilty to copyright infringement in U.S. District Court in [...]

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McDowell Intermediate High School Principal Tom Maciulewicz resigned Friday. Someone sent me word that Millcreek police are conducting an investigation of some missing school equipment and that the equipment was sold on eBay.
Jeff Taylor has been hired as the meteorologist for CBS Chicago weekend morning news. Taylor was at WICU-TV in Erie, Pa from [...]

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Today, September 11th, 2006, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this fifth anniversary of our country’s worst tragedy. We do this in honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11, [...]

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Jack Young of Warren PA might soon be getting a check for over $400,000 – the reward money for the capture of Ralph “Bucky” Phillips. He’s the story Dan Wells of WJET-TV reported yesterday. Young and his wife were of the balcony of the apartment around midnight Thursday night/ Friday morning when they noticed someone [...]

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After being on the run for more than five months from when he escaped from a Buffalo area jail, career criminal Ralph “Bucky” Phillips was captured near Akeley PA in Warren County, just south of the New York-Pennsylvania border. Phillips is the main suspect in the shooting of three police officers. On June 10, NY [...]

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York; United States Marshal’s Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the New York State Police announced that Ralph Buckey Phillips has been placed on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list. The reward [...]

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The US Marshals have added Ralph “Bucky” Phillips, the main suspect in the sniper-style shooting of two NY troopers, to their top 15 list. Police are searching from him in Chautauqua County and Cattaraugus County in NY and Warren County in Pennsylvania. The case will be featured on America’s Most Wanted this Saturday night at [...]

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Erie County Council, the elected group who spend money less responsibly than a crack whore with a welfare check, approved four new positions for the new $14 million 911 dispatch center and public safety suburban campus. The center and operations are paid out of your pocket with a monthly $1.25 tax added on to [...]

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Closing arguments finish up today in the trial of former Erie Mayor Rick Filippi. It should go to the jury sometime this afternoon. One thing that will be stuck in the minds of the jurors is the line by Lenny Ambrose, Filippi’s attorney. “You know what MTR stands for? Money to Rubino.”
Randy Brewer won’t be [...]

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Erie City Council passed the 3 percent entertainment tax at last night’s meeting. All seven members of council and the Erie mayor are Democrats. The 3 percent tax will be added to all entertainment tickets priced over $5. One item about the situation did make me chuckle. There was the argument that the Tullio Arena [...]

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Judge Ernie DiSantis dismissed the bribery charges against former Erie Mayor Rick Filippi and his business partners Rolf Patberg and Eric Purchase. The group who still has a bundle of charges facing them including conspiracy, conflict of interest and using inside information. Filippi, Patberg and Purchase formed a partnership called Aiko Acquisitions which bought properties [...]

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Matthew Selker has withdrawn his name from consideration for the position of head of the Erie County Bureau of Economic Development. Erie County Council was to deal with the matter today. Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio bypassed the usual hiring process and hired him as a per diem employee with an hourly wage rate. [...]

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Horace Hawes was a native of Danby, New York and spent a number of years in Erie PA. In Erie County, Hawes became deputy attorney general, county prosecutor and a commissioner of deeds. President Polk sent him to be the US Council for the South Seas Islands and later appointed him prefect of the District [...]

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The names were released of the four people killed in the accident on St Patrick’s Day. Killed were Jacob Latta, Matthew Maisner, Megan Watson and Heidi Britton. It appeasrs that they guys were going hone from an evening in downtown Erie when Latta lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the car of [...]

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I’m not sure if the taxpayers of Pennsylvania have to be blindfolded or must gouge out their eyes but were not allowed to look while the state goes into our pockets to settle a lawsuit. Yesterday, I mentioned that Representative Linda Bebko-Jones has settled with TE Kalkhof Realty on her breaking the lease for her [...]

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This could be the first tax I have ever agreed with. State Representative John Pallone (D-New Kensington) introduced House Bill 2454 which will levy a $100 fee on every resident in communities with 9,000 or more people that require state police because they are too cheap to have their own police force. My state taxes [...]

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Connoisseur Media is buying the six Next Media radio stations in Erie: Rocket 101, WRKT FM 100.9; Star 104, WRTS FM 103.7; Froggy 94, WFGO FM 94.7; Sports Radio 1330, the Fan, WFNN AM 1330; Jet Radio, WJET AM 1400; and US 93, WUSE FM 93.9.
A radio station used to be [...]

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So you’re a high school punk that doesn’t want to say ‘Want fries with that?’ or ‘Thanks for shopping at Wal-Mart’ for the next 50 years. The answer is to get an education. There is a good article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette today on how to get into the college of your choice. The [...]

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On Friday the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority said things are smelling like roses and on Monday Wall Street said the smell is in fact manure. Fitch Ratings affirmed the ‘BB+’ rating on approximately $5.0 million Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority revenue bonds.Their Rating Outlook is Negative. BB+ is only one step above junk bond status.The port [...]

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There was a house fire at 25th and State Streets. The family of 6 got out safe but they lost everything. Keep your ears open to see which local bank will set up an account for the family and donate a buck or two. Every fire around town brings out the tears from our firemen. [...]

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Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio announced that he has appointed Larry Meredith as Erie County Personnel Director to lead the Erie County Human Resources department. Meredith was a former Erie City Solicitor and Erie City Council member. He’s a smart guy that everyone seems to like.
Condolences to Jenson and her family of the loss of [...]

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The EAGLE (Erie Area Gang Law Enforcement) task force arrested 9 people of possession and conspiracy to distribute powder and crack cocaine. All 9 are looking at spending the rest of their lives in prison because of amount of drugs and number of charges involved. They said they had investigated one person for 10 years. [...]

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I saw on WSEE that the Erie Times-News is laying-off 24 employees. For those of you under age 45, the Times-News publishes a newspaper, a daily publication on folded sheets that contains news and articles and advertisements. There was a mention of a press release but I haven’t seen one yet. They must have sent [...]

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Someone jammed the Coinstar machine at the West 26th Street Tops Market with a number of old coins. The Coinstar can take a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar and a Sacagawea dollar coin. It’s not designed to take a 1890’s Morgan Silver Dollar worth about $500. Outside the grocery store police recoved a backpack [...]

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The Millcreek School District appealed dozens of property assessments along the lakefront. Frank and Janet Mlakar, one of those whose property was reassessed at a much higher value, spoke last night at the school board meeting. He was upset that his property assessment went from $220,900 to $400,000. The land is valued at $302,000 and [...]

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Almost 1,000,000 hunters will be in the woods of Pennsylvania today for the first day of deer season. We’ve had a couple of warm days so hunters won’t be able to track deer in the snow. Temps will be in the mid 60’s today. Most schools and many businesses are closed today for the un-official [...]

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The auditing firm hired by Erie City Council found that the city needs to find $5.7 million to continue operating for 2005. The mayor asked an accounting firm to look at the finances. Last week they announced a nearly identical figure. It looks like they’ll take $700,000 from the sewer reserve fund and $5 million [...]

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The Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League will get their final tune-up for the 2005-2006 Regular Season this weekend when they host a four-team pre-season tournament at the Tullio Arena. The Plymouth Whalers, Saginaw Spirit and Toronto St. Michael’s Majors arrive in town to take part in the tourney which begins at 5 pm. [...]

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