“It’s GROUND-HOG day!”

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Thanksgiving is only a week away!

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U.S. Congresswoman Kathleen Dahlkemper has co-sponsored The Locomotive Fleet Investment and Tax Credit Act of 2009.  The tax credit is intended to encourage all aspects of the locomotive industry, through increased manufacturing, sales, and purchasing.  By increasing demand, the act should also preserve jobs in the industry.  The act would create a 30% tax credit.  [...]

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Kristy Wallace, the delightful young lady who handles the front desk for Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio, awakened yesterday morning to find that someone had rammed their truck into her garage. The garage was
destroyed, and the driver of the truck left behind some blood, but has not been found. Fortunately, Kristy’s car was not in [...]

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Mornin’ everyone. Hope you had a nice weekend. We hit up the Cherry Festival on Saturday, it was nice. If you hit up the Roar on the Shore, we hope you had fun – the weather was great despite a little rain Saturday evening. Finally, Waterford Heritage Days took place this past weekend.
Ed Palattella [...]

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Congrats to local bloggers Adam and Camille on the birth this week of their son Henry.
If you haven’t taken a moment to enter our $25 gift certificate giveaway for Sluggers Sports Bar and Grill, you can do it right here.
President Obama gave a speech yesterday in Iowa, talking about Earth Day and energy. [...]

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14-year-old Sierra Lillie has been found in Arkansas and should be back in Erie by the time you read this. She had befriended a 20-year-old Montana man and was travelling with him. The man, Donald Ray Cates, is facing charges of forcing underage girls to have sex with him.
Sluggers Sports Bar and Grill is [...]

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Are you following us at Twitter? You should. It’s cool.
Last evening, Erie City Council passed a resolution saying, basically, they they oppose the building of the tires to energy plant. We don’t think that has any legal or binding power though.
Congrats to Erie blogger emeritus Eden on having her manuscript move on to [...]

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The 2009 season is just 13 days away and today, the SeaWolves are proud to announce the 2009 promotional schedule. 2009 is the 15th season of Erie SeaWolves baseball at Jerry Uht Park and the promotional schedule is full of events dedicated to the anniversary celebration.
15th ANNIVERSARY SEASON EXTRAVAGANZA
The popular SeaWolves bobblehead series returns in [...]

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We caught a late night showing of the Watchmen last night. That movie was great but thanks to its length of 2 hours and 40 minutes, we’re a bit groggy this morning. We’ll be brief – go outside and enjoy the great weather.
Erie DA Brad Foulk has reviewed the medical files in the case of [...]

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Baseball season is right around the corner and the Erie SeaWolves are proud to announce a new ticket package! The all-new, All-You-Can-Eat “Wolf Pack Plan” gives fans the opportunity to come out and watch seven, exciting Double-A Baseball games with complimentary dinner and beverages.
For the ridiculously low price of $39 (UNDER $6 PER GAME) for [...]

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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.
Upcoming Erie Concerts and Shows:
Feb. 13: The Temptations, Warner Theatre (tickets)
Feb. 19: Jerry Seinfeld, Warner Theatre [...]

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Deborah McIntosh, 19, is suing Erie County. In 2006 while at the Edmond Thomas Adolescent Center, she suffered a miscarriage. She claims staff at the center were not responsive when she complained of pain and other issues. A federal court judge  ruled that she can’t sue for cruel and unusual punishment, but rather that her [...]

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It was a busy day yesterday in the court system. Teri Rhodes was sentenced 9 to 18 years in a state correctional facility for the murder of her newborn child.  Rhodes’ lawyer, Philip Friedman, does not agree with the length sentence and plans to appeal.  Judge William Cunningham made a just and sound decision under [...]

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It’s hard to believe as we’re just starting to sneak into winter that baseball season is only about 174 days away. The Erie Seawolves have announced their 2009 game times and fireworks nights. Can you believe this will be their 15th season? I remember watching Jose Guillen blast a game winning home run that [...]

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The Erie SeaWolves completed their 2008 season yesterday at Jerry Uht Park. The Wolves fell 4-1 to the Akron Aeros. The SeaWolves finished the season with a 68-74 record. They came on strong in the second half of the season, and expect a few players to be called up to Detroit when major league rosters [...]

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The SeaWolves play at the Jerry Uht baseball park tonight against the Binghamton Mets. Don’t miss out since Mondays are buck night, as in $1 will get you into a great baseball game concession specials on Smith’s Hot Dogs, draft beer, Pepsi soft drinks and popcorn. Ticket prices begin at $3. The [...]

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The Roar on the Shore bike rally finale is today with only a handful of events beginning at 9 a.m. You can’t go 5 minutes on any roadway this weekend without seeing a group of motorcycles pass you by. The event has been nothing less than a success with millions of dollars pumped [...]

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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 King’s Ship Ontario, aka the HMS Ontario, a British warship that sailed during the American Revolutionary War, has been found in Lake Ontario. It went down on October 31, 1780 with about 130 aboard. Included in this story in the Whig Standard by Ian Elliot is information which must be a reference to the [...]

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Zachary Dunbar of Erie arrived in San Francisco and today will begin a 2 month cross county bike ride to raise money and awareness for the John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation. You can follow him on his travels on his blog Cycling For A Cure. (It’s about 2,600 miles from San Francisco to Erie.)
The Community [...]

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A driver, traveling on Route 8 near Wattsburg, hauling 10,000 gallons of gas lost control of his truck. It rolled over and burst into flames. The smoke could be seen for miles.Holy cow was there a lot of smoke. I’d almost bet you could see it from almost anywhere in Erie County. A couple of [...]

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Dan Mulligan didn’t know what to expect when the US Army summoned him from his civilian life as instructor at the Institute for Intelligence Studies at Mercyhurst College to active duty in Iraq last January. He hadn’t fired a weapon since he retired from the military 15 years ago; what’s more, he was 48-years-old. He [...]

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The Pennsylvania House and Senate passed a smoking ban. Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell said he would sign it. Hotels must have 75 percent of their rooms non-smoking. Casinos such as Presque Isle Downs and Casino in Erie must have 50 percent of their facility non-smoking. Exempted are bars with less than 20 percent food sales, [...]

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BetaJohn has tried and tried to get Erie Times News and GoErie to fix their problem with the employment classified links. The Help Wanted link was recently fixed to reflect their switch over to HotJobs but none of the links for the sub-categories work. Maybe one of the job listings is for help in their [...]

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The Erie area enjoyed another glorious day on Sunday – bright sunshine with a high of 88 degrees. About 80,000 people visited Presque Isle State Park over the weekend. The forecast today calls for a high near 90, the fifth day in a row with temps hitting the mid 80’s.
The Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority (EMTA) [...]

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Marco Ccamaque, a jockey at Presque Isle Downs and Casino in Erie, was arrested by US Border Patrol agents for being in the country illegally. Ccamaque has been in the country for years as he was the leading rider at Beulah Park Winter/Spring 2005 and Fall/Winter 2004. He is a native of Lima, Peru.
Karla Mullenax [...]

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The official high temperature in Erie was 92 degrees on Friday. Temps on Saturday and Sunday might be near 90. There was a great crowd along the bayfront and at Presque Isle State Park. I’m a bit jealous of how Ella, daughter of Holli and Jason, kept cool.
Get out of the heat for a few [...]

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Scores of people in the Erie area have called off work with symptoms of the flu and other illnesses. Most will head to Presque Isle State Park for ‘treatment.’ The forcast for today is sunny with a high temperature approaching the record of 95 degrees.
The Community Blood Bank is air conditioned and can take some [...]

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All around great guy Jack Tirak passed away last night. Jack was a partner at Erie ad firm Engel and Tirak and many of us knew him through his blog, Erie Media Go Round. We’ll fill you in on the funeral details when they become available. Condolences to his family.
Casting call for you actor types. [...]

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Jack Sundberg passed away on Sunday morning. Jack had an inoperable brain tumor. As they say on his web site Jack’s Battle, he won his battle and now is in a better place. The Sundberg Family – Craig, Megan and Robin – would appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Hopefully, they can get some peace in [...]

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Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine will hold commencement ceremonies for its largest medical and pharmacy classes, along with the school’s second class of master’s degree candidates. Today at 2 pm at the Louis J Tullio Arena, 218 medical students, 123 pharmacy students and six Master of Science in Medical Education students will receive degrees. [...]

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Lisa Maas was murdered in her Pittsburgh apartment. Maas was a 2006 graduate of Harbor Creek High School near Erie. She was attending school at the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute. Terrence Andrews, who occupied an apartment in the same building as Maas, stabbed her with a pair of scissors. Andrews admitted to police he did it. [...]

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Erie County middle and high school students are reporting a higher incidence of alcohol use than their national peers, but much lower levels of participation in antisocial behaviors such as “being arrested” or “bringing a weapon to school,” according to the newly released 2007 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS), conducted locally by the Mercyhurst College Civic [...]

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In November 2007 just before her new son was born, Tia Peterson, soon to be a new single mother, made the decision that she would stay home to raise her son. She began freelancing as a virtual assistant and has never looked back. Instead, she has moved on to form a virtual assistance firm called [...]

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An arrest warrant was issued by University of Iowa campus police for Abe Satterfield of Erie and another man for charges involving sexual abuse. The incident allegedly occurred on October 14 at Satterfield’s on campus apartment. Satterfield and other person, Cedric Everson, were both members of the Iowa football team. They were both suspended from [...]

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Railpower Technologies announced that it will build an assembly plant in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, creating some 125 new jobs, mainly in manufacturing and development. I thought Erie had a good shot at landing the plant. The company is headquartered in Quebec while their US operations are located in Erie. Railpower produces rail yard switching locomotives and [...]

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Please take a moment today to remember and honor those Americans who died while defending our Nation and its values. They are responsible for the freedoms you enjoy today.
To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the “National Moment of Remembrance” resolution was passed in December, 2000 which asks that [...]

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One person died in their home last night of an apparent natural gas leak or by carbon monoxide poisoning. The home is on Page Street in SE Erie. An official from the Erie County Coroners Office was called to scene as crews from National Fuel worked to repair the leak. Natural gas does not have [...]

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The deal in which Teri Rhodes was expected to plead guilty on Friday hit a delay and was postponed. Everyone was in court but left without anything being accomplished. Nobody is talking. Rhodes gave birth in her Mercyhurst College apartment on August 12. The baby lived 10 minutes before the newborn girl was suffocated to [...]

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Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong spent another day at a mental competency hearing. It could be months for a judge to decide if she’s competent to stand trial. Of course she’s nut but she’s well enough to know what’s going on. Normal people don’t kill their boyfriend and stick them in a freezer nor are involved in some [...]

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The Erie Graffiti Task Force continues to mount a crack down on vandalism. District Magistrate Judge Tom Carney, head of the group, is jumping in front of every TV camera and telling every reporter around town about the problem. Yesterday, the case of Daniel Montano of Pittsburgh was spotlighted. Montano faces life in prison and [...]

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The Erie Times-News / GoErie.com reported that Teri Rhodes will enter a guilty plea on Friday. Everyone involved is being tight lipped about the deal. The plea deal takes the death penalty off the table. If the deal does not include a VERY long prison sentence, I think there will be community outrage.
Rhodes murdered her [...]

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The official ground breaking of the newest branch of the Erie County Public Library, the West County Library Branch (WCLB), will be held today at 10:30 at the corner of Manchester and West Lake Road in Fairview. To add to the jubilation, Michael Batchelor, president of The Erie Community Foundation, will make a major [...]

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The Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer Amusement Park and Water World opened yesterday to a large crowd. Seats on the very first ride were auctioned off with all proceeds benefiting the Northwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. About $7,500 was raised. And all weeekend long, $3.50 of the $4.50 ride cost will [...]

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Looks like there won’t be any baby Bald Eagles at Presque Isle State Park. Linda posted pictures of the nest and a write-up on her blog. She said a park volunteer told her there was an attack on the nest by a rogue eagle (or another predator).
International Paper closed it’s plant in Erie on the [...]

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A jubilant celebration will take place on Monday, May 19 beginning at 10:30 am at the corner of Manchester and West Lake Road, where only a pile of dirt presently exists. The celebration will mark the official ground breaking of the newest branch of the Erie County Public Library, the West County Library Branch (WCLB). [...]

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The City of Erie School District preliminary budget calls for a spending increase of about $6 million to $129.3 million. All members of the school board are tax and spend Democrats. The figures don’t include money to rehab or rebuild Roosevelt Middle School which might not be funded until next year.
WSEE TV posted two video [...]

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WSEE TV will air their exclusive interview with John Kanzius in a 30 minute special on Wednesday, May 21 at 7 pm. For the station to preempt the uber popular “Wheel of Fortune”, you know it’s important. Along with word on the breakthrough with the success of Kanzius discusses how big it could be [...]

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A traffic accident Sunday night on West Townhill Road, between Peach St and Perry Highway, claimed the life of one person when the car burst into flames. The single vehicle accident happened around midnight. The victim was burned so badly authorities couldn’t determine the gender let alone the identity of the victim.
The horrible accident on [...]

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One of those worst nightmare accidents happened yesterday afternoon on I-90 near West Springfield, Exit 3, when six people died in a horrible head-on accident. A van traveling east lost control, crossed the grass median, and slammed into a car traveling west. Five people in the van and one person in the car died. One [...]

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Along with Mothers Day, three area colleges have their commencements this weekend. Hotels are packed and there are waits at restaurants. The Edinboro University of Pennsylvania commencement will be held today at 1 pm at McComb Fieldhouse with 831 students receiving degrees. The Gannon University commencement will be held today at 2 pm at the [...]

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Live thoroughbred racing returns to the Erie, PA, today Friday, May 9, when Presque Isle Downs and Casino commences its 2008 meeting. Presque Isle’s 100-day season will extend through September 27, with a daily post time of 5:30 pm. Admission and general parking throughout the meet will be FREE.
Last year, Presque Isle’s inaugural meet was [...]

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Erie City Council voted unanimously to go after the money the city loaned for the dead Koehler Square Brewery project. The city probably won’t see a dime as National City Bank and the state get any money first but maybe it will teach future would-be developers that government funds aren’t just free money.
The Greater Erie [...]

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Erie Renewable Energy yesterday held a press conference at the Erie Labor Temple to announce a $1.5 million diversity program to recruit and train minority workers to build the proposed tire to energy plant which will be called Port Erie Power. Agreements were signed with the Booker T Washington Center, Great Lakes Building and Construction [...]

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Narcotics agents from the Attorney General’s office charged an Erie County woman accused of diverting prescription pain medication, which was intended for the patients in her care, from the hospital where she worked. She allegedly took the drugs for her own personal use. Attorney General Tom Corbett said that Janet Palmer, 42, of Waterford, [...]

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A woman died in a house fire at 412 Lowry Road in Harborcreek. The fire broke out shortly at 10 pm Sunday night. Her husband escaped but she could not get out. Lowry Road is the first street east of Lawrence Park Golf Club.
Todd Ptacek of Erie, Pa won the Flying Pig Half Marathon in [...]

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Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy US Academic Decathlon team, the 2008 Pennsylvania state champion, took third place at the National Academic Decathlon competition at Garden Grove, California. The team competed in Division III, the small schools category. Members of the team are: Amy Babay, Stephanie Engel, and Sumner Nichols (Honors); Amal Abukar, Alexa Johnson, and Rebekah [...]

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Handicapping guru Andy Beyer has picked Pyro to win today’s Kentucky Derby. Andy Beyer, a Harvard University graduate from Erie PA, created the Beyer Speed Figures used by bettors that measures how fast a horse runs on any given track. “Synthetic” racing surfaces have replaced the old dirt tracks and made the Beyer Speed Figures [...]

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Erie Management Group has a new video on their site called ‘Erie: A Great Place to Live and Work.’ The link to the popup in on the right side of the site. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands, wait till someone posts it on YouTube.
Gannon University has placed a job opening [...]

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Erie Indemnity Company (Erie Insurance) (Nasdaq: ERIE) announced financial results for the first quarter 2008. Net income per share-diluted decreased to $0.51 per share, compared to $0.88 per share in the comparable quarter in 2007 influenced by net realized losses on investments of $0.27 per share, after tax. Although they sold more policies and their [...]

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Paul “The Pittsburgh Kid” Spadafora was arrested AGAIN for violating a PFA order. Police found him with Nadine Russo who has a PFA against him. He was arrested last summer for violating the same order. Spadafora served 13 months in jail for shooting Russo. He has a professional boxing record of 41-0-1 and would be [...]

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The Huntington Bank at Peach and Kuntz Rd was robbed yesterday of $3,000. The robber got away on a bicycle and went into the Grenada Apartment complex. Maybe he’ll use the money to buy a car.
US Air Force Second Lieutenant Matthew E Emmons, a native of Corry PA, died recently in a training accident at [...]

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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 Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority announced that they’ve been contacted by the US Coast Guard about possibly locating a training facility in Erie. Erie is one of a number of locations considered. The facility would be a designated Center of Excellence (COE) for ship inspections. It would mean about 50 personnel stationed in Erie year [...]

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Just after 2:30 pm yesterday, a body of a woman was discovered in Presque Isle Bay near Dobbins Landing. She was identified as Anna Lisichenko of Erie. Lisichenko was a native of the Ukraine who had immigrated to the US less than 5 years ago.
Mayor Joe Sinnott on Thursday announced an Adopt-A-Park program for [...]

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GE held their annual shareholder meeting yesterday in Erie at the Bayfront Convention Center. It was pretty clear that Erie appreciates having GE in Erie. CNN reflected that with their story headline GE Executives Take Some Solace From Erie Hospitality. Officials with GE had very nice things to say about Erie. GE has taken some [...]

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The GE (NYSE: GE) 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held today in Erie, PA at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. The meeting is closed to the public however, GE will have a exhibit on display that shows what they do in Erie that you can stop down and see. That information session is [...]

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It’s election day. Vote.
Kevin Flowers reported on GoErie.com that the Pennsylvania Ethics Commission is investigating Erie County Maintenance Supervisor Mike Krause for misuse of county assets. Back when this mess first surfaced, someone at the commission that that they were aware of the situation in Erie County BUT that someone had to file an official [...]

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Chelsea Clinton will appear at noon today at the Perry Square in downtown Erie. This will be the sixth appearance by a member of the Clinton family in the Erie area.
The (Southwest Florida) News-Press did a story on how haggling at retail stores is sweeping the country. The story quotes Dan Borgia, associate professor of [...]

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Garrett Kensy is a winner. Garrett Kensy was a three sport athlete in high school. He was Salutatorian at Maryvale High School and went on to Mercyhurst College in Erie. Garrett won the starting quarterback job as a freshman before an injury in the second game ended his season. Then last year doctors told him [...]

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Only about 500-1000 people were on hand at Behrend to hear former President Bill Clinton speak at a venue that holds 1800. By the time he got to Warren, he was about an hour and a half late for an 11:30 am appearance. At least the school children got to eat lunch before they started [...]

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In his first campaign visit to northwest Pennsylvania, Sen. Barack Obama will hold a Town Hall-style meeting at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, on Friday, April 18, at 10:30 am, in the Junker Center. Doors open at 8:30 am. Young Democrats of America, a Penn State Behrend student organization, is hosting the event. Admission [...]

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Robert Waters passed away of a stoke. Waters was a recently the victim of a home invasion. So recently that you have to question the findings by Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook and comments by Erie County District Attorney Brad Foulk. In the story by Kara Rhodes Cook said that his death was unrelated to [...]

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GE has 84 job openings posted for their plant in Erie, PA. You can search their employment listings at GE Careers. Just since April 1, they have posted 53 jobs: Program Manager International Loco/Mods, Instructor – Mechanical Systems, Locomotive Compressed Air Systems Engineer, Erie Plant Materials Leader, Instructor – Electrical Systems, Lean Six Sigma Black [...]

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The story on John Kanzius and his radio wave cancer treatment machine by Lesley Stahl on “60 Minutes” was excellent. The transcript of the story can be found at The Kanzius Machine: A Cancer Cure? I just hope enough people were moved to whip out their credit cards and contribute to the John Kanzius Cancer [...]

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After Tiger comes back from 6 down to win The Masters, 60 Minutes will feature the John Kanzius story of his radio wave cancer treatment machine. The Kanzius Machine: A Cancer Cure? previews the story. 60 Minutes will air after coverage of “The Masters”, some time after 7 pm ET. At least $8 million is [...]

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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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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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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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The Supreme Court on Monday let stand a federal policy that allows employers to reduce their health insurance expenses for retired workers once they turn 65 and qualify for Medicare. In which may have been the last time Erie County did anything to try and save taxpayers money, the county offered non-Medicare eligible retirees the [...]

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A private meeting is planned for members of Erie’s business community at 2 pm with a press conference at 3:15 pm today announcing that Erie will have a team in the NBA Developmental League for the 2008-09 season. The NBA Development League, or D-League, is the National Basketball Association’s officially sponsored and operated minor league. [...]

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It’s now been 3 weeks since Lindsay Graygo was beaten and then strangled to death in her Ypsilanti Township, Michigan apartment. Word is investigators are still waiting for the DNA kit to come back. Graygo of Erie, PA graduated from McDowell in 1997, earned a BA in advertising /public relations from Penn State University Park [...]

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Former President Bill Clinton will make a campaign appearance for his wife in Erie today, Wednesday March 12 at 11:30 am. His public appearance will be held at Erie East High School, 1001 Atkins Street. Doors open at 10 am. There are no tickets, just show up. Use the gym entrance at the rear of [...]

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There is an excellent must-read story in the Charleston (WV) Gazette on the story of Bob Wiesen who grew up in the St Joseph’s Home for Children in Erie. St Joseph’s was the orphanage in Erie. Wiesen lived at the orphanage from the time he was an infant until he finished high school. The story [...]

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At the US Bankruptcy Court in Erie PA, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Judge Thomas P Agresti is hearing the case of Countrywide Financial Corp v Sharon Diane Hill of Pittsburgh in a mortgage case being followed by many. Hill sued Countrywide after they had tried to foreclose even [...]

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Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio still hasn’t resigned or been arrested. DiVecchio has been accused of a laundry list of improprieties of misuse of government employees and assets. He will sit down on Friday with Erie County Controller Sue Weber to try and explain away the charges.
Erie County Council members have no plans to conduct [...]

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Eriez Magnetics of Erie, PA has built a second 55 ton electromagnet, matching the one that is recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest. The original magnet was christened “Big Moe”, and the new one is known affectionately as “Big Moe II”. Big Moe II, known officially as the SER700, measures [...]

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Erie broke a record high yesterday when it reached 67 degrees. Then the cold front went through. Winds gusts reaching 65 mph have knocked down branches and trees everywhere. Penelec crews are working at restoring power. The Fort LeBoeuf School District is closed today and others such as General McLane are on delays because of [...]

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Erie Central Tech High School has been declared a “dropout factory” by researchers at Johns Hopkins University as less than 60 percent of their incoming freshmen make it to graduation. That’s less than 6 in 10 for those of you that are dropouts.
Erie School District Superintendent James Barker had his contract extended for 5 years [...]

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Welcome Home to the 329th Medical Company. Thank you.
Pennsylvania’s Republican party state committee choose Jacqueline Shogan of Westmoreland County to be added to the race for the state Superior Court. She is one of five Republican nominees for the three open seats on the court. State Sen Jane Earll of Erie was a candidate for [...]

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Outside of Beaver Stadium “Gate A” a tent city springs up before Penn State home games. It’s called Paternoville. In the sea of over 100 tents there is one that’s blue and gold. Penn State play Notre Dame today. That blue and gold tent belong to Penn State freshman Katie Sullivan of Erie, PA. She [...]

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The Greater Erie Board of Realtors reported the latest monthly real estate sales figures for Erie County in which a transfer tax was paid. For the period of August 1-31, 2007 there were 553 properties sold for $67,275,094 which compares to the same period in 2006 in which 566 properties changed hands for $73,272,981. Figures [...]

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Scott Enterprises has obtained $81 million as they mortgaged 10 properties. They will use $6 million to expand Splash Lagoon Indoor Water Park. I think this will be the third expansion of the park that draws huge numbers of people. In a very smart move they will use $49 million to refi existing debt. A [...]

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As soon as the site was cleared at the former Koehler Brewery it looked like it would be used for a car dealership and that’s what will happen. Dave Hallman will pave it over and sell cars on the site. Not what anyone had hoped for but at least it will be back on the [...]

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The Erie area raised more than $237,000 locally for the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, more than $5,000 more than last year. WJET-TV has hosted the local portion of the show for the past 35 years. YourErie.com story.
 
Labor Day usually means the end of the swimming season at Presque Isle State Park but Beaches 6 and [...]

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Today is the final day of the season at Waldameer Amusement Park and Water World. Good weather means good crowds and Erie has had good Summer weather. Construction work continues on the Ravine Flyer II, a wooden and steel roller coaster. The coaster will traverse Peninsula Drive (State Route 832). The ride will open in [...]

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The Detroit News reported that Teri Rhodes withdrew from school and has returned to her Michigan home. Rhodes, the Mercyhurst College student whose baby died minutes after giving birth, still hasn’t been charged with a crime by Erie County District Attorney Brad Foulk. Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook declared the death a homicide. Cook said [...]

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Presque Isle Downs and Casino opens their thoroughbred racetrack today. The 25 day meets starts with the $100,000 Inaugural Stakes for 3 year old fillies. Post time is 5:30 pm. Here’s the program for today. The average daily purse will be $432,400 a day. That will be the second highest in the country with only [...]

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Dennis Beard III was found not guilty of the 1998 murder of Amy Lawrence. There was a boat load of circumstantial evidence but no physical evidence and his former fiancee testified that he admitted the murder to her but it wasn’t enough to convince the jury.
 
Molly Brannigans announced they are opening a restaurant in Heritage [...]

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Port Erie Boat Works has gone out of business. Just recently their web site stated that “Port Erie Boat Works has been sold to an elite group of boat builders and investors.” Now it says they’re gone.
 
The Erie International Airport received a $5.1 million check from the FAA to acquire a few homes for the [...]

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When going to court to be sentenced for a crime you committed, don’t go drunk. Larry Peace had his sentencing postponed yesterday when he showed up drunk. Judge Rusty Cunningham held him in contempt of court and threw him in jail. Peace faces up to 10 years in prison and a up to a $10,000 [...]

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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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The Grande Mariner, a 183 ft ship that carries 100 passengers, will be arriving in Erie today at 1 pm. The ship is owned by American Canadian Caribbean Line (ACCL), a Rhode Island-based casual small ship cruise line. The cruise is the 15-night Great American Waterways cruise that travels east-to-west and vice versa between Illinois [...]

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The Erie Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and 46 other local tourism promotion agencies all across Pennsylvania are looking at a 12 percent decrease in state funding in 2008. Why? So Philadelphia and Pittsburgh can get more money. Philadelphia would get 11 percent more while Pittsburgh would get 37 percent more. To make matters worse, [...]

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Erie Blogger Scott McCausland has been ordered by the United States Government to switch to Windows from Ubuntu, a free Debian derived Linux-based operating system. Scott is on probation and the monitoring system will only run on Windows. This comes awful close to cruel and unusual punishment. His related entry. There have been a number [...]

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Philadelphia Governor Rendell joined hundreds of area officials and
residents to formally dedicate the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. “I’m pleased the commonwealth was able to help make this project a reality,” Governor Rendell. “As one of the largest development projects in Erie’s history, this complex serves as a terrific example of what can be accomplished when [...]

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The Commonwealth Court upheld a ruling that Erie County can use the hotel tax to fund the building and operations of a hotel. Eighty percent of the 5 percent hotel tax goes to the Erie County Convention Center Authority for the Erie Bayfront Convention Center and the Bayfront Sheraton Hotel as well as Jerrry [...]

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A number of people who work at the Erie County Office of Children and Youth (OCY) attended last nights Erie County Council meeting. They complained that they are short workers saying that there are 41 case workers and 16 job openings for case workers. WTF? How did it get to the point where a [...]

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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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Nick Caccavo of Erie died after the 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee he was riding into rear ended a tractor-trailer on I-80 in Clearfield County. Caccavo was majoring in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State. He graduated from Northwestern Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy.
 
Steven Sterrett of Erie, Pa died at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center multiple severe injuries he received [...]

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Celebrate Erie 2007 wraps up today. Zambelli Fireworks Internationale will host one of its world-famous fireworks displays over the Bayfront at Dobbins Landing at 9:45 pm, weather permitting.
 
There is a sale pending on the former GTE / Verizon building at 10th and Sassafras Streets. It will be very interesting to see who the new owner [...]

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Thou shall not mess with Erie Insurance. ERIE didn’t become a $3.75 billion company by paying out claims and if they think they paid out a false claim – watch out. It doesn’t matter who you are. A federal grand jury indicted Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Michael Joyce on mail fraud and money laundering. Joyce [...]

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Teri Rhodes gave birth in her Mercyhurst College apartment on Sunday. The baby was born alive. Rhodes murdered her baby minutes later by suffocating the unfortunate child. Police found the baby in a plastic bag. Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook declared the death a homicide. Erie County District Attorney Brad Foulk has not yet filed [...]

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US Rep Betty McCollum (D-Minn) has introduced a bill which would “reduce and prevent the sale and use of fraudulent degrees in order to protect the integrity of valid higher education degrees that are used for federal purposes,” ie putting a halt to diploma mills. The University of Berkley, a diploma mill operating in Erie, [...]

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Windy M DeLeon of Erie was charged with stealing $22,000 from the Kwik Fill gas station and convenience store where she worked and gambling the money away at Presque Isle Downs and Casino. DeLeon was to have made 16 bank deposits with the money.
 
Congratulations to Tammy and Matt who were married yesterday.
Pic by Rachel. She [...]

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Roar on the Shore kicked off yesterday in spectacular fashion with over 2,000 motorcycles parading through the city. The event continues today beginning at 9 am at Liberty Park. Bands will be performing all day at the Pepsi Amphitheatre. Entry fee is $5. All proceeds from Roar on the Shore support the John Kanzius Cancer [...]

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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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Shares of Erie Indemnity Company (ERIE), Erie Insurance, yesterday skyrocketed $2.82 to 59.40, a jump of 5 percent. On Friday July 27 the stock closed at 50.96. The company now is worth $3.75 billion.
 
The Northwest Regional Planning and Development Commission is sponsoring meetings with18 overseas trade representatives September 12-13 in Erie. One-on-one appointments on September [...]

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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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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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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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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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Workers are putting the finishing touches on the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. It’s scheduled to open in two weeks. 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.
 
Elisabeth Baldanza was crowned Miss New York. Baldanza, from Oneonta NY, is [...]

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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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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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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 will [...]

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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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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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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. We’re still waiting. She said the case was solved. We’re still waiting. On August 28 2003, pizza delivery man Brian Douglas Wells was allegedly locked into a bombing device [...]

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The Erie Community Foundation will be receiving nearly $7 million at the late Margaret Spaeder. I just received a quick email about the gift so I don’t have the breakdown to which organization will benefit. The Erie Community Foundation is a collection of charitable endowments operating under the administrative umbrella of a single public charity. [...]

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The Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle has now been open one year. It’s been an overwhelming success. What has surprised me is the sheer number and variety of events they have going on from nature hikes to evenings of jazz music to lectures to family movies.
The Tom Ridge Environmental Center is a must [...]

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The Pittsburgh Business Times put out their list of the best performing of the state’s 500 public school districts. They ranked every district in the state based on three years of PSSA (Pennsylvania System of Student Assessment) test scores. Here are the Erie County district rankings:
36 Fairview School District, 80 General McLane School District, 104 [...]

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There was an incident happen at Country Fair store 55 in Meadville where a man brought a little girl into the store and somehow while a female employee and a female customer were talking to the girl they found out that she had been adducted. They managed to call the police and keep [...]

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The Commonwealth Court ruled that Allegheny County doesn’t have the authority to ban smoking in bars, restaurants and other indoor workplaces because the 1988 Clean Indoor Air Act pre-empts and supersedes local governments the right to impose stricter regulations. An Allegheny County Common Pleas Court Judge had put in place an injunction prohibiting the ban [...]

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Meryhurst College made 2 major announcements yesterday. The bullshit was so deep the cameras could only shoot from the necks up. Mercyhurst said they were giving the City of Erie $500,000 over the next 3 years and also canceling their Fourth of July celebration. (Press release.)
I can see why they dumped the Fourth of [...]

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Location, location, location. The real estate prices in one City of Erie neighborhood have skyrocketed. Why? The homes have a view of the water – Presque Isle Bay.
In mid March I got a call from a law firm in Indiana that needed to sell a home in Erie on West Front Street. (I’m a real [...]

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Best known for her Emmy Award winning role as Blanche Devereaux on the hit television comedy series Golden Girls, actress Rue McClanahan is promoting her new book “My First Five Husbands…And The Ones That Got Away”. Her first job was in Erie, Pennsylvania at the Erie Playhouse. It was during this time that Rue met [...]

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US Airways will cut service from Erie to Pittsburgh from from three to one flights per day starting in July.
 
An outline of plans for a public skate park will be presented to Mayor Joe Sinnott today at 4 pm. The presentation will be given by representatives of the Skate Erie Adolescents and the Skate Erie [...]

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Only 22.6 of registered voters in Erie County went to the polls yesterday. The highlights:
Act 1 – the backhanded tax increase, went down in every area district.
Erie City Council – Incumbent Democrat David Gonzalez lost to Mark (Aleks) Aleksandrowicz for the 4 year seat. Incumbent Joseph Schember won the nod for the 2 year term.
Erie [...]

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Vote. Polls are open from 7 am until 8 pm. Here is a list of the area races.
 
Vote NO on the Act 1 referendum. This is a tax shift from real estate property taxes to an income tax. This will chase people with jobs out of the City of Erie. The problem isn’t with how [...]

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Carol Senkalski of Erie won the 3rd annual Mothers of Invention Contest held by ABC’s Good Morning America. Her invention was a multi-cut cookie cutter. Senkalski won $10,000 and her invention will be marketed by Amazon.com. Here is the video of her explaining and demonstrating the cutter.
Edinboro University Presidential candidate interviews with the Pennsylvania State [...]

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Erie Golf Course is attracting a good number of golfers. The City of Erie spent about $2 million in renovations on the course. Only one slight problem. The city closed the course saying they lost too much money operating it. Golfers are playing for free.
The idea of a lodge at Erie Bluffs State Park was [...]

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Robin Hecker, the former Northwestern High School teacher, was sentenced to 6-12 months in prison for having sex with a 16 year old male student.
On Friday, a fisherman in Lorain Ohio caught a Chinese mitten crab. This was the fourth found in Lake Erie. To date, there have been 178 invasive species found in Lake [...]

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Pennsylvania State Police responded to a domestic dispute which ended with Richard Vargo taking his own life. Police were warned he might hut himself or police responding to the scene. Vargo came out of a house and took a shot at Trooper Joseph Short. It hit Shorts’ flashlight and ricocheted away. The picture of [...]

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The pedestrian bridge linking West Dobbins Landing and the Sassafras Street Pier was lifted into place yesterday. The climate controlled walkway will link the Erie Bayfront Convention Center with the parking garage. The Erie Bayfront Convention Center is now booking events for the Summer of 2007 and beyond. Rooms for weddings, banquets, meetings, exhibits and [...]

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Judge William ‘Rusty’ Cunningham postponed the sentencing of Chytoria Graham until June 8. Cunningham was concerned that she didn’t understand what was happening.
The blood shortage worsened yesterday with a local patient using over 35 units of blood. As a precaution the Community Blood Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania looked to ‘borrow’ blood from other Community Blood [...]

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Chytoria Graham, who pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child stemming from an incident where she swung her month old baby like a baseball bat to hit her boyfriend, will be sentenced today. She will be guest of the state for a minimum of 5 years.
 
Make your mother proud by [...]

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Swamp Zombies is being released on Tuesday May 8. The DVD will be available at KillerWolfFilms.com, FYE Music and Movies, Suncoast, Best Buy , Circuit City and other video outlets. Swamp Zombies features Shannon Solo, WWE superstar Blue Meanie, XXX legend Jasmin St Claire, UFC hall of famer Dan “the beast” Severn and sexy [...]

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Jack at Erie Media-Go-Round has confirmation from Carol Wilson that she will be leaving WSEE. Her last day is Friday May 11.
Excellent job by Jeff at Erie Shipping News covering the ships coming and going from the Port of Erie. It seems every time I look at the lake I see a big ship.
 
Very Reverend [...]

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There was a bit of a commotion at Erie International Airport Friday morning when a Cessna reported engine problems. Traffic was a mess for about a half an hour with emergency vehicles racing to the airport. The RELCO (Radio Emergency Light Company) system prevents accidents but it’s frustrating to drivers that have to sit at [...]

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Kevin Mahoney fo Erie PA was named a Carnegie Medal winner yesterday by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. The law student at Ohio State University had recently graduated from Penn State University and still was living in State College the morning of April 2, 2006. Mahoney and Matthew Emmerling saved Seth Mattleman and others from [...]

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Jon Whaley has resigned as assistant to Mayor Joe Sinnott. I’m not sure if he was just frustrated with trying to deal the the bureaucracy of government work or if it had anything to do with the hiring of former TV reporter Erika Howland who is now working for the City of Erie. The timing [...]

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The dumbest family on the face of the Earth lives in Cambridge Springs. A kid found a pipe bomb Cambridge Springs Elementary School. He took it home. His father, for some idiotic reason, put it in his truck and drove back to the school. He told the principal. The principal called the police. The state [...]

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Dan Galena filed suit in United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against the 7 members of Erie County Council saying council violated county rules, the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act and Galena’s First Amendment rights. Council thinks they are above the law and run the county like their own kingdom. Galena called them [...]

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Tom Ridge, the nation’s first Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Governor of Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2001, and Congressman from Erie from 1983 to 1995, delivered the commencement address Sunday at the University of Pittsburgh and received the honorary Doctor of Public and International Affairs degree from Chancellor Mark A Nordenberg and Provost [...]

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A symposium on the John Kanzius cancer treatment was held yesterday at Mercyhurst College. The place was packed yet you could have heard a pin drop. People in attendance soaked in every word. Dr Steven Curley of M D Anderson Cancer Center and Kanzius spoke. Since Kanzius came up with the treatment, every bit of [...]

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Augustus Allen III, who was recently fired by the EMTA (Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority, the bus company), was arrested for making terroristic threats after he said he’d shoot the place up. Three adults and one juvenile in Erie have been arrested for threatening to repeat the Virginia Tech massacre.
 
The U S Brig Niagara is scheduled [...]

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Mayor Joe Sinnott presented his proposal for screwing up the LERTA (Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance) program. The current program expires in the second week of November. It gives a 10 year tax break on new construction and additions. The proposal calls for 5 year tax breaks based on jobs created. Residential breaks would be [...]

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Valerie Cantu, a former Gannon student, was arrested for making terroristic threats. Cantu called a current Gannon student and told her not to go to classes because there was going to be a massacre. Erie Police were notified of the threat. They called the FBI. The anonymous called was easily traced. Police called Cantu [...]

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Spectrum Power Management Systems, a division of Spectrum Control, is kissing the Erie area goodbye and relocating their manufacturing, logistics and headquarters operations to State College, Pennsylvania. Spectrum Power Management Systems provides power distribution solutions for systems requiring distribution of power or for those that require circuit protection and/or power cycling. Spectrum offers standard products [...]

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The Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy USAD team leaves today for the National Academic Decathlon in Honolulu, Hawaii. Students will take Mathematics, Social Science, Language and Literature, and Art tests as well as competing in Speech and Interview. The competition concludes on Friday, April 27, with Economics, Music, and Science tests as well as the Super [...]

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Great news for Erie PA and the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority. Erie Management Group is now in the Great Lakes shipping business. EMG now is the majority shareholder of Great Lakes Feeder Lines. The mission of Great Lakes Feeder Lines is to provide a competitive, reliable and environmentally responsible alternative to the existing surface modes [...]

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After winter storms pummel the beaches and bring debris, your help is needed to get the beaches ready for summer. The 51st Annual Spring Clean Up at Presque Isle State Park is today from 9 am to 1 pm. Volunteers for the day will receive a commemorative patch, lunch, and a chance at some great [...]

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Herman Bowman is sitting in jail and it might be his new home for awhile. Bowman worked at the Erie Wastewater Treatment Facility. He didn’t like the way his boss for treating him and met with someone in the human resources department. Bowman said that if his boss didn’t get off his case he would [...]

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If you plan on taking I-90 between Erie PA and Buffalo NY today, forget about it. The Seneca Nation of Indians has the thruway blocked and vehicles attempting to go through are trespassing. I-90 goes through the Cattaraugus Reservation. New York state wants to collect sales taxes on the sale of tobacco and gasoline products [...]

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Edinboro University of Pennsylvania faculty yesterday held a protest march on campus. The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) union contract for the 14 state schools expires on June 30. The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education gave the union a 3.3 percent pay raise for the last contract.
 
Presque Isle Downs and [...]

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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 good [...]

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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 story [...]

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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 in [...]

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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 restaurants [...]

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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, RI. [...]

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Erie has snow on the ground and more is expected today. Snow on Easter but we had no snow for Christmas or New Year’s.
 
Riverheads High School in Staunton, VA, recently received a grant from Erie Insurance to help spread the word about safe teen driving through the company’s Lookin’ Out program. Lookin’ Out has been [...]

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Staff Sergeant Ed Chorney of Erie PA, a 16th Airborne Command and Control Squadron flight engineer, is now engaged to his girlfriend of four years, Staff Sergeant Sarah Radel, a air traffic controller with the 506th Operations Support Squadron. The proposal was a little bit unusual to say the least. SSG Chorney was in a [...]

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For the month of March, wagers at Presque Isle Downs and Casino totaled $206,071,163.08. Payouts were $186,914,595.44. Erie County will received about $10 million a year in taxes from the racino. A public hearing was held yesterday to figure out how to spend the windfall. The money will be put into 2 accounts – one [...]

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Bishop Michael J Murphy, the former bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie passed away on Tuesday. He was 91. He became head of the Erie Diocese in 1978 succeeded retiring Bishop Alfred M Watson. Murphy served as Erie’s Catholic bishop until his retirement in July 1990.
 
Erie Cathedral Prep has a press conference scheduled [...]

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Edinboro University of Pennsylvania announced there will be renovations to Sox Harrison Stadium and McComb Fieldhouse. Sox Harrison will be getting artificial turf, new lights and a new scoreboard. Work on both projects will begin as soon as the semester ends.
 
The Erie City Water Authority Erie Water Works is flushing some lines today. So flush [...]

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Three fires claimed three lives in less than 24 hours. Richard Hunt of Corry died in his East Main Street home in a fire that broke out around 1 pm. A fire at 457 West Front St broke out around 2:45 and claimed the life of a women. I’m selling the home next door at [...]

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I talked to someone at Presque Isle Downs and Casino that said 8-9 out of town buses have scheduled trips to Erie but out local bus company, the EMTA (Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority) still hasn’t made a decision on providing service. Has anyone told them the place is open and employs 700 people that might [...]

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The Millcreek Golf and Learning Center was built on the site of a former toxic waste dump. It was completed in 2001. Township officials knew it wouldn’t be in business for long because they knew the Erie International Airport runway expansion was coming and wipe nearly half the course. But hey, it wasn’t Millcreek taxpayers [...]

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There was a shooting in North East PA last evening shortly after 11 pm. A North East Police officer responding to a domestic dispute shot a man in the left side of the chest. The man is in Hamot in critical condition. Pennsylvania State Police took over the investigation because it was an officer involved [...]

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Erie County Council voted last evening to delay the smoking ban from going into effect by one month until March 15. Judge John Bozza in his written decision not to impose a temporary injunction on the county wide smoking ban, strongly suggested council delay the ban. Why? Because the taxpayers of Erie County would be [...]

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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 [...]

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This area seems to have more than it’s fair share of teachers fooling around with kids. Yesterday, one teacher was sentenced to jail while another was arrested. Matthew Weaver, now a former French teacher at Seneca High School, was sentenced to 3-12 months, fined $1000 and must perform 100 hours of community service for soliciting [...]

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I received the following from a reader that brings up a great point -
I’m just wondering why there has not been any ink given to the City of Erie’s 2007 Budget. Of particular interest to me was the overstating of the “estimated” health insurance costs. The budget allocates approximately $16,500 for each city employee, even [...]

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The Manufacturers’ Association of Northwest Pennsylvania announced they will file a lawsuit against the Erie County smoking ban. In a letter addressed to Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio and Council Chairman Fiore Leone, Manufacturers’ Association President Ralph Pontillo announced the Association’s plans to seek legal action, after receiving overwhelming response to a smoking-ban poll that [...]

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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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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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While dozens of Erie area economic development officials were sitting on their rears and Erie City Council was raising taxes and creating a new landlord tax, Ameridrives Coupling Products of Erie announced plans to invest more than $600,000 in capital expenditures at an existing vacant building and start manufacturing disc couplings for the natural [...]

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Auditor General Jack Wagner released an audit of the City of Erie Aggregate Pension Fund, which found that a new retirement provision enacted by the city in 2004 resulted in the city’s receipt of $893,745 of excess state pension aid from the commonwealth. Wagner said the $893,745 of excess state aid identified in the audit [...]

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The Erie SeaWolves have a press conference scheduled for today to announce that Detriot GM Dave Dombrowski will name Matt Walbeck will become the team’s next manager. For the past three years Walbeck has managed Single A West Michigan. He had an 11 year career in the majors with six teams. Tom Brookens is expected [...]

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The Eloise Woodsbey lawsuit again A and M Homes, Regal Financial and other reached court yesterday. It’s being handled in US Bankruptcy Court since it’s part of her bankruptcy filings. Judge Warren W Bentz urged both sides to reach a settlement which is what apparea will happen. Woodsbey will most likely keep her home [...]

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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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Ralph “Bucky” Phillips is still on the loose. Phillips was convicted of burglary and drug charges. He broke out of jail in April and has had the help of the fine, outstanding citizens of Western NY in staying one step ahead of law enforecement since then. Phillips is the main suspect in the shootings of [...]

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NY State Police Trooper Joseph Longobardo, who was shot sniper-style during a stakeout seraching for Ralph “Bucky” Phillips onThursday night in Chautauqua County, has died. Trooper Donald Baker Jr, who is recoverying in an Erie hospital, was upgraded from critical to serious after a third surgery.
Phillips is the main suspect in the shootings and now [...]

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Rae Sherred of Edinboro University was honored with the 2006 NCAA Sportsmanship Award. Sports isn’t just about winning and losing, it’s about building character. Sometimes the worst conditions bring out the best in people. In the PSAC women’s basketball title game against California of Pennsylvania with the score tied and with 7 seconds to play, [...]

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The Community Blood Bank of NW PA is open Saturday 9-12:30. Please help alleviate the current crisis of the blood supply. A New York State Police Officer that was flown to Erie for treatment after being shot in the Bucky Phillips case has used a TREMENDOUS amount of blood. The trooper needed over 40 units [...]

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Ralph ‘Bucky’ Phillips is still on the loose. Two New York state troopers were shot and in are critical conditions at hospitals in Erie and Buffalo after someone fired on them near the home of Phillips’ girlfriend in Stockton NY. Phillips escaped from a jail in Buffalo and has shot one cop before. This piece [...]

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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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Erie, Pa based Executive Pulse Inc has sold a copy of its software program called “Inc link” to Carroll County, Maryland. “Inc link” is a contact management program the county will use to retain businesses and help recruit new ones. The new program automates all contact data. Partner agencies – Carroll Community College, the county [...]

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The state returned $17 million in tax dollars to the Erie area on Friday with five grants through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.
The Erie Bayfront Convention Center received $6.5 million for a 300 space parking ramp, Gannon University received $4 million for their Erie Technology Incubator which will allow for the renovations to the [...]

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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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Today is the final day for Celebrate Erie 2006 which ends with a massive fireworks display at 10 pm. The fireworks will be set off from Dobbins Landing.
Here’s the entertainment schedule for today:
Main stage at 4th and State:
1 pm Dance Connection
2:30 pm Litte’s Dance
3:45 pm Next of Kin
5:45 pm Train of Love
7:30 Spotlight Dance
8 pm [...]

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There was a huge crowd at Celebrate Erie 2006 on Friday. There was an estimated 40-50,000 thousand people with 20-25,000 on hand to watch the Beach Boys. The Beach Boys turned out to be a very good choice with pre-teens to people old enough to be their great grandparents enjoying their show which lasted over [...]

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Get your rear end downtown. Celebrate Erie 2006 runs through Sunday. This event was formerly known as “We Love Erie Days.”
The complete schedule of events and musical acts is too big to print here but here’s the Celebrate Erie music schedule for today:

South Stage at 11th and State: 5 pm Heather Rosso 6:30 pm Money [...]

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Celebrate Erie 2006 kicks off this evening with a Taste of Erie beginning at 5 pm. Bertrand’s Bistro, Colony Pub and Grille, Latino’s, Papermoon, Pufferbelly, Theodore’s Restaurant and the Walnut Creek Grill will all have meals available. They’ll be set up on the West side of Perry Square. The Taste of Erie hours are: Thursday [...]

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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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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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Scully’s Pub at 408 State Street in Erie is for sale. I don’t know the asking price – yet. About 1,000 years ago I bartended there while I was going to Gannon. They started a quarter draft night one year and then gave it up for the Summer. The next year I restarted it. Week [...]

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On December 4th, 2005, the Buckeye arrived at Erie Shipbuilding in Erie, PA under tow of the tug Olive L Moore. The tug was mated with the Buckeye becoming a new articulated tug/barge unit. The Buckeye became the first vessel in 9 years to be drydocked at the Erie shipyard when she entered. The vessle [...]

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Knox Mclaughlin Gornall And Sennett is buying the former United Way of Erie County building on the 100 block of West 10th Street. I heard on the news Knox will tear down the building for parking. The building has an asesed value of $600,100. The United Way is exempt from paying property taxes. Knox isn’t. [...]

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WJET-TV reported that there was a deadly crash early this morning on Route 18 in the Cranesville area. Tow people died when their vehicle crashed and burst into flames. A passerby dragged another person out of the vehicle.
A motorcycle apparently ran a red light at 26 and Brandes and crashed into the side of a [...]

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Rent-A-Center announced they are buying Rent-Way for $10.65 in cash per share of Rent-Way common stock. The transaction is valued at approximately $567 million. Bill Morgenstern founded the company in Erie in 1981 and built it into a 784 store chain in 34 states. Last year William Short was named President and CEO of [...]

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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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The body of a man was found floating in Lake Erie on Saturday afternoon. It is apparently that of Fran Medwick of Washington Township who fell off his boat near Elk Creek and Trout Run on July 22.
Erin Palmer, a 2006 grad of Edinboro with a degree in elementary education, asked her mom, Kathy Curphy, [...]

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There aren’t a lot of employeers that would let you keep your job after you were convicted of a crime and sentenced to 30 days in jail. Being a City of Erie Police officer isn’t among them. Erie Police Detective Ed Dickens was sentenced to 30 days, followed by 90 days probation and ordered to [...]

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RentWay (NYSE: RWY) reported financial results for the quarter. For the third quarter, the Company reported revenues of $135.4 million versus $128.3 million in the same quarter last year. Revenues from the Company’s core rental business (which excludes the Company’s dPi Teleconnect unit) were $131.5 million versus $124.2 million in the same quarter last year, [...]

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Erie Indemnity Company (Nasdaq: ERIE) announced financial results for the second quarter 2006:
Net income decreased by 26.1 percent to $56.3 million, from $76.2 million at June 30, 2005.
Net income per share decreased by 21.8 percent to $0.86 per share, compared to $1.10 per share in the comparable quarter for 2005.
Net revenue from investment operations decreased [...]

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The “Beach Boys” will be the headlining act at Celebrate Erie on Friday August 18. The free concert takes place at 8:30 pm on the stage at 4th and State streets.
Of course you already knew that if you’re a regular reader of this blog. I announced the band on Sunday thanks to a tip I [...]

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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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The Beach Boys will be the headlining band for Celebrate Erie on Friday August 18th.
The 2006-07 schedule for Gannon University’s Schuster Theatre has been announced. The list of performances is as follows: “Dining Room” by A R Gurney, Directed by Paula Barrett, Sept 28-30, Oct. 1, 5-7, 2006; “James Joyce’s The Dead” , Directed by [...]

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Erie PA native Alan Baer joined the New York Philharmonic in June 2004 as Principal Tuba. He also rides a motorcycle. What else would he call his own record label but Baer Tracks Music. Baer actually straps the tuba to he back and rides. This summer he rode 2,000 miles from NYC to Vail, CO [...]

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It looks as though Lancaster PA is scrapping plans for their downtown convention center and hotel project. Bids for the $140 million project came in at $20 million over budget. Nearly $30 million has already been spent.
The $95 million Erie Bayfront Convention Center is $9 million over budget. The Erie project is on schedule to [...]

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David McHenry was charged with the murder of Joshua DiBello. Police also recovered the murder weapon yesterday. Tips and details by the public along with good police work solved this crime in less than a week.
I received the following:
Jared Smith is an American citizen, born in Erie, PA, he is 25 years old and he [...]

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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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When I saw a 1954 Studebaker, I knew something was up. Especially the way it was painted. And I quickly found out it’s one of the cars taking part in the Bullrun, the famous road rally and 3000 mile party. The car driven by Kevin Ward and Bret Haller has 650 HP with a top [...]

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Congrats to Margo Carlson whom won the “Name the Tower Ride” contest at Waldameer Amusement Park and Water World. The new 140 foot Tower Drop ride will be called the X Scream. There will be a 2 day preview, Sat Nov 4 and Sun Nov 5, before the ride opens for the season next Spring.
The [...]

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Joshua 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. No word on any suspects but with his brother John being a city police officer, it shouldn’t be too long.
The ONLY supplier of blood to the hospitals in Erie [...]

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