Gas prices are steady in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.581 per gallon according to AAA East Central's Gas Price Report.  AAA says the national average for a gallon of regular has increased two cents over the past week to $3.16.  Even though AAA says this is typically the time of year when there are seasonal increases and rising demand crude oil prices have been plunging.  The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline today in various areas: $3.393 Altoona$3.673 Beaver$3.598 Bradford$3.500 Brookville$3.641 Butler$3.453 Clarion$3.469 DuBois$3.434 Erie$3.638 Greensburg$3.649 Indiana$3.650 Jeannette$3.660 Kittanning$3.621 Latrobe$3.643 Meadville$3.607 Mercer$3.529 New Castle$3.575 New Kensington$3.684 Oil City$3.608 Pittsburgh$3.388 Sharon$3.666 Uniontown$3.691 Warren$3.599 Washington More information on gas prices can be found on AAA's website.  Notice anything large at the Port of Erie lately The BBC Houston, part of the BBC Chartering fleet arrived at the port this past Thursday to offload giant windmill turbine blades to the Carmeuse dock “I expect this to be a year of ships coming in with several varying amounts of blades,” he said Foster said he didn’t know which specific wind farm would receive the blades There are numerous wind turbine farms in Western New York, including one in Chautauqua County, at Hanover and Villenova, New York, by Toronto-based Northland Power More: One group has biggest role in Erie's most valuable property. How the Erie Port Authority works A ‘highly skilled dance’Foster said Monday that the unloading process is ongoing He described the unloading of blades as a “highly skilled dance” between various teams from on-board and dockside crane operators to crews removing lashings on the ship and securing cargo onto the trucks He said the operation sustains at least 60 jobs in the area and praised their teamwork “They made it look like they’ve been working together for years.” More: How an $11.25 million federal grant will improve Erie port's shipping business A.J. Rao can be reached at arao@gannett.com. Follow him on X @ETNRao Maryland’s insurance regulator has announced actions to settle a long-running dispute with Erie Insurance Group over a report on the insurer’s practices involving some urban agents and their insureds The Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) said its market conduct examination that was actually conducted four years ago uncovered unlawful practices resulting in fewer Erie policies written and renewed in urban ZIP codes The insurer continues to strongly object to the report and says claims that it unfairly discriminates “couldn’t be further from the truth.” The examination of conduct from 2016 to 2020 found that Pennsylvania-based Erie encouraged insurance agents affiliated with its companies to engage in a practice they called “front line underwriting,” in which the agents were encouraged to reject otherwise qualified applicants who they deemed might be unprofitable for the company once an insurer establishes its underwriting eligibility guidelines and rates and files those rates with the state it cannot refuse to issue a policy to anyone who meets those guidelines The MIA examination also found that Erie agents were penalized if their books of business resulted in a certain loss ratio regardless of whether their customers qualified for Erie coverage The penalties included reduced commissions and termination The regulator found that this reliance on loss ratio primarily impacted insurance agents serving urban areas such as Baltimore The MIA said it is taking “corrective actions” against Erie as a result of its findings Erie maintains that it did not violate insurance laws and disagrees with the findings in the report Erie wrote that the MIA report claims that its encouragement of its appointed agents to adopt their own “front-line underwriting” guidelines led the agents to turn down qualified business that was considered likely to be unprofitable Erie stated it “denies that encouraging its agents to be profitable violates Maryland law.” “Erie will refocus its resources on serving Erie’s Maryland policyholders and appointed agencies rather than on expensive and distracting litigation with the administration,” the company stated The original dispute involved the handling of four administrative complaints filed with MIA alleging Erie engaged in discriminatory practices against low-income and minority communities in the Baltimore area The complaints were filed by Baltimore Insurance Network Ross Insurance Agency and Welsch Insurance Group The agencies said they were restricted from offering Erie’s policies to residents of primarily Black communities They alleged that Erie threatened and penalized them for challenging what they maintain are Erie’s discriminatory redlining policies The agencies claim the retaliatory actions hurt their business the insurer maintained that the MIA has not afforded it adequate opportunity to respond to the complaints by agencies The insurer also claimed that MIA violated state law by disclosing confidential business information The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals found that state law afforded Erie adequate opportunity to raise its constitutional claims in the administrative hearings and subsequent state court review The court also found that Erie did not prove that MIA’s actions were motivated by bias While Erie has agreed to address the matters raised in the report it insists the entire process has been unfair and the findings are wrong “We find discrimination of any kind abhorrent and inconsistent with the values that have guided our business for 100 years Erie Insurance does not discriminate in its business practices and the report’s factual findings clearly do not support those claims,” stated Matthew Cummings Please tell us what we can do to improve this article Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Texting and driving has been illegal in Pennsylvania for years you won’t even be able to hold your phone while driving the new distracted driving law in Pennsylvania prohibits any driver from using an interactive mobile device,” said Myles Snyder of Pennsylvania State Police It’s called Paul Miller’s Law He’s a Pennsylvania man who was killed in an accident in 2010 The accident was caused by a distracted driver.  The law says drivers will not be allowed to use their phone “If you’re using [an] interactive mobile device while stopped in traffic it’s considered use and you’re considered driving The law will apply to you,” Snyder said.  The dangers of distracted driving are something that’s taught at Transportation Solutions in Erie They remind students of how quickly something can go wrong “If it takes five seconds to read a text message your car travels the length of a football field,” said Derek MacArthur Drivers we talked to said the law is a good idea but it probably won’t affect them because they use Bluetooth The new law is something that will be incorporated into the lessons at Transportation Solutions And it’s something state police hope you’ll start getting ready for now.  “It is time to take action if you do not have hands-free or voice assist,” Snyder said Drivers who are caught using their phones will just get a written warning to start They’ll get a fine of $50 starting in June 2026 Erie entrepreneur Samuel P. "Pat" Black III is not stopping at suing his adopted daughter for $200 million in a case in which he claims she defrauded him through racketeering Black has filed a new lawsuit against his daughter and former heir apparent The new case claims James-Black has defaulted on a $902,000 installment loan that Black gave her in September 2021 to help her buy a house they were supposed to share in Portugal The suit claims James-Black has made no payments on the loan since they were due starting in September 2022 The amount is made up of the base loan of $902,000 plus $217,000 in interest at a default rate of 4.72% The loan is the "Portugal loan," according to the amortization schedule attached to the lawsuit filed in Erie County Common Pleas Court on April 30 The date and description of the loan match a transaction mentioned in Black's $200 million lawsuit against James-Black — a pending case in which the full civil complaint was filed in Common Pleas Court in April 2024 and transferred to U.S Defendant Sumi purchased a home in Portugal for over $1,900,000," according to the federal suit Black back his money or sell the property to allow him to recoup his money Black has never been provided a key or access to the Portugal property." James-Black will fight the suit over the loan as she also contests the federal lawsuit and other litigation that she says is meant to eliminate her financial stake in Black's holdings "This lawsuit is yet another attempt by Mr Black to intimidate and discourage his daughter from pursuing her legal rights as a minority partner in the family partnership," Mizner said Black is claiming the fraud was executed in a way that amounted to civil violations under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act the 1970 federal law designed to fight organized crime Black was once one of wealthiest people in Erie As Black's own lawyers said in the lawsuit the 83-year-old has been put in "the position where he is essentially out of liquid assets." On April 10, one of Black's lawyers abided by an order from Baxter and supplemented the original 327-page federal lawsuit with a 69-page filing known as a RICO statement It lists the RICO claims against James-Black and the other two defendants named in Black's suit: the Erie law firm of Knox which represented Black and his companies; and Nicole Buzzard who was vice president of management and accounting at Erie Management Group The Knox firm and Buzzard have also asked Baxter to dismiss the lawsuit from federal court The defendants are in the process of filing objections to the RICO statement James-Black's objections are due on May 10 Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com or 814-870-1813 Traffic fatalities in Pennsylvania dropped statewide in 2024 over the previous year according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Areas where traffic fatalities increased statewide which increased by 20 over 2023; and crashes at intersections with a stop sign Deadly day in Erie: 2 killed in car-motorcycle crash hours after fatal accident, shooting Lawnmower driver killed: Chambersburg man dies when lawn mower hit by SUV on Kohler Road Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn. Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInERIE PA (WBNG) -- In a low scoring game one of the double header the Seawolves come on top with a lone run scored in the fifth inning Binghamton rallies in game two and is able to close out with a win to split the series against the SeaWolves A Max Anderson RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning was good enough to give Erie the win over the Rumble Ponies in game one Jonah Tong started on the mound for the Ponies and in four innings pitched the SeaWolves jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Binghamton woke up in the top of the fifth inning as they put up three runs The Rumble Ponies would score six unanswered runs from the fifth to the seventh inning to take the lead With bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning Ryan Lambert was able to get Eduardo Valencia swinging to close out the win and the save May 6 to host Reading in a six game series The SeaWolves (17-10) and Binghamton (15-11) split a doubleheader on Sunday Erie won the opener 1-0 and Binghamton took the second game 6-4 to split the six-game series Erie starter Joseph Montalvo twirled a gem in the first game D’Andre Smith’s infield single against Austin Bergner in the sixth inning was Binghamton’s only hit Max Anderson’s RBI single against Rumble Ponies starter Jonah Tong in the fifth inning held up as the lone run of the game Montalvo (2-0) earned the win over Tong (0-2) Bergner picked up his first save of the season Erie got off to a quick start when Eduardo Valencia drove a two-run home run in the first inning against Binghamton opener Dakota Hawkins Roberto Campos smacked an RBI double against Trey McLoughlin to make it 3-0 Eliezer Alfonzo scored Campos on a single to make it 4-0 Erie starter Troy Melton started game two with four scoreless innings he allowed a single to Matt O’Neill and a double to Wyatt Young Yonny Hernandez hit an RBI groundout to score O’Neill Ryan Clifford then lined an RBI single to score Young and make it 4-2 Nick Lorusso had an RBI groundout to score Clifford and make it 4-3 Yosber Sanchez took over in the fifth for Erie Young slapped another double to extend the inning Hernandez then singled to score Young and tie the game Hernandez went to second base on the throw Nick Morabito then hit a soft ground ball for an infield single Sanchez threw wildly to first base for an error allowing Hernandez to score with the go-ahead run William Lugo blasted a solo homer against Drew Sommers in the seventh Erie loaded the bases with two out in the seventh against Ryan Lambert Lambert struck out Valencia to end the game and lock down his first Double-A save Hunter Parsons (1-0) earned the win over Sanchez (0-1) Erie kicks off a six-game series against Altoona in the second half of a 12-game homestand and Bud Light Party Deck groups are now available by visiting SeaWolves.com or visiting the UPMC Park Box Office in person By Jessie Yeung and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn (CNN) — President Donald Trump has renewed his threat of using military force to annex Greenland, saying in an NBC News interview he wouldn’t rule it out to make the self-governing Danish territory a part of the United States It’s the latest in Trump’s many comments about seizing control of the resource-rich island which he insists the US needs for national security purposes “I don’t rule it out,” he told NBC News’ Kristen Welker in an interview that aired on Sunday “I don’t say I’m going to do it but I don’t rule out anything.” “We need Greenland very badly,” Trump said “Greenland is a very small amount of people But we need that for international security.” He added that he doubted it would happen – but that the possibility is “certainly” there Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in buying the island, or the US taking it by force or economic coercion, even as NATO ally Denmark and Greenland have firmly rejected the idea. There are a few factors driving that interest; Greenland occupies a unique geopolitical position, sitting between the US and Europe, which could help repel any potential attack from Russia, experts have said. It also lies along a key shipping lane, and is part of the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom gap, a strategic maritime region But experts also suspect Trump is eyeing other aspects of Greenland such as its trove of natural resources, which may become more accessible as climate change melts the territory’s ice. These include oil and gas, and the rare earth metals in high demand for electric cars Since Trump began voicing plans for his presidency in December, his desire to annex Greenland has raised questions about the island’s future security as the US Russia and China vie for influence in the Arctic “President Trump says that the United States ‘will get Greenland.’ Let me be clear: The United States will not get it We decide our own future,” the island’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in March after Trump again suggested the use of military force Greenland’s not the only sovereign territory Trump has his sights on; the president has repeatedly threatened to annex Canada and make it the US’ “51st state,” souring relations between the two longtime allies Last week, Canada’s Liberal Party swept to victory in federal elections with Prime Minister Mark Carney riding on a wave of anti-Trump sentiment and using his victory speech to declare Canada would “never” yield to the United States Trump said it was “highly unlikely” he’d use military force to annex Canada I have to be honest with you,” he said He added that he’d talked on the phone with Carney after his election win calling the Canadian leader a “very nice man.” Trump had congratulated Carney but they did not discuss the threat of annexation of Canada Carney is set to visit Trump in Washington on Tuesday When asked whether the topic would come up during that visit Trump responded: “I’ll always talk about that.” “it would be great,” Trump added “It would be a cherished state.” The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2025 Cable News Network the population of the city I came to love as a Gannon student (class of 2009) was 140,000 strong 90,000 people may be an optimistic estimate Those numbers mean our average loss per decade stands at 8,333 residents putting us on track for just 65,000 in 30 years that could take us from being the third-largest Pennsylvania city to the eighth As has happened in deep-blue cities like Chicago and Detroit that could also mean seeing a lot of neighborhoods in which home values drop to approximately $1 as a lack combines with high city property taxes to make many houses worthless (even with the current national housing boom) I recently noted to a group of retired businessmen and city officials that my wife and I and our three young children (the third is due in July) live in Erie by choice I'm an attorney with thousands of cases and countless courtroom hours under his belt I've handled legal matters in five different Pennsylvania counties ranging from debt defense (and collection) to high-level criminal cases and I've worked as a law clerk (legal research and writer) for several judges I've also worked as a full-time editor and writer for a Catholic media outlet and published articles and columns through at least five professional media organizations I speak Spanish fairly well (I could probably return to fluency with a few months of study) and hold degrees in both political science and law My wife is a librarian (although now a stay-at-home mom) with 20 years of unbroken experience and two college degrees She was the acting director of the Erie County Public Library on two separate occasions (she twice turned down the top job to focus on our children) We've chosen to stay in Erie and invest in its future and not leave but that's starting to feel like a lonely vigil as we watch almost all of our friends in our age range leave the city for other spots in the county Many who have stayed here have watched their children endure the horrors of the local public school system (per U.S Erie High School has a graduation rate of just 70% whereas every other Erie County high school except North East keeps its rate at 90% or higher — and North East is at 89%) As someone with a relative who struggled with cocaine addiction A gentleman I was recently speaking with about my candidacy (and whom I genuinely like and respect) told me not to worry about Erie's decline "Many immigrants are moving in," he assured me Even assuming that by "immigrants" he means "Swiss bank executives Catholic priests from Africa and brilliant Japanese computer programmers," I hope I can be forgiven for still being concerned at the mass exodus of families that have lived here for generations I'm also concerned that all those immigrant doctors clamoring to make a home in Erie will quickly discover that Millcreek has better schools and writing about government (as well as my firsthand look at Erie's crime problem) tells me that we're at a crossroads but a crossroads that provide a golden opportunity the solutions to Erie's problems really aren't hard Clean up the streets (literally and figuratively) untie the hands of our city's police force and have them push back — hard — on crime including (yes) drug crimes and domestic abuse Work with the federal government to get anyone out of our city who isn't supposed to be here No one who commits violent crimes or transports drugs into our neighborhoods should continue to walk our streets reliable wages for families and a real tax base to fix our town — not a dozen more nonprofit operations that pay zero tax dollars and are funded by temporary grants The recent tariffs at the national level provide an incredible opportunity to places with the capacity to make all manner of goods in America More: Who are the candidates for city of Erie, county races in the May primary? Or…allow the city to finish its steady decline another grant or another project to fix up the downtown (as nice as that is) won't turn things around maybe a change away from the political party that has ruled since the mid-1960s (remember what I said above about when the decline started?) Matthew Thomas is seeking the Republican nomination in the May 20th Erie mayoral primary Your source for the latest collision repair industry news Erie Insurance announced the creation of the Erie Insurance Foundation a private charitable foundation that will create long-term sustainability for charitable contributions and grantmaking To launch the initiative and seed the foundation’s endowment Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCLEVELAND Ohio (WOIO) - A body was found in Lake Erie on Friday evening in downtown the body was found in the water near Burke Lakefront Airport The body is now with the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s office 19 News reached out to the Coast Guard and Cleveland Police for more information still waters near the surface invite the growth of tiny these blooms of cyanobacteria – commonly known as blue-green algae – seem like nothing more than a green scum Some of these blooms release toxins that pose risks to fish In recent years, harmful algal blooms The toxins they release can contaminate drinking water One such bloom in 2014 forced officials to shut down Toledo’s water supply due to contamination by a toxin called microcystin But another toxin – saxitoxin – has remained a mystery for years Scientists detected it in 2007 but could not confirm which organism was producing it Now, researchers at the University of Michigan have finally solved that puzzle The research focused on answering a long-standing question: Which toxic cyanobacteria are responsible for saxitoxin in Lake Erie a genus of cyanobacteria that can survive and thrive in nutrient-rich freshwater systems Harmful algal blooms Identifying which type makes which toxin helps scientists monitor and respond to these dangerous blooms more effectively Saxitoxins are among the most dangerous natural toxins known Understanding their biological origin is crucial for managing risks associated with drinking water and wildlife exposure Gregory Dick, professor of earth and environmental sciences and of environment and sustainability “The main advantage of knowing which organism produces the toxin is that it helps us understand the conditions that cause toxin production – that is what conditions make those organisms successful Such information can help guide policy and management though we’re still a long way from that in this case,” said Dick the researchers collected toxic water samples from Lake Erie during bloom events These samples held a complex mix of DNA from many organisms Lead author Paul Den Uyl applied a method called shotgun sequencing this method captures all the DNA in a sample and reassembles it into complete genomic sequences Den Uyl was able to reconstruct full genomes from the bloom samples he identified the genetic signature of saxitoxin It confirmed that some strains of Dolichospermum carry the genes necessary to produce the toxin This discovery came with a twist. Not all Dolichospermum strains produce saxitoxin. Some have the gene, and others do not. What influences this genetic variation remains unclear, but researchers turned their attention to the lake’s environmental conditions to find answers The team studied samples from across Lake Erie They measured how much of the saxitoxin gene was present in each sample and looked for patterns linked to environmental factors The team found a consistent trend: warmer water tended to contain higher amounts of the gene This raises urgent questions in the context of climate change “That is interesting because we do know that the lakes are changing with climate change,” said Den Uyl, a scientist at U-M’s Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, or CIGLR how is that going to change the biological communities including harmful cyanobacterial blooms?” The researchers also looked at nutrient concentrations in the toxic lake water They found that the gene appeared less frequently in areas with high ammonium levels This pattern may be linked to a special feature of Dolichospermum While most organisms cannot access the nitrogen found in the atmosphere Dolichospermum appears to have that ability The team found a gene in its genome that allows it to use nitrogen in the form of dinitrogen gas – a rare trait in aquatic ecosystems “One of the neat things about having the whole genome is you can see everything the organism can do “You have the whole blueprint for what the organism can do and we do see the capability of obtaining fixed nitrogen from the water It’s just that getting it in the form of dinitrogen gas is kind of a superpower and it makes them more competitive under those conditions.” This ability gives Dolichospermum a clear advantage It may also explain why this organism is capable of thriving in parts of the lake where other algae struggle Although the team has been tracking saxitoxin in Lake Erie for nine years that’s not enough time to predict long-term changes and microbial competition all influence the lake’s ecology the discovery provides a better foundation for future monitoring and research “But now that we know who’s producing it I think we can keep a better watch on these organisms and we can also directly assess the gene abundance over time,” Dick said “We plan to continue monitoring the abundance of this organism but it’s too early to tell if it’s becoming more abundant but that correlation with temperature is concerning.” harmful algal blooms may become more frequent or more toxic and the environmental triggers for toxin production is now more important than ever The findings from this study were published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology They offer a critical piece of the puzzle in managing one of North America’s most valuable freshwater resources Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com Following are real estate transactions over $5,000 as listed in records of the Erie County Clerk’s Office for the week ending Jan 11619 Broadway Street Inc to Angelo Demaioribus Herron Drive Associates Llc to Bdc Buffalo Llc Audrey Muckler Revocable Trust to Patrick D Berchou Dodge Road Development Llc to Anne Mathews The Lowell E&Ellen K Shaw Revocable Trust to Cerrene Nicole Giordano Dodge Road Development Llc to Krause Family Real Property Grantor Trust Hill Revocable Trust to Seyedkazem Mousavi Mineko Tsukada Living Trust to The Wojcicki Family Protection Trust Alberta M Bodecker to Kristi Marie Trigilio Chad Bernard Hockaday to Marsha L Sperduti James J Sweeney Jr to Lyla Enterprises Llc Johanna Armstrong to Shanjida Khatun Living Trust Shatkin Land Development Company Llc to Brendan Blake Mckinney Mary Kennedy Martin to George Richard Braen 230 Lasalle Buff Llc to Cl3R Holdings II Llc Timothy J&Barbara B Leary Family Irrevocable Trust P&C Properties 123 Llc to Monica A Kawczynski Giovanna Vaccaro 2024 Revocable Trust to Victoria A Getman Buffalo Home Rentals Llc to Aaron Wojnicki Timothy Wylie to Endless Echo Enterprises Llc Jody Frances Sokolowski to Tracey M Leonard Elizabeth C Graham AKA Elizabeth C Pirson AKA Elizabeth C Sepanic to Ashley Renee Hampson Morton-Werner Real Estate Income Fund Lp to Nicholas Grostefon Rene Petties-Jones to Queen City Invest Llc Wanda J Ziolkowski to St Florian Holdings Llc Great Lakes Properties of Wny Llc to Say Reh English District Luthern Church-Missouri Synod to Mo Living House Inc Mrr Property Solutions Llc to Queen City Invest Llc Waqas&Zeb Development Corporation to Delwar Hossain Lone Pine Properties Llc to Terraform Properties Llc Lamparelli Properties Llc to Ashley Strazzella Frederick John Deluca Jr to United States of America United Mountain West Entrust Ira AKA Mountain West Ira Inc to Rubi Alam Property Llc This Ones For The Boys Llc to Mobashera Begum Drj Properties of Buffalo Inc to Carlyle Richfield Llc Lamont A Singletary II to Abc Rental Development Llc Amresco Residential Securities Corporation Mortgage Loan Trust to Ahmed Soukee Barbara J Scholey to Walnut Grove Holdings Llc J&K Developers of Wny Llc to Depaul Acquisitions Llc J&K Hotels Llc to Depaul Acquisitions Llc The Yousuf&Rafiqa Fazili Revocable Trust to Cheektowaga Islamic Cultural Center Inc Nichellion K Lapolt AKA Nichellion K Wzontek Muhammad Mumit Ahmed to Rcd Equity Holdings Ymr Homes Llc to Razenberg Clarke Equity Holdings Lp Thomas P Scherrer Jr to Nineth Two Properties of Wny Llc Richard A Grimm III to Mohammad Safikul Ripon Islam Cannon Woods Llc to Forbes Capretto Homes Inc Mary Ellen Twichell to Kenneth Lee Kaczanowski Michele L Browning to Nationstar Mortgage Llc Forbes Capretto Homes Inc to Yonnas Ghirmatzion Ryan Homes of New York Inc to Dennis Mccloskey Carol Sterzelbach to Kiana Christine Marie Bracero Gun Creek Llc to Ryan Homes of New York Inc Donald J Ruppert to Rcf 2 Acquisition Trust Angela Grace Swistowski to Scott M Mccandless Pioneer Holdings-Kenmore Llc to Tin Hla Panda Kitchen Usa Llc Rebecca L Mitchell to Dreamland Property Group Inc Casualty Insurance Company Progressive to 6699 Transit Road Llc Autumnwood Development of Lancaster Llc to Melissa L D Judge Lorraine E Neeland to Samantha Marie Santoro Ohio Properties Management Holdings Llc to Buffalo Properties Management Holdings Vi Llc Northern Realty Solutions Llc to Trevor Neil Gray Royal Wash Development Llc to Gty Auto Services Llc Forbes Capretto Homes Inc to Edward&Sandra Brown Living Trust Bonnie A ka Tutuska to Nicholas Korzkowski Donna L Knight to Carrington Mortgage Services Llc Eleven Forty Military Rd Inc to 1140 Military Llc Escro Enterprises Inc to Jv Property Holdings Llc David D Kislolski Jr AKA David D Kisloski Jr to Mdrairbnb Enterprises Llc Kaitlynn F Orzechowski to Michelle Crumlish Ohio Properties Management Holdings Llc to Buffalo Properties Management Vi Llc Crestview Property Holdings Llc to Victoria Porter Escro Transport Ltd to Jv Property Holdings Llc Nicole Paveljack to The Rubel Living Trust Highland Hills Capital Partners Llc to Joseph Marchitte Np Property Solutions Inc to Shahdeep Mohammed Pilgram Properties Llc to Mohammad Shamsu Uddin Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly talks about the real estate trends she sees upcoming in the Buffalo area Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account PA (WBNG) -- The Binghamton Rumble Ponies and Erie SeaWolves Saturday game is postponed due to weather The game will be made up as part of a seven-inning doubleheader on Sunday (WKBW) — Daniel "DJ" Granville of the Erie County Sheriff's Office has been placed on paid administrative leave This is the latest development following a string of crashes that became public when Granville was named in a hit-and-run lawsuit The Erie County Sheriff's Office says Granville was placed on leave on April 14 Sheriff's Office chief hit parked cars as questions surround alleged cover-up The lawsuit accuses Granville of negligently and carelessly driving his county-owned vehicle before losing control and crashing into several parked cars on the night of April 11 Five officers with the Buffalo Police Department were placed on administrative leave last month as the investigation continued into their actions responding to the crashes Days after the officers were placed on leave addressed the ongoing investigation into the incident We want to hear what’s going on in your community Share your voice and hear from your neighbors If you noticed a long line of vehicles on State Street on Saturday it was for the annual City of Erie recycling event the city has offered a free tire and electronic drop off for any resident living in the City of Erie They have collected over 400 tons of tires and electronics over the past twelve years Organizers said this program is a great way for Erie residents to dispose of old or unwanted items safely while helping the environment The tires are re-purposed by shredding for mulch or other purposes If you missed out on Saturday's event the county's recycling program is always collecting items at monthly events There may be small fee and also collect other items The Greater Erie Board of Realtors' first quarterly report for 2025 shows some ups and downs in the northwestern Pennsylvania market the average sales price is up 2.7% and the median sales price is up 6.4% the president of the Greater Erie Board of Relators provided insight to these statistics and what the real estate trend looks like for the rest of 2025 With new listings down more than 7% in Erie County Marsh noted that factors including interest rates and tariffs could be playing a role in the market slowing down Real estate market in Erie: How single-family home sales fared in 2024 "We were up in 2024 from 2023 in the first quarter and now we’re down in 2025 You just have to keep on moving forward and be positive Marsh said she believes the market will rise again this year and new listings will increase The lack of inventory in Erie and across the nation is a problem But if they have to move and I have three or four relocations coming into town the problem is trying to find them a property because the inventory is so low But I’m in coaching groups all over the country and it’s no different everywhere else It’s the same lack of inventory everywhere." Marsh also mentioned that Erie lacks new builds or construction compared to larger areas like Buffalo or Pittsburgh especially in our area; the builders are not what we call a national builder," Marsh said You go to Buffalo or Pittsburgh and they have speck homes which means they’re starting to build and then people come in and buy them and finish them off Median price: Erie County home listings asked for more money in March Closed sales in Erie County also took a slight dip the first quarter Marsh said that it is easy to find an interested buyer but it's the aftermath with the closing process that could cause hardship on the deal "Sometimes it’s easier to find them a house to buy but then you have inspections and appraisal," Marsh said Marsh recommends buyers have an experienced agent to help navigate the entirety of the closing process "In my opinion you need a really sharp agent that will help you navigate through that," Marsh said You have to know how to get through those things in order to get to the finish line." $1 million homes in Erie County: Revisit March photo galleries of luxury houses for sale The first quarter report showed that the average sales price of a home in Erie County rose 2.7% during the first few months of 2025 Marsh said that some states have gone over the list prices The code of ethics for the Greater Erie Board of Real Estate guides them on how to handle this situation "Our code of ethics says we are to list appropriately," Marsh said "Sometimes we list a little low and sometimes we list a little higher because that’s what the seller wants and you go over or the price where half of the listed prices are higher and the other half are lower than it "Our price doesn’t change that much in Erie," Marsh said "But it’s gone up a little bit and that’s good." the board hopes the summer season continues the trend of being the biggest quarter of the year Marsh said that home sales tend to increase once people are able to go out in better weather conditions to house hunt From 2024: When visitors book Airbnbs around Erie, these are some of their coolest choices "People don’t want to go out and look for a house when the weather is lousy," Marsh said I think even the third quarter will be a good one because just before the fall when the kids go to school (or house hunters are) off work Contact Nicholas Sorensen at Nsorensen@gannett.com Colleen Thomson of Corry got the honor of being the first customer into Crumbl on its grand opening May 2 in Summit Township The self-described fan most recently visited the Crumbl store in Niagara Falls and when she heard Erie was getting a franchise May 1 she set two alarms: one for 5:30 a.m She said she waited in her car until it looked like a line was about to form and hopped out to take her place at the head of it The women (and plenty of men) were lined up down the sidewalk outside the shopping plaza at 6839 Peach St. when Isaiah Pabon was sent out to open the door "I feel like I'm in charge of Black Friday," he said holding the door handle and looking at his watch to make sure he opened it at precisely 8 a.m wearing black uniforms when co-owner Tammy Ornowski came over to greet Thomson and Hurtado Contact Jennie Geisler at jgeisler@timesnews.com. Find her weekly newsletter at https://profile.goerie.com/newsletters/erielicious/.  (This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.) Will Vivek Ramaswamy take a page from President Donald Trump's playbook and rename a body of water The GOP candidate for Ohio governor pitched a new name for one of the Great Lakes during an event in Toledo last week. Speaking to the Lucas County Republican Party Ramaswamy touted Ohio's geographic advantages and noted its proximity to Lake Erie Then he invoked Trump's decision to recognize the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America "I like what President Trump's done with the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of America," Ramaswamy said maybe there should be a Lake Ohio around here so we'll talk about that a little bit more as this campaign progresses." A campaign spokesperson said Monday that Ramaswamy was joking: "The audience understood it was a joke Perhaps the media will someday get a sense of humor Vivek is focused on real policies to Make Ohio Great Again." The five Great Lakes − Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior − got their names from French explorers and Indigenous people who lived in those areas, according to Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy is derived from an Algonquin word that means "great water." Ohio, which is Iroquois for "beautiful river," was named for the river that runs along its southern border, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs Ramaswamy is running against Attorney General Dave Yost for the chance to replace Gov Former Ohio Department of Health director Amy Acton is the only Democrat in the race so far it's clear from my conversations with so many Ohioans that we should be focused on helping those who are struggling with the cost of living working to ensure our public schools are funded and keeping our communities safe," Acton said in a statement Haley BeMiller covers state government and politics for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio Not even the rain or cold temperatures could keep people away from day one of Waldameer The amusement park opened at noon on Saturday People got a chance to ride on their favorite rides and try out some new rides this year Park officials said staff got to ride it earlier this week and it was a hit Visitors could also check out some new food stations and meal options at the Tasty Totter formally the Potato Patch with new menu items including fish There's also a new entrance to Water World that will be unveiled on Memorial Day weekend Park officials said it's always good to welcome new and old fans of the park year after year Right now, Waldameer is only open on weekends, but that will change closer to summer. Water World opens Memorial Day weekend. They are still looking for ride operators, for more information, click here. The City of Erie Bureau of Code Enforcement is continuing targeted sweeps throughout the city to crack down on excessive garbage and debris code enforcement officers have handed out more than 100 courtesy notices to property owners giving them 14 days to remove unsightly trash from their yards property inspectors conducted follow up checks on those properties "We're at the point where we are circling back around to the areas that we checked," said City of Erie Director of Offices and Services Chris Groner "We are checking on the properties that were given notice to see if they responded and cleaned their properties." those who are still in violation will face a fine of over $1,400 if the city has to clean up their properties we can tell that a lot of them have responded," said Groner "A lot of properties are being cleaned up There will probably be some that maybe don't follow through and that's when you'll see city crews picking that up and of course there will be an abatement fee of over $1,400 that will go on their water and sewer bill." While a majority of the people who received a notice have been compliant Groner encourages those who are still in violation to clean their properties to avoid a fine "We're still hopeful that a vast majority of property owners are going to respond do the right thing and clean those messes up," said Groner we're seeing a lot of these properties getting cleaned up Code enforcement officers will spend the next couple of months inspecting each property throughout the city they will be targeting the area of 12th Street to the Bayfront Crumbl Cookies is celebrating the grand opening of the Erie location today.  new cookies of the week are announced that you can customize to order for your own box Customers can get treats in varying sized bites This week's boxes included a Dulce de Leche Cookie and their Brookie The new Crumbl Cookie is located at 6839 Peach St But Erie County's fatal traffic crashes climbed according to data from PennDOT and the Erie County Coroner's Office PennDOT's data listed 36 traffic fatalities in Erie County in 2024 It was the highest number of traffic fatalities in the county since 39 traffic fatalities were recorded in 2010 Motorcycle and pedestrian fatalities remained the same in 2024 as they were recorded in 2023 The most notable increase in PennDOT's data for Erie County was in fatalities at intersection crashes which climbed from six in 2023 to 17 last year The Erie County Coroner's Office investigated 23 motor vehicle deaths in 2024 up from 18 the previous year; 13 motorcycle deaths up from 12 in 2023; and six pedestrian deaths according to Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook and data his office previously released The Erie Bureau of Police is about to employ new tools to help combat speeding a common factor cited by city police accident investigators in fatal crashes Police Chief Dan Spizarny said the bureau recently purchased three portable speed signs through federal grant funding and the police will post those signs in certain areas to track the flow of traffic and speed of motorists will flash to motorists the speed they are traveling as they approach and pass the signs But they will also capture data on the number of vehicles traveling through the area and the speeds those vehicles are traveling to help in determining which areas police may target for enforcement "We can't write a ticket based on the radar because we are not allowed to but it gives us information and lets us know what we are seeing on blocks as far as traffic and speeds," he said The signs are expected to be put on display at an upcoming news conference in which Erie police and PennDOT will announce an aggressive driving campaign Various other traffic enforcement efforts conducted by Erie police will continue, officials said, including enforcement of school zones and addressing speeding complaints in neighborhoods. Erie police are also continuing specialized patrols along East 38th Street an enforcement effort launched in 2024 in the wake of two serious traffic accidents along the roadway Pennsylvania State Police troopers will again assist Erie police in the East 38th Street targeted enforcement effort patrol section supervisor for state police Troop E in Lawrence Park Township More: Erie police charge city men with street racing on East 38th that led to serious May crash Garman said troopers will also do a number of other traffic enforcement details in the Erie region They include a Click it or Ticket campaign over Memorial Day and at least 13 DUI checkpoints the troop does each year The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will be doing routine maintenance work on the bridges that carries Interstate 79 over the CSX & Norfolk Southern railroads between Route 5 and Route 20 in the City of Erie.  PennDOT says work is expected to take place from 6 a.m Motorists should be alert for lane restrictions and closures on I-79 near the bridge as well as the ramp from Route 5 to I-79 southbound.  More information on road conditions and construction can be found on PennDOT's website.  Erie County Department of Health officials inspect all restaurants and stores that sell unpackaged food Here is a list of violations recorded April 24 through May 1 1 critical violationJohn's Wildwood Pizzeria (Ready to eat food not properly datemarked.) April 23 2052 Edinboro Road (Floors not smooth or easy to clean due to missing grout.) Reinspected April 24 A tip that launched a drug investigation for Millcreek Township police led various law enforcement agencies to a west Erie warehouse on March 10 where investigators said they found evidence of an extensive clandestine lab suspected of manufacturing an illicit drug known as bath salts About 20 pounds of the suspected drug were in various stages of production and if all those suspected drugs hit the street their estimated value would be close to $2 million Millcreek police have now charged four people in the investigation believed to involve the largest suspected clandestine drug making laboratory found in the Erie region since a number of large-scale methamphetamine-making labs were taken down by law enforcement in the late 1990s and early 2000s Adam D. Hilyer, 38 the same day authorities from several agencies served a search warrant on a warehouse at 1951 Grove Drive and found the suspected lab Hilyer remained jailed May 5 on charges including felony counts of manufacture delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver as well as causing a catastrophe theft and possession of a firearm prohibited Hilyer is scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing on May 15 Three other people were charged in the investigation on May 1 and were arraigned May 2 was arraigned on one felony count each of manufacture delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver conspiracy and criminal use of a communication facility were arraigned on charges including a felony count of criminal use of a communication facility and two felony counts each of manufacture delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and conspiracy Quiggle and Vining were not listed on their criminal docket sheets May 5 Millcreek police told the Erie Times-News in March that the investigation was launched in September when township police received a tip through a federal agency Investigators learned that suspected drug manufacturing was taking place and the probe led them to the warehouse on Grove Drive Investigators noted in the criminal complaint against Hilyer that the area where the warehouse sits is considered a drug-free zone because of its close proximity to Harding Elementary School on Lincoln Avenue More: Titusville man charged after state agents, local police say they seize suspected meth Millcreek police said they served a search warrant on the warehouse March 10 along with members of the Erie County District Attorney's Drug Task Force; Pennsylvania State Police vice detectives and members of the agency's Special Emergency Response Team and Clandestine Laboratory Response Team; and agents with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control according to information in Hilyer's criminal complaint were a large amount of suspected bath salts along with containers containing suspected precursors and products in the process of manufacturing bath salts suspected drug paraphernalia and three guns one of which was found to have been stolen Detectives wrote in the affidavit filed with Vining's criminal complaint that as they were awaiting others to arrive for the March 10 search they encountered Vining and stopped her vehicle as she attempted to leave the area of the warehouse They said Vining eventually admitted she was at the warehouse to meet with Hilyer to purchase bath salts and she was found with a small amount of the drug Bath salts, the drug the suspects are accused of conspiring to make, are stimulants from the synthetic cathinone class of drugs. They are central nervous stimulants designed to mimic the effects similar to those produced by other drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy, according to information on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's website violent and self-destructive behavior and hallucinations Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will be closing Route 77 for construction at the intersection of Route 8 in Bloomfield Township Route 77 is expected to be closed on May 12 and will remain closed until late August 2025 PennDOT says a detour will be posted using Route 408 the closure is necessary because it's part of a project to increase driver visibility by realigning Route 77 near Route 8 and installing a new flashing beacon at the intersection.  More information on the project can be found on PennDOT's website.  the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule family and community were the crux of human existence I attended segregated public schools until my freshman year in high school A new high school was erected to combine both the Negro and Caucasian schools creating what is now known as Muskogee High School I remember vividly the first time I was called a racial slur When I told my grandmother about the incident "forgive them because they know not what they do You just do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I took what she said to heart and patterned my life after those words I believe as a result of racial slurs being hurled to my husband and the impact it had on my young children it's not about the color of one's skin but rather the evilness of one's heart "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12 The good things that came out of California were the birth of my youngest son and my associate of arts degree in paralegal studies which is where my first husband had settled Erie reminded me of the segregated era of my childhood I soon discovered in my search for employment that the evilness of men's heart does not discriminate I was denied employment by as many African Americans as I was Caucasians It is without doubt that it was my faith in God through Christ Jesus my Lord that kept me rooted and grounded After two-and-one-half years working for the Erie School District as a substitute custodian I was informed by an employee that a conversation was overheard "Why should we hire her when she's the best substitute we've ever had." I didn't become bitter but better as I was comforted by words of God that were written on my heart While waiting to meet with the late Monsignor Vincent Enright at the Erie County Courthouse in the personnel office area I scanned the job announcements with two piquing my interest I submitted an application for librarian assistant as well as library clerk I was offered the librarian assistant position where I managed the Inner-City Outreach Program I was also a union steward AFSCME Council 13 where I fought to have a coworker's job classification upgraded and won I left that position to work in the Erie County Voter Registration Office It was the late Monsignor Enright who encouraged me to return to college to get my bachelor's degree I graduated from Gannon University in 2007 with the bachelor's degree in legal studies I was also certified as a Magisterial District Judge the same year It was during my certification process that I discovered that the laws of the land in Pennsylvania only applies if you are a person of color I have also earned credits towards a master's degree in public administration with a concentration in business administration I lost my employment with Erie County because being a county employee and running for public office was against Pennsylvania law I do not bring leadership skills as warranted by the world system What I do possess is the wisdom of God who gives to all men liberally The love of God which makes me to even love my enemy and gives me empathy — because I've experienced homelessness lived in housing that should have been condemned There are people in this city currently living in those conditions; I want to change that Scripture tells us the poor you will have with you always Scripture also tells us that when you give to the poor Leadership without empathy is dictatorship Erie is in need of a paradigm shift — because we need a government for the people Erie has the potential to be a beautiful city every neighborhood vibrant regardless of a person's race equity and inclusion all wrapped up in one indivisible with liberty and justice for all (cited from the Pledge of Allegiance) I encourage everyone to exercise their right to vote I sincerely believe that because I put God first that day of the casting by lots in determining my spot on the ballot by facilitating my Bible study instead as I do every Wednesday at 10 a.m. remembering that the clothes torn from Jesus' body were cast by lots the first name to appear on the ballot for Mayor of the City of Erie Sheila Ellyn Woeger is seeking the Democratic nomination in the May 20th Erie mayoral primary.