Good morning, Erie.

Visitors to Presque Isle State Park are advised to watch for nesting red-winged blackbirds that fly at visitors protecting their nests.

Park officials at Leo’s Landing recommend wearing a hat and leaving the area calmly — the birds will stop their defensive flights once nesting season ends by summer.

On Thursday, a new recycling program began on Erie’s Bayfront when the Regional Science Consortium loaded 2,500 lbs of boat shrink wrap near Liberty Park—equal to 206,000 plastic bags—into a waste management truck to cut plastic waste in landfills; the effort collected about 100 shrink wraps and addresses Erie’s lack of a clean marinas program.

The City of Erie Bureau of Streets is paving and milling 11.1 miles of roads this summer (extra spending was approved in May to fix winter damage).

Crews finished their first list and will soon begin the second list while drivers are urged to follow posted signage (director Jason Sayers explained the two-step process).

Millcreek Township General Authority is reviewing qualifications from five firms that submitted proposals by May 15 for the Presque Isle Gateway redevelopment along West Eighth Street.

The project will create a mixed residential and commercial neighborhood as former sites like the Grasshopper shop and Bel-Aire Hotel were demolished this spring—next the authority will ask for proposals under its Embrace Millcreek plan.

State Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie) sponsored House Bill 1189, which passed Tuesday and will require the Treasury to automatically return unclaimed money or property worth up to $10,000 if owners have verified contact information within the last year.

The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration and aims to simplify the claims process for Pennsylvanians.

On June 11, House Bill 1431 passed in the House Game and Fisheries Committee with a vote of 131—72 and now moves to the Senate to repeal the state’s Sunday hunting ban so the PA Game Commission can allow hunting on Sundays.

Today, state Reps. Pat Harkins and Bob Merski announced that $1.7M in grants were awarded through PHARE to support safe, affordable housing in Erie County.

The funds go to local organizations including the City of Erie and BUILD Community Development Corp—efforts that will help improve living conditions for families.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined a GOP request on June 6 to review the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that requires county boards to count provisional ballots when mail ballots are rejected for technical errors - this decision marks the second time the high court has passed on reviewing the vote-by-mail ruling.

Second Saturday at Erie Land Lighthouse

10 AM – 5 PM — Erie Land Lighthouse — Pay-what-you-wish — Enjoy tower climbs and engaging activities at the scenic lighthouse.

@Homekits DIY Workshop at We Rock the Spectrum

@Homekits DIY Workshop — 9:30-10:30 a.m. — Board & Brush Creative Studio - Erie — Pre-registration required — Enjoy a fun DIY crafting session with gym time for kids.

Erie Apparel Dog Days

1-4 p.m. — Oliver's Beer Garden — Free entry — A pet-friendly summer celebration featuring fun activities for dogs and their owners.

BYObook Romantasy Annotation Release Party

5:30-7:30 p.m. — Werner Books and Coffee — Free entry — Romantasy readers come together for an evening of book annotation and creativity.

Book Signing With Amy Iketani

10 AM – 3 PM — Werner Books and Coffee — Free entry — Celebrate the launch of Amy Iketani's romantic fiction sequel, Finding Home.

Erie Sky Lantern Festival

10:00 PM – 2:30 AM — 123 E Main St, North East, PA — Ticket purchase required — Experience a breathtaking evening of lanterns, entertainment, and community support.