Good morning, Erie.

In a recent Erie Answers interview, Richard Gisana urged young people to stay in Erie County, calling the area beautiful, friendly and accessible.

The former St. Paul's School (453 W.

16th St.) will become a $7.5 million neighborhood center led by the Mazzini Foundation, with a soup kitchen, grocery-style pantry and social services. Phase one runs Nov. 1 through June 15, pauses for the Aug. 6 festival weekend, and finishes Oct. 2027.

Dr. Judy Smith, Mercyhurst's executive director of wellness and director of the Counseling Center, was appointed to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Suicide Prevention Coalition Advisory Board to help expand suicide-prevention efforts on college campuses.

HESPC's next conference will be in May 2027 at Drexel University (Smith previously secured mini-grants to fund campus programs).

Erie County health officials found an early-summer spike in cocaine and methamphetamine in county wastewater, with meth concentrations rising 25.9% in samples from June to Aug.

2026 and overall high-risk substances up 14.7% versus last year.

Dr. Jennifer Saldanha, a breast cancer surgeon at AHN St. Vincent, outlined the importance of screening, the latest treatments, and whole-health prevention during a health-focused interview on Wednesday, Oct.

28 (Zoom).

Erie County recorded nearly 70 arm's-length property sales between Oct.

22 and Oct. 28 (including seven in Millcreek and four in Fairview that sold for $350,000 or more).

McDowell scored the first seven goals and beat Erie High in Thursday's District 10 Class 4A final at Cathedral Prep's Dollinger Field (10-2).

Corry (14-1) and Warren (16-1) will play for the District 10 Class 4A girls volleyball title on Tuesday, Nov.

3, with site and time to be determined after both teams won semifinal matches Thursday, Oct. 29.

McDowell dominated the second half to win the District 10 6A football title, clinching the district championship and advancing toward the state playoffs.

Staff picks for District 10 Week 10 football were posted Oct.

29 with one week left in the regular season; Tom Reisenweber missed a perfect card by one pick when Iroquois fell at Saegertown, and 19 games remain before playoffs start next week.

Fairview beat Greenville in the District 10 Class 3A quarterfinals Wednesday, Oct.

28 at the Hagerty Family Events Center and will face Franklin in the semifinals; Seneca (17-2) defeated Lakeview in Class 2A and advances to play Wilmington, and Maplewood swept Mercyhurst Prep and advances to face Mercer.