Now that Pennsylvania's April 22 primary has stolen the spotlight in the race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, researchers and reporters from national media outlets have put Erie, Pa. under their microscopes. The results in many instances are not too flattering. A researcher for ABC News recently called the Erie Times-News to ask about the mood of the citizenry "since all your steel mills shut down."

For the record, Erie was never a center for steel making -- on a par, say, with the towns surrounding Pittsburgh. As I tried to explain to the network guy the nature of Erie's major industries, he scoffed at the notion that hospitals, colleges, a Fortune 500 insurance company and a General Electric plant would be nearly enough to keep the economy here going.

Several stories in today's Times-News reminded me of the important role the colleges -- Edinboro University, Penn State Behrend, Gannon University, Mercyhurst College and Allegheney College -- play in this region. Here's a sampling: A team of dedicated Behrend students are featured on the front page as they rebuild homes in Biloxi, Miss., that were torn apart by Hurricane Katrina.

Not only do the colleges provide employment, their students contribute so much to our culture. I must admit when I was in college three decades ago, we took off for Florida and sunny beaches when spring break rolled around. The majority of us didn't donate our time to help those less fortunate. Today's college kids are aspiring to a higher goal, however, and to read the dispatches from Times-News reporter Erica Erwin, who is working alongside the Behrend students in Mississippi, they are deriving great satisfaction from their involvement.

The lead story on today's Times-News City & Region page details a $32 million expansion plan at Mercyhurst College and at Mercyhurst North East. New classrooms, dormitories and other buildings should keep construction workers in this region busy for the next year.

Another story on the same page explains how Mercyhurst researchers will benefit from a $106,000 state grant, which will enable a team from the college to continue studying the sources of E. coli bacteria in West County streams. Pollution is Lake Erie, though way down from the days when a multitude of factories dumped right into the water, is still a concern. That's because a robust tourist industry relies on the sandy beaches that dot Presque Isle State Park, which draw millions of visitors each summer.

A lot of good things are happening in Erie these days. The Times-News, for its part, neither sugarcoats nor glosses over bad news. The newspaper, as it's done reliably since 1888, simply reports the facts. Yet, I must admit it bugs me when those from the national media come into this region with pre-conceived notions that are so obviously wrong.

There, I've gotten that off my chest. Now, you'll have to pardon me while I return to the job of reporting real news.

-- Kevin Cuneo