Today must have been a big day for smelly news. The Erie paper had the above the fold story on the front page (I’ll work from the paper edition since the online one requires registration):

Headline Erie Times News: Eew! What’s that smell

Subtitle: Lake burp blamed for strange odors hovering over the region

Some thought the awful smell was from garbage or gasoline. Others knew it had to be raw sewage or natural gas.

Regardless, residents from Erie to Edinboro could agree on one thing: the stench lingered like a fog, compelling more than a few people to check their outdoor grills for propane leaks.

But what was it, and where did it come from?

All fingers point to Lake Erie.

Local, state and federal officials, biologists and air-quality experts are still trying to identify the exact culprit, but it looks like volatile Lake Erie, fueled by high waves, likely churned up deep water and deep smells of gaas and rotting weeds.