Niagara Gazette - Local News

GAZETTE: Photographer's work makes cover of People
Photo of Michael Jackson is by Dan Cappellazzo.
TRAVEL: Holiday traffic doesn’t have to be a hassle
Drivers need to be ready with documents, can check ahead for traffic updates at border.
CITY HALL NOTEBOOK: City rallies behind Flynn
NORTH TONAWANDA: Boy hit by car escapes alive
Car making left turn strikes child crossing River Road.
FIRE CALLS: July 4, 2009
COURTS: Bloods gang member may want to change guilty plea in murder case
Facing a 30-year prison sentence for murder, a Bloods gang member may be re-thinking his guilty plea.
DeQuana “Quanny” White had been scheduled to be sentenced Thursday for his plea to charges of first-degree manslaughter and attempted first-degree assault.
NIAGARA STREET: Alternatives sought for sex offenders
A top official with the New York State Division of Parole told community leaders and residents on Thursday that his office will work harder to find alternative living arrangements for a group of supervised sex offenders who live within walking distance of an elementary school in Niagara Falls.
CWM: DEC greenlights landfill cap
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has granted final approval to a permit modification that would allow CWM Chemical Services to install a controversial new cap on its Town of Porter landfill.
LEWISTON: Macri’s Italian Grille to reopen at Clarkson House
Macri’s Italian Grille Restaurant, a longtime city of Niagara Falls favorite, will be re-opening at the Clarkson House in Lewiston in August.
BLOTTER: Police reports published July 3
A Sheriff’s deputies who noticed a box of fireworks in a pickup during a traffic stop arrested the driver.
PORTER: Man injured by accidental gunshot
A retired law enforcement officer was injured when he accidentally shot himself in the thigh.
The incident happened at the New York State National Guard firing range on Balmer Road about 6 p.m. Wednesday.
OLD FORT NIAGARA: Weekend's schedule of events
What's happening during this weekend's French & Indian reenactment festivities
FORT NIAGARA: French & Indian War celebrates proper 250th anniversary
The drama that unfolded at Fort Niagara that sultry summer night in 1759 would end with the French officers running up the flag of surrender to the British at the garrison known as the House of Peace.
Now, 250 years later, the reenactment of that siege is billed as the signature event for the New York State commemoration of that French & Indian War battle. The activities start Friday and run through Sunday.
SENATE: Dems claim quorum, start passing bills
Democrats claimed control of the split New York Senate on Tuesday, declaring a quorum after a Republican took a short cut through the chamber because an exterior parlor had been blocked by Democrats for a press conference they never held.
NYPA: State’s Power for Jobs in limbo
The chief administrator for the New York Power Authority warned Tuesday afternoon that the clock was ticking on the state’s Power for Jobs program.
COURTHOUSE: City jail again flooded by inmate
An inmate at the Falls city jail damaged a sprinkler in his cell Thursday night, causing minor flooding in the male cell block.
COURTS: Prosecutors blast Warme requests
A hearing on a move for separate trials or the dismissal of charges against suspended Falls Police Officer Ryan Warme was delayed in federal court on Tuesday.
BLOTTER: Police reports published July 1
A child riding a bike was injured when he was hit by a car Tuesday afternoon.
STREET TALK: Third Street's future
Q: What needs to be done to transform 3rd Street into a permanent entertainment district.
LOCKPORT: Yahoo! plan gets approval
t’s official. Yahoo! is coming.
The well-known Internet services company’s plan to build a data center in the town was given the green light Tuesday. The town’s Industrial Development Agency approved a 20-year tax break, and the planning board gave its blessing on the company’s construction site plan. Currently the plan is to break ground sometime in the middle of August, once the Yahoo! board of directors give their expected approval.
NORTH TONAWANDA: Are gypsies stealing building contracts?
The recent burglary of a North Tonawanda business has some in the city suspicious a group of gypsy scam artists may be looking to defraud area homeowners.
City police, however, say no such scam has yet to be documented in the city.
FIREWORKS: Looking for a local light show?
In celebration of Independence Day, several aerial fireworks displays will be held throughout the area.
NIAGARA FALLS: On the road to recovery
Nine shabby city streets are moving closer to getting repaired.
Gov. David Paterson announced Tuesday the certification of an additional $7.4 million for Western New York transportation projects to be supported under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
SCHOELLKOPF PARK: BPO show waiting on weather
Favorable weather will see Wednesday’s free Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra concert held at 7 p.m. in historic Schoellkopf Park at Pine Avenue at Portage Road.
WARME CASE: Attorneys want seperate sex, drug charge trials
Attorneys for suspended Falls Police Officer Ryan Warme will renew their calls for two trials for their client when they appear later today in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge High Scott at U.S. District Court in Buffalo.
CITY COUNCIL: Family says officers out-of-control during melee
A man who was arrested following a melee on Whitney Avenue last week and two of his family members brought their concerns about police conduct to the Niagara Falls City Council on Monday.
NIAGARA FALLS: Fournier shuts doors at Orchard Grill
City Councilman Steve Fournier Jr. is out of the restaurant business, at least for the foreseeable future.
Fournier confirmed Monday that he has closed the doors at the Orchard Grill on Main Street, which he said is expected to re-open under a new operator in a few weeks.
HAZING CASE: Specialist helping Wilson coaches through ‘difficult year’
The trial in the case against two Wilson High School students facing charges in connection with an alleged hazing on a school bus continued ay town hall Monday night behind closed doors.
Sitting outside in a car was Michael Paul, president of MGP & Associates, a New York City firm specializing in crisis public relations and reputation management.
LASALLE: Awards dinner to be held Wednesday
The LaSalle Business and Professional Association’s annual awards dinner will be held Wednesday at Antonio's Restaurant and Banquet Center, 7708 Niagara Falls Blvd.
SLIDESHOW: JONNY FLYNN RECEIVES KEY TO CITY
SWINE FLU: 18 cases confirmed in Niagara County
The state Department of Health has confirmed 18 cases of Novel H1N1 Influenza A in Niagara County, the county’s Health Department announced Monday.
CITY OF TONAWANDA: Teen injured by train taken off life support
City of Tonawanda police have announced the 15-year-old boy who was struck by a train last week was taken off of life support Friday.
SCHUMER: Federal office looking into FEMA flood map practices
After discrepancies in communities across New York prompted questions about the accuracy of FEMA’s new flood map plans, the Government Accountability Office will look into the matter, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer’s office said Monday.
BUSINESS: First Niagara finishes federal repayment
First Niagara Financial Group said it has completed the final step in its plan to return the funds invested by the U.S. Treasury Department under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
BLOTTER: Police reports published June 30
Sheriff’s deputies responded to several 911 calls about 7 p.m. Saturday reporting a two-car crash at Carmen and Seaman roads.
CITY OF TONAWANDA: Teen hit by train taken off of life support
City of Tonawanda police have announced that the 15-year-old boy who was struck by a train last week was pulled off of life support Friday.
POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Doing the slow crawl in the Falls
The whole time I kept thinking about The Turtle.
You know the building, the one in downtown Niagara Falls that looks like a giant turtle.
LEWISTON: Plans coming along for dog park
Grassroots plan would give canines and their owners a place to call home in Lewiston
COURTS: Coleman sues for $4.5M
Woman injured in brawl with cops seeks multi-million dollar judgment
DEVELOPMENT: Yahoo! incentive, site plans going to hearings
Public invited to address particulars of proposed PILOT, data center design.
FALLS SCHOOLS: Giarrizzo ‘moving up’ to Tonawanda
Finance officer says bad audit didn’t affect decision.
WILSON: Closed trial resumes Monday
Coaches’ friend hopes to salvage reputation
of coaches and
Town of Wilson.
NIAGARA FALLS: City may buy spa of ill repute
Plan would replace building with parking lot, staging area.
FALLS SCHOOLS: A bittersweet beginning
Board says good-bye to colleague, cuts positions.
COPS NOTEBOOK: It’s a time for change
PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX: Water, water everywhere
Falls police seek solutions to vandalism and flooding in new municipal complex
CONFERENCE: Volunteer firemen to flood Niagara Falls
WILSON: Lost man is found in woods
Deputies find larceny suspect stuck in thicket.
FALLS SCHOOLS: Don King comments on superintendent hiring
Having served with the past five Niagara Falls City School superintendents, it is my personal opinion that the school superintendent selection decision is the most important and far-reaching decision a school board member encounters in their school board term.
FALLS SCHOOLS: Keeping it in the family
The Niagara Falls City School District didn’t look far to find its next superintendent.
Cynthia A. Bianco, the sister of former superintendent Carmen Granto, was hired to the permanent position Thursday night — the first woman to hold the district’s top job.
NIAGARA FALLS: Locals encouraged to join Niagara Homecoming tours
Bill Bradberry looked out over the sweeping back lawn of one of Niagara’s most impressively restored historic properties and said, “Imagine.”
Bradberry, president of the Niagara falls Historic Preservation Society, is going to ask people to do just that when he leads one of the many tours planned for Saturday as part of the four-day Niagara Homecoming celebration. Bradberry will be asking tour groups to step back in time with him and imagine.
NIAGARA FALLS: Officials break ground for new NACC driveway
The sight of tents fluttering in the sunshine has meant good news for Niagara Falls residents lately.
For the second time in a week, under a striped tent with tidy rows of chairs, it was announced that the efforts of lots of behind the scenes effort has resulted in improvements to the Pine Avenue district.
COURTS: Johnson murder trail delayed for more testing
Surprising results from DNA testing prompted prosecutors on Thursday to ask for more time to do more testing in the murder trial of Robert Johnson.
A clearly frustrated Niagara County Court Judge Matthew J. Murphy III said he’d allow “one more adjournment, but that’s it.”
BLOTTER: Police reports published June 26
A Falls man was arrested after he spit over a second-floor balcony at the city’s new municipal complex.
LOCAL NEWS: Survivors recount struggle to break free from domestic abuse
For many domestic violence victims, it’s just how things are.
And if you don’t think you’re in an abusive relationship, you’re like many of the survivors of about 10,450 domestic violence cases logged in Erie and Niagara counties last year.
NIAGARA FALLS: Give-away yard sale turns out well for LaSalle family
Angie Lucarini’s day started early on Wednesday.
By 7:30 in the morning people were ringing her doorbell with donations for her free yard sale.
BLOTTER: Police reports published June 25
An elderly woman reported missing by her family Tuesday night was found in the Southern Tier after the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department issued an alert.
NIAGARA FALLS: Mount Carmel in limbo
Students and staff at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School are heading into the summer recess this week not knowing whether classes will resume in the fall.
Board members on the Catholic Academy of Niagara Falls are considering a school reconfiguration and the Niagara Gazette has learned the changes would involve closing down Mount Carmel School and merging it with Prince of Peace, the city’s only other Catholic elementary school.
NIAGARA FALLS: Crowne's Starbucks will be closing
The last cup of coffee will soon be served at the Starbucks inside Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Starbucks corporate officials have contacted the hotel’s owner about ending its service contract, but the actual closing date hasn’t been finalized, according to Crowne Plaza General Manager Mark Bibb.
AIR BASE: Funds coming for firing range
The Niagara Air Reserve Station will be receiving $5.7 million to construct an indoor firing range, Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter, chairwoman of the House Committee on Rules, announced Wednesday.
NIAGARA FALLS: City got itself into development messes
A state audit suggests the City of Niagara Falls could have produced better development results had it shown more foresight and provided more oversight in its dealings with Niagara Falls Redevelopment and Cordish Co.
During a visit to City Hall on Wednesday, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said the city failed to provide adequate protections for itself before entering into a 1997 development deal with NFR and a 1981 lease agreement for the Rainbow Mall with Rainbow Square Limited Partnership, the predecessor to the mall’s current owner, Cordish.
BRIDGE COMMISSION: Need traffic info? Time to Twitter
Just in time to assist international travelers before two of the busiest international travel holidays of the summer, Canada Day and Independence Day, the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission has launched a real-time traffic notification system utilizing Twitter.com. The program was designed to inform travelers which bridge has the shortest crossing times.
BLOTTER: Police reports published June 24
A home health care aide has been accused of stealing money from the family of a man she was caring for.
NIAGARA FALLS: Audit of Cordish, NFR contracts finished
State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli will be in Niagara Falls today to release details of a year-long audit his office conducted on the city’s economic development contracts with two major downtown landowners.
A press conference with DiNapoli and Mayor Paul Dyster is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at City Hall, 745 Main St.
NIAGARA FALLS: Old becoming new at the NACC
A photograph more than 100 years old has helped paint the future for the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center.
Construction work started earlier this month to restore a historic driveway at the front of the building at Pine Avenue and Portage Road and is scheduled for completion Sept. 1.
LEWISTON: David Lacki named chamber president
David Lacki, director of Tourism for the Buffalo Convention and Visitors Bureau has accepted the position of president of the Lower Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce effective July 6, George Osborne, chair of the chamber’s Board of Directors.
NIAGARA FALLS: LaSalle family has “yard sale” today but everything is free
Angela Lucarini is going to give things away today.
She’s having a yard sale in her LaSalle neighborhood but nothing will be sold. Everything’s going to be handed out free to whomever needs it.
NIAGARA FALLS: Protest calls for changes to sex offender placements
“Absurd, crazy and insane.”
Those were the words Manuela Miller uses to describe the housing of registered sex offenders at the Midtown Inn at 22nd and Niagara streets, less than a mile from Niagara Street Elementary School.
BIGGS CASE: Prosecutors want Carter's DNA
Prosecutors are asking a Niagara County Court judge to order murder suspect Darnell Carter to give them a DNA sample.
Judge Sara Sheldon Sperrazza delayed a ruling on the request until Monday.
TOWN OF LOCKPORT: Larceny suspects evade K-9 manhunt
Sheriff’s deputies responding to a suspicious person report on Hess Road early Tuesday ended up chasing suspects through a field with the help of Border Patrol helicopters.
NIAGARA FALLS: Park’s flowing fountain sets off revitalization ripple
Martha MacAskill would have loved to have seen the fountain come to life in Schoellkopf Park.
She had watched everyday from her window in the nearby Schoellkopf Health Center as the park was restored to its original beauty under the hands of the planners, landscapers and laborers.
LEWISTON: Mosquito spraying on hold
A tentative plan to conduct aerial spraying for mosquitoes has been put on hold pending further information from the Niagara County Health Department.
Members of the Town Board on Monday agreed to postpone a decision on aerial spraying until after local officials have had a chance to review data collected under the county’s mosquito surveillance program.
NIAGARA FALLS: Falls cops hit 20th Street home again
Falls police said Anna Marie Chinitz apparently didn’t get the message the first time they visited her 20th Street apartment in March.
So, Friday night, they returned.
SENATE: Special session it is
New York’s Senate failed to end its two-week power standoff on Monday’s final day of the regular session, prompting Gov. David Paterson to order senators into days of special sessions.
LOCKPORT: Friends gather to remember slain group home worker
For Renee Greco’s friends, it seemed appropriate to honor with candlelight.
“She was a light in everyone’s life,” said Jill Kaetzel, as she stood on the front lawn of 437 East Ave. on Monday night. “She was very important to everyone in her life. We all miss her, and we miss her dearly, forever.”
COURTS: Prosecutors, defense argue over Vince Anello’s public corruption charge
Federal prosecutors say they don’t have to prove Vince Anello committed any crimes until he faces a jury.
Anello’s defense team disagrees.
TOURISM BOARD: Crime a hot topic
The Aquarium of Niagara Falls is seeing an upswing in visitorship this year — but with it has come problems outside of the Whirlpool Street attraction.
Aquarium officials have reported a rash of vehicle break-ins and vandalism in the attraction’s parking lot and surrounding area over the past several months.
BLOTTER: Police reports published June 23
Niagara County Sheriff’s deputies were called to Party Time Cafe on Lockport Road about 3 a.m. Sunday for a bar fight involving several people.
When deputies arrived, witnesses said a suspect had driven away east on Lockport Road.
NORTH TONAWANDA: School bus carrying 20 children hit by car
No children aboard a school bus were injured Monday afternoon after it was rear-ended by another driver.
North Tonawanda Fire Captain John Magnus said about 20 students from Spruce Elementary were aboard the bus when a red Toyota sedan crashed into it from behind. The children were taken home on another bus even though the affected bus was able to leave the scene under its own power.
NORTH TONAWANDA: Judge largely sides with city on Walmart
Only the completion of a stormwater plan stands between North Tonawanda and a Walmart at Melody Fair, City Attorney Shawn Nickerson reported Monday.
CHARTER SCHOOL: Protest over union planned today
Teachers at the Niagara Charter School are getting union representation under a recent court ruling, but that doesn’t mean all of them are happy about it.
POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Lobbyist told to get cracking
As expected, representatives from the county’s new lobbying firm paid a visit to the area last week.
Sam Ferraro, commissioner of the county’s Economic Development, and County Manager Gregory Lewis met with officials from Capitol Public Strategies of Albany to discuss ways the firm can assist the county in the coming months.
BLOTTER: Police reports published June 22
Police are looking for a suspect in connection with an incident in the 1700 block of LaSalle Avenue.
NIAGARA FALLS: Vandalism of handicapped swings latest problem at Nor-Loc playground
The North End Block Club turned a dream into reality when they opened the Child’s Kingdom Nor-Loc Park last year.
Unfortunately, a rash of vandalism and unruly behavior is beginning to transform the reality into a nightmare.
GRAND ISLAND: Falcons nesting under south bridge
Statler Towers. U.B. south campus. North Grand Island Bridge. And now, the South Grand Island Bridge.
AUTOMAKERS: Iacocca offers advice to GM, Chrysler
Former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca has some advice for the people who are running his old company, and those who will lead the new General Motors: Get the government out of your business as soon as possible.
SENATE: Paterson orders special session
Gov. David Paterson on Sunday ordered New York’s Senate into special session beginning Tuesday in a bid to end a partisan power struggle that has paralyzed the chamber for two weeks. He said he will compel senators to stay in Albany indefinitely until they act.
U.S. SENATE: Gillibrand starting to gain notice
By any measure, New York’s new Democratic U.S. senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, got off to a rocky start. She was neither a Kennedy nor Clinton, just an unknown appointed by an unpopular governor.
DEC: Tangling with new invasive species
Another invasive species has arrived in Western New York, and state officials are taking up arms to eradicate the creatures.
PETS: Monuments taking off for local woman
Concrete monuments raise money for needy animals
BUFFALO: Middle-schooler dies of swine flu
Buffalo school officials say a middle-schooler has died of swine flu, and a union leader says a second pupil is hospitalized in critical condition.
FALLS SCHOOLS: Game on for sports camp
It took some outside assistance but the Niagara Falls City School District’s summer tradition lives on.
Applications are now being accepted for the fifth-annual Summer Sports Camp, which runs daily from July 8 to Aug. 7 and is open to students entering grades seventh through 12th, including students not enrolled in the district.
GLYNN: Notre Dame mascot’s tattoo made in the Falls
When Dan Collins leads the Fighting Irish onto the football field this fall, he’ll be sporting a unique tattoo made for him at a new business in Niagara Falls.
NIAGARA FALLS: Schoellkopf Park becoming a new home for arts and culture
Schoellkopf Park has been transformed from an extension of a hospital campus, another grassy area that the lawn care worker had to mow, into a sprawling outdoor escape that is fast becoming a magnet for the arts.
SENATE: Analysis: Chaos yields possible change
The revolt in New York’s Senate that happened lightning fast two weeks ago only to drag through the end of the session has been called a circus and an embarrassment with comparisons to banana republics that was offensive even to bananas. One New York tabloid even sent in a clown, then gave her a byline.
SENATE: Dissident Dem promises end to state stalemate
The dissident Democrat who helped engineer a coup that paralyzed the New York state Senate promised Saturday that a deal will be reached in the next 48 hours to resolve the turmoil.
SWINE FLU: More H1N1 cases confirmed
Five students diagnosed, tests awaited on a sixth
CITY HALL NOTEBOOK: Come home, please
Let’s face facts, most people will say there are a lot more reasons to stay away from Niagara Falls than there are to move back or remain here.
Potholes and crumbling infrastructure, derelict neighborhoods, poor economy, ever-increasing crime rates and local and state governments that have created their fair share of controversy and blunders over the past several years.
BLOTTER: Police reports published June 21
John A. Paonessa, 39, 1050 Saunders Settlement Road, Lewiston, was charged with driving while intoxicated and a traffic infraction about 4:15 a.m. Saturday, according to Falls police.
CRIME: Police arrest suspect in Ferry Ave. slaying
Darrius “D” Molson faces murder charge, second suspect sought.
INVESTIGATION: Town of Wheatfield’s Demler still drawing fire
Committee asks DA, attorney general to get involved
WHEATFIELD: Summit’s life extended again
The Summit Mall still has some life left in it, yet.
Town of Wheatfield Supervisor Timothy Demler said Thursday a bankruptcy court in Raleigh, N.C., has cleared the way for the mall to remain open at least through the end of July, possibly offering enough time for the current owner to complete a sale for the commercial space.
FALLS SCHOOLS: Gaskill reports two swine flu cases
Two Gaskill Prep School students were confirmed to have swine flu by the Niagara County Health Department on Thursday, according to Niagara Falls School District officials.
BLOTTER: Police reports published June 19
Falls police were called to the former 60th Street school about 4:15 p.m. Thursday after a woman working there said she had seen someone from a nearby home pointing a long gun at the building.
NORTH TONAWANDA: Teen facing manslaughter charge
The teenager accused of killing a friend in a drunken driving crash is now facing a charge of vehicular manslaughter.
WRIGHTS CORNERS: Hospital announces layoffs over state aid cuts
As a result of losing about $1.3 million in aid, Eastern Niagara Hospital has laid off workers and will be closing Founders Health Center in Wrights Corners on June 30.
LEWISTON: Edwards won’t seek re-election
Democratic Councilman Sean Edwards has announced he will not seek re-election in the Town of Lewiston this year.
The 49-year-old Edwards said he has decided to step away from politics and government after one term because he wants to devote more time to helping his wife run the family business in Buffalo.
NIAGARA FALLS: Faith-based group celebrating anniversary
Vanessa Scott knows what it is like to deal with tough times.
That’s why a decade ago she decided to start an organization that would use faith as means of helping women overcome challenges in their own personal lives.
NIAGARA COUNTY: May a better month for jobs
Niagara County’s employment situation showed signs of improvement last month, according to the latest job statistics from the state Labor Department.
Figures released on Thursday show a slight drop in the county’s unemployment rate, from 9.9 percent in April to 9.3 percent in May. Countywide unemployment remains considerably higher than a year ago in May when the rate was 6.6 percent. The Labor Department’s county-by-county unemployment figures are not seasonally adjusted.
NIAGARA FALLS: A ‘Mulligan’ for the old Greens
In golf, a mulligan erases a bad shot with a do-over.
John Kwarciak is hoping that term can apply for restaurants too.
NIAGARA STREET: The Bakery celebrates owners’ birthdays and restaurant’s 40 years
Kevin and Val Young, owners of the Bakery Restaurant, will celebrate their birthdays together on Saturday while also celebrating the anniversary of their Niagara Street restaurant.
KEN-TON: State audit finds school district to have $22M in excess funds (11:20 a.m. Thursday)
Findings from a state audit, released Thursday by Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, revealed that the Ken-Ton School District has more than $22 million in excess funds that the comptroller said could be used to reduce the tax levy.
NIAGARA FALLS: New police headquarters, City Courts formally opened
An on-again, off-again drizzle wasn’t enough to dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd that gathered on Main Street Wednesday afternoon to formally dedicate the new Falls Municipal Complex.
WOODS SHOOTING: Police have questions for two men
Falls police are looking for two men who they believe can help solve the city’s latest homicide.
Detectives are looking for Phillip “Country” Holloway, 21, of Texas City, Texas and Darrius “D” Molson, 26, whose last known address was an apartment at the Garden Village complex in Cheektowaga.
FALLS POLICE: To find a marijuana grow house
Narcotics Division Capt. Morris Shamrock said detectives were led to the home by a tip from Warrants Officer Mark Jaroszewski.
FALLS POLICE: LaSalle ‘grow house’ hit
Neighbors wondered about what might be going on inside the home at 228 71st St.
“It seems to me there were a lot of young kids there. They would come and go,” said a woman who has lived in the neighborhood for more than 10 years. “I figured there was something going on there for so many kids to be coming in and out.”
BLOTTER: Police reports published June 18
Federal authorities say they’ve disrupted a Canada-to-United States Ecstasy ring with the arrest of 20 people, most in Western New York.
LEGISLATURE: Sheriff’s office looking to comply
The Niagara County Sheriff’s Department is inching closer to fulfilling a state request to hire additional guards at the county jail.
Members of the Niagara County Legislature’s Community Safety and Security Committee on Tuesday approved a resolution calling for the creation of three correction officer posts.
POLITICS: Challenge ahead for Virtuoso — Mark Onesi announces Legislature bid
The top Democrat in the Niagara County Legislature will have some competition this year.
Retired U.S. Army officer and college dean Mark Onesi has announced his intention to run against Minority Leader Dennis Virtuoso in the 4th Legislative District in Niagara Falls.
LEGISLATURE: Casino cash funds new senior program
A pair of local health organizations are developing a countywide program aimed at helping seniors cut costs and avoid having to move out of their own homes and into adult care facilities.
LEGISLATURE: Niagara town hall sign proposal pulled
For now at least, Niagara County casino cash will not be used to help buy a new electronic sign in the Town of Niagara.
NYPA: Wind farm project moving quickly
Power authority says interest from private developers is high.
ANNIVERSARY: Center Survival
One year after opening, the 18th Street Community Resource Center has some successes and failures
LAWSUIT: Legal debate continues in Lew-Port
Former members again denied protection, despite SED ruling.
E-MAILS: Apology is not enough
Pastor asks school board to undergo diversity training.
NIAGARA STREET: Falls council joins fight
Resolution passed calling for residency changes.
LEGISLATURE: Member cut set for vote
Choice for 15 to be placed on ballot this fall.
WHEATFIELD: ‘The Church’ to build new home
Former Payne Avenue Christian Church heading to Captain’s Way.
BORDER: Native American leaders seek to protect border rights under new security rules
Native American leaders from the U.S. and Canada gathered near the entrance to the Rainbow Bridge on Monday to voice concerns about the potential impact of new security rules on their rights to “free passage” between the two countries.
NIAGARA FALLS: New complex to be dedicated Wednesday
The new Falls Municipal Complex will be formally dedicated in ceremonies set for Wednesday.
SENECA NATION: Falls casino expansion on hold
Seneca Nation of Indians President Barry Snyder Sr. said Monday the nation hasn’t given up on its plans to add to its holdings in downtown Niagara Falls, but cooperation from the financial markets will be needed to help any future expansion efforts along.
CITY COUNCIL: Another year in the black for the Falls
Conservative revenue estimates, responsible spending and the assistance of additional state aid helped the city build a $4 million surplus at the end of 2008, according to an independent audit released Monday.
CITY COUNCIL: Fire Hall in need of rescue
As the city prepares to cut the ribbon this week on its new $47 million courthouse and police station, attention is shifting to the needs of the fire department and the future of a 100-year-old station that’s starting to collapse.
POLITICS: Wheatfield Dems endorse Conti
While much of the focus in the Town of Wheatfield supervisor’s race has been on the Republican candidate, Democrats in the town have announced they are backing a candidate of their own.
LEGISLATURE: Putting the brakes on texting
A bi-partisan effort is under way to ban texting while driving in Niagara County.
Frustrated by a lack of action on a similar ban statewide, leaders on both sides of the aisle in the county Legislature have agreed to pursue a change in local traffic law that would make it illegal for motorists to use handheld devices to send and receive text messages while driving within the county limits.
COURT: DPW workers admits to dealing cocaine on job
A Niagara Falls Department of Public Works employee has pleaded guilty to a charge of selling drugs while he was on the job.
Ernie Bivins, 34, 1851 Weston Ave., entered his plea in a deal with state prosecutors in Niagara County Court on Friday. He faces a possible prison term of one to nine years when he is sentenced by Judge Matthew J. Murphy III.
LOCKPORT: Accused group home killers appear in court
The two teens accused of killing a youth counselor at a city group home last week appeared in city court Monday afternoon, one week after the crime.
Anthony Allen, 18, and Robert Thousand, 17, each appeared before City Court Judge William Watson on charges of second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and second-degree burglary.
BLOTTER: Police reports published June 16
Tip calls from the public led Falls police to one of Niagara’s Most Wanted on Sunday morning.
Juan Jose Ubiles, 24, 476 26th St., was taken into custody at his home. Officers found him hiding in the attic.
NIAGARA FALLS: Police looking for two gunmen in latest shooting
While Niagara Falls police search for two gunmen, detectives are trying to piece together a picture of who the city’s latest homicide victim was, hoping that may gives them some leads to his killers.
“We have received information from the public and we’ll be following up on that,” Detective Capt. Ernest Palmer said Sunday night.
BLOTTER: Police reports published June 15
A Niagara’s Most Wanted was taken into custody on Sunday morning. Acting on tips, police arrested Juan Jose Ubiles, 24, 476 26th St., at his home.
CITY COUNCIL: Falls owes county $1.1M
The City of Niagara Falls will soon be cutting a $1.1 million check to Niagara County to pay off past debt related to workers compensation insurance.
POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Back home, coup just sounds surreal
When I heard about last week’s coup in Albany, my first thought was “how many were injured?”
It’s that word, I guess.
Coup.
It makes me think of violence, as in a “bloody coup.”
NIAGARA FALLS: Senate confirms Rev. Seright for review panel
The New York State Senate has unanimously confirmed Niagara Falls resident Rev. Jimmie Seright as a member of the Citizens Policy and Complaint Review Council.
Seright, executive director of the New Jerusalem of Niagara Falls Reporting Center for Boys, was nominated for the unpaid position earlier this year by Gov. David A. Paterson.
EDUCATION: Area colleges doing fine with admissions
Although fewer students nationwide are attending their college of choice, according to a survey released Tuesday, local colleges are doing just fine with admissions.
BOUNDARY WATERS: Clinton joins treaty celebration at the Rainbow Bridge
U.S., Canada agree to review Great Lakes quality deal
HOMICIDE: Falls man shot to death
Police seek information as 24th Street man was gunned down on Ferry Avenue
LOCKPORT: Teen threatens counselor at Wyndham Lawn
COPS NOTEBOOK: Jay, Dave would have gotten it right
EDUCATION: Spreading the word in Lewiston
St. Peter making a name for itself in Lewiston.

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