Bills on Cable in Niagara County

Looks like this Sunday's Bills game will be available on cable, but only in Niagara County. Subscribers have reported that they have received automated phone messages from Time-Warner saying that the game can be seen on Toronto's CFTO channel. FCC rules apparently allow the broadcast in Niagara County, but not elsewhere in Western New York. Channel 4's parent company is in a continuing dispute with TWC over programming fees.

Apparent Suicide in Cheektowaga Jail

A man was found dead in his cell at the Cheektowaga Police Station early this morning less than an hour after he was arrested. Police said the man was arrested on Walden Avenue for assault and violation of an order of protection. He's been identified only as a 45-year-old Cheektowaga resident, pending family notification.

Hep-C in Hamburg Investigated

The Erie County Health Department will present a study about a cluster of hepatitis C cases in Hamburg. Needle-sharing during drug use is often cited as the main cause of hep-C, a liver disease which can lead to liver cancer. Twenty teens in Hamburg contracted the disease last year, leading to the investigation. Nineteen admitted to intravenous drug use, as well as other high-risk behaviors like having sex with up to 100 partners.

Labor Dispute for Rural-Metro

Rural-Metro will return to the bargaining table next month. Paramedics held an informational picket in front of the Cheektowaga Police Station, where inside, the Cheektowaga EMS Board was having its monthly meeting. Rural-Metro workers have turned down two contract deals already. A federal mediator will be brought in to begin the new round of discussions. The union wants a raise from the current nine-dollars-70-cents starting wage for full-time EMTs. Rural-Metro is still under contract to provide ambulance services to the town of Cheektowaga, even if there is a strike. This means using company managers or out-of-town paramedics to do the job.

Some Good News for Local Real Estate

Single-family home sales in the Buffalo Niagara marketplace fell year-to-year, but prices remained stable last month. In September, sales were down two percent from the same month in 2007. 963 transactions were closed this year as opposed to 985 in 2007, according to a Thursday report by the Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors. The 2008 result is however the third-highest total for the month of September, dating back to 1996. For the first nine months of 2008, sales were off six percent, total dollar volume rose nine percent, and active listings increased five percent, while new listings have jumped nine percent in the past year.

Outreach Center Planned for East Side

An vacant old parish school is being eyed as a new parish outreach center. Plans are in the works to renovate the former St. Lawrence School into St. Lawrence Vineyard Ministries. The new facility will be an outreach center providing services to the surrounding East Side neighborhood. Figures show 21-percent of those residents are living in poverty, and up to 15-percent of homes are vacant.

Buffalo School Cafeteria Workers Finally Get Raises

A new deal for some 400 food service workers who'd been working without a contract since July 2004 was approved by the Buffalo School Board Wednesday. The retroactive agreement, which only has one more year to go, says members will receive raises worth a total of ten-percent, and a onetime signing bonus of 150 dollars. The union has agreed to withdraw from a lawsuit against the school system over a wage freeze imposed by the Buffalo Control Board. The contract still needs to be approved by the control board. Next year, a three- to- four year extension will be sought.

Albion Mayor Apologizes, But Doesn't Confess

Village of Albion Mayor Michael Hadick is apologizing after his latest brush with the law. But he's not admitting to stealing about 800 dollars that was supposed to pay for the village's Independence Day fireworks show. Hadick was arraigned yesterday morning on petit larceny and official misconduct charges. Hadick has seen several legal troubles since he took office in 2005. He pleaded guilty to DWI after crashing his SUV last year. He's also been ticketed for not wearing his seat belt and talking on a cell phone while driving. Hadick faces a year in prison if found guilty of the latest charges.

Buffalo Seeks Fifth Public-Access Channel

Buffalo cable TV subscribers could get more public-affairs programming. The Common Council is asking Time Warner to add a fifth public-access channel so the city can provide more video coverage of local events. The Common Council says that Time Warner has been scaling back coverage of events like parades, so they're hoping that city video-production units will be able to place their programming on a new channel.

Collins Budget Official

County Executive Chris Collins officially unveiled his spending plan Wednesday, and Erie County homeowners could get hit with a three-point-six percent tax hike under the 2009 proposed budget. Collins says he needed to fill a multi-million dollar budget gap created by rising fuel and health-benefit costs. A five-percent budget cut was implemented on facilities including the Buffalo Zoo, Philharmonic, Historical Society and Museum of Science. Collins says his budget will hold the line on contracted union increases.

Surveillance Cameras Up in UB Neighborhood

The area around the University of Buffalo has seen a rise in crime, and UB is fighting back. Surveillance cameras are adding a new set of eyes to the University Heights neighborhood, at a cost of eighty-thousand dollars. UB officials, Buffalo police, and community groups worked together to determine the placement of the cameras. They chose areas with the largest increases in crime, as well as areas with high student activity.

South Buffalo Homes Removed from Flood Plain

Nearly 25-hundred homes in South Buffalo were taken off the 100-year Flood Plain last month, meaning that homeowners don't have to carry expensive flood insurance any longer. The updated map was approved by Common Council September 2nd, and approved by the federal government on the 26th. The Buffalo Common Council has been mailing out letters to homeowners, stressing the importance of discontinuing flood insurance immediately. You can call your local Council member's office for more details.

Olmsted Parks in Peril

Among Buffalo's crown jewels, the Olmsted Parks in Buffalo could be a victim of the county's continuing financial woes. County Executive Collins says he'll end a 5-year maintenance agreement with the city of Buffalo, because there's no money to fund it. Staring next June, county workers will no longer mow lawns or clean parks. Mayor Brown says he's been in talks with Collins, but doesn't know if the city can afford the work either. The mayor said staff would not be increased. The Olmstead Parks Conservancy was created when the deal was reached 5 years ago, but now the future of that organization is in doubt.

Mayor Addresses City Joblessness

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown calls it a crisis. A new study on jobless rates in the city says that about half of African-American men of working age do not have jobs. For white men, it's about 25 percent. Brown says he's working to bring jobs into the city by trying to attract businesses, putting youth to work and not raising taxes.

Sabres Start Two and Oh

Ales Kotalik and Jason Pominville each had a goal and two assists as the Sabres cruised to a 7-1 win over the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. Thomas Vanek lit the lamp two more times. Patrick Lalime made 23 saves to help Buffalo start the season with a pair of wins.

Trent Expects to be Back

Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards is back on the field. Edwards practiced with the team for the first time Monday, since suffering a concussion two Sundays ago against Arizona. The Bills' signal caller says he expects to play this Sunday against the Chargers.

New Toys for Buffalo Cops

Buffalo Police now have new tech toys to use in the field. They can swipe the bar code on your license and pop up any prior citations on their mobile computers. They have electronic eyes on the hoods of their cars that can read up to five license plates per second to know if any of the vehicles have been stolen. And now patrols will be equipped with "pucks" that beam signals to global positioning satellites which will track where the cars are at all times.

Buffalo Buyback a Success

Buffalo's second gun buyback has received high marks from city auditors. The final tally of guns turned in was 723. This includes 235 nonworking guns, 220 rifles, 263 handguns, and five assault weapons. The city gave out over 33-thousand dollars in gift cards to people who turned guns in. The first buyback program last year resulted in 878 guns taken off the streets.

Buffalo Sports Kid is Finalist

A local boy is in the running to be "Sports Kid of the Year." Seven-year-old Derek Andrews, who plays baseball, hockey, and soccer despite a muscle ailment, is one of two finalists in Sports Illustrated's contest. Derek's dad John told Loraine and Tom this morning that Derek's application was placed just in time. It's the final day on on-line voting at S-I-kids-com.

US Appeals Court in Buffalo

For the first time in its 219-year history, the Second Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals, one step below the U.S. Supreme Court, will hear some of its cases in Buffalo. The Second Circuit is based in New York City, but this year, chief judge, Dennis Jacobs, has begun taking court operations to other cities on occasion. Seven cases are scheduled to be argued Thursday, beginning at 10 a. m., and five more Friday, also beginning at 10 a. m. Several of the cases involve legal disputes in Western New York.

First Collins Budget Out

Erie County Executive Chris Collins has released his proposed budget, including a 3.9 percent property tax increase. Most of the 15-member County Legislature has not announced whether or not they will support the budget. Legislators Ratzenhofer, Rath, and Mills have come out against an increase.

Second Anniverary of October Storm

It may be a beautiful, warm day today, but two years ago it was a different story. Yesterday marked the two-year anniversary of the surprise storm that dumped two feet of wet snow on Buffalo, and caused tens of thousands of trees to buckle under the weight. Officials say that upwards of 57-thousand trees lost their battle with the storm. In the two years since, there has been an effort to replant thousands of trees.