This week's movie show with critic Michael Calleri.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Hometown News: Coyote Roundup in NT
Police in North Tonawanda shot and killed a coyote after a third resident had a encounter with the animal. Cops say about midnight Thursday morning, a man reported a coyote nipping at his legs while walking on Zimmerman Street. Officers say when they arrived they found the animal acting unusually. The dead coyote is being examined for possible rabies infection. On Monday, another resident reported a coyote bite on Niagara Falls Boulevard, and on March 31st, a third person was bitten on Sweeney Street.
HTN: Orchard Park Murder Suspect has DNA Test
The man accused of beheading his wife has submitted to a DNA test. Prosecutors on Thursday got the court order to take the sample. Forty-four-year-old Muzzamil Hassan underwent the swab test in the Erie County courthouse. Hassan is accused of decapitating is wife, 37-year-old Aasiya Zubair Hassan on February 12th. The couple had been the co-founders of a Muslim television station in Orchard Park. The next court date is June 4th. Hassan remains held without bail.
HTN: Buffalo High-Speed Rail Link?
Buffalo could link to Albany and New York City as part of President Obama's high-speed rail plan. The 430-mile Northern New England Corridor will run from Boston to Montreal through Albany. Potential stops on the route could receive part of the eight-billion dollars set aside to fund the nationwide transit project. Obama has asked for another five-billion over the next five years to further develop the projects.
HTN: Governor Proposes Gay Marriage Law
Governor David Paterson has announced the time has come in New York for marriage equality for all residents. Paterson is pushing a bill that grants same sex couples the same legal recognition afforded to partners of the opposite sex. Several Democratic state senators have stated their opposition to legalizing same-sex marriage, and there is no indication Senate Republicans will cross party lines on the issue.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Hometown News: Collins Wants Opponents Ousted
Erie County Executive Chris Collins wants more support from county lawmakers, so he may be willing to help pay for campaigns to unseat his opponents. Collins is said to want to oust the Democratic Comptroller and two Democratic legislators. The County Executive has called Comptroller Mark Poloncarz and Legislators Robert Reynolds and Michele Iannello obstructionists standing in the way of his reform agenda. Collins says he may dig into his own deep pockets to fund candidates he supports. He says that voters overwhelmingly elected him for reform, and hopes they will support like minded candidates in the upcoming elections.
HTN: Gowanda Teacher Gets Probation
A former substitute teacher in Gownada has been given five years probation after lying to the Education Department about his background. 60-year-old Howard Eisenman pleaded guilty to lying about a conviction over 30 years ago, claiming it was from an auto accident. Prosecutors say that he was actually indicted for causing the death of a two-year-old girl by striking her with his hands. Eisenman will no longer be able to work in a school setting.
HTN: Buffalo-Cheektowaga Border Projects Funded
Buffalo and Cheektowaga are teaming up to spruce up neighborhoods on their border. A federal and state grant worth more than two-and-a-half million dollars is on the way to fund demolitions, housing rehabilitation and other improvements. The two municipalities will work together on a land bank to buy and sell properties for re-development.
HTN: Challenging Rescue in Buffalo
First responders were called to a house on Jefferson Avenue after a 911 call reporting a woman who had possible stroke symptoms. The woman needed to get to the hospital, but because of her weight, she couldn't move on her own. Rescuers were unable to get her down a narrow stairwell, so they had to cut through the home to get her out safely. It took more than 20 firefighters and city engineers with a high lift to hoist the woman from the home. She was taken to Sisters Hospital where is is doing well.
HTN: Fair Free for Kids Under 12
The Erie County Fair is offering families a bit of a break this summer, when it will have free admission for children under 12. Admission for kids ages six to 12 has been four dollars the past several years; those under six got in free. Adult admission is ten dollars. The Fair is also re-emphasizing its connection with Erie County, by de-emphasizing the "America's Fair" handle it has used for the last few years.
Hometown Sports: Bills Schedule Out
The Bills face a challenging 2009 schedule, as the NFL released its complete slate last night. We already knew that Buffalo would open on Monday night September 14th at New England. Now we've learned the Toronto game will be in prime time Thursday December 3rd against the Jets, and the team will close the season at home January 3rd against Peyton Manning and the Colts. The Bills will have to significantly improve to end a decade-long playoff drought - they have the 6th-hardest schedule in the league based on last-year's records.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Skeleton Crew: Tuesday 4/14/09
Total health and wellness with Drs. Darren Bell and Matthew Misiak.
Hometown News: Area Gun Sales Going Up
Gun sales have shot up nationwide, and close to home as well. In Erie County, pistol permit applications have flooded in at nearly three times last year's rate. The buying is a result of concerns by gun owners that President Obama could call for a ban on some types of guns. Niagara and Monroe Counties have also reported spikes in sales.
HTN: Statler Owner Forced Into Bankruptcy
The corporation that owns the Statler Towers, headed up by British investor Bashar Issa, has been placed into an involuntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy. David Pfalzgraf, attorney for Park Lane Catering, says that it will allow his client and other tenants to keep operating without interruption. BSC Development owed utility companies more than $200,000, and tenants faced a possible shut off of their gas and electric service.
HTN: Collins Wants Three Dems Ousted
Republican Chris Collins wants three high-profile county Democrats out. The Erie County Executive wants to unseat Comptroller Mark Poloncarz and Legislators Michelle Iannello and Robert Reynolds Jr. Collins wants them replaced with presumable Republican candidates more attuned to what he calls his "reform agenda."
HTN: Parents Protest Tonawanda School Closing
Tonawanda parents will have another chance to speak out today about the closing of Highland Elementary School. A group of parents, teachers, and community members formed a committee to come up with their plan, which they will present later to the school boards today. The district's plan involves closing Highland Elementary and sending students to Fletcher, Mullen, and Riverview schools, with each location hosting only a couple of grades.
HTN: Lackawanna Cold Case Reopened
A 30-year-old cold-case murder may finally be on its way to becoming solved. Monday was the 30th anniversary of the stabbing death of 21-year-old Patricia Rodriguez in Lackawanna. Rodriguez was stabbed 108 times on April 13th, 1979 and was left for dead on top of a grave at the Holy Cross Cemetery. Police now have new forensic evidence that may crack the case. DNA evidence has been resubmitted to the department's evidence lab. Residents are urged to call the Lackawanna Police Department at 822-4900 if they think they know anything.
HTN: City Laptop Taken
A laptop computer owned by the City of Buffalo was among items taken by a burglar early Monday morning. Police the bandit also made off with 15-thousand dollars worth of jewelry, 500-dollars worth of coins, and electronic equipment. The Vincennes Street break-in happened sometime between midnight and eight AM Monday morning. Investigators say the prowler got in through an unlocked front window. It's not known whether the city laptop contains any sensitive data.
HTN: Local Soldier Honored
Flags on state government buildings are flying at half-staff today, to honor a local soldier who died after training exercises in Iraq. Twenty-four-year-old Army Sergeant Daniel Beard, a Buffalo native, collapsed and died April 3rd.
Monday, April 13, 2009
BuffaloStyle 4/11/09
Hosted by Christina Abt.
Guests: Diane Picard, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP)....a group who has been successfully growing fresh food in city of Buffalo gardens since 1992.
Also: Brian Reilly, Buffalo Commissioner of Economic Development. Brian will share with us the city's view of urban farming and plans for possible future development.
Plus: local singer/songwriter Lisa Barrett.
Guests: Diane Picard, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP)....a group who has been successfully growing fresh food in city of Buffalo gardens since 1992.
Also: Brian Reilly, Buffalo Commissioner of Economic Development. Brian will share with us the city's view of urban farming and plans for possible future development.
Plus: local singer/songwriter Lisa Barrett.
Good Morning Buffalo: Medieval Times
Loraine visited Toronto and talked with performer Michael Boisvert.
GMB: Brad Riter on the Sabres
Loraine and Tom talk with WECK's Sports Director about a disappointing season.
Hometown News: Two Young Girls Hurt on ATV
Two girls, ages eight and four, are recovering from injuries suffered in an ATV accident in Chautauqua County. Police in Forestville say the older girl was driving the vehicle with the younger girl on the back. As the four-year-old was getting off, the throttle was hit sending the ATV into a tree. The four-year-old was flown to Women and Children's Hospital in Buffalo with a leg injury. The eight-year-old suffered an arm injury and was taken to Lakeshore Hospital. Their names and conditions have not been released. Both girls were wearing helmets. The Sheriff's Department will confer with the Chautauqua County District Attorney's office to determine whether charges will be filed against the adults who allowed the girls to operate the ATV.
HTN: Fatal Crash in Eden
A Town of Eden woman was killed early yesterday when her vehicle collided head-on with an oncoming milk truck. Eden police say 22-year-old Brandie Conklin was driving on Route-75, when her vehicle crossed the center line into the path of the truck. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck caught fire after the driver escaped uninjured. The road was closed for about four hours, and the accident is still under investigation.
HTN: Basement Pot Farm Busted in Boston
Erie County Sheriff's deputies have 50-thousand dollars worth of marijuana from a Town of Boston home. Thirty-eight-year-old David Kester, and his wife, 39-year-old Tina were arrested, charged with running a pot-growing operation out of their basement for more than five years. Deputies found 125 potted plants, 30 pounds of processed weed and 30-thousand dollars cash in the Boston Cross Road home. A 14-year-old and eight-year-old were living in the house where the drugs were grown. The two are now in the custody of other family members.
HTN: Governor at Odds with Unions
Governor David Paterson continues to pitch ideas for state worker unions to avoid nearly nine-thousand layoffs. But CSEA is just calling it an attempt at "union busting." The Paterson administration is offering a combination of a new pension tier for new state employees, a cut in scheduled three percent raises, and a five-day lag in pay, in exchange for a "no layoff" guarantee.
HTN: First Niagara Paying Back Government
First Niagara says it will pay back the funds it received from the federal bank bailout. The Lockport-based banking group plans to raise $300 million in another public stock offering, and repay the federal government’s investment. First Niagara is about to purchase 57 Western-Pennsylvania branches from National City Bank and PNC Financial Services Group.
HTN: Whitner Arrested in Cleveland
Another Buffalo Bill got in trouble with the law over the weekend in Cleveland. Safety Donte Whitner was reportedly tasered and handcuffed after allegedly trying to fight with police outside the House of Blues early Saturday morning. Authorities say a near riot was in progress about 3 a.m., when Whitner tried to enter an area where the fights were taking place. Police say Whitner began violently swinging his arms and took a fighting stance with police. Whitner was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Whitner was released from jail Saturday afternoon, and formal charges are expected today. For his part, Whitner told a Cleveland TV station he plans to sue the Cleveland Police for false arrest. The Bills deferred comment.
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