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Good Morning Buffalo: Michael Jackson

Family Attorney Janet Pennisi talks to Tom and Loraine about the issues following the death of the King of Pop.

Skeleton Crew 7/7/09

Hosted by Drs. Darren Bell and Matthew Misiak

Bill O'Loughlin Show 7/7/09

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Hometown News: Senate Standoff Continues

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is asking a state judge to rule if he can withhold pay from state lawmakers involved in the ongoing feud in Albany. Comptroller DiNapoli argues he can hold onto paychecks for all 62 Senators with Governor Paterson refusing to take sides in the power struggle. The governor says the true leader of the Senate remains unclear. Another special session is scheduled for today. No officials business was conducted Monday in the state Senate.

A new concept been suggested to end the stalemate in the state Senate. A co-majority was proposed by Senate Republicans and renegade Democratic Senator Pedro Espada Jr. and would remain in effect through 2010. The Democratic conference has so far rejected the notion. The biggest barrier to continuing co-leadership would require Senate rules to be rewritten, which could become a long, drawn-out affair. Also, co-leaders could have trouble making personnel decisions regarding staff and other resources, since many positions are given to party loyalists.

One state Assemblyman wants Governor Paterson to appoint a Lieutenant Governor to break the stalemate in the state Senate. Assemblyman Michael Gianaris of Queens says current laws leave the door open for Paterson to make an appointment. The Lieutenant Governor's post has been vacant since Paterson assumed the governor's seat in the wake of the Eliot Spitzer scandal. The position has the power to break ties in the Senate. The move could spark lawsuits from the GOP, since Paterson would select a Democrat.

HTN: Charges Dropped Against Wilson Coaches

Child Endangerment charges have been dropped against two Wilson High School baseball coaches. Prosecutors abruptly asked for the case to be dismissed against William Atlas and Thomas Baia for their alleged roles in a hazing incident on April 17th of last year. The District Attorney's office did not give a reason why the charges were dropped. The move came on the day when a jury was to have been selected. The two coaches had been on paid suspension. Now their lawyers say the school board should reconsider their status based on this new information.

HTN: Buffalo Man Sentenced in Fatal Border Chase

A Buffalo man serving a prison term in Canada for killing a woman during a high speed chase across the border has been sentenced on carjacking charges from that incident. Police say 33-year-old Cornelius Cross was given a 15 year sentence for stealing a car in Buffalo which led to the fatal accident in 2004. Authorities say Cross stole the car and was being chased by police. That's when he ditched the car, stole a cable television van and raced across the Rainbow Bridge killing a woman in a crash on the Canadian side. Cross still has five years left on his Canadian sentence for the death. He will serve 15 years for the thefts of the van and car when he arrives back in the U.S in 2014.

HTN: Senecas Set Up New Investment Company

The Seneca Nation of Indians has formed a new investment company. Seneca Holdings LLC is expected to spend at least 28-million dollars over the next five years through a series of subsidiaries. All of those investments will be with companies that are operated, owned or run by members of the Seneca Nation or other tribes. Seneca Holdings was formed against the backdrop of potential legal threats against the Seneca's gaming and tobacco business ventures. Seneca officials say job creation and community development are key for the firm's new investment strategy.

HTN: Springville Sinkhole Getting Bigger

A big sinkhole in Springville has gotten even bigger, and residents want to know why. Officials say the hole is increasing in length north and south. The hole is on an Erie County road, so the town has been waiting for the county to repair the problem. The Erie County Department of Public Works says the county and the town are working "very closely together." Inspectors say there is hollowing underneath a culvert in the road and the dirt is falling in, allowing water to from a nearby creek to spill into the hole. A temporary dam will need to be put in place to halt the flow of water just above the stream's spillway.

HTN: New Scam Targets Elderly

A recent phone scam targeting the elderly that's popped up elsewhere in the country has finally made its way to the Buffalo area. Two men call the victim, one of whom pretends to be the person's "grandson." He says he's stuck in Toronto because of an accident and needs 36-hundred dollars for repairs. He then puts his "lawyer" on the phone to give the victim instructions on how to send them money and where.

New York Leads Nation in Pay Cuts

Buffalo has been ranked eighth nationally by "Forbes" magazine for pay cuts in the last year. In fact, the top five cities were all in New York State. Buffalo residents have taken a collective zero-point-four-percent pay cut. Rochester ranked worst, with a two-point-three-percent loss, followed by Syracuse, Albany, New York City and Poughkeepsie. Statistics were measured between fourth quarter 2008 through first quarter 2009.