Good Morning Buffalo: Economy and Employment

Author Casey Conner talks to Tom Donahue and Tom Schuh

HTN: Two Local Breweries Sold

A New York City-based private equity firm will buy Buffalo-based Labatt USA and Rochester's High Falls Brewing. The U.S. Department of Justice required InBev to divest itself of Labatt's in order to complete its acquisition of Anheuser-Busch. High Falls brews Genesee beer.

Good Morning Buffalo: Economic Stimulus Plan

Buff State professor Dr. Bill Ganley broke down the new federal stimulus package with Loraine and Tom.

HTN: Local Leaders Plan for Stimulus Dollars

Local leaders have big ideas for the federal economic stimulus package. About 295-million dollars are slated for construction projects at Western New York colleges and universities, while nearly 54-million will be going to the region's K through 12 schools. Transportation and infrastructure will be getting over 86-and-a-half-million, and mass transit will see 74-million dollars. Waste water infrastructure will get over 36-million, while energy infrastructure and "green" jobs will be getting just over a million.

HTN: Companies Add Jobs in Hydropower Deal

In exchange for low-cost hydropower from the New York Power Authority, several Buffalo Niagara companies have agreed to add 55 jobs in the area. Luvata Buffalo, Printing Prep and North American Hoganas will be investing about 16-million dollars total in their operations. Luvata will add 30 jobs and will be spending three-million dollars to upgrade equipment and bring more of the company's manufacturing operations to Buffalo. Buffalo-based Printing Prep will add 12 jobs and is investing one-point-25-million in new digital printers and other equipment. And, North American Hoganas in Niagara Falls will be implementing a 12-million-dollar expansion and will add 13 jobs.

Reason with Scott Leffler: Hour Two

Scott talks to John Hoeful about the troubled economy and how to fix it.

Good Morning Buffalo: Nationwide Layoffs

Tom and Loraine talk to Fox News Radio's Todd Starnes about drastic cuts in the job market.

HTN: API Adding Jobs in Cheektowaga, Arcade

Here's something you haven't heard a lot of lately. A company in Western New York adding jobs. But here it is. API Heat Transfer of Cheektowaga plans to add about 115 new jobs over the next four years as part of an 11-million dollar expansion at facilities in Cheektowaga and Arcade in Wyoming County. The company is adding more than 50-thousand square feet of production space and six-thousand square feet of administrative space at the two locations, with state help.

Oprchard Park Company Cuts Jobs

Orchard Park-based Minrad International is eliminating 50 jobs, because of low cash flow and just-posted third-quarter losses of eleven-million dollars. The company will cut 35-percent of its company's workforce. Minrad's stock closed Thursday at just nine-cents-a-share, down 97-percent from a year ago.

City Now 3rd Poorest

The latest U.S. Census figures now say that Buffalo is 3rd poorest large city in the nation, behind Detroit and Cleveland. 28.7 percent of the city's population is living in poverty. That's down from 2006, when the poverty rate was 29.9 percent. Buffalo Deputy Mayor Donna Brown says the city is showing improvement.

Senecas Impacting Local Economy

The Seneca Nations of Indians have released a study that shows that the tribe has become a major employer and economic player in the Western New York area. Numbers released show that the Senecas generated revenues of close to 1-point-1-billion dollars in 2007. They have also put over six-thousand people on their payroll.

Wilmers is Statewide Economic Czar

Governor David Paterson has appointed M&T Bank Chairman Robert Wilmers as the czar of the Empire State Development Corporation. Dan Gunderson, who had been the upstate regional development head under former Governor Spitzer, handed in his resignation. Wilmer will stay in his position at M&T Bank.

Ford to Cut Production, Woodlawn OK

Production at Ford Motor Company will be cut through the rest of 2008 to adjust to the decline in the auto market. Ford also says it does not expect to meet profitability goals set for next year. The auto maker says demand is shifting away from larger trucks and SUVs and towards smaller vehicles, which appears to be good news for the Woodlawn plant, which specializes in crossover vehicles. The company's chief executive says expectations for 2009 are now "about break-even."