SUMMER CONCERT SERIES ANNOUNCED ::Thursday, June 5th::

At long last the Canal Concert Series lineup has been announced! The concerts will be held on Friday nights throughout the summer at the Ulrich City Center, save for the July 4th weekend. Hitting lead-off on June 27th, Lou Graham will take the stage, the former lead singer for Foreigner. On July 11th Blood, Sweat, and Tears will light up the sky. On July 18th it'll be Nazareth. July 25th Kenny Wayne Shepherd. August 1st Robert Randolph. August 8th Riders of the Storm. August 15th REO Speedwagon. August 22nd Jeff Martin. David Ulrich - the series host - says promoter Kathy Paradowski delivered a powerful lineup, "more than Kathy and I promised we would," calling it phenomenal. Ulrich says it's the first time Lockport will see national acts in almost100 years.

LOCK-CITY DRUG BUST PUTS 3 BEHND BARS ::Thursday, June 5th::

Three people were arrested Tuesday night after the Niagara County Drug Task Force executed search warrants on two city homes. At a Gooding Street home, the task force arrested 23 year old Christina Dent, and 30 year old Rodney Banks. Both were charged with 3rd and 4th degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. The task force also raided a South Street home, where 23 year old Anthony Ervin, III was arrested and charged with 7th degree possession of a controlled substance by Judge Matt Murphy. Inside the Gooding Street home deputies over a half an ounce of crack, as well as cocaine and a small amount of marijuana. Investigator Kevin Newman says the drugs were cut and ready for sale, and that the house was set up for drug distribution with several scales and security monitors in place. It was the second time Dent and Banks were arrested at the home; task force members raided the same home October 12th arrested the same parties. Meantime, the South Street home where Ervin was arrested has been a hotbed of drug activity as well. Newman says quote, "We've been having all kinds of problems there for quite a while."

FORMER FALLS MAYOR EYED BY FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ::Thursday, June 5th::

In the Falls, federal investigators have sought two city computers, a back-up computer file, and the e-mail boxes of former mayor Vince Anello, his secretary, and his first city administrator from city hall. A federal grand jury subpoena has been issued to the Niagara Falls Department of Management Information Services requesting two Dell computers and a back-up copy of a third. The subpoena also sought copies of the Lotus Notes mailboxes of Anello, secretary, and daughter Vincenette, as well as his former city administrator Daniel Bristol. The city is required to provide the hardware and computer files by June 18th according to a copy of the subpoena. Last month, the federal grand jury requested hundreds of pages of documents. Many of those documents centered around contracts to sell or lease the former Wintergarden and East Pedestrian Mall. Anello - who left office in January after serving one term as mayor - has appeared to be at the center of a federal probe since May 2005. He has maintained that he has done nothing wrong. Anello declined to comment further on the investigation.

COUNTY MAN GETS 25 YEARS TO LIFE BEHIND BARS ::Monday, June 2nd::

Unlike most defendants, Richard Matt was rushed directly to state prison after he was sentenced on Friday to 25 years to life behind bars for the murder of William Rickerson. Normally, once they are sentenced in County Court, those assigned to state prison stay in the county jail for a few days or weeks until the state prison system finds them a suitable cell. But the Sheriff's office - which had been keeping Matt in solitary confinement - couldn't wait to ship him out. Chief Deputy James Voutour says advance arrangements were made with the Department of Correctional Services, and as soon as Matt was sentenced at about 9:45 am Friday, he was whisked out of the courtroom to a waiting patrol car. Three hours later he was an inmate at the Elmira Correctional Facility. Voutour says Matt won't be missed, saying quote, "for at least 25 years he's someone else's problem."

COUNTY LAWMAKERS EXPECTED TO TALK ABOUT SEX OFFENDERS DURING TUESDAY'S MEETING ::Monday, June 2nd::

A county-wide law barring many convicted sex offenders from coming within 1,000 ft of facilities for children is on Tuesday's Niagara County Legislature agenda. They're expected to call a June 17th public hearing on the measure, sponsored by lawmakers Paul Wojtasek, Jason Cafarella, and John Ceretto. Since it was first introduced on April 1st, the proposal has undergone a few revisions. The main change is the deletion of a provision that the buffer zone would apply to all sex offenders. Now, it calls for barring only level 2 and level 3 offenders, the two most serious grades. They would be banned from a 1,000 ft radius of a school, day care center, playground, public swimming pool, or public or private youth centers. Wojtasek says he doesn't object to not including level 1 offenders since they are considered the least likely to reoffend. Sex offenders who already live or work within the 1,000 ft zone will not have to move or change jobs, but they will have to avoid contact with children in that zone.

NEW YORK'S NEXT LAWSUIT PART OF 'JUNGLE WARARE' ::Monday, June 2nd::

Amazon.com has filed a lawsuit asking a New York court to declare the state's new internet tax unconstitutional. The web retailer argues that New York State can't tax it because Amazon has no physical presence in New York, or significant ties with the state. The bill - recently signed by Governor Paterson - requires web retailers that use in-state affiliates to collect sales tax. The bills were largely seen as targeting Amazon.com, and was informally referred to as the 'Amazon Tax.' Meantime, Overstock.com has followed Amazon's lead by filing its own lawsuit against the state, for many of the same reasons.