NUISANCE LAW

Second Ward Lockport alderman Jack Smith wants
the City Council to consider a tougher nuisance law.
He says the current one lacks teeth, that he wants
residents to know, when they call in complaints,
that there will be some sort of resolution. Smith said
it seems that residents and landlords and the police
feel there is nothing they can do. He said that points
would be assessed depending on the type of violation
and as the degree of the violation went up, so would
the points. A nuisance abatement would ne generated
after a certian number of points are acrued.

MOUNTAIN LION IN NEWFANE?

A Border Patrol helicopter searched an area in Newfane
yesterday morning after a man told Sheriff's deputies he
saw a large cat, possibly a mountain lion, chasing a deer
in vacant lot south of his home on Fuller Road. Fifty-one
year old Brian Hellner said the cat was half the size of the
deer and it went into a thick brushy area west of his
property. The Sheriff's Department found tracks by they
could not say whether they were made by a large cat. Hellner
said the animal was a darker brown than the deer and it
had a flat snout and a long tail. The DEC was called and
an officer said it might have been a bobcat.

RECOUNT

The Republican who lost Tuesday's Village election
in Wilson by ten votes is demanding a recount. Keith
Douglas tallied 132 votes while the apparent victor,
Bernard Leiker, had 142. Election officials say they
will decide today when the recanvassing will begin.
Democratic Elections Commissioner Nancy Smith said
the recount is unusual because the Board does not
generally get involved in Village elections.

SENECAS PLEAD WITH OBAMA

The President of the Seneca Nation has written a
letter to President Obama asking him to veto the
bill that would ban the shipment of cigarettes
through the mail. Barry Synder Senior said it
would seriously impact the Seneca Nation and
it's people. He told the President they would lose
thousands of jobs and important health care
support. The bill will also cost the cash-strapped
Postal Service $30 to $40-million a year.

LOCKPORT SEX OFFENDER ARRESTED IN AMHERST

A level two sex offender from Lockport has been
arrested by Amherst Police. Thirty-two year old
Richard Muth of Bear Ridge Road was allegedly
involved in improper behavior with an unspecified
number of young people. He's charged with two
counts of unlawfully dealing with a child and
attempted sex abuse. Anyone with information is
asked to call Amherst Police at 689-1393.

WHEATFIELD BUSINESS PARK

The third break-in in three weeks was reported
Thursday at the Wheatfield Business Park. The
property manager, Sherry Hasely, told deputies
the building was entered sometime between 4pm
Monday and 8am Wednesday. The target was once
again a third floor utility room where various metals
have been taken in recent months. Hasely said she
could not determine if anything was taken this time
but a white Ecko Limited T-shirt with yellow and
black lettering was found at the scene. She said they
had taken steps to secure doors and had removed
ladders leading to the roof.

MARCH MADNESS

March Madness NCAA style finally arrives at the
HSBC Arena today. Four games are on deck with
8 teams ready to do the dance. They've saved the
best for last with nunber one Syracuse playing
tonight at 9:40 or so against Vermont. The
action gets underway just after noon with number
two seed West Virginia taking on Morgan State
followed by Clemson and Missouri and Gonzaga
versus Florida State.

CREGO

The Lockport man who was found in Indiana
through postings on his Facebook and MySpace
pages was sentenced to one year in jail Wednesday
on a misdemeanor charge. Thirty-nine year old
Christopher Crego's time in the court system isn't
over yet though, he'll be back April 14th for a pre
trial hearing on the bail jumping charges against
him. The year sentence was imposed for his
attack on a Lockport pizzeria owner in November
2008. He punched Patrick Petrie Junior and then
hit him with a beer bottle ouside a West Avenue bar.
Police said Petrie, who owns Fratelli's Pizza, had
to undergo eye surgery as a result.

GRECO TRAIL

The attorney for one of the two teens accused of killing
Lockport youth counselor Renee Greco asked
Judge Sara Sheldon Sperrazza Wednesday to
dismiss five of the eleven counts against him.
Earl Key argued that a couple of the burglary
counts against 19 year old Anthony Allen should be
thrown out. Key said Allen's alleged entrance into
an office in the group home where he was living
doesn't meet the technical definition of burglary.
He didn't have to enter the building to do it
because he was already living there. He also wants
two other counts dismised that accuse Allen of
killing Greco while he was in the act of committing
another crime. Key also wants Sperezza to rule
that the burglary charges should be tried seperately.

QUINN TO RUN AGAINST STACHOWSKI

Assemblyman Jack Quinn says he wants the
State Senate seat being held by 29 year incumbent
Bill Stachowski. The Republican has represented
the 146th district since 2004 and is the son of
former Buffalo congressman Jack Quinn. Quinn
said it's alarming how little influence our area has
in Albany and the only way to provide Western New
York with effective representation is to take control
of the Senate from Pedro Espada, Malcolm Smith,
and John Sampson. Quinn plans a formal
annoucement tonight at a fundraiser at Morrisey's
Irish Pub in downtown Buffalo.

CIGARETTE SALES THRU THE MAIL BANNED

The New York State Association of Convenience
Stores are applauding legislation awaiting the
President's signature that will ban the shipment
of cigarettes through the mail that have been
purchased over the internet. The House passed
the meaure by a 387-25 vote yesterday. The Senate
did so last week. NYACS President James Calvin
said law abiding mon and pop retailers are
especially grateful to Congressman Anthony Weiner
for sponsoring the bill in the House, and to Senators
Schumer and Gillibrand for doing so in the Senate.
He said a Seneca Nation of Indians claim that the
law will cost a thousand jobs assumes that all their
customers will immediately stop buying cigarettes
altogether. Calvin saying that in reality, there will
be a shift in sales and jobs back to licensed, regulated
retail outlets. He cited a study done by economist
Brian O'Connor that showed that if cigarette tax
collection laws were being fully and fairly enforced,
the State would see an increase of 1300 jobs and
$35-million in higher earnings in the retail cigarette
market.

PRESS SECRETARY QUITS

The Governor's press secretary handed in her
resignation Wednesday. Marissa Shorenstein said
she could no longer do her job effectively because of the
abuse scandal. She's the fourth top staffer in the
Paterson administration to quit. Paterson also said
yesterday in a radio interview that his appointee to
Hillary's Senate seat "through him under the bus."
He was referring to Kirsten Gillibrand's suggestion that
he might have to resign over his role in the abuse allegations.
Meantime, Paterson's lawyer released a harsh critique
yesterday of the ethics charge he's facing for accepting
those tickets to the World Series.

LOCKPORT LIBRARY BUDGET

The trustees of the Lockport Public Library
will hold a public meeting tonight on their
proposed budget for the coming fiscal year.
Registered voters of the Lockport City School
District are eligible to vote on a proposed
$34,000 increase in the portion of the spending
plan that comes from property tax revenue. The
vote will take place on April 7 from 10am till 9pm.
Tonight's meeting starts at 7 in the Library
Meeting Room.

MARCH MADNESS

March Madness arrived in Western New York
yesterday as the eight teams in the NCAA
Tournament flew into town, led by the top
seeded Syracuse Orangemen. All the squads
will practice today at HSBC Arena. The
workouts are free and open to the public.
Round one is tomorrow. West Virginia
and Morgan State start the action at 12:15.
The Orange and Vermont will cap off the
day at about 9:40pm. A slew of games across
the nation tip off today just after noon. Channel
4 will carry the best of them live.

NEWFANE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Residents in Newfane got the bad news from
School Superintendent Gary Pogorzeksli
last night as the District continues work on
next years budget. He said the only things
remaining in the budget now are mandated
increases like insurance, money to pay for the
lights and heat and so forth. He said they had
a decrease of $1.9-million in state aid and
an increase that they can't help of $900,000
and they are still $2.8-million short. He said they
are planning on cutting 32 full and part time
positions next year. He said they would be
expanding the list of cuts announced on March
2 to possibly include a part time counselor,
a music teacher, an administrator, an
academic remedial lab at the middle school,
remedial reading, and some part time instructional
associates. They could also reduce some of their
offerings in foreign language, art, and business.
Sports programs would remain mostly intact.
The budget must be finalized April 23. About 200
people were at the meeting in the gym at the
Early Childhood Center.

COUNTY LEGISLATURE

County lawmakers moved quickly last night
to fill the 14th district seat vacated by new
County Treasuer Kyle Andrews. Legislature
Chairman Bill Ross said resumes should be
submitted by next Monday. He said that he
and lawmaker Gerry Farnham and a yet to
be named Democrat would do the interviews.
They hope to start the process as soon as
March 25 and Ross said he hoped to make the
appointment at their meeting April 6. Members
of any party can apply but they must live in the
14th district which covers Wilson, Cambria, and
western Newfane. The legislature also voted to
give Patricia Dufour of the Town of Lockport
the IDA seat recently vacated by the Rev.
Kevin Hobbs. She's a real estate agent and is
expected to give up her seat on the Town IDA to
take the position. The appointment did not
sit well with representatives of the Falls. They
all voted against it, as did John Ceretto of
Lewiston. Ross said the Falls would still have
adequate representation on the nine member
board. He said their two representatives compose
23 per cent of the board and the city's population
is about 25 percent of the County. County DA
Michael Violante said he will make an announcement
at a later date on whether he will pursue criminal
charges against former County Treasurer Dave
Broderick. He said he had read the report issued
last Friday by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli on
Broderick's handling of 15 estate cases. Broderick
resigned in January after 37 years in office.

SAINT PATRICK'S DAY

The 15o or so members of the Lockport Hibernians
will celebrate Saint Patrick's Day with a noon mass
at All Saint's Parish. That'll be followed by their
traditional march to the monument on the Big
Bridge and members will gather aftewards at the
Legion. Today is also the 118th birthday of Niagara
Falls. Mayor Paul Dyster is expected to cut the cake
tonight during the annual Saint Patty's Day party
put on by the Hibernians at the Conference Center.
It runs from 5-10pm and admission is $6 at the door.

CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY

The Lockport Police Department will start a six
week long Citizens Police Academy in May. It's
designed to give citizens the opportunity to
experience the responsibility that's given to the
men and women of the department. Police officers
will cover basic procedures, the use of deadly
force, traffic stops, defensive tactics, and drug
identification and enforcement. There'll be
hands on training, a simulated crime scene, and
a mock trial. The class is limited to 25 participants
and applicants must be 18 and over and pass a
background check. The classes begin at 7pm,
May 6. Applications can be picked up at the
police department or by e-mailing the department
at MSanders@Lockport.com. Call 439-6704 for more
information.

BURGLARIES IN WHEATFIELD

A resident on Brookhaven Drive in Wheatfield told
Sheriff's deputies yesterday he came home just after
4pm to find a man leaving his apartment with a bag of
his stuff. The victim said a variety of electronics and
a computer were missing worth an estimated $1,500.
The items included a Nintendo wii, an X-box 360, a
lap top, and an I-pod. The man left on a bike
headed toward Deuro Drive. He was wearing a black
t-shirt. The burglary took place between 3:10 and 4pm.
The Sheriff's department is also investigating another
burglary that happened between 8:20am and 4:15pm
in an apartment on Plaza Drive. A variety of gold and
sapphire jewelery was taken along with an $800 bike
and a brown suitcase.

ELECTION RESULTS

Charles Fuller and Herbert Meyer won the two
open seats Tuesday on the Barker Village Board.
Fuller got 59 votes to win a fourth two-year term.
Planning Board Chairman Herbert Meyer received
43. As for the rest of the candidates in the five-way
race, Aaron Nellist tallied 38 votes, Scott Matheis
had 33, and Anthony Schultz wound up with 20.
Schultz had been appointed to the Board last
October to fill the unexpired term of John Hayden
who pased away in September. In the Village of Wilson,
Bernard Leiker defeated Keith Douglas by 10 votes
to win a four year term. There was no competition in
Middleport. Thomas Conley and Richard Westcott
were re-elected to two-year terms.

BILL'S DINER

Some excitement in Newfane around 8:30
am yesterday when three teens allegedly
left Bill's Diner on South Main Street without
paying their bill. The Sheriff's department
caught 16 year old Dylan Roberts of Ransomville
after he fell in the parking lot of Grace Bible
Church. Eighteen year old Eric Kornacki of
Newfane was located in a back yard between
West Avenue and the diner, and an 18 year old
from North Carolina was caught a short time
later. All three were arraigned last night in
Town Court on charges of resisting arrest and
petit larceny.

MIDDLEPORT

A 56 year old Middleport woman reported
Tuesday over $2,100 worth of items for
horses were stolen from her Griswold Street
home. She wasn't sure but thought the items
were taken sometime after March 1. The
Sheriff's department could find no sign of
forced entry.

TONAWANDA SPORTSMENS CLUB

The President of the Tonawanda Sportsmens
Club in Pendleton told Sheriff's deputies Tuesday
the person in charge of membership and other
funds took $789 in cash and checks and deposited
it in his personal bank account. Shawn Schott
said their attorney advised them to file charges
against Milton Munger of Cheektowaga. The money
was allegedly taken between last July and yesterday.

ANDREWS APPOINTED COUNTY TREASURER

The Governor Monday appointed Wilson lawmaker
Kyle Andrews as the new County Treasurer. The
Democrat resigned his seat in the Legilsature after
getting the news and was sworn into office. Paterson
made the appointment to fill the vacancy left by the
resignation by Dave Broderick. Andrews had already
announced he was running for the post this Fall and
had asked Paterson to appoint him to the remainder
of Broderick's term which runs till December 31. Andrews
is an attorney specializing in real estate transactions
and planning. The 29 year old was the youngest elected
official in the State when he won election to the
Legislature in 2002. He's a Captain in the Army Reserve.
He held a staff meeting this morning but says he will take
some time before making any changes in personnel. His
empty seat in the Legislature is expected to go to a
Republican. Lawmakers changed the law in January
allowing them to appoint a member of any party to a
vacant seat.

GANG PROBLEMS

An 18 year old gang member turned himself
into Falls police Monday in connection with
the Saturday morning shooting of a 20 year
old man on Pine Avenue. Howard Welch of
1526 Ferry Avenue is a member of the Eighth
Street Boyz. He was charged with first degree
assault and second degree criminal use of a
weapon. The victim was shot in the buttocks
just after 11:30am on Pine near 30th Street.
Witnesses said five men were fighting when
one of them ran into a green Chevy Suburban
and started to drive away. The vehicle then
stopped and a suspect got out and fired two
or three shots at the others. Mayor Paul
Dyster and City Councilmember Kristen
Grandinetti were nearby when the shooting
took place. He immediately put officers on
overtime and stepped up patrols. He said he
was not going to let the criminal element
take control of any neighborhood. Police
say the shooting is the latest example of gang
related violence in the City. There have been
nearly 50 shooting related incidents since the
start of the year.

IDA SEAT

A Town of Lockport woman is expected to be
appointed tonight to the IDA seat left vacant
by the recent resignation of the Rev. Kevin Dobbs
of Niagara Falls. Patricia Dufour owns the
Cornerstone Services Group and has the
support of Majority Leader Rick Updegrove. He
says she has exactly the background and qualifications
they're looking for. Minority Leader Dennis Virtuoso
and Mayor Paul Dyster are concerned Niagara
Falls is losing a seat on the board, and that Hobbs,
who was the only African-American on the Board,
is being replaced by someone who is not a minority.

A-T-M ATTACK

The second of three men accused of robbing
and beating a Lockport man last December 8
after he had withdrawn $40 from an ATM
machine plead guilty in County Court Monday.
Twenty-two year old Christopher Howard of
Robinson Road admitted to a reduced charge of
attempted second degree robbery. He pointed
his finger at his co-defendents in Court and
charged that Shannon Hill told Zachary Smith
to attack the victim as the victim was riding
away on a bicycle from the M&T bank at Walnut
and Pine. The victim said Hill and Howard
joined in the attack. He ran into Molinaro's
covered in blood looking for help afterwards.
Howard could get seven years in jail when he's
sentenced May 20. Smith and Hill plead not
guilty last month and are being held on
$50,000 bail.

SODA TAX/STATE BUDGET

The State's plan to add a penny per ounce tax
on sugary soft drinks appears to be dead. It
doesn't look like it will pass the Senate where a
number of Democrats have joined the entire
Republican conference in opposition. The
Governor also warned Monday the state budget
is likely to be late this year. The spending plan
is due by April first but Paterson said there's just
too much to do and too little negotiation time
left. He said it might not get finished till the end
of April.

MCQUEEN

A 30 year old Gasport man is facing several
charges after the State Police pulled him over
around 11 last night on Rochester Road for
an equipment violation. Scott McQueen of
Humphrey Road is wanted on an active warrant
for aggravated stalking from Sarasota, Florida.
He was also charged with criminal contempt
for having a rifle and amunition in his vehicle.
An order of protection issued by the City of
Lockport court prohibits him from possessing
a firearm. He was arraigned in Royalton Court
and sent to the County Jail on $5,000 bail. His
next court appearance is at 4:30 pm Thursday.

FLOOD WARNING

A FLOOD WARNING continues through this
evening for the Tonawanda Creek at Rapids.
The National Weather Service says the creek
crested at just under 13 feet last night. The
flood stage is 12 feet and they're expecting
the waters will fall below flood stage between
3 & 7 pm today.

ALERTS

The State Division of Criminal Justice Services will
now send out alerts when a registered sex offender
moves into your area. You can sign up to have them
sent to you by e-mail, text message, fax, or
phone. The e-mail address to do so is "Criminal
Justice.State.NY.US," then click on NY Alert.

SEX OFFENDER

A registered sex offender from the Town of Lockport
is being held on $10,000 bail in the County Jail after
he allegedly assaulted a child on several occasions.
Twenty-six year old Stephen Andres of 6355 Robinson
Road is also charged with endangering the welfare of
a child. State Police did not release the age of the
victim, who suffered a bruised eye and a back
injury. He was found guilty in 2003 of raping a
14 year old girl.

AWARDS CEREMONY

A 2006 graduate of Medina High School
was presented with three awards Sunday during
a Hometown Heros Salute at the Niagara Falls
Air Reserve Station. Staff Sergeant Geralyn
Schoenle was named the New York State
Air National Guard airman of the year, the
107th Airlift Wing airman of the year, and the
Air Mobility Command ISR component Airman of
the Year. The 21 year old lived with her family
in Lockport before they moved to Medina. She
was congratulated Sunday by Brigadier Generals
Patrick Murphy and Jim Kwiatowski. Schoenle
was promoted to her present rank last Thursday
and she already has orders for a six month
deployment to Mississippi where she'll help train
new intelligence specialists. More than 550 members
of the New York State Air National Guard were
there for yesterday's "salute." It recognized airmen
who deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom and
Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The
ceremony was the first phase of a three part series
recognizing the sacrifices made by the men and
women of the Guard and their families. Phase one
honored those who served from 30 to 179 consecutive
days. The second and third phases will honor those
who served for longer periods of time.

TOWN HALL MEETING

Lockport's new second ward alderman, Jack Smith,
will hold a Town Hall meeting Tuesday night in the
Lockport Library meeting room. Smith says it's
geared to his ward, but open to any city resident.
He plans to touch on term limits and housing and
to tell his constituents what his first three months
in office have been like. He will also pass out
contact information. The meeting starts at 7pm.

FLOOD WARNING

A FLOOD WARNING is in effect through late Tuesday
night for the Tonawanda Creek at Rapids. National
Weather Service forecaster Dave Sage tells WLVL
it's currently above flood stage. It's 12 feet and
it was measured at 12 1/2 feet at 4am today. It's
still rising and Sage says it looks like it'll be slow
rise and probably crest just under 13 feet sometime
this evening. Minor flooding is occurring and minor
flooding is forecast. Water is overtaking some farm
areas and some road closures can be expected.

A DECISION ON CANAL STREET

The City of Lockport wants to know by the end of
the month if a Depew company is still interested
in buying the three vacant buildings on Canal Street.
The city sent In-Lighten a letter last week asking for
an answer by March 31. Mayor Mike Tucker says
they want them to know the negotiation is not open
ended and there are others who may be interested
in the property. Corporation Counsel John Ottaviano
says if they back away, the city will probably list it
with Waterbourne Real Eastate Advisors of Getzville.
The city's deal with In-Lighten would include a
provision saying the company would have to pay
a stiff penalty if they were to re-sell the property
within five years of acquiring it. The City would also
not relinquish the title to the property until
In-Lighten starts work on interior renovations. Ottaviano
says he knows the company is looking at other
locations.

WILSON MASTER PLAN

Officials in Wilson are inviting the public to a
meeting tonight to discuss putting together
a master plan for the Village and Town. Town
Supervisor Joe Jastrzemski says the job will
be done by Wendel Duchscherer and it's
beinf paid for with $50,000 grant secured by State
Senator George Maziarz. After tonight, a committee
of about a dozen members will continue to meet
with the company on a regular basis. A second
public meeting will be held at a later date to decide
if they're headed in the right direction. They hope to
finish by the end of the year. Tonight's meeting is
at 6:30 in the High School auditorioum.

SAINT PATRICKS DAY PARTY

The Niagara Falls Chapter of the Ancient Order
of the Hibernians is getting ready for their
28th annual Saint Patrick's Day party. It'll be
held from 5-10pm Wednesday at the Falls
Conference Center. The world's shortest
parade will precede the party. It starts at 4:45
at 0ld Falls & Rainbow Boulevard North. The
party that follows is considered to be the largest
celebration of the holiday in Western New York.
There'll be plenty of food and beverages on sale
and lots of live Irish music by a group from
South Buffalo called The Blarney Bunch. Students
from the McCarthy School of Irish Dance will
be back once again. Saint Patrick's Day is also
the anniversary of the city's incorporation and
Mayor Paul Dyster is expected to be there to cut
the city's birthday cake. Tickets are $5 in advance
and on sale at B&B Cigars on Main Street,
at Cherie Amour on Center Street in Lewiston,
at Always on Party on Military Road, and McInery's
Irish Imports in the Eastern Hills Mall, and McClouds
Pharmacy on Buffalo Avenue. You can also get them
from any member of the AOH or LAOH. As in years
past, they will be collecting non-perishable food items
at the door for the Heart & Soul Food Pantry.

LOCKPORT RITE AID MANAGER ATTACKED

A 40 year old Lockport man was charged with
third degree assault and menacing Saturday
after he allegedly attacked the manager of the
Rite Aid at South Transit and High Streets.
Ronald Slade of 51 Franklin became angry after
the store would not cash his Western Union
check. He left the store but left his sunglasses
on the counter. The manager went outside to
give them back, but she says Slade was waiting
for her, and when she turned to run back inside,
he allegedly swore at her, pushed her, and
grabbed her by the shoulders and punched her
several times. Slade was caught a short time
later walking on South Transit beyond Nichols
Street. Officers said he was out of breath and
extremely angry.

UNDERAGE

A 17 year old Barker girl was charged wuth
unlawful possession of alcohol around 4:20 this
morning in a driveway at 6 Crestwood Drive in the
Town of Lockport. Jessi Evans of Lake Road was
sitting in a car with two other girls. She said they
were having a cigarette because they were not
allowed to smoke inside. Sheriff's deputies saw two
cans of beer in her purse and issued her an
appearance ticket for Town Court. Deputies had
gone to the home to investigate a loud party
complaint.

HIGH SPEED CHASE

A 26 year old Falls man is facing a variety of charges
following a brief high speed chase on Pine Avenue near
21st Street early Sunday morning. Joseph Szwalla of
Walnut Avenue allegedly wandered across the center
line on Pine, failed to signal, went the wrong way on a
one-way street, and failed a field sobreity test when he
was was stopped. Szwalla was charged with
misdemeanor DWI, failing to signal, no seat belt,
speeding, consuming alcohol in the car, and driving
the wrong way on a one way street.