MAN WHO VOLUTEERED D.N.A. MEETS JUDGE MONDAY ::Tuesday, June 10th::

The man now accused of eight felonies in the March 20th abduction and sexual assault of a 12 year old North Tonawanda girl will appear on Friday for a felony hearing. 41 year old Mitchell Brokob stood silently in city court Monday as Judge William Lewis handed down paperwork initiating proceedings in the case. Brokob - who is being held without bail in the County Jail - was asked Monday to sign an order of protecting barring him from all contact with any juvenile under the age of 18. Brokob is married and is the father of a young daughter, for who the order also applies. Lewis told him that he would be free to apply for bail once the matter reaches County Court. In this case, the girl was abducted at knife point, taken to a vacant home, and sexually assaulted, before escaping from a second story window down a bed sheet. Niagara County District Attorney Michael Violante says Brokob has a workers comp. type of injury, which occurred a couple years ago, and has been unemployed for quite some time.

NEXT APPEAL COULD DELAY LOCKPORT SUPER WALMART CONSTRUCTION 9 MONTHS ::Tuesday, June 10th::

In the Town of Lockport, residents involved with Smart Growth are appealing the recent State Supreme Court ruling upholding Town approvals of a proposed WalMart Supercenter at the vacated Lockport Mall. Smart Growth attorney Dan Spitzer says he filed a notice of appeal late last week. The notice essentially puts WalMart and the Town on notice that the group will argue some aspect of Judge Richard Kloch's ruling supporting planning and zoning approvals to put a Supercenter at the mall. Spitzer says the initial appeal notice doesn't have to be specific, and they now have up to nine months to make a specific claim to the Appelate Court. The filing is quote, "the start of a long process," according to Spitzer.

GOVERNENT TO CITIZENS: "HOLD THE TOMATOES!" ::Tuesday, June 10th::

McDonald's, Wal-Mart, and other nationwide chains have halted sales of some raw tomatoes as federal health officials work to trace the source of multiple salmonella food poisoning outbreaks. Burger King, Outback Steakhouse, and Taco Bell were among the others who voluntarily withdrew tomatoes from the menus. Tomatoes that should be avoided are red roma, red round, and red plum. Most have been removed from area stores.

ARREST MADE IN MARCH ABDUCTION ::Monday, June 9th::

North Tonawanda Police have charged a suspect with the March 21st abduction and sexual assault of a 12 year old girl from a local middle school. 41 year old Mitchell Brokob of 592 Gilmore Ave. was arrested early Friday night. Brokob lives just a few houses down from the empty home where police say the assault took place. Police say they were able to use evidence similar to DNA to link Brokob to the crime scene. They did that by canvassing the neighborhood and asking male residents to voluntarily submit a swab of their inner cheek. Of the 30 samples taken, Brokob's was one of them. The husband and father is charged with two counts of predatory sexual assault against a child, four counts of 1st degree criminal sexual acts, kidnapping in the 2nd degree, criminal possession in the 4th degree, and burglary in the 1st degree. He pled not guilty to those charges on Friday. Meantime, the father of the victim issued a statement through police in which he told parents to be aware of the dangers children face.

LYNCH ATTORNEY TO SPEAK WITH ERIE COUNTY D.A. ::Monday, June 9th::

There will be a meeting of the minds later today between the attorney for Bills running back Marshawn Lynch - Michael Caffery - and Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark. At issue: when investigators will be able to question Lynch about the hit and run accident involving his SUV late last month. An Ontario woman was hit in the crosswalk at the intersection of Delaware and Chippewa. She suffered minor injuries and police have tried to contact Lynch since the night of the incident, but have so far been unsuccessful. Clark and Caffery did meet briefly last Friday, and today's meeting is expected to be much longer. Clark says he's working under the assumption that Lynch was driving the vehicle and that he has proof he was on Chippewa on the night in question. Clark also believes that there were at least two other people in the SUV when the accident occuredl possibly other Bills.

NATIONAL GASOLINE AVERAGE HITS NEW HIGH ::Monday, June 9th::

For the first time ever gas prices nationwide have reached an all-time high of $4.00 a gallon - $.90 higher than this time last year. The average cost for a gallon of unleaded in these parts is now $4.16. Experts say a barrel of crude may soon cost $150, so don't look for the price of gas to come down any time soon. It could reach $5 a gallon this summer.

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."