SEARCH

Four agencies are searching Lake Ontario for a 61 year old Pennsylvania
man and his girlfriend. Frank Yantos and his companion, Mary Ellen Fosbrink
left the 0lcott Marina on a boat at 4:30 Wednesday morning to go fishing,
They were last seen about 2pm that day. Coast Guard officials say they
have two boats in the water, along with another from the Sheriff's department.
A helicopter is also being used as well as a C-130 from Canada. Yantos's boat
trailer was still parked at the marina this morning. He's described as a regular
there and a friend told officials it's unusual for Yantos to be gone more than a
day. He's a seasonal renter at the Harbor Resort on Route 18 and is from
Delmont Pennsylvania. Fosbrink is also believed to be from the Keystone
State.

WOJTASZEK CHALLENGES GREAR

County G-O-P Chairman Henry Wojtaszek issuing a challenge
to Brian Grear. Grear hopes to take the Republican nomination
away from State Senator George Maziarz in next month's primary
and Wojtaszek says Grear should release his personnel file from
the Sheriff's Department. He says Republican voters know
very little about Grear and what we do know doesn't appear to
be very good. Wojtaszek says he's troubled by Grear's failure to
join the search for a three year old girl who went missing a few years
back. He said the Sheriff publically criticized Grear for not doing
so and Grear has never given a clear explanation of the matter.
Wojtaszek also pointed to Grear's lawsuit against the county.

WOJTASZEK CHALLENGES GREAR

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY

Niagara University's gotten a $300,000 grant to help pay for
a new science building planned for the campus. The cash from
the Maergaret Wendt Foundation will be applied toward the University's
ongoing capitol campaign, "The Promise of Niagara." The new building
may not be completed till 2012 but is needed. The current science building
dates back to 1961.

N-TRIPLE-C

Students will be moving into N-C-C-C'S new dorm over the weekend.
We're told that 215 out of it's 308 rooms have been taken and college
spokesperson Michelle Schmidt said they expect the remainder will
go quickly as students find out all that the "College Village Suites"
have to offer. The $19.3-million structure is the first new building to
be built on the campus since the school moved to Sanborn in 1973.
The move-in will take place from 10 till 2 Saturday and Sunday. The
college will also have most of their support services open over the
weekend as well including the financial aid and business offices,
the Wellness Center, and the bookstore.

"CAPPY"

Lockport's famous downtown canal boat will be getting a facelift
in the coming weeks. Mayor Mike Tucker told the Council tonight
the city will power wash the boat next week and the Canal Corporation
was donating the paint to freshen up the structure. He said Noah's
Ark owner Kathy 0'Keefe had gotten a couple of grants to add new
landscaping and a new sign would be added. The boat sits on the
Tri-Way Bridge at the intersection of Transit, Walnut, and West Genesee.
It's only occupant is "Cappy.". Tucker said O'Keefe spearheaded the
project and deserves all the credit.

LOCKPORT RECYCLING

Lockport Mayor Mike Tucker saying tonight he will appoint a
three person committee to look into curbside recycling. The
announcement coming after the City Council spent around half
an hour talking with officials from Waste Management. Tucker
said he expected the committee would talk to other companies
and bring the results back to the Council. Alderwoman Richelle
Pasceri has been pushing for the program and expects to be one
of the three appointees. Waste Management reccommended the city
do "single stream recycling". It's where residents put a variety of
material into a single container for pick-up. It's then sorted later at
their processing facility. Waste Management never gave an answer
when they were asked three times how much it might cost the city
to begin the program. Pasceri said she hoped the City might make
a profit on the venture.

NURSES

Officials at Niagara County Community College say they have
received a nearly $109,000 state grant to support the growing
enrollment of it's nursing program. The cash will pay for a full
time clinical coordinator and part time tutors. Nursing Division
Chair Kay Collard said it would provide support for almost 500
students. Studies have shown there won't be enough R-N's in
the State by 2015 and the shortage will worsen by 2020.

MEDICAID FRAUD

The County Legislature's Administration Committee met
Tuesday night and o-k'd creating a new position of
"Special Assistant for Medicaid Provider Fraud." The
salary will be decided when the resolution comes up for
a vote at next Tuesday night's meeting of the Legislature.
Social Services Commissioner Tony Restaino said it should
be around $70,000 but County Manager Greg Lewis was
concerned that would be more money than department heads
receive. The Committee voted to table another request by
Social Services to add seven caseworkers at Child Protective
Services. The state will only pay for them till next March and
then the County would have to pick up the cost. Restaino
said the help is needed. There's been an increase in child abuse
reports and the state wants caseworkers to handle only 12
active investigations per month. Niagara County's currently
have 17. The decision to table came after Restaino said he
didn't think the County would be sanctioned for not doing so.

CORNERSTONE STRIKE SETTLED

Employees were back on the job Wednesday at Cornerstone
Community Federal Credit Union after management and
members of local 212 reached a new deal Monday. It took
effect immediately. Members of local 212 walked off the job
August 15th after rejecting an initial offer for a second time.