DRUGS STOLEN FROM CAR

A 58 year old Lockport woman says a bag
containing all of her prescriptions was stolen
from her car around 5:25 last night while it
was parked in the lot of the CVS Store on
Saunders Settlement Road in Cambria. A
total of 24 preascriptions were in the bag and
included everything from hydrocodone to
vitamin D. She said she locked the car
door when she and her hubby entered the
store, but he went back to get something
and left the door open. There are no
surveillance cameras in the drug store lot.

SLOWING DOWN HIS PROGRESS

A 20 year old Newfane man was sentenced to
six months in the County Jail Tuesday after he
told Judge Sara Sheldon Sperrezza the drug
treatment program she had previously assigned
him to was "slowing down his progress." Sperrezza
told Lee Smith of Hess Road he was immature and
"just didn't get it." Smith had pleaded guilty to
selling oxycodone pills January 8 to an undercover
Lockport police officer. He'll be on probation for
4 1/2 years after he's released from jail.

LAZIO GETS COUNTY GOP ENDORSEMENT

Former Congressman Rick Lazio was in
Lockport last night to get the endorsement
of the County's Republican party in his
quest to run for Governor next year. Local
party chief Mike Norris said Lazio met with
the Executive Committee where he shared his
vision on tackling the complete dysfunction
in Albany and to restore fiscal responsibilty
back to the Capitol. He said Lazio stands for
the fundamental principles that most New Yorkers
are yearning for, less taxes, less government
and real reform. Lazio said he was pleased
and proud to get the endorsement...because
of their record and because the county is
important geographically and he expected to
spend a lot of time in Western New york. He
said it was one of the most important areas
of the State where he wanted to create jobs.
He said lifelong politicians had created the
State's problems. He promised to turn the
state around by making sure politicians
spend money responsibly and programs
produce results. Lazio lost to Hillary
Clinton in the 2000 Senate campaign. The
endorsement was announced prior to the
party's holiday gathering at the Lockport
Holiday Inn.

FALLS BUDGET

Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster Monday
vetoed the City Council's decision to cut
the Economic Development Director from
the 2010 budget and to drastically reduce
the salary of the City Administrator. He issued
a third that would put casino money back into
the budget to pay for the Economic Development
Director's salary and benefits. The jobs are
held by Peter Kay and Donna Owens. He issued
a 23 page report defending their work and
reminded the council that the Economic
Development post was referenced in the City's
replay to the State Comptrollers audit of
their relations with developers. The Comptroller
basically said they had to do a better job of
protecting the taxpayer's interests in the
agreements and you do that by having a
strong person in charge. He also said
Owens came highly reccomended and she's
taken the burden of the city's day to day
functioning off his back , allowing him to
be the front man for the City. The Council said
they were disappointed with their work when
they made changes to the Mayor's proposed
budget. Dyster issued a 23 page report
defending them. Three members of the Council,
Chris Robins, Charley Walker, and Steve Fournier
have said they are willing to reconsider their
votes before the spending plan is finalized
next week. It would take four votes to overide
Dyster's veto.

HIGH WIND WATCH

The National Weather Service has issued a
high wind watch from Wednesday night thru
Thursday afternoon. A deep storm system over
the Central Plains this afternoon will lift northeast.
It's central pressure is expected to deepen to
minimum hurricane levels. Winds will increase
to 25 to 40 mph Wednesday night and Thursday
with gusts to 55 mph. They could bring down
tree limbs that might lead to power outages. The
Weather Service is advising you to secure your
outdoor holiday decorations. We're told that
as of now, it doesn't look like Niagara County
will see enough snow for a Winter Weather
Advisory or a Storm Warning. That could
change depending on the direction of the winds
and the resulting lake effect snow that is
expected in some areas.

BRUNO FOUND GUILTY ON TWO COUNTS

Former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno was
found guilty yesterday of two felony counts of
depriving the public of his honest services. The
80 year old was cleared of five more and a mistrial
was declared in a sixth. Bruno was found guilty
of mail fraud involving checks he got from companies
tied to an Albany area businessman and from a friend.
The other count involved his failure to disclose his
participation in a horse business and a $40,000
check he got for a horse that was virtually worthless.
He could get as much as 20 years in prison when he's
sentenced March 31. He's free on his own recognizance
till then. Bruno said he would appeal and said it was
far from over. The jury took seven days to reach a verdict.

HUNTING REPORT

In a midseason report yesterday, the State DEC
said they had issued about 250 violations since the
start of the big game hunting season. Twelve of them
took place in Niagara County but some residents
were charged with violations in other areas. Twenty-
seven year old Michael Moore of the Falls was charged
with killing a black bear during the closed season in the
Town of Birdsall in Alleghany County. Seventy-two
year old Charles Smith of Gasport was charged with
a misdemeanor in the same county for allegedly killing
a wild deer over bait, and a violation for hunting deer
over bait. Fifty year old Michael Greaser of the Falls
received a violation for hunting big game in Alleghany
County during the closed hours. In Niagara County,
63 year old George Merkling III of Wilson was charged
with a misdemeanor in Newfane for carrying a rifle
larger than a 22 calibre afield.

FELONY D-W-I

A 47 year old barmaid at the Canalside Inn is
facing a long list of charges after Sheriff's
deputies pulled her over around 1:30 this
morning at the intersection of Root and
Royalton-Hartland Townline Road. Valerie
Peters of Wruck Road is charged with a felony
DWI, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental
administration, speeding, failure to keep right,
refusing to take a breath test, drinking while
driving, and using obscene gestures and
language. Deputies said she started to hit her
head against the side of the patrol car after she
was handcuffed. She managed to slip out
of them while in the car and had to be pulled
out to have them re-secured. Once she was
back inside the vehicle, she banged her head
on the side windows and cage. When they
stopped to talk to her, she allegedly tried to
escape by kicking a deputy in the leg. Peters
is being held on $750 bail. The DWI felony charge
was levelled after it was found she had been
found guilty of DWI in January 2002. She was
originally pulled over for going 41 mph in a 30mph
zone.

84 LUMBER

The manager of Wheatfield's 84 Lumber reported
Monday $510 worth of wood was stolen sometime
since October 7. The lumber was kept outside on
the northwest corner of the property near the
railroad tracks. It's fenced in but the manager
believes somebody hopped the fence. Vehicle
tracks were found nearby and they led to the
railroad bridge. The thefts were discovered during an
inventory. The lumber was of construction grade
and consisted of thirty 2by4by16 pieces, ninety
2by4by10 pieces, and thirty 2by4by12 pieces.

RITE AID

A 33 year old Lockport man was charged last
night with taking a clock radio off the shelf at
the Rite Aid at Transit and High and then turning
it in for a refund. Robert Reeb told the
clerk had had lost the receipt and after he left
she checked the store's surveillance cameras
and found he had not been carrying the clock
radio when he came in. She called police and
he was arrested around 6:30 last night at his
apartment at 6552 Lincoln Place. He's charged
with petit larceny and is due in court December 16.