CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

A 50 year old Lockport man was sentenced to
nine years in jail Monday for receiving child
pornography. Thomas Powers will also be
subject to five years post release supervision.
Assistant US Attorney Marie Grisanti said
Powers had 16 disks containing child
pornography and he admitted he had over
two thousand images and a few videos. He
had been found guilty last October. The case
was brought as part of Operation Safe
Childhood.

GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY TASK FORCE

State Senators George Maziarz and Bill Stachowski
are expected to be named today to a bi-partisan
task force on government efficiency. The Senate
Majority Conference says they will work to develop
a fiscally responsible budget.

NIAGARA MILITARY AFFAIRS COUNCIL

County lawmakers Monday presented the Niagara
Military Affairs Council with a check for $40,000
to help pay for their activities this year. Lawmaker
Kyle Andrews said the Legislature has been a
partner with NIMAC for many years and have
kept the base off two base realignment and
closing commission lists. Lawmaker Danny
Sklarski was on hand for the presentation. He's
the longest serving NIMAC member in the
Legislature. He noted the base supports over
3,000 men and women from this area and
contributes over $100-million annually to the
local economy. NIMAC Chairman and
organizer Merrill Lane said the base was a major
employer and it's important to keep it going and
keep it strong. He said they were working on
$25-million in more projects that will be coming
to Niagara in the future.

TOWN OF LOCKPORT ZONING

Lawmakers in the Town of Lockport are expected
tomorrow to set a public hearing for April 7 on a
number of amendments to the zoning code. The
proposed changes were presented to the Town
Board Monday. They would do away with the
seperate provisions governing car dealerships,
allow taller and more densely packed buildings
in cluster developments, and give the Planning
Board more leeway in administering parking
rules for businesses. The package basically
leaves the sign laws untouched except for one
change that allows larger signs for businesses
on small lots. Owners of land in agricultural
districts would be permitted to build single
family homes on land that hasn't been farmed
in five years but the lot must be at least
three acres. Anyone owning livestock or
horses would have to have at least ten acres
and they would be limited to two horses per acre.

AGGRAVATED DWI

A 28 year old Newfane man was charged with
aggravated DWI around 4am Monday on Ewings
Road. Brian Wise of 2852 South Main registered
a .23 blood alchol content when he was tested at
the Sheriff's Department. He was held on $250
bail. He told deputies he had three beers at a
friends house in Lockport. Wise was arrested
after his car was found in a ditch with the motor
running. He's due in Town Court tonight.

BEAR HARVEST

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
says last year's harvest of black bears was the second
highest ever recorded. Hunters took 1,487 bears, a 15
per cent increase over 2008. The largest harvest ever
recorded was in 2003 when 1,864 bears were taken by
hunters. More than half of last year's harvest was seen
in the Adirondacks. The DEC says favorable weather
and a relatively good food supply kept bears from denning
early and led to plenty of opportunities for hunters.

BURGLARY

The Sheriff's Department is investigating a second
break in that occurred Sunday morning at the
former Bell plant in Wheatfield. It's now the
Wheatfield Industrial Park and about $1,500 in
copper pipe and $500 worth of machinery were
taken from the air conditioning room on the third
floor. Deputies said the building's maintenance
staff failed to follow their reccomendations after
the building was entered last week. Entry was made
through the same unlocked door on the roof. Deputies
said it appeared the copper was dropped from the
roof to a waiting truck. Two pieces of plywood were
found on the ground apparently to keep the truck
from being stuck in the snow.

DWI

A 40 year old Newfane man was charged with
aggravated DWI around 3am Sunday on Lockport
Olcott Road. Clark Dunkelberger of Caledonia
Street was orginally pulled over for speeding. He
allegedly told deputies he had too much to drink
and that he shouldn't be driving. When they tried
to administer field sobriety tests, he supposedly
told them there was no need, to just arrest him. He
failed all the testing at the scene and registered a
point 19 when he was taken to headquarters. He
was held on $250 bail. Dunkelberger is due in
Newfane Town Court tomorrow.

WILSON TEEN ARRESTED IN WHEATFIELD

A 16 year old Wilson boy was charged with
possession of marijuana and unlawfully
driving at night around 2:30 Sunday morning
in the parking lot of the former JT Wheatfield's
bar. Christopher White of Wilson Cambria Road
was with two other teens from Wilson. A deputy
said they were standing on the corner of the
Boulevard and Ward Road and they ran
when deputies approached. They were found in
a car that had become stuck in a snowbank, and two
glass marijuana smoking bowls were allegedly inside
the vehicle.

NEWFANE MAN ATTACKED AT BAR

A 23 year old Newfane man was taken to ENH-
Newfane early Sunday morning after he was
attacked by four to five men outside the Time
Out Two bar in Olcott. The victim said he was
struck by fists, kicks, chairs, and a baseball
bat. He gave deputies the name of one of
those he thought was involved, but none of
the bystanders would provide any information.
The victim did not want to press charges.