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."

COUNTY LAWMAKERS EXPECTED TO TALK ABOUT SEX OFFENDERS DURING TUESDAY'S MEETING ::Monday, June 2nd::

A county-wide law barring many convicted sex offenders from coming within 1,000 ft of facilities for children is on Tuesday's Niagara County Legislature agenda. They're expected to call a June 17th public hearing on the measure, sponsored by lawmakers Paul Wojtasek, Jason Cafarella, and John Ceretto. Since it was first introduced on April 1st, the proposal has undergone a few revisions. The main change is the deletion of a provision that the buffer zone would apply to all sex offenders. Now, it calls for barring only level 2 and level 3 offenders, the two most serious grades. They would be banned from a 1,000 ft radius of a school, day care center, playground, public swimming pool, or public or private youth centers. Wojtasek says he doesn't object to not including level 1 offenders since they are considered the least likely to reoffend. Sex offenders who already live or work within the 1,000 ft zone will not have to move or change jobs, but they will have to avoid contact with children in that zone.

NEW YORK'S NEXT LAWSUIT PART OF 'JUNGLE WARARE' ::Monday, June 2nd::

Amazon.com has filed a lawsuit asking a New York court to declare the state's new internet tax unconstitutional. The web retailer argues that New York State can't tax it because Amazon has no physical presence in New York, or significant ties with the state. The bill - recently signed by Governor Paterson - requires web retailers that use in-state affiliates to collect sales tax. The bills were largely seen as targeting Amazon.com, and was informally referred to as the 'Amazon Tax.' Meantime, Overstock.com has followed Amazon's lead by filing its own lawsuit against the state, for many of the same reasons.

FALLS POLICE CAPTAIN WILL ANNOUNCE RUN FOR COUNTY SHERIFF ::Friday, May 30th::

The worst kept political secret in Niagara County is now out of the bag. Niagara Falls Police Captain Ernest Palmer will announce on Monday that he is a candidate for the republican nomination to run for County Sheriff this November. Palmer is looking to replace Sheriff Tom Belien, who will leave the post to become chairman of the State Commission of Corrections. Palmer has long been rumored as a potential candidate for the post, however, the Falls detective chief has held off a formal announcement, waiting for Belien to formally leave office. Meantime, current Sheriff's Chief Deputy James Voutour is expected to receive the democratic nod to run for the job. Palmer could also face a GOP primary. Sheriff's deputy Brian Greer has also expressed a desire to capture the republican nomination to succeed Belien.

THRUWAY AUTHORITY LOSES 'FREE-Z-PASS' ::Friday, May 30th::

Thruway Authority commissioners who set toll rates are now paying tolls like the rest of us. Authority executives - pressured by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo - cancelled free EZ Passes on Wednesday for seven current and former members of their governing board. Board members had enjoyed lifetime EZ Passes that allowed them to travel the thruway for free. The authority has approved several toll hikes, and critics duly noted the EZ Passes exempted board members from paying the toll increases they imposed on the public. State Senator George Maziarz was one of the most vocal critics, and co-sponsored a bill that helped right this wrong.

BATAVIA TEEN DIES IN FIRE ::Friday, May 30th::

Tragedy in Batavia where a teenager is dead after a fatal fire early Friday morning . Genesee County Sheriff's deputies says the blaze broke out at 2am Friday on Lewiston Road. 17 year old Erik Mooney evidently was overcome by smoke, and was found at the top of the stairwell and was rushed to United Memorial where he was pronounced dead. Two other people did manage to escape the flames. 41 year old Judy Clark told deputies that she woke up to the sound of a smoke alarm and the barking family dog. 15 year old Michael Mooney got out of the burning home through a bathroom window. 47 year old Scott Clark had already left for work. Investigators say the fire started on the porch and burned through the first floor. The Town of Batavia Fire Department is still trying to determine the cause.

CATALYTIC CONVERTERS GO MISSING IN WOLCOTTSVILLE ::Thursday, May 29th::

The Sheriff's Department is investigating the theft of five catalytic converters from a Wolcottsville business Tuesday night. The owner of Buck's Small Repair at 3060 Griswold Street said the five had just been removed from vehicles Tuesday and were hidden under a pile of junk. Nothing else was taken even though a lot of metal and tools were in plain sight. A recently hired worker told deputies he found the door open at 10:30 Tuesday night and allegedly gave deputies several conflicting stories as to why he was there. They said he was nervous during the interview. They told him a criminal investigator would be contacting him to further the investigation.