The Buffalo Chronicle
Feature 1
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Erie County still chasing $617,700 from Albany for jail stays left over from the prison strike
Erie County lawmakers voted unanimously to press the state for $617,700 the Sheriff’s Office spent holding parole violators during the prison staffing crisis. The state law at issue doesn’t mention parole violators,…
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Niagara Falls froze its trash fee for 2027, leaving a $1.12 million gap for the mayor’s budget
The Niagara Falls City Council voted 5-0 to keep the garbage and recycling fee at $181, leaving about $1.12 million for the general fund to cover. Mayor Robert Restaino’s 2027 budget is…
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North Tonawanda traffic stop that ended in Border Patrol arrests is under state review
The attorney general’s office is reviewing a complaint over an Oct. 7 North Tonawanda traffic stop that ended with Border Patrol arresting three roofing workers. The police chief says it was a…
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Seneca Nation bans all Level 3 sex offenders from its territories, with annuities and leases on the line
The Seneca Nation Council has barred every Level 3 registered sex offender from Seneca territory. Members who violate it can lose annuity payments, and lessees who harbor an offender can lose their…
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Western New York’s $16 minimum wage is frozen for 2027 by a jobs test Albany now calls ‘overly sensitive’
A small drop in statewide jobs canceled the first inflation raise under New York’s 2023 wage law. Gov. Hochul wants $16.55 upstate by March 1, but that depends on the Legislature.
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Hotels chosen for convenience and self-approved credit cards: what four new audits found in Western New York
Audits of the Snyder Fire District, Lancaster’s Twin District fire company, the City of Olean and Erie County’s cash office found weak checks on receipts, wire transfers and financial reports. Here’s what…
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Upstate voters sour on Hochul, Buffalo’s hometown governor, as downstate megaprojects draw billions
Kathy Hochul is the first governor from Buffalo since Grover Cleveland. Polls show upstate voters souring on her as billions go to downstate transit, while her office points to the Bills stadium,…
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Josh Allen ties Jim Kelly in Las Vegas, but a spitting ejection leaves the Bills with a suspension question
Josh Allen tied Jim Kelly’s franchise touchdown-pass record in a 33-30 win over the Raiders. Now the 5-1 Bills wait to learn whether the NFL will suspend C.J. Gardner-Johnson for spitting, and…
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Bills are 4-1, but Jim Leonhard says his defense can’t keep waiting for Josh Allen to rescue it
The Bills are 4-1, but defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard says a unit giving up historic numbers can’t keep relying on Josh Allen to bail it out. “Everything’s being evaluated.”
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Bills fans paid $1.08 million in Erie County’s stadium surcharge in August. Where does it go?
A 6% Erie County surcharge on tickets, food and merchandise at the new Highmark Stadium raised $1.08 million in August alone. Where the money goes, who tracks it, and what still isn’t…
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Sabres keep digging out of early holes, and Lindy Ruff wants them to stop digging
The Sabres keep rallying from two-goal deficits, including Saturday’s 4-3 overtime loss in Montreal. Coach Lindy Ruff’s verdict: “We’ve got to fix the start.”
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UB keeps the Flagship Cup in overtime and climbs to 4-3 in its first season at Broadview Stadium
UB rallied to beat UMass in overtime and keep the Flagship Cup, moving to 4-3 and 2-1 in the MAC in its first season at the renamed Broadview Stadium.
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Volunteer firefighter tax credit quadruples to $800, but Hochul’s office describes a narrower law than lawmakers passed
Gov. Hochul signed a bill raising the volunteer firefighter and EMS tax credit from $200 to $800. Her office says it starts in 2027 and can’t be stacked with local property tax…
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Niagara SPCA gets $5,000 county boost as grace year for New York’s new shelter rules runs out
Niagara County legislators gave the Niagara SPCA $5,000 to upgrade kennels under New York’s new shelter standards, as the state’s ‘educational year’ for the rules ends in mid-December.
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No charges in Cheektowaga Flock camera misuse, leaving discipline and oversight as the open questions
Erie County prosecutors won’t charge three Cheektowaga police employees who used Flock cameras to track a co-worker for months. Residents now want answers on discipline, audits and who watches the system.
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WNY ‘No Kings’ rallies turn protest energy toward early voting
Saturday’s No Kings rallies across Western New York pushed early voting Oct. 24–Nov. 1. Mayor Sean Ryan, Supervisor Brian Nowak and organizers cast turnout as the test that follows the signs.
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Buffalo schools revise closure plan after community pushback on high school merger and bilingual seats
Buffalo Public Schools is revising its eight-school closure proposal, shifting a high school merger to East Community and adding transfer options for PS 33. Capacity and staffing checks are still unfinished.
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HEAP winter heating aid opens Nov. 2 as delivered-fuel benefits rise
New York’s HEAP season opens Nov. 2 with higher oil and wood benefits. Western New York received 132,462 benefits last winter; Erie County authorized more than 93,000. Emergency HEAP begins Jan. 4,…
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Alberta votes Monday on a path to separation as Carney warns ‘some outside our borders’ want to break Canada
Alberta’s 10-question referendum asks whether to start the legal process toward a binding vote on leaving Canada. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Danielle Smith urge a vote to stay, while Washington…
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Federal judge dismisses Justice Department suit over New York City sanctuary laws, rules an information-sharing law unconstitutional
A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department’s suit against New York City’s sanctuary laws and held that 8 U.S.C. § 1373 violates the Tenth Amendment. It is the second such loss in…
