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Feb 24

2021

Pandemic has hollowed out downtown Buffalo

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Empty offices. Empty restaurants. Empty parking ramps. Empty downtown. “I’ve never seen downtown Buffalo so empty in all the years I’ve been here,” said Mike Schmand, executive director of Buffalo Place, who has worked for the organization since 1982.  The numbers are bleak.  Schmand estimates one-third of the downtown workforce is working remotely. Metro Rail trips have declined by 35 percent. Revenue at city parking facilities has dropped 39 percent over the final six months of 2020 and is expected to remain below pre-COVID levels through at least the first half of this year.  Widespread vaccinations may offer a fresh[...]

Posted 4 years ago

Feb 17

2021

COVID-19 outbreak at ICE detention center

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A COVID-19 outbreak has infected 22 immigrants held at the ICE detention facility in Batavia and prompted the testing of all others being held there. The first positive test result was reported Feb. 11. Half of the 26 people held in that section of the facility subsequently tested positive. Testing confirmed nine more cases in a separate unit.  The disclosures were made as part of a status report submitted Tuesday to U.S. Western District Court Judge Lawrence Vilardo, who previously ordered a strengthening of health and safety measures. Adam Khalil, the assistant U.S. attorney representing the government, said all 180[...]

Posted 4 years ago

Feb 15

2021

Politicians pocketing their campaign cash

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Elected officials, aside from judges, are allowed to keep what’s left in their campaign treasuries when they retire. For some, it’s a lot of cash. For example, State Senator Michael Ranzenhofer left office in January with $824,083 in his campaign account. Assembly Member Robin Schimminger retired with $410,665. Our Money in Politics researched the campaign accounts of 10 retired politicians; details, and a podcast, can be found here. Geoff Kelly expanded on the research for WGRZ.

Posted 4 years ago

Feb 12

2021

Scheer discusses Samsung project on WBEN

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Mark Scheer reported this week that Samsung is unlikely to build a plant in Western New York and the proposed location is a remote industrial park in Genesee County that lacks basic infrastructure. Mark spoke Friday with Susan Rose on NewsRadio 930WBEN.  

Posted 4 years ago

Feb 11

2021

Another Buffalo Billion boondoggle

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Economic development officials in Genesee County have spent more than $26 million on a massive industrial park in an “if you build it, they will come” gambit. So far, no one has come. The Genesee County Center for Economic Development not only doesn’t have any business deals to show for its decade of work, the industrial park consists of little more than empty fields.  There’s no infrastructure, aside from a six-tenths-of-a-mile road. No water service. No sewer lines. No electricity. No telecommunications. The agency has nevertheless managed to spend $26.8 million dollars, including some $13 million in Buffalo Billion funds.[...]

Posted 4 years ago

Feb 10

2021

Samsung to WNY? Unlikely.

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Samsung has economic development officials — and Sen. Chuck Schumer — dreaming big. The semiconductor giant has plans to build a $17 billion plant that would employ 1,800 and says it is considering five locations in the United States, including an undeveloped industrial park in Genesee County. Schumer has spoken directly with Samsung officials and offered federal assistance to entice Samsung to Western New York. Economic officials in Buffalo and Rochester stand ready to make their case, if they haven’t already. It seems unlikely that Samsung is coming, however.  In addition to Western New York, Samsung is weighing two sites[...]

Posted 4 years ago

Feb 4

2021

iPost adds YouTube, Instagram and Reddit

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Investigative Post has expanded our online presence to include a YouTube channel and two additional social media platforms to complement our presence on Facebook and Twitter. Our YouTube channel includes 42 videos, most of them stories produced since the spring for our partners at WGRZ. The channel includes a feature story, which typically will be our latest piece, and playlists organized by topics, including coverage of Buffalo police, City Hall and politics. Fresh videos will be posted shortly after they air on WGRZ.  (Our videos are also available on our website, embedded in stories.) We’ve also started posting to Instagram[...]

Posted 4 years ago

Feb 4

2021

Kelly talks political donations on WBEN

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By law, most elected officials are entitled to keep the money in their campaign treasuries when they retire. Investigative Post, in our latest Money In Politics, tracked the funds retained by 10 retired lawmakers who, between them, have more than $2 million in the bank. Geoff Kelly discussed our findings in an interview Thursday on NewsRadio 930WBEN.  

Posted 4 years ago
Investigative Post