Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · 2d

I'm always grateful when someone from the public sees something I've written and reaches out to tell me the deeper, fuller story. Thank you to the friends and family of Elizabeth Calaty for coloring in the lines of one woman's life, when I only had a bare outline.

'The streets didn't kill her,' say family members, so why couldn't she survive one day in Erie County jail?

Family members want to know how Elizabeth Calaty, a mother who struggled with drug addiction, could die in the detox unit of an Erie County jail after only a day in custody.

buffalonews.com

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Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · 4d

ICYMI: For Buffalo Bills fans who are wondering, plans are in the works to enable fans to buy a piece of the current Highmark Stadium after the season ends. That includes letting season ticket holders to buy the seats they're sitting in now.

Want to bring home a piece of the current Bills stadium? Plans are in the works to make that happen

Plans are in motion for the Buffalo Bills to partner with a third-party company to ensure that everything from seats to turf from Highmark Stadium gets sold to fans willing to pay.

buffalonews.com

Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · 5d

Ever since an Iowa-based newspaper chain bought @buffalonews.com in 2020, they have only taken from The Buffalo News and this community. We need ownership that invests in local journalism. But we don't have one. That must change.

Buffalo Newspaper Guild @buffaloguild.bsky.social · 6d

Here’s our statement on today’s @buffalonews.com announcement:

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Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · 7d

An outside forensic audit of the Erie County Clerk's Office found no additional public money missing from the Clerk's Office. BUT auditors refused to conclusively state that no other money was taken. The full scoop:

Outside audit of Clerk's Office uncovers 'extortion' emails and faults lack of access to information

Emails referencing 'extortion,' information delays and other issues were found in outside forensic audit of the Erie County Clerk's Office, which was released this week.

buffalonews.com

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Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · 9d

When Erie County Executive @markpoloncarz.bsky.social started leaking tears out of only one eye, and suddenly found it harder than expected to eat, he thought he might be having a stroke. Turned out to be something else.

Tears on the golf course led to a diagnosis of Bell's palsy for Poloncarz

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced Tuesday that he has Bell's palsy. He discovered his first symptoms when his right eye began to tear up on the golf course Saturday.

buffalonews.com

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Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · 9d

Tomorrow night's discussion should be interesting. A resident's ability to stay informed about what's happening in their own community should be a basic right. But it's become more challenging than never. Please join us for this free event.

Buffalo Newspaper Guild @buffaloguild.bsky.social · 13d

A quick reminder about our event next week. It's important, and it's free and open to the public.

Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · 14d

Following the Granville case? Read this early exclusive on D.J. Granville's plans to return to work, his intent to make restitution, and the latest on whether the Erie County Legislature is going to investigate anything after saying in March that they would.

Erie County legislators want an outside investigation into Granville case, as Granville looks to return to work next week

Erie County Democrats in the County Legislature are asking for a state probe of the case of Daniel "DJ" Granville, the high-ranking member of the Sheriff's Office who crashed his county-owned pickup truck into seven parked cars.

buffalonews.com

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Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · 15d

ICYMI: Is the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal being properly celebrated or deliberately downplayed? Check out this story by @jepsteinbuffalo:

Is Buffalo Niagara missing the boat on the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal?

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz is asking why the Erie Canal's bicentennial is not being celebrated and shouted from the rooftops this year, on the 200th anniversary of the opening of the waterway.

buffalonews.com

Reposted by Sandra Tan

Buffalo Newspaper Guild @buffaloguild.bsky.social · 17d

As the media landscape changes, what local journalists do every day continues to mean a lot to our community. What lies ahead for WNY will be the topic of our event next week, which is free and open to the public. Please join us.

Flyer for Oct. 1 event at Burchfield Penney Art Center sponsored by the Buffalo Newspaper Guild. It's called The Future of Local Journalism: A Community Conversation. Panelists are Maki Becker, Jon Harris, Geoff Kelly, Charles Gilbert and Dave Greber. Elizabeth Licata will serve as moderator. The event is free and open to the public.

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Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · 16d

A woman who stole $32 worth of merchandise from Tops two years ago has died after a single day in custody at the Erie County Holding Center. After providing no comment yesterday, Sheriff Garcia expressed condolences to the family today.

Woman arrested on Tops shoplifting charge dies in Holding Center one day after entering custody

A woman accused of shoplifting $31.99 in goods from a local Tops supermarket was found dead in the Erie County Holding Center one day after entering custody.

buffalonews.com

Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · 17d

In light of short staffing, forced overtime and recruitment hurdles, the Erie County Sheriff's Office is looking a new way to work the clock in the Holding Center and Erie County Correctional Facility.

Sheriff's Office to study 10- or 12-hour shifts to alleviate overtime, bad work schedules in county jails

The Sheriff's Office is launching a study to see whether assigning jail deputies and corrections officers to work longer 10-hour or 12-hour shifts will improve scheduling for all staff.

buffalonews.com

Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · 20d

Reconfiguring the new Buffalo Bills stadium includes rethinking security. Dealing with rabble rousers and threats at the new stadium might be less of a chore than at the existing one. Story with colleague Mike Petro.

Policing Bills games should get easier with design of new stadium

Policing the Buffalo Bills over $2 billion stadium under construction in Orchard Park is expected to be a more seamless task than it is at the current decades-old Highmark Stadium.

buffalonews.com

Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · 21d

ICYMI: The push for term limits in @eriecounty.bsky.social continues to go nowhere fast.

Term limit proposal for Erie County officials killed for another year

Erie County Legislator John Bargnesi's effort to bring term limits to Erie County elected positions is going nowhere fast despite another year of trying.

buffalonews.com

Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · 28d

Erie County Legislator St. Jean Tard is adding her name to the call for an outside investigation into the Granville case.

Another elected official wants state attorney general to investigate Granville case

Add Erie County Legislator Taisha St. Jean Tard to the growing list of elected leaders asking that the New York State Attorney General Letitia James investigate the Granville case as public pressure mounts.

buffalonews.com

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Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · Sep 9

It was dense reading, but I learned a lot from these audits about what's supposed to happen to the money that people who are jailed bring in with them or receive while incarcerated. The Erie County Sheriff's Office was cited for "sloppy bookkeeping" that demands reform:

Audits raise concerns about Sheriff's Office mishandling of jail inmate money

Two Erie County Comptroller's Office audits of the Sheriff's Office raise numerous concerns about how sheriff's administrators handle money belonging to inmates and detainees at the downtown Holding Center and Erie County Sheriff's Office.

buffalonews.com

Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · Sep 8

Why are so many NY state inmates still being held in local jails when the state corrections officers strike ended back in March? Here's all you need to know. Check out the chart. The @eriecounty.bsky.social Holding Center and Correctional Facility are feeling it.

Burden of high number of state inmates still housed in Erie County jails 'not fair'

The strike by state corrections officers in February may have ended in March, but the chronic problem of understaffing in the state prison system continues to create serious burdens for county jails in Erie County and across the state.

buffalonews.com

Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · Sep 1

And finally, while you're browsing @TheBuffaloNews.com today paywall free, here's a story about what's happening with the sewer system. You may not think much about it, but it might be costing you. buffalonews.com/news...
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Why upgrades to one Erie County sewage plant could cost more than $200 million, and who pays

Erie County's Southtowns sewage treatment plant is undergoing its first major expansion in 45 years at a potential cost of more than $200 million. That has implications for certain taxpayers.

buffalonews.com

Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · Sep 1

Next up on this paywall-free Labor Day, check out this @TheBuffaloNews.com story about how fat-busting drugs are busting government budgets: buffalonews.com/news...
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Expensive fat-busting drugs are also busting government budgets

New fat-busting drugs are helping public employees lose weight, but they're also busting budgets for local governments.

buffalonews.com

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Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · Sep 1

Check them out! While @TheBuffaloNews.com paywall is still down for the remainder of Labor Day, here are a few stories on my beat in recent weeks that have grabbed public attention. (PS: Proud member of the @buffaloguild.bsky.social!) First up: buffalonews.com/news...
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'It stinks' and 'not a bad cop': County officials react to latest in Granville case

The Granville family and other members of law enforcement may be hoping for closure now that two investigations into the embattled sheriff's narcotics chief are closed. But based on the reaction from Erie County officials, that's not going to happen.

buffalonews.com

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Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · Aug 29

County legislators aren't terribly happy but say they won't stand in the way of the new Marine Drive Apartments construction project. Here's the latest dust-up over the use of union labor. Here's the latest:

Construction of giant Marine Drive Apartments project stumbles over union controversy

The rebuilding of one of Buffalo's largest and most expensive public housing projects in decades has mired Erie County legislators in builder-versus-union drama that threatened to delay construction of the first phase.

buffalonews.com

Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · Aug 27

Erie County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick is using the "C-word" – "coverup" – to describe the Granville case.

Hardwick calls Granville case a 'suspected cover-up,' urges Hochul to intervene

Erie County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick has sent a strongly worded letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul, urging her to refer the Granville case to the Attorney General's Office to address the "suspected coverup."

buffalonews.com

Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · Aug 26

The fatal bus crash that killed 5 and injured many more is going to ensnare the bus company involved in major legal troubles for quite some time.

'Massive' litigation expected against bus company in deadly Thruway crash

While the State Police have not completed their investigation into the Thruway tour bus crash Friday that killed five people, many are bracing for a flurry of civil cases against the bus company.

buffalonews.com

Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · Aug 25

Erie County government may be a sprawling bureaucracy employing 5,000 people across dozens of departments and offices, but most rely on the same software system do to their work. Here's what happens when that @eriecounty.bsky.social software gets old.

Software that runs almost everything in Erie County government needs $4.6M upgrade

Replacing an outdated master software system, which serves as the foundation of the Erie County's record-keeping bureaucracy, is expected to cost county taxpayers $4.62 million over the next couple of years.

buffalonews.com

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Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · Aug 22

The Erie County Sheriff's Office may have concluded its internal investigation into D.J. Granville on Monday, but the controversy is nowhere near over. The latest: buffalonews.com/news/local/a...

'It stinks' and 'not a bad cop': County officials react to latest in Granville case

The Granville family and other members of law enforcement may be hoping for closure now that two investigations into the embattled sheriff's narcotics chief are closed. But based on the reaction from ...

buffalonews.com

Sandra Tan @sandratan.bsky.social · Aug 21

Maybe you didn't know John Spears, the head of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library system who died last month, but he had a national reputation. The @buffalolibrary shared this 13-minute video from a moving memorial service, held at the Central Library yesterday. www.youtube.com/watc...

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