Categories for Broadcast on WBEN

May 12

2021

Dowdall talks school hack on WBFO, WBEN

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Layne Dowdall reported Tuesday on the underplayed hacking of the Buffalo school district in March. Her story documented how the ransomeware attack has crippled district operations and the leadership’s failure to communicate with parents, teachers and other staff has left many frustrated. A companion story aired on WGRZ and posted to our YouTube channel, and Layne followed up Wednesday with radio interviews with WBFO and WBEN. Both are posted below. Interview with WBFO   Interview with WBEN  

Posted 3 years ago

Apr 23

2021

Kelly talks police referendum on WBEN

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Geoff Kelly reported earlier this week about a petition effort to place a referendum on the city’s November ballot to establish an independent police review panel. He spoke Friday morning with Susan Rose and Brian Mazurowski on NewsRadio 930WBEN.  

Posted 3 years ago

Apr 9

2021

Dowdall discusses exam exemptions on WBEN

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Layne Dowdall reported Thursday and Friday about the cancellation of Regents exams last school year and how they resulted in inflated graduation rates in many  districts in Western New York. She discussed her reporting Friday with Susan Rose and Brian Mazurowski on NewsRadio 930WBEN.  

Posted 3 years ago

Apr 8

2021

Regents exemptions varied among districts

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Buffalo wasn’t the only local school district who graduated a lot of students who failed to pass Regents exams last year. The exams were cancelled because of the pandemic, which enabled students to obtain an exemption that allowed them to graduate, provided they earned a passing grade in any subject where exams were scheduled. Twenty-two percent of those graduating from Buffalo schools did so thanks to the exemption. Close behind them were the graduating classes of Newfane Central School District (21 percent) and Cheektowaga Central School District (20 percent). On balance 8.9 percent of seniors in school districts in Erie,[...]

Posted 3 years ago

Apr 6

2021

Exemptions boost Buffalo graduation rate

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Buffalo School Superintendent Kriner Cash was ecstatic. The city’s high school graduation rate last year jumped 11.6 percent – eight times greater than the increase statewide. Cash proclaimed he was “extraordinarily proud of the Class of 2020,” terming the increased graduation rate in the midst of the pandemic “a tremendous positive.” Left unsaid: 22 percent of the graduating class – 423 students – was exempted from passing mandated Regents exams, which had been cancelled because of the pandemic. Instead, students needed only to receive a passing grade in their individual classes, and the district adopted a generous grading policy to[...]

Posted 3 years ago

Mar 17

2021

The mother of all subsidy deals

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At a cost of $4 million per job, the subsidy deal designed to bring the first tenant to a vacant industrial park in rural Genesee County would be the richest in Western New York history.  Plug Power is in line for an estimated $269.5 million in tax breaks and power discounts in exchange for building a plant that would create 68 jobs.  The cost per job dwarfs other local subsidy deals. Subsidies for a data center built nearly a decade ago in Lockport worked out to more than $2 million a job. Government money invested in the Tesla solar plant[...]

Posted 3 years ago

Mar 1

2021

Scheer discusses downtown impact on WBEN

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Mark Scheer reported last week on the pandemic’s impact on downtown Buffalo. One-third of the workforce is working remotely, which has starved restaurants, bars and other retailers for business. Experts say downtowns, here and elsewhere, are likely to be less office-centric once the pandemic eases. Mark spoke Monday with Susan Rose and Brian Mazurowski on NewsRadio 930WBEN.  

Posted 3 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 3 years ago
Investigative Post

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