Latest

Sep 5

2017

Lawsuit alleges Buffalo police misconduct

Published by

A coalition of community activists and attorneys filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Buffalo on Tuesday and sent a letter to State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman urging his civil rights division to investigative what they allege is a pattern of unconstitutional practices by the Buffalo Police Department against minority residents. Anjana Malhotra, co-author of the report and complaint, said her research uncovered a “pattern and practice of discriminatory and unconstitutional police practices.” “The fourth amendment guarantees to everyone equally that one has a right to be free of unreasonable seizures,” she said at a press conference Tuesday[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Aug 31

2017

More honors for Telvock, Investigative Post

Published by

The environmental reporting of Dan Telvock has been cited for excellence in two national journalism contests. His reporting that documented the disparity in Buffalo’s testing program for lead in drinking water won first place for interactive news by the National Association of Black Journalists. One of the chief findings of his report was that the testing did not target minority neighborhoods where the lead poisoning problem is concentrated. Instead, the city tested more often in predominantly white neighborhoods that report few, if any, lead poisoning cases. The other finalists were entries from Bloomberg News and The Chicago Reader. Winners in other[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Aug 23

2017

Feds pull plug on radioactive remediation

Published by

Federally funded work to remove radioactive gravel from numerous hotspots in Niagara County has run out of money and come to a halt. Left in limbo are property owners in Niagara Falls and Lewiston, who were told by Environmental Protection Agency officials that there is no firm date of when – or whether – they will return to finish the clean up. Eric Daly, the EPA’s project manager, said he gave his superiors “options of what I could do and what I needed to do.” “What came back to me was we want you to shut down, meaning trailers out[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Aug 16

2017

When it rains, sewage gushes into Niagara River

Published by

The Lower Niagara River is no stranger to sewer overflows. An Investigative Post analysis of state data shows the Niagara Falls sewer system has spewed more than a half-billion gallons of raw sewage mixed with storm water into the Lower Niagara River since May 2016. Even moderate rainfall can overwhelm the sewer system, causing untreated sewage mixed with storm water to gush into the Lower Niagara. The problem gained the attention of Governor Andrew Cuomo after a July 29 discharge turned the Lower Niagara into a black, smelly disruption for tourists on a busy Saturday at Niagara Falls State Park.  That incident was[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Aug 15

2017

Keith talks MetroRail extension on WBFO

Published by

Investigative Post reporter Charlotte Keith discusses her recent story on the obstacles facing the proposed extension to Buffalo’s MetroRail. Keith found that the extension would require heavy lifting from local officials, as well as zoning changes that could prove controversial, in order to create the anticipated economic benefits. She spoke about her reporting with Jay Moran on WBFO’s “Press Pass.”

Posted 8 years ago

Aug 14

2017

Erie County Water Authority racks up legal bills

Published by

In November, Investigative Post reported how the Erie County Water Authority had cut corners in a program required by the federal government to test tap water for lead. Two weeks later, we pointed out how the water authority used paid Facebook ads and Twitter posts to release misleading statements about the program. Now we learn from the Buffalo News that the water authority has spent almost $130,000 in legal fees in part on what it termed a “state of emergency” in action “against Investigative Post for improper conduct.” But officials with the water authority refuse “to provide any documents stating the[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Aug 9

2017

Town to fence landfill with Love Canal legacy

Published by

The Town of Wheatfield has finally picked a contractor to build a fence around a dangerous landfill that once held Love Canal waste and has long been used by residents for recreation. The process took over year and a half since town officials pledged to fence in the landfill.  New York State Fence will construct the fence for $106,800. Senator Robert Ortt secured the town $75,000 to offset some of the cost, in response to a Feb. 10, 2016, Investigative Post story. “It’s been a long haul,” Wheatfield Supervisor Robert Cliffe told the Niagara Gazette after the vote at Monday night’s town[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Jul 31

2017

Toles, Outlyers rock for Investigative Post

Published by

How could a show capped by “Wooly Bully” not be a winner? Investigative Post hosted a very successful fundraiser Friday at Sportsmen’s Tavern that featured Tom Toles and The Outlyers. Toles and The Outlyers – John F. Brady, Cathy Carfagna, Jim Celeste, Tom Fischer and David Meinzer – played two rousing sets totaling 36 songs. Maryalice Demler, news anchor at WGRZ, served as emcee. Some 270 supporters packed the Sportsmen’s, a larger crowd than our previous two summer shows there combined. A guitar signed by the Goo Goo Dolls and editorial cartoon drawn by Toles for The Washington Post proved popular with bidders in a[...]

Posted 8 years ago
Investigative Post