Categories for News

Aug 6

2024

Judge orders ‘House from Hell’ demolished

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149 Arkansas St., slated for demolition. Photo by I’Jaz Ja’ciel. The “House from Hell” will soon be a pile of rubble. Following years of neighborhood complaints, Housing Court Judge Patrick Carney has issued a demolition order for 149 Arkansas St. — a run-down, vacant house used by squatters and drug users, where two dead bodies were found in 2022.  Carney also slapped owner Kwayo Ithe Bonkuka with a $10,500 fine. “I have had Council reports, block club reports. They’re still screaming,” Carney said of the property’s many complainants. Carney issued the demolition order after building inspector Sean Myers testified during[...]

Posted 1 year ago

Aug 2

2024

OTB chairman rescinds Pledge of Allegiance demand

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OTB Chairman Dennis Bassett. Photo by Garrett Looker. The chairman of the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. has backed off his demand that those attending board meetings recite the Pledge of Allegiance.  Dennis Bassett chastised an Investigative Post reporter after OTB’s last board meeting on July 25, contending he wasn’t effusive enough in reciting the pledge. “Why can’t you put your hand on your heart and recite the Pledge?” Bassett said to the reporter after the meeting. “Because if you can’t do that, I would like for you not to be in here when the Pledge is recited. You’re insulting[...]

Posted 1 year ago

Jul 31

2024

City Hall targets music clubs with costly tax

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The City of Buffalo, facing projected budget shortfalls and desperate for revenue, is turning to a little-known chapter of the city code to collect a fee from music clubs and other entertainment venues for every ticketed event they produce. The fee could add tens of thousands of dollars to the operating costs of bigger venues like Babeville, RiverWorks, Iron Works and Town Ballroom, as well as smaller clubs like Nietzsche’s and Mr. Goodbar.  Nearly all the venue owners and managers Investigative Post spoke to said they were blindsided by the fee, which they learned about last week via letters sent[...]

Posted 1 year ago

Jul 31

2024

Rural IDA leader highest paid in New York

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Steven G. Hyde retires effective Aug. 1. Photo by I’Jaz Ja’ciel. When he steps aside tomorrow, Steven G. Hyde — a Genesee County official — will retire as the highest-paid economic development leader in the public sector in New York. His $274,898 salary as president and CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center was nearly $25,000 more than Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2023 salary. It was also more than every other industrial development agency leader in the state. To wit: His counterpart in New York City earned $243,500 in 2023. His counterpart in Erie County made $205,000. His counterparts at[...]

Posted 1 year ago

Jul 30

2024

So long, bed bugs

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BMHA Executive Director Gillian Brown, left, and LBJ Apartments tenant representative Erma Ecford. Photo by I’Jaz Ja’ciel. The bed bug infestation is gone. So are the rats. And most of the washers and dryers in the laundry room are working again. That’s what tenants at the Lyndon B. Johnson apartments recently said, just over three months after Investigative Post reported that residents had been living with insect and rodent infestations, leaky ceilings and security concerns, among other issues. Tenant representative Erma Ecford, who initially brought to light conditions at the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority-owned senior complex, said the incessant swarms[...]

Posted 1 year ago

Jul 26

2024

Recite the Pledge of Allegiance … or leave

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OTB Chairman Dennis Bassett. Photo by Garrett Looker. If you want to walk into Batavia Downs, the price of admission is pretty obvious: You’ve got to have a few pennies for the slot machines. But the board of directors that runs the casino and harness track has decided there’s a new cost if you want to hear them discuss the business of the publicly owned Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation: Stand up, place your hand over your heart and recite the Pledge of Allegiance loud enough for Chairman Dennis Bassett to hear you.  If you don’t? Bassett doesn’t want you[...]

Posted 1 year ago

Jul 25

2024

A questionable city contract

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The Broadway Market. Photo by Garrett Looker. Buffalo’s Department of Public Works this week asked city legislators to give a contract to a security company helmed by a former city cop whose brief career was rife with complaints of misbehavior, on and off duty. Elite Protection & Investigation, with offices in Williamsville, won the contract to provide security at the Broadway Market with a bid of $267,150. Two other bidders bid about $20,000 higher. It’s a one-year contract with the option to extend the deal annually up to four times. Elite’s CEO, Mitchell R. Thomas, began his career with the[...]

Posted 1 year ago

Jul 25

2024

Tesla’s Anti-Theft Technologies Explained

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Tesla cars are known for their cutting-edge technology, and that includes their advanced anti-theft features. Unlike many traditional vehicles, Tesla does not rely on old-fashioned keys or standard alarms. Instead, it uses smart systems that work together to keep your car safe.  From high-tech cameras to GPS tracking, Tesla builds its vehicles with strong protection in mind. In this article, we’ll look at some of the main features Tesla uses to prevent theft, including how these systems work and what role professional locksmiths can play if problems arise. How Tesla’s Sentry Mode Protects Against Theft Sentry Mode is one of[...]

Posted 1 year ago
Investigative Post