Tag: Erie County government

Apr 23

2019

Sheriff Tim Howard, body cameras and Jesus

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Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard was questioned by legislators about the possibility of deputies wearing body cameras during a March 14 meeting of the Erie County Legislature’s Public Safety Committee. The proposition has won support among many legislators, particularly in the majority Democratic caucus, in the wake of a December 2017 incident in which a sheriff’s deputy severely beat a man during an arrest at a Bills game in the parking lot of New Era Field.  In the following exchange between Howard and Legislator April Baskin, who chairs the committee, Howard compared those who support his deputies wearing body cameras to[...]

Posted 5 years ago

Dec 20

2018

Erie County legislators back bail reform

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Erie County lawmakers became the first county legislature in New York State to take a legislative position in support of reforms to the bail system, following a unanimous vote Thursday.  Reform efforts in the state Legislature failed earlier this year and advocates are expected to press the issue in the coming session that begins in January. “Resolutions like this are essential to demonstrate to Albany that a world of people are behind good governance and good governance means bail reform,” said John Curr III, western region director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “This shows the will of Erie County, and[...]

Posted 5 years ago

Mar 27

2018

Blueprint issued for combatting lead poisoning

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 The City of Buffalo needs to empower inspectors to get inside houses to determine whether they are contaminated with chipped or flaking lead paint, a report issued Tuesday said. While noting steps the city and Erie County have taken in recent years, the 102-page report by CGR Inc., a Rochester-based consulting firm, declared that defeating “lead poisoning will require much more from local government and the entire community.” The report included 17 recommendations, the most important ones addressing the need for stepped-up inspections of residential properties. As it now stands, inspectors are not guaranteed entry to test interiors for[...]

Posted 6 years ago

Nov 8

2017

Failing kids with lead poisoning

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Sherry Slaper was at wit’s end trying to help her lead poisoned daughter. She followed the orders of the Erie County Health Department by painting over the lead paint on her window sills and staircase, throwing away cheap Chinese toys that can contain traces of lead and obsessively cleaning her Kaisertown apartment. But her daughter’s lead levels did not drop. “It was a storm of emotions,” Slaper said. “You go from being angry to scared to sad.” Could it be the water, she thought? To be safe, she installed a water filter on her kitchen faucet. Then — and only[...]

Posted 6 years ago

Dec 6

2016

Telvock talks ECWA lead testing on WBFO

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Dan Telvock discusses his report on how the Erie County Water Authority cut corners in its testing program for lead in the drinking water supplied to most local suburbs, and the agency’s response to the report. The interview aired Tuesday, Dec. 6, on WBFO’s Press Pass.

Posted 7 years ago

Nov 28

2016

Telvock’s ECWA report on Shredd and Ragan

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Investigative Post reporter Dan Telvock was on the Shredd and Ragan show Monday morning to discuss his reporting on the Erie County Water Authority’s flawed testing program for lead in drinking water from the homes of its customers. The water authority responded to Investigative Post’s reporting with a campaign that included misleading statements and unsubstantiated claims. Authority officials are also refusing interview requests.

Posted 7 years ago

Nov 22

2016

Erie County Water Authority blows a gasket

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It’s been awhile since I saw a bunch of government types become as unhinged as the gang at the Erie County Water Authority. Dan Telvock reported on Nov. 7 that the authority cut corners in its program to test the drinking water it supplies to some 550,000 customers in Western New York, primarily those in Buffalo’s immediate suburbs. In a nutshell, the authority didn’t always heed a federal requirement that they test water in the houses deemed most at risk because of the presence of a lead service line or lead solder in interior plumbing, and used the houses of[...]

Posted 7 years ago

Sep 1

2016

Urban League lawsuit dismissed

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A lawsuit brought by the Buffalo Urban League, which took the unusual step in April of suing Erie County after a scathing audit by the county comptroller, has been dismissed. The audit, which was completed last December, found that the Urban League had over-billed the county by an estimated $40,000, as well as failing to properly train its caseworkers. “This is a clear and decisive victory,” said Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw. “It’s a victory for the independence of the office of the Erie County Comptroller and a victory for taxpayers.” The Urban League had been asking for the audit[...]

Posted 8 years ago
Investigative Post

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