WNY cities that host prisons wait to see if their facilities will close

Among the thousands of pages of the state budget passed in April was a provision that would allow the closure of five of the state’s 44 prisons during the next fiscal year, a measure that did not generate much fanfare during the process sausage making. .

Now, while the state is making no announcements about which prisons will be closed or when the announcements will be made, staff members, members of the prison host communities and legislators who represent these western areas of New York State are watching with interest which, if any, of the seven area prisons will close.

The prison population has fallen 41 percent in 13 years, but the decision to close the prisons has angered prison staff, their union representatives and many Republican lawmakers because they say understaffing and increased Attacks, both between prisoners and against guards, have considerably reduced the prison population. the morale of corrections officers across the state has been weakened.

National Grid wants a rate increase that will increase residential bills by 15%: The company is seeking a delivery rate increase that would add about $19 per month to the monthly bill for a typical residential customer using 625 kilowatt hours of electricity. Learn more

“Job’s Perseverance”: John Montague kept his dream of a Seneca Chief boat replica alive: Montague first proposed building the boat when the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal, marking Buffalo’s role as its western terminus, was 28 years away. The celebration will take place next year, when the Seneca Chief’s replica sets out on a bicentennial celebration tour that will begin in Buffalo and make stops along the Erie Canal, as well as along the Hudson River as it travels directs from Albany to New York. Learn more

UB will acquire the Hauptman-Woodward research institute: The University at Buffalo will acquire the iconic, curving Hauptman-Woodward building at 700 Ellicott St. and its contents, while its 30 workers will be employed by UB. After consolidation, it will be known as the University at Buffalo Hauptman-Woodward Institute. Learn more

“Fair” facilities: BuffSci charter unveils plans for former Médaille campus: The Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School showed off its new digs on the former Medaille University campus Wednesday. The charter school, which will lease the property, also announced a $14 million capital campaign to help fund the renovations. Learn more

Buffalo offers escalating rates for the city’s five parking ramps: Buffalo Parking Commissioner Raymond Wagner’s proposal would increase all monthly parking rates by $10. The maximum daily rate (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) would increase by $1. A 50-cent increase is recommended for the hourly rate, and the nightly flat rate would increase by $2. Learn more

Man gets 12 years in prison for fatal shooting in North Buffalo; Victim’s family criticizes prosecutors: State Supreme Court Justice M. William Boller sentenced Jamin Haygood, 22, to 12 years in prison followed by five years of parole for the fatal shooting of Jacquette Holley in May 2023. Read more

Buffalo Public Schools are next to receive federal funding for electric buses: Three Western New York school districts will receive nearly $13 million in federal rebates to purchase zero-emission buses. New York State has set 2027 as the date by which all new school buses purchased must be zero-emission, and all school buses in operation must be zero-emission by 2035. Learn more

A pleasant day: Sunny skies with a temperature of 66 degrees. Learn more

This week in Buffalo food: Nickel Plate opens at the food terminal, new menu items at Grezi: Tyrel Reynolds and Nick Smith, former owners of Mazurek’s Bakery, converted a 7,700 square foot space at the Niagara Frontier Food Terminal and opened Nickel Plate (1500 Clinton Street) earlier in May. Learn more

Alan Pergament: Kate Welshofer has a new gig at the National Comedy Center: Welshofer was named communications and content strategist for the National Comedy Center in Jamestown. In his new role, Welshofer will oversee the development of digital, social and audiovisual content within the marketing and communications department of the state-of-the-art museum which is the official cultural institution dedicated to comedy. Learn more

Crime in New York State: Violent crime and shootings were reported to be down 15 to 18 percent across the state and in Buffalo. See today’s cartoon from Adam Zyglis

The editorial board: Laws on informed consent and access to information should be applied: Open government and free access to public information are under threat in New York. State and local agencies typically take weeks, months, or even years to respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIL) requests. Learn more

Ryan O’Halloran: New number, new coaching job, new outlook for Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam: Kaiir Elam has a new jersey number – No. 24 is out and No. 5 is in – and a new cornerbacks coach – John Butler is out and Jahmile Addae is in. But he’s the same confident, driven and sharp Elam he signed up to be. as always to prove to the Buffalo Bills that he was worth a first round pick in 2022 and that he can be counted on to play a regular role. Learn more

La’el Collins healthy, eager to show Bills his best tackling form: The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Collins is trying to revive his career after suffering a devastating left knee injury on Christmas Eve 2022 while playing for the Cincinnati Bengals. Learn more

How the Sabers scouted and drafted top QMJHL defenseman Vsevelod Komarov: Komarov has worked tirelessly to transform himself from a lanky, raw defenseman into a fearsome presence on the ice. His dedication never wavered. At 6-foot-4, Komarov is unlike any player the Sabers have drafted in recent years. Learn more

Rain Can’t Stop Khruangbin From Rockin’ at AKG: After some concertgoers waited out the weather and others took refuge in the AKG underground parking lot, Khruangbin played a lively Rockin’ at the AKG concert on Tuesday. View Libby March’s gallery here

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