@TheBuffaloNews
reporter. Hunts for deeper stories related to Erie County government and the people it serves. On Facebook. Proud member of the
@BuffaloGuild
.
BREAKING NEWS: Poloncarz announces full return to
@BuffaloBills
stadium for in-person attendance at Bills games but ONLY if you have been FULLY VACCINATED. No Vaccine = No Entry.
One man worth remembering, far more than the gunman who took so many innocent lives, is this one, the man who tried to save many lives on Saturday at the cost of his own. Godspeed, Aaron Salter.
.
@NYGovCuomo
says he wants to attend a Bills playoff game, and the state is reviewing ways to reopen the
@BuffaloBills
stadium. "This has been a long time coming for Buffalo," he said. But he's still not promising it'll happen. Story to be posted shortly.
Poloncarz says that people have the individual right to refuse vaccination, but they don't have the right to attend Bills/Sabres games if it puts others at risk. "There is no God-given right to attend a football game." Goals is to put policy in place by preseason in July.
Let's just say this has not gone over well today with folks who recall
@markpoloncarz
initially considering calling a state of emergency on Eclipse Day.
It's nice and sunny....in Ohio. Sadly, I don't think it will be clear back home, but here in Ashtabula, Ohio there are hundreds at the Ohio Welcome Center. Totality is in about 45 minutes and already 25% of the sun has been eclipsed.
"Our goal is to have a 100% full house for the Bills and the Sabres, starting in the fall," Poloncarz said. He said he's spoken with the Bills and believes they support the county's plans. Says people can make a personal choice not to be vaccinated, but will be denied entry.
After more than 2 years of
@RepChrisCollins
calling
@TheBuffaloNews
and other local news media liars, it seems the only person not telling the truth was him.
Some stories are too sad for words, no matter how many of them we write. God bless the Calanni family and the lives of everyone their son Luca touched.
Since this story was published Friday evening, people moved by her story have contributed thousands more dollars to help with her college expenses. Thanks to Emily for sharing her story. I hope she and her family eventually do find healing.
Watching
@NYGovCuomo
press conference. He's sharing important news, but he should be above badgering and insulting journalists who are struggling to get clear answers in a complex and confusing environment. Really.
There will no longer be a need to do mass testing of people who want to attend
@buffalobills
games. People will need to show they've vaccinated through the Excelsior app.
The state of local journalism today requires those who actually report the news to stand on the front lines to defend it against exploitive corporate interests. This hits close to home. Sending love down the Thruway to
@rocnewsguild
colleagues as they fight for a
#faircontractnow
We stand in solidarity with
@rocnewsguild
as its members make the tough decision to strike in the face of unreasonable demands from their corporate owner, Gannett. As a WNY neighbor, we’ve watched
@Gannett
underinvest in
@DandC
, its employees & Rochester community for too long…
UPDATED: Legislator
@AprilBaskinld2
said she was shocked when Bills legend
@ThurmanThomas
reached out to her through a law enforcement contact, asking if he could lend his voice to the bail bond reform effort:
As always, in times of great tragedy and heroism, I am reminded of why local journalism is so important, and why I'm so lucky to count such incredibly dedicated
@TheBuffaloNews
colleagues and fellow journalists as friends in the old year and the new. Best wishes to all in 2023.
Giving a shout out to all my newsroom colleagues who -- despite the shock of the morning news re the sale of
@thebuffalonews
to Lee Enterprises -- have been back at work chasing down the local news stories that make our paper and our
@buffaloguild
staff among the best anywhere.
For the first time since I began working at
@TheBuffaloNews
20 years ago, my colleagues and I at
@BuffaloGuild
newsroom will be intermittently furloughed. Please think about what the newspaper means to you.
Instead of sharing unverified information, I reached out to the Olean mayor about this. It's totally FALSE. Mayor Aiello will be putting out his own statement debunking this later today.
The Excelsior app is already used by the NYS Dept of Health. Poloncarz said your vaccination status is not a secret because the state keeps track of that information. All Health Depts and health care providers know individuals' health care status.
.
@TheBuffaloNews
is still one of the top 50 circulating newspapers in the country. Shipping off the printing of a paper our size to a city 3 hours away is the latest sign that the only investment
@LeeEntNews
believes in making locally is in lip service.
Just as suspected.
Even though they appeared increasingly vocal over the last four years, that ‘vocal minority’ we know is out there became even more of a minority across
#WNY
But please, by all means necessary, keep wasting those efforts on social media comments and fake X
The cuts to the
@TheBuffaloNews
staff and plans to move our printing operations to Cleveland are part of a larger, destructive pattern by our owner
@LeeEntNews
. Members of the
@BuffaloGuild
stand together with
@LeeUnions
in calling on Lee Enterprises to change course NOW.
The pattern of cuts and disinvestment in local journalism by Lee Enterprises must end. The unionized newspapers of
@LeeEntNews
call on Lee to invest in local communities and in its print, digital and customer services for its own survival. Our statement:
"I know people are like, 'Wow, that's pretty strict,' but we're trying to protect not only the people in theh stands, but the players on the field, concessionaires, our sheriff's deputies, the security guards, and the best way to do it is to ensure that everyone's vaccinated."
One of the many things I'll miss about my friend and colleague
@bobmccarthybn
is asking him for the number of some elected official or political insider and watching him open up this ancient address book!😁
Today,
@BuffaloGuild
members stood together to share how
@TheBuffaloNews
' Iowa-based owner,
@LeeEntNews
, wants to dramatically weaken WNY's largest daily paper, destroying our job protections and shipping jobs out of state. Help us fight! via
@Newsradio930
(2/2) We are still producing front pages like THIS every day. That's a testament to the editors, staff and
@TheBuffaloNews
@BuffaloGuild
journalists who pour themselves into this work despite the daily difficulties. Your subscriptions make this possible. Know it's worth it.
I never cease to be shocked at this -- an empty newsroom. I dropped into
@TheBuffaloNews
to pick up supplies and take advantage of the air conditioning. It was incredibly lonely. I reflected on the fact that despite the challenges of having so many of us work remotely... (1/2)
It was a privilege for me to cover
@USSupremeCourt
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg when she spoke at
@KleinhansBflo
last summer. She had just come off several weeks of chemo but kept her commitment to Buffalo and was sharp as a tack. R.I.P. via
@TheBuffaloNews
Poloncarz has laid down new vaccination policy for
@BuffaloBills
@BuffaloSabres
game attendance because the county owns those facilities. No state approval needed.
It's been a long five months, but the Guild and
@TheBuffaloNews
@LeeEntNews
have reached a tentative agreement. Details will be shared with members Monday. In the meantime, we have ended our byline strike and are truly THANKFUL for the outpouring of community support!!!
County Executive
@markpoloncarz
has filed an
@FCC
complaint against
@NewsRadio930
for allowing a caller to threaten him on the radio and taking no steps to address it on the air. He is also passing information onto law enforcement. Story by
@StillTalkinTV
As I whittle down and pack my stuff for the move to the new newsroom, I came across this letter from 1999, which marked the start of a beautiful relationship. (Thanks,
@Sulliview
.)
This place is a church for journalists. It's sad to know the
@Newseum
will close in just a few days. Many, like me, are packing the place before that day comes.
Erie County is requiring reporters who want to ask questions at the
@markpoloncarz
@ecdoh
daily news conference email in all questions. On behalf of
@TheBuffaloNews
reporters (and probably many others): This is VERY INEFFICIENT and poor way to field questions and to get answers.
Wow. Talk about heartless, if this is the way it went down. Most of us at
@TheBuffaloNews
have crossed paths with
@MikeDesmondWBFO
over the years. He was everywhere and deserved better. Story by
@StillTalkinTV
All efforts to appeal to
@LeeEntNews
@TheBuffaloNews
to label ads as "paid" or "sponsored" content have been rejected. They basically said, "The Guild makes us label stuff for print, but we can do what we want on our website." Our credibility should matter regardless of platform.
When the director of the
@NFTAMetro
gets up and leaves a public meeting while people are sharing their personal stories about how they can't get to work and school because of bus service cuts, consider it a PR fail. via
@TheBuffaloNews
Where's Adam?
Editorial cartoons by
@adamzyglis
have disappeared from the pages of
@TheBuffaloNews
after the pulitzer prize winner joined the byline strike by the Buffalo Newspaper Guild against owner Lee Enterprises. Zyglis posted a social media alert.
As a member of the Buffalo Newspaper Guild, I am on furlough from
@TheBuffaloNews
for the next week. I have changed my avatar and will not post on my Twitter account until my furlough is completed on April 20, as a show of support for the Guild.
Erie County Executive
@markpoloncarz
will become only the second person to serve a third term in the history of this seat on Jan. 1. Story by
@bobmccarthybn
:
Among memorial resolutions, the Erie County Legislature adjourned its session today in memory of Miguel Rodriguez
@miggyrod33
, the Buffalo News high school sports reporter who died of Covid-19 on Monday. His obituary:
A sign of how much management cares about
@BuffaloGuild
concerns: They posted a freelancer's story in the featured spot on
@TheBuffaloNews
home page all afternoon today while a columnist who would otherwise write on the topic is on furlough this week.
The
@buffaloguild
understands the trying times faced by
@thebuffalonews
and
@LeeEntNews
, which is why our members agreed to be furloughed and ease the financial burden at our company. However, we will not stand by quietly and allow freelance work to increase in our absence.
To say
@EricRDuVall
was a great colleague, talented editor and all-around cool
@TheBuffaloNews
guy is an understatement. But for those of us privileged to work with him, there just aren't adequate words to describe what he meant to us and why we miss him.
.
@TheBuffaloNews
is covering this in person and remotely.
@TomPreciousALB
in Albany and many
@BuffaloGuild
newsroom staff here in Buffalo have been working through the weekend to write and coordinate
#coronavirus
coverage. Our coronavirus/COVID-19 content is free on our website.
At 11 am I will be joined by
@ECDOH
Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein and others to discuss the first three confirmed
#Coronavirus
/
#COVID
ー19 cases in Erie County.
The press conference will be live streamed through my Facebook county executive page here:
Democratic candidate John Bruso defeats Republican incumbent Ted Morton in key Erie County Legislature race that could give the Dems the majority next year.
Be sure to catch Thursday's televised debate on the Erie County executive's race at 7 pm on
@WNEDTV
.
@TheBuffaloNews
reporters
@bobmccarthybn
and I will be panelists, along with colleagues from
@WBFO
and
@WGRZ
. (And yes, Bob is a giant and I am a shrimp.)
Democratic Erie County Legislator
@kevinhardwick
has won the Erie County comptroller's race, defeating Republican-endorsed challenger
@VoteLynne
Dixon.
Here is our developing story on the county's new policy requiring full vaccination for attendance at future
@buffalobills
and next season's
@BuffaloSabres
games. Check back for updates:
It's about time. The striking members of the
@PGHGuild
has been courageous in the face of 18 months of adversity and disappointments. Finally, some good news from the
@NLRB
. As a member of the
@BuffaloGuild
, I couldn't be prouder of them.
We are thrilled that the NLRB announced it’s seeking an injunction against the
@postgazette
. The PG could've avoided this by simply agreeing to dignified terms with us & our striking union siblings
@cwaunion
& PPPWU at any point in the last 18 months..
Updated story by
@ThomasProhaska
regarding the mask mandate returning to Erie County, the reaction, and the potential for even tougher restrictions ahead. via
@TheBuffaloNews
.
@markpoloncarz
says all
@BuffaloBills
at the stadium 12 and older must have at least 1 vaccine dose by Sept 26 game. And fully vaccinated by Oct 31. Rules also applies to
@KeyBankCtr
. After that, no masks required at stadium.
Mishandling of public money, obstruction, investigations by law enforcement. Really, as far as county audits go, they don't get much worse than this. What Erie County Comptroller
@kevinhardwick
is saying about the office of
@ErieCountyClerk
Mickey Kearns.
@MichaelRCaputo
@TheBuffaloNews
@markpoloncarz
No need to accuse when you can simply ask.
@TheBuffaloNews
is covering this. But since we are journalists and not PR agents or political hitmen, we are doing the boring work of gathering info from all sides and verifying facts. We have standards. We publish on our own timetable.
.
@TheBuffaloNews
used to have a robust stable of copy editors who read copy, caught mistakes and safeguarded the paper's credibility. Now we barely have a handful, and
@LeeEntNews
wants to get rid of them, too. That should concern everyone.
Readers and staff at The Buffalo News hate when there is an error in the paper. But now
@LeeEntNews
, the new owner of
@TheBuffaloNews
, wants to lay off our copy editors and outsource their jobs. Get ready for more misteaks!
Learn more:
We sent a contingent of
@BuffaloGuild
members to support our colleagues at the
@rocnewsguild
on Wednesday. In an era of social media noise, the fight to protect professional journalism and professional journalists is always right and just.
@RDPohl1
@AaronBesecker
@TheBuffaloNews
As sad as this situation is, your subscription still supports the local journalists who cover and share local news. Those of us who still work on behalf of this community are grateful for that every day. We are still the largest newsroom in upstate NY. Your $ makes that possible.
ONE YEAR. Any strike that lasts that long is a sign of a company that doesn't want peace. It just wants to break the union, no matter the price or who pays. The
@BuffaloGuild
continues to stand on the side of right. Our
@mikemcandrew1
joined the
@PGHGuild
rally in solidarity.
The calm before the storm at
@TheBuffaloNews
on Election Night. (Our newsroom is as old school as it gets. It's also just old.) Pic doesn't count the colleagues out reporting right now.
#Election2021
There is no excuse for
@LeeEntNews
@TheBuffaloNews
deceiving readers this way. I particularly love how these dressed-up ads ask readers to "support this work" with a new subscription.
Lee Enterprises misleads readers with online advertising that masquerades as real news. Tell
@LeeEntNews
that disguising “sponsored content” as real journalism produced by hard-working Guild members is wrong.
Learn more:
As we begin negotiations with
@TheBuffaloNews
' corporate parent,
@LeeEntNews
, we are relaunching . Please check it out! Our first featured item is this video that talks about what’s happened to The News since Lee bought us.
#ProtectLocalJournalism
Today the
@LeeEntNews
board unanimously rejected the purchase offer from vulture fund Alden Global Capital. We applaud Lee Enterprises' commitment to strategic growth that supports local journalism at
@TheBuffaloNews
and its other papers over short-term hedge fund greed.
ICYMI:
@GovKathyHochul
says there will be no more micromanaging or ego-driven mandates when it comes to how local governments test and vaccinate residents.
@markpoloncarz
among those grateful for change, says it used to be "ridiculous." via
@TheBuffaloNews
For this story on new
@ErieCountyParks
playgrounds,
@markpoloncarz
picked a rainy day to showcase one at Como Lake Park. But BN photographer
@Bessex_Joshua
still grabbed this pic of Poloncarz pushing the
@wivb
cameraman around on the merry-go-round!
I'm deeply grateful to have the chance to write the closing chapter on Zeke's story. This abandoned city boy was taken in by a family that decided every child deserves love. May blessings always flow to the Sardina family.
ICYMI: Savvy voter tip - when you get political campaign material in the mail, search for the fine print telling you who's paid for it. This "pro-Hardwick" mailer was sent out by
@kevinhardwick
opponent
@VoteLynne
Dixon's campaign. via
@TheBuffaloNews
Look folks, it's one thing to disagree with our elected leaders. But anyone making murder threats should be arrested. Also, anyone who compares an elected leader to the Nazis who killed 6 million Jews, needs a remedial history course.
It's probably a bot, but please report this page for making a threat of violence against me, and if it is a real person and you know who it is please let me know so I can inform law enforcement. Thank you.
We serve this community. That's our mission. Today is no exception. Thank you to our loyal readers and subscribers who support this work despite the many challenges imposed by our corporate owners
@LeeEntNews
.
The value of the work produced by
@TheBuffaloNews
@BuffaloGuild
employees for this community is evident every day. Today's 3-2 edition features 22 local stories from Guild journalists, 19 images shot by our photojournalists, edited, produced and distributed by countless others.
Are you really an "essentially worker?" Erie County Executive
@markpoloncarz
says
@ErieCountyNY
now has an online tool to help organizations identify where their employees are exempt any future emergency driving bans. Story by
@HaroldMcNeilBN
The coming departure of
@BuffaloGuild
member and
@TheBuffaloNews
columnist
@seankirst
is a tremendous loss to both the paper and our community. He's an inspiration who makes everyone's hearts bigger, and the students at
@LeMoyne
will be lucky to experience that firsthand.
A touch of personal news: I have accepted a position that begins next month as journalist-in-residence at
@LeMoyne
in Syracuse, a once-in-a-lifetime chance at age 61 to teach journalism, writing and storytelling based on 47 years in the profession.
Is it worth spending so much public money on a
@buffalobills
stadium, with the goal of keeping the NFL team local? That is a complicated conversation. And we'll keep on having it. The latest from
@JasonWolf
and
@timoshei
. via
@TheBuffaloNews
This video highlights some of the great
@TheBuffaloNews
layouts our designers have created -- and how
@LeeEntNews
wants the right to strip that all away. Demand more of your hometown paper!
When it comes to
@TheBuffaloNews
, presentation matters. Even though our paper has won international design awards,
@LeeEntNews
wants to outsource the editing & design of the print paper and have pages put together by a company hub in the Midwest.
This community deserves better.
Erie County officials knew it would happen when the shutdown ended, but the numbers are still worrisome: More younger adults and youth are being diagnosed with Covid-19. And the county has seen an uptick in hospitalizations.
The state is looking into whether a former Rochester radio personality who tweeted about getting into Sunday's
@BuffaloBills
game with a fake vaccination ID card committed fraud.
@TBNSports
via
@TheBuffaloNews
Fillmore Common Council Member Mitch Nowakowski calls his election as the first openly gay Buffalo Common Council member "historic," expressed gratitude and thanks to voters, family and partner.
#elections2019
So. I've written or contributed to six stories in eight hours today, all related to the
@buffalobills
stadium deal. Might be a record but not sure. On days like this, I'm proud to work with so many other talented reporters to give readers unrivaled, in-depth stadium coverage. 1/7