An FBI reward has been doubled in the case of an attempted train derailment in the Southern Tier. The FBI has boosted the reward money to 20-thousand dollars for tips that result in an arrest and conviction. Authorities believe someone put two railroad ties across CSX tracks on the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation in early July. Signs near the site were found reading “no mail-no rail,” which led investigators to theorize that the incident may be tied to a new law restricting mail-order cigarettes. An Amtrak train struck the obstruction, but no one was injured, and Seneca nation leadership has spoken out against the apparent act of vandalism.
A woman is dead after fire ripped through her Niagara Falls home last night. Firefighters found the middle-aged woman unconscious on the second floor of the house on 22nd Street. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The fire which started just after 10 p.m. near the back of the home. The cause is under investigation.
A suspicious package found in Dunkirk turned out to be weather balloon. The Chautauqua County bomb squad responded to a report of a suspicious device at the entrance of Point Gratiot Park yesterday morning. The package appeared to be a Styrofoam cooler with electronic devices and wiring inside. The park and beach were evacuated, and a robot was used to examine the item before it was intentionally blown up. Further investigation revealed it was part of a weather balloon.
A 40-year-old man has been arrested in Amherst for allegedly stalking children. 40-year-old Jody Belling was taken into custody Wednesday after allegedly taking photos of girls between the ages of seven and eight in their bathing suits. It does not appear that Belling had any physical contact with the children. He faces charges of stalking, endangering the welfare of a child and harassment.
The man that allegedly led officers on a wild high-speed chase earlier this week is now behind bars. After an all night search, 37-year-old John Domin was arrested yesterday morning. On Wednesday, officers tried to pull over Domin in a suspected stolen car. Investigators say he sped away, reaching speeds of 140-miles-per-hour. He kicked out his girlfriend and two small children near the Ohio Street Elementary School before fleeing on foot. Domin was picked up a Ruie Road convenience store Thursday morning. He is wanted in Florida on grand theft auto charges and is also on parole in Western New York for a prior burglary. He now faces charges of vehicle theft, endangering the welfare of a child and numerous traffic and vehicle violations.
A Buffalo man has been indicted in connection with a fatal stabbing two months ago. 30-year-old Robert Mills allegedly stabbed 61-year-old Anthony Locasio to death May 14th during a robbery inside the victim’s Elmwood Avenue apartment. Mills has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail.
Residents in the Town of Tonawanda are being warned to lock their car doors. The message follows a string of recent car burglaries. Police advise residents to hide electronic items such as GPS devices, iPods and computers anytime they park their cars.Residents are also reminded to take all valuables inside the house overnight.
A pair of high-profile Republicans got together Thursday afternoon, as formal gubernatorial hopeful Chris Collins endorsed current GOP candidate Carl Paladino. County Executive Collins said that Paladino’s ideas are in line with his own pro-business and anti-tax philosophies. Collins made the endorsement at a company he owns, OGSI in North Tonawanda.
The woman who brought allegations of domestic violence against a senior aide to Governor David Paterson may be re-filing the charges. Sherruna Booker says that she wants her ex-boyfriend, David Johnson, to be held responsible for what he has done. She’s accused him of choking her and throwing her into a mirror last year. The case had been dismissed after Booker failed to appear in court. Johnson’s lawyer says that the accusations have no merit.
Government workers are not happy with a possible layoff plan that is being suggested by the state budget director Robert Megna. State employee unions say that making threats to lay off state workers is not a solution to New York’s budget woes. The Public Employee Federation says the governor should push state agencies to comply with a retirement-incentive program that was designed to save $250 million. The unions won a court battle against layoffs earlier this year and hope to win this fight as well.
A new report ranks New York among the nation’s worst for time spent in the hospital emergency room. In 2009, New Yorkers on average were discharged nearly five hours after being admitted to the ER, putting the state 46th in the nation. Iowa had the shortest emergency room waits at just under three hours, while Utah was the longest at more than eight hours.
