A former EriecCountycClerk's Office employee fraudulently gave an unrestricted pistol permit to someone not allowed to own guns, but ended up buying four of them. Today the former administrator pleaded guilty to an "official miconduct" charge. This story is being updated.

A former prosecutor who helped put John H. Walker and late Darryl A. Boyd in prison after a 1976 murder is now urging Erie County not to pay settlements of more than $21 million to Walker and to Boyd’s estate.

State Sen. April Baskin is proposing a law that would require jail officers to notify next of kin when an inmate is having a medical or mental health emergency, named for India Cummings, who died in the Erie County Holding Center in 2016. by @robertgavinbn.bsky.social buffalonews.com/news/local/a...

D.J. Granville doesn't work for the Erie County Sheriff's Office anymore, but he's still finding himself in trouble, this time by leaving his loaded gun in a car owned by Buffalo Biodiesel, according to city police. Story by Aaron Besecker

Housing a county DMV office in an old Rite Aid? Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns wants to make it happen, but county legislators aren't happy about it. buffalonews.com/news...

ICYMI: As expected, Mark Poloncarz vetoes the County Legislature's youth hunting law. Story by Matt Glynn:

STORY UPDATED: Erie County, NY legislators allocated $21 million to settle a single lawsuit Wednesday as part of a bigger spending plan. Some have more questions about the case, but the county attorney says the settlement needs no further Legislature approval.

It's looking far less likely that anyone will be arrested and charged with the February vandalism of the new Buffalo Bills stadium suites. Here's why.

ICYMI: How one little card is creating all kinds of headaches for the top leaders in Erie County.

Giving the high cost of gas, some Erie County, NY legislators want to cut the gas tax, like they have in the past. But county administrators say that cut made no difference in gas prices then, and it won't make any difference now. The debate:

Several Democrats believe they have the leadership qualities to serve as the next @ErieCountyNY executive. While they haven't formally announced, they all told me why they think they are equipped to serve. The full story:

I post about stories about Erie County news across four social media platforms, but my public Facebook page is typically where I drop behind-the-scenes story nuggets and background you are unlikely to find elsewhere. Consider following:

ICYMI: The latest with the new Erie County Sheriff's helicopters - a prospective buyer for the old one, still in use, plans for the new ones, and pushback to criticism for these costly multimillion-dollar aircraft:

Relationship between a Buffalo cop and Erie County assistant DA is leading the Legal Aid Bureau to accuse the since-fired prosecutor of "egregious" misconduct, which @DAErieCountyNY has tried to keep it all under wraps. Story by Aaron Besecker:

.Erie County, NY legislators voted today for a law to let young hunters ages 12 and 13 to shoot deer. But the law may still have another big hill to climb before going into effect.

Local businesses like Wegmans Food Markets may be collecting and using your biometric information, such as facial features, but Erie County legislators are slated to vote on a law today making that illegal.

Need to visit the DMV this weekend? Two Erie County auto bureaus are open on Saturdays and take appointments and walk-ins. But when and where is changing. Check out the full story:

The civil rights and wrongful conviction cases of two men, which originated with a 1976 beating death, are shaping up to be extraordinarily costly for Erie County, NY Starting with this proposed $21 million settlement for John Walker.

County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Buffalo Mayor Sean Rayn may be friends, but that doesn't mean Poloncarz is hiding his contempt for past city budgeting failures and his conviction that the county should never give Buffalo unrestricted county money now.

Erie County legislators say there needs to be more protections against the abuse of the Erie County, NY's luxury suite in the new Buffalo Bills stadium. That includes keeping a list of everybody who shows up to use it. The full @TheBuffaloNews story:

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz's State of the County address, to be delivered at 4:15 pm today, wlll cover a lot of ground but focus on affordability. Get a look at the highlights in advance, in this The Buffalo News story:

ErieNet, the county's high-speed broadband network, should be done by year's end, and has signed contracts with two companies to make "last mile" connections, says Mark Poloncarz That announcement will be part of his State of the County address tomorrow.

Governments, like retailers, are struggling with the dwindling supply of pennies as they make change for people who pay with cash. Here's what to know about how Erie County, NY – and lots of other places – are dealing with it and what it means for you.

New rules govern who can use the Erie County, NY luxury suite in the new Buffalo Bills stadium. Story UPDATED with additional video and a copy of the full policy.

Leadership overhauls, opinions and frustration unfold as the Assigned Counsel Program that provides lawyers to low-income criminal defendants continues to make changes. Story in The Buffalo News

An audit of the @ErieCountyNY division that authorizes millions of dollars in county purchases every year found problems like missing paperwork, improperly bypassing County Legislature oversight, and red flags associated with helicopter purchases.

The much anticipated renewal of Jefferson Avenue's street and sidewalks – a projected $35 million undertaking – has finally begun.

Have an opinion on how Erie County government is doing in meeting the needs of the people, and what priorities deserve resources going forward? Well, answer this 23-question survey and be heard. Mark Poloncarz announced "Envision Erie" survey Tuesday.

.The Buffalo News exclusive: Seneca-Babcock Community Association submitted a false IRS form to the county when it applied for Social Services grants that it ultimately gained. Former director said original plans to file the form with the IRS were abandoned:

Erie County is close to voting to allow children as young as 12 to hunt deer with firearms. Currently, Erie County is the only upstate county to ban the practice. Enough votes appear to exist to override a veto by Mark Poloncarz

This interactive timeline provides highlights in the D.J. Granville case, including links to stories and videos. If you want to get up to speed on this case study in law enforcement secrecy and accountability, consider starting here: buffalonews.com/news/local/a...

.The Buffalo News has written more than 60 stories about the Granville case, but it's easy to lose track of what's happened, and why we're still writing about the case a year later. This Q&A offers a good summary.

ICYMI: Many board members with the Assigned Counsel Program have stepped down, a forensic audit of the payments to lawyers is underway, and some lawyers have received notice they won't get paid until the audit is done. That The Buffalo News Sunday story:

The Erie County program that assigns private attorneys to represent criminal defendants who can't afford a lawyer is starting a forensic audit, overhauling its board, and possibly withholding payments. The latest on the Assigned Counsel Program:

Erie County Sheriff John Garcia appeared before the County Legislature Thursday to defend his office providing 183 take-home vehicles to employees, many of which are unmarked. That story:

Neither Buffalo nor Erie County routinely check if the nonprofits they fund are up-to-date on their annual IRS and state reporting requirements. I timed myself when I looked up the information. It took less than 4 minutes. buffalonews.com/news... The Buffalo News

New Sheriff's Office fleet policy places few restrictions on personal use of county-owned vehicles via @sandratan.bsky.social @buffalonews.com buffalonews.com/news/local/g...

STORY BEING UPDATED: The head of the Seneca-Babcock Community Association is resigning after the association's repeated failure to submit financial documents to the IRS over the past nine years, resulting in the loss of the association's nonprofit status.

Which private-practice lawyers have received the most public money for representing low-income criminal defendants in Erie County, NY? Find out here:

Some good news: Overdose death numbers are falling sharply, and the types of drugs that are killing people is shifting. Get the full breakdown here:

This story has been updated with the full audit document. Follow-up story to come.

Late breaking but complete report: Comptroller's Office finds some taxpayer-funded private lawyers representing poor criminal defendants received more than $300,000 a year in 2024 and flagged weak oversight and by the Erie County Assigned Counsel Program.

Read it here first: Granville is retiring. Erie County narcotics chief D.J. Granville said through his lawyer last year that he loves his job and would not retire. Now, he's changed his mind. Developing story by Aaron Besecker:

There's no more complete accounting of what transpired with Buffalo Police in the Granville case than here in The Buffalo News This is the result of hours of work by three reporters, including Aaron Besecker, Justin Sondel and myself. More coming.

If you care about the Granville case, this is worth dropping everything for and reading right now.

ICYMI: Holding Center detainee found trying to use bedsheets hang himself. buffalonews.com/news/local/a...

Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns has a Democratic challenger - a Williamsville trustee who came close to defeating an incumbent assemblyman at the age of 22. share.google/yMjab8R7ZiX4...

ICYMI: Construction on the Bills stadium resumed today, but not before dishing out a bunch of warnings to the people doing the work. Story with Mike Petro.

Someone apparently thought it was a great idea to take spray paint into the nearly finished luxury suites in the new stadium and deface counters and tiles. Here's the latest on the fallout, with colleague Mike Petro. More to come.

If you want to get a sense of the tension between the Erie County Legislature and administration over reforming the policy that governs who gets county cars, just watch the video at the top of this story.