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.

.Erie County, NY government has more than 1,400 cars and light-duty trucks but how the county should keep employees from abusing the system has led some long arguments between department heads and county legislators. Here's the latest.

In light of the many allegations of sexual abuse and trafficking by Jeffrey Epstein, Chuck Schumer is promoting a law to lift the statute of limitations for survivors. He came to Buffalo and was joined by Mayor Sean Ryan and other local advocates.

Lots of tough decisions involving this family and this case. It's easy to portray the vaccination controversy as a black-and-white issue. But there's a gray zone that landed this case in court.

Why there's been a putrid stench wafting through the Erie County Holding Center and Sheriff's Office headquarters and what it means for the county's jails.

Two Erie County legislators – comprising half of the Legislature's Republican members – are stepping down after the end of this year. But two other Republican contenders are stepping forward to campaign for their seats.

Tomorrow's daytime temperatures in the Buffalo region will be the coldest in eight years. That's just great.

The director of the Buffalo AKG received a $335,000, nearly interest-free mortgage from the museum as part of a "relocation package," to help him buy a Buffalo home when he was hired in 2013. And he wasn't the first director to get this benefit:

Are you taking one of the top 30 drugs prescribed in Erie County? Find out here in The Buffalo News:

The big barrier to reforming government policies regarding employees being given take-home cars, access to free gas etc. isn't just updating a policy; it's ensuring the policy applies to everyone. How the Erie County, NY Legislature is wrestling with that:

Chestnut Ridge Park hasn't offered food concessions in a long time, but it isn't because there isn't any food vendor willing to set up shop. There's conflict, controversy and criticism, and downtown eatery owner who's taking a long fight public.

The Erie County Legislature is officially creating a new five-member subcommittee today that will meet weekly to discuss reforms to the county fleet management, in light of a critical fleet services audit. We had that story last week:

The Erie County Legislature wanted to make it easier for women and minority-owned businesses to be awarded county contracts. The county spent nearly $481,000 on a study to figure that out three years ago. So why isn't it done yet? That story: buffalonews.com/news/local/a...

ICYMI: Scathing report highlights mishandling and misappropriation of money given to the African American Cultural Center, by colleague @DeidreWilliamsB. Erie County Comptroller @kevinhardwick wants more than $350,000 refunded. 1st of 3 stories on this:

In an unusual move, Erie County legislators are planning to create a special committee to review and reform policies in light of critical comptroller audit findings of lax oversight, abuse and policy failures regarding employee use of county-owned vehicles.

The push by Erie County officials to limit use of biometric data, such as what @Wegmans has been using, is quickly moving forward. Story by @samchristmann.bsky.social:

The family of a 17-year-old Depew High School senior has filed suit to allow senior Kayci Rae to return to school and accept her vaccination exemption. The mother had said this was a "last resort," but is pushing the legal fight as the clock winds down on Kayci's senior year.

Case study in Erie County Sheriff's Office transparency. As this @aaronbesecker.bsky.social story notes, @TheBuffaloNews and @WGRZ were EACH charged 2.5 hours of time at $25/hr for the work of emailing us a pre-existing 4-page Granville investigation report and two letters.

D.J. Granville is going to make restitution to @eriecounty.bsky.social for more than $75,000 in damage caused when he crashed his Sheriff's Office pickup truck into seven parked cars in April 2024. But the reimbursement is going to take a while. Our story:

A tough situation unfolds: Depew HIgh School senior Kayci Rae was kicked out of school in October after failing to get the meningitis booster vaccine due to inexplicable leg pain. She loves the school and wants to return. The school says it's only following the rules:

What's become of the major lawsuits and multimillion-dollar judgments facing @eriecounty.bsky.social? As we approach year's end, we take another look at cases settled, and those still looming in court.

Jeremy Zellner has played a central role Erie County Democratic Party politics. As he prepares to leave his post as one of two county Board of Elections commissioners, he and other look back on the tumultuous time with elections over the past 9 years.

Yes, the @eriecounty.bsky.social budget is a lot, but it's official now. Here are five key takeaways.

Pilots from the Erie County Sheriff's Office flew up their new helicopter from Mississippi last week. It still needs outfitting before it can be used as a replacement for the old Air One chopper. In the meantime, concerns abound.

A lot happened Monday. First, actions by Erie County legislators make it clear: The costly plan for a new-and-improved county jail in Alden is dead. buffalonews.com/news... 1/2

Erie County owns or leases more than 1,200 vehicles and equipment that cost millions to fuel and maintain each year. But oversight of that system is "broken" and some vehicles were hard to track down, according to the latest Comptroller's Office audit.

Yes, your Erie County Water Authority water rates are going up. Here's why and how to calculate exactly how much:

Want a keepsake from the @BuffaloBills current Highmark Stadium? You'll get the chance to buy a piece of the stadium soon. Here's @buffalonews.com's exclusive first details on how that will work:

This $80 million judgment against Erie County is being called the biggest wrongful conviction judgment in the country. Appeals are in the works, but concerns linger about the county's growing set of prospective liabilities. Story with Dan Herbeck:

Getting Erie County elected leaders to vote to limit their own terms was always going to be a hard sell, but the campaign to get it done is officially dead. Here's how it all went down today:

Former Williamsville North High School student tapped to lead National Women's Hall of Fame.

This is a case study in the politics of tax collection. Yes, it's one of those how-the-sausage-is-made stories, but it'll give you a lot more insight than your high school civics class.

The annual "doom and gloom" letter analyzing the 2026 proposed Erie County budget is out. Here's how Comptroller Kevin Hardwick is breaking down both doom and gloom.