Chris Jamele

Hundreds of patients at Buffalo's VA Medical Center could have been exposed to serious viruses due to the inappropriate handling of insulin pens.

The inadvertent re-use of the pens might have infected more than 700 patients with the Hepatitus B, Hepatitus C or the HIV viruses. Administrators claim that the possibility of transmission of the viruses is low, but the hospital is planning to contact all patients who are at risk. The flaw that allowed the problem to arise has been identified and is being rectified.

The VA is not divulging the names of any of those at risk.

Police in North Tonawanda are searching for a potentially dangerous man.

Ryan Carr is 25-years-old, is of average height and weight with short, brown hair and blue eyes. He is considered to be dangerous and is wanted on a number of outstanding warrants connected with domestic violence. A reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest.

Tips may be phoned to 867 - 6161. Anyone who sees Carr is urged to call 911.
 

Teachers in Hamburg have overwhelmingly rejected a proposed evaluation plan, putting state funding in jeopardy.

The primary sticking point was the heavily weighted role of the school superintendent in the appeal process. The teachers wanted a neutral party to have sway over such decisions. The deadline for a deal is next week.

At risk for the Hamburg schools is $450,000 if a plan is not approved.
 

A full and detailed review of the Erie County Comptroller's office has been ordered by Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw.

Independent reviews of the audit and the accounting divisions will be conducted. Mychajliw claims he is looking to make the office more efficient.

He claims this will set the proper tone for the office as his term moves forward.

One of Buffalo's most beloved music venues will be closing tonight.

Financial challenges are forcing the owners of the Mohawk Place to shut their doors. The derelict atmosphere of the club attracted a devoted audience along with local and national musicians who performed at the club, making it a renowned stop for touring acts. The Mohawk has been a significant local nightclub for more than two decades.

A weekend concert series ends with tonight's "Last Waltz."

Multiple sources are reporting that the NHL lockout could be over.

A tentative agreement has been reached on a ten year collective bargaining agreement.

Details are still being negotiated and the agreement is yet to be signed into effect.

ESPN is reporting that the Buffalo Bills have chosen Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone to lead the team.

The news broke in the early hours Sunday

morning and details of the contract have not been released.
 

Governor Andrew Cuomo is expected to target stricter gun control laws in his State of the State address on Wednesday.

Senate Republicans got a jump on the issue Saturday by introducing proposals that would stiffen laws regarding the possession, sale and use of illegal guns.

The party did not mention assault weapons, but the Independent Democratic Conference, caucusing with the Republicans, is planning to propose the toughest assault weapons ban in the nation.

Two Buffalo men were injured early Saturday morning following a shooting in the 100 block of Delaware Avenue.

Buffalo Police report an armed man shot 24-year-old Demario Castricone during an altercation. Thirty year old Jamie Burgess, a security guard who attempted to intercede, was also shot. Burgess was treated and released while Castricone is listed in stable condition at ECMC.

Police report that the suspect fled in a dark or grey Jeep Cherokee.

Anyone who may have information is asked to call the Confidential Tip-Line at 847-2255.

The two Webster firefighters injured in an ambush by a gunman have been released from the hospital.

Joseph Hofsetter and Theodore Scardino were shot while responding to a call to a burning house on Christmas Eve. Two other firefighters, Michael Chapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka were killed in the incident.

Hofsetter and Scardino had been treated at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
 

A Clarence man has been charged in a home invasion case.

Thirty year old Justin Deho is facing multiple charges after he was found in a home that was being watched by a friend of the homeowner. State Police made the arrest. Deho is believed to have done work at the home in the past.

He was arraigned and is scheduled to be back in court later this month.

The demolition of a North Buffalo landmark got underway on Friday.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has yet to reveal his anticipated gun control bill, but the effort is getting significant support.

The Independent Democratic Conference has announced it will support the Governor's legislation. The five-member conference is a group of Democrats who are closely aligned with Republicans. Cuomo's bill is expected to present limits on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

He is planning to announce components of the bill during his State of the State address on Wednesday.

Sources within the NFL are indicating that the Buffalo Bills are planning to release both head coach Chan Gailey and General Manager Buddy Nix.

A disappointing season for the Bills concludes Sunday, as the team will miss the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season.

The Buffalo News reports that team officials are claiming to be unaware of any decisions being made by Ralph Wilson as yet, but a meeting between the owner and the team's top executives is expected this week.
 

Area firefighters paid tribute on Saturday to their fallen comrades in West Webster.

Better than 200 firemen met at the Erie County Fire Academy to board buses to travel to the wake for 43-year old Michael Chiapperini and 19-year-old Tomasz Kaczowka. The two rescuers were shot to death by William Spengler on Christmas Eve morning as they responded to a call.

Spengler took his own life.

Two other firefighters were wounded in the incident but survived.

An Evans Bank in the Town of Tonawanda was the scene of an armed robbery on Saturday morning.

Police report that two men entered the Niagara Falls Boulevard branch before noon, escaping with an undetermined amount of cash. Police are asking for help in locating the culprits. Both are white males of average height and weight with darker complexions. They exhibited an accent that suggests Middle Eastern ethnicity.

Anyone with information should call 879 - 6606.
 

Steady snows through the early hours on Saturday made for slippery driving conditions.

Slick roads were the cause of a number of minor accidents. There was one fatal accident. A Batavia resident, 48-year-old Frank Demarco III, was killed when his truck crossed the center line along Route 20 in Alexander

and struck an 18-wheeler.

A passenger in Demarco's truck is being treated for leg injuries.

A Buffalo woman is facing sentencing for attempting to bribe a witness in a home invasion case.

Twenty-three year old Nikole Ward pleaded guilty, confessing that she offered $1,000 to a witness whom she hoped would not testify against Lonnie Spears and Andrew Spears. Lonnie Spears has been sentenced to 12 years in prison on a second-degree charge of criminally possessing a weapon.

Sentencing for Andrew Spears on a first-degree robbery charge is pending.

Local preservationists are attempting to save a North Buffalo church that is designated for demolition.

The United Methodist Church on Colvin Avenue was burned by an arson fire in April, leaving the structure in a dangerous state. The Preservation Board is attempting to get landmark status for the church.

A hearing on that decision is planned for January.

Bowing to public outcry, the NFTA is moving to transfer its Outer Harbor properties to the ECHDC, but some wonder if the land should be controlled by yet another state agency.

A series of car break-ins at the Boulevard Mall have Amherst Police on the search. 

Authorities claim that two caucasian men are suspected of stealing items from unattended cars in the mall parking lot. One suspect is heavier set with short, dark hair. He was witnessed wearing a black leisure outfit with white sneakers. The other suspect is slim with short, lighter hair. The pair are driving a dark, mid-sized sedan.

Anyone with information is asked to call Amherst Police at 689-1329.
 

A Town of Tonawanda man faces multiple charges after a five car accident Friday afternoon.

Forty-three year old William Collins failed to stop his vehicle, causing a chain reaction. Collins and his passenger were treated for injuries.

Collins faces a felony DWI charge along with a series of traffic violations.

Two patrons of an East Side bar were shot after a fight broke out in the early hours of Saturday morning.

As the altercation spilled onto the sidewalk on Clinton Street, shots were fired from a number of directions. Two victims were stuck by bullets, with one victim robbed of cash. The two were treated for their injuries. The assailants escaped in a silver SUV.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Confidential TIPCALL Line at 847-2255.

Erie County Sheriff's deputies arrested a Clarence man Friday on numerous charges of child molestation and pornography.

Forty-nine year old Craig Walek faces 44 felony counts of sexual abuse and the manufacture of pornography involving a young boy. Walek is being held on $1 million bail. Each count against him carries a multi-year prison term.

A felony hearing is scheduled for next week.
 

Tax breaks for the renovation of the Lord Amherst Hotel and the Sanoma Grille restaurant were given approval on Friday.

The Amherst Industrial Development Agency will provide close to $2 million in tax relief to bring both facilities to "as new" condition. Nearby residents are voicing opposition to further development at the site, as Iskalo Development Company has plans to construct a 6-story Hyatt Hotel at the same location.

None of the tax breaks awarded are targeted for that project.

The Western New York region has lost another soldier who served in Afghanistan.

Army Staff Sgt. Nicholas Reid, a Brockport native, was pronounced dead in a German hospital on Thursday. The 26-year-old soldier was being treated for injuries sustained earlier this month from an improvised explosive device. Reid enlisted for service in 2006 and was serving with the 53rd Ordnance Company of the 3rd Ordnance Battalion.

He was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.
 

An early morning car accident on Saturday forced the closure of the Delavan/Canisius Metro Rail station.

A car driven by 33-year-old Roman Dunnigan went airborne after striking another vehicle at the intersection of West Delevan and Main Street, crashing into the glass dome of the rail station. Dunnigan fled the scene on foot, and officers later identified Dunnigan at ECMC and arrested him. He is facing multiple charges, including reckless driving and speeding. The occupant of the other vehicle, 22-year-old Ashley McNeal was treated at ECMC and released.

A prison sentence has been handed down against an intoxicated driver who killed a teen in May.

Now, the State Liquor Authority is charging the bar owners in the incident. Surveillance videos from the Forestview Restaurant in Depew show that Michael Ettipio was extremely intoxicated while bartenders continued to serve him. Ettipio left the bar, striking and killing 14-year-old bicyclist Bryce Buchholz on May third.

Ettipio is serving a 1 to 3 year prison term. The bar is facing a fine or the revocation of its liquor license by the state authority.

Erie County is taking steps to stem the loss of funding through tax assessment challenges.

The county will be hiring private attorneys to review the cases and to help stave off refunds that the county contends are undeserved. The county is facing declining property values as well as hundreds of lawsuits filed in assessment cases. Without legal representation in the cases, the county has paid out millions that officials now believe they can save.

Opponents contend the county's move will be unfairly targeting taxpayers.

Recovery from the devastating tragedy that struck in Connecticut has extended its reach to Western New York.

A member of the local Red Cross has been sent to Newtown to assist with the emotional recovery that so many will be struggling with. Tara Hughes acts as the New York State Disaster Mental Health Chief, and she will be leading a team that will be available for grieving families and members of the community who need help in dealing with the tragedy.