Missing Tape

The Jane Corwin campaign continues to refuse to release full video of a May 11 incident where her Chief of Staff ambushes Jack Davis and provoked an (alleged) assault, claiming the second camera’s battery died. Not missing a beat, the Davis campaign was quick to liken the controversy to Nixon’s infamous tape gap.

The Bear Patrol

For a third straight year, a black bear was spotted in Amherst, terrorizing residents on May 12 and even spawing a (now obsolete) Twitter account. Police allowed the bear to leave, but the real issue here is when the town is going to have a comprehensive plan to address this growing bear crisis.

Potential Eyesores

HSBC announced on May 13 that they have scrapped plans—for now—to move relocate from the HSBC Center downtown, sparing Buffalo the embarassment of joining Detroit among cities blighted by abandoned skyscrapers. Whoops. Forgot about the Main Place Mall Tower. Nevermind.

Underage Drinkers

Facing increased calls for action in the wake of several violent incidents downtown, officials at the Common Council meeting on May 17 agreed to a public hearing on a plan to ban underage patrons from Chip Strip bars and nightclubs. Teens of Cheektowaga you gotta fight. For your right. To party.

Decriminalize It

State Sen. Mark Gristanti of Buffalo is co-sponsoring a bill in Albany that would make public possession of less than 25 grams (or about an ounce) of marijuana a $100 violation instead of a misdemeanor. Wow. Practical solutions for our costly drug prohibition from a (albeit pseudo) Republican, kudos.

Average price per pound of chicken wings sold in Georgia (the standard the government uses to track prices) according to statistics from the US Department of Agriculture. After surging in price over the past several years, it appears as though the great chicken wing bubble—which saw prices soar as high as $2 last year—is finally over. Prices have already dropped 15% since the Super Bowl.