Amish Crime

Hot on the heels of the July 11 attempted robbery of an Amish couple as they rode in their horse-drawn buggy, an Amish teen faces charges of alcohol possession and “overdriving an animal” after he bolted in his buggy and led authorities on a short chase. What’s next? Electricity in the home?

French Fry Envy

John Benbenek and Ryan Vedder discovered a 34-inch long French fry from Taffy’s while eating lunch. Now they are headed for the Guinness Book of World Records, and an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. A miffed Angelo Turco of Louie’s Foot Hot Dogs claims that’s nothing...that Louie’s curley cue fries can be eight or ten feet long.

Big Talk

Rep. Brian Higgins delivered an ultimatum to Bass Pro, giving them fourteen days to make up their minds about a putting a store on the waterfront. In the event they say no, well then, Higgins is just gonna tell the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. to go ahead and build up the waterfront without Bass Pro. Unless they’re absolutely sure they don’t want to reconsider.

Unpopular Appointments

High school graduate Daniel Derenda got the five votes he needed from the common council to become Buffalo’s new police commissioner Wednesday, while a stunned public wonders what councilmembers Fontana, Franczyk, Golombek, Russell and Smith are smoking.

Rejection

For the first time in 25 years, the common council rejected a mayoral nominee when they voted 5-4 against the appointment of David Rodriguez as corporation counsel. Rodriguez, who continues to serve as the city’s top lawyer anyway, is campaigning against common council member David Rivera to become a Democratic committeeman.

Dollars spent by Democratic State Senator Antoine Thompson’s campaign committee in the last six months, excluding catering expenses for fundraisers.