American Axle Plant in Cheektowaga Would Close Under Proposed Deal
United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger said Saturday he thought the union was close to a contract deal to end a strike against American Axle until the auto parts supplier offered a proposal that includes closing three plants. Gettelfinger told WWJ-AM in Detroit that the latest proposal came Friday. He says it included closing the facility in Cheektowaga, in addition to two other closures that had been previously discussed. He said the union planned to remain at the bargaining table through the weekend. About 3,600 UAW members went on strike Feb. 26 at the five plants in Michigan and New York in a dispute over wage and benefit cuts the company is seeking and failing to reach a new contract agreement. The walkout includes more 500 workers at plants in Cheektowaga and Tonawanda.

Alumnus Donates $5 Million for New Pharmacy School Building
UB's new pharmacy building on the South Campus got a $5 million boost Friday from a loyal graduate of the Pharmacy School. India native John Kapoor graduated from UB in 1972 and went on to found E.J. Financial Enterprises. Including this gift, Kapoor has given UB nearly $11 million, making him the largest individual donor. His donations are being added to other public and private funds to renovate the former chemistry building into a high-tech pharmacy center. Kapoor says UB is making wise investments in the top ranked Pharmacy School. UB says the new high-tech pharmacy building, named for Kapoor, is an integral part of the Pharmacy School's eventual move to the South Campus.

Bruuuuuuce!' Headed To Bills Wall Of Fame
The Buffalo Bills announced this weekend that the NFL's all-time sack leader, Bruce Smith, is the next to be enshrined on the Wall of Fame at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Smith, selected 1st overall by the Buffalo Bills in 1985, played with the team until 2000, finishing his career in 2004 with the Washington Redskins. In his 19-year career he earned the Defensive Player of the Year honor twice, along with 11 Pro Bowls.

Senate Approves Summer Suspension On Gas Tax
The Republican controlled New York State Senate voted to suspend the sales tax on gasoline from Memorial Day to Labor Day. They say suspending the gas tax for the summer would save drivers about 32-cents a gallon. "We're pushing four dollars a gallon in this state, we need some relief," Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said two weeks ago. State republicans have touted the suspension as the answer to the high gas prices for the last few weeks now. Just two weeks ago, Governor David Paterson said the $600-million dollars the state could lose by suspending the tax over the summer is too much of a risk.

Architecture Professor Says Peace Bridge Objections Not Trivial
A leading professor of architecture at the University at Buffalo says the objections raised by federal and state agencies about the impact of an expanded Peace Bridge are not trivial. Many of the area's elected leaders are fighting to preserve the cable-stayed bridge design for a new Niagara River crossing. They say the so-called "signature" bridge is key to the area's economic revival. But UB Architecture Professor Lynda Schneekloth says the region will lose even more if it erects a bridge that destroys a local habitat. The regulators warn the bridge would harm an already threatened bird species known as the common tern.

As Gas Prices Rise, Bus & Rail Ridership Increases
Sky high gasoline prices are "driving" more and more Buffalonians to Metro Bus and Rail. Public transportation ridership is up dramatically, 8.3 percent, according to N-F-T-A spokesman Doug Hartmeyer. Put another way, there were two million more boardings in the fiscal year that ended March 31st. Hartmeyer tells WNED news this is not a token amount, especially when comparing ridership totals from four years ago. Hartmeyer said. With regular gas now averaging $3.76 a gallon in Metro Buffalo, bus and rail ridership is likely to continue to rise.

Warrant Squad Rounding up Housing Code Violators
Erie County officials say some housing violators in Buffalo are scurrying to make repairs and pay fines now that the county's warrant squad is back on the beat. Last week, housing court judge Henry Nowak and Sheriff Timothy Howard reported to the legislature on the surprising success of the small squad. The warrant squad was just one of the sacrifices of the 2004 budget crisis. But it could not have come at a worse time. Buffalo already faced an epidemic of vacant houses and blight. With less enforcement, the backlog of warrants for property violations mounted to more than 2,000. But legislators restored $50,000 in the 2008 budget to bring the squad back. Officials sid it is already having a big impact. For every one arrest, they say four people are turning themselves in.

Lawmakers Want Parks Deal Re-Negotiated
Republican members of the Erie County Legislature say the intermunicipal parks agreement reached with the city of Buffalo in 2005, at the height of the County's budget crisis, was supposed to be a "win-win" for both city and county governments. For Buffalo, it was "helping a friend in need." For Erie County, the agreement was seen as a way of helping to ease the County's financial burden. The result, say GOP Lawmakers, is that the intermunicipal agreement that was designed to be "revenue neutral," is costing County Taxpayers more than $1.2 million a year. They are calling for renegotiation of the agreement. Short of that, they say it should be scrapped.

Commission Calls for Consolidation of Local Governments
Governor Paterson has received the Lundine Commission report on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness. Saying the citizenry demands a leaner local government to end the never-ending story of soaring property and school taxes, the Commission has come up with 76 recommendations to cut costs. Many of the proposals are so drastic, so challenging politically, as to change the entire make-up of government bureacracy, whether it be cities, towns,or villages and New York's 700-plus school districts. Merger and Consolidation are are the dominant themes throughout. Governor David Paterson tells WNED that many of New York's most vexing problems are the result of layer upon layer of government bureacracy.

Professional Basketball to Return to Buffalo
The City of Buffalo will once again be the home of a professional basketball team. Franchise Owner Paul Riley says the Buffalo Dragon's first season tips-off in January. The Dragons will be in the year-old Premier Basketball League. Riley says the PBL was started by team owners who grew frustrated with other minor leagues. The Dragons will play at Erie Community College's Flickinger Center. Riley says the games will be affordable for all fans. The team will be made-up of domestic and Chinese players. Riley says he plans on broadcasting the games in China where there are 400-million basketball fans.

Report: Indian Cigarette Smuggling -Terror Link
A congressional subcomittee begins hearings this week on a minority report that suggests the continued sale of tax free cigarettes on Indian reservations in Western New York has been used as a way to raise funds for Hamas, Hezbollah and Al Qaeda. The study, entitled "Tobacco and Terror: How cigarette smuggling is funding our enemies abroad " was prepared for Rep. Peter King (R-Nassau) and says that in many cases, active smuggling rings are used to supply tax free cigarettes from the Seneca Nation to convenience stores in the New York City Area. The report says 60 percent of those stores are Arab-American, and in some cases have funelled the illegal profits to terror groups, through insular family connections that are difficult for law enforcement to penetrate.