BTPM News

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Many residents at a Buffalo apartment building are speaking out about housing conditions.

Noles Court residents allege there are restrictions on Black tenants’ lobby use, as well as intimidation tactics, and raising rent prices with little warning. Some residents complain police are called every time tenants hold a gathering.

There are no shaded areas, which means a lack of places to relax and socialize outdoors, said Maurice Jones, who has lived there about three years.

“We should have an outside area out here. We don't have that; you know what I'm saying?" he said. "We can't sit in the lobby because they have a problem with that, you know? But people are sitting in their rooms or their apartments. You can come out (of) your apartment, but you got nowhere to (go), nothing to do.”

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The US-based marine park chain SeaWorld announced Wednesday it has received approval by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to move 30 beluga whales that have been living in limbo at the closed Marineland park in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

“This has created an urgent animal welfare situation that requires experienced, accredited marine life experts to step in,” SeaWorld posted on its Facebook page.

The belugas have remained on Marineland’s property since the park closed in 2024, and owners tried unsuccessfully to relocate them. BTPM's Dan Karpenchuk previously reported after park owners were denied permission to transfer the belugas to a marine park in China last fall, they suggested that without provincial or federal financial support, they would be forced to euthanize the whales.

That didn’t happen. Later in the fall, Marineland officials rejected the idea of moving some of the whales to a proposed sanctuary in Nova Scotia, arguing the facility would not have been adequate.

According to SeaWorld, the transfer of the belugas will be done in partnership with Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, and Oceanogràfic Valencia in Spain. Mystic Aquarium, located in Connecticut, will assist with expertise but will not ultimately house any of the whales.

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Rev. Jeffrey Nowak, a Catholic priest within the Diocese of Buffalo on administrative leave since 2019, was arrested and charged Wednesday with receipt and possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced.

According to the criminal complaint, the investigation leading to this week’s arrest began back in August 2019, when Nowak was placed on administrative leave followed allegations of inappropriate contact with children and harassment of a seminarian.

In December of that year, an email address linked to Nowak, pigboybuffalo@gmail[dot]com, was identified as an address that accessed a New Zealand cloud-based digital storage and file-hosting website and application which contained photos and videos files of sexually exploited children.

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Read more on the flag raising here: https://t.co/44raqLEWnM

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David Herring, a local activist and board member of the Neurodiversity Network of Western New York, reflected on his experiences as an autistic parent of an autistic child. Herring spoke as Buffalo held its fourth annual Disability Pride flag raising in Niagara Square on Wednesday afternoon. #Disability #DisabilityPride

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Newly obtained documents show how a U.S. Supreme Court decision led prosecutors to not charge former Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown with wire fraud.

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The New York Department of Civil Service opened a new computer-based testing center in Buffalo on Wednesday. The facility will give state employees easier access to exams required for advancement.

To qualify for promotion, many state employees — from a state roadside worker wanting to progress into management to a clerical worker — are required to take a test, said civil service department spokesperson Bryan Viggiani.

More than 50,000 state employees took a promotion exam last year, said Debra Penn, director of the New York State Department of Civil Service Testing Services Division.

In the past, those exams were not digital and often had to be taken in local high schools on the weekends, said Viggiani.

Department Commissioner Timothy Hogues said the new Buffalo testing center will be open six days a week and allow examinees to schedule their own test times.

“We've also heard loud and clear that individuals would like more options in taking civil service examinations, and so we've expanded the opportunity for individuals to do this,” Hogues said. “This will eliminate the barriers that individuals have when having either childcare [or] just scheduling.”

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The online prediction marketplace Kalshi is fighting back against the New York State Gaming Commission’s attempts to regulate it like a gambling site.

A federal judge on Tuesday denied Kalshi’s request for a preliminary injunction that would have shielded it from state oversight.

“New York’s gambling laws are designed to protect consumers. Kalshi tried to ignore them,” New York Attorney General Letitia James and Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a joint statement Wednesday. “We will continue to hold all gambling platforms accountable to the law — and that includes prediction markets.”

Kalshi has appealed the judge’s denial. For the moment, Kalshi can continue operating in New York as the case proceeds. A representative for Kalshi did not respond to a request for comment.

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In response to violence that broke out during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, local Republican officials and candidates spoke Wednesday about the importance of supporting law enforcement.

These candidates believe public safety should be in the minds of voters this November.

"Swift and certain justice has always been a deterrent to illegal behavior, but Democrats' soft-on-crime policies and lack of support for law enforcement have created a revolving door justice system," Pat Chludzinski, New York Assemblyman, said.

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This week in Alberta, Ontario Premier Doug Ford joined Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to announce plans for a potential new east-west pipeline. The proposed Northern Shield Corridor would connect Alberta's oil to Ontario through a 3,300-kilometer (2,050 miles) pipeline.

The pipeline would transport oil from Hardisty, Alberta, to refining facilities in Sarnia, Ontario, entirely within Canadian borders.

Ford unveiled the proposed route while highlighting its benefits for Canada.

"We're diversifying our trading partners, breaking down internal trade barriers and training the next generation of workers for the jobs of the future, unlocking the enormous economic potential of Ontario's vast supply of critical minerals," Ford said.

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Niagara Falls residents are a little more than a year away from potential access to a new housing resource.

Community Services for Every1 has unveiled its plans for The Nest, an apartment building that is expected to offer affordable and market-price housing.

CEO Mindy Cervoni already is planning for a fall 2027 ribbon cutting. Of the apartments, 21 will be allotted for domestic violence survivors, eight for residents with mobility impairments, and four for residents with audio or visual impairments.

“We got into the domestic violence services because we found that there were so many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities that were experiencing domestic violence," Cervoni said. "And there really is not a lot of permanent housing for survivors that exists in the community.”

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