Morning News Brief

A New York State Supreme Court Judge is dead apparently of suicide.  John Michalski of Buffalo was found dead at his Amherst home Tuesday night.  He was under investigation for his connections to Strip Club owner Peter Gerace with whom he had a decades long friendship.  Gerace, owner of Pharoah’s Gentlemen’s Club in Cheektowaga, was arrested on federal charges related to drugs, bribery and sex trafficking.  Michalski’s home was raided by authorities in March but no charges were announced.  Michalski and his wife were reportedly cooperating with the authorities.

The State Budget has still not been decided after missing the deadline on April 1st and an extension being voted on Monday.  The 216 billion dollar budget, the second largest in the nation behind California, is being held up because of ongoing discussions about the Bills Stadium, Bail reform, the state gas tax, and tax breaks for developers.  Lead democrats say that progress is being made and the sticking points are being worked out.  Democrats are committed to keeping the contentious Bail Reform legislation and Republicans are demanding it be rescinded.  Downstate Democrats are opposed to the state giving 600 million dollars towards the new Buffalo Bills stadium while upstate politicians are mostly in favor of it.  There is hope for a vote today and lawmakers are supposed to start a 2 and half week vacation tomorrow.

City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr has another first place award under his belt for shooting after finishing in first place in the Super Senior division and 30th overall in the Tactical division at the 2022 United States Practical Shooting Association Multigun Nationals last weekend in Clinton, S.C.  He was first out of 139 competitors in the 3 day 12 course competition.  Jankowski, who is sponsored locally by Offhaus Farms and POTF Shooting Range, has captured numerous pistol, rifle and shotgun shooting competition honors over the past several years.

Buffalo is back on top of the wing game according to someone who should know.  A famous chef and tv personality Alton Brown disparaged Buffalo’s main culinary attraction, Buffalo Wings, on an episode of Hot Ones back in 2018 saying, “if you want great Buffalo chicken wings, you don’t go to Buffalo.”  He visited the city again on Monday and this time Buffalo natives sent him to where they thought the best wings were and he has recanted saying “I can say, I have had the best buffalo wing of my life and yes, it was in Buffalo.”  He reportedly went to Bar Bill in East Aurora and La Nova on the West Side for the wings.

The Buffalo Sabres have beaten the Carolina Hurricanes for the first time since 2016.  The final score was 4 to 2 Tuesday night setting the Sabres record at 26 and 34 and 11.  Rasmus Dahlin, Jeff Skinner, Dylan Cozens and Victor Olofsson scored for Buffalo and Craig Anderson made 32 saves.  Having beaten the Hurricanes on home ice Buffalo will now travel to Carolina for a game in Raleigh on their’s Thursday night.