The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS A new technology firm called “9 Lives Digital Group” appears to be busy at work in the old Globe Metallurgical factory, located at 3807 Highland Avenue. Locals are saying that they’ve seen bitcoin mining containers and heavyRead More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. During a Niagara Falls City Council meeting on September 4th, Tanya Barone stepped up to the podium to speak for the good of the community. Once she announced that she was going to discuss a Freedom of Information Act request thatRead More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. Mayor Restaino’s reckless and wanton misuse of our tax dollars seems to know no boundaries. He now wants to renovate the former DPW building in the middle of Hyde Park into an animal shelter. He’s planning on using $4.5 million inRead More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. The City of Niagara Falls, NY has been plagued by poor development deals since time immemorial. Mayor Restaino promises to keep that tradition alive by marching our city into the development business and right off a fiscal cliff.  First is hisRead More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. Mayor Robert Restaino has been intentionally misleading his constituents for the past 3+ years by telling us that Centennial Park will cost taxpayers an estimated $150 million. When the Niagara Gazette attempted to uncover the actual projected costs of the projectRead More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. On Wednesday night, all five members of the Niagara Falls City Council voted unanimously to revoke the membership of council appointed Niagara Falls Water Board (NFWB) member Michael Asklar due to “numerous complaints” and “dissatisfactory performance,” and to replace him withRead More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. Once again, Mayor Robert Restaino is being accused of racism against Black people in the City of Niagara Falls. For those keeping score – this is the second series of complaints of this nature against the mayor this month. This time,Read More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. Local taxpayers have been critical of Mayor Restaino’s administration, which has labeled the City of Niagara Falls as anti-business and pro-gentrification; utilizing the department of code enforcement to implement his agenda. Years ago I sat in on a city council meeting,Read More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. Live entertainment experts such as Christian Printup have voiced their opinions in opposition of Mayor Restaino’s proposed event center in Niagara Falls, NY. One of their key arguments as to whether or not this project is even feasible involves the saturatedRead More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. This past Friday, the Niagara Gazette’s investigative journalist Mark Scheer published an editorial entitled “Economists on sports venue public financing: ‘read the fine print’.” Scheer astutely compared expert analyses on the public funding of the new Buffalo Bills stadium with MayorRead More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. TURTLE RECAP: CENSORING THOSE WITH A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION Last week’s debacle surrounding the Turtle building should be a major wake up call for the people of Niagara Falls. A Buffalo-based group of Erie County “preservationists” failed miserably in its attemptRead More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. “Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!”  Earlier this week, Niagara Falls City Council voted against granting the Turtle building a historic landmark designation. The defeat was devastating to the Buffalo outliers behind the “preservation”Read More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. I have watched with interest as the “Save the Turtle” drama unfolds. The Turtle has no special spiritual significance to me, nor do I have any memories or recollection from its brief heyday. I was just a kid when the TurtleRead More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the highest property taxes in the nation for a metropolitan sized city is Rochester, NY at a 2.4% effective rate. Interestingly, the average property tax rate in Niagara County is 2.89%. Niagara Falls residents haveRead More

Comedian Ernie Bivins, AKA “Black Ernie,” is making a name for himself in Las Vegas. “I’m 49, but I feel like I’m 29!” Jokes the Niagara Falls Native, whose career began here in his hometown in 2008. “I was doing shows for a few years and then I met MikeRead More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. Last night’s city council meeting was further proof that Mayor Restaino’s proposed use of CDBG funds for purchasing Parcel 0 is still on the table. Last night, Councilmember Vincent Cauley attempted to rescind the authority the council granted the Mayor lastRead More

As part of a series highlighting the Black candidates currently running for office in the City of Niagara Falls, this article will focus specifically on Democratic candidate for city council Brian Archie. In this series we will examine the Black candidates and judge them not by the color of theirRead More

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. Downtown Niagara Falls has effectively become a garbage dump. We’ve all seen it as we drive down streets and alleys. Old mattresses, used tires, trash bags ripped open with their contents spilling out all over the ground. The average person drivesRead More

This article is part of a series highlighting the Black candidates currently running for office in the City of Niagara Falls, focusing specifically on candidate for city council Uniquia Lewis. In this series we will examine the Black candidates and judge them not by the color of their skin, butRead More

This article is part of a series highlighting the Black candidates currently running for office in the City of Niagara Falls. This article will focus specifically on Republican candidate for city council Vincent Cauley, who is running for re-election. In this series we will examine the Black candidates and judgeRead More