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Tag: New York State

  • Lancaster Plane Crash Leaves Two Dead In Western New York State

    A plane crash near the Buffalo-Lancaster Regional Airport has left two dead, a 78-year-old pilot and a 14-year-old boy. The crash happened midair between two recreational single-engine aircrafts during an event of the Experimental Aircraft Association, according to the Buffalo News, “designed to introduce young people to the thrill of flying”.

    “It’s a very sad time when you have a very rare incident like this,” Dick Knapinski, spokesman for the organizing group, explained, “You feel for not only the families of the pilot and the person involved, but all the people that work so hard to promote aviation and make these events possible for young people.”

    The pilots had been taking children up in their planes for 20-minute rides. The collision happened suddenly at 10:40 A.M. “I heard this crashing noise, and looked up,” eyewitness Allen Wadsworth said. “I saw a plane as I looked toward Town Line Road. It veered off toward the right. The other plane flipped and spiraled down to the ground. I heard the thud.”

    “This guy was in trouble. You could see him going that way, and we thought he was going to land in the field right across the street. But he managed to go a little further and get just past the tree line, and he turned sideways and spiraled right down. We heard him hit the ground. I ran right in and called 911,” Pat Harmon, another eyewitness, told WHEC.

    Both occupants of the other plan survived the crash. “The second plane, the pilot managed to put the plane on he ground with some difficulty. That site is now secure here off of Kiefer road. Pilot and one from what we understand, 9-year-old female passenger, neither one of them sustained life threatening injuries,” Gregory Savage, Erie County sheriff’s office, said according to Time Warner Cable News.

  • Buffalo Bills: New Owner May Be Announced in July

    The Buffalo Bills may have a new owner. Although nothing will be announced until a few months from now, a deal is in the works with an interested party.

    Through an anonymous source, the Associated Press reported that the Buffalo Bills could be sold as soon as July. A major sales group has toured Buffalo, New York, for new stadium locations. Since the sale has not been finalized, anonymity has been preserved for the source and the potential buyer.

    Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York has sped up the New York State government’s involvement with the sale. He plans to hire a consulting firm to advise owners to preserve the current location of the team or at least keep the team in New York State. “The governor wants to be prepared if there are any earlier offers to buy the team,” Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy said, “Our team is looking at sites now in Erie County, Buffalo, Niagara County. We’re just being prepared because we don’t know who the next owner will be. We’re not sure what the goals and the objectives of the next ownership team will be.”

    Lots of names have been passed around for the potential new owner of the Bills. Bon Jovi, the New Jersey rock and roll musician expressed an interest in November. The musician was a primary owner of an Arena Football League team, and he has been proactive in meeting with NFL leadership.

    Donald Trump has been in the mix too. He received an endorsement from retired player Herschel Walker. If Trump doesn’t decide to buy the Bills, he may run for New York State Governor instead.

    Since the death of long time Bills owner Ralph Wilson in March, many more names have come up as interested parties. The Wire published a list which included billionaire New York City real estate developer Howard Milstein, former Hall of Fame Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, and NHL’s Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs.

    Image via Buffalo Bills, Twitter

  • Buffalo Bills Cheerleaders Want (At Least) Minimum Wage

    Five former cheerleaders have filed suit over wages against the Buffalo Bills. The team currently classifies cheerleaders as independent contractors, not as employees, thereby bypassing minimum wage requirements. The court may challenge their status, according to Tarnished Twenty, if it finds that “the organization gives a worker instructions on how to perform work, controls the work hours, tells the worker what to wear, and exercises a good amount of control over the worker.”

    In addition to wage complaints, the Jills were required to attend special functions in bikinis and be “auctioned off” to event guests. The team also dictated many aspects of the girls’ personal lives from nail polish and personal hygiene to social media posts. One cheerleader describes “a jiggle test to see what parts of our body were jiggling, and if that was something that she saw, you were getting benched.”

    The cheerleaders and their lawyer, Frank Dolce, still consider themselves Bills fans: “We definitely want our organization and other organizations in the NFL to respect the rights of these cheerleaders.”

    Other fans share their wish and have offered their support in the form of tweets:

    The Deadspin article went on to cite the official complaint regarding the infamous “jiggle test”:

    62. In addition, the Jills were subjected to weekly “physique evaluations” during which defendants’ representatives tested the Jills’ bodies for “jiggling.” During the “Jiggle Test” defendants scrutinized the women’s stomach, arms, legs, hips, and butt while she does jumping jacks. The physique evaluations largely determine whether or not any particular Jill would be allowed to perform at the Bills’ next home game. Jills that failed to meet defendants’ physical standards received warnings, and in some cases were penalized, suspended or dismissed.

    Add this to fact the one cheerleader was “told to ‘tone up’ her body after one such evaluation. She began a stringent diet and exercise plan, only to be accused later of anorexia.” Plus, the pay ranges from $1,800 to $150 for the entire season, way below New York State’s minimum wage of eight dollars an hour. Other complaints can be read on the official summons:

    Buffalo Jills Suit

    For a look into what it takes to be a Buffalo Bills cheerleader, check out the YouTube video below. However, unless this suit is successful, be warned: the pay is terrible.

    Image via WIVBTV, YouTube