The newsroom is rarely busier than on election night. News 4 Buffalo draws station employees from other shifts and other departments to join us nightside as we collect vote totals, interpret the results, and present them on News 4, CW23, and WIVB.com. The preparation actually takes weeks – researching the ballot, collecting the names and positions of candidates, loading computer data, drawing up a newsroom game plan, testing remote locations, and making contact with those who will be key players on election night. When the polls close at 9 p.m., it’s like turning on a fire hose! Information comes pouring into the newsroom and it’s a race to get it all on the web, on the air, out to our teams in the field, and into all the right hands. You can see why we need so many ‘hands on deck’ to help wrestle with one or two hours of ‘breaking news’ on election night.

Computers in the newsroom are key sources of information on election night. Much of the data is coming from the Board of Elections website.

Producer Vic Baker and News Director Joe Schlaerth have decades of experience covering local elections.

Newsroom Operations Manager Nancy Sanders and Nightside Assignment Editor Martha Meegan oversee coordination of our news teams in the field.

Director Tony Battilana, Engineer John Fellinger, Technician Dave Brown, and Technical Director Mickey Clemons handle the extraordinary volume of graphics and remote video feeds on election night.

News Four Political Analyst Joe Crangle and Ken Kruly, former Erie County Budget Director, examine vote totals.

A small army of volunteers gathers vote totals from the phone bank in News Four’s Election Center. This is information Political Analyst Joe Crangle uses when deciding whether to “call” a race.

During the Ten O’clock News on CW23, Political Analyst Joe Crangle shares his insight on the election. News 4 Videographer Craig Cornwell captures the action.

Part of a six day disaster drill, called Vigilant Guard, simulated an earthquake in the Buffalo-Niagara region.

The old Spaulding Fiber Plant in the City of Tonawanda was transformed into an earthquake zone.

>> click here for an up-close-and-personal photo slideshow

No extreme chill during the week, but chilly enough–especially by Thursday. A short wave and a cold front will set us up for a cold NW flow. As the cold advection continues Thursday night, current indications point to enough lift being generated synoptically by the wave to allow some limited accumulation on the hills to the south.  A pattern change will begin to evolve on Friday, but especially over the wknd into early next week, as a ridge builds in the east and a warming SW flow develops.  An el nino analysis follows below.

The numbers continue to tell the story of this historically bad Bills offense.  Just 9 first downs against the Texans, just 204 total yards.  Its been almost three years since a Bills quarterback threw for 300 yards, an regular accomplishment on most NFL teams.  

But leave it to an opponent to put some perspective to what the numbers say and what our eyes have seen. Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans was asked how the Texans defense (ranked 21st) was able to throttle the Bills offense.

“It was easy,” Ryans said. “They kind of had the same formations, they didn’t give us a lot of motions and things. So it was a simple offense to go against.”

Wow.  Makes you realize just what the rest of the NFL thinks about the Buffalo offense.  Of course, we know why.  The offensive line’s issues don’t allow any fancy formation or motions.  They can’t even block for basic plays.

Oh how I long for the days of Langston Walker.

While WNY college football fans know about local starts Mike Williams of Syracuse and Doug Worthington of Ohio State, James Mallory is making a name for himself too.  The Kenmore West grad had another big game Saturday for Central Connecticut State University.  He ran for 204 yards and 3 TD in a win over Albany.  The Blue Devils are now 7-1.  Mallory has run for 2081 yards in his career at New Britain.  He is close to another 1000 yard season.    The 5-10, 200 pound senior had a standout career for the KW Blue Devils, running for over 5000 yards.

AP Photo

Taking nothing away from a Bills defense that is playing well and taking the ball away….the midterm exam comes Sunday and it will tell us alot about the student.  Buffalo’s D has beaten the 31st and 32nd ranked NFL quarterbacks (Sanchez and Delhomme) the past two weeks, forcing 9 interceptions.  Those picks aren’t lucky.  They were earned.  But the QB’s throwing them also played a role in making them happen.

That won’t happen against the Texans.  Schaub leads the NFL in TD passes, ranks 4th in quarterback rating and has throw only 5 interceptions.  He has the league’s leading receiver in Andre Johnson, and the tight end leader in yards in Owen Daniels. 

So we’ll find out much more about the Buffalo defense based on how they do against Houston.  Plus, we’ll learn if the offense can produce enough points to win.  I don’t see the Texans scoring less than 21.  So can the Bills offense, if they don’t get handed the short fields from turnovers, maintain some drives and score some points?  I don’t think so.  I think the Bills are a below-average overall team, and I believe we’ll see that Sunday.

CDC  Swine Flu Situation Update

Some people are holding what they call “swine flu parties.”

Officials say those people are intentionally coming in contact with an infected person, in hoped of catching a mild form of the virus.

>>Read more here.

Fraudulent 2009 H1N1 Influenza Product List

Effort to stop new license plate requirement

Teegan Clark, a student at Wilson Central, is a finalist in a national competition sponsored by Hasbro.

Teagan loves to play with Playdoh so she entered a contest that asked her to make her favorite food with it.  She made a fish fry.

Playdoh Fish Fry

Click here for more info and to place your vote for Teegan!