“My name is Joseph Kissel and I’m the editor, photographer and principal writer of Niagara News Source, an independent and professional online news service covering Niagara Falls, Lockport, North Tonawanda, Wheatfield, and of course, Niagara Falls, which naturally, can’t be overstated in its importance to the future of Niagara County.”

Regionalism and the links to Albany are also overriding concerns of this news project as well as connecting the dots amongst the power players that are obvious as well as the ones more behind the scenes.

What needs to be said right up front is that Niagara County is terribly underserved when it [...]

It’s the most basic level of transparency.

If you’re an elected city councillor, department head, other city official or member of the community and have something to say at a governmental public meeting, it stands to reason

We — the people — need to hear it.

I cover city council and town board meetings in Niagara Falls, Lockport, Wheatfield and North Tonawanda, and I can tell you this is something that afflicts all of them to one degree or another.

Of course, I hold the last group — members of the community — least accountable because they are generally not professionals when it comes to communication [...]