The Bee Hive Ceramic Studio in Lewiston recently donated $250 to Niagara Cerebral Palsy to assist its many programs that support children and adults with developmental disabilities.

The Intersocietal Accreditation Commission has granted an accreditation to Mount St. Mary's Hospital nuclear cardiology medicine program. This three-year accreditation recognizes that the hospital's program has undergone a thorough review of its operational and technical components by a panel of experts.

Noelle LaBarr didn't want to wait a few hours to be the first baby born at Mount St. Mary's in 2013, so she became the last baby born at the expanded Center for Women at Mount St. Mary's for 2012.

The St. Francis Guild, the auxiliary of Mount St. Mary's Hospital, recently presented hospital President and CEO Judith Maness, left, with a check in the amount of $60,000 from its 2012 fundraising efforts.

Surrounded by his family, Assemblyman John Ceretto, R-C-I-Lewiston, was sworn in to office Dec. 31 by Grand Island Town Justice Mark Frentzel at the Grand Island Town Hall.

The Rev. Jimmy Rowe, the academic/community coordinator and co-founder of the NU applied urban ministry program, announces the start of the spring 2013 cohort of classes of the successful applied urban ministry professional development certificate program.

Well, the world didn't end.

We figured it wouldn't. Yet that didn't stop residents in the River Region from seizing each day and living life to the fullest this year.

The Orange Cat Coffee Co. in Lewiston hosted "The World's Shortest Christmas Party."

Ransomville Rural retirees has set its January meeting for Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Ransomville Volunteer Fire Co. firehall, 2525 Youngstown-Lockport Road, Ransomville.

First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown invites the community to join in a traditional "Celebration of 12th Night through the Boar's Head Pageant" on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, at 5 p.m. in the church hall.

The Lewiston Public Library, 305 S. Eighth St., in the Village of Lewiston, announces the following programs, events and activities for the month of January.

As we enter into a new season of racing just five short months from now, attendees at Ransomville Speedway will see a change within the Sportsman and Fireball classes. This change comes within the names. Investor's Service Co. is the new official sponsor of the Sportsman division while FindItQuick.com is the official sponsor of the Fireball ranks.

Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course has announced that, in Golfweek magazine's just-released December issue, the Lewiston facility is listed as No. 25 among the "Casino Top 40 Golf Courses" in the U.S. Golfweek is considered one of the gold-standard publications in the golf industry.

A community Christmas celebration was held in the Wilson High School auditorium. Several area churches came together for a fun, non-denominational celebration of Christmas.

Mark your calendars for a special event taking place on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, at the Lewiston Village Pub and Restaurant.

Long Cliff Vineyard & Winery Inc. presents "Pairing for Penguins," a benefit for the penguin exhibit at the Aquarium of Niagara.

Earlier this month, a group of women gathered at the Lewiston home of Fran and Rania Roach for an Egyptian-American cookie exchange.

It has been a busy few months since I crowned Lewiston's newest peach queen back in September. Not only have my classes at Niagara University been challenging and time consuming, but my ongoing fundraising efforts for the Arthritis Foundation have kept me a busy young lady, as well.

It may be the off-season for area golfers, but that doesn't mean the folks at the Niagara Falls Country Club have been quiet.

Christopher Roser, superintendent of Lewiston-Porter schools, met with Lewiston Chief of Police Chris Salada this week in the wake of the Dec. 13 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

Congratulations to the following artists, winners of the Sentinel's annual holiday coloring contest, sponsored by DiMino Lewiston Tops:

With Christmas upon us for another year, we seem to forget what it is all about. Celebrated by billions of people around the world each year, it represents the birth of Christ. It also represents a time for giving and celebration.

Paul Beatty, representing Niagara Hospice and the Mighty Niagara Half Marathon, presented the Village of Lewiston trustees with a certificate of appreciation prior to Monday's monthly board meeting.

Looking for some great last-minute stocking-stuffers? How about something for that special someone who has everything?

First Presbyterian Church, 100 Church St., Youngstown, invites the community to its Christmas Eve service of lessons and carols, Monday, at 7 p.m. All are welcome to attend as First Presbyterian celebrates the peace and joy of Christmas and the birth of Jesus.

A little light rain didn't do anything to put a damper on Youngstown's "Christmas in the Village" event .

The Lewiston-Porter Board of Education meeting opened with a festive atmosphere featuring holiday songs performed by a number of fifth-graders. Then for one minute, a silence hung over the room as tribute was paid to the victims and survivors of Newtown, Conn.

Retired Lewiston-Porter Elementary School teachers and staff have been donating children's gifts for several years to the Youngstown/Porter Community Holiday Baskets organization.

Applications for the Ancient Order of Hibernians annual scholarship for Niagara Catholic Junior/Senior High School are now available at Niagara Catholic.

The Castellani Art museum of Niagara University has announced the artists selected for the 2013-14 TopSpin exhibition series. The museum's TopSpin Gallery, dedicated to the exhibition of work by local and regional artists, features a broad range of visual expressions, varied in media as well as message, and focuses mainly on new and emerging artists.

The Lewiston Lions Club is ending the year on a high note. Four new members - Fred Smith, Bob Hartz, Carol Sommer and Lisa Ieraci, pictured from left - were inducted during December's dinner meeting.

Employees at Mount St. Mary's Hospital got into the holiday spirit by donating more than 175 wrapped gifts as part of an effort with the Heart, Love and Soul Food Pantry in Niagara Falls.

Three regional artists whose work was featured in the Castellani Art Museum's exhibition "TopSpin 10: The Ten Year TopSpin Retrospective" were presented with Viewer's Choice Awards.

The Rotary Club of Niagara County Central will again offer $1,000 scholarships to students from the Niagara-Wheatfield, Starpoint and Wilson school districts.

St. James Lutheran Church, 2437 Niagara Road, Bergholz, will hold a candlelight worship service at 5 p.m. and a children's program at 7 p.m. Dec. 24.

A special Christmas Mass will be celebrated at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26, at All Saints Chapel Mausoleum in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Lewiston.

Niagara County lawmakers approved a $321.8 million spending plan Tuesday night in Lockport, with a slight 1.2 percent property tax rate increase that is below the county's legally required 2 percent tax cap.

The approved budget sets a full value tax rate of $7.72 per $1,000 of assessed value, up slightly from the $7.63 rate in the 2012 spending plan. Despite the minimal uptick in rates, the fiscally conservative budget maintains deep cuts in county tax rates achieved over the course of the past decade

The Mount St. Mary's Foundation recently dedicated a "Wall of Donors" to formally recognize individuals and businesses that gave to its successful Breast Care Center capital campaign, which raised more than $1.2 million.

The Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University will be closed to the public during Niagara University's holiday break, Saturday, Dec. 22, through Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. The museum reopens with regular hours on Wednesday, Jan. 2.