The Niagara County SPCA will hold a Holiday Party from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 16, at the Elks Lodge, 1805 Fashion Outlet Blvd., Town of Niagara.

The YMCA has asked to terminate its recently approved agreement with Wheatfield to use the town's Youth Center and gyms during daytime hours, effective Dec. 31.

PHOTOS: The annual Christmas Senior Dance at the Wheatfield Community Center last Saturday drew a large crowd for a turkey dinner, dancing and prize drawings.

The third "Flames Through Lewiston" event will take place Saturday, Dec. 15, from 6:30 until 7 p.m. on Center Street. If you're planning to attend, here are some points to keep in mind.

Jaynee Van Wormer, 2008 graduate of Houghton College, is helping to bring hope to children in Buffalo.

The Niagara County Industrial Development Agency received applications for assistance Wednesday from Covanta Niagara L.P. and 210 Walnut Street for two major economic development projects in the cities of Niagara Falls and Lockport, respectively. Both applications will be voted on at the January board meeting after public comment sessions are held.

For the fifth year running, block clubs on the West Side have put together a "Neighborhood Festival of Lights." Between now and Jan. 6, 2013, households from Symphony Circle to the Peace Bridge get in the holiday spirit and participate in a friendly competition to see who can make their houses look the most festive.

Seneca Gaming Corp. announces the launch of three high-tech initiatives to reach existing and new guests right at their fingertips. The company recently unveiled iPlaySeneca.com - a play-for-fun online gaming site - as well as apps for mobile devices and redesigned websites for each of the three Seneca Casino properties in Western New York.

The Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, Niagara University president, was recently presented with a service award from the Turkish Cultural Center at Buffalo and the Peace Islands Institute.

On Monday, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman sued the owners of FWS, a Buffalo-based furniture retailer, on behalf of Western New York consumers who stand to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in advance payments they made to the company.

The Niagara County Diabetes Education program will conduct its next class on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013, at 7 p.m., at Grace Lutheran Church, 716 Cayuga Drive and Pershing Avenue in Niagara Falls. The evenings' class is titled "The Chicken Pox Vaccine (Shingles): Are You a Candidate?" Jamie Whalen Latko, RPH, owner of Niagara Apothecary, is the presenter.

From Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" to Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," Christmas is portrayed as a snowy time. However, many areas of the U.S. do not necessarily have a high probability of a white Christmas. (Hint: We're not one of those areas!)

It's time once again to don that gay apparel and come a-wassailing with The Queen City Roller Girls as they celebrate their free annual holiday party, "Wreck the Halls: QCRG Holiday Smash," on Saturday, Dec. 15. The event begins at 7 p.m. at the Forvm, located in the Maple Entertainment Complex at 4224 Maple Road, Amherst.

In celebration of the holidays, leather- and denim-clad members of Niagara Falls Harley Owners Group recently made their annual convoy to New Directions' Wyndham Lawn Home for Children in Lockport to give the children residents' holiday presents.

Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson talked about the injury he sustained Sunday near the end of the game against St. Louis on "The Fred Jackson Show" with co-host Bob Koshinski on Monday. He is expected to miss the final three games of the season.

As millions of fans celebrated the success of the "Believe" album and accompanying sold-out "Believe" world tour, global superstar Justin Bieber announced additional 2013 shows on his headlining tour of North America, which includes a stop at First Niagara Center on July 15, 2013.

Bob Koshinski, co-host of "The Fred Jackson Show" on WBBZ-TV, reports on his AllSportsWNY.com website that Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson will miss at least the last two weeks of the season after an MRI taken Monday revealed a sprain of the MCL on the right knee. Koshinski's report can be found at www.allsportswny.com.

Tickets are now on sale for the 2013 Premier, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center's annual black tie dinner and entertainment gala.

Boy Scouts from Pack 193, along with residents from Hospice at Jeanne's House, employees at Northgate Health Care Facility and Niagara Hospice, and residents' family members have special holiday plans this year. The glow of the holiday season will illuminate from the courtyard at Hospice at Jeanne's

A pair of experienced bariatric surgeons made medical history last week when they performed Niagara County's first robotic-assisted laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center.

YMCA Buffalo Niagara has successfully been assisting hundreds of Western New Yorkers for more than a year now in the battle with diabetes. By taking part in a 16-week diabetes prevention program, participants have seen a positive change in their health.

The cities of Niagara Falls and Salamanca continue to be hampered by population loss, decreased property values and a significant decline in revenue, according to two fiscal reports issued Monday by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The reports are the first in a series of fiscal profiles on cities across the state.

The reports detail the impact of the ongoing dispute over casino revenue on the two Western New York communities. The cities are home to casinos operated by the Seneca Nation - the Seneca Niagara Casino and the Seneca Allegany Casino. Niagara Falls and Salamanca have not received their "local share" of casino revenues since 2009, when the Senecas halted gambling compact payments to the state.

The Youngstown Lions Club's Holiday Lighting Contest will take place in Youngstown and Porter the evening of Saturday, Dec. 15.

If you're the type of person whose Christmas spirit doesn't start to glow until the Grinch fibs to Cindy Lou Who, Charlie Brown props up his scraggly tree, Ralphie gets warned about shooting his eye out, or the bell rings on George Bailey's tree, Theatre in the Mist has just the ticket for you.

Imagine a street lined with flames and filled with chaos as dozens of Lewiston's citizens run barefoot through the night trying to escape attacks from British forces.

Amended zoning and green space were newsmakers at an otherwise routine Lewiston Town Board regular meeting late last month at Town Hall.

Competition was stiff this year for the People's Choice Award for Best Holiday Décor at the Historical Association of Lewiston's 2012 Tour of Homes. More than 1,000 ballots were cast and, while the numbers were close, the winner is ...

The Lewiston Choraleers present "Christmas Potpourri 2012" with performances Saturday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church (Old Stone Church), 505 Cayuga St., Lewiston; 7 p.m. at Bacon Memorial Presbyterian Church, 166 59th St., Niagara Falls; and Sunday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m. at Messiah Lutheran Church, 915 Oneida St., Lewiston.

Join Lewiston's small businesses this weekend for more Christmas Walk activities and discounts.

Start the new year off right. The "MOMentous Weekend," a retreat for moms, offers seminars presented by regional experts focusing on the topics of wellness and raising a family.

Hats off to Angelo Grande, who entered Niagara Frontier Publications' recent "Like Us on Facebook" contest and won a $50 gift certificate to Casa Antica, Lewiston's Italian restaurant at 490 Center St.

The Niagara County Auxiliary Police is hosting an open house event for upcoming NCAP and New York State Peace Officer academies. The open house will be held on Sunday, Dec. 16, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Niagara County Emergency Management Facility, 5574 Niagara St. Ext., Lockport.

Members of Boy Scout Troop 829 and Cub Scout Pack 829 will spend Sunday afternoon, Dec. 9, collecting canned goods for the Youngstown/Porter Community Christmas Baskets. The collection effort will start at 2 p.m.

For the third year in a row, Kelly's Country Store, at 3121 Grand Island Blvd., is selling Christmas trees, with proceeds to benefit the Grand Island Lions Club's annual Special Kids Picnic, as well as the club's other service projects.

Robert A. Stone, an airport manager with the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, has been elected president of the Riverdale Cemetery Association Board of Directors for 2012-13.

Flag etiquette is to lower your flag to half staff from sunrise to sunset on Pearl Harbor Day, this Friday, Dec. 7, according to Old Glory Flag & Banner Co., a division of Cooper Sign Co., located in Town of Niagara.

Albert McFadyen will offer a portrayal of Franklin Delano Roosevelt on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Friday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m. in the Niagara County History Center Meeting Room, 215 Niagara St., Lockport.

The Niagara County History Center welcomes local Korean War veteran Stephen Lacki who will present a free public program titled, "KW60," on Wednesday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m. at the History Center, 215 Niagara St., Lockport.

Dr. Stuart Weinstein is again offering the community an opportunity to brighten their holiday smiles and, at the same time, the financial outlook of families with members serving in the military.

Paul and Jan DePlato of Bergholz once again are offering a chance to see one of the area's largest Christmas displays, with an added bonus: a visit with Santa.