Ramona Lockhart and Kathy Zasucha (pictured) have been chosen by the Town of Porter Supervisor Merton Wiepert as the recipients of the 2012 Town of Porter Citizens of the Year Award.

Village of Youngstown GOP candidates Jack W. Bush Jr., Dorothy E. Riordan and Tim Lockhart.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Park Police made a presentation Wednesday to employees of the Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours, lauding the binational company's rescue of Lindsay Burgess.

Diane Perri Roberts, chairwoman of the Lewiston Democratic Committee, announced this week the Democratic candidates for the June 19 Village of Lewiston elections are Therese Mudd, incumbent trustee, and village businessman Dennis Brochey.

Scenes from the 2012 Smelt Festival: video and photo pages.

The Niagara Powerlifting Club was chosen by Town of Lewiston Supervisor Steven Reiter as the 2012 Town of Lewiston Citizen of the Year.

The Lewiston Democratic Committee hosted U.S. Congresswoman Kathy Hochul, of the newly configured 27th District, at its Citizens of the Year brunch at the Niagara Frontier Country Club in Youngstown.

Enjoying the outdoors sometimes requires precautions, and here is one of them.

If you have never experienced a black fly bite, try and avoid any and all.

The Jack Beatty Memorial Hospice Regatta, which takes place each summer at the Youngstown Yacht Club, sent the 2011 winning skipper and his crew to represent Niagara Hospice in the National Hospice Regatta Alliance Championship held in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Lewiston currently in second place, behind last year's runner-up; lovers of Lewiston cuisine urged to double-up efforts to vote.

Construction work continues at 65 Center St., Brio, The Brickyard, Academy Park and Niagara Family Medicine in the Village of Lewiston. Photo gallery.

Soully Created is celebrating its 10th anniversary in the Village of Lewiston. To mark the occasion, the boutique will offer a store-wide sale and refreshments for customers from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 5.

Tuscana Salon and Day Spa recently opened at 705 Center St. (former D'Amore Salon location), in the Village of Lewiston.

Nominated for USA Today's "Best of the Road, 2012 Best Small Towns in America"; Lewiston fans urged to vote and write quick reviews.

Can you help promote Lewiston to a national audience? Do you have a couple of minutes to sing Lewiston's praises?

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce has hosted student interns from the Lewiston-Porter High School Career Exploration Internship Program for the past three years. Interning at the chamber this year are seniors Krystina Ventry and Shelby Lehr, who are interested in careers in marketing.

Lower Niagara Moose Lodge 584 recently donated $300 to Dennis Brochey's Red Brick Bench Press Championship. Funds from the annual event are, in turn, donated to the U.S. military.

65 Center St., in the Village of Lewiston, was moved to a new location on Friday. We've got tons of photos and videos, plus all of the backstory.

The Black Pearl begins her third great season at noon on Saturday, May 26. The Memorial Day weekend will be busy, so it's time to call in reservations. Cruises will be available on Tuesday and Friday evenings, and all weekend.

Local elected leaders joined Niagara County Refuse Disposal District Director Richard P. Pope and Sunnking President and CEO Duane Beckett at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new eWaste collection site.

In case you're wondering what's happening across the street from Tops ...

The Marble Orchard Players recently performed for the Travel Channel United Kingdom for an episode of a documentary program, "American Times," featuring New York state and specifically Niagara County.

Niagara University is pleased to announce the successful completion of "The Promise of Niagara...The next 150 years," an $80 capital campaign that began in May 2007.

The Lewiston Community Lions Club is hosting its first awards dinner on Tuesday, May 1, at the Barton Hill Hotel & Spa, 100 Center St. Tickets are $40 per person. The event starts with a cash bar at 5:30 p.m. and follows with dinner at 6:30 p.m.

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce will honor nine businesses and individuals at the annual Chamber Awards Gala on Friday, June 8, at the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston.

The Service Organizations of Lewiston group has joined forces with the Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce's Lewiston Advisory Committee.

The Silo Restaurant will open for the season on Monday. Proprietor Alan Hastings has completely renovated the kitchen with all new, well, everything, he said. The goal is to accelerate the ordering process.

Simon Construction Co. has begun rehabbing the former "Bucket of Blood" at 65 Center St.

The arts can build bridges across cultures, generations and geographies. The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission supports the efforts of Lewiston Council on the Arts as sponsor of the Lewiston Art Festival.

The Mount St. Mary's Emergency Department received the Joseph Emmons Achievement Award at the Tri-Community Ambulance Companies annual installation dinner on Saturday, March 31.

The Village of Lewiston Board of Trustees will hold two public hearings on Wednesday, April 18. The first conversation concerns the tentative budget for fiscal year 2012-13, while the second involves application for capital project-related bond anticipation notes.

Following Monday's work session, copies of the work-in-progress budget were given to members of the media. Clerk Anne Welch said the figures would change, so the packet was almost moot. However, Mayor Terry Collesano said "most of the big items are taken care of," and, barring any additional changes, the board would try and keep the tax rate flat at $7.12 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

Tickets are now on sale for the fourth annual Lewiston Region Tour of Kitchens, set for June 9 and 10. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Lewiston and Youngstown. Six entertaining and cooking spaces will be featured.

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce will honor nine businesses and individuals at the annual Chamber Awards Gala on Friday, June 8, at the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston.

Special emphasis placed on recruiting assistants for outdoor concerts and special concert events.

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce celebrated a ribbon-cutting Thursday for new business Rellim Hair and Make-Up Design Studio.

Carol Calato, board chair of the Lewiston Jazz Festival, has announced that the organization will host its annual fundraiser, "Jazz & Pasta," on Sunday, April 29, at Water Street Landing.

The 2012 event will include jazz, pastas from area restaurants, a cash bar and a Chinese auction.

Despite a temporary lull in our pre-summer summer, Hibbard's Original Frozen Custard has opened in the Village of Lewiston. The ever-popular, 73-year-old ice cream stand is open daily from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.

Did you enjoy looking for Easter eggs when you were a child? Perhaps you are still a child at heart?

As part of Music in Schools Month, the Lew-Port Board of Education recognized music students who were named to All State and All Region musical groups.

Brennan's Irish Pub in Youngstown will host a celebrity bartender fundraiser to benefit the Youngstown Recreation Department and Nancy Price Scholarship on Saturday, March 31.

Work continued this week at the new Lewiston Stone House, located at 755 Center St. North.