Current News

The Niagara County Department of Health has a limited supply of flu vaccine for people ages 4 and up. The nursing division immunization program will hold a flu vaccination clinic from 9 a.m. until noon on Thursday, Jan. 24. It will be by appointment only, at the Trott Access Center, located at 1001 Eleventh St., Niagara Falls.

Katie Couric has scored the first on-camera interview with Manti Te'o for her nationally syndicated daytime talk show, "Katie." Couric will sit down with Te'o and his parents, Brian and Ottilia Te'o, who are speaking out for the first time on camera.

Brews, food, music and art: The "Art of Beer," the annual fundraiser for the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center, will be held from 6 until 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22. Craft beer lovers, who also appreciate great food and music, will pack the NACC for the seventh annual event. Last year, more than 500 patrons were in attendance.

The Buffalo Sabres have announced that Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret is still under the weather and will not be on the broadcast for Monday night's Sabres game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kevin Sylvester of "Sabres Hockey Hotline" will handle the play-by-play duties for the broadcast, with Rob Ray handling the color commentary.

There was a clear thirst for the return of the NHL as Saturday's two-game regional coverage on NBC scored a 2.0 overnight rating (3:30-6:15 p.m.), resulting in a host of records and milestones, according to official data released Sunday by The Nielsen Company. The 2.0 overnight was (excluding Winter Classics):

Dr. Glenda R. Rose and Dr. Thomas G. Barba, of Rose Chiropractic P.C. in Lewiston, announce they will be sponsoring the 23rd annual "Doctors with a Heart Day" on Saturday, Feb. 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for their patients.

A retirement party is being planned for outgoing Niagara Catholic Junior-Senior High School Principal Bob DiFrancesco from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 10, at The Como Restaurant, 2220 Pine Ave., Niagara Falls.

Registration for the Niagara Pioneer Soccer League 2013 house league season is approaching.

"Bon Jovi Because We Can - The Tour" has just added a Buffalo concert at First Niagara Center at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 24.

Robert A. Savoy, entered into rest Jan. 10, 2013. He was a resident of Grand Island.

Claude "Bob" Pettitt passed away Dec. 25, 2012, at the age of 88 in Dayton, Ohio. He was formerly of Grand Island.

Jerome L. Szczublewski passed away on Jan. 16, 2013.

John A. McCarthy of Grand Island entered into rest on Jan. 16, 2013.

While Lewiston readies for its first-ever Cocktail Festival in March, folks up in the Village of Youngstown have been busy in their own forms of fun to help ward off the winter doldrums.

Monday evening, staffers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation hosted two public hearings in the Lewiston-Porter High School auditorium. Their purpose was to gauge public comments on a draft permit renewal application on file with DEC by CWM Chemical Services LLC.

Residents For Responsible Government announced this week it will hold a press conference on Friday, Jan. 25, at 9:30 a.m. in front of Lewiston-Porter High School on Creek Road.

The Lewiston-Porter Board of Education accepted, with regret, the resignation of Don Rappold, assistant superintendent for administrative services. Rappold joined Lew-Port on Aug. 1, 1987 and will leave the district at the end of business on June 30.

News of a returning summer festival at Porter on the Lake, finalizing a new park committee and complaints of a derelict property owner on Youngstown-Lockport Road were among issues discussed at Monday's Porter Town Board meting.

David Woodley Sr., a longtime Lewiston resident, is shown with nurse Brittany Harris donating blood this week at a Red Cross blood drive at First Presbyterian Church in the village. On Wednesday, Woodley started his 21st gallon.

St. Peter's Holy Name Society in Lewiston recently installed its new officers for 2013 and 2014.

Life with school-age children can be quite busy, as any parent knows. "When your family has baseball practice and dance class and many other commitments, including homework, it can be difficult to fit it all in," says Katie Bone, director of the Kenmore Huntington Learning Center.

OK, let me tell you a little story.

Ice fishing is a great sport, fun, and a real challenge sometimes.

The Shawnee Sno-Chiefs Snowmobile Club, in cooperation with the Shawnee Volunteer Fire Co., will hold a New York state snowmobile safety course on Jan. 21 and 22 at the firehall, 3747 Lockport Road, Sanborn. This course is open to anyone age 10 and above.

The following activity occurred Monday, Jan. 7, to Sunday, Jan. 13, as reported by the Lewiston Police Department. LPD logged a total of 68 response calls during this period.

Phil Arno, owner of WBBZ-TV, along with General Manager Bob Koshinski, announce a 21-game broadcast schedule to air on WBBZ-TV.

The Ransomville Speedway 2013 season officially kicked off on Jan. 1 with the 13th annual Hangover 150. A great crowd was on hand to scratch that racing itch despite very chilly temperatures. With the event officially in the record books, the focus has turned to the upcoming regular season, which is tentatively set to kick off in late April.

The Niagara Falls Country Club informs that, weather permitting, it will provide cross-country skiing on the NFCC grounds for its membership this winter.

Niagara County Community College announced that Gemma Fournier, surgical technology program coordinator, was recently selected as one of 10 recipients of the 2012 Fellow of the Association of Surgical Technologists at the Association of Surgical Technologists national conference held in Washington, D.C.

After a lengthy illness, Ernest "Ernie" Murdoch, 73, of Lewiston passed away on Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, in Mount St. Mary's Hospital.

The Buffalo Sabres will open their 2012-13 regular-season schedule on Sunday, Jan. 20, at 12:30 p.m. against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Buffalo Sabres have announced they will once again offer the "Tickets for Troops" and "Ultimate Sabres Fan Experience" programs for the 2012-13 season.

"60 Minutes" will be pre-empted this Sunday, Jan. 20, by CBS Sports' coverage of the AFC Championship game between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots.

Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier has announced defenseman Adam Pardy and forwards Kevin Porter and Nick Tarnasky cleared waivers were assigned to the Rochester Americans (AHL).

On Friday, Jan. 18, 29 leaders across the region will begin a yearlong graduate level leadership development program sponsored by Leadership Niagara. The inaugural meeting of the class will be a two-day retreat at the Four Points by Sheraton in Niagara Falls, held for students to learn leadership concepts and principles, the importance of community interrelationships, how to enhance their personal style through DiSC behavioral assessments, critical thinking, and other introductory exercises to prepare for their year together.

The towns of Wheatfield and Niagara are cooperating in a plan to bring a public dog park to the grounds of the SPCA of Niagara on Lockport Road.

The Wheatfield Town Board on Monday held three public hearings before getting its regular meeting under way.

Sheriff James R. Voutour has announced the Sheriff's Community Police Academy will be held Feb. 28 and every Thursday through May 30 at no cost.

I want to thank my legislative colleagues for your vote of confidence in selecting me as the 2013 chairman of the Niagara County Legislature. It is an honor and a pleasure to address you this evening (Jan. 2) on the state of the county.

Assemblyman John Ceretto, R-I-Lewiston, expressed his opposition Thursday to the reintroduction of Assembly bill 2597, known as the Dream Act, by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. The measure would allow illegal aliens who "meet certain criteria" to receive higher education subsidies at taxpayer expense.

The following is a sampling of calls received by the Niagara County Sheriff's Office from the Town of Niagara and Wheatfield area between Jan. 7 and 14.