With limitations in place regarding hospital visitation, Mount St. Mary's was looking for a way to bolster the spirits of both patients and medical personnel.

Buffalo may be considered the "City of Good Neighbors," but Niagara Falls certainly comes together as a community when times are tough. This community spirit and support has been a hallmark of hope during the global coronavirus pandemic, and the staff at the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute (NFCI) is doing their part to keep positivity flowing.

It is with great pleasure that Acting Sheriff Michael J. Filicetti welcomes the newest member of the Niagara County Sheriff's Office Canine team: K-9 Atom.

On Friday morning, Gov. Andrew Cuomo pledged to sign an executive order wherein the state can take ventilators and personal protective equipment from upstate New York hospitals and reallocate them to downstate medical facilities. With a higher number of positive COVID-19 cases in the five boroughs, Cuomo said this is where the equipment is needed most right now.

The Niagara County Health Department today released the following update on positive COVID-19 cases in Niagara County:

Joining other SUNY campuses across New York, Niagara County Community College has established a student emergency relief fund in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. This fund is designated to support the highest, short-term financial needs to students currently enrolled at NCCC who are now facing extenuating circumstances related to housing, food, and other vital resources.

In a letter to eligible graduates and college employees on Wednesday, April 1, Niagara County Community College President William J. Murabito, Ph.D., announced commencement ceremonies originally scheduled for Saturday, May 16, would be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday said there's no immediate end date to social distancing or brick and mortar restrictions put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. Moreover, though he said there is likely a way to have businesses reopen as people are still taking precautionary measures, he acknowledged the coronavirus would still pose a public danger into the summer months.

Read the full April 3 Tribune/Sentinel.

On Thursday, the Niagara County Health Department released the following update on positive COVID-19 cases in Niagara County:

Elizabeth Corey Coffey and Jen Heinze recently invited community members to place bears and other stuffed animals in their windows, thus providing families an opportunity to get in the car and scavenger hunt.

The Niagara County Health Department on Wednesday released the following update on positive COVID-19 cases in Niagara County:

Niagara County Clerk Joseph A. Jastrzemski on Tuesday said New York state extended expirations for both vehicle inspections and five-hour course pre-licensing certificates due to the COVID-19 shutdown.

The New York Power Authority board of trustees today met virtually for its regular meeting to review and approve its planned agenda items. At the meeting, the NYPA board approved a plan to provide fiscal relief to its economic development power customers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting this Thursday, The Winery at Marjim Manor will offer home delivery to two areas. Route one is Niagara County and northern Erie County while route two is Orleans County.

At a public safety briefing Monday morning, Village of Lewiston Mayor Anne Welch and Town of Lewiston Supervisor Steve Broderick provided updates on efforts to keep residents safe and financially stable as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

At a press update Monday afternoon inside the LCTV studios in Lockport, Niagara County Legislature Chairwoman Becky Wydysh and Public Health Director Daniel Stapleton announced a sharp - but not unexpected - spike in the number of positive COVID-19 cases.

On Monday morning, Mount St. Mary's Hospital held a "blessing of the tents" that are set up outside of the emergency department.

Niagara University's Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M. Institute for Civic Engagement, in partnership with Leadership Niagara, is asking the community to "Halt Hate" on Thursday, April 2. Now in its second year, this annual initiative encourages participants to spend 24 hours choosing not to hate, but rather, to respond compassionately to situations they encounter in their everyday lives and to consciously seek to understand, practice tolerance, and gain perspective.

Lewiston Tops will continue to meet the needs of River Region residents, even as demand for food and supplies increases amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Catholic Health continue to provide services in this COVID-19 pandemic, the community is showing its support for the front line medical workers.

As we head into the third week of this school closure, we hope you are doing well - physically, mentally, spiritually. In these challenging and uncertain times, I am very grateful for the dedication, leadership and unity of our administrators, faculty, staff and families. I am inspired by the incredible outpouring of support and kindness throughout our community, coming together in such creative and thoughtful ways. While we wait for the worst to arrive, we find strength knowing we will get through it together.

On Thursday, Destination Niagara USA released the "Destination of Hope" video across all @NiagaraFallsUSA social media channels.

Niagara County Clerk Joseph A. Jastrzemski on Friday said the Department of Homeland Security has delayed implementation of the REAL ID requirements for domestic flights until Oct. 1, 2021. The requirements were set to take place this October.

During these very challenging times, we so appreciate the tireless work of our partners - elected officials, our peers in health and human services, vendors and supporters. Above all, I'm incredibly thankful for and proud of the 4,000 staff members of People Inc. Their dedication and talent are evident on a "typical" day, and in times like this, are even more vivid and extraordinary. We wanted to share some of the proactive measures we have taken within People Inc. to prepare and deal with this crisis.

Lewiston's Memorial Day Remembrance Committee (LMDRC) announced that our Memorial Day free town and village community luncheon has been cancelled for 2020. Of course, the reason is the coronavirus. The governor has required that we not gather in large groups, and serving 500-700 people lunch under a huge tent certainly looks like what he was talking about.

Six local newsrooms in New York were selected to receive almost $30,000 in funding - CNY Latino, Examiner Media, Niagara Frontier Publications, Spotlight Newspapers, Wallkill Valley Publications Inc., and Watertown Daily Times, with each of these recipients getting $5,000. In this first round, 50 local newsrooms across the U.S. and Canada are receiving $5,000 grants to help cover unexpected costs associated with covering the crisis in their communities. Additional recipients will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Niagara County Department of Public Health released a "heat map" today.

Village of Lewiston Mayor Anne Welch issued the following message to the community. Click the link below for a larger version.

Beginning as early as today, Tops will be rolling our additional safety measures at all of its 162 stores in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, a press release stated. Those safety measures include installing Plexiglas shields on as many of their frontend registers as possible.

Per the Niagara County Center for Economic Development (www.niagaracountybusiness.com/716-278-8750), more tips and tools for locally owned businesses.

Gallo Coal Fire Kitchen is the first Gallo restaurant owned and operated by Michael Hibbard. The Lewiston restaurant offers an exceptional array of coal-fired pizzas, pasta and large salads. Visit http://gallorestaurants.com/ for more information.

At a closed press conference televised live on LCTV Wednesday, Niagara County 8th District Legislator Rich Andres said Niagara County intends to extend the April 1 county tax deadline by 30 days. A formal legislature vote is slated for Friday.