Niagara County's WorkSource One announced its "Success in Six" program will begin Friday, Jan. 24 . Those interested in participating can still sign up.

Bob Heisner teaches Bushido at his building on Niagara Falls Blvd. He became proficient in the martial art through a blending of six different disciplines that he learned while serving in the military during and after the Vietnam War. He said the process of training doesn't just help muscles, it stays with the student and gives the self-determination and will to become whatever it is they aspire to become.

The Town of Niagara Business & Professional Association is hosting its annual Awards Dinner for 2019 honorees on Jan. 29 at the Four Points Sheraton, 7001 Buffalo Ave. in Niagara Falls. All proceeds will go to the TNBPA Scholarship fund to help families offset the cost of college.

Proceeds from North Tonawanda's 10th Mayor's Charity Snowflake Ball will benefit the Vietnam Veterans WNY Chapter 77, which maintains a museum in Tonawanda and helps provide food and necessities to veterans and their families in need. This chapter, with its 675 members, is the largest in New York and fifth-largest in the nation.

A crowd - standing room only - faced North Tonawanda officials at the Jan. 7 public hearing for the proposed changes to the city's sanitation program. Several residents approached the board with deep objections to the recommendations proposed by Niagara County Environmental Science Coordinator Dawn Timm and DPW Superintendent Mark Zellner.

The Kaleida Health DeGraff Memorial Tower in North Tonawanda, formerly used for inpatient care, has been listed with Pyramid Brokerage Co. to attract a developer to fill the five-story building. Some of the property's highlights, according to Pyramid, include easy access to the I-290 and its suitability for redevelopment, as well as it being ideal for multi-family residence and affordable housing.

Buffalo Coffee Roastery hopes to solve this question by roasting, grinding and selling fresh beans from around the world in the hamlet of Sanborn, at 5844 Buffalo St.

As it begins its 125th year in service to the community, Pinnacle Community Services has announced Laura Pennington Gawel will now lead the organization as president and CEO.

Junior goalkeeper Brian Wilson of the Niagara University men's hockey team has been nominated for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey.

The History Center of Niagara will host a trivia program - reminiscing about old TV shows and movies - at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at 215 Niagara St., Lockport.

The concept was simple. Find a rock, decorate it, then hide it again. Soon, someone else will find it and take a picture, then hide it, too. A fun game in cities across the U.S. hit WNY in 2017 when Kimberly LaRussa, a local blogger of a website called Sweet Buffalo, was introduced to it by a friend in Florida. She said it seemed like a fun activity for the long winter, but couldn't have imagined what it would become.

At the City of North Tonawanda reorganization meeting, board members paused to ask Mark Berube to come forward and accept a plaque for his service.

Animal welfare advocates from the Voices for Shelter Animals group spoke out recently in regard to an investigation conducted at the Niagara SPCA by former Erie County SPCA Executive Director Barbara Carr, and Libby Post, executive director of New York State Animal Protection Federation. They called it a conflict of interest.

It's getting pretty cold out and, with the harsh weather, comes several charitable organizations looking to serve those who have the least. There is one group that is undeniably at risk and it's not even our species. In a word: Cats.

Just days into a new year and decade, thoughts of area fishers and outdoors aficionados are already turning to warmer weather. We have to admit that winter 2019-20 is already getting on our nerves; the holidays are thankfully over and the Bills short run at the playoffs is now history.

Traveling on the road to play a basketball game in a hostile environment is no easy task. The Lewiston-Porter Lancers felt the affects of playing in Niagara-Wheatfield's gym Tuesday night, but as good teams do, the Lancers were able to overcome an early stumble. Lew-Port defeated the Niagara-Wheatfield Falcons, 80-51, Tuesday, in a game that was close for the first 16 to 17 minutes.

After a recent Town of Niagara meeting, Supervisor Wallace announced, "We have these end-of-the-year awards. We want our residents and our citizens - people in our town - and also our employees, to know that we notice when you do something that we feel is above and beyond."

The Town of Wheatfield Lions Club, in partnership with Community Care and Pellicano's Marketplace, worked together to provide community help this Christmas and holiday season for those in need.

The VIP Food Service students from the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center spread some holiday cheer to troops in Afghanistan. For the second year, students in Lisa Cook's class helped out a local Lewiston organization that tries to make the season brighter for men and women who cannot be home with their families.

Inside Voz Cycle City Inc. is a vast array of gear for everyone's favorite motorcycle enthusiast. To keep it open and running, owners Terry and Carol Vosburgh have to work hard. However, even with their busy schedules, they still find time to give back.

On a cold, rainy and snowy Dec. 14, the Kiwanis Club of Niagara-Wheatfield assisted the Salvation Army's bell-ringing campaign. Members greeted customers at the Sanborn Tops Market as they entered the market and wished them a merry Christmas as they left, offering candies and candy canes for those who wished. It was a busy five hours of receiving donations. The Kiwanians also aided the Tops employees by retrieving baskets from the wet, slushy parking area.

On their last meeting for the year, councilmen on the Town of Niagara's Town Board were given an earful by residents of Belden Center on the subjects of potholes, drainage and broken promises.

Eric Salisbury was appointed dog control officer in 2018 for the City of North Tonawanda. Since then, he's become something of a legend for the dog- and cat-loving community in the municipality. Recently, after several residents commended his service, the NT City Council awarded him a pay increase.

Wojtaszek said the laws were placed in an appropriations bill by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and "pretty much passed in the middle of the night."

On Jan. 1, the Town of Wheatfield Community Center hosted the inauguration of the 2020 officers for Wheatfield and surrounding area in front of an audience of 50 people.

The program is called the BTOP Express - Better Technology, Onsite and Personal. It provides general computer training throughout the NIOGA Library System. At a recent Town Board meeting in Wheatfield, Sara Taylor, a BTOP e-mobile trainer, spoke to Supervisor Don MacSwan and councilmen regarding bringing the program to the residents, despite the town's lack of a library.

On Dec. 5, the Niagara Regional Construction Alliance recognized William Ross with the 2019 United Rentals Light Tower Award. Inaugurated in 2018, the award seeks to honor individuals whose service has shined a positive light on, and brought powerful leadership to, the construction industry.

Over 200 North Tonawanda families will receive help from Box of Hope again this Christmas. Every child, 18 and under, in all of the registered households will receive a gift along with a box of nonperishable food items delivered to their home on Dec. 19.

Have an itch to try something new? Maybe something like dance, finance, cooking and health and fitness? How about spiritual awareness? If so, the answer may be found in the Niagara-Wheatfield School District's community education programs.

The City of North Tonawanda's Sanitation Feasibility Study was recently discussed at a Common Council workshop. The document covers different innovations to lessen the blow of rising costs for garbage and recycling disposal.

On Monday Dec. 23, the Niagara Gospel Rescue Mission will start its "Feed the Falls - Christmas" events with a "Pie Party" at Cornerstone Church, 1290 Whitehaven Road, Grand Island. Following, the work for "Feed the Falls - Christmas Blessing" will begin, where volunteers will deliver a free Christmas dinner right to the doorstep of a family or individual in need.

A reminder to Wheatfield residents, the brush chipper went off the road in October. We did bring it out briefly after a windstorm and the town was covered three times to pick up storm related debris. The brush chipper will not be back out until spring unless we have unseasonably snow melt. The leaf pickup will not be back out. Bag leaves for regular trash pick-up.

It was a "Gingerbread Wonderland" in the Niagara Culinary Institute this last weekend as gingerbread houses were on display, with ribbons attached, for the American Culinary Federation competition.

The Niagara Falls Firefighters annual Christmas Toy fund kicked off this past weekend at Niagara Falls High School with multiple dance and music groups gracing the stage as officials described the effort put into this event.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced a period of public comment regarding the school on Military Road in the Town of Niagara, which was destroyed in a fire in July.