Ten babies perished in unsafe sleep conditions in Niagara County during the past five years - three of them in 2017 alone. Most were sleeping on an unsafe surface such as an adult bed, sofa or chair, and most were sleeping with at least one other person. All were under 6 months of age; eight were less than 3 months old.

The Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara's annual golf raffle will take place from 4-7 p.m. Sunday, April 29, at the Sanborn Fire Hall, 5811 Buffalo St.

On Saturday, May 12, the Niagara County Central Rotary will host its annual pancake breakfast in the Niagara-Wheatfield High School cafeteria. The breakfast, which starts at 8:30 p.m., is free to the public and come with pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit cup and either coffee, tea, milk or orange juice.

On Monday night, the Town of Wheatfield Town Board met for their last regular meeting of April. During the meeting, the board scheduled two public hearings and Wheatfield Supervisor Don MacSwan discussed the possibility of switching to LED lighting throughout the town.

Back in early March, the Town of Wheatfield Town Board brought in Jon Rosen of USA Cycling for a work session about a proposed series of bicycle races at the business park of Vantage International Point off of Lockport Road.

On Tuesday evening, Town of Niagara Town Board members were welcomed to Town Hall by a near-sellout audience looking to show their support for the "Music Mania Mondays" concert series at Veterans Memorial Community Park.

The comedy "The Curious Savage," by John Patrick, will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 10, inside the Ghostlight Theatre, 170 Schenck St., North Tonawanda. Performances continue through May 20.

Niagara County youth looking for jobs are being urged to consider applying for work through Niagara County Employment & Training, E&T Director Donald Jablonski said Tuesday morning. He explained the county anticipates filling approximately 150 openings.

Niagara Catholic High School marked 90 years on Monday with a Mass celebrated by the Most Rev. Richard J. Malone. The 66th Street School was formed out of a 1975 union between Duffy and St. Mary's/Madonna high schools.

Town of Niagara Supervisor Lee Wallace has released the full schedule for the 2018 "Music Mania Mondays" free concert events.

The Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas named 716 Realty Group as its April Member of the Month.

Christian Academy recently announced the celebration of its 25th year of operation. The event will include a public open house and basket raffle from noon-3 p.m. on Saturday, April 21. More than 100 baskets, including many gift cards, a 28-inch Samsung TV, silver necklace and items from several area businesses, will be available. Admission is free.

The Gliding Stars of Western New York will present its 14th annual ice show, "Skating to your Favorite Tunes," at the Northtown Center in Amherst. Fun for the whole family, the show will pay tribute to some of their favorite songs and musical artists.

The Hon. Gary Strenkoski, Wheatfield town justice, swore in the Wheatfield Business Association's 2018 officers and board members at the group's monthly meeting at Yubb's Restaurant. Sworn in were Rob Allen as president, Jim Candella as vice president, Gilles Dube as treasurer and Danny Maerten as secretary.

North Tonawanda's Mayor Arthur G. Pappas has announced the City of North Tonawanda will once again participate in the annual Canal Clean Sweep, going into its 13th year, on Saturday, April 21.

In a recent Facebook post on the "Music Mania Mondays" page shared by the Town of Niagara account, it announced that the 2018 "Music Mania Mondays" concert schedule would be released on Monday, April 16.

Niagara County Sheriff James R. Voutour has announced the new addition to the sheriff's office canine team has been named in honor of Chief Craig C. Harmon, who was the chief of the Niagara County Drug Task Force when he passed away in 2004. The new canine, Chief, is currently in training with handler Deputy Richard Bull. He was purchased through many generous donations and funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Niagara County Public Works officials are asking motorists to be extra-vigilant as county, state and municipal road crews get to work repairing local highways and roads following a blistering winter.

RecruitNY, a major initiative of the Firemen's Association of the State of New York, is rapidly approaching. On April 28-29, firehouses across the state will open their doors to the public in an effort to increase membership in the volunteer fire service. This will be the eighth straight year of this recruitment initiative, a cornerstone of FASNY's ongoing recruitment campaign.

The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum opened for the season on Wednesday, April 4. The museum's spring hours will be from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

The McGuire Group's Northgate Health Care Facility on Nash Road in North Tonawanda has partnered with Erie 2 BOCES to provide a 12-month, fully funded LPN certificate program. Participants are guaranteed a position within the company during the training period and upon graduation.

What does a belly dancer, genealogist, ukulele instructor and an artist have in common? They are instructors in the newly revived Niagara-Wheatfield Central School District's Community Education program, and classes begin as early as April 17.

In October, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced North Tonawanda was a recipient of $2.5 million as part of the $20 million Smart Growth Community Fund Buffalo Billion II initiative. North Tonawanda, as well as the other municipalities that received $2.5 million, such as the City of Dunkirk, City of Lackawanna and Village of Gowanda, are focusing on projects that utilize existing infrastructure to support placemaking, walkable communities and sustainable development. Funding awards were recommended and approved by the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council.

Monday night at the Wheatfield Town Hall, the Town Board held one of its quickest meetings of the year. Regardless of the length of the meeting, several items were taken care of, some of which have been ongoing within the town.

The North Tonawanda Common Council had a busy night Tuesday. The council heard from several residents, approved several motions, and even honored a special group of individuals in the city.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Willow Senior Living apartments, a People Inc. living center, honored its residents who have lived at the complex since its beginning 10 years ago.

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center will honor the late Dr. John A.R. Marino at this year's Niagara Cup Classic golf tournament.

The Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara's annual golf raffle will take place from 4-7 p.m. Sunday, April 29, at the Sanborn Fire Hall, 5811 Buffalo St.

Since 2011, the Niagara-Wheatfield boys lacrosse team has faced off versus Hamburg in every Section VI Class B finals. The Falcons have one title win versus the Bulldogs in that time frame. In 2018, coach Vince Schiffert said his team is ready to get back on top.

Tuesday afternoon, the Niagara County Host Community Standing Committee, which administers and oversees projects funded by Niagara River Greenway funding, held a brief meeting to hear several proposals. Two of the proposals came from Town of Niagara Supervisor Lee Wallace, who is also a vice chairperson to the group.

On Saturday morning, children and families gathered at the Town of Wheatfield Youth Center, as the town's Recreation Department put on their annual Easter party.

On Sunday afternoon, the Town of Wheatfield held a luncheon at the town's Community Center to swear in David Heim as the new town justice. The town also recognized Matthew Mosher who was sworn in last Tuesday and replaced Heim as the town prosecutor.

On March 20, 1918, a group of Wheatfield residents met and formed the First Volunteer Chemical Fire Co. of Bergholz. 100 years later, first Chief Julius Stoelting and first President Henry Voelker's volunteer company is still running strong along Niagara Road.

After a long, cold winter, Project Pride of North Tonawanda is looking to spring forward with a series of cleanup and planting events. The group has been busy this winter discussing its planting and fundraising ideas for the upcoming season. In order to prepare for June planting, there is a need for cleanup. As the snow has slowly melted, litter and debris have appeared along key business corridors.

The Niagara County Youth Bureau will sponsor the 2018 summer food service program (SFSP). This program ensures children who are economically disadvantaged continue to receive nutritious meals during summer vacation. Meals are comparable to the National School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs (NSBP and NSLP, respectively) throughout the school year.