There were hugs, high-fives and tears as Niagara-Wheatfield High School seniors took some time to visit their elementary schools on June 14.

Recently, the Niagara-Wheatfield Teachers Association announced their 2019 scholarship winners - Kierston Klidonas, Nicole Guldin, Brianna Walker and Olivia Gonyea.  All four students attend Niagara-Wheatfield High School and will graduate on June 27.

The Orleans/Niagara BOCES life skills program graduated 19 students at the Historic Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda.

Recently, several student athletes of Starpoint High School signed to continue their careers in college.

The sun finally decided to shine on a Monday at the Town of Niagara's Veterans Memorial Community Park, setting the stage for a perfect and calm environment for the debut of "Music Mania Mondays." 

In honor of National Flag Day, Niagara County Clerk Joseph A. Jastrzemski presented a flag-raising ceremony on Friday, unveiling three new flagpoles in which U.S. military veterans who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East raised the American, state and county flags in front of the county courthouse.

The 10th annual "Festival of Fathers" will be held from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at the Hyde Park Splash Pad in Niagara Falls (corner of Hyde Park Boulevard and Pine Avenue). The festival, which is free and open to the public, will include games, prizes, snacks and crafts, as well as activities to engage children and parents together.

On June 8, the return of the Oppenheim Zoo and Market in the Country at the Wheatfield Lions Club was a success, drawing many people of all ages to the Five Senses Nature Park.

From noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 27, Precious Plate and Precision Process (of Liberty Drive) will host a superhero family picnic. The proceeds from the event at Gratwick Hose Fire Co. No. 6, 110 Ward Road, North Tonawanda, will benefit WNY Heroes. 

The following is a list of two ribbon cuttings in the City of North Tonawanda. 

The North Tonawanda Botanical Garden Organization is sponsoring a community work day from 9 a.m. until noon on June 22 at the North Tonawanda Botanical Garden, 1825 Sweeney St. The public is invited to help with ongoing and new projects. 

Mayor Arthur G. Pappas announced the ninth annual Project H.O.P.E. (Helping Others Paint Exteriors) will be held at Painters Plus, 800 Walck Road in North Tonawanda, at 9 a.m. Friday, June 14.

On Saturday morning, runners and walkers gathered at Holy Ghost Lutheran School for the first Bergholz 5K. 

The 12th edition of the Buffalo Living Tour will be expanding geographically when the event returns on Saturday, June 29.

On June 6, a man who injured and dragged a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police Officer while riding a four-wheeled utility vehicle was sentenced to serve one year in jail for the offense.  

On Friday, Allegiant started air travel service from Niagara Falls to Savannah, Georgia. To celebrate, the company offered one-way fares on the new route as low as $69. 

On Saturday, the Town of Niagara hosted its third Trash to Treasure event in Veterans Memorial Community Park, 7000 Joe Rotella Way. 

The Aquarium of Niagara welcomed 123 participants for Saturday morning's Sea Lion Rescue Run 5K at Whirlpool State Park. The race benefits the aquarium's 10 rescued seals and sea lions.

Empower will honor Ronald Miller, vice president of the Evans Insurance Agency, at its annual golf tournament on June 17 at Niagara Frontier Country Club in Youngstown. Miller will receive the Neil and Mary Gruppo Service Award at the tournament dinner, to be held at 6 p.m.

On Friday night, the Niagara-Wheatfield High School Class of 2019 held its prom at the Statler City in Buffalo. The following is a gallery of photos taken at the prom. NFP extends its congratulations to the Class of 2019.

The weather is finally beginning to make a turn for the best, and with that means another season of "Thursdays on the Water" in North Tonawanda.

2018-19 was indeed a dominant school year for Niagara-Wheatfield athletics. On Wednesday, at the Niagara Frontier League end of the year banquet, the program added to its impressive resume by winning the Niagara Frontier League "President's Cup" Supremacy Award.

North Tonawanda Mayor Arthur G. Pappas, along with the city officials, invite the public to attend the annual Fireman's Inspection Day Parade starting at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 15.

The North Tonawanda Department of Youth, Recreation and Parks will officially open the Memorial Pool at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 21. This year the department said it's proud to announce both the Memorial Pool and Raindrop Spray Pool will be open additional hours from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday afternoons.   

At Tuesday night's North Tonawanda Common Council meeting, Recreation Director Alex Domaradzki and Lumber City Development Corporation Executive Director Michael Zimmerman briefly discussed possible improvements to Gratwick Riverside Park. 

The McGuire Group's Northgate Health Care Facility in North Tonawanda recently announced that Coni A. Ciffa of Wheatfield celebrated her 20-year employment anniversary with the company. 

At the Greater Niagara FCU annual meeting on Saturday June 1, Levi Siegmann of Troop 824 presented four children's tables he built for his Eagle Scout project.

Sanborn native and Mount St. Mary Academy graduate Kelsey Kwandrans has won a 2019-20 U.S. Student Fulbright award to Spain. Kwandrans graduated in May from SUNY Geneseo with a B.A. degree in English and a minor in Spanish.

Many have said, "You've been given the gift of life, give it back." Locals will have the opportunity to do just that and enhance or save a life come June 19. 

On Saturday, June 8, the Town of Niagara will host its third Trash to Treasure event in Veterans Memorial Community Park, 7000 Joe Rotella Way. 

Recently, the Niagara-Wheatfield JV Softball team raised not only Lupus awareness, but also over $800 for the Lupus Alliance of Upstate New York.

From 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday, June 9, the Sanborn-Lewiston Farm Museum, 2660 Saunders Settlement Road, will host an all you can eat pancake breakfast. 

The North Tonawanda Department of Youth, Recreation and Parks will kick off its annual Easy Listening Concert Series at Raymond Klimek Veterans Park on Thursday, June 6. 

At approximately 11 a.m. on May 30, the Niagara County Sheriff's Office and United States Marshal Service Violent Felony Task Force, under the direction of Charles Salina, United States marshal, acted on numerous tips that were submitted to Crime Stoppers of Buffalo regarding a possible location of Shane Hescox. 

It's been a long and impressive season for the Niagara-Wheatfield girls track and field team, and recently the season got a little better.